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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Booking a table at a restaurant

77 replies

wowfudge · 31/10/2014 17:08

Is it just me, or is it really rather irritating when restaurants won't take bookings? Just tried to book a place I've been to before with colleagues and enjoyed for tomorrow night. Their website has an automated booking facility for parties of 6 or more, but asks you to email if there are fewer in your party.

So I emailed them. Reply: sorry, we only take bookings for parties of 6 more, but pop along tomorrow and if there's a wait for a table you can have a drink at our bar until there's a table ready.

Er, no - I wanted to be sure I could eat a nice meal when I wanted to!

OP posts:

milkpudding · 31/10/2014 22:30

Can't believe the amount of mugs who will queue to get in to a restaurant. As for the two hour slot to eat, - Sod that, I'll leave when I'm good and ready.

So if the person who has booked a table after you is left waiting for an extra hour whilst you nurse a coffee, does that make them a mug?

How on earth can a restaurant take bookings if people won't leave at the appointed time?

SinglePringle · 31/10/2014 22:44

Two of my favourite restaurants operate a 'no booking' policy. If we choose to go to either, we know we may have to wait. One has a queue from opening at 5.30 every single night but the food is totally worth it. One of them takes your mobile number and calls you when a table is ready. Never gone longer than 2 drinks in a nearby bar / an hour.

We just wouldn't go there if either time or immediate hunger was of the essence.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

FoodieToo · 31/10/2014 23:37

Fru what on earth is there to talk about regarding a reservation?

Surely people,time and contact number covers it? I love online booking !

kali110 · 01/11/2014 02:08

Not being able to book can
Be irritating as i have wanted to before, however i also love just being able to go into restaurant in the spur of the moment.
In The shopping center by me, none of the restaurants will take booking on the weekends anymore, probably
As they make so much money from walk ins. There are always massive queues for all of them so i can see why they do it.

BeGhoul · 01/11/2014 03:44

It seems to me all these very busy, no reservation, walk in only restaurants know their customers and their business very well.

MokunMokun · 01/11/2014 04:44

I would never think to book at a restaurant unless it was a large group.

I can totally understand why restaurants feel that way too. What's wrong with waiting? You can wait 20 minutes. If it seems like it will be longer than that find somewhere else to eat.

MaryWestmacott · 01/11/2014 07:49

While in sure I've regularly been booked in two hour time slots at a restaurant, I've never actually been told I have. But if a restaurant has good service, then 2 hours is easily enough time to eat a 3 course meal without feeling rushed. There's only ever an issue if service is slow and you have to wait a long time to order or between ordering and food arriving.

Normally the "I don't have a table at 8pm, but do have one at 8:15pm" isn't because someone else is on that table from 6:15, but because they are trying to stagger orders going to the kitchen so no one has to wait a long time for their food after ordering.

I'm sure there are lots of "no booking restaurants" around run by really amazing people, serving fabulous food and other than their booking system, offer great service, but I associate queuing for food with McDonalds, not a good night out. If I arrived on the off chance and they had a table, I might try it, but would never wait if there's another restaurant that has tables nearby, and in the evening, I want to be certain I can get a table somewhere within the babysitter time frame, so would have booked somewhere.

It doesn't really matter about the food quality, because the actual food is only part if the dining experience - in the same way I've walked out of the restaurant everyone in our town tells me does the most amazing tapas and is worth the rather high for tapas prices- because in the evening they blast out salsa music so loud you can't have a conversation, and if I've paid for a babysitter, I want to be able to chat to DH. Apparently they've changed that as I want the only one who felt this way. Food isn't the only thing a restaurant needs to get right.

TheLastThneed · 01/11/2014 08:03

Two of my favourite restaurants do this. If the wait is too long then we go somewhere else. The food is amazing and they're always busy. One of the restaurants survives on word-of-mouth/press coverage...they have no website and don't advertise which is an incredibly brave move.

I hate waiting for food too, but the model obviously works for them. For every 1 or 2 groups/couples that don't want to wait, they probably have 4 or 5 who will.

Oblomov · 01/11/2014 08:53

what a fascinating thread. how diverse peoples views/needs/wants are.

If I am going out for a meal, which only happens occasionally, I would only go for a place that accepts bookings.

LoblollyBoy · 01/11/2014 09:04

I'm surprised that people are able to simply go somewhere else if the place they are at seems too busy. Round here I wouldn't expect to find a table anywhere decent as a walk-in, they'd all be booked!

Bunbaker · 01/11/2014 09:16

"but a system with bookings is what leads to people feeling rushed - how many people on this thread have complained about the "need to be out by x time as the table is booked for another party"

That has never happened to me. I live in a rural area and we don't eat out very often. When we do go out we always book because the next place to eat might be a few miles away.

On the other hand, when on holiday with a choice of eateries then I wouldn't expect to have to book.

