How the tables have turned

Fewer walk-ins, less waiting. India is finally making restaurant reservations. It is changing how the business is run, and of course, how we enjoy an evening out

- VIR SANGHVI

Have Indians suddenly started booking tables at restaurants? I read two articles in two financial papers, which declared that they had. The evidence for this claim was, essentially, that there were some restaurants where it was so difficult to find a table that people had to book in advance.

That much, certainly, is true. A month ago, I posted pictures from Bengaluru's Naru Noodle Bar and the DMs I received on my Instagram were all the same: "How the hell did you get a table?" It is the same with another Bengaluru restaurant, Farmlore. A year ago, I tried to get in, failed and then finally went on the web and booked myself in for dinner weeks later, when a table was available.

Since then, Farmlore has become even more famous. So, I haven't dared to try again.

The other example frequently quoted is Mumbai's Papa's, which is packed out so much in advance that I rarely manage to get in.

Reading the articles, I was not entirely sure what point they were making. Were they saying that there were now some restaurants where it was impossible to get a table without a booking? Or were they saying that Indians had developed a reserve-in-advance mentality?