Deceiving appearances in a ’swanky’ restaurant

It had been a while since I was in one: The old-style restaurant. By old-style, I don’t mean a mediaeval tavern where food is served by lusty maids who slam down jugs of ale in front of you while looking at you lasciviously. I mean pre-2000 old-style.

This is the type of restaurant that you don’t see so much now. The one you’d bring a parent with your second pay-cheque.

The one where things are kept hidden. There is a trend now in restaurantology to let you see the total inner-workings of the restaurant. You are shown the piping on the ceiling, while the lights hang down from metal cable ducts. The brickwork is exposed to show that the walls are real. You can see right into the kitchen where the staff are hard at work.