How do others find the standards of waiting in UK restaurants?  (I'm not 
referring to expensive restaurants where standards should be higher).

Elsewhere in Europe I find, waiters/waitresses are often more mature, 
appear to enjoy their work, are more sociable and often dress better. 
It's difficult to find any evidence of waistcoats, bow ties in the UK.

Am I visiting the wrong places, because all I seem to witness are young 
teenage girls dressed in black who keep repeatedly asking me if 
everything is all right sir?

Dining should be about fun and rapport.

"Saxman"  wrote in message 
news:dLmdnfHf1YmhhkDVnZ2dnUVZ8hednZ2d@bt.com...
> How do others find the standards of waiting in UK restaurants?  (I'm not 
> referring to expensive restaurants where standards should be higher).
>
> Elsewhere in Europe I find, waiters/waitresses are often more mature, 
> appear to enjoy their work, are more sociable and often dress better. It's 
> difficult to find any evidence of waistcoats, bow ties in the UK.
>
> Am I visiting the wrong places, because all I seem to witness are young 
> teenage girls dressed in black who keep repeatedly asking me if everything 
> is all right sir?
>
> Dining should be about fun and rapport.

LOL.  As you used a capital for Grouse, I thought you meant another 
(different)  UK Grouse had been found, as a birdwatcher I was interested.
Now I'm not.

Saxman  wrote:

> How do others find the standards of waiting in UK restaurants?  (I'm not
> referring to expensive restaurants where standards should be higher).
> 
> Elsewhere in Europe I find, waiters/waitresses are often more mature,
> appear to enjoy their work, are more sociable and often dress better.

I wonder how much you travel to the rest of Europe then? I generally
find service in the UK similar- maybe a little bit better, but it's hard
to generalise- plenty of bad places here, plenty of good places
elsewhere- I just seem to encounter the bad ones more when I travel
randomly in other parts of Europe.

Superb service tonight at the Selfridges restaurant (Moet bar) in
Manchester BTW...

-- 
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate 
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) 
"The fact is that when I compose I never think of and never 
have thought of meeting the listener."  -George Perle

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:

> Superb service tonight at the Selfridges restaurant (Moet bar) in
> Manchester BTW...

Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.

I met the late Fanny Craddock and Johnnie by chance.  She told me that 
waiters should always be in attendance, but not interfering.

Saxman said 

> Elsewhere in Europe I find, waiters/waitresses are often more mature, 
> appear to enjoy their work, are more sociable and often dress better. 
> It's difficult to find any evidence of waistcoats, bow ties in the UK.

my local restaurant has bow ties and waistcoats, my favourite pub has
neither but it has freindliness as does the restaurant. Give more info
please. 
-- 
Mike .......
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Saxman said 

> Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.

everywhere! I will ask SWMBO
-- 
Mike .......
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Saxman  wrote in 
news:dLmdnfHf1YmhhkDVnZ2dnUVZ8hednZ2d@bt.com:

> Am I visiting the wrong places, because all I seem to witness are young 
> teenage girls dressed in black who keep repeatedly asking me if 
> everything is all right sir?
> 
> Dining should be about fun and rapport.

I thought dining should be about the food !! I don't give two hoots about 
brusque service if the food tastes good.

Richard

On 27/09/08 0:14, in article 15jkknp4wcrzx.1a5s4me0fjeof$.dlg@40tude.net,
"Mike............"  wrote:

> Saxman said 
> 
>> Elsewhere in Europe I find, waiters/waitresses are often more mature,
>> appear to enjoy their work, are more sociable and often dress better.
>> It's difficult to find any evidence of waistcoats, bow ties in the UK.
> 
> my local restaurant has bow ties and waistcoats, my favourite pub has
> neither but it has freindliness as does the restaurant. Give more info
> please. 

Just an observation (not a criticism): my impression is that waiting staff
in the UK is a lot younger than on the continent. Sometimes so young that
one wonders if they're still in school.

Are waiters these days still trained in hotel schools?

