Would you eat at a communal table with people you don't know?

[itsjust.mark]

This thread had mention of communal tables at a hotel restaurant.

Yes or no?

[Chris Hennes]

No. I try to keep an open mind, but when I am dining out it's usually just me and my wife: we spend the whole time speculating about the other people in the room. Not really cool if they are sitting right next to you!

[Boilerfood]

No. I try to keep an open mind, but when I am dining out it's usually just me and my wife: we spend the whole time speculating about the other people in the room. Not really cool if they are sitting right next to you!

HAHA I thought my SO and I were the only ones who did that!

[Genkinaonna]

We've done it, one of the places in town only has communal tables, but it's difficult when you have one person in the party (me) who is chatty and wants to talk to everyone else, and one who is relatively anti-social (SO) and isn't interested in making any new friends. Overall I think individual tables work better, even if there's just one set menu for everyone...

[Angela Knipple]

For me, it really depends on the situation. We've eaten at communal tables and had great meals and great conversations with people we never would have met otherwise. My main complaint about most of the meals we've eaten this way are that most were served family-style. I'm the unsociable one in our house, and I really hate having to ask a stranger to pass a dish. When the meals are served normally or on a buffet, it's a lot easier for me to enjoy it.

We went to an Endless Table meal, and it was honestly difficult to try everything because no one seemed to know which serving dishes were for which set of diners or how many people those dishes were supposed to serve.

It's an experience, but it's definitely something that works best for me in small doses - a couple of times a year is plenty. Besides, it's a little tiring texting the speculative comments to my SO under the table.

[Dakki]

Sure, in a cheap-and-cheerful environment. The places I've done this have been either buffet or cafeteria-style service, which simplifies the whole thing considerably.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Usually where I've eaten at a communal table, the items were still served individually as they would be at a normal table. Unless there's some occasion where the people might have reason to introduce themselves to each other, at communal tables in New York people tend not to interact with other parties seated at the table. It's more like being on the subway.

[rooftop1000]

I don't mind them at all and my husband enjoys them because he likes to get people talking.

We were seated at one in Munich and had a blast, I had ordered the biggest thing on the menu (pork nuckle) and an older German man seated next to me managed to say in English "you have a lot of work ahead of you". After that couple left an Italian family was seated with us and the father wanted what I was having. We had some fun flipping between the English, Italian and German pages of the menu to find the item, and I found out it is called Stinco in Italian. LOL The whole family was saying ahhhh Stinco

tracey

[hathor]

I found out it is called Stinco in Italian. LOL The whole family was saying ahhhh Stinco

tracey

And the plural of stinco is stinky! (stinchi) I'm serious.

Absolutely I would sit at a communal table! We love sitting at the bar and having pick up conversations. We've met the most interesting people. Vintners, solar energy engineers, mind/body/soul healing guru...people not in my normal circle.

And if they aren't interesting (code word: beige} you don't bother talking and carry on as usual.

[Gregg]

We (DW and I) sit at communal tables or at the bar of a nice restaurant quite often. The tables are better for us, the bars often attract single diners. Nothing wrong with that, but we like talking to other couples or groups more. We've had some of our most fun conversations with people we just met. You always at least have the food in common. On the other side I can usually predict our friends points of view, but it keeps you on your conversational toes to dine with people you don't know.

[andiesenji]

I love communal tables at ethnic restaurants because I often dine out alone and it gives me a chance to learn about dishes with which I am unfamiliar.

When I first moved up here in '88 I loved driving the few miles to Rosamond where the Villa Basque restaurant is located. While the Ansolabehere family owned it, dinners were served "family style" and if there were from one to three diners, you could join one of the big tables and it was a lot of fun and I always felt very welcome.

The family sold it in '95 and it is not the same. The foods served are still "Basque" but the last time I was there there was no "family style" service and the portions were rather small and the server I had was positively frosty - probably thinking that a single, elderly woman wouldn't tip much.

Several years ago some friends took me to an Ethiopian restaurant in L.A., somewhere near Hollywood, and they had communal tables (the three of us joined a party of eight) and I loved it. Can't recall the name of the place but the food was exceptional, as was the atmosphere.

