To be annoyed at table in restaurant?

[lookandshee]

Me and my partner went to a nice restaurant last night for my birthday.
It's quite a expensive restaurant
The stuck us on a tiny two table which wasn't big enough for drinks plus food on the table.
We asked could we move to another table they said no as they had a table plan.
Basically it was a two table in the middle of another set of two tables.
We might as well of been on the other couples knee.
All the four tables were nicely spaced out yet because we were just a couple expected to sit here.
Ruined the meal for us
Aibu to think they should make the tables bigger for two people ?
It was that small they had to take the Christmas small lamp off to fit two cocktails and plates on.

Agree, I won't put up with a bad table.
Recently had one at a dinner show. Next to the bar and the waiters station, terrible view and just isolated from the main room.
We were moved to a cosy booth. The head waiter had no explanation of why we hadn't been seated there originally. The venue wasn't full and everyone had pre-booked so they knew party sizes and numbers.

We tend to ask for a quiet table against a wall as DH has a hearing problem and struggles with background noise.

I would have left before ordering if the table wasn't adequate and I probably would have told the maitre d the reason... Unless it was a raved about, hard to get a table, Michelin star restaurant that I was desperate to experience the life changing cooking and felt I could make allowances.

But It's all part of the dining out experience that you are paying for.

If I was a paid for guest, I'd leave it to my dinner companion to speak out, but I'd probably still ask them if they thought the table was satisfactory. If they were happy with it, I'd just suck it up (it would be really ungracious not to) but would drink copiously to self-medicate my discomfort.

Learn to speak up.

We went to a lovely restaurant for my husband’s birthday last year - mentioned it was his birthday on the booking.

Restaurant was huge, with floor to ceiling windows most of the way around, and when we arrived on a weekday evening we were one of 4 tables in. They seated us on a tiny table next to the waiter’s station, where the view from the lovely windows was obscured by a massive window sticker advertising thing.

Nobody bothered to even mention DH’s birthday, not even just a “happy birthday”. Sometimes I wonder whether they take a dislike to you as soon as you walk in or something. Hate it when it happens, seems to happen to us often - we always (politely) ask to move if there are lots of other tables available.

We used to go to The Ivy (the original Covent Garden one) for a special treat occasionally. Then they re-designed it. It's horrible now. The bar, which used to be in a separate room, is right in the middle of the restaurant. They sat us right next to it, and in-between two other tables so close that we were virtually sharing.
We haven't been back.

I was once told by a guy who used to work tables to book as a ‘3’ to get a larger or better-positioned table, then your 3rd person “can’t make it” so you 2 have a better table.
I have dodgy hearing so if I am sat in the middle of chatter, I can’t hear my DP so when booking I do ask for a quiet table, usually get something that’s ideal for me. I wouldn’t stay if I was squeezed in somewhere. Also, I hate the bench seating that’s so popular.

Restaurants seem to take the attitude that you should be grateful to be there. It’s now so expensive to eat out and so many restaurants are a disappointment in one way or another. Too loud, too cold, too small portions. I think I’m constantly searching for the same experience that I had 5-10 years ago but it doesn’t exist anymore.

I had this once. We arrived and were shown to a tiny table where the next tiny table over had squeezed in a third chair, so someone else was essentially sitting where I would’ve been sitting (with his back to our table). The waiter just gestured to the nonexistent space where I’d have been sitting. When we explained that it would be impossible for us to sit there we were told to wait a few minutes for a larger table, which we did, only for them to give it to another family who arrived after us. We were then told it was the first table or nothing.

We chose nothing unsurprisingly and never went back.

We went to a restaurant on a night out recently and got seated at this sort of table, there was just enough room to squeeze between the two tables. However we got lucky and the two ladies sitting next to us were a delight, so we ended up chatting away - it was one of those taster menu places where you get a million tiny little dishes with matching wines so we all got quite tipsy and critiqued each dish like we were on MasterChef. It was great fun. Made two new friends!

However I understand that 99% of the time being seated within whispering distance of the people next to you is not ideal at all. I wish restaurants had a "happy to mingle and chat with other guests" section where all the tables are close together, and a "want some peace and bloody quiet" section where they're all partitioned and it's quiet!

@Charlize43

I would have left before ordering if the table wasn't adequate and I probably would have told the maitre d the reason... Unless it was a raved about, hard to get a table, Michelin star restaurant that I was desperate to experience the life changing cooking and felt I could make allowances.

It wouldn't happen at a Michelin star type place though since high throughput isn't how they make a profit. (Cost of ingredients, more elaborate service, etc. They can be hard to book because seats are genuinely restricted.) Where it does happen is okayish but more commoditized eateries.

I agree, I’ve been to two restaurants recently where the tables were so close together waiters were having to squeeze past, DH kept getting bashed in the back by the electronic things they use to take orders (they were hanging like handbags), difficult to get past other diners to the loo etc

Had this last night! Arrived at our 6pm booking to a completely empty restaurant and they tried to put us on a small dark corner table next to the one toilet!

I very clearly just went "Sorry no, we don't want to sit next to the toilet in an empty restaurant."

