Restaurants with Dress Codes: Take Back The Night!

Originally Posted by Viral

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Just went there a couple weeks ago..............sadly, but not surprising, the food was mediocre.
As a native of New Orleans ... I offer that its restaurants are greatly overrated. There are exceptions, but they are few in number. Then again, it hasn't the population to support truly great restaurants.

Ones I've either been to or heard have a dress code:

NY: La Grenouille (says jacket required)
LA: Magic Castle (the magician place)
Chicago: Tru (jacket required, but have worn jeans and a sport coat)

Originally Posted by RSS

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As a native of New Orleans ... I offer that its restaurants are greatly over-rated. There are exceptions, but they are few in number. Then again, it hasn't the popularion to support truly great restaurants.
The one "Southern" city with some really great restaurants is Dallas Fort Worth -- I'm always blown away by the food in the metropolis and surrounding areas. There are some really nice ones. Austin has a few, as well, but nothing particularly outstanding.

Originally Posted by FELT

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I'm not a fan of imposed dress codes - doesn't equate to stylish clientele and certainly has no bearing on quality of food. But do you *really* not care what others are wearing? When you go to such lengths over what you wear yourself? I'd much rather be surrounded by people dressed well, and preferably in some harmony with their surroundings (ie if the restaurant is stylishly designed, it's a pain if the customers bring down the aesthetic tone).

I really do not care. I prefer that the other people really care about the food, however. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable people make the most agreeable dining companions. They can wear flip flops and a "Naked Snowboarding" tee, and it wouldn't bother me at all. If the other patrons are comfortable (whether it be in fashionable jeans, a suit and tie, or a baggy sweater and chinos, they are more likely to enjoy the food, and that communal atmosphere does add to the experience.

I do feel sort of when someone is paying good money to eat, but don't know that parpadelle is a type of pasta. In those cases, especially if it's clear that they dressed up for the situation, I think "why even bother? You would have had as good a time at Appleby's, and saved a ton of money besides."

LAG, I agree with your thoughts, with one small caveat/pet peeve. Besides diners, family restaurants, etc. it makes me a little crazy to see guys in baseball caps that they won't/don't take off. To me, removing your hat/cap is a sign of respect for others.

Oh, and BTW, while I can understand the absence of a coat room these days, a restaurant should AT LEAST have a place for you to hang up your coat. CTIA, I have even been known to request an extra chair for the coats.

Originally Posted by MBreinin

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Yes, I do...at certain places. I don't know if you have ever been to New Orleans, but Commander's Palace is an old Uptown antebellum mansion. It is a beautiful setting and a grand old establishment. It is a New Orleans tradition and I think coming in there like a slob is a slap in the face. Part of the charm of that place is the environment it creates, which is from another time. I would never go there not dressed, period. Now, there are plenty of places where I don't care, but they are not Commander's. Mike
I've got a few of those joints, myself, Mike! CP is an experience still, isn't it?

The Parliament's restaurant in Ottawa requires coat and tie. When I used to work on the Hill, I had gone for lunch and I had to borrow a tie from a friend and they lent me a jacket. Obviously, the Senate wasn't in session.

Originally Posted by Fred H.

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LAG, I agree with your thoughts, with one small caveat/pet peeve. Besides diners, family restaurants, etc. it makes me a little crazy to see guys in baseball caps that they won't/don't take off. To me, removing your hat/cap is a sign of respect for others. Oh, and BTW, while I can understand the absence of a coat room these days, a restaurant should AT LEAST have a place for you to hang up your coat. CTIA, I have even been known to request an extra chair for the coats.
I'll keep this tuned to those who wear fine hats. If the establishment does not have a proper hat rack then wearing your hat is acceptable. It sounds odd but that's the underwritten rule these days. People will say put in on a chair or the floor. A chair I can accept. You can KMA if you think I'm putting a 400 buck hat on the floor because someone thinks it's disrespectful to wear it while eating.

