It’s food for thought.
When dining at a swanky restaurant, there’s more to etiquette than knowing the difference between fork sizes, according to etiquette expert Elaine Swann.
The guru told Business Insider that average Americans make four common mistakes when dining at high-end eateries.
The first: not paying enough attention to restaurant staff.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘Don’t interact with waitstaff,’ and that’s incorrect, and I think that’s quite snobbish,” Swann explained, emphasizing the importance of building rapport with waiters.
“Instead, you should communicate effectively with the staff; find out their name.”
Arriving to your reservation “fashionably late,” Swann added, is also a major faux pas.
“The service at the high-end restaurant is based upon everyone being there at the same time, on time,” she said.
“It’s important to respect people’s time. When someone gives you a time to show up, they’re expecting to start within the flow they have designed,” she continued. “And It’s quite disrespectful to show up late.”
Not following the dress code is another issue among diners, she added.
In fact, underdressing can be considered a form of snobbery.
“You might live in an area where the attire is more casual and shorts are acceptable, but that may not be acceptable in some higher-end restaurants,” Swann noted, advising patrons to look up the restaurant’s dress code ahead of time.
“You can check the website or call ahead. And then another thing that I encourage people to do is look up photos.”
Finally, when it comes to tipping, Swann said the general rule of thumb is to leave 20% gratuity at minimum.
“You should always leave a tip at every restaurant you dine at, regardless of if it’s high-end or your standard mom-and-pop restaurant,” she explained.