In Turkey, Egypt and other countries where we recently go to rest, resort hotels offer one or more a la carte restaurants. What is this catering establishment? How does it differ from, say, the “main restaurant” of a hotel? How should you dress to visit? What to order, how to behave? Is it paid pleasure? Do you need to leave a tip? Read about all this in this article.
Meaning of term
What does a la carte actually mean? The translation is literally as follows: a catalog of dishes and drinks available in a catering establishment. That is the menu. This list also shows prices - for each item. In fact, “a la carte” is a restaurant familiar to us all, where you sit down at a table, a waiter comes up to you, serves a menu, you choose what you will eat and drink, and you know in advance how much you will have to pay for all this pleasure. However, there isThis French expression has a different meaning besides “menu”: a la carte is also “optional”, “optional”. At first glance, it seems that they are one and the same. However, this is not quite true. In the brochure offered to guests in some restaurants and cafes, menus may be indicated under numbers. Each of them involves a certain set of dishes with a fixed price. As a rule, it is a salad, a hot dish, a dessert, a drink. The guest is allowed to choose only the menu number, but he cannot make a complete list of the desired products. In "a la carte" such an opportunity is provided. At the request of the guest, you can serve the dish with one or another side dish or salad.
What is the difference between an a la carte restaurant and a regular resort hotel
When you buy a ticket to Turkey or Egypt, the tour operator usually praises the merits of a particular hotel. Some of these hotels have a bonus for all-inclusive customers: a single visit to the a la carte restaurant. Where do you eat every day? - you are perplexed. In the main restaurant of the hotel, service is served in a buffet format. All dishes are displayed in large bowls, and guests themselves choose what they eat and how much. Seems like it couldn't be any better. You can try a little of everything, and then eat your favorite dishes. However, the assortment of dishes in such restaurants does not change and quickly gets boring. The food is ordinary, European, exotic is served only for dinner. In addition, queues are not uncommon in such establishments. But the a la carte restaurant is a completely different type.service.
Exquisite charm
Any five-star hotel and a good four-star hotel in Turkey and Egypt must have such a feature for their guests. Sometimes there are several such restaurants, and guests have the right to dine or dine once for free in each of them. And in very expensive hotels, such as the Kremlin Palace and Rixos, you can visit the a la carte establishment at least daily. As a rule, these are themed restaurants. In addition to the cuisines of different peoples of the world (Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, etc.), they can also represent the main direction of dishes. So, there are fish restaurants that also serve well-cooked seafood. Grill a la carte establishments are interesting: the guest chooses meat, fish or vegetables from the menu, the waiter brings the order raw along with a mini-brazier. The client roasts the dish himself. Wants - with blood or baked to the coals. It also happens that it is proposed to choose one item from appetizers, soups, hot dishes, desserts and drinks.
Etiquette in such restaurants
A la carte establishment of a higher class than the usual food outlet in a hotel. And even if a visit to such a restaurant is included in the price of the tour, you need to prepare for going to it. Usually hotel rules prescribe a table reservation in advance. Meals are served there in a festive atmosphere, often by candlelight, the waiter brings the dishes, live music sounds. People come here not so much to eat as to enjoy.gourmet food and fellowship. And the food in "a la carte" is of much higher quality. The wines are mostly imported, and the dishes, as they say, are “from the chef”. Therefore, you should visit the restaurant not in beach clothes, but in festive dresses and costumes. As for tips, they are only welcome here. By leaving a small amount to the waiter, you thereby express praise for the art of the chefs and show that you were satisfied with the service.
