A restaurant (French: [tro]); also known as an eatery or bistro, is usually a privately owned business that prepare and serve food and beverages to guests. Many restaurants specialize in particular foods or have a unique combination of dishes, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Italian food. Often, a restaurant serves a particular cuisine, such as French cuisine, or may cater to the needs of a particular ethnicity or culture, for example Italian food.
In addition to preparing and serving meals, some restaurants offer beverages such as coffee or wines. Typically, the beverages are available for purchase by the guest and served at the table. Some establishments serve alcoholic beverages, either in a bottle or on the premises. However, a majority of these establishments do not. These types of establishments differ from the more formal restaurants in many ways; for example, they generally only offer a selection of a certain type of wine and often serve the beverage only once a meal has been completed. In contrast, upscale fine dining establishments typically offer a wine menu and several different selections, as well as a bar and an open bar.
When you visit a restaurant, there are a number of ways to differentiate between the various types of establishments. For example, if you order a hamburger, you are probably eating at a take out restaurant. On the other hand, dining establishments, such as a sit down establishment, serve food to their customers and then provide them with drinks from a bar. In addition to being served from a bar, most diners at restaurants are expected to pay for the food and beverages themselves. Some eateries may even charge for a table by itself, while others will expect you to pay for the entire meal.
There are two basic types of restaurants: fast casual and fine dining. Fast casual dining is usually called a sidewalk cafe, or similar service; restaurants that fall into this category are usually small, local restaurants that are not-so-fine dining restaurants. These types of dining places are very popular with young people, and they are popular places to eat with friends, family members, or casual acquaintances. Fine dining establishments, on the other hand, are larger restaurants that serve dinner; they are usually chain restaurants or large hotels.
Fast casual eating places are the best option for those who are looking for quick, casual meals that are inexpensive, easy to make, and good for more than one person. On the other hand, fine dining establishments offer their customers a more substantial meal that often requires a long wait. However, if you prefer to have more than one person in your group, you can ask a waiter or waitress to bring a platter to each table so that everyone can share enough food to finish the meal.
If you want to be able to identify restaurants by their atmosphere, ask the people who frequent the restaurant. What kind of people go out to these restaurants? This will help you distinguish the typical American restaurant from the high-end French restaurant, for example.