As for feeling "rushed" during a two hour meal. The service would have to be very poor for that to happen.

Sleepwhenidie · 01/11/2014 09:18

Loblolly I think you make a great point. I expect people who prefer to book have more limited choices in a geographical area. We live in fairly Central London, there are easily a dozen great restaurants within 5-10 minutes walk from our house, or DH and I head for Soho, very rarely book, it's not much of an issue if we can't get into our first choice of restaurant, we wander to another. Near IL's, more rural however, I would want to have a booking somewhere because if the wait is long, getting a cab/driving around to find an alternative would ruin the evening.

MaryWestmacott · 01/11/2014 09:23

yep, if you break it down, if you book a table at 8pm, I'd expect to have some flaffing re coats, looking at the menu, ordering drinks then be ready to order food by 8:15. Starters I'd expect to be in front of me by 8:30, starters normally take only 15 minutes to eat, so cleared by 8:50pm, mains arriving around 8:55pm, taking around 20 minutes to eat, 30 at max, so by 9:25, the main should be cleared, and be offered the pudding menus, by 9:30 they should be taking my pudding order, 30 minutes to finish that and leave.

2 hours would only be a rush if you have crap service.

londonrach · 01/11/2014 09:24

Agree sleep. At parents or pil we book here in london unless we know we turn up mostly on the off chance, and have a choice we could go to. (We know the good ones as checked before and usually have a lost of 3 or 4 close by.)

londonrach · 01/11/2014 09:26

I hate it if i get told you have to be out if the table by x time and have responded by either saying thank you go else where or surely thats up to the waiter which is abit rude but its that one thing that really gets to me.

eurochick · 01/11/2014 09:36

I'm another one who won't go to a restaurant that won't take bookings. I don't want to be responsible for bolstering their profits at the bar when I want to be eating. I also won't got to places with a time limit. Whether you get a full meal is dependent on the speed of the kitchen and service. Not what I want from a night out.

If those things work for them as business methods that's fine but they can do without my custom.

Celticlass2 · 01/11/2014 09:40

We are a family of fast eaters. We are usually done and dusted ( usually three courses) within an hour and a half. The only time when I would take longer than two hours is when there is a large party and we are all drinking wine and taking a bit more time to eat and drink than Normal, as we are busy chatting and catching up.

Of course if the service is bad, then that is the fault of the restaurant, and I will take as long as i want. Not going to be rushed out because they were unable to stagger courses appropriately.

Celticlass2 · 01/11/2014 09:55

Ah yes, Eurochick the old, would you like to order a drink while you're waiting. (This happens sometimes even when you have booked a table for a specific time) it drives me nuts.

I'm quite often not drinking, or just having a glass of wine with dinner, so don't want to be squashed to death in a space that is invariably tiny and uncomfortable at the bar.

I just want to be seated.

ProfYaffle · 01/11/2014 09:59

Yy to the geographical area thing. I live in a small town but we have about half a dozen restaurants/pubs, I wouldn't risk not booking at peak times (early evening is OK) in case we couldn't get in. Similarly, if we've made the 50 mile round trip to the nearest city, I want to be sure I'm guaranteed a table and not spend the evening traipsing around searching for one.

FryOneFatManic · 01/11/2014 10:26

I live in a country town too, not many restaurants for evening food unless we want to drive over to the nearby city, at least 15 miles to get anywhere near a restaurant. Or you have to drive out to the local villages, where a few places have a reputation.

So around here, booking is the norm. I can't think of anywhere that operates as walk in only.

Maybe it does depend on locality, after all.

LaurieFairyCake · 01/11/2014 10:59

My pet hate is the sneer when you haven't booked

Last time it was a Toby carvery, and I said 'are you joking' to the waiter

angeltulips · 01/11/2014 11:04

I hate no bookings and won't go if I'm in a group - i might chance it if it's just DH and I, but I don't want to be traipsing the streets looking for somewhere to eat with 4 or more people.

The problem with the 2/3 hour sitting places I have is that the sittings are invariably at odd times - often it'll be a 630/7 sitting (too early) and then a 9/930 sitting. When I'm out I would like to start to eat between 730 and 830 ideally.

Original poster

wowfudge · 01/11/2014 11:17

angel I think that is one of the issues: most people will want to eat between certain times and that takes management by restaurants to avoid overloading the kitchen, etc.

In fact, all the more reason to take bookings and stagger things because it would be hell of a coach load of diners all turned up at the same time!

OP posts:

Nancy66 · 01/11/2014 11:23

Doesn't bother me. Restaurants are always the first businesses to go under when people feel the pinch.

It only tends to be your casual dining places that do this. I understand why - if every booked party turns up 15 minutes late then by the end of the night they could have done another half a dozen covers.

Plus, I know from my waitressing days, that roughly one in five bookings will be a no show.

Aridane · 01/11/2014 11:50

Doesn't bother me

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