6 ms·

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I love the (rarely-found) type of restaurant where you enter, and they start serving you food where you have no choice in

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I love the (rarely-found) type of restaurant where you enter, and they start serving you food where you have no choice in the matter. Like some family joint in the middle of nowhere that people go to for what they know will exactly be served, as if at home. Of course, that's probably out the window after all this settles down. Those types of restaurants are probably highly likely to fold. By the way, here's a funny parody of "every trendy restaurant menu": https://www.eater.com/2014/7/24/6181765/heres-what-every-trendy-restaurant-menu-looks-like https://www.eater.com/2014/7/24/6181765/heres-what-every-tre...

chendragon 6y ago
This works well for me if the price is known in the beginning, but it probably necessarily varies. Perhaps itdoesn't matter in fine dining contects tho.
Swizec 6y ago
Isn’t this how high end michelin restaurants work? You sit down, eat the chef’s daily menu, and drop a few hundred dollars per person. You are there for the art of it and you trust the chef’s choice.
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  I believe it’s pretty common for prix fixe meals, or you’ll get a very narrow set of options.
- mhh__ 6y ago
  Ideally yes, although I think they end up cooking for the guide rather than their own tastes. There is a possibly apocryphal story that Marco Pierre White was once asked for a plate of Chips, so he hand cooked them and charged the diner something like £100 for his time.
- dan-robertson 6y ago
  It happens in some. I think I read it was more popular in the 90s (at least in France) to have a single daily menu. Nowadays it is more likely there would be vegetarian or vegan options even if there is still a “single” menu. Plenty of places will have some set menus and also let people order à la carte
- Disruptive_Dave 6y ago
  It's standard practice at good sushi spots. Omakase.
- danpalmer 6y ago
  Some types, yes, although the service is at such a high level that they are usually accommodating far beyond what you'd expect. The restaurant might have a 7 course tasting menu with fixed items on it for example, but if you say you're allergic to shellfish, they'll often not just remove the shellfish from your dishes, but re-engineer or fully replace the dishes that contain shellfish so that what you're getting isn't any _less_ than what someone eating shellfish would be having.
km3r 6y ago
Reminds me of this one restaurant in Paris I visited a few years back. We were kinda off the main drag and see this place with a long line way out the door so we decide to walk over and check it out. Saw a tasty looking steak being served and the line seemed to be moving pretty quickly so we decided to wait it out. We quickly realized that no one there spoke any English, and we basically spoke no French. But we were determined nonetheless to see what it was all about. So we get to the front of the line and the hostess seats us. The waitress walks up to us and quickly realized we don't know any French. So in broken English she asks "rare or well done?". After getting all of our preferences she quickly comes back with wine and steaks with a side of this delicious green sauce. We were all throughly impressed by the steak/sauce and quickness of service. My dad made a joke that the only thing that could make this better would be another round of steak. And low and behold a second round appears and we all laugh at the irony. All in all a great expirence, though I still don't know what that place was called nor what that sauce was, but it sure was tasty and a unique & fun expirence.
- vii 6y ago
  Single menu item steak frites restaurants are available in NYC and London and apparently Mexico City - https://relaisdevenise.com/ https://relaisdevenise.com/ They import the secret sauce from France. These restaurants also make it easy to split the bill as everybody has the same thing!
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    > They import the secret sauce from France. Do you mean virgin sauce (sauce vierge)? It's olive oil / butter, mustard, parsley / thyme, capers, olives, often anchovies, and some other aromatic herbs.
    - vii 6y ago
      that's what the waiters told us! But here is someone who claims to have found the recipe: http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/lentrecote-restaurant-famous-sauce-recipe-revealed/ http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/lentrecote-restaurant-famous... * One chicken liver * One shallot * One sprig fresh thyme, tarragon, parsley * 10 cl of liquid cream * One tablespoon of Dijon mustard * 20 g butter * 3 cups of water
tptacek 6y ago
You can do this at any non-chain restaurant, and just order whatever they think is good. It's almost always a good idea.
- dan-robertson 6y ago
  I would always worry that I would get whatever is in surplus rather than whatever they think is good. On the other hand, if everything they make is good then you’re fine and if their food is hit and miss then who’s to say you’d have a better chance of getting something good through analysis of the menu
  - pyrale 6y ago
    If they give you surpluus that is bad, odds are that their best isn't great either.
  - AtlasBarfed 6y ago
    Why wouldn't they give you the highest margin items?
    - tptacek 6y ago
      For starters, in a lot of restaurants, (1) there's a set of dishes that are patron favorites, and (2) the servers make substantial amounts of money on tips. Their incentive is to make you happy with the experience.
    - plorkyeran 6y ago
      Servers are paid based on how much the customer tips, not based on the restaurant's profit margin. The fact that tips are done as a percent of the bill means that they're incentivized to point you at the more expensive side of the menu, but it's much more important to pick something that'll impress the patron than to maximize the size of the bill. The restaurant's margin doesn't directly factor into this at all.
      - 6y ago
vmception 6y ago
I used to do dinner parties like that at restaurants: remove choice from my friends and tell the server a list of things we'll get, and then we have a bunch of things on the table family style. Don't worry about what can go wrong and live a little. It is an amazing experience for many.
Cerium 6y ago
The opposite of this is common in restaurants in China, particularly rural restaurants. You enter and are invited into the kitchen area where you discuss what ingredients they have and approve suggestions for dishes. I enjoy it, though the pressure to make fast decisions can be overwhelming with the language barrier.
pjmorris 6y ago
One of my favorite meals, ever, was like this, at 'House of Nanking' in SF. The host asked if the six of us had ever eaten there before, and when we said 'No', he said he'd take care of everything. Half a dozen dishes later (+/- 1 or 2, it was 20 years ago), we were amazed, happy, and full. 10/10.
- tcpekin 6y ago
  I had the exact same experience there about 20 years ago as well with my family... was fantastic.
- OkGoDoIt 6y ago
  How do you account for price in that situation? When I choose what I’m going to order at a restaurant, it’s not simply based on what I think would taste best, it’s about the ratio of price to tastiness. Whenever a waiter recommends something, it’s almost always one of the most expensive items on the menu. In fact at this point I avoid recommendations because I assume waiters are simply trying to optimize for profit and not actually what I would enjoy eating.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    You're at a recommended restaurant that you're assuming won't screw you but you're also not very price sensitive. So, you don't want this if you're optimizing around price.
  - pjmorris 6y ago
    You take your chances, or you walk. We were comfortable enough, and intrigued enough, that we took our chances. It was a gamble that paid off.
- canjobear 6y ago
  As of ~5 years ago they have a menu, but you don't have to use it: you can just tell them to order for you.
dpeck 6y ago
One of my favorite places to eat growing up, and a favorite of my dads until the virus started, was a place like that that started as a halfway house. Shared tables, food keeps being brought out in family sized bowls, serve yourself as much or as little as you like, pay when you leave. Some of the best veggies and probably the best biscuits I’ve ever had. It was a great little egalitarian place, suits, white collar, manual labors, and ex-cons would be sitting around the table enjoying a meal.
gbuk2013 6y ago
I just visited a restaurant like this in Calabria a few days ago - you turn up and they just bring you food, most of which is produced by them or nearby. It was awesome. :)
sbmthakur 6y ago
In India, we have something called 'Bhojnalaya' that comes close to your definition. The options are fixed for the day, the food is prepared in the kitchen and served right outside their house.

