12 Things Not to Do When Eating at a Restaurant

You’ve met the type. 

They (either very entitled or power tripping) feel that going to a nice restaurant for dinner is an open invitation to be treated like royalty.

As in, “Don’t you know who I am?” 

(Just a tip: they don’t know who you are… and they also don’t care.) 

When a diner is rude to the waiter or is too self-important, it affects the mood of the entire table. And can be pretty damn embarrassing for the rest of us.

Here are 12 things not to do at a restaurant…

1. Arrive “Fashionably Late” at Your City’s Hottest Restaurant
It’s never a good idea to show up half an hour late without calling. Ever. On that note, make sure to cancel any reservations at least 24 hours in advance. If not, you will be remembered (and good luck on your next reso). 

2. Snap Your Fingers or Wave to Get Your Server’s Attention
All we have to say to this move is 1. Who do you actually think you are? And 2. Don’t be surprised if your quick-witted server waves or snaps back at you (we used to).

3. Assume the Waiter is Not Important
Don’t make the general assumption that your waiter is nothing more than “the help.” For all you know, your waitress could be the daughter of that key business figure in your city who’s working a part-time job during university, an influential blogger making extra cash on the side, or the next Hollywood superstar (audition pending).  

4. Demand a Dish That’s Not on the Menu
It’s one thing to make slight modifications to your meal (everyone’s “allergic” to something these days), but quite another to make so many modifications that it’s a whole new meal altogether. On the same token, don’t ask for a special dish that’s not on the menu. You’re not in your grandmother’s kitchen.

5. Order Only Tap Water for Dinner
Fine, you may be off the booze for the month and may really enjoy nothing more than a refreshing glass of H2O to wash down your tapas. But at least splurge the extra $3-$5 on a bottle of sparkling. Nobody’s making money off of you draining the city.  

6. Forget Your Basic Manners
The number of grown adults who “forget” to use the basic manners they were taught before they could even read always shocks us. You know, the good old-fashioned “please” and “thank you.” And for the record, it’s “May I please have,” – not “I’ll get …”

7. Repeatedly Ask Your Server for Additional Items Every Time They Walk By
Whether it’s a side of balsamic, another cocktail, or a refill on your coffee, try your best to order everything in advance and use your foresight as to what you may need five minutes from now. Not only will it annoy your server, but it will also disrupt the flow at your table.

8. Blame Your Waiter if You Don’t Like the Food
Unless it comes out freezing cold (when it’s supposed to be fresh out of the oven), or you’re brought the wrong dish altogether, it isn’t the waiter’s fault if you don’t like your meal. They didn’t make it themselves and probably didn’t recommend it in the first place.

9. Linger Around for Hours After Your Meal Without Ordering Anything
If you do, you’ll quickly become known as a “camper” to the staff and nobody will be too thrilled to serve you if you ever come back. It’s one thing to feel rushed out, but another to overstay your welcome. If it’s 1am, that’s even worse. Servers have lives too.  

10. Make the Transaction Process Overly Tedious
We get it; those on a budget don’t want to feel like they’ve paid for more than they’ve consumed. Either ask for separate cheques at the beginning of the meal or don’t at all. If you’re all on one bill, round up and don’t forget the tax and the tip on your contribution.

11. Leave Pennies, Dimes, and Nickels in the Tip
Few things are more insulting to a server – and he or she just may give you back the billfold full of change. After all, the penny isn’t even real anymore…

12. Steal the Waiter’s Pen
Pens are hot commodities in the service industry. If you steal a waiter’s pen, they may get just as angry as a tip of nickels and dimes. Seriously – ink is important when you spend all night writing things down. 

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