Originally Posted by Crane's

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I'll keep this tuned to those who wear fine hats. If the establishment does not have a proper hat rack then wearing your hat is acceptable. It sounds odd but that's the underwritten rule these days. People will say put in on a chair or the floor. A chair I can accept. You can KMA if you think I'm putting a 400 buck hat on the floor because someone thinks it's disrespectful to wear it while eating.
Well, oddly enough, Crane's I actually buy/wear custom fedoras myself. I completely understand your paranoia about what to do with them. But, fortunately for you, my remarks were aimed primarily at the baseball/trucker CAPS I see in EVERY restaurant I go to these days, but if the custom Optimo/VS fits... Oh, and BTW, the only KMA I respond to is from Mrs. H. Oh, and BTW-2, see my suggestion about an extra chair.

Originally Posted by Viral

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Just went there a couple weeks ago..............sadly, but not surprising, the food was mediocre.

It can be hit or miss. Still, I have never had a bad meal there and it is my favorite restaurant. Sometimes it is really amazing.

Originally Posted by RSS

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As a native of New Orleans ... I offer that its restaurants are greatly overrated. There are exceptions, but they are few in number. Then again, it hasn't the population to support truly great restaurants.

I don't know if I agree. Sure, for every truly great restaurant, there are 20 crappy places directed to tourists...but there are some really special places. Don't know if you still live here, but there are some wonderul new restaurants that have sprung up since Katrina. I think New Orleans is one of the country's best food destinations.

Originally Posted by Metlin

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The one "Southern" city with some really great restaurants is Dallas Fort Worth -- I'm always blown away by the food in the metropolis and surrounding areas. There are some really nice ones. Austin has a few, as well, but nothing particularly outstanding.

I have been to the Mansion at Turtle Creek, I really liked it. That is the extent of my fine dining experience in Dallas. However, it is the Big D, so I would expect it to have good high end establishments.

Originally Posted by Fred H.

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I've got a few of those joints, myself, Mike! CP is an experience still, isn't it?

I think it is, especially in the right room. I am willing to excuse a less than stellar meal for the experience of going there. I have had some wonderful times there.

Mike

Originally Posted by RSS

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As a native of New Orleans ... I offer that its restaurants are greatly overrated. There are exceptions, but they are few in number. Then again, it hasn't the population to support truly great restaurants.

I could not disagree more. Certainly there are many that are overrated. Brennan's comes to mind. Not because there is anything particularly wrong with the food but because (sticking with the topic) there is only so much I am willing to spend for breakfast when seated next to people wearing t-shirts, shorts, and sandals.

But New Orleans is a great restaurant town and I am not sure I have ever had a truly awful meal anywhere there, which is something I cannot say about other parts of the world. Places like Galatoire's, La Crepe Nanou, Clancy's, Upperline, and Cafe Degas, are consistently good every time I visit. Antoine's may have seen better days but I have heard good things about it recently.

A dress code is simply a part of the decor and general restaurant experience. There are many places that serve great food from very simple surroundings and I do not expect the patrons' dress to be any more elaborate. What I dislike is a place that has all the trappings of grand dining - including the menu and prices - with diners that look like the walked in from the beach or golf course.

