Ask George: Will restaurants that take reservations also reserve bar tables or seats at the bar? Brice D., St. Louis
I could be wrong but I’m feeling that this query comes from a Valentine’s Day procrastinator. Regardless, it’s a good question, one with several answers.
Generally the answer is no. In most restaurants the bar area is used for reservation diners waiting for their tables, walk-ins waiting for their name to be called, or people just wanting to enjoy a drink and some conversation. Restaurant owners look at their bar as a bilge pump, its escape valve. It's a necessity…having a bar seat or open table available often bails an operator out of a precarious situation.
So you can ask to reserve a seat at/in the bar, but in most cases expect to be refused.
But some restaurants do reserve their bar tables, like the high-tops at Cardwell’s at the Plaza; others reserve their bar seats, like Taste in the CWE, although this is far less common. Matt McGuire, GM at Niche, said the latter does occur at the trendier cocktail bars--like The Violet Hour or The Aviary in Chicago--where allowing patrons to hover three-deep over coveted bar seats, well, dilutes the intended experience. Or in McGuire's words, "it ruins the mission…which after all is civility.” He added that Niche’s small bar is a nod to graciousness as well...that it’s proper to have a spot for a guest to relax and enjoy a cocktail before being seated.
Ian Rockwell, GM at 801 Chophouse at The Crescent and overseer of their magnificent mahogany bar, is in sync with fellow GM McGuire: “It’s a cultural thing with us," ha said. "We want our customers to be able to grab a seat at the bar, whether its at the beginning of the night or 10 minutes before closing.” That’s one reason the bar is so big (34 seats) and its staffers so accommodating.
With Jim Fiala, chef/owner of The Crossing and Acero, the issue is different: “We get so many walk-ins at Acero that reserving the bar would serve no purpose…in fact it would be a detriment.”
At The Crossing, where the bar has but four seats, Fiala said, “there, we need all the extra space we can get,” he said, adding that “customers get detained, reservations get delayed, tables stay longer than expected…having even a few extra seats can be a life-saver.”
Would he ever reserve seats at his small bar? “Sure, at 5 or 5:30, because I know the seats will open by the time I really need them,” he said. I know what the questioner is thinking here and so, apparently, did Fiala: “…but I wouldn’t ever reserve them on Valentine’s Day weekend. That’d be asking for trouble…”
