When I go out to eat with my husband, we sit across from each other in a booth when alone, but we’ll be side-by-side when with another couple. I’ve noticed the last few times out that a number of couples sit on the same side even when alone.
Lest you say it’s because we’re old, married folks, we’ve always faced each other at dinner. The better to converse, my dear, and the greater the elbow room. Plus we get twice the view so we can see our server approaching from either direction.
Poll time: How do you and your spouse/date/partner sit when you’ve got the booth to yourselves? Has this always been the case, or have you changed over the years.
Incidentally, when we’re at a place that just has tables and we get a table for 4, we’ll sit in adjacent seats rather than opposite sides.
Not an “old” couple here…my sweetie and I are both 36. We sit like you - in a booth, facing each other, and at a table for 4, at adjacent corners. Like you, we prefer this as it facilitates conversation and leaves “elbow” room.
We mix it up a little every now and then. Most times, if we are in a booth, we will sit facing each other. Occasionally, if we are out for a “romantic” evening, we will sit on the same side of the booth.
If we are out with friends, we share the same side across from them. If we are presented with a table, we ask for a booth. If there are no booths to be had, we sigh and sit at adjacent corners whether we are alone or with company.
This is all depends, of course, on the make-up of the party we are with. The above scenarios are in reference to us being out alone, as a couple, or us out with another couple. When we are with a larger group, we still sit as close to side by side as possible, but if it is just us and the kids (3 of them), things get mixed up quite a bit, as we try to space out adults among the children for crowd control reasons.
When I dine out, I usually go alone. I generally pick a booth so I can stretch my legs out. I generally read the paper with my meal, and will usually sit with my back facing an adjacent occupied booth. This allows me to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations while reading the paper, a guilty pleasure of mine. Since my back is facing them and my face is buried in a newspaper, nobody ever thinks that I am actually snickering at their embarassing story/rant/argument.
Opposite. And Ukulele Lady always takes the banquette, because she’s a chick.
Damn it. I like the banquette.
(Note for people in America: In Manhattan and Brooklyn, restaurants rarely have booths, due to space restriction. Most places have a long banquette along the walls with tables for two or four pushed up to them, and chairs on the other side. The maitre’d yanks the table out, seats the woman half of the group, then rearranges the table and the guy(s) plunk their butts down on the chairs. Then when the woman wants to get up and powder her nose, the guy has to futz with the table to let her out.)
Old married couple here. We sit facing each other if dining alone, and also with other couples. Conversation is better this way, as I like to look at whom I am listening to or talking with.
I’m always surprised when I see couples who aren’t talking to each other. We still have constant conversations, except when the food is there…then it’s mostly the sounds of dining interspersed with brief comments and responses.
Oddly enough, I sit with my back to the wall…Wanta see them strangers comin’…
Isn’t this kind of impractical? It often seems like women have to use the can 3x as frequently as guys do. When I’m seating with multiple people, the person who is in the most gastric/bladder distress is generally seated with the easiest access out, so that people don’t have to keep rearranging and scooting around when the person goes back and forth.
Sadly, on a recent episode of Queer Eye, they say that proper ettiquette is apparently to let the lady sit facing the room. So, nowadays, I let my girlfriend sit facing the room.
I try to vary which of the seats I take so my sweetie and I can take turns having the better view, such as it is. Generally, if we’re shown to a corner booth, I’ll let him sit looking out. That way, I can make him flag down the server if I want something. Sneaky, huh?
We’re not old marrieds yet, just married folks. We sit facing each other, and have always done so. If we’re out with the family, we’ll sit side by side whether in a booth or at a table. But normally it’s just the two of us.
Aside: is it the ‘thing’ now to have the restaurant so dark you need a flashlight to read the menu?
We always sit side-by-side. I think it’s a little teen-crushy, but it’s kind of cute when he plops down next to me instead of across. And it’s just nice to be close and feel like this is special time for us.
Whenever I see two people sitting side by side with nobody on the other side of the table, I always want to slide in across from them, just to make everything more even.
My answers are much the same as everyone else’s: across from one another if we’re the only two, side by side if there’s another couple with us (although that’s only been the case, like, four times), because I don’t like sitting next to a “stranger.” I also hate sitting on the outside of the bench and will avoid it whenever possible.
We sit across from each other. I once ate lunch with a co-worker I barely knew, and she sat next to me when she could have sat across from me. I tell you, it really creeped me out. My space was totally infringed upon. I don’t know why I didn’t just get up and move, but I guess I didn’t want to offend her. That was the last time I ever ate with her.
