dress code for michelin star restaurants
Hi, we are heading to Alkimia, Arzak and Akelarre. As boyfriend hates wearing suit, will we fit in if he wears shirt and normal jeans?
Thanks.
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PBSF
Aug 21, 2011 10:31 AM
The whole subject of dress code is not a simple thing. I think much of our opinions are based our own criteria and what we perceived it should be rather than what is appropriate or actually happening in a particular restaurant. There is not one criteria that applies to all 3 star restaurants. "Correct" dressed is not based on some rigid criteria but based on the ambience of the particular restaurant, the season and midday versus evening. Some of my observations on various restaurants that I've been in the past couple of years:
Arzak: this is one of the most informal 3 star restaurant that I've even been to. Juan Mari and Elena want it to be that way. It is essentially an old country house that has deep root in San Sebastian and the Basque. There is a large amount of friends and locals that patronize the restaurant and have coming for years. For them, they don't necessarily treat it as 3 star restaurant but a home of Juan Mari and Elena. They created an ambience to reflect that. The ground bar area has fluffy overstuffed sofas and chairs with books/magazines scattered here and there. It is not made to look designer or pristine but for welcome and comfort. One will come across very casual attire (open collard shirt/polo shirt with dark jeans) to more dressy (shirt and sports jacket) to even an occasional suit and tie in the evening. At a dinner couple years ago: there was me alone with a sports jacket and slacks; next to me was a 4 top of two 40 something local couples dressed in nice shirts and tight jeans looking smashing, few tables of married couples dressed in just shirts and slacks and sports coats, a family with young children in more or less casual attire. Everyone seem to look as they belong. There is an atmosphere of fun and liveliness. No shorts or tees or track suits though. Even the attire of the service staff fits into this as they are very casually dressed in a simple brown traditional outfit for the female servers, casual dark slack and white shirt for the male service staff. No tuxedo captain or anything formal.
Akelare lunch: the restaurant has more of an international feel and there was more of an international clientele. The arrangement of the bar and dining room is more designer. There is a casual chic and not formality to the whole atmosphere. Because of the large window of natural light and huge vista, it has somewhat of a 'resort' feel. The Just about all the patrons wore shirts or polo with trousers or jeans. Because of the large windows with the big view and being in September when it is still warm, this casualness fits in well at lunch. At dinner, one should tone down the casualness.
When El Cellar de Can Roca was in the old location, there was a casualness that belied its 2 star status. The dining room was nice but was rather basic. The lunch patrons attire were more casual than Arzak, nearly any sport jacket except couple tables of local businessman, almost like anything goes. Once they moved to their much more upscale location with a beautiful designer look and received their third star, there is a change in their clients attire as they attract more international diners. There are still locals that dress very casually including nice shirt and jeans. Most of the others attire were definitely more 'dressy' then the old location.
A dinner at Sant Celoni in Madrid was much different. The whole ambience is more formal. The lighting dimmer and the service staff has dark formal uniforms. The patrons were much more conservative and older, with mostly sports jackets and slacks. I would definitely feel out of place with just a shirt and jeans. The whole ambience evoke what many of us as "formal fine dining".
Dinner at Meurice in Paris: the dining room resembles palace Versailles. The lighting has a warm glow that makes everyone look good. There are polished silver serving carts here and there. There is a huge staff with tuxedo-clad captain, servers and bussers all dressed in formal starched white shirts, jackets, shinny black shoes. The only appropriate dress for men would be at least a jacket and tie; preferably a dark suit. Anything less would just stick out like it sore thumb. This is a "very special" night out celebratory grand place.
