DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a very high-end restaurant, my fiance and I, who had a reservation, were seated far in the back near the desk where waiters run checks.
I asked the hostess if we could sit somewhere else. She said there was nothing available, but that we were welcome to wait at the bar until a new table opened up.
I said OK, and we waited for about 10 minutes at the bar until we were able to be seated somewhere much nicer.
I found out later that my fiance was mortified that I had even asked. Was this rude? I felt that if we were going to spend a large amount of money, I would like to be seated somewhere comfortable. I did not cause a scene or demand to be seated immediately.
GENTLE READER: Presuming that the food agreed with you, you have nothing to feel bad about.
If you are paying for a service, you should ask politely that it be to your liking, and this was a reasonable request that the staff could easily accommodate. A good restaurateur would prefer to accommodate you than to let you go away in dissatisfied silence. Besides, you probably ran up a nice bar tab while you were waiting.
If the hostess showed no objection, then Miss Manners assures you that your fiance should not either. Perhaps he should save his mortification for any untoward dinner conversation.