This is a very personal choice. The styles of the deifferent chefs are obvious, like the classical music and Rock’n’Roll. If you feel better at the concert of the philharmonic orchestra or from the Rolling Stones, is a matter of opinion. There we couldn’t give you a serious advice. Only a note from us: the classic gourmet kitchen is maybe easier to „understad“ as the modern and creative. Maybe you know the most combinationions of the flavours. The modern cuisine will give you possibly a completely new taste, which could scare you at the first time.

Our Suggestion: inform yourself at the restaurant-ranking and in our bulletin board. If you read the ranking and the reports, you will get surely the right feeling

In exalted restaurants it is a necessity to reserve a table. Already on your behalf to be sure to get a place. The reservation flow is different from restaurant to restaurant. Common is the highly frequented Saturday evening. So: it is better to reserve as soon as possible. 

One appeal... please inform the restaurant about possible special requests (for example meatless, allergy etc.) with the reservation. So you give the kitchen the chance to prepare the perfect food for you.

This a absolute no go. Exalted restaurants have generally only a few tables. If it is fully booked, it’s quite possible that have to refuse potential guests. If you fail to appear, you will cause the restaurant a business impair. It is nearly impossible to fill the tables in a short-term. A few restaurants rise a kind of „surcharge“. But you will get informed normally when you take the reservation.

A certain normality has returned long ago to the upscale kitchen. The audience is now purely optically mixed with a few exceptions (such as new year's eve galas and similar). So easy to dress up as you feel comfortable. Should be one or the other (rare) restaurant insist to wear a tie, you will inform usually on the reservation about this. But this is really an exception.

Usually you can’t choose a table yourself. You will accompanied by the staff to your table. If you have any problems with the place, please ask for an other with the reason about your decision.

Generally, you can assume that à la carte portions are much larger than individual menu courses. A menu is usually designed so, that an average eaters can handle it. In addition, you can control it with the bread consumption. Someone who is full fast enough, should avoid so over-consumption of bread. Three or four course suffice usually - unlike many menus – for a à la carte choice.

In the most restaurants you can vary the menu (to a reasonable extent of course) It means that you change or reduce single dishes or add an a la carte dish to the current set meal. If there are offered two menues, itis usually possible to switch between the two menues. This of course within the bounds of possibility. Simply discuss your wishes with the staff. Should you notice during a menue, that it will be too much, please tell it also to the service

Basically, you have three otions on the subject of wine. Either you choose something even from the most extensive menu, or consult and follow the recommendation of the sommelier or take the wine pairing. Last one is an escort by the glass with each course. If this is too much for you, it’s possible to reduce this also. Here, too, the principle applies: speak with the service or the sommelier and tell them your preferences.

While the prices for food and wine are usually transparent. In many restaurants it is not for the „Accessories“ (Apéritif, Digestif, water, coffee). If you want to protect yourself from unpleasant surprises on your bill (the price ranges are often very different), do not hesitate and ask for, when you place the order.

Would you just leave the table during the meal, then you do that right after a course. This will prevent the next course is already cooked and ready to serve, and you are still not back.

The most of the restaurants offer different types of payment methods that you can all to make use of. Maybe it’s helpful to know, that the restaurant – as distinguished from a payment with a EC-Card – must pay a fee when you do a payment with a credit card.

No, you don’t will do that with normal etiquette. If you still have concerns, feel unsafe, simply tell that the staff! Usually you will see that they almost touchingly takes care of you. If you have questions, feel free to ask. There are no stupid questions. Generally interested guests apprerciate the staff.

Usually the kitchen is able to take them into consideration. But tell it in advance when you book the table. Please note that an excess of restrictions can also overwhelm restaurants. A multiple course meal is to be cooked. A tip: If you simply don’t like something, it is an exciting challenge to engage –at least once- in the upscaled kitchen yet. The author of these lines speaks from experience. She don’t like fennel. But she got to know types of fennel preperation, which she likes very, very much ;-)

The rule of the thumb applies here just as everywhere: 10 percent of the normal amount of the invoice. But be careful! In a few countries there are fix service charges which will be added automatically to the total amount (UK for example = 12,5 percent)

If you believe something is going wrong in the kitchen or at the service, then please notify the staff. Professional restaurants be exceled in a prefessional dealing with complaints. They create the opportunity to settle inconsistences that you will leave the restaurant happy in the end.

These FAQ’s was created with the friendly participation of Morchel and QWERTZ.

Have fun during future visits to the top gastronomy.

Yours sincerely Hannes Buchner