Do you try to get a nice seat in a restaurant when out with friends?

[user1471554720]

I have noticed that when I am out with my friend in a restaurant, I always end up facing her and the wall, whereas she is opposite me and can see the other diners and main restaurant behind me.

The restaurant is small and a certain proportion of tables are up against the wall, where one person faces their companion and then the wall.

Once I arrived early and sat with my back to the wall, so I could overlook the main restaurant. She came after and seemed a bit put out about the seat but said nothing.

Do you try and get a good seat when out? Generally I don't esp, if out with a large group. I don't watch seating but if I am out with one or two, and I am always facing them and the wall. I do notice.

2 members of my family always do this,.

I wouldn't necessarily consider the seat facing out a "good" seat.

I think you're overthinking your friend's behaviour.

I suppose there are often 'better' seats at a table, and I suppose if there first you will probably end up picking the one you like the look of best.

No I don’t care.

I always ask which seat the other person prefers. Im not that fussed myself.

I always like to see my escape route in case of emergency 😂

I am also a bit claustrophobic -I def prefer facing out

DH and I love ppl watching so ideally we can both see everyone-and the waiter

This sounds like way overthinking, all seats are good seats where you are fed and watered. Why do you want to see other diners? Strange.

I hate having my back to a room. Makes me feel very uncomfortable. But I wouldn’t think of it as taking the better seat.

I think this is why a lot of restaurants put mirrors on the wall - so you can both quietly gossip about the other diners without the person facing the wall having to look around 😃

I suffer with an anxiety disorder and one of my triggers is sitting with my back to the door (due to some previous trauma in my life) - so I do try where I can to sit facing “outwards” - but am also using various coping techniques from my counselling when I am unable to sit facing the door to deal with it.

I don’t think about it in a group or with a friend. But when it’s just my husband and me, I always try and give him the seat with a ‘view’. Not sure why, I’ve always done it.

I would not have taken any notice, but on the few occasions I took the seat facing out, I noticed a coolness.

I don't mind in a large group eg 6 or 8, as the table is convivial. However I would not have noticed it if my friend did not go 'a bit put out' when I took the seat facing out. In fact my sister got a bit snappy with me, once when I took the seat facing out.

I have a back injury so I always take the banquet seat by the wall if it’s an option. However I’m aware it’s the better seat and apologise for it. In fact everyone I know offers it to me anyway.

Agree some kind of discreet mirroring does help.

If there is room, I have been known to move my seat and the setting to the side, so we are at right angles.

My mother and sister like people watching commenting on peoples clothes and overweight people. Thwy probably think the seat facing the restaurant is wasted on me. I used to be plump when younger and am afraid the comnent on anyone.

I usually ask whether a friend has a seat preference if we’re seated together but if I arrive first then I sit wherever takes my fancy.

My dad is somewhat deaf with his old age but far too stubborn to admit it; his audiologist advised that in e.g. restaurants he sit with his back to the wall if possible as this helps with background noise. I imagine there are plenty of other people who do likewise, but wouldn’t want to say why.

I’d rather face the wall (but not if it has a bloody, great mirror on it).

This wouldn't even enter my head.

I don't care as I'm focusing my attention on the people I'm with, not the wider restaurant diners.

Whoever gets there first chooses first.

If possible I try to avoid sitting with my back to the room if I can opt to sit with my back to the wall instead. Mainly to avoid having people constantly brushing past me.

Your friend's a bit weird if she's put out she can't have her chosen seat, though, imo.

I'm fairly assertive so I go for the seat that I want to sit in before everyone's had the chance to think about it. Sometimes I ask my company "do you mind if I take this seat as opposed to the bench, as I prefer support for my back?".

For me, most important factor is availability natural light, the seat itself, and finally a view.

Ha. I have a friend, now an almost 50yo woman, who was an only child. While she was single and more so now she’s married, she always - ALWAYS - considers herself entitled to the better seat / to be served first / to order first / to taste the wine. I pointed it out once, years ago, she hadn’t even realised. She said something about how she’s just so used to life being the main and only person, which is true I suppose as an only child/single person. It’s not a problem for me as my life is the opposite and I’m very happy for her to take charge and make the decisions (makes a nice change for me!). But basically yes. It’s quite an entitled, princess thing to do.

So you go to a restaurant just to eat? Not to interact?

One of my pet hates is when the first person to arrive at e.g. a birthday meal chooses the best seat (usually in he middle of a long table, facing out) for themselves with no thought to where the birthday person will sit! I think that's really rude, especially if there are people there that don't know each other too, and no thought is given to what would work for other people/conversation flow etc.

Other than that, I'm not really fussed tbh.

For me it is all about the seat because of my back problem. I always ask for a bench seat when booking.

I don't care at all about facing Inwards or outwards but would hate to be facing a mirror. The last thing I want is to see myself in the mirror shoving food into my mouth.

I used to be the mug who faced the wall, how I’m assertive and either say to my fellow diner it’s my turn to have the better seat or I ask the waiting staff for a different table so we both get a better view.