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Dining do’s & don’ts

If guests bring a bottle of wine to a dinner party, do you have to open it on the night?

It depends on whether they make it known, subtly or otherwise, that they’d like to drink it.

  • Huon Hooke

Stuck in the dreaded ‘gristle’ seat at a dinner party? Try these foodie conversation starters

In the interests of sparking more interesting discussions around the tables of Australia, I hereby pass on 10 questions to help break the ice.

  • Terry Durack
Illustration: Monique Westermann.

How late is too late to arrive at your restaurant booking? (Asking for a friend)

And how do you contact the venue when there’s no listed number? Here’s what hospo pros have to say.

  • Billy De Luca

The bottom line: Which restaurant dining chair is best? It depends on this equation

When settling in for an 18-course degustation, I’ll be needing upholstery, writes Terry Durack.

  • Terry Durack
Aromatic white wines such as off-dry riesling can hold their own with curry.

The best wines to bring to every kind of dinner party (without breaking the bank)

From dinner with wine snobs to a games night, these tips will help match the right wine to the occasion, whether your budget is $20 or $200.

  • Katie Spain
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When it comes to dinner plates, it’s not hip to be square

My heart stubbornly belongs to the plain, round white plate.

  • Terry Durack
Luke Mangan, Tom Cruise.

‘Is that legal?’ Hospo identities share weirdest customer requests

From a surprising celebrity encounter to interpretive dance in the dining room, restaurant workers strive to accommodate even the most surprising diner desires.

  • Scott Bolles
Steak frites at L’Auberge du Bout du Monde with a traditional red wine pairing.

12 common food and drink myths that refuse to die

Can pork be eaten pink? Can you eat unopened mussels? Do venues really put the highest mark-up on the second cheapest wine?

  • Scott Bolles
Alice Zaslavsky with her doggy bag.

How to navigate the dos and don’ts of doggy bags in 2025

Alice Zaslavsky dishes up the latest etiquette on taking your leftovers home.

  • Alice Zaslavsky

‘She ate her entree, the penguin did not’: Hospo staff share Valentine’s Day stories that got their hearts racing

From customers bringing furry dates to managing proposals, February 14 can be a high-wire act for restaurant staff.

  • Scott Bolles

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/topic/dining-do-s---don-ts-6fw2