How to choose a good restaurant: top 10 tips, Gastronomic tourism

Purity and simplicity are paramount

The first thing that catches the eye of potential visitors is the cleanliness of the restaurant and surrounding area. Upon entering the establishment, immediately pay attention to the cleanliness of the floor, tables and toilet. Of course, do not demand sterility from a public place, but the atmosphere should be inviting. The same applies to waiter uniforms. It may not be new, but it must be clean and tidy. Based on what you saw, you can conclude what is going on in the kitchen of this establishment and whether it is worth eating there.

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Corporate event

When choosing a restaurant for a corporate event, first of all you need to take care of the convenience of your employees. Ideally, find an establishment close to work, and if you are planning a large-scale celebration outside the city, then you need to consider transporting employees home. Some restaurants partner with taxi services and provide round-trip transfers at competitive prices.

The second important point is the capacity of the hall. If you are planning a holiday for a large group, then it is best to check the site in person. It is dangerous to rely on data from a restaurant’s website or an employee’s promises over the phone, if only because several establishments with the same capacity in reality may look completely different. If dancing or performances on stage are planned, a place for them must also be provided in advance.

And finally, a detail that is not always remembered: all people are different, and the opinion of not only the majority, but also the minority should be taken into account. For example, if the team includes vegetarians or believers whose religion prohibits eating certain foods, choose a restaurant where cuisine suitable for everyone is either already presented on the menu, or there is an opportunity to prepare special dishes on an individual basis. The same applies to people with disabilities (a restaurant will need ramps at the entrance), smokers (the restaurant must have a smoking area), etc.

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Service culture is an important detail

Even the most delicious food will fall into your stomach in a lump if you were rude during service or were allegedly spoken to in a raised voice in an unfamiliar language. Therefore, take a closer look at the behavior of the waiters, at how they serve other customers. Trust your intuition, which, as a rule, becomes aggravated in an unusual environment. Often it helps us understand people at a glance and at first sight.

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What to look for when choosing a restaurant

When considering how to choose the right restaurant, it is necessary to provide a list of points that visitors rely on. This is your own opinion, formed after a first impression or recommendations from friends. Therefore, every client is important for the establishment - if you serve him well, he will talk about it, which will become free advertising for the cafe or restaurant.

Other criteria:

The menu is its variety and quality of dishes.
Price – it must be fair.
The level of service is the efficiency and attentiveness of the waiters.
Availability of programs, live music, and other entertainment.
Opening hours and location of the establishment.
Additional amenities - cloakroom, security, parking.

According to studies, 60% of people choose an establishment located in a convenient place for them - near home or work, and will also re-visit the place where they were quickly served. At the same time, the price of dishes is of key importance when choosing only for 25% of respondents. The quality of the cuisine also influences the choice.

Eat at local restaurants

If local residents predominate among the establishment’s clients, this is a good indicator! After all, people will not go where the food is bad. In addition, prices here are much lower than in establishments on tourist routes and you will have a choice of authentic dishes. To be sure to find such a restaurant, leave the city center and go to residential areas. In such places you will definitely see establishments where locals while away their evenings.

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Deciding on the location

Have you decided on the number of guests and the type of establishment? Not the least important factor for you will be the location of this establishment, because the further the distance from your place of “base”, the greater the inconvenience: it takes longer to get there - guests will get tired, and they have to pay more for the transfer, and it’s probably not very convenient as for invited wedding specialists (they may increase the fee due to distance), and for many of your guests living in your neighborhood. If you choose banquet tents, the best of which are located outside the city, and banquet halls and restaurants on the coast, you should consider establishments located no further than a 20-30 minute drive from the Ring Road - that is, to Zelenogorsk, if, for example, you choose the Resort district of the city.