And quelle surprise! We were magically found the lovely front booth table!

Hate to say it, but I just make myself a somewhat squeaky wheel early doors.

I hate being too close to other diners. It's impossible to relax or talk. Our local pub restaurant had a change around and the table for 5 now shares a space not much bigger than a corridor next to a table for 2. They push them together for groups of 6. The 5th diner sits at the end of the table for 4 with their back right by the table for 2. It's extremely awkward and we haven't been back since as a party of 5.

In my opinion, the king of tables is the booth. I love my local Nando's because it's nearly all booths.

this is honestly my
pet hate like it gives me anxiety and will make me refuse to stay. i honestly will walk out and go get a takeaway.
i'm paying for the food but also for a relaxed table that i enjoy and sitting practically right next to another table or at a busy impersonal part of the room is just a no. i actually stimulate this when i'm booking. if i don't get it, i'm out of there. not worth my precious cash.

Im really fussy about restaurant table positioning and ambiance

It doesnt take much to piss me off

Dont like sitting right in the centre of the room

Dont like bright, harsh lighting and lots of clanging

Dont like ridiculous small tables with excess clutter, candles, pot of flowers, salt and pepper, then plus a side plate, excess cutlery, big napkin, water, water jug, thats before any bloody food and drinks arrive.

Dont want to see a view of the kitchen thank you, it looks a mess, too bright, too noisy

Dont want loud music

Dont want furniture that is badly thought out, tables too low for the chairs you're on so you're bent double trying to fork in your dripping pasta or cabbage with butter on

Dont want to perch on stools

You are my spirit animal.

I absolutely refuse to be seated at a shit table.

Was recently sat with my husband and daughter at The Ivy on a middle of the room table between two service stations. No thank you. Moved.

Like PP said, the booth is the holy grail of restaurant seating. Why can't we have more booths? We demand more booths. Vive la Booth!!

Totally agree that a shitty table can make or break a restaurant experience.
I completely hate booths though, I instantly feel trapped and claustrophobic unless I'm sitting on the outer seat, and cramped booths with fixed tables are a nightmare as they're often physically uncomfortable as a plus-sized person. The feeling of being trapped (even if I have plenty of room) means I spend the time in "flight or fight" mode.

Had this once when out with mum and sister. My mum especially feels very intimidated in restaurants and never complains or asks for changes but they put us in the window with beaming sunlight and not enough space for the large chairs. It was incredibly hot and uncomfortable and was meant to be mums birthday treat. I insisted we ask to be moved which we were. We then watched the restaurant fill up and four other groups were all put there, then moved. I'll never understand why they didn't just accept it was a shit table, use all other available ones first and then have it as the "that or nothing" option. (you couldn't book by the way so non-issue about "fairness" of book Vs walk in).

Only issue I have with booths is the bench is often too low for me, as a shortie, so I end up quite uncomfortable in relation to the table height.

@CalistoNoSolo
Some people talk so loudly you can't help but hear.

My DH has a very restrictive diet (only eats a certain type of food) luckily the restaurant we frequent knows and understands this and even for Christmas lunch they will serve him what he requests and it's no problem.

So yesterday we went for our Christmas Day lunch, we were seated at the booth I always request as it's discreet and out of the way.
On the table opposite there were a family of six eating their meal, looked liked a set of grandparents,parents and two teenagers.
When my husbands main course was served, I was speaking to my sister so I was facing the other table, and I saw the grandmother (who was at the far end of their table) say "Look what he his having to eat".
Everyone one of them turned to stare, luckily I had a medium sized oblong gift bag with me, so I deliberately stared back at them and placed the bag at the end of the table blocking their view.
Granted, they all looked shame faced and looked away so I didn't have to do anything else, but wtf? I never notice at what other people are ordering or eating because it's not my business and I don't care what random strangers are doing.
As a pp said they must have a very sad boring life if they have to listen and watch over other diners.
Rant over!

I've had this quite a few times and it really ruins it. Like a pp says they aren't actually a good restaurant are they?

I remember a restaurant in Dubrovnik where we could hear every word, the poor woman was struggling to conceive, we had 10 kids between the 3 of us women, which we were enjoying a break and being away from them! which is not helpful to her is it?

I had this recently in a TGI Friday's in a shopping centre.

I am not a huge fan of 'Friday's anyway as I think it is chain restaurant food at stupid prices, but I do love their Fajitas and my friend wanted to go.
Obviously to eat Fajitas you need a bit of room! Plate, container for tortillas, salsa/guac etc and then your drinks and anything else. It would NOT fit on the table comfortably. Seemed the size of a postage-stamp. Doesn't make for a comfortable dining experience and I was trying to make the fajitas up without elbowing my friend in the face or knocking drinks/ plates over.

Next time, I am going to ask for a better table, definitely. It's just not always possible, if they say no and It's a busy Saturday or everyone's hungry or someone else wants to stay there...

I’ll add to this when you have a large group booking and they shove several tables together with the long edge against a wall. You end up trapped and unable to go to the loo. I’d rather have two or three smaller tables next to each other