My take is that jeans are not always out of place in Michelin star restaurants as long as they are dark and not look like a pair of 20 year old wranglers. Add to that a cheap shirt, then it is eyesore and should probably stay home. There are people who has style and knows how to dress and can look good in almost anything. When in doubt, best to dress up.›1 Reply-
re: PBSF
PhilD
Aug 21, 2011 03:54 PM
PBSF - I think your last two sentences offer the best advice. I travel a lot and often have little prior knowledge of the style of the restaurants I visit. Thus I always take a smart linen jacket and some decent trousers for the big meals. I wear the jacket on the plane and ask for it to be hung in the wardrobe so no hassle packing. Add a few different shirts and I have the combination that works in a formal restaurant and can be quite casual with a more avant grade shirt.
The real problem is European restaurants is that the number of people who have an effortless style (but not the UK - lots of fashion but such little style). I remember the table of eight people at El Bulli who all seemed to be wearing matching white linen pyjamas - I was quite envious - although I suspect for me white linen and red wine would have a great affinity.
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El Bulli
Spain , ES
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Been to all for lunch and dressed casual, ie: jeans.
In the evenings a nice pair of jeans with a nice shirt/blouse can pass with no problem.
I've found that in Spain it's pretty much about the food and not too much about the clothes. Unless when you call for a reservation and they mention jacket required you shouldn't worry if you're ""underdressed"".
Enjoy your trip.
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re: candles471
monchique
Aug 17, 2011 09:24 AM
Sorry Quimbombo, no tie, no jacket in Summer may-be, but jeans are not really acceptable in the evening (except may-be designer's jeans for a lady with the right figure) at a Michelin starred restaurant in Spain or anywhere in the world. It is normal to show a minimum of respect for the other patrons, and to the restaurateur himself. If the OP has to wear jeans, he will feel more comfortable in a tapas bar.
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re: monchique
SnackHappy
Aug 17, 2011 10:44 AM
Not to pile-on or anything, but someone who can't be bothered to wear a pair of casual trousers and a sportshirt to dinner will probably be put off by the whole fine dining experience, anyway.
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re: Harters
PhilD
Aug 20, 2011 02:58 PM
John: bear in mind this is a post about three stars - interested to here the names of the three stars were jean and polo shirts are common.
I also think there is a subtle difference between "accepted" and "acceptable". The strict dress codes enforced by the maitre'd, are generally a thing of the past but most people make en effort (that said I have just booked a meal in Rome where it clearly states "jacket required")
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re: PhilD
Phil - my remark was a response to monchique and snackhappy's posts. One post referred only to "Michelin starred" restaurants "anywhere in the world". The other was simply pretentious tosh. Of course, If they really were only referring to 3*, then I withdraw my remark.
As for my experience of 3* - it's limited to the Fat Duck and there were two tables of male jean and polo wearers.
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re: Harters
monchique
Aug 20, 2011 05:22 PM
Harters, I also said "in the evening". If you feel comfortable having dinner in a smart establishment wearing jeans and a polo, good for you; I personnally would feel embarassed, but this is my taste. I am actually quite in agreement with the "pretentious tosh" as you describe the comment from SnackHappy, as I strongly feel the ambiance of the restaurant is an integral part of the pleasure of a meal. Yourself did remark they were people in jeans at the Fat Duck, so they must have seemed out of place otherwise you would not have noticed them...
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re: monchique
I am confused now, monchique.
Were you intending to refer solely to 3* places or did you mean all Michelin palces as the wording of your post suggested. if the former, then on my sole experierience of 3* dining, I would tend to agree. The Fat Duck actively advertises it has no dress code and there was, clearly, no issue with the jeans wearers. The was a range of attire - from the jeans wearers to a party of, in my view very well dressed and suited French folk. Personally I as interested to see such well dressed folk as I was to see the folk in jeans and polos. . Most, however, were like us, dressed in the "smart casual" style you might expect.
If, however, you were referring to a wider range of Michelin places, then I stick with my original point of disagreement with you.