Edited March 17, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Toliver]

When I first moved up here in '88 I loved driving the few miles to Rosamond where the Villa Basque restaurant is located. While the Ansolabehere family owned it, dinners were served "family style" and if there were from one to three diners, you could join one of the big tables and it was a lot of fun and I always felt very welcome.

Bakersfield has a small Basque community and a couple of the Basque restaurants still serve family style with communal tables. To the unitiated, it's a strange experience. We usually go with a group so you already know the people you're dining with.

edited to add: If you do go to a Basque restaurant, try the picon (sounds like "pee-con") punch. It's a potent Basque liquor/drink.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Toliver (log)

[andiesenji]

When I first moved up here in '88 I loved driving the few miles to Rosamond where the Villa Basque restaurant is located. While the Ansolabehere family owned it, dinners were served "family style" and if there were from one to three diners, you could join one of the big tables and it was a lot of fun and I always felt very welcome.

Bakersfield has a small Basque community and a couple of the Basque restaurants still serve family style with communal tables. To the unitiated, it's a strange experience. We usually go with a group so you already know the people you're dining with.

edited to add: If you do go to a Basque restaurant, try the picon (sounds like "pee-con") punch. It's a potent Basque liquor/drink.

When I was showing my dogs, a group of us always had a meal at one of the Basque restaurants that was close to the fairgrounds as they were always equipped to handle a large group without a lot of fuss of shifting tables around. It was also very reasonably priced. And the bread was always terrific - if you were inclined, you could make a meal on just that!

[Jaymes]

I don't mind it at all. In fact, rather enjoy it, especially since it's usually part of the overall theme of that particular place.

What comes immediately to mind are the Japanese steakhouses where you all sit around the hibachi grill. Every time we go to one, we have a great time chatting up the other diners at our table. Without fail, we get at least one or two good tips as to other restaurants to try in the area.

[DanM]

Sometimes, yes. Pancake breakfasts or picnic lunches hosted by local groups are often communal table events. Sometimes you can sit with friends, but most often new people. There are also restaurants where the communal table is the place to sit. I think Morimoto's place at Chelsea market has one.

[heidih]

The first post mentions at a hotel restaurant - NO! If it is a destination place where the people are likely to have come from afar to enjoy something special then I can imagine it.

[Doodad]

Not sure at a hotel, but we have done this many times. There are quite a few southern places that are famous for this and it really is like Sunday dinner at grandma's. Big table, communal bowls of food and you can talk if you like. Things are a bit more casual and gregarious down here I guess. Look up The Smith House in Dahlonega for a long time standard of this in the mountains of GA.

[Holly Moore]

At one of the communal tables at the Hotel Winnemucca, in Winnemucca NV, I shared a table with an oil company prospector and two railroad workers.

I think the less dressy and trendy the place, the more I'd seek out a communal table.

[jsmeeker]

absolutely. I've done it before. For someone that dines solo, it can be a great alternative to the bar.

[haresfur]

Some of my best dining experiences and stories are from communal tables including Basque.

[CaliPoutine]

I do a variation of this all the time. Its called meetup.org. I belong to about 4 different foodie groups and I sit with strangers all the time. Its not for everyone, but I dont mind. I will say this, there are a lot of weird people in Cali!!

[karlos]

There are a lot of weird people everywhere!

[kayb]

It's fairly common around here at the meat-and-three places that are popular with the noontime office crowd. You dash out by yourself, sit at a table with eight or 10 others, order from the menu, chat if you want, read if you don't. Beats having to wait for a table for a single.

[Ashen]

It depends on the restaurant .

Schwart's deli in Montreal is definitely a place where communal dining is fun. It is basically the only way you can eat there anyway, because the lines waiting to get in are ususally halfway up the block .

[ScoopKW]

Abroad, I prefer the communal table. We can learn a lot about the area we're visiting, and get to know some locals.

At home, not so much. Conversation tends to stick to television programs, medical procedures, gas prices and other things that hold no interest for us. I think most of the rest of the world has us beat in the art of conversation.