by Maria C Collins

Created on: June 06, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2009

Home-cooked meals are always best. However, sometimes necessity, or choice, dictates that a meal out in a restaurant, bistro or cafe is the better option that day.

Even those who enjoy cookery appreciate a rest from cooking. It is a joy to sit down for once and be waited on, with attentive waiters dancing on your every whim and fancy. It is absolute ecstasy to have someone else clear all the dishes away and take them out of sight and to know that you do not have to deal with them and can relax and chat with friends and/or family.

A meal out in celebration of an occasion, whether it be a wedding anniversary, birthday, engagement, or landing that promotion you have been after for so long, makes the occasion all the more special and memorable.

A great deal of business is done over lunch, breakfast or dinner in a restaurant. It used to be said that England, and its empire, were governed and provisioned from the gentlemen's dining clubs in London.

It may be necessary to eat out when one is visiting another attraction.Theatre suppers are a tradition in many parts of the world. The proliferation of restaurants, cafes, and other eating establishments in London's West End (the theatre district) is testament to the popularity of dinner and a show as an established and enjoyable way of spending an evening.

Part of a country's culture is its food; when travelling on business or on holiday the best way to understand a little about local culture is to dine out in a local restaurant. Avoid the tourist traps, follow the locals and see where they go. A funny little cafe down a back street in Italy had old-fashioned oilskin tablecloths and mismatched furniture. It was full of Italian families and served pasta that was sublime, authentic and very much cheaper than the fortunes being charged at the tourist eateries.

In many towns and cities these days the choice of restaurants is bewildering. One could eat one's way round the world in a few streets. It is wonderful to taste different types of cuisine to that which one has at home, one also absorbs just a little of another culture. Indeed in Britain, the popularity of Indian food has led to Chicken Tikka Masala becoming the facourite dish of the people in an annual poll. The former number one, the traditional British favourite of fish and chips, had held the number one position every year since the institution of the poll.

Whether you go to a restaurant with friends, family, partner or business colleagues, a meal out gives an opportunity for conversation and catching up with one another in a relaxing and enjoyable way. No one has to get up to clear dishes or serve the next course. You get a chance to try foods you may not eat normally and you may experience a little of another country's culture. Eating out may be the whole point of the exercise or may be just part of an outing. Whatever the reason for eating out in a restaurant or cafe, it can be a great deal of fun.

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