If you choose a restaurant or banquet hall within the city, then as close as possible to your home - up to 40 minutes drive, taking into account traffic jams. In general, the best wedding venues are located in the northern part along Primorskoe Highway - there are as many as 40 restaurants for every taste and budget, including a summer wedding hit - the Paradise banquet tent-restaurant from LenArt, which will surprise you with its humane prices and incredible beauty, as well as the availability all the most popular additional services, such as on-site marriage registration, festive decor, turnkey event organization and many others.

Rate the menu design

It would seem that a bright, well-designed menu on expensive paper inspires confidence in the restaurant. But you shouldn’t fall for this trick; sometimes such establishments don’t hold a candle to those where the menu is written by hand. Please note if the menu is in English. It is worth noting here that some local restaurants may not have such tabs at all. Here you just have to rely on an English-speaking waiter or be prepared for surprises. Of course, it’s better to learn a few useful words in advance, like the names of dishes, ordering requests “minimum spices,” “maximum cooking,” and the like. National character. Where to eat on the run in Berlin

Wedding

When choosing a restaurant for a wedding, you need to approach it especially responsibly: if something goes wrong, the most unforgettable day of your life can be ruined. These are the moments that are especially important.

Maintenance cost. As practice shows, they often try to deceive newlyweds by increasing the rental price a week before the wedding or changing the terms of the contract. To avoid falling into this trap, make a detailed list of what you are or are not going to pay for. Discuss each point with the administrator (can you bring your own alcohol, will the menu price per person change, etc.) and, most importantly, make sure that the restaurant employee is responsible for the words and names the real amounts that will not change.
Restaurant style. There will be a lot of photographs at the wedding, and the interior should serve as an organic backdrop. If you are planning a themed celebration, choose a venue that suits your idea, but if you are looking for a classic option, make sure that the interior in reality is as beautiful as in the photographs.
Service staff. A wedding is always nerves and turmoil, so you must be confident in the waiters and administrators who will serve your banquet. Discuss exactly the number of waiters and try to find a restaurant with an experienced administrator who will supervise the process throughout the evening, and you can entrust him with some of the troubles.
Technical issues. When choosing a restaurant, you should at least roughly understand the program of your wedding. You may need a stage or projector. If you plan to set off fireworks at the end of the evening, find out in advance whether this is possible. Do you want to invite fire show artists? Please confirm this with your administrator. The more details you discuss in advance, the less likely there are problems and worries during the holiday itself.

Assess your capabilities

Food should be enjoyable, but if the price tag is through the roof and it seems that after dinner at this restaurant you will have to give up food altogether for a couple of days, then calmly leave this establishment. Restaurants that want to protect customers from such awkward moments post menus at the entrance to the establishment. Avoid ordering food from restaurants with suspiciously low prices. In such places, there is a possibility that your borscht will be cooked from expired vinaigrette.

We hope that these tips will help you find the right answer to the question “To eat or not to eat”, and our site will help you buy cheap air tickets to the country of your dreams!

How to choose a restaurant or banquet hall?

There may come a time in every person's life when he wonders how to choose a banquet hall. Planning a celebration properly can be a time-consuming endeavor, but to reduce your precious resources, you must start with the basics. The key to a successful event is a well-chosen banquet hall or restaurant. First, let's make a plan for choosing a successful banquet hall.

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3 components that need to be studied when choosing a restaurant for a wedding ceremony:

Interior;
Exterior;
Kitchen.

Remember: you must be satisfied with everything, otherwise a flaw in one of these elements can ruin the entire banquet and the entire wedding.

If the establishment is beautiful and tidy on the outside, but on the inside it looks like a public canteen, then no matter how much you decorate it, no matter how many flowers you put in it, the impression of the restaurant will not improve and there will be no additional space for guests.

If everything is clean inside, but outside there is a shabby courtyard and puddles of dirt instead of beautiful tiles and flowers, then the photo and process of meeting guests and newlyweds will turn into a complete nightmare.

And the third option. At first glance, it’s an elite establishment with polite staff, expensive dishes, but they don’t taste good, there’s no variety, and one can also doubt the freshness. Would you like to book such a restaurant or banquet hall for your wedding? Hardly.

