The glamour may have diminished somewhat from the role of the waiter or waitress, but nowadays fewer and fewer people in western Europe aspire to be part of the front of house staff. In a survey conducted by Square Meal magazine revealed that half of the complaints that they received last year were to do with poor service, a rise of 7% on 2006.

Waiting Tables not Interesting
The status of waiters and maitre d's is in sharp decline and with this, the quality of service is declining too. In recent years, western Europe has seen an influx of job-seekers from eastern Europe who are filling the many..

Germany, the "Land of Ideas" has come up with many excellent inventions in the past, including the diesel engine and the printing press. Now to add to its list of accomplishments is a fully-automated restaurant dubbed the "Robot Restaurant". 'S baggers restaurant in Nuremburg was the brainchild of local businessman Michael Mack who wanted to do away with the stuffy traditions of waiter service and create something new and exciting..

The Thai New Year is a three day celebration that usually falls between the 10th and 18th of April. This year the New Year, known in Thai as Songkran, will be celebrated from the 13th to the 15th April, so what better time to reflect upon some of the traditions of this centuries-old national celebration. The ancestors of the Thai people originated from the Yunnan Province in China and it is here, nearly one thousand years ago, that the New Year festivities first took place. The dates correspond to the fifth full moon of the lunar calendar and the Songkran festival's original..

In the world of haute-cuisine, it is a grand achievement for a chef to receive one or two Michelin Stars, and the absolute epitome of culinary excellence to achieve three. This week, however top chef Marco Pierre White launched an attack on the Guide claiming that it is "outdated" and has "varying standards" from country to country. He said, "I've dined in Michelin-starred places in New York and I'm confused. There are at least fifty restaurants in England as good as the two-star restaurants over there, rather than the paltry ten that currently hold..

After a hard day at the office, the one word that should be on your mind is relaxation and everything you do should be towards the goal of relaxing! This is not only to benefit our bodies and relax our muscles, but to give our brains and our energy levels the best chance of waking up energized and raring-to-go the next day. If you always think in advance of the effects of what you're eating, you can't go wrong. Be aware that what you eat at dinner time has a direct effect on your sleep, so try and choose foods that naturally relax the body and mind. Tryptophan is an amino acid that our bodies cannot make, but the brain needs it in order to make serotonin – a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the brain..

Ever feel like you're being watched? One "self-service" restaurant at a university in the Netherlands is doing exactly that; watching its diners to measure their reactions to subtle changes in the environment and how this affects their eating habits. Many simple choices that we make are unconscious and this new interactive study at the University of Wageningen aims to track how details such as lighting, wall colour, the layout and the attitude of staff affect what we choose to eat and how much we throw away..

In a similar move to the French, authorities in Germany have banned smoking in cafes bars and restaurants effective from today. The Germans however have been more lenient than the French in its enforcement. Berlin has decreed that a grace period should be allowed, and the ban will not be enforced for the first..

France has finally taken the leap and banned smoking in restaurants cafes and bars. From 1st January 2008 it will be illegal, although outside areas such as terraces and under pavement awnings are exempt. It's been a long time coming; in an attempt to curb smoking October 2003 saw a 20% government hike in cigarette prices. Recently on 1st February 2007 a national ban on smoking in public was imposed covering airports, railway stations, hospitals, offices and schools, but leaving the restaurant business..

Dinner is served after sunset on Christmas Eve in the Czech Republic; traditionally it should not be served until after the first star has come out, and consists of carp and potato salad, sometimes preceded by mushroom, sauerkraut or fish soup. Carp can be prepared a hundred different ways. Christmas carp is specially raised in ponds and then sold from large tubs placed on the streets..

After opening only 11 months ago the New York Michelin Guide announces it has awarded Gordon Ramsay of 'The London' two stars in its first year making Ramsay one of only 6 establishments in the city to have two stars. Gordon Ramsay now claims that between all his various restaurant ventures he now has the largest total of Michelin Stars in the world; currently 12 stars..

Beware of menus using words like "luscious", clogged salt and pepper, and prefilled bread baskets, all warning signs of a bad restaurant in an amusing article over on the chow.com blog which looks to describe the nightmare restaurant..

Described as soft, shy and determined, Anne-Sophie Pic, 37, celebrates her award today of three Michelin Stars, the first of its kind to a woman in more than 50 years. Behind the award a touching story covering four generations of the Pic family. Just imagine, 4 generations! How many people do you know are still working in a business started by their great grandmother ?

If you have just spent the last few days busy paying bills and spring cleaning the house then it's very likely you are of Chinese origin! Immediately before the New Year the whole house is washed, dusted and decorated with flowers and traditional red colours. New clothes are bought, often red, and outstanding bills are paid off to give everyone a flying start to the New Year

Did you send a card today.. will you be dining out tonight on St Valentines ?
Worldwide we celebrate by sending an incredible 1 billion Valentine cards, with 85% of those bought by women according to the Greeting Card Association

We continue in part ll by shedding some light on exactly who inspects the Restaurants, their training , and how they are expected to work.
It is clear the organisation takes its role very seriously, and no restaurant will receive an award unless it has been visited multiple times by several different inspectors to ensure consistency of results. There are many other good guides now competing but none can boast such a thorough process

The Michelin Guide has had extraordinary success. This year it will celebrate it's 107th birthday. Originally distributed as a free guide, it was written for the adventurous french motorists of the time, to point out where they could get their often broken car repaired and which hotel to stay at in the meantime

Successful tipping
In most people's minds a tip is a reward for great service, and most would believe it has a positive impact on the service they receive, especially if a regular customer. However tipping in Europe has its own peculiarities and this article gives an easy guide to successful tipping...