Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares How to order in a restaurant

Date Published:

13/11/2007

Don't be intimidated by the fancy menu or posh wines. Read our guide to ordering and get the most out of your next restaurant experience. By Charlie Cottrell

Restaurant dining should be a pleasant and relaxing experience where you can sit back while someone else does the hard work and enjoy a great meal in appealing surroundings and with good company. But uncertain restaurant etiquette, complicated menus and wine lists that read like a French A-level exam mean that it's easy to feel overwhelmed. If you've ever felt out of your depth when faced with the menu, take a look at our guide on how to order in a restaurant.

Wine

For most people an extensive wine list is more of a trial than a bonus. Wine snobbery and often confusing descriptions make it hard for the layman to fathom their way through the list based on anything other than price.

"The type of wine you should order depends on what you want" says Oliver Cohen, general manager of Le Bouchon Bordelais in Battersea. "As a general guide we would match a red meat such as a steak to a Bordeaux, risotto or a vegetarian dish to a Chardonnay and fish dishes to a light crisp wine such as a Pinot Noir. But it depends on whether the customer wants a heavy wine, a light wine or a sweet wine."

If you're not certain what to choose, Oliver recommends seeking advice from the waiter; "but not your commis waiter. (a junior waiter who sets or clears the table and sometimes brings the food). Ask to speak to the head waiter. They will be most familiar with the menu and wine lists and will be able to advise you on how to select a complementary wine to suit your meal."

And you shouldn't feel cheap for plumping for the house wine; "The house selections are the most important wine to the restaurant" says Oliver. "They are the main wines that represent your business. If the house wine is poor it is not a good sign of your house taste and the customer won't trust you. If you have a good wine the diner will feel confident in the restaurant and be more comfortable ordering from the rest of the menu."