Restaurants range from unpretentious lunching or dining places
catering to people working nearby, with simple food served in
simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving
refined food and wines in a formal setting. In the former case,
customers usually wear casual clothing. In the latter case, depending
on culture and local traditions, customers might wear semi-casual,
semi-formal, or even in rare cases formal wear.
Standardly customers sit at tables, their orders are taken
by a waiter, who brings the food when it is ready, and the customers
pay the bill before leaving. In finer restaurants there will
be a host or hostess or even a maître d'hôtel to
welcome customers and to seat them. Other staff waiting on customers
include busboys and sommeliers.
Depending on local custom, a tip of varying proportions of
the bill (often 10–20%) may be added, which (usually)
goes to the staff rather than the restaurant. This gratuity
might be added directly to the bill or it may be given voluntarily.
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