Beverages and the Dining Experience

So as my previous post talks about, I had the opportunity to eat a lot of wonderful food on this trip. I also ordered a beverage for most of my meals. I have to say that the beverages on this trip were of excellent quality. Never have I been able to sit down at any restaurant in the states, order simply a "dark beverage," and have it consistently be delicious and smooth as what I experience throughout my travels. This will probably be what I miss most about the dining experiences in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. If I had to choose, my favorite beverages were in the Czech Republic (U Fleku) and also those of a Bavarian variety. Good stuff!

There were definite differences in the way that you were served in central european restaurants and cafes. You often sat yourself, and the waiters would bring you a menu. Shortly afterwards they would ask what you want to drink (see above, "A dark beverage, please!") and then would leave again for several minutes while you figured out your food order. Once your food was given to you, it was rare to see the waiter again until much later. Often we would finish our food and wait for up to twenty minutes before seeing the waiter again for a check. It was odd at first having the server be so aloof, but after a while I started to really like that we weren't being interrupted every five minutes with questions of if we are doing okay. I also liked that because they did not immediately give us our check, it felt like we were never rushed out, and that it was totally fine to stay and talk in the cafe for as long as we pleased. The whole thing invited a longer dining experience that was more social, and I liked it that way. However, sometimes we actually were in a rush, and it was not fun to walk around the restaurant trying to find your server to ask for the bill.

The picture below is of the souvenir I collected from each restaurant/beverage lounge that offered them. Not all restaurants offered coasters, but these represent a month's worth of excellent food and drink, and I will fondly remember them. And yes, they are in chronological order according to when I visited the restaurant/beverage lounge.