chendragon 6y ago

This works well for me if the price is known in the beginning, but it probably necessarily varies. Perhaps itdoesn't matter in fine dining contects tho.

Swizec 6y ago

Isn’t this how high end michelin restaurants work? You sit down, eat the chef’s daily menu, and drop a few hundred dollars per person. You are there for the art of it and you trust the chef’s choice.

ashtonkem 6y ago
I believe it’s pretty common for prix fixe meals, or you’ll get a very narrow set of options.
mhh__ 6y ago
Ideally yes, although I think they end up cooking for the guide rather than their own tastes. There is a possibly apocryphal story that Marco Pierre White was once asked for a plate of Chips, so he hand cooked them and charged the diner something like £100 for his time.
dan-robertson 6y ago
It happens in some. I think I read it was more popular in the 90s (at least in France) to have a single daily menu. Nowadays it is more likely there would be vegetarian or vegan options even if there is still a “single” menu. Plenty of places will have some set menus and also let people order à la carte
Disruptive_Dave 6y ago
It's standard practice at good sushi spots. Omakase.
danpalmer 6y ago
Some types, yes, although the service is at such a high level that they are usually accommodating far beyond what you'd expect. The restaurant might have a 7 course tasting menu with fixed items on it for example, but if you say you're allergic to shellfish, they'll often not just remove the shellfish from your dishes, but re-engineer or fully replace the dishes that contain shellfish so that what you're getting isn't any _less_ than what someone eating shellfish would be having.

km3r 6y ago

Reminds me of this one restaurant in Paris I visited a few years back. We were kinda off the main drag and see this place with a long line way out the door so we decide to walk over and check it out. Saw a tasty looking steak being served and the line seemed to be moving pretty quickly so we decided to wait it out. We quickly realized that no one there spoke any English, and we basically spoke no French. But we were determined nonetheless to see what it was all about. So we get to the front of the line and the hostess seats us. The waitress walks up to us and quickly realized we don't know any French. So in broken English she asks "rare or well done?". After getting all of our preferences she quickly comes back with wine and steaks with a side of this delicious green sauce. We were all throughly impressed by the steak/sauce and quickness of service. My dad made a joke that the only thing that could make this better would be another round of steak. And low and behold a second round appears and we all laugh at the irony. All in all a great expirence, though I still don't know what that place was called nor what that sauce was, but it sure was tasty and a unique & fun expirence.

