What makes a good restaurant?

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Posted at 12:00PM, 27 August 2009 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

What makes you choose a restaurant? The food obviously - but what about the location, seating, how far apart the tables are, service, the staff in general, the surroundings, the general ambience and of course the price?

Particularly in the current climate, restaurants have to make us want to go there, whether for a quick lunch, dinner with friends or a special occasion meal. But what makes one better than the other? Do you follow the recommendations (or otherwise) of food critics' reviews or food guides?

Personally I go for personal recommendations from friends and colleagues, but if I'm in a strange town or abroad, I generally choose a place that's busy - especially if it's full of locals, always a good sign that the food is freshly prepared and will taste good.

What I find off-putting is drab, tired décor, ear-splitting background music and tables packed too tightly in a small space; some restaurants are so keen to squeeze in as many diners as possible, that on occasions I've sat so close to the next table that I could have joined in their conversation!

A huge menu in a smallish restaurant isn't a good omen

A huge menu in a smallish restaurant isn't a good omen either - it usually means the food is bought in. I once stopped at a remote country 'gastropub' in the highlands of Scotland where an item on the menu was chicken breast in a wild mushroom sauce. My husband asked for his chicken without the sauce and was told this wasn't possible, so it was obviously boil in the bag!

A stop at a another country fine dining pub had a menu full of bizarre and outlandish dishes. The chef obviously thought he was another Heston Blumenthal in the making, but unfortunately had confused novelty with innovation and used weird combinations of flavours and ingredients just for the sake of it. But whereas the talented Heston's dishes are well thought out and meticulously researched, tested and developed, this menu clearly was not and offered delights such as Smoked haddock and Roquefort fishcakes with a peach and raspberry sauce... yes really!

My favourite restaurants have tasty, freshly cooked food by a proper chef (no bought in ready-prepared meals), are value for money, have a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere, welcoming staff and friendly and knowledgeable service. Good restaurants deserve to be rewarded with our custom.

What do you think makes a great restaurant?

Comments

sioden

27 August, 2:25PM
sioden

A couple of friends and I went to Majorca in April and we hoped but didn't hold our breath for good food. We stumbled across a family run paella restaurant the first night - it was great (and also the only place open apart from the brit pubs - eugh). The second night we got caught in the rain on our way into town, flagged down a taxi and asked the driver for a recommendation. |he recommended this AMAZING tapas restaurant. We would never have gone in as it looked a little drab but it was so good! It pays to ask for local recommendation if you can!

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poppysuze

27 August, 3:58PM
poppysuze

We recently enjoyed a family meal at a local Cantonese restaurant (on my daughters recommendation), it was fantastic! The food freshly prepared and cooked, delicious flavours with generous portions and reasonably priced too. The atmosphere very relaxed and the staff friendly, efficient and helpful. I baked my daughters favourite cake to take with us as we were celebrating her graduating from Uni, they were only too happy for us to eat it as a desert, they presented it on a beautiful plate, wonderful! A memorable evening :o)

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Sue

27 August, 6:49PM
Sue

Totally agree - simple, well cooked food from fresh ingredients is all it takes. One of the best restaurant meals I've ever eaten was in a tiny lorry stop in Tenerife, owned by a family and you ate what they ate. Fabulous home cooking. At the other extreme, Benares in Berkeley Square was a superb lunch. I wouldn't go to a Michelin starred restaurant for the stars, I need it to be recommended as well. Has to be said, Gordon Ramsay's restaurants have come highly recommended!

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smitty

30 August, 4:29PM
smitty

my favourite restaurant is small with a very small limited choice menu but the food is freshly cooked and the staff are lovely- its always packed out!

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thevilraggydoll

10 October, 9:01PM
thevilraggydoll

My favourite resteraunt/cafe is the Walpole in Ealing which serves breakfast and lunch by day and top notch dinners on Fri & Sat night. It's charm is in the place (painted floor boards, brown paper table clothes and retro advertising boards hung on the walls), the staff (whom we know by name and know everything about the menu on offer), the owners (who make you feel more like a guest at a dinner party rather than a paying punter) and the fact that the table is yours for the entire evening (we have stayed for 4 hours before, taking our time and enjoying the food and drinks) That is a perfect dining experience. The fact that the food and raspberry sorbet martinis) is some of the best I have ever tasted doesn't hurt either!

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aimathews

16 October, 5:00PM
aimathews

I live quite close to the town centre which has many different restaurants including many chain restaurants. I enjoy eating at Zizzi and Pizza Express however my favourite places to eat are 'The Withies Pub' in Compton- it gets full up quite quickly and booking is recommended. The pub is overlooked quite a lot however it offers excellent food, a homely, classic country pub style dcomplete with wooden tables and chairs and a fast service. The restaurant seating outside in the summer is separated into litle terraces in a row and the outside pub section has hand carve rustic wooden chairs and tables. Thre is also a cider press to give character to the place. Olivo is a quaint little Italian restaurant in the centre of Guildford. The building has lots of character and a winding staircase upwards. The staff are friendly and there is also quick service.

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