OPENTABLE REVEALS THE FORMULA FOR THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

OPENTABLE REVEALS THE FORMULA FOR THE
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

Round table + by the window + table cloth = the nation’s perfect seating set up

With two thirds of diners saying they’ve asked to change tables, OpenTable reveals the perfect restaurant architecture (and it all balances on how close you are to other people!)

• The UK’s favourite table in a restaurant is round and by a window, covered with a tablecloth and overlooking the entire restaurant
• 6 in 10 (66%) admit they will ask to move tables in a restaurant if they don’t like the one they were allocated
• One third of diners ask to move because of noisy diners being too close.

London, 31 October 2017… With two thirds of diners (66%) admitting they have requested to be seated on a different table and one in 10 going as far as to claim that they do this almost every time they visit a restaurant, OpenTable, the world’s leading online restaurant booking platform, has conducted research into what exactly makes the ‘best seat in the house’.

Two thirds (61%) of diners revealed that the table being near the window makes for the perfect dining experience, two in five claimed a tablecloth is a must-have and a table overlooking the whole restaurant was said to be important by more than a quarter (26%). Additional OpenTable research found that restaurateurs and diners alike are also fans of rustic wooden tables above all other styles (38%). UK diners prefer their dining experiences to have as calming an ambience as possible with over half (57%) saying that a restaurant with a sea view is the ideal location.

While the location of a table is the main factor affecting UK diners’ experiences, modern décor (36%), fresh flowers and plants (33%) also contribute to the perfect restaurant ambience.

Additional OpenTable research found that the perfect number of fellow diners is up to ten, with two thirds (67%) of the nation saying this was the ideal number. Shying away from the trend for communal tables, almost half of Brits (44%) claim they do not enjoy dining with strangers on a long table.

OpenTable’s survey of restaurateurs revealed that cramped seating is the most frequent reason diners give when asking to move tables, closely followed by being seated next to a draughty door. One third (36%) say customers ask to move because of a noisy table being too close. In fact, 4 in 5 (84%) Brits prefer a small, intimate atmosphere to a bustling one, and half (49%) say, if possible, their perfect distance from the next table would be around 4-5 feet.

Adrian Valeriano, Vice President, Europe, OpenTable, comments, “The table you sit at is quite literally the centerpiece of any dining experience. From rustic wooden benches to marble table tops and communal eating arrangements, we all know what we like and more importantly, don’t like! Whether you prefer the window seat or a tucked away booth, our advice to diners is always to be honest with the restaurant team, let them know which table you’d like to be seated at from the outset to make the most of your experience!”