When I worked at Café Restaurant Amsterdam I had a different role every evening. The place is so large that you can't serve and take orders and pour drinks and pick up plates from the kitchen and clear tables on time. The restaurant is divided into sections and the team is divided into tasks. Runners (bring the food to the guests), a group that only takes orders, someone who makes drinks behind the bar, a couple who set the tables again, someone who runs the café area, and so on. My favorite task was overseeing the reception. Sounds easy, just bringing guests to their table, but it was always an incredibly fun puzzle. 270 seats, we were full every evening, guests arrived late, some were not satisfied with their spot, others walked in without a reservation and you want to give them a place. Ideally, you want the place to be full twice, you can't rush anyone, but no one should wait too long for their table. Well, I won't bother you any longer with this information. Today we are going to talk about the do's and don'ts of making a reservation. They definitely exist and they make the life of the person guiding you to your perfect spot a lot more pleasant.

Do’s and Don’ts

Call if you are running late. There's a good chance your table will be given away to someone else if you don't. Even if it's just 10 minutes late, just give them a call.

If you're coming with more or fewer people, please let them know in advance. You can't expect that a table can easily be added. Of course, the staff will do everything they can to arrange it, but it's nice to prepare them for that.

Don't reserve under silly names like Von Furstenberg or Cruijff, so you can be sure to get the best table in the house. And by the way, if you have the guts to do it, make sure you look impeccable and don't disappoint the staff.

Be understanding if there can't be a reservation on the terrace. It's a shame to hold so many tables when the weather is nice. And the terrace turns over very quickly, so the staff can use every spot optimally. And you know, usually, the wait for a spot isn't that long, because often there are just people with a glass of wine who leave again soon.

Never bluff that you have made a reservation when you haven't. The staff will always blame themselves for the mistake, so they will eventually give you a table, but that's really not okay. It's very unfair and it doesn't work well for your karma points.