Another Etiquette Question -- Confirming Reservations in Paris

[Nancy S.]

I am wondering whether it is necessary or advisable to confirm reservations in Paris restaurants.

[evening]

Atelier de Joel Robuchon emailed me that due to high volume of no shows, I have to confirm the day before. The parents once lost an Astrance reservation when they were out of the hotel for the moment the restaurant called to confirm. As a result, Im fine making the call!

[mangeur]

"The parents once lost an Astrance reservation when they were out of the hotel for the moment the restaurant called to confirm."

Important point. Our hotel knows to reply positively to any reconfirmation calls that we come in while we're out or napping.

[forestcollins]

i never do unless i get a request to.

However, once i had made lunch ressies for two different couples coming over from the US to have lunch at l'Astrance in the same week. I called a few days before just to make sure because I had made the reservations so far in advance & they had one of the ressies noted but not the other.

So, I always do now for friends coming from abroad - i can't be bothered to remember to re-check all my own. But if it's a one-time-shot during a short vacation at a restaurant that you'll be distraught if you miss, you might want to be on the safe side.

[mangeur]

I'm lax about confirming unless I'm asked to when I book. However, it's never a bad idea.

Vis a vis: on our last visit, our hotelman had made a reservation for us at La Regalade S.H. The restaurant called to confirm for the wrong day. "Our man" checked our folder and told them that, no, the reservation was for that night, not the next. They did get us in on our requested night, but it could have been a fiasco..

That evening at LRSH I made a reservation for a subsequent visit and asked if I should confirm, and they blinked and said that it, er, was always a good idea...

[Tweety2004]

"That evening at LRSH I made a reservation for a subsequent visit and asked if I should confirm, and they blinked and said that it, er, was always a good idea..."

aah... interesting... i had my visa platinum concierge service to make the reservation for me at LRSH, and they were told that i would need to re-confirm with them the day before. the concierge service will of course do the confirmation for me as well, and they are to send me an email for the re-confirmation. but on the safe side, i'd probably call LRSH myself just to be sure.

[John Talbott]

I only do this when my aging memory and inadequate writing leave me uncertain where I have done so already; otherwise I never do unless I get a request to on my answering machine.

[Maximilien]

Depending on how long before you made the reservation, it's usually a good thing to do, especially if you made a reservation from abroad.

Call 1 or 2 days before.
M.

[Parigi]

Spring called to confirm with me a week before our lunch. The funny thing is that we were not home at the time and could not reach them afterwards no way no how. Finally I walked down to the boutique to tell Josh.

[Tweety2004]

"Spring called to confirm with me a week before our lunch"

oh no, will they cancel my reservation just because they couldn't reach me? as a habit, i don't answer calls while i'm travelling 'cos roaming just costs too much!