On a personal level, I have never felt uncomfortable, and certianly never embarrassed, about my attire in any restaurant. No doubt, that's because I'm happy to conform to the dress code that a place may set (in that, I choose not to eat at places that require ja
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re: Harters
monchique
Aug 21, 2011 04:45 AM
I was not particularly referring to 3 Michelin starrred restaurants, but to places one might go specially to enjoy a nice evening; In most places the dress code is not set, because it is implicitly assumed. Of course, few restaurants can afford to refuse a client, even if he turns out in shorts. Being French, it must be just a question of culture. So let us agree to disagree :o)
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re: monchique
I'm sure it is differences in culture. When I saw your original post I immediately thought of three 1* places in the UK where jeans & polos would be entirely fine and, as I said, seemingly quite commonplace. It doesnt detract one bit from the ambiance of the places and, to my mind, only enhances it.
That said, I fully accept that dining in France and America is often more formal than in the UK and many other European countries. FWIW, you will find that, certainly in the UK, many midscale and above restaurants do set a dress code. Experience tells me it can be generally assumed that those that don't are perfectly happy with casual attir
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re: Harters
SnackHappy
Aug 21, 2011 09:35 AM
I can assure you, it wasn't "pretentious tosh'. My comment may have been a bit facetious, but it was also based on an honest concern. I don't do much fine dining myself. Partly because I don't have the means and partly because I get bored with all the preciousness and decorum involved. When I wrote what I wrote, I wasn't turning up my nose at anyone. I was just saying that the OP's boyfriend might not enjoy this sort of dining.
Well, maybe I was turning up my nose just a little bit.
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re: PhilD
MartÃn Berasategui 3 stars Michelin Lunch 2010
A table with 5 fellows in jeans and sneakers. Had no idea who they were but diners were approaching the table asking for autographs. We asked our server and said they were soccer players.
Couple of other diners wearing jeans as well.
Now I understand this was lunch and more relaxed than dinner, but.......
The Terraza del Casino might not be 3 star but it's fancy enough. We dined there on 7/27/11 and the table behind us 3 gents, well groomed and tastefully dressed with jeans and nice jackets.
I would say the dining requirements are less formal in Spain than say, Paris or other parts of France.
Not to say Spain doesn't have elegance, it's just different with a bit less of the pressure that make diners feel as if they're strutting down a catwalk like in other places like Milan comes to mind.
Good grooming, nice shirt and jacket, clean jeans and nice shoes is pretty much acceptable at Michelin star restaurants in Spain.
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re: Quimbombo
Parigi
Aug 22, 2011 03:21 AM
Wait. Let's go back to the most important part of this entire thread:
"A table with 5 fellows in jeans and sneakers. Had no idea who they were but diners were approaching the table asking for autographs. We asked our server and said they were soccer players."
Did you take photos? Some of us here are fundamentalist fans of the Spain national team.
(And indeed the players are so famously badly dressed that one hilarious website monitor their fashion violations.)-
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re: Quimbombo
I went to Martin Berasategui last month. And I wore jeans. Once you're sitting down nobody can tell anyway.
By the way, it was the probably the best restaurant I have ever been to in my life.
I went to Arzak the next day and loved it. But it didn't approach M.B.
I went to Mugaritz the third day. The first three appetizer courses were amazing, but then it kind of went downhill.
I was in jeans all three days and thought the service was fantastic every time. There's nothing to worry about.
(However, don't try to go to anywhere nice in Italy in jeans... bad idea.)
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PBSF
Aug 14, 2011 01:14 PM
There is no dress code for any of those restaurants. Evenings tends to be more dressy. I have seen people looking great in a pair of 300euro jeans and they fit right in. It really comes down to how one looks in an outfit. Now shoes are a different story.
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re: PBSF
PhilD
Aug 14, 2011 03:31 PM
As PBSF says - no dress code - it is all about style. Europeans tend to reserve suits for work, and adopt a smart casual style at other times. Will he fit in? To be honest whilst a very few people do wear jeans occasionally they are the exception, no rule that says you can't, but social norms seem to be to dress up in your finest non-work clothes. To put it into context think about the many Spanish global fashion brands - they are not jeans centric even at the low end (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Mango etc).
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