Historically, restaurant referred only to places that provided tables where one sat down to eat the meal, typically served by a waiter. Following the rise of fast food and take-out restaurants, a heteronym for the older "standard" restaurant was created, sit-down restaurant. Most commonly, "sit-down restaurant" refers to a casual dining restaurant with table service, rather than a fast food restaurant or a diner, where one orders food at a counter. Sit-down restaurants are often further categorized, in North America, as "family-style" or "formal".
In British English, the term restaurant almost always means an eating establishment with table service, so the "sit-down" qualification is not usually necessary. Fast food and takeaway (take-out) outlets with counter service are not normally referred to as restaurants. Outside of North-America, the terms fast casual dining restaurants, family style, and casual dining are not used and distinctions among different kinds of restaurants is often not the same. In France, for example, some restaurants are called "bistros" to indicate a level of casualness or trendiness, though some "bistros" are quite formal in the kind of food they serve and clientele they attract. Others are called "brasseries", a term which indicates hours of service. "Brasseries" may serve food round the clock, whereas "restaurants" usually only serve at set intervals during the day.
There are different types of restaurants in Nottingham and some are rated among the best restaurants in Nottingham. A restaurant in Nottingham is classified according to the types of foods that are available there or the kind of eating habits that take place there.
Types of Restaurants
Casual Dining Restaurants
They are the most known restaurants in the world. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants, casual dining restaurants typically provide table service.
Fine Dining Restaurants
Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with an eye towards the "atmosphere" desired by the restaurateur. The wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire. Fine dining restaurants are almost always small businesses and are generally either single-location operations or have just a few locations. Food portions are visually appealing. Fine dining restaurants have certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow often including a dress code.
Fast Foods Restaurants
Fast food restaurants emphasize speed of service. Operations range from small-scale street vendors with food carts to multi-billion dollar corporations. Fast food restaurants are known in the restaurant industry as QSRs or quick-service restaurants. Most of them do not have table seating and if table seating is available, ordering is not done from the table but from a front counter. People will carry their own food from the counter to a table where they feel most comfortable and after they are done eating, they dispose of the trays. These kinds of restaurants are some of the best restaurants in Nottingham. They are known by a variety of people and they serve on a quick first come first serve basis. A good thing with these restaurants is that you do not have to wait for your food. It is ready to be taken and eaten.