We posed a question to several people over the last month asking “what other than the quality of the food makes a dining experience?”  Though we received several responses, many of them were for the same. The number one response came with several comments, including some people saying they haven’t gone back to restaurants with great food because this was so bad. Since we’ve been to a couple restaurants over the last month that really met all 5 of these, we thought now was the best time to release the results.

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Here are a list of the 5 things that make a dining experience, excluding the quality of food you’re served.

1. Quality Service was far and away the number one response we received. Several people said they won’t return to certain restaurants because of the bad service, while others said their favorite restaurants are based on how knowledgeable and overall incredible the service.

2. The ambiance of the restaurant is something we’re always looking attracted to. We also realized “ambiance” can be split into many smaller categories, from the glassware to the vibe a restaurant is trying to give off – ambiance is truly all-encompassing.

3. A diverse menu without being overwhelming is a tricky one. We’ve thought this about several restaurants and neither of us have a clue what it takes to create the perfect menu. Some menus really get overwhelming, taking a first time guest more than a couple minutes to go through every item. We’ve seen the other end of that as well, where a restaurant offers just enough that you feel like one visit is all you’ll ever need.

4. The presentation of the food you’re being served is sometimes everything. A place that masters the presentation of the plate and the drinks is likely going to taste better than the same dish just thrown together without a second thought. We’ve all watched a cooking show or seen a photograph of a perfectly put together dish and thought “that looks so good” – it goes to show how appearance sometimes puts a dish over the top.

5. A comfortable environment is the last thing we heard. The love of leather seating rang true for several, along with the urge to have those around you also enjoying themselves. The food could be incredible but if you’re around a grouchy group or can’t get comfortable in your seat, it may be difficult to enjoy yourself.

What have we left out?

-Scott