⭐ Leaving a Review
Online reviews can have a real effect on restaurants.
DO: Be honest
If you had a wonderful experience, say what made it wonderful.
If you had a bad experience, explain what happened.
DON’T: Attack employees personally
Criticize the experience, not someone’s appearance, personality, or personal life.
DON’T: Leave a one-star review because you didn’t like one ingredient
A restaurant isn’t necessarily bad because one dish wasn’t to your taste.
Give useful feedback when possible.
🚫 Things You Should Never Do at a Restaurant
Here’s the short version:
Never:
- Snap your fingers at a server.
- Shout across the dining room.
- Touch staff to get their attention.
- Treat employees disrespectfully.
- Arrive extremely late without calling.
- Make a reservation and simply don’t show up.
- Invent food allergies.
- Let children run around the dining room.
- Play loud videos or music on your phone.
- Take phone calls on speaker.
- Reach across other diners.
- Grab food from someone else’s plate without asking.
- Argue aggressively over a bill.
- Demand unreasonable substitutions.
- Use a bad review as a threat.
- Expect staff to tolerate abusive behavior.
- Assume tipping customs are identical everywhere.
❤️ Things You Absolutely Should Do
Do:
- Arrive on time.
- Be patient.
- Read the menu.
- Communicate allergies clearly.
- Ask questions politely.
- Treat staff with respect.
- Keep your phone under control.
- Be considerate of other diners.
- Check your bill.
- Follow local tipping customs.
- Speak up calmly when something goes wrong.
- Thank the people who served you.
- Enjoy your meal!
🌎 Remember: Etiquette Depends on the Culture
Restaurant etiquette isn’t identical everywhere.
For example, traditional Moroccan meals can involve communal dishes, bread, and eating with the right hand, with diners generally taking food from the area directly in front of them rather than reaching across the communal dish. (Lonely Planet)
In other countries, different customs may apply.
That’s why the best restaurant rule when traveling is simple:
Observe, ask politely, and respect the local culture.
You don’t have to know every rule before you sit down.
🍽️ The Golden Rule of Restaurant Etiquette
At the end of the day, restaurant etiquette isn’t really about knowing which fork to use or memorizing a list of complicated rules.
It’s about consideration.
Consider the server who is carrying six plates.
Consider the couple at the next table who doesn’t want to hear your phone conversation.
Consider the kitchen working behind the scenes.
Consider the person you’re dining with who came to spend time with you—not watch you scroll through your phone.
And consider the restaurant itself, which is trying to give you a good experience.
The simplest rule is also the most useful:
Treat restaurant staff and fellow diners the way you’d want to be treated.
Be polite. Be patient. Communicate clearly. Enjoy your food.
And remember—good manners never go out of style. 🍽️❤️
