Step 1:
Make your entry
By the time you enter the restaurant, you or someone in your group should already have made and confirmed a reservation (if the restaurant accepts them). Upon entry, the first staff person you'll usually meet is the headwaiter, also known as the captain, host, or maitre d'. This person is a sort of restaurant stationmaster, coordinating the servers and diners, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
The headwaiter typically stands near the entryway, greeting arrivals, taking their names, and so forth. Your job is to give this person the name your reservation was made under (or, if reservations aren't accepted, your name and the number of people in your party). Once that task is complete, and the headwaiter leads you to your table, etiquette becomes slightly more complicated. Keep these guidelines in mind: - First, do you like the area? If the table is near the kitchen, restroom, or an otherwise unattractive spot, politely ask if you can relocate. For example, "We'd prefer a table by the window, if possible." Usually, the headwaiter can accommodate you.
- The host of your party--the person who has planned the dinner--decides on seating. If this person isn't you, wait by the table until you know his or her preferences, if any.
- The headwaiter will sometimes pull out the chairs for the diners (ladies first), and may also place your napkin in your lap. If either of these things don't happen, you shouldn't take offense. You should, however, help the women of your party with their chairs (if you're male) and lay your napkin in your lap immediately after you sit down (but after the party's host does so).
Once you're all tucked in, the headwaiter will hand out menus to each diner (and a wine list to the party's host), describe the meal specials, and introduce your server. Then the real fun begins.
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