Fine dining

Type of restaurant

The Fat Duck gourmet restaurant dining room in Bray, England

Fine dining is a restaurant that is more expensive and unique than a typical restaurant. They may have higher-quality décor, with establishments having certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow. They may have a dress code. The food is generally made of unique seasonal ingredients, often locally and sustainably sourced.

## History

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The precursor to fine dining started around the 1780s when health-conscious bouillon shops evolved into grand "Parisian restaurants like Trois Frères and La Grande Taverne de Londres".[1]

The first fine dining restaurants in the United States operated in New York City, such as Delmonico's. The restaurant contained a 1,000-bottle wine cellar and remains in the same location.[1]

In France, César Ritz, a Swiss developer, partnered with Auguste Escoffier at the Grand Hotel of Monte Carlo. This became the first restaurant to offer "luxury accommodations and gourmet dining all under one roof". In France, fine dining became yet another way of aping the aristocracy.[2]

## Experience and definition

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The fine dining experience may be additionally sophisticated, special, and expensive than at a typical restaurant. The establishments may have certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow, like a dress code.[3]

The décor of a fine dining restaurant may feature high-quality materials.[3] The ambiance and other elements, from the lighting to the furnishings, may play a role in crafting restaurants atmosphere.[4] Some other touches are white linen tablecloths and napkins, a curated wine list with pairing suggestions, more glassware and silverware than other restaurants, and flowers and/or candles on the tables and in other spots inside.[5]

A fine dining meal

Menus at fine dining restaurants are often curated to have classic dishes with modern twists, to make each meal memorable. The food is often sustainably sourced, with seasonal ingredients,[6] being presented in distinctive and unique ways. Food at fine dining costs more than casual dining normally.[7] The food is a presented with special colors, intricate plating, and garnishes that resemble miniature sculptures.[8]

Details like microgreens, drizzled sauces, are a part of the meal experience.[4] There may even be palate cleansers between courses, and a separate dessert menu that arrives after finishing the main course.[5]

## Other names

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Fine dining restaurants are some times called haute cuisine, a French term meaning ‘high cooking’, referring to the art of preparing food in a way that emphasizes quality, expertise and attention to detail. It is often associated with chefs from high-end restaurants who have skill and are innovative.[9]

The establishments are sometimes called white-tablecloth restaurants, because they traditionally featured table service by servers, at tables covered by white tablecloths. The tablecloths were to symbolize the experience. The use of white tablecloths eventually became less fashionable, but the service and upscale ambiance remained.[10][11]

## See also

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* Types of restaurants

## References

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1. ^ a b Roos, David (18 May 2020). "When Did People Start Eating in Restaurants?". HISTORY. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
2. ^ Doyle, William (25 November 2010). Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction. Very Short Introductions. Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 2010). ISBN 9780191500633. Retrieved 9 August 2021. "[...] the grand French tradition of fine dining takes its origin from restaurants established by unemployed cooks of great families brought low by revolutionary persecution."
3. ^ a b "What Is Fine Dining?". 2025-06-12.
4. ^ a b Breard, Kelly (2023-09-08). "The Art of Dining: A Symphony of Senses in Fine Dining Restaurants". DiRōNA. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
5. ^ a b "What's another word for a fancy restaurant?". Quora. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
6. ^ Chechi, Haris (2024-09-24). "What is considered fine dining?". Glion. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
7. ^ "The Fine Dining Definition & What Its Experience Should Feel Like". 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
8. ^ Chef, The Best (2024-01-17). "Evolution of fine dining". The Best Chef. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
9. ^ Venturini, Beatrice (June 27, 2024). "Exploring the role of curiosity in haute cuisine". hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
10. ^ Parente, Michele (20 October 2016). "Where fine dining is really fine". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2019-03-12. "Nothing symbolizes fine dining like a white tablecloth. More than just a crisp fabric, the white tablecloth is a restaurant's unstated contract with its clientele, a promise of elevated dishes, world-class wine lists, and superior service. In this era of salvaged-wood, communal-table, shared-plates casual eateries, the white tablecloth is this first thing to be jettisoned. Too stuffy, too snobby, too old, the thinking goes."
11. ^ Kanter, Beth (2018-11-19). "Beyond the White Tablecloth: Inside the Bold Future of Fine Dining". Food Newsfeed. Retrieved 2019-03-12. "Today's interpretation of fine dining has less to do with linens, cheese carts, and hushed voices, and more to do with creativity and impeccable service."