Eating out is more of a necessity and a casual indulgence across the globe, but when it comes to our country it slips more towards the formal and celebratory side. With new age restaurants, bars, lounges and QSRs mushrooming in the Maximum City, the burgeoning dining fraternity is craving to dig its teeth into every new place that pops up. Yet we are forced to come across a hinderance — finding a table.

When making reservations, Mumbai's diners have been increasingly being relayed this message — which seating would you prefer? The first, at 8 pm, or the second, at 10 pm. Choosing the first one, it is subtly conveyed that you need to clear out by 10 pm. Salonee Sanghvi, a wealth manager, sees this two-seating model as an increasing trend that only inconveniences diners: 8 pm with Mumbai traffic becomes too early for dinner and 10 too late "I've had restaurants tell us that we will have to vacate the table in 1.5-2 hours and been handed the cheque without asking for it or servers make repeated requests to vacate the table." Having travelled to fine dine and Michelin star restaurants across New York, London and CapeTown, Sanghvi says she's never come across such a policy unless it's a fixed course tasting menu.