 
-- 
Joe Kotroczo                                  kotroczo@mac.com

Saxman  wrote:

> David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
> 
> > Superb service tonight at the Selfridges restaurant (Moet bar) in
> > Manchester BTW...
> 
> Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.

Nowhere, I'm afraid. I've never been. I can't imagine that finding a
good place will be hard though. I'm off to Strasbourg for a short trip
this afternoon, so hopefully will have time to look around restaurants
etc.

-- 
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate 
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website) 
"The fact is that when I compose I never think of and never 
have thought of meeting the listener."  -George Perle

"Saxman"  ha scritto nel messaggio 
news:VbudnZjVyehmwUDV4p2dnAA@bt.com...
> David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
>
>> Superb service tonight at the Selfridges restaurant (Moet bar) in
>> Manchester BTW...
>
> Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.

I just ate at San Giovese and the antipasto "tortina di caprino" was 
fabulous, the pasta different (maccheroni al pesto do Gamberi e San Giovese) 
but not worth copying, the secondo (scallope di vitello con asparagi) 
really good but seemed overcooked.

The Pappagallo Verde is way too famous and expensive, too, but I did eat 
well there once for ?75 which is excessive for 2 courses and wine.

Otherwise, it's a city with a rep for food and most places that make their 
own are good.  Check the Slow Food site and see who they like as well as 
Gambero Rosso.

"Richard Dixon"
> Saxman <wrote in
> >
>> Am I visiting the wrong places, because all I seem to witness are young
>> teenage girls dressed in black who keep repeatedly asking me if
>> everything is all right sir?
>>
>> Dining should be about fun and rapport.
>
> I thought dining should be about the food !! I don't give two hoots about
> brusque service if the food tastes good.
>
> Richard

I care only for politeness and proper serving.  I hate if they bring one 
person's plate and then it is 15 minutes before another appears.

>
> I care only for politeness and proper serving.  I hate if they bring one 
> person's plate and then it is 15 minutes before another appears.
>
A big hotel in the midlands which I have been using for a long time, was 
slowly slowly going down hill :-(

The final straw came when I had a party of about 150 there on tables of 8 
and they decided, on the starter to bring out all of one choice, go round 
the tables asking who wanted it, then brought the second choice out etc etc 
etc. With the main course, there was one hell of a delay from the first 
person being served and the last.

The muck hit the fan. ............... Things changed. :-)

I wanted to use the hotel again so I had an assurance that things would 
change back next time to 'the proper way'

I went there again with another party and questioned the system as soon as I 
arrived.  :-))))

Been there since and trying to book a very big party in next June (I usually 
take over the whole hotel)

Joe Kotroczo wrote:

> Just an observation (not a criticism): my impression is that waiting staff
> in the UK is a lot younger than on the continent. Sometimes so young that
> one wonders if they're still in school.
> 
> Are waiters these days still trained in hotel schools?
> 

We have in the UK a local catering school.  They have a restaurant and 
bistro which are open to the public.

The students really do get hands-on experience.  I'm going there next month.

Mike............ wrote:

> my local restaurant has bow ties and waistcoats, my favourite pub has
> neither but it has friendliness as does the restaurant. Give more info
> please. 

http://www.romagiatalmone.it/totale.htm

I had an aperitif with a choice of about 40 different kinds of antipasto 
for less than €7.  The staff were very well dressed and friendly.

Saxman said 

> We have in the UK a local catering school.  They have a restaurant and 
> bistro which are open to the public.

yes, ive eaten at one in London
-- 
Mike .......
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"Saxman"  wrote in message 
news:R5-dnYXmTYogiEPVnZ2dnUVZ8qjinZ2d@bt.com...
> Joe Kotroczo wrote:
>
>> Just an observation (not a criticism): my impression is that waiting 
>> staff
>> in the UK is a lot younger than on the continent. Sometimes so young that
>> one wonders if they're still in school.
>>
>> Are waiters these days still trained in hotel schools?
>>
>
> We have in the UK a local catering school.  They have a restaurant and 
> bistro which are open to the public.
>
> The students really do get hands-on experience.  I'm going there next 
> month.