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Where to start when choosing a restaurant or banquet hall?

First of all, decide on a budget for the banquet. How much can you spend per person, can you leave the amount in reserve?

After that, choose a banquet location close to transport that suits the style of the event and your level.

Decide what kind of cuisine you and your guests prefer; can this establishment prepare, for example, vegetarian dishes?

From those that suit you in terms of location and price, select 4-5 that you will study in more detail.

Make an appointment with the administrator and/or chef and ask the following questions:

What is the capacity of the hall? How many people can easily fit, taking into account the space for a DJ, musicians, a place for changing clothes (for toastmaster competitions), a dance floor, a presidium of young people and the decorative elements you need;
The shape and size of tables, the ability to combine them. How many people can each table seat?
What kind of ventilation and air conditioning system is there, is there enough power for the given number of your guests, taking into account the outside temperature?
How many halls are in the restaurant, are there any adjacent ones, will other banquets be held at the same time. What about the quality of sound insulation? You are unlikely to want to hear laughter and “bitter” comments from someone else’s wedding during the celebration, encounter drunken strangers or share the dance floor with them, or capture strangers who accidentally got into the frame in your photo or video;
Until what hour is the restaurant open, is it possible to extend the hours if necessary, how much will it cost per hour?
Until what hour do the waiters work? Is it possible to extend the hours? How much will it cost per hour? Is the cost of their work included in the total cost of the banquet or is it paid separately?
Is it possible to hold an outdoor ceremony in a restaurant and how is it paid for (separately or together with the banquet)?
If this is not possible, where can you hold the celebration nearby and then move to the banquet hall?
Is it possible to invite your own florist, decorator, musicians, host, is there a place and the necessary equipment for them (for example, a cold room for flowers, a wedding cake, sound equipment and its quality);
Minimum menu cost per person? Ready-made menu options? Can they prepare a special menu (vegetarian, raw food, children's)?
How do you solve the problem of alcohol (your own), drinks, fruits, desserts?
What do tablecloths, dishes, napkins look like, do they suit your wedding style, can you use your own if necessary;
What you can and cannot do with the decoration of the room, how you can decorate the banquet hall (you may not be allowed to put tape on Florentine plaster and expensive wallpaper, make holes in the walls, etc.);
Are there dressing rooms for musicians, the host’s entourage, dressing up for guests for competitions;
Is it possible to organize fire shows, fireworks, and sky lanterns on the restaurant premises?
Are there bonuses for young people (hotel and restaurant complexes often give a hotel room as a gift, etc.)?
Do I need a deposit, what amount? Is it possible to draw up a contract (it is imperative that the conditions do not change at the last moment)?

Remember: you need to book a restaurant several months in advance, and then repeat the booking again, check whether the conditions have changed, whether the owner/menu/premises/terms of the contract and amounts have changed. Even if you have a lot of money and you think that you can arrange everything with a banquet for a wedding or other celebration a week or even a few days before the celebration, then know: this is impossible, and no one will cancel the reservation for you, no matter how much you didn't offer any money for it.

Location of the restaurant or banquet hall

When choosing a banquet venue, be sure to pay attention to the location of the hall. The building should be landscaped on the outside and beautiful on the inside.

It is possible that you will have a car, so ask the administration about secure parking. If you have a limousine, make sure you can get to the entrance without any problems. Interested in a wedding car, but having trouble choosing? An interesting article “Tips for choosing a wedding car” will help you.

If your event takes place in the summer, then air conditioning is a must. Believe me, the guests will not be very pleased when they languish in the heat while dancing.

Some establishments have several rooms. Be sure to find out how isolated they are from each other. And always remember, the right banquet hall is half the success of any holiday!

Room size

Make sure the size of the selected banquet hall. When they tell you about the capacity of one and a half thousand guests, this does not mean that they will have room to spread out. And piling up tables is not a very good move if there is no extra space for a dance floor.

