Spice It Up
Creator
Creator: Donna Coutts Date
Date Published: 2012-02-02 Great news: You’ve made it to Sydney and you’ve a night off with a night out in mind. There are hundreds of restaurants to choose from but reservation waiting lists are weeks long for some of the good ones, so you’ve heard. Not such good news, perhaps. Now for really great news: This is increasingly a no-bookings town. Without looking too hard you’ll find dozens of hot spots with no-bookings policies. To maximise your chances of a table, turn up early – even before opening – or late, or factor a wait into your plans. Check the process. Some venues will take your phone number and call you when a table is available, others expect you to stay for the wait, some want your entire group present before they’ll seat you. Good staff suggest a nearby venue to wait if there’s nowhere on the premises (see breakout: Raising the Bar). Choose Sundays to Thursdays if possible. Fridays can be particularly busy, with after-work drop-ins and special-occasion diners. Most importantly, keep smiling. You’re anticipating a great meal, remember, and everyone loves a friendly face. Here are our suggestions to give you a walk-up start to a great meal in Sydney.
Ash St Cellar. European. Bar H. Contemporary. bills. Contemporary. Billy Kwong. Modern Chinese. Bistro Moncur. French. bloodwood. Contemporary. The Boathouse Palm Beach Bodega. Spanish/South American tapas. No bookings. Café Sopra. Italian. Fratelli Paradiso. Italian. No bookings. Garfish. Seafood. House. Northeastern Thai. jimmy liks. South-East Asian. Longrain. Thai. Lucio Pizzeria. Pizza. No bookings. Mamak. Malaysian. Missy Foxall. Mexican. Ms G’s. Modern Asian.
North Bondi Italian Food. Italian. Porteno. Argentinian. Toko. Japanese. No dinner bookings. Vini. Italian.
To book or not to book? It’s a double-edged sword, this no-bookings caper. It can work for the diner and it can work for the restaurateur but it can also be a cause of frustration and disappointment when things don’t go to plan. Busy venues can maximise takings by adopting a no-bookings policy. Taking and confirming bookings is an expensive use of staff. And without bookings, there need never be an empty table. In contrast, taking bookings risks having empty tables because of no shows, diners late for bookings and diners leaving earlier than the next booking. The current popularity of tapas-style sharing menus makes taking bookings particularly hit and miss as groups stay for such a wide variety of times, either dropping in for a quick drink and snack or lingering over lots of little dishes for hours on end. With a no-bookings policy you’re encouraging walk-ins to plug holes: in fact, if it’s a popular restaurant, you’ll have a queue of walk-ins all day long. If a venue practices perfect customer service, no-bookings restaurants are terrific for diners. You can have a spur-of-the-moment meal instead of planning weeks or months ahead. But that relies on friendly, super-efficient staff who are organised and, perhaps most importantly, honest. It’s such a waste of time to be told your table will be 10 minutes, only to be waiting hours later. If staff are frank and friendly about the likely wait and suggest attractive ways to wait, it’s up to the diner whether they have that time to spare. Equally, diners should be polite and friendly. Rudeness won’t improve your chances anywhere.
Raising the bar Who says you need a table to eat well? Perching on a stool at the bar can be a great way to have a relaxed drink and snack or meal when you can’t book or don’t want a table. Choosing a bar attached to a great restaurant is a way to taste something from a high-end, high-profile kitchen without a huge financial investment. Surry Hills’ contemporary Bentley Restaurant, for instance, has The Bentley Bar, which gives you access to Nick Hildebrandt’s award-winning wine list and Brent Savage’s kitchen wizardry. Other little siblings (or bars within restaurants) with cracking mini menus include The Red Door (downstairs from Foveaux, with food from Foveaux’s kitchen), Tokonoma (next door to Toko) and Longrain. If you’re unsuccessful when you call to book a restaurant table, keep the staff talking: ask if there’s a bar, a communal table or a time of day or week they recommend. And never forget your concierge: they’re usually well-connected miracle workers. |
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