Dinner Reservations

It is Friday evening and my husband Thomas and I want to go to a nice restaurant for dinner. We have been at the hotel all day and we are both very hungry. Thomas says, "Do you have any ideas for dinner tonight? I would like to try something special." I say, "The woman at the hotel desk recommended a French restaurant near the river. She said the food is delicious and the view is beautiful." Thomas says, "That sounds perfect. Did you book a table?" I say, "No, I forgot to book. We should call them now." Thomas takes his phone and finds the number of the restaurant. He calls them. I can hear the phone ringing. After a moment, someone answers. Thomas says, "Good evening. I would like to book a table for two for tonight, please."

The woman on the phone says, "Good evening, sir. What time would you like your reservation?" Thomas says, "Seven pm, please. Is that possible?" She says, "I am sorry, sir, but we are fully booked at seven. We have a very busy evening tonight. However, I do have a table available at eight thirty. Would that work for you?" Thomas looks at me and whispers, "Seven is full. They have eight thirty." I nod and say, "That is fine." Thomas says into the phone, "Yes, eight thirty is perfect. Thank you." She says, "Wonderful. How many people is the reservation for?" He says, "Two people." She says, "And what name is the booking under?" He says, "It is under Thomas Brown." She says, "Thank you, Mister Brown. See you at eight thirty. Goodbye!"

We have two hours before dinner, so we decide to go for a walk along the river first. The hotel is near the water and there is a lovely path with trees and benches. The evening air is warm and there is a gentle breeze. We walk hand in hand and watch the boats on the river. The sun is starting to go down and the sky is turning orange and pink. Thomas says, "This is beautiful. I am glad we came here for our holiday." I say, "Me too. It is so peaceful." We walk for about thirty minutes and then sit on a bench to rest. We can see the restaurant from here. It is on the other side of the river, with lights reflecting in the water. It looks very romantic. I say, "We should start walking there soon. It will take about fifteen minutes to cross the bridge and get to the restaurant."

We arrive at the restaurant at twenty past eight. It is a beautiful building with large windows overlooking the river. There are tables outside on a terrace with candles and flowers. We go inside and I say to the waiter, "Good evening. We have a reservation for two at eight thirty. It is under the name Brown." The waiter checks his book and says, "Yes, Mister and Mrs Brown. Welcome! Your table is ready. Please follow me." He takes us to a wonderful table on the terrace, right next to the water. We can hear the river flowing below us and see the lights of the city reflected in the water. The waiter pulls out my chair for me and says, "Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?" Thomas says, "Yes, please. A bottle of your house white wine."

The waiter brings the wine and two glasses. He pours a little for Thomas to taste. Thomas tries it and says, "That is very good. Thank you." The waiter fills both glasses and leaves the bottle on the table. He also gives us the menu and the drinks list. I look at the menu. For starters, there is French onion soup, a seafood appetiser, and a green salad with goat cheese. For the main course, there is duck with orange sauce, grilled fish with vegetables, beef steak with potatoes, and a vegetarian pasta. Everything sounds delicious. Thomas says, "What are you going to have?" I say, "I think I will have the soup to start and then the fish. What about you?" He says, "I will have the salad and then the duck. I love duck with orange sauce." I say, "Good choice!"

The waiter comes back and says, "Are you ready to order?" Thomas says, "Yes, we are. My wife will have the French onion soup and the grilled fish. And I will have the green salad and the duck with orange sauce, please." The waiter writes it down and says, "Excellent choices. The fish today is sea bass, caught fresh this morning. And the duck is our chef's speciality. Would you like any side dishes?" I say, "Yes, can we have some bread for the table, please?" He says, "Of course. I will bring some fresh bread right away." The bread arrives in a basket with butter. It is warm and crusty. We eat it while we wait for our starters. The evening is perfect. The air is warm, the wine is cold, and the view of the river is magical.

Our starters arrive after about ten minutes. My soup is served in a beautiful bowl with melted cheese on top and a piece of toasted bread floating in it. It smells incredible. Thomas's salad is fresh and colourful with green leaves, red tomatoes, and white goat cheese. We eat and talk about our holiday. Thomas says, "What shall we do tomorrow?" I say, "I would like to visit the old castle on the hill. The woman at the hotel said it has amazing views of the city." He says, "That sounds good. We can take the bus there in the morning." The waiter comes to clear our plates and says, "Was everything satisfactory?" I say, "Yes, the soup was absolutely delicious. Compliments to the chef." He smiles and says, "Thank you. Your main courses will be ready in a few minutes."

The main courses arrive and they look beautiful. My fish is perfectly cooked, white and flaky, served on a bed of vegetables with a lemon butter sauce. Thomas's duck is golden brown with a shiny orange glaze, served with roasted potatoes and green beans. We both take our first bites and look at each other with big smiles. Thomas says, "This duck is incredible. It is the best I have ever had." I say, "My fish is wonderful too. It is so fresh and the sauce is perfect. Not too spicy, not too salty, just right." We eat slowly, enjoying every mouthful. The wine goes perfectly with the food. We finish the bottle and Thomas orders two glasses of red wine to go with the rest of our meal. The waiter says, "I recommend the local red. It is excellent with duck."

After the main course, the waiter asks, "Would you like to see the dessert menu?" Thomas and I look at each other. We are quite full, but it is a special evening. I say, "Yes, please." The dessert menu has chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, a fruit tart, and ice cream. I say, "Let us share a dessert. The crème brûlée?" Thomas says, "Perfect idea." We order one crème brûlée with two spoons and two coffees. The crème brûlée is smooth and creamy with a crispy caramel top. We crack the top with our spoons and share it. It is heavenly. The coffee is strong and hot. I feel completely happy and satisfied. Thomas takes my hand across the table and says, "This has been a perfect evening. Thank you for suggesting this restaurant."

I say, "Can I have the bill, please?" The waiter brings it in a small leather folder. The total is eighty-five euros for everything: the wine, the starters, the main courses, the dessert, and the coffees. Thomas says, "Can we pay with a card?" The waiter says, "Yes, of course. We accept all major cards." Thomas pays and adds a ten euro tip. He says, "Thank you very much. The food was exceptional and the service was wonderful." The waiter says, "Thank you, sir. It was our pleasure. We hope to see you again." We leave the restaurant and walk back along the river. The city lights are reflected in the dark water. It is half past ten and the air is cool. We hold hands and walk slowly back to the hotel. It has been a perfect evening. Tomorrow we will visit the castle, but tonight, we are happy and full and tired. Good night!