We have probably all been there at some stage, sitting at a mediocre table in a restaurant trying not to let the disappointing allocation spoil an evening that we’ve been looking forward to. We may be wondering who are the lucky people seated at that prime spot, the best table in the room. There is always one. The best positioned, best lit, most comfortable spot, with a front row view of all that is happening in the room, or a secluded corner bathed in privacy and seclusion, depending on your preference.
We asked a group of hospitality industry professionals, restaurateurs, chefs and front of house managers, to tell us about their favourite table in their dining room, why they like it, and what they would choose to eat if they were dining there. Some also told us about the guests they would invite to join them there for a truly memorable meal. Best of all, they shared tips on how you, too, can be a top table diner.
Sinéad McCarthy
Wine manager, Hawksmoor, Dublin 2
Table three is my favourite at Hawksmoor. It is situated along the back of the room, in the centre. It can seat from two to five guests, but four is the perfect number in my opinion. Hawksmoor is in the historic National Bank building, an ornately detailed Italianate building designed by William Barnes in 1835, and to be honest you can appreciate the beauty of the room from every single table.
The biggest wow factor is without doubt the grand 40ft hemispherical cast-iron dome, and I think table three has the best view of the dome and, indeed, of the whole room. It’s great for people watching, very convivial and has that perfect balance of being spacious yet intimate for small groups.
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It is an oblong table, around which there is really comfortable banquette seating, upholstered in teal leather, in a crescent shape. We set the tables with a linen napkin, knife, fork, water glass, wine glass, salt, pepper and beautiful antique paraffin lamps. Our glassware is from Riedel, which makes beautiful crystal glasses. Because of the shape of the table, you can really focus on each other, or you can face slightly outwards to view the whole room. The table is large enough for all the oysters, sharing steaks, sides, wine and so on.
The lighting is well thought out and comes from many sources. There are hanging lights, wall lights, table lamps. It not only looks beautiful but more importantly it’s adaptable so we can ensure the lighting levels work at all times of the day and evening. The design team sourced some really beautiful repurposed antique lighting for the room. We have a dimmer that controls all lighting and is timed to suit the sun setting. Lighting is something we think about a lot. There’s nothing worse than a room that is too bright.
If I was eating at table three, I would definitely order some scotch bonnet oysters, then a large sharing cut of bone-in prime rib, with triple-cooked chips and butterhead salad on the side. And, of course, the Young Buck hollandaise. I would love to sit and have dinner with the original architect of the building, William Barnes, so that he could see the beautiful work of Mai-Yee Ng and her team in restoring the building to its former glory.
The reservations team will always try to honour requests, but it is not always possible. There are five of these tables that run along the back wall, and they are all great. Table three is just my favourite because you are centred with the dome. You are more likely to be allocated this table if you are in a group of four or five rather than anything smaller, so that we can maximise capacity on any given night.
Grainne O’Keefe
Chef/owner of Mae, Dublin 4, and Irish Times cookery writer
Table five is my favourite table in Mae. It’s a table for two beside the balcony, which overlooks the wine shop downstairs. It is also beside the large windows, allowing lots of light to hit it. It’s a rectangular oak table. We don’t use table cloths in the restaurant; all the tables are set very simply with embroidered napkins and handblown fine wine glasses, specially flown in from New York. The chairs are very comfortable. They are high stools with a back, upholstered in sage green leather.
It’s the perfect spot for people-watching as it overlooks the French Paradox wine shop downstairs, and you can see all the other tables in the restaurant from it too. I am very particular about lighting. I like the lighting to be bright during the day and then to gradually dim throughout the evening. Intimate would be a good description.
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Our menu is set, and you get five courses, with a choice of main courses and desserts. Our tarte Tatin was recently picked as a favourite dish by the Michelin guide, so I would definitely be ordering that. Joining me at table five for a fantasy dinner would be Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. I think they would be great craic and very interesting to talk to. We have had a few celebrity diners, most noticeably Jamie Dornan, who was in with his wife close to when we opened.
People often request table five, if they have been in before. I put up a post about it on Instagram and people loved the table. If nobody has requested it, it’s usually allocated to whoever arrives first, who chooses it. If I have friends or family in, I tend to seat them on that table.
Declan Maxwell
Manager, Spitalfields, Dublin 8
Our best table, in my opinion, is table one, which seats between four and six people. It is situated at the top of the stairs in the upstairs diningroom, by the window, where we have beautiful window boxes and hanging baskets.
