Frustrated by Refusal to take Reservations
I see L'Abattoir is the latest place with a "buzz" to refuse to take reservations.
For those who have lived in other cities, is this a common practice? I was in Paris in the spring and none of the dozen or so places I either ate at or considered eating at refused to take reservations. Likewise I don't remember this happening the last time I was in New York.
I appreciate the restaurants make more money this way but I still find it very annoying. I gave up on Vij's years ago because I'm not willingly to gamble on a two hour wait (especially if I have out-of-town guests).
Why can't places set aside at least a couple of tables for reservations? That way if you phone ahead far enough you can be sure you'll get seated rather than having to either stand around like a hobo for god knows how long or desperately looking for back-ups.
Sorry for the rant but I'm interested in whether other Chowhounds share my frustration.
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Vij's Restaurant
1480 11th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6H1L1, CA
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I'm on the fence about this issue. I've had experiences both good and bad on both sides and at the end of the day, it comes down to planning. If the food is good, I'm willing to wait, an hour at the most. But you need to plan to be waiting for that long. And I think it only tends to work where the kitchen is efficient in churning out the food and is good at turning over tables. My view is that fine dining won't tend to work but more casual places would work.
My best experiences are The Spotted Pig in NYC, got to meet some locals at the bar and because the tables are packed in and the kitchen is efficient, we were seated within 30 minutes (even though the hostess said 45 minutes). It helps too when there's other places nearby to check out for browsing and maybe for a drink. Check in, leave your name and cell number and go for a wander around the neighbourhood. Pearl Oyster Bar in NYC was perfectly located for wandering.
I was just in Paris, Le Comptoir doesn't take reservations on the weekend and lunch I believe when they do the bistro format (not strictly true, if you stay at the hotel, they set aside a table) and from a sitting position, I'd have to say that tables turned over quite quickly which was nice so it didn't appear that anyone was waiting too long.
My gripe with reservations really has to do with trying to get into places like EMP (NYC)or Frenchies (Paris) or better yet El Bulli. Yeah, good luck with places like these. Unless you're dialing at the crack of the dawn when the reservationists arrive one month early (or get super lucky in the lottery for El Bulli)...
My 2 cents...sorry for the waffly rant but I am such a fence sitter on this one...
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I totally agree with you. I don't mind waiting sometimes (max hour) if it is going to be a bar hopping night but otherwise won't wait. But when the restaurant your waiting for puts out subpar food, it def puts a bad taste in my mouth. I don't get the reservation policy at all-I think some of these places think it ups the cool factor when it clearly doesn't.
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Not taking reservations is a gamble for the restaurant owner that has a huge upside. In the case of a Vij's it has payed off in spades and is part of his legend.
With this formula you totally max the potential to fill your room but the downside (especially as we head into the rainier season) is that a place like L'Abattoir that doesn't have much of a track record will lose people like yourself who have no interest in standing around (or sitting in a bar).
With the new and tougher driving laws I'm willing to bet that many fewer diners will have that "stand and wait" cocktail while waiting for their table and as such will find a place that accepts reservations.
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Vij's Restaurant
1480 11th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6H1L1, CA›1 Reply
