In this section of Restaurants Luton we are going to look at what makes a good restaurant and what you should look out for before parting with your hard earned cash.

Here are some points for you to consider.

Food Quality

This is by far the most important factor when choosing your restaurant. How do I know what the food quality is like if I haven’t been to the restaurant I hear you cry! Well there are a number of things I look at before heading through the door. If the food is any good then someone will recommend it too you. Personal recommendation is a very good sign. Internet reviews are also good, most restaurants are on Google Maps and people have the ability to review them on there.  Also just walking to your table, look at other peoples meals.  If it looks like someone has emptied a bin onto there plate and they don’t look happy about it then plan your exit strategy.

Service

The service in a restaurant can make or break a meal out. When you dine out you are not just paying for the food you are paying for someone to cook it for you and for it to be served to your table. If any of this is done badly or not at all then its just not worth your money.

The most common problem is the waiter/waitress. That may sound unfair but the chefs normally keep a tight ship in the kitchen and are proud of what they do. The table staff on the other hand are over worked and under paid.

Another thing to worry about is if they can speak English well enough. Its common place that table staff are foreign students or just new to this country and probably have no idea what is going on. This can make your night very frustrating.

Restaurant Ambiance

After reading the first two sections im guessing you are thinking that there will not be much ambience in the restaurant anyway. Ha! Well I don’t blame you.

One of the key things to having a good meal is the surroundings you eat it in.

I know of some people who don’t like a certain food but have something small just so they can sit in a place.  Things that effect a restaurants ambiance are: sound, lighting, furnishings, music, even the way the food is presented and brought out to you.

There is a Lebanese restaurant in Luton that looks nothing special from the front but when you go inside its like a mini oasis with waterfalls, huge cushions and is extremely tranquil. Its somewhere you can sit for hours and I often do.

Cleanliness

Last but by no means least is how clean is the place? Everyone knows that a dirty restaurant has unsanitary preparation methods which can lead to infection and disease.  Always do a little recce of the place.  Before you go inside have a little walk round the back of the building if you can.  If there are rats and dead animals everywhere then that place is probably worth a miss! ;0)

When you walk in have a look at the walls and floor.  If the front of house is dirty then what does the back look like!?  The toilets are another good indication of cleanliness.  If they cant be bothered to clean the customer toilets what must the kitchen look like?

Also observe how the staff are presented. If the the man taking your order is sweaty and covered in filth and blood I would advise you ask for a glass of water and then head for the door at the earliest opportunity.