One of the reasons I hate the question ‘What is your favourite restaurant?’ (and there are many) is because you never know the weight that people personally assign to food, service and ambience. If the planets are aligned and the gods have chosen to smile on you you may get all three, but it’s rare.
For me food wins, followed by service and ambience. If the food is exceptional, I can make allowances for the other two. If the food is merely good, the ambience and service are pretty important. If the food is bad, nothing makes up for it; not the best, most professional service nor the most amazing fit out. However, I think good service makes you disposed to judge more kindly. My personal ratio if out of 50 would be Food /25 Service /10 Ambience 8/ (and edited to add, after it was pointed out I’d missed it out.. ) Wine /7. However, if the food was really good, the importance of wine would go up and ambience would drop right back!
So, what is the most important aspect for you, dear readers? Can you eat in canteen like surrounds if the food is good? Or is the service and ambience as much of the eating out experience as the food?
April 3, 2012 at 8:58 pm
I could eat off a pavement if the food was good, but it’s all the more pleasurable if it’s served with a smile and a generous portion of courtesy.
April 4, 2012 at 8:11 am
Nicely put.
April 3, 2012 at 9:24 pm
I think they all move depending on each other. Poor surroudings lowers my expectations making me more likely to be extremely happy with the food, even if it’s only just above average. I generally don’t put a lot of weight on service, because I think food is the most important, but terrible service will sour even the most lovely meal; if anyone asks, it will be “The food was good but…” More of a warning than a recommendation.
I think if service is not awful, food is important, surroundings not so much. If service is bad, or awful, it overshadows pretty much everything else, unless the food actually blows my socks off.
I think my greatest problem is restaurants that think surroundings are the most important thing: dressed up like $$$, but average food served by unknowledgeable / unhelpful / rude staff.
/rambling
April 3, 2012 at 10:39 pm
I totally agree that service or ambience will help you overlook a miss step in the kitchen. At least I will give the restaurant a second try.