We have one at our local College here on the Isle of Wight. Very very good 
as I understand it :-)

Mike............ said 

>> Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.
> 
> everywhere! I will ask SWMBO

we ate in three places near the central square, a duck ragu with black
truffle was good as was seafood and fish cooked en whatsit, in foil and
opened at the table, the third, where we went to try the local sea creature
speciality, a sort of flat prawn, was not up to bologna standards. The walk
out of old town and up colonaded hill is nice:- 
"http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk/bologna3.htm" (visible in background but
starts in foreground somewhere)
will look for the bills
-- 
Mike .......
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"Mike............"
>
>>> Where can you recommend in Bologna?  I'm going there next.
> we ate in three places near the central square, a duck ragu with black
> truffle was good as was seafood and fish cooked en whatsit, in foil and
> opened at the table, the third, where we went to try the local sea 
> creature
> speciality, a sort of flat prawn, was not up to bologna standards. The 
> walk
> out of old town and up colonaded hill is nice:-
> "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk/bologna3.htm" (visible in background but
> starts in foreground somewhere)
> will look for the bills
> -- 
> Mike .......

That creature, sometimes referred to as the cockroach of the sea, is 
fabulous in February to April, but they recommend not eating it other times. 
It develops a lot of fat then and is done breeding.

Giusi said 

> That creature, sometimes referred to as the cockroach of the sea, is 
> fabulous in February to April, but they recommend not eating it other times. 
> It develops a lot of fat then and is done breeding.

it was november, it made good sauce but not so good direct eating.
-- 
Mike .......
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Giusi said 

> That creature, sometimes referred to as the cockroach of the sea, is 
> fabulous in February to April, but they recommend not eating it other times. 
> It develops a lot of fat then and is done breeding.

makes sense, we searched for it, obviously the place that had it on out of
season was not going to be good.
-- 
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Mike............ said 

> makes sense, we searched for it, obviously the place that had it on out of
> season was not going to be good.
> --

doh! it was march i told
-- 
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Mike............ said 

> doh! it was march i told

rest pizzeria nino , address something michelle, bills faded.
-- 
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"Saxman"  wrote in message 
news:R5-dnYXmTYogiEPVnZ2dnUVZ8qjinZ2d@bt.com...
> Joe Kotroczo wrote:
>
>> Just an observation (not a criticism): my impression is that waiting staff
>> in the UK is a lot younger than on the continent. Sometimes so young that
>> one wonders if they're still in school.
>>
>> Are waiters these days still trained in hotel schools?
>>
>
> We have in the UK a local catering school.  They have a restaurant and 
> bistro which are open to the public.

We used to have one until "costs" forced it to amalgamate with another in a 
more distant town. :-( I used to enjoy visiting it for a very inexpensive 
lunch.

-- 
Pete

The message <C5036E08.65384%kotroczo@mac.com>
from Joe Kotroczo  contains these words:

> 
> Just an observation (not a criticism): my impression is that waiting staff
> in the UK is a lot younger than on the continent. Sometimes so young that
> one wonders if they're still in school.

  Very likely; it's a popular part-time job here for teens and students.

> Are waiters these days still trained in hotel schools?

   Yes,  in colleges nationwide which offer training in all aspects of
the food and hospitality trade. But at the lower end of the trade,
part-time waiters tend to be taught on the job.

   Janet.

"Giusi"  wrote in
news:6k6c9rF6aqgaU3@mid.individual.net: 

> I care only for politeness and proper serving.  I hate if they bring
> one person's plate and then it is 15 minutes before another appears. 

Ahh yes that's fine - if there is a timing issue then I can see that that 
upsets people. 

On the flip-side of "timing", I organised a dinner for 20 of us Thai 
Cottage in Soho last January for my birthday and because they cooked food 
as fresh to order, they served one end of the table all the way to the 
other end. By the time one end had finished, the other end had just 
started. I was heartened in a way to see that - they'd warned it me it was 
cooked to order and that might happen though.

(Thai Cottage well recommended for the Londoners or indeed those visiting. 
D'Arblay Street in Soho).

Richard