Dating Etiquette: Restaurant Seating?

Question

Dating Etiquette: Restaurant Seating?

Scenario: On a blind date at an restaurant, a young couple follow the hostess as she escorts the two to their table. Once they arrive at the table, the hostess stands back and waits for the couple to seat themselves. The table sits near a wall, where one chair faces the other diners in the restaurant, while the other chair faces the wall. Both find themselves standing right behind the chair facing the wall. Immediately, the couple realize that the hostess will not try to seat either of them, leaving the couple to seat themselves.

Question: How should the couple seat themselves, including who should sit where (if it even matters)?

Answer 1

The man should face the wall, giving the woman the optimal seating of viewing the whole room. She will appreciate having your undivided attention.

Answer 2

Table Seating Etiquette

Answer 3

No man should take the seat facing the wall. Etiquette is based on Victorian and even earlier notions of protecting the woman (such as walking on the outside of the sidewalk). As such, the man needs to have a clear view of the room and sufficient opportunity to act, should it be necessary to protect his female dinner guest.

Since the woman will be doing the majority of the talking, it is critical that the man have something to look at and occupy his attention during the discussions of her work, her friends, her cat and other mundane details of her life. As mentioned by others, it is the man's responsibility to summon the waiter for a variety of reasons, most notably, to order another highball in the event the conversation becomes particularly tedious. Also, if this is an establishment that has televisions (perhaps showing a ballgame), it is critical that the man be able to track the score surreptitiously, rather than having to brazenly turn around, stare at his cellphone, or take multiple restroom breaks to refresh ScoreCenter.

In conclusion, men should always sit with their backs to the wall. It guarantees the man will have a great time at the restaurant. Like the old saying goes: "happy man, that is all".

Answer 4

It seems to me that the situation is very uncomfortable - one member of the couple will get a raw deal, facing the wall. Probably the best approach is to ask the hostess if they have another table which is not in such an awkward position. It might seem like this would be a rude response, but in fact it is perfectly acceptable for you to ask - after all, the idea of going out for dinner is to have a pleasant meal.

If they do not have a better table, why not make a bit of a game of it, and swap places between courses. Beware though, don't make too much of an issue of this, and obviously if your partner doesn't seem to get the joke / fun, drop the idea.

Answer 5

I don't know the ettiquette for that. If a host or hostess ever pulls out a particular chair or stands next to one chair, that should be given to the lady. Always. As for your scenario, I guess the gentleman should ask the lady which seat she'd prefer. He can't go wrong that way because he's being considerate.

BTW, If given the choice, I'd always pick the seat with the view of people or the more scenic view. Although, if he liked the same, I'd offer it up to him.

Answer 6

Ok, I'm from Texas. Being from Texas, I remember Luby's where a crazy man crashed his truck into the restaurant and then started shooting people. I will NOT, under any circumstance, take a seat that faces a wall. Sorry, just not gonna do it.

I'd pull the chair out that faces the wall for her, and then take the other seat.

Answer 7

I would have said give the chair with the view to the lady, but after reading Manny's and Patti's answer, I changed my mind. How are you going to call the waiter? Or protect the lady from mashers or whatever? Anyway, the ladies attention should be on the guy paying for the date, not some other guy in the room.
The lady should probably be asked which she prefers, especially if there is an awkward moment going there.

Answer 8

I guess I disagree with your other answers. I do not think the man should face the wall. I may be old-fashioned (because I am older) but the man needs to see the room in case he has to motion for the waiter or waitress. So, in summary, I would think the man should hold out the other chair for the woman, asking, "is this alright for you?" He could then explain why he choose the other chair for himself if he thought it was necessary.

Answer 9

remember this lil tidbit my boyfriend told me:

the woman should always sit facing the restaurant, so that people walking in and out can see her "pretty face". hahahah! i find it corny, but a lot of times it's true. so choose the seat that is facing a wall, and allow her to sit with her back to a wall. if u want, u can go ahead and pull out the chair for her. and if u say, "you sit here, a woman should face the restaurant to show her pretty face" than she should take it as a compliment! :)

Answer 10

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axQu6

You ALWAYS sit across. Sometimes sitting directly next to your date can be awkward and it should only occur once you're into a relationship after awhile. Personally, I would never sit directly by my significant other because I'm left handed and usually my dates are primarily right so it gets in the way, you see. I would sit her to her chair and then sit directly across from her; that way you have your own elbow room and personal space. : ) Not to mention it's better to talk forward then side-by-side conversations. Face-to-face is the best in date situations. Good luck, man!