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You walk into a restaurant and, instead of the expected array of seating, there are only a handful of tables surrounding one large, central table that seats 20. The host smiles and directs you to seats between a couple reading the newspaper and a small group that is having a lively discussion. A few of the other diners seem to be keeping to themselves and a few more are drawing new people into their chatter. Generally, the food is not shared, but the space is.
The first time that you find yourself in a restaurant with a large communal table, your initial reaction might be something like mild shock because we are all so used to being seated at our own tables and not interacting with anyone other than members of our own party and the servers. Some people find it to be uncomfortable, eating a meal while seated with strangers, while others enjoy the experience.
Among those who do enjoy it are restaurateurs, since more restaurants are adding in this type of seating and some restaurants are even encouraging their diners to eat "family style" meals with their new companions.
Sitting at a large table gives you a sense of space, even if there are other people sitting there, especially if it is a large, wide table, not a narrow one that evokes the school lunchroom. It gives the restaurant a familiar, casual feel, like you're joining in a meal at someone's home. At restaurants like bills in Sydney (pictured), it feels that way, too. Sharing food with people you don't know seems like it might be going a bit far, however, and when diners are reluctant to sit at a communal table, knowing that they are expected to actually eat along with the other people, it could put people off before the trend even gets off the ground.
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8-26-2006 @12:39PM peggy said... i love eating on my own,and i think this sounds fun. but for those who are less inclined to dine solo, this might help them to not feel as though they are visibly alone. it's so hard to interact with strangers and this really helps to further that along.
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8-26-2006 @3:00PM Randy Shapiro said... This sounds horrible. I would not go to a restaurant like this. Communal dining is like prison showering - unacceptable!
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8-26-2006 @3:23PM Len said... I ran into this in Sioux City, Iowa many years ago - 1980ish - at a cafeteria near the Iowa Public Service building. I was a bit leery at first, but it turned out to be very pleasant and I felt right at home (I was living in PA at the time, but in town on business).
The restaurant actually gave you a choice - you could sit at one of the communal tables, or at a regular table if you really wanted or needed privacy.
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8-26-2006 @4:47PM joy benedetto said... If someone is alone all the time it will be good to have another human to eat dinner, + maybe just conversation. I prefer to eat with someone, I am married so someday if alone, i would love someone to eat with once in awhile. People today would not sit at a table if only 1 persom. we get a table + it becomes OUR domain. thanks, Joy
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8-26-2006 @4:56PM Sayteen said... A local Red Robin has a row of small, single-party tables that share one long continuous bench seat along one end of them. A server placed me and my companion at one of these tables on a busy night without asking if we prefered to wait for more private seating. I was torn between being somewhat agorophobic and not desiring to hassle the waitstaff on an obviously hectic night, so I stuck it out, only to have the worst dining experience of my life. I hope restaurants that use shared spaces realise that not all of their diners go out for dinner because they're social. Some just didn't feel like cooking that evening.
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8-26-2006 @6:46PM Rich said... I think it depends on the place and situation. Communal dining tables are fairly common at dim sum restaurants. During peak hours, you can either wait an hour for your own table or wait 20 minutes for a spot at one of the big tables. Not only do you get seated faster, you also get served faster since the server can bring food to many people in one location. And it's not like you have to talk to the people around you.
However, if it was a special occasion or something, then I'd probably opt for my own table.
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8-27-2006 @7:14AM Threepwood said... I used to run into this scenario when I was working in Yokohama, esspecially at lunch places . One place we went to for lunch our group actually got seperated with 3 on one community table and 2 on another table. The only real issue was that the group of two were did not speak Japanese, which made ordering a bit of a crap shoot. :-)
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8-27-2006 @8:56PM Ava said... My husband and I had breakfast with four strangers one Easter morning, and we left the restaurant with four new friends...it was a little awkward at first, but after a few minutes we talked and laughed like old friends do. I would do it again!
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8-28-2006 @9:53AM Amy Z said... I agree with Rich, it depends on the situation. A first date - I probably would not be up for communal dining. Out with friends, or alone, or vacationing - I probably would be.
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8-28-2006 @10:56AM Rhea said... I think if you are expecting it before you go into the restaurant, it can be a great experience or a so-so one. It all depends upon the folks you are seated with and how outgoing you (or you and your party) are. I have eaten communally in Lancaster County, Pa. (the Amish-style restaurants) and at church dinners. I have also eaten this way at a Vietnamese restaurant in Boston when I go in by myself.
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9-06-2006 @9:52AM Deanna said... I love the whole idea of the communal table so much that I am putting one into my Espresso Bar. I have done a lot of travelling, and there is nothing lonelier somedays for me than eating alone. It is more awkward to be alone in a crowded room, than amoung strangers at a communal table. I hope the trend becomes more prevalent, so people get used to the idea, and try it. It can be a very rewarding experience to chit chat with perfect strangers over a meal or coffee. You never know what who you are going to meet!
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