To Think that Babies don't Belong in Super-Swanky Restaurants?

[14hourstillbedtime]

I love babies (especially on toast). Also love the integrated Mediterranean-like culture over here that enfolds babies into everyday life (babies with meatballs? babies on marinated lamb?)

However, I still think there are some places Babies don't Belong, and one of these places is a make-up and high-heels uber swanky restaurant! Yesterday, DH and I (very over-excitedly) went out for only the second time since DC2 (3 months), and there, slap bang in the middle of the posh joint, was a four/five month old baby!! It was very delicious-looking, but I can't help but wish it hadn't been there...

So, Am I Being Unreasonable?!

Did 'it' disturb you?

No. But I'm not going to say that out loud on here.

Newborns, fine, but past 6 weeks they have their own space, which I have to live in for 99% of my life. Pisses me right off when they infiltrate that 1%...

Depends - do you object on principle or was this particular baby noisy? And was it lunch or dinner?

If the baby was noisy I'd say YANBU.
But if s/he was quiet then I think you are being a bit U if the very sight of them offends you.

We went to the restaurant at the OXO tower and the waiter had to push a very noisy 3 month old up and down. I have a 1 year old whom I love very much put wouldn't turn up with her at a restaurant at 9.30pm and expect her to sit quietly and not disturb others - therefore I don't take her. I did suggest to the restaurant that perhaps they could have an over 8's policy after 8pm but all I got was "We are family friendly". No problems with children in the day but would prefer not if i was going somewhere I would consider 'a bit special'. Children can still learn how to behave(and enjoy eating out) in perhaps more everyday(cheap) restaurants where more children would be expected to be there.

But it's not just the noise is it? When I see a baby, DH and I go all gooey and end up talking about when ours were babies and should we have another...then before you know it the bills arrived and we've not even managed one double entendre of flirtation! I just think it's nice to get away from kids properly. Who really thinks babies enjoy the super swanky restaurant experience?

I'm not talking your local Italian where you get a nice little table for two in the corner and a massive family in the middle - I'm talking about Michelin stars. Just gets my goat when I'm out for an adult night and end up watching the bubba in the corner and picking up it's toys as I walk by cos y'know I'm a mummy too.

no yanbu, i think babies are more suited to some kinds of restaurant and not others..

YANBU. i was very annoyed when i went to a smart restaurant as a treat, and a woman was there with a newborn.

When i go out, I arrange babysitters. i do not want to listen to someone else'e baby crying.

Yes in normal bog standard restaurants it is fine but not in michelin star type places.

MrsC I say 'it' cos I don't know if it was a boy or a girl, not to disparage the baby in any way

The baby was lovely, actually, and not noisy... it's just that we had escaped our 3 year old and 3 month old for an adult night out (hence choice of swanky place!) and it was 8pm.

'It' got us talking about vasectomies, though! (Not sleeping very well over here )

We used to do it all the time. DD was never awake and people would be surprised when we got up and picked a carseat up for under the table.

As long as baby is asleep it is fine. If baby awake it is a definite no-no.

Oh no, I wasn't getting at you with the 'it'! Sorry if it came across that way.

I'm sorry why should babies only be inflicted/enjoyed by those who frequent cheaper restaurants?! When i eat out it is generally i n the nicer places in London, I'm a foody its not a £ thing but a fact I love to eat the sort of food these places serve. I am also mediterranean and it would never cross my mind that if my baby were well behaved it wouldn't be welcome there. They all provide high chairs which suggests they don't mind at all! I agree that if the child is difficult and loud then it shouldn't be there as naturally it impacts the enjoyment of all the other diners, but a quiet baby? Well where is the harm?!

See? Did you intend to go to dinner and talk about will chopping?! Kids are distracting.

Yanbu. It is teeth grindingly frustrating when you have made a big effort to get out to a rare, expensive, night out, forked out for a babysitter etc, only to find yourself seated near a noisy baby or child. Fair enough at Pizza Express, no fun at The Ivy.

However, there will be plenty on this thread telling you that YABU and why oh why can't we have a more relaxed Spanish or Italian approach to children in restaurants in this child-hating country of ours .

willy chopping - sorry

YABU. Its up to the restaurant to set a policy of no children, if there is a problem. And some restaurants do...

Generally babies are not quiet as church mice for hours long meal in the evening - not in my experience anyway.

And annoyingly loud business people getting drunk are far more annoying!

Objecting to a noisy baby because you can't hear yourself think for screaming is reasonable - objecting to seeing something that reminds you of something you're trying not to think about is, as you know full well, deeply unreasonable - maybe someone at the next table objected to your lovely new lilac maxi-dress because it reminded him of the colour of the Fiat Punto that ran him over and broke his leg last week? Am I over-thinking this perhaps?

We must have been very lucky with dd

Lunch time, OK, evening not, unless they are quiet or asleep.

i wouldn't take my baby to a restaurant by choice. lets face it, for toddlers a meal out that i would find realxing and delightful is just an endless bore of having to Sit Down for them.

however, i think you have to recognise that sometimes it is either the baby going, or Mummy never gets to go anywhere

so, live and let live, OP.

No worries, MrsC (Oh, I am a Mrs. C. IRL - just made that connection!)

Coraltoes it is because I hate babies . Or, just that, cos I am literally surrounded by babies/toddlers all the time right now, and we had forked out mucho dollaros for our nicest sitter, we were just looking forward to being in a guaranteed baby-free environment!

fearn LOL!!! Indeed, yes, that is my point... we actually made a pact not to talk about the DC AT ALL and as soon as we sat down we started in on the When Will You Get the Snip convo....

Agree Lynette, anything goes at lunch, evening dinner is different and it out of order.

Oh i wish I made the rules

Dilys 'twas a lovely sari that DH got me from India (like the idea of lilac Maxi dress, though!)