It’s a rectangular table that has a very simple place setting consisting of a white napkin, knife and fork and a wine glass with our Spitalfields logo on it. The seating is a very comfortable banquette with a green leather covering. It’s a great people-watching table as everyone has to pass to enter the diningroom, so you see everyone.
We like people to dine family-style and the table allows for loads of dishes in the middle. If I was eating there, I would order a selection of dishes to share, including our beef cheek and oxtail Parker roll, cock-a-leekie pie and our Delmonico steak, black walnuts and garlic butter. Joining me for my fantasy dinner party would be Massimo Bottura, Stanley Tucci, Bono and Damien Dempsey.
Danni Barry
Executive chef, Ballynahinch Castle, Co Galway
The Owenmore Restaurant is named after the river which flows by Ballynahinch Castle and is overlooked by the large windows in the diningroom. So, a window table is the obvious choice. The views are breathtakingly beautiful: the tree-lined woodlands of the estate and all the way downstream where you might even spot a fisherman or two during the summer months.
My favourite is table 21 which sits just off the main diningroom. It has its own window and feels like your own space. It’s a round table dressed with linen and there are always fresh flowers from our walled garden when the seasons allow. These are thoughtfully put together by Brid Walsh, our breakfast hostess and unofficial in-house florist.
This table is situated on the patio side of the restaurant, so it’s a little out of the way for people-watching, but this is good for me so I can fully enjoy the experience, the food and of course the company, without eyeballing what is going on around the room. At this time of year, on a good day, beautiful natural light streams through the large windows and it really fills the room. It is quite something.
Comfort is king everywhere at Ballynahinch and we have really plush chairs in the Owenmore restaurant; you can really settle in and relax for the evening after a day exploring Connemara.
We use the diningroom for breakfast as well as dinner, so during the day the restaurant is turned around and tables are reset with water glasses, cutlery and a beautiful bespoke ceramic base plate, to create a different ambience and experience for dinner service.
If I was dining at table 21, we would be choosing off our a la carte menu, and we would start with bubbles and a plate of oysters. I would have two starters because I wouldn’t be able to decide between the scallops or the tart. Then some fish for main course, and I’d make sure we ordered one of each dessert. We might have some cheese to share afterwards. I would be joined by my mum Tess and my sister Joanne.
We don’t take reservations for our window tables in Owenmore, so it is first come, first served. I’d be there at 6.30pm on the nose, delighted in knowing that Niamh Barry has just taken the bread for dinner out of the oven.
Victor Lara
Head chef, Amy Austin, Dublin 2
For me, table 30, located at the window, is the best place to sit in Amy, I like the idea of being at a window as it gives the impression of being in an open area. It’s also nice to watch people passing by. It is a counter seat, with enough space to have a glass of wine and some small plates. We have two black leather stools there with a back on them; think old-school diner. Each seat is arranged with a water cup, wine glass, set of silverware and a linen napkin.
Commonly known as a prime spot for people-watching, Amy Austin enjoys a strategic location at the entrance to the Drury Street car park. The restaurant features a front wall entirely made of windows, providing ample opportunities for engaging in people-watching activities while enjoying your meal.
During the early evenings, the space is predominantly illuminated by natural light, creating a warm, natural, yellow glow. To complement this, a combination of track and recessed lighting is used, and you’ll find the cosy ambience further enhanced by candles on every table.
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Dining at table 30, I would order a few small plates from the menu, such as the scallops ceviche or the langoustine tail and definitely the black mole with beef cheek. I would be happy to have chef Ferran Adrià join me for dinner. I actually had the pleasure to meet and work with him a few months ago in Sweden.
All of our bookings are made through OpenTable or over the phone. Depending on the day, one week would be a good notice period to request this table.
Laura Kelly
Manager, Kelly’s Resort Hotel, Co Wexford (home to The Sea Rooms)
The best seats in the house are at table five in our new The Sea Rooms restaurant, with views over our beautiful gardens and the Irish Sea. During the day, you can see the ferries coming and going out of Rosslare harbour, while in the evening the moon rises over the water as you enjoy your dinner with one of the best sea views in Ireland.
It is a sculptural round black table, in keeping with the modern design and furnishings of the restaurant, with beautiful Verpan dining chairs upholstered with a luxurious bronze and navy fabric. It was important for us to have simple lighting inside, which allows the focus to be the gardens and the views of the Irish Sea.
