“You’ll never eat a good meal in a restaurant that puts caviar on scrambled eggs”; “Your dining companions should have a say in what you order”; “There is nothing wrong with making multiple reservations for the same evening and then cancelling them.” The Financial Times asked its food writers to produce a set of commandments for restaurant dining, which were reviewed by industry experts (and, erm, Brooklyn Beckham). The experts were not impressed: “The dumbest thing I’ve ever heard”; “Over my cold dead body”; “This is not just a bad rule, it’s an act of terrorism.”
Although entertaining, I’m not sure how useful this is at the moment. Have you seen how expensive eating out is now? When a fancy croissant costs £6 – in York! – most of us aren’t wondering whether or not a seven-course tasting menu is likely to deliver on its promises. We’re mostly eating in these days, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t rules to argue over. Here are mine – I expect, and hope, you’ll disagree.