Originally Posted by Metlin

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And why on earth would I care about what the hell other people are wearing? I'm there to stuff my face.
Admittedly, a lot of people have this attitude. They are entitled to it but I think it's a shame as they are missing out. Some of us, at least occasionally, go to restaurants with much higher expectations. We are seeking an experience, not satiation. I am going to repost one of the most compelling defenses of dress codes that I have ever read. - - The people who object to dress codes are missing the point. Why should everything be reduced to the lowest common denominator? There is plenty of space for people who want to dress casually when they dine. I do it myself. But there should also be a space for people who want to dine with a certain elan. There is a certain pleasure in attending black tie events if you enjoy that sort of thing. There is a sense of camaraderie — an unspoken understanding that, for tonight, we are a community with certain shared values. It would be inappropriate to attend wearing shorts, not only because it would be rude to the host but because it creates a jarring note in what should be a harmonious evening. By wearing shorts you are declaring that there is no community, no shared values. Perhaps this camaraderie is just an illusion, but it’s a pleasant one and you’re ruining it for everyone else. The same idea, albeit somewhat weakened, applies in restaurants with dress codes. By ignoring the dress code, you’re attacking the values of those who do follow it. “I spit on your bourgeois manners and outmoded sensibilities! I do what I want!” This may not be the message those who ignore dress codes intend to send but it’s the message those who follow them get. I don’t think this is something that people who ignore dress codes really understand but it explains a lot of the vehemence on the part of those who sometimes like to dress for dinner. - - I will add a couple of reasons of my own. First, when you are choosing a restaurant, do you consider the decor? Are you really indifferent to eating in a 16th century French chateau v. a McDonald's? For many of us, the ambiance can be an important part of the experience and your fellow diners are, for better or worse, a part of it. If you can ignore the guy sitting at the next table wearing a baseball cap with an outline of a naked lady on it and a "Kiss ******!" T-shirt while concentrating on the artwork on the walls, good for you. But some of us lack these powers of concentration. Second, I assume that everyone here has an interest in tailored clothing. Is it so wrong to want an excuse to wear it once in a while? You would -- or at least I would -- feel pretty stupid dressing up in a DJ and then going to eat at McDonalds. I'd feel almost equally ridiculous in an allegedly nice restaurant where the better dressed people are wearing trainers. But that is what everything is becoming, the lowest common denominator. It's a sartorial version of Gresham's law: Bad clothing drives out good. We should promote every opportunity to encourage people to at least put on a jacket. I would hope that even the people here who have no interest in dress codes can appreciate why some people do. Every place doesn't have to be a sports bar. There are plenty of places to be casual. Is it so bad to encourage the few remaining places that try to promote a sense of occasion? BTW, someone suggested to me that I create a list in the OP of these restaurants. I think that's a great idea. I have to run to the airport now but I will get that done ASAP.

Who are the world's wealthiest guys and what's their daily office attire?

Neither tech kings in SiliconValley (even elderly guys like Jobs or Ellison) nor most <50yo hedge fund kings in MidtownManhattan or Greenwich or SF (or London) ever wear ties to office, let alone to dinner...ties are for low-income Luddites mired in 20th century attire....even jackets are largely ornamental as wealthy traders or engineers don't wear jackets while at their desk nor while driving self to office/dinner in own Mercedes 65 (not via dumpy S550 or cab or mass transit or walking)

At Daniel/Per Se, etc those wearing ties are almost always codgers and/or lower-income salesguys of some sort (i.e., investment bankers, CEOs, lawyers, media execs, etc)

Here in Colorado, there is The Broadmoor. I'd say half of their restaurants require the dress code. The restaurant called The Summit in the Broadmoor was named one of the best restaurants in the United States in Robb Reports Top 100 restaurants.

I personally don't care about a dress code, but I know that on occasion, I'd like to get away from the simple folk and enjoy a nice peaceful night out. That's when I'll go to a dress code inforced restaurant. You won't have to deal with emotional staff, worry about whether or not your order will be messed up, if your gonna sit next to a screaming crying kid that isn't yours....etc. I know that dress code inforced restaurants could still have all those things but it'll be a little more quieter.

Originally Posted by sw20

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Who are the world's wealthiest guys and what's their daily office attire?

Neither tech kings in SiliconValley (even elderly guys like Jobs or Ellison) nor most <50yo hedge fund kings in MidtownManhattan or Greenwich or SF (or London) ever wear ties to office, let alone to dinner...ties are for low-income Luddites mired in 20th century attire....even jackets are largely ornamental as wealthy traders or engineers don't wear jackets while at their desk nor while driving self to office/dinner in own Mercedes 65 (not via dumpy S550 or cab or mass transit or walking)

At Daniel/Per Se, etc those wearing ties are almost always codgers and/or lower-income salesguys of some sort (i.e., investment bankers, CEOs, lawyers, media execs, etc)



I first believed this was a flame, but I'm now sure it's a joke.