F and B Service Standards in London is really World Class

Ramen Joint at Embankment 

This post is to acknowledge the fact that the city of London has Food and Beverage service on the whole par excellence. Having travelled to many parts of the world, and eaten at fine dining as well as ordinary dining establishments, I have come to the conclusion that London's dining F and B establishments make every effort to provide the BEST service to the customer. Bravo to them.

Fusion Dining along the Embankment 

         For Singapore, with the exception of only the top 10% of restaurants, it is impossible to match the service standards in London. My wife and I were there for 5 days, and practically every dining establishment for a meal, the service staff would be polite, well informed and clear in diction and order processing. Even in an ordinary burger restaurant in Earl's Court, the waitress has to recover 3 clothes pegs from your table. This is part of the front of kitchen's staff's routine. Once you enter the restaurant and are ushered into a table, you will notice 3 clothes pegs. Upon ordering from the waitress, after an acceptable time of waiting, she will bring the order to you. She will then proceed to take the first clothes peg from the table once she has served you.

Brilliant afternoon along the Thames 

        Again, after some time, she will scan the table and make the effort to come over to retrieve the 2nd clothes peg. She then will ask you how is everything, the burger is cooked to your liking and anything else you would need. Once you are done, again, she will come and clear your table, engage in pleasantries and ask you and your dining partner if you want to order some dessert and coffee or tea. Depending on your response, she will then proceed to followup and serve the dessert, coffee tea and retrieve the third clothes peg. 

       The simplistic operational procedure to retrieve the clothes peg ensures that in a crowded diner such as this one, the waitress must go to each and every table using the clothes peg as an indicator of at what stage the dinner or lunch is progressing. A simple yet highly effective way of ensuring that everything is covered and every table is given the same amount of attention and access to service.

       London F and B service staff are mainly from the EU countries. I hope that with the Brexit around the corner that their livelihoods will be protected as tourism and good service standards are so important to the well being of any economy.