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Reservation at nice restaurant, and just getting dessert?

post #1 of 56
4/11/09 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
Is it alright to have reservations at a nice restaurant just to split a dessert? or just for appetizers? Reservations probably aren't needed anyway from most of the places I've been, despite their placement on top 10 lists (Seattle lol), so is it appropriate for a couple of polite undergrad students (dressed decently) to go to a nice restaurant and just order something cheap? We tip well! My girlfriend hates it when I pay for her meals because she says we're "poor college students" and I'd feel bad having her pay for an "expensive" meal at a "nice" restaurant I picked out or her noticing how much I'm paying for her meal, especially if it wasn't for a special occasion (I even had to talk her into letting me pay for Valentine's Day) I'm not talking about too fancy of a restaurant here, just $20-40 each for a meal while a dessert would just be ~$10-15 What if it was fancier? Thoughts? Thanks! My Thoughts: I think it's okay, it's easy money for the restaurant and it's an easy tip/work for the waiter, and if the place isn't incredibly booked and we're going outside of peak hours then it should even better for them -- but even if it was during peak hours, they'd know we were leaving soon still...
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post #2 of 56
4/11/09 at 8:52pm
During peak hours, absolutely not, sit at the bar if you insist on only ordering dessert, and even then you should probably have a drink too. During off peak hours...I still feel it's a bit tawdry to go to a fine restaurant, get a table, and only order dessert.
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post #3 of 56
4/11/09 at 9:40pm
Depends on many things. As above said, not during peak hours. But a late night cover? Why not.

Most of the places we go, we're well known. We have often have dinner and drinks at one place, to head for another place for dessert and a bottle of wine.
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post #4 of 56
4/11/09 at 9:41pm
will she slather the creamy desserts all over her bare breasts and allow a hot waitress / hostess to lick it off?

K
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post #5 of 56
4/11/09 at 9:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
Depends on many things. As above said, not during peak hours. But a late night cover? Why not.

Most of the places we go, we're well known. We have often have dinner and drinks at one place, to head for another place for dessert and a bottle of wine.


Yep, I do the same. I typically will stop by a nice place where I'm known for dessert and a drink after grabbing dinner elsewhere, but this is usually towards the tail end of dinner service. I don't know if I'd do it during peak hours.
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post #6 of 56
4/11/09 at 9:51pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the response so far!
Quote:
During peak hours, absolutely not, sit at the bar if you insist on only ordering dessert, and even then you should probably have a drink too. During off peak hours...I still feel it's a bit tawdry to go to a fine restaurant, get a table, and only order dessert.
We're under 21 so we can't sit at the bar in this state sadly I believe. Still tawdry if the restaurant stops seating at 10 and we're seated at 9:40? So maybe we're being respectful of their times? I do understand the idea of wasting a table for such little money-- but if they're closing soon enough the stuff on the table would be bound to be removed shortly.
Quote:
We have often have dinner and drinks at one place, to head for another place for dessert and a bottle of wine.
Yeah that's kinda what I was thinking about going to some place late at night. I think I would feel uncomfortable going during peak hours.
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will she slather the creamy desserts all over her bare breasts and allow a hot waitress / hostess to lick it off?
Maaaaaybe
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post #7 of 56
4/11/09 at 9:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveLockdown View Post
Thanks for the response so far!

We're under 21 so we can't sit at the bar in this state sadly I believe.

Still tawdry if the restaurant stops seating at 10 and we're seated at 9:40? So maybe we're being respectful of their times? I do understand the idea of wasting a table for such little money-- but if they're closing soon enough the stuff on the table would be bound to be removed shortly.


I think anything after 9pm in that case is okay for a dessert only stop. If you're making reservations, it might help to mention that since you can't sit at the bar, you'd like to reserve a table for dessert.
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post #8 of 56
4/11/09 at 10:01pm
Eh, I guess late, after service has died down is ok, but I think it's definitely something you need to preface so that the servers don't bring out bread service.
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post #9 of 56
4/11/09 at 10:14pm
Consider going to a nice 'dessert place' like Dilletante on Broadway.
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post #10 of 56
4/11/09 at 11:30pm
Go later in the evening and make it known from the start that you planning for dessert only.
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post #11 of 56
4/12/09 at 1:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJay View Post
Go later in the evening and make it known from the start that you planning for dessert only.

+1. You need to tell the maitre d' that you're only going to be ordering dessert when you make reservations. Even if you come in the restaurant at 7 pm and only order dessert, nobody is going to be pissed about that, as long as they know up front. For them it's just a quick turn.
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post #12 of 56
4/13/09 at 10:53am
Do whatever you want. You are a paying customer at the restaurant, you don't have to bow to them. If you just want dessert, get dessert. If they give you an attitude - fuck it, don't go back.
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post #13 of 56
4/13/09 at 11:34am
that's what the bar is for. sit there, don't waste space.
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post #14 of 56
4/13/09 at 3:50pm
Call and ask. If they say it's ok then don't mind the "tawdriness" of it. If they say it isn't go to Baskin Robbins.
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post #15 of 56
4/13/09 at 8:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnGalt View Post
Do whatever you want. You are a paying customer at the restaurant, you don't have to bow to them. If you just want dessert, get dessert. If they give you an attitude - fuck it, don't go back.

That is a piss poor attitude.

In most fine restaurants, waitstaff only get a set number of tables per night. If you mention up front that you are only ordering desert, a good host would double sit their section so they can still make out fine.

But calling a week in advance for a table at 8 p.m. on a Friday - and then only ordering desert and coffee is totally unacceptable.
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