vii 6y ago
Single menu item steak frites restaurants are available in NYC and London and apparently Mexico City - https://relaisdevenise.com/ https://relaisdevenise.com/ They import the secret sauce from France. These restaurants also make it easy to split the bill as everybody has the same thing!
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  > They import the secret sauce from France. Do you mean virgin sauce (sauce vierge)? It's olive oil / butter, mustard, parsley / thyme, capers, olives, often anchovies, and some other aromatic herbs.
  - vii 6y ago
    that's what the waiters told us! But here is someone who claims to have found the recipe: http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/lentrecote-restaurant-famous-sauce-recipe-revealed/ http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/lentrecote-restaurant-famous... * One chicken liver * One shallot * One sprig fresh thyme, tarragon, parsley * 10 cl of liquid cream * One tablespoon of Dijon mustard * 20 g butter * 3 cups of water

tptacek 6y ago

You can do this at any non-chain restaurant, and just order whatever they think is good. It's almost always a good idea.

dan-robertson 6y ago
I would always worry that I would get whatever is in surplus rather than whatever they think is good. On the other hand, if everything they make is good then you’re fine and if their food is hit and miss then who’s to say you’d have a better chance of getting something good through analysis of the menu
- pyrale 6y ago
  If they give you surpluus that is bad, odds are that their best isn't great either.
- AtlasBarfed 6y ago
  Why wouldn't they give you the highest margin items?
  - tptacek 6y ago
    For starters, in a lot of restaurants, (1) there's a set of dishes that are patron favorites, and (2) the servers make substantial amounts of money on tips. Their incentive is to make you happy with the experience.
  - plorkyeran 6y ago
    Servers are paid based on how much the customer tips, not based on the restaurant's profit margin. The fact that tips are done as a percent of the bill means that they're incentivized to point you at the more expensive side of the menu, but it's much more important to pick something that'll impress the patron than to maximize the size of the bill. The restaurant's margin doesn't directly factor into this at all.
    - 6y ago

vmception 6y ago

I used to do dinner parties like that at restaurants: remove choice from my friends and tell the server a list of things we'll get, and then we have a bunch of things on the table family style. Don't worry about what can go wrong and live a little. It is an amazing experience for many.

Cerium 6y ago

The opposite of this is common in restaurants in China, particularly rural restaurants. You enter and are invited into the kitchen area where you discuss what ingredients they have and approve suggestions for dishes. I enjoy it, though the pressure to make fast decisions can be overwhelming with the language barrier.

pjmorris 6y ago

One of my favorite meals, ever, was like this, at 'House of Nanking' in SF. The host asked if the six of us had ever eaten there before, and when we said 'No', he said he'd take care of everything. Half a dozen dishes later (+/- 1 or 2, it was 20 years ago), we were amazed, happy, and full. 10/10.

tcpekin 6y ago
I had the exact same experience there about 20 years ago as well with my family... was fantastic.
OkGoDoIt 6y ago
How do you account for price in that situation? When I choose what I’m going to order at a restaurant, it’s not simply based on what I think would taste best, it’s about the ratio of price to tastiness. Whenever a waiter recommends something, it’s almost always one of the most expensive items on the menu. In fact at this point I avoid recommendations because I assume waiters are simply trying to optimize for profit and not actually what I would enjoy eating.
- ghaff 6y ago
  You're at a recommended restaurant that you're assuming won't screw you but you're also not very price sensitive. So, you don't want this if you're optimizing around price.
- pjmorris 6y ago
  You take your chances, or you walk. We were comfortable enough, and intrigued enough, that we took our chances. It was a gamble that paid off.
canjobear 6y ago
As of ~5 years ago they have a menu, but you don't have to use it: you can just tell them to order for you.

dpeck 6y ago

One of my favorite places to eat growing up, and a favorite of my dads until the virus started, was a place like that that started as a halfway house. Shared tables, food keeps being brought out in family sized bowls, serve yourself as much or as little as you like, pay when you leave. Some of the best veggies and probably the best biscuits I’ve ever had. It was a great little egalitarian place, suits, white collar, manual labors, and ex-cons would be sitting around the table enjoying a meal.

gbuk2013 6y ago

I just visited a restaurant like this in Calabria a few days ago - you turn up and they just bring you food, most of which is produced by them or nearby. It was awesome. :)

sbmthakur 6y ago

In India, we have something called 'Bhojnalaya' that comes close to your definition. The options are fixed for the day, the food is prepared in the kitchen and served right outside their house.