A restaurant is considered a "fine dining" establishment if it
serves absolutely delicious meals, has impeccable service and offers an
ambiance that enhances the dining experience. Certainly prime steakhouses that offer steaks from the top 2% of prime beef found in the US could qualify initially.
However, you would need to take a peek at the rest of the menu. It doesn't have to offer everything under the sun but it does need to be varied in order to please different palates. You know for a fact that the restaurant serves prime filets, T-bones and rib eyes, but it must also have selections from the ocean like lobster tail and salmon. For the bird lovers there must be one or two fowl selections like game hen or quail. Plus there must be at least one rare dish like lamb.
It is rare to see a fine dining restaurant serve beer in a bottle to the table. While some patrons prefer beer, most of the time it is served in a chilled glass. The wine selection does not have to offer hundreds of choices, but what is offered must be above reproach. There should be choices that go with red meat, white meat and fish dishes, or both. For the special occasion there would be several choices of champagne.
The staff at a fine dining restaurant is trained well beyond how the wait staff would be trained at a casual restaurant. They are not there to merely take an order and bring it to your table. They should be able to answer any question you may have about anything on the menu without having to check notes. It would not be unusual for the host or hostess hold a chair for a lady. A different server would remove crumbs from the table between servings. In short, the service enhances the dining experience. All servers are attentive without being over-bearing.
If you are going to a prime steakhouse for a fine dining evening, you should not expect marble floors and Tiffany chandeliers. The decor will be reminiscent of the food that is being prepared. No, there will not be old license plates covering the wall or a mechanical bull in the middle of the floor, but the decor will be hand-chosen to make the clientele feel comfortable and at ease. A fine dining restaurant could require coat and tie for the gents, but more than likely the prime steakhouse will want the patrons to enjoy their meals in casual attire as well.
You will know that the prime steakhouse you have chosen is a fine dining choice when you notice the attention that is being paid to all the little details. Your server may actually call you by name if you had a reservation. You will feel important. You will notice small things at the table like fresh napkins if you should leave for a moment or the freshness of the centerpiece or candle.
Fine dining can be modestly priced or expensive. When you finish your meal you will think it was worth every penny no matter how much you paid.
However, you would need to take a peek at the rest of the menu. It doesn't have to offer everything under the sun but it does need to be varied in order to please different palates. You know for a fact that the restaurant serves prime filets, T-bones and rib eyes, but it must also have selections from the ocean like lobster tail and salmon. For the bird lovers there must be one or two fowl selections like game hen or quail. Plus there must be at least one rare dish like lamb.
It is rare to see a fine dining restaurant serve beer in a bottle to the table. While some patrons prefer beer, most of the time it is served in a chilled glass. The wine selection does not have to offer hundreds of choices, but what is offered must be above reproach. There should be choices that go with red meat, white meat and fish dishes, or both. For the special occasion there would be several choices of champagne.
The staff at a fine dining restaurant is trained well beyond how the wait staff would be trained at a casual restaurant. They are not there to merely take an order and bring it to your table. They should be able to answer any question you may have about anything on the menu without having to check notes. It would not be unusual for the host or hostess hold a chair for a lady. A different server would remove crumbs from the table between servings. In short, the service enhances the dining experience. All servers are attentive without being over-bearing.
If you are going to a prime steakhouse for a fine dining evening, you should not expect marble floors and Tiffany chandeliers. The decor will be reminiscent of the food that is being prepared. No, there will not be old license plates covering the wall or a mechanical bull in the middle of the floor, but the decor will be hand-chosen to make the clientele feel comfortable and at ease. A fine dining restaurant could require coat and tie for the gents, but more than likely the prime steakhouse will want the patrons to enjoy their meals in casual attire as well.
You will know that the prime steakhouse you have chosen is a fine dining choice when you notice the attention that is being paid to all the little details. Your server may actually call you by name if you had a reservation. You will feel important. You will notice small things at the table like fresh napkins if you should leave for a moment or the freshness of the centerpiece or candle.
Fine dining can be modestly priced or expensive. When you finish your meal you will think it was worth every penny no matter how much you paid.
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