To be annoyed at my seat in restaurant?

Yanbu those tables are far too close together. There's plenty space for 3x tables of two on that row but 4 tables is too close for comfort.

There's no space to get up to the loo or anything without possibly knocking a drink. If you are bigger than a child there's no way you could squeeze out.

My DH and I stopped off at a country pub on the way home once.
The only (dusty) table for 2 they had meant I was sat under the stairs in a dark corner, next to the loos.
There were a few tables set for 4 or 6 but we weren't allowed them.
We sat down while the waiting staff faffed about getting cutlery, glasses, napkins etc to make up the table.

DH looked around, said "fancy grabbing something from McDonalds instead?" so we left.

It wasn't a busy day, just a random Thursday. They weren't overly busy. The food was average pub grub, but a bit over priced.

They've since closed down and it's been demolished and has some lovely houses there now.

OP, I'd have walked out. Make sure you tell your DP that you won't be going back there unless you're on a bigger table.

Ridiculous. I would refuse that table & walk out if no other table was available.

I would have turned round and walked out.
In that set up you feel like you are having a conversation with the next table AND you would struggle to get in and out without putting your arse in someone' s food or face. No thanks!

I could say it's restaurant s being greedy but I think that pubs and restaurants are really struggling so they are jamming everyone in.

The tables themselves are very narrow, never mind the tiny gaps. I would be butting elbows with strangers. Horrible set up.

Well YANBU to want more space but you were unreasonable to accept the table then whinge. They a NBU to want maximum covers in their business.

The only time this kind of arrangement can work is where people choose their own seating (like mcdonalds and greggs!) That way nearly always people leave decent space or just choose not to sit there, but at exceptionally busy times all the seating gets used (usually with apologies). There's no excuse for it in a decent restaurant.

Perhaps because it’s ultimately a business and it’s just about money. They make more money from larger tables because more people fit round them and order more food. It makes no business sense putting two people at a table for 4 when a group ordering twice as much food could walk in at any moment wanting to sit together. Not all restaurants are booking only, some you can walk in. Before Christmas a group of us did book a table somewhere. 3 or our group dropped out on the night and when we arrived we were immediately moved to a smaller table because they didn’t want 4 of us at a table for 7 when they could fit a larger group there and make more money. It made perfect sense to all of us.

Post the photo on a review site. Those saying they would be ok with the distance between the tables, I wonder if they would say the same if their dish of fluorescent curry was spilt into their lap as someone tried to squeeze past?

From the position of the lights above, it looks as if they intended to (or once did) have three tables in that space. Probably slightly larger than the ones there now. Then they realised they could shoehorn two more paying customers in...

I would probably have rolled my eyes and got on with it, but I agree it's a bit shit. I have a fat arse and I'd have apologised, of course, to anyone who had to move to let me out...but I'd be apologising on behalf of the restaurant, not my arse.

Agree with the above. You would be elbow to elbow with others and have to basically put your bum on another table to get out to the loo. Tables in middle of restaurant is definitely normal, but that close together is just silly

What's on the right of the last table OP? Doesn't look ideal for those people either if they are up against a desk or something.

I wouldn’t have accepted that table.

I’ve threatened to leave in the past when given a horrible table & been offered better ones.

No guarantee of course but there are other restaurants. Or as a last resort, a takeaway at home would be preferable and cheaper too.

You can't leave your seat without asking the person next to you to get up.

If you were sat on the end and enjoying your meal with your partner, would it not bother you if the person next to you had to make you get up so they could pop to the loo, then again when they returned, and a 3rd time when they were leaving..?

I am absolutely with you OP and would leave a google review mentioning it. 3 tables there would be perfect.

That’s madness. I’m older now and much more vocal about where I sit. A recent place tried to sit us next to a big table of 15 … there were 2 of us! The other side of the restaurant was empty .. they just didn’t want to be walking across. But they did move us.

Surely on a Wed night the restaurant wasn’t full OP.

I was locked and loaded to tell you how unreasonable you are but having seen the photo, the tables are far too close together. I wouldn’t like to sit there for the reasons you’ve mentioned and unless you’re on the end, you have to ask strangers to move if you need the loo. So you’re not being unreasonable.

That's a ridiculous set up. I was going to say it's like our McDonald's, space between tables wise, and the tables are rooted to the floor and you literally hold in every bit of your body squeezing through so as not to knock everything off the other table. I hate those tiny spaces and a table that holds one plate and drink and it's full. Did you even use the toilet?

Ime this is pretty normal for an Indian restaurant.

Agreed, it’s shite. I hate places that cram as many people as physically possible into a small space at the expense of comfort where you can’t even get up to use the loo without disturbing the people next to you or risking your arse ending up in their food as you squeeze through an unreasonably small gap.

I went somewhere similar a while ago with someone where the purpose was for us to discuss some relatively serious personal stuff only for us to be unable to because the couple sat next to us were so close we could hear every word of each others conversations even when talking quietly.

McDonalds always have plenty of space to get in and out of tables. I spend many a happy hour reading papers over a grilled chicken salad and a coffee.

The size of the table looks fairly standard to me for 2 people. They're a little bit close together, but equally, if they had only 3 tables on that run they'd be spread very far apart. Perhaps they should push the middle 2 tables together to make a 4 person table, and just have the 2 outer ones as 2 person tables, that would feel a bit more spacious.

It wouldn't be a particularly big deal for me.

I’m regularly asking to switch tables in restaurants. I’m paying to eat there. If I’m not comfortable what’s the point?

im saying youre not unreasonable because there is no room to get out to the toilet or whatever. Unless you’re a size 6.

They cram tables in to make more money but they should consider people’s comfort. How could a pregnant woman get in there! Or do they not want pregnant woman lol. Imagine turning up and then having to turn you away as you're too pregnant and all the tables you could potentially access are full. That would be discriminatory.

i dont know if there are fire regulations or if the local authority decides how many seats they are licensed for but if there was a tea light on the table that got knocked and set the tablecloth or napkins on a table on fire, you’d think there should be room for people to escape.

So maybe someone on here could advise on the legalities.

Yeah, cramped restaurants are fine if it’s cheap and you can push your seat back in order to leave or arrive at the table. It doesn’t look like there’s that option here.

Yanbu. I hate this kind of set up. It looks like mcdonald's, not somewhere you can sit and enjoy a whole meal for an hour+