The Washington PostThe Washington Post

The perfect restaurant doesn't exist. Readers helped me create one

By Tom Sietsema

17 May 2023 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

Quiet hours, smarter portioning and tipping transparency. Those are among the ingredients needed for the ideal restaurant dining experience, according to readers of Tom Sietsema’s column in the Post.

Ever wish a restaurant were a little more this and a little less that? Sorry to say, the perfect, fits-everyone eatery doesn't exist.

Diners can dream, though. Inspired by what pops up on my weekly online dining discussion, during which I address dozens of rants and raves from food fans across the country, I compiled a list of 10 tweaks that restaurants might deploy to enhance customers' meals away from home - and indeed, get closer to the fantasy place to break bread.

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