Meanwhile, judging by the number of messages we’ve received about how it’s all going to work, there seems to be some confusion out there about the rules and guidelines of how guests and the restaurant staff should behave during these super bizarre Corona times. We’ve done our best to answer all of the burning questions you might have, below.
Check out these 12 DOs and DON’TS for dining out in Vienna during the year of Corona:
DO
know that Vienna’s restaurants and bars are allowed to open from 15 May, between the hours of 6am and 11pm
DON’T
do that whole ‘one last Spritzer!’ thing you sometimes do when you get tipsy at 10:50pm
DO
be aware that waiting staff, and any other restaurant and bar staff that have contact with guests, must wear face masks, or face shield visors
DON’T
underestimate how much of a sweaty and stifling pain in the arse this is for the restaurant staff and do keep this in mind when tipping – that’s right, tip generously if you can.
If you can’t, well, don’t worry – you won’t see your waiter’s expression under their mask, anyway. Oh, and…
DON’T
feel alone when you look around at all the waiters wearing face shields as if they’re out of some Sci-fi film and think ‘What the f…?! Is this reality?!’ You won’t be alone 🙂
DO
know that you as a guest don’t have to wear a face mask while sitting at the table in the restaurant, or bar
DON’T
go licking the furniture and other guests faces, because this is the first time you’ve been out in public with people and are not wearing a face mask. This may seem like a given, but trust us, it needed to be said. We’ve seen it happen.
DO
feel free to use the excuse when somebody asks to try your food and you hate sharing food – ‘well, I would, but ya’ know – Corona’
DON’T
try this excuse in tapas, or hot pot restaurants – sharing is kind of the whole idea.
DO
embrace the reopening, help local businesses and reserve a different restaurant for every night of the week for the next month
DON’T
expect it all to be back to normal and business as usual – things are going to be all kinds of weird for while. Yes, as weird as the GIF below.
DO
wash your hands
DON’T
underestimate how sorry we are for repeating this ‘wash your hands’ mantra as we know you’ve heard it a thousand times and have got the idea already, but we just felt like it needed to be in this list, but still – we apologise.
DO
only organise dinners out with a maximum of four friends. Yep, no more than four adults (plus accompanying children) may sit at each table.
DON’T
go thinking this means you can organise a dinner date out with four adult friends and 20 kids, because they don’t seem to count as humans in this rule.
But wait, who would want to go for a dinner with 20 kids, anyway? That’s, like, more horrific than how the Contagion movie makes us feel every time we watch it. Yes, we’ve watched it more than once in the last couple of months. And yes, we know we need to seek help.
DO
keep in mind that table groups should keep the minimum distance of two meters from other table groups at all times. So you can sit at the same table and mingle and make out with your little table group as much as you want, but the other table groups – they are the plague. Do keep your distance.
DON’T
start shouting across the room to the cute guy, or girl, at another table group in an attempt to revive your flirting game. You’re going to have to work on your facial expressions, or make friends with your waiter who can deliver love notes between tables.
But hey, who flirts and picks up people in real life bars and restaurants nowadays, anyway, so never mind.
DO
Reserve a table before visiting a restaurant, or bar
DON’T
turn up and be like ‘have you got a table for 10?’ Just don’t, as it’s understandably really going to piss the masked waiting staff off. They’re already drinking their own upper lip sweat the whole time.
DO
pay contactless with card
DON’T
hold back with your annoyance with the restaurants who are still not offering contactless card payments
DO
know that, despite the common misconception floating around out there, bars can also open as of the 15 of May if they’re able to abide by the minimum distancing rules with their tables.
DON’T
go thinking you’ll be chatting up some hot guy, or girl at the bar every weekend from now on – no standing consumption at the bar is allowed.
DO
order a Corona beer
DON’T
order a Corona beer. OK, we’re conflicted on this one. Too soon?
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