When the phrase “fine dining” is used, sometimes it's a little hard to picture something specific. Sure we can all imagine a nice restaurant with good food, but if somebody asked you to describe fine dining to them, what would you say?

A Step Above the Rest

A fine dining restaurant aims to provide high quality food, first class service and a beautiful atmosphere blended together in attempt to create the perfect experience for the diner. For the higher price, you aren't just paying for the meal – you're paying to enjoy everything from your arrival till the end of the evening.

In every area of presentation, preparation and service, careful detail is paid to ensure that you have an unforgettable night. For a special occasion or anniversary, a meal at a top quality restaurant is the perfect way to celebrate and enjoy the company of friends, family or a loved one.

Service

The first thing that you should notice upon arrival is the service. After being escorted to your table and seated, you may have up to two wait staff responsible for ensuring your contentedness. Your waiter/waitress will be able to answer any and all questions that you have about the food or wines, make recommendations if asked and serve you professionally, quickly and politely without being intrusive to your experience during the night.

Food

Obviously the main focus of the evening is the food. Portions are generally smaller, better presented with extreme attention to detail. Many fine dining establishments have limited menus that change more frequently – this allows fresher and better prepared food with less ingredients being stored and more focus by the chefs going into perfecting each meal. Only the most premium quality ingredients are used to create each dish. Liquor and wine is another important aspect with only the top shelf being offered. Wait staff should be able to recommend something complementary to each meal.

Atmosphere

Depending on the restaurant and style of food, the setting could be absolutely anything. Some fine dining restaurants have a strict dress code while others just require you look smart; dress code is something that you should make sure you are familiar with beforehand. Quiet music in the background is common as well as subtle lighting intended to be easy on the eyes to create a more relaxed environment for diners.

As one of the more enjoyable luxuries in life, everybody should enjoy a fine dining experience at least once. It's the perfect way to toast a new engagement, honor a friend or family member graduating or just to celebrate one of the special moments in life a little differently.



Source by Chris Birks