To book a table for 2

[Namechanger2735]

Rang a restaurant to book a table, I said "2 and a high chair" she said, "okay a table for 3 will be 19:45 at the earliest". I then went on their website, table for 2 18:15. I've never known a restaurant to class a highchair as an extra person, we'll still be given a small table that would be given for 2 people. No extra food will need to be made as DD will eat off my plate (and it's a carverh anyway!)
Do you think I'll be greeted with a frosty reception?

Yes, probably! Plenty of restaurants have tables set close together so that a high chair wouldn't fit. And as you don't seem to want to buy a meal from them for your child I can't imagine they will be overly accommodating.

Possibly just because tables can be quite close together so where could a high chair go? It could mean having to move tables around that people are already sitting on and cause a lot of distribution to people in the middle of their meal

Some restaurants like Nando's you definitely couldn't fit a highchair between a table for 2 but this is the Toby carvery, not sure if they're all laid out the same but this one is a table for two against a wall, the other three sides of the table are available so I can't see it being a problem

YABU just stay home cook your own roast much nicer anyway and no hassle and you get it earlier!

So what will you do if you turn up and they refuse to seat you because you booked what they consider the wrong table?

As PP have said, they probably consider a high chair to be an extra person due to space.

YADBU, I worked hospitality for years and bloody hated people that booked a table and only included the adults in the head count.

Your child might not need a normal seat but they still count as a person/space.

Had some absolute morons that asked for a table for 5 on a heaving Saturday night, then came back with 3 children in tow and had a shit fit because the table wasn't big enough. No shit Sherlock, you asked for a table for 5 and there's 8 of you.

The Toby Cauvery by me has some tables like you did rive but also ones close together that couldn't fit a high chair in between, your not guaranteed the table you want and it's not worth risking turning up and either being turned away and being hungry at that time with a small child or risking ruining other people's dinner when you know they haven't got space for 3 people to sit at a table weather that's a high chair or normal chair

Surely they know their own restaurant. You booked a table for two and a high chair. They told you the earliest time that type of table would be available.

You are being ridiculous. Of course a high chair takes up the space of one person. They told you when a table like that is available and you have chosen to ignore it so may be turned away.

Maybe they don’t have any free high chairs until then because lots of people with young children have booked earlier?

I’ve never been to a Toby Carvery but surely restaurants only have a limited number of high chairs?

As others have said, you need space for the highchair which takes up the same space as an ordinary chair.

Not just space for a high chair, but availability needs to be taken into account too. What will you do if you turn up and there are none available.

You are not a table of two. You are a table of three. It matters not that you only have two people ordering and eating. A high chair can take up more room than a regular chair. They would be well within their rights to refuse to seat you. And you need to take into consideration that the restaurant may have all of the high chairs accounted for. Restaurants don't have a limitless supply of high chairs!!

If you need a highchair, you need 3 seats. Ffs.🙄

If I need a highchair I need two seats and a highchair. It's not a big deal if they can't seat us, it's surrounded by lots and lots of other places to eat so we'll sort something I'm sure.
I don't think seating three is the same as two and a highchair as a single table wouldn't fit three plates, with cutlery either side and a drink each.. but would be fine for two and a high chair

There are 3 people present you need a table for 3 . I don't understand people who eat out and don't buy a meal for their child , does she eat off your plate at home ?

I love an AIBU where everyone says yes you are and OP maintains they're not.

floral not all children that are young enough to be in a highchair are capable of feeding themselves, or have an appetite big enough to need more than a few potatoes and veg off someone else's plate.

I love an AIBU where everyone says yes you are and OP maintains they're not

Same!

Not maintaining I'm not being unreasonable at all. I asked for a reason, wouldn't have bothered if I knew I was right. Like I said it's surrounded by other restaurants so not really a big deal

I don't understand people who eat out and don't buy a meal for their child

Really? The op hasn't said how old the baby is though. My ate off my plate in a restaurant yesterday..a carrot which I mushed with a fork.

He ate it instead of me. No extra food was provided. What's the problem?

It’s not the space on the table. It’s the space around the table. Surely you can see that a high chair takes up just as much space (if not more) than an adult chair and the layout means they need to take that into account.

Yet another thread where the op asks if they ABU. MN answers a resounding YABU and the op says “no I’m not”.

I think only the number of people purchasing a meal should be counted.
My husband used to work at a Toby Carvery, and most tables are close together.
We brought our ds a child's meal, so it was 3 meals (I don't like children eating from a parents plate. Screams cheap to me).

Floral, My 2 yr old hasn't a big appetite at the moment. Went for a meal on Friday evening and she touched nothing on her plate but a couple of peas.
Lunch yesterday with family I didn't bother wasting the food or our money and gave her a few bites of mine.