Be sure to ensure that there will be enough space for dancing or toastmasters, as well as for musicians and their instruments.

Perhaps you are organizing a show program with artists, then you should take care of the presence of “dressing rooms” so that the performers can change clothes somewhere.

Restaurant menu

European cuisine is considered the most versatile for most people. Try to choose for your guests exactly those dishes that they will like. You can always check the menu with the administrator, and at the same time discuss the portion sizes and the sequence of serving dishes.

Briefly about the most important: the menu of your future restaurant for a wedding

The menu is discussed in advance, you must try everything that the establishment will serve at your wedding: cold, hot, appetizers, desserts, specialties. You and your guests should like what you paid for;
Discuss with the chef and note down the features and preferences: what kind of cuisine, whether guests have allergies to certain foods, the possibility of a children's menu, a vegetarian menu, dietary dishes;
Tasteless dishes, lack of attention from staff to guests, an inappropriate restaurant for the style of the wedding can ruin everything;
A little more food is better than less. If your budget does not allow, then it is better to choose simpler and cheaper dishes, but they will definitely be tasty and there will be enough for everyone. Trust experienced organizers: guests will not remember or will quickly forget what exactly they ate at your wedding, but they will definitely not forget if it is not tasty or there is not enough for someone.

Small but important nuances

Be sure to check all the taboos in this establishment. Restaurants often prohibit the strewing of rice or rose petals on their doorstep. In addition, you will need to know the following details:

Is it possible to connect tables or change their location.
Will the restaurant be closed to other visitors during your holiday?
Is it possible to bring your own alcoholic drinks instead of those served in the restaurant itself?

How to decorate the interior of a banquet hall

Your celebration should be remembered for a lifetime. Good memories are collected bit by bit, so don’t forget about little things like cutlery, beautiful napkins, comfortable chairs, curtains and other decorations. If you want your holiday to have a specific theme or color, discuss this point from the very beginning, and not when you have already ordered everything.

We discussed in more detail how to decorate a banquet hall in order to get inspired and create your own unique holiday style in the article “Ideas for decorating a banquet hall.”

Order decorative elements.

Event cost

Final cost . Find out what specific aspects make up the final amount of the banquet. Some restaurants may require you to pay rent and wait staff. But usually the administration provides a percentage of the entire cost of your order.
Mandatory restaurant functions . It is possible that the establishment has certain conditions that cannot be circumvented. This may concern musical accompaniment, alcoholic drinks or a wedding cake, which the restaurant positions exclusively on its own.
Fixing the price . Prices are rising every day, so if your budget is not fixed, they may call you on the last day and inform you that the cost of the hall has increased by 20%. Of course, this is unpleasant, but there is no way out.

Good advice

If you don’t know how to choose a restaurant or banquet hall, then:

Always look for reviews . When choosing a banquet hall, use the Internet and look at reviews of the potential establishment that you have chosen to host your celebration. This will help you at least partially verify the correctness of your choice. Be sure to document everything that you agreed on with the restaurant managers (prices of dishes, your prepayment and other little things).
Look for a hall or restaurant for a banquet in advance . Do not leave renting the hall until the last week before the celebration. It is best to plan this moment 5-6 months in advance, so that in case of any unpleasant circumstance you have time to choose another room. Remember that not every restaurant will agree to fully provide premises on a turnkey basis, i.e. rent out the hall just for your event. The higher the class of the establishment, the less chance you have of getting it at your complete disposal during the holiday. More than half of restaurants do not rent out their premises for several reasons: the loss from the loss of other clients will exceed the income from your holiday, possible material damage will cut off profits, the need to change or adjust the interior and much more.
Combine if possible. If you are satisfied with the premises, but not satisfied with the menu, then you can always agree with the owners that you hire staff without the services of a cook or just rent the premises, and the preparation and delivery of dishes will be provided by your favorite restaurant and catering services.

Now you know how to choose a banquet hall! Happy holidays to you!