Table d'hote questions.

[Emma and David<P>Emma and David <P><P>Montaigu<P>]

I will definatly be doing table d'hote when David and I open for business next year, but I have a few (silly) questions.

When you serve table d'hote do you always sit with your guests?  You see, I feel that if I am serving 2-4 guests it won't be a problem to sit with them but when it is more than that I would feel that I would rather stay in the kitchen and serve them restaurant style as it is easier to handle the cooking and timing that way.

Also, when you serve food do you do it very 'en famile' style by putting it on the table and allowing people to help themsleves or do you plate it up and give it to them 'restaurant' style.

Also (!!), do you include wine in the price of your meal and do you do it by the half litre or bottle, and do you give them a choice of colour wine?

Thanks for your advice and consideration

Emma

[mascamps.com]

Strictly speaking, you are supposed to dine with your guests. If you've a lot in that may not work out all the time though.

Actually, our "en famille" style is what you're calling "restaurant style"!

I believe that the wine has to be part of the price due to the limitations of the drinks that you will get. You could certainly offer a choice of red/white but make sure that both are of a similar price to avoid coming unstuck with the pricing.

 

Arnold

 

[Alan]

GDF tell us you have to eat with your guests, Clévacances tell us you don’t. I think there are some members on here that have said in previous posts that are with GDF they don’t sit for the whole meal with their guests.

The first year we did not sit with our guests out of choice, the second year because we had more French guests, these insisted that we eat with them, the English did not want to  eat with us. This year we have found it easier to eat with the guests so have explain what table d hotes means but we still give them the choice to eat with us or on their own. All non English have always wanted to and expected to eat with us, it only the English that are more reserved, but having said that this year we have only had two families that stayed that said they wanted to eat alone.

Wine it will depend on your licence , I cant sell wine , I can only offer it. We offer either red white or rose with the meal.

[Alan]

Also, when you serve food do you do it very 'en famile' style by putting it on the table and allowing people to help themsleves or do you plate it up and give it to them 'restaurant' style.

 

Depends  on what is being served, tend to plate starter and dessert.

Main course, Plate meat and let guests help themselves to veg.

Cheese let guests help themselves to a platter

[Teamedup]

There are also the various licenses to think about as to what drinks you are allowed to serve and when etc.

There have been loads of threads on here about both eating with guests and drinks in the not too distant past.

[Owens88]

En Famille or Restaurant Style?

Our Famille style is definitely serve yourself from the bowls on the table (apart from times when I want to cut down on washing up, or the times whan placing some salad on the kids' plates means it gets eaten! ). I notice that visiting kids are not always used to that - so 'en famille' varies by famille !

We have stayed with an excellent CdH near Beziers who explained a lot of things to us. When asked why he served 'plated' he explained that it was for better presentation.

Chacun a son goute ?