A lot of our food is prepared using our custom-made barbecue and smoker, so with that in mind and our proximity to the sea, I would order the barbecued monkfish, mussels, garden asparagus, peas, broad beans, fish velouté, from our current dinner menu.
I would be joined at the table by Mary Robinson as she is such an interesting woman and great ambassador for Ireland. I recently heard her speak at the Image Businesswoman of the Year awards and have many more questions I’d love to ask her.
This table is very much in demand and is booked on a first come, first served basis. However, there are other lovely sea view tables to offer, which is the bonus of eating in a glass box.
Takashi Miyazaki
Chef/owner Ichigo Ichie, Cork city
Our Miyabi (kappau counter) section offers an exclusive one-to-one experience where you can watch the chef preparing and serving dishes with Japanese culinary craft and art. This is an open kitchen located in the centre of the restaurant where the guests can watch their food being prepared right in front of them while asking the chef questions about Japanese cuisine and techniques.
We have four high chairs here, placed along a rectangular counter. Each place is set with chopsticks and water glasses. We have an atmospheric ambience which is created through our lighting. We do not have any windows in the restaurant, barring the skylight, and therefore use our lighting to highlight specific features of the restaurant. If I was having dinner at the counter, my fantasy dining companion would be Salvador Dalí.
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We work on a first come, first served basis. We open our reservations in three-month blocks and inform everyone who has signed up to our mailing list the exact date and time the reservation system will be live. You can book the kappau counter if it is available.
Molly Keane
Restaurant manager, Lignum, Co Galway
I think the best table in the house at Lignum is table three, which is situated in the corner of the diningroom. It has views of our entire open-plan room as well as a view of the garden and the lush greenery and foliage surrounding the restaurant. It is a round table that seats two to four guests. Our tables are made from brown ash and were custom-made by a carpenter in the north of Italy. We do not have any linen on our tables as we feel it would be a shame to cover them.
Our dining chairs are one of my favourite elements of the room. The duration of our tasting menu is 3.5 hours, so it was important to find a chair that was equally comfortable and stylish. The chairs are from a northern Italian brand and are made from walnut wood and Tuscan leather. We recently added some sheepskin throws from a wonderful Irish company called Irish Hide Designs, which add a sense of cosiness.
I think table three is all about the company, the food and the wine. It is also quite a romantic table, nestled in the corner of our diningroom, perfect for date night. We have lots of mood lighting in the restaurant and our tables are lit up by individual table lamps.
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If I were eating at that table, I would be enjoying our tasting menu. Right now, I’m loving our West Cork lobster dish. The lobster is cooked over the fire and smoked over some juniper, sprayed with a fennel vinegar made in 2019 and served with buffalo milk, preserved piennolo tomatoes and a variety of berries that we harvest daily at Leaf & Root Farm, which is one of our vegetable growers.
I would love to be joined at table three by US restaurateur Will Guidara. I am fascinated by him. I have listened to his podcasts and read his book. He co-owned and ran Eleven Madison Park, which won the title of World’s Best Restaurant in 2017. We’ve had chef Mark Best sit at this table in the past. Before moving back to Galway, myself and Danny lived in Australia and he is a legend there, so it was a privilege to have him dine in our restaurant.
Guests can request this table. It is a popular table among our regular guests, so I would definitely advise requesting this table in advance when booking.
Alain Kerloc’h
Co-owner, Ox, Belfast
In Ox, we are lucky that every table enjoys a view outside, so I wouldn’t have a favourite. The entire front of the restaurant is a window overlooking Queen’s Bridge and the Beacon of Hope statue. There is also a clear view into [head chef and co-owner] Stevie’s kitchen, which is completely open and provides a touch of theatre for the customers who are curious to see behind the scenes.
The tables are a mix of round and square, and the chairs are oak with arm rests and cushions.. For the table settings, it’s very minimalistic, with white porcelain side plate, white Irish linen napkin, antique bone handled bread knife, crystal water glass (no legs), and Bordeaux crystal wine glass. For lunch, we have a small bouquet of wild flowers and for dinner pillar candles. The lights are dimmed in the evening.
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From the menu, I would order: the six-course tasting menu, with wine pairing, to experience as many courses and different wines as possible.
For the placement of the customers, it is simply on a first come, first served basis. According to when they arrive, they are placed two tables apart, so as to create a nice atmosphere in the room from the beginning. To manage allocated tables, it’s those who ask first and furthest in advance, who have the best chance of getting the table they prefer. Generally, you have to book two months in advance.
