How I just love surprises...

How often does it still happen, being surprised in a restaurant?

Most restaurants think that if they meet your expectations, they're doing a great job. Well, I think at that time you're doing an OK job and who knows, you might see mee again!
However.. if you surprise me and raise above these expectations, that's when you're *shining*! You make me want to come back and I surely will.

In my opinion the choice wether to return to a certain restaurant or not, is based on a few key factors;

- The people ; the people that work at the restaurant are the ones that represent your idea's, your values, your concept! Nothing more anoying than an employee that has a huge hangover or is just grumpy for his soccer club lost the last match. The employees are the face of the company and they are the ones that can surprise you, make you feel welcome and part of the concept.
I personally think that at Starbucks I'm always surprised by the pleasure that employees seem to have helping me. I always walk out with a smile.

- The menu strategy ; the menu strategy is a key factor because they have to serve the food that you love. This could be a renewing, trendy menu strategy with dishes that consist of 'a cube of this, a mousse of that and a hint of that' but could also be French classics or Spanish tapas. The menu should be understandable and there should be a relation between the dishes, the prizes and sizes. Besides that, definitely important is that the kitchen crew should be able to prepare these dishes with great taste, and joy.
A menu that surprised me was the menu of Loetje (with 4 locations in the Netherlands, www.loetje.com). It is very simple and easy and actually what they say is; please just eat our steak, it's the best in Holland! It can surprise you because it sounds simple, it looks simple but the taste is overwhelming!

- A lasting impression ; the lasting impression of a restaurant can be made by several things. This could be the amazing interior design, the exciting experiences the restaurant gives, the historical building, the perfect location and the great taste of the food. For me lasting impressions mostly come from personnel that know their restaurant and menu and are passionate about it. Also romantic settings in historic buildings such as in Hotel Karel V in Utrecht will leave a lasting impression on me.

And when the people, the menu and the lasting impression are checked..... consistency is key!

So surprises can be in unexpected places and it differs for every guest. I'd like to see it as that guests are like lemons..... They all look the same at first, however when you take a closer look they have a different form, a different background, different looks and a different taste. Anticipate on that!

My advise: Don't promise to much, but surprise your guests!

Let me know the restaurants that suprised you! Curious for your experiences.