While there were no sit-down, dine-in restaurants in England during the Regency, there were opportunities to dine out, mostly for gentlemen.

Coffeehouses, private gentlemen clubs, oyster bars, and taverns all offered sit-down, dine-in experiences. The dine-in experience was quite different from what we know today. There were no menus or open-dining hours, no hovering waiters, and no “check, please” at the end of the meal. Instead, the food served was the food cooked and available that day, and it would be offered only during certain times of the day. Cash only for payment, and it was due up front at time of order.

Confectionary shops, bakeries, and similar were places at which young ladies could dine out, but there were no in-house seating opportunities, rather the patron would pay for their treat to go. Depending on what was being purchased, they might be handed the item at the register and leave with it, or they may have to wait somewhere outside (such as at the park across the street or in a waiting carriage) for the treat to be brought out to them.

The only places a gentleman could take a young lady he was courting out for a dining experience were those very confectionary shops and bakeries. Taverns and other locations were off limits! But a gentleman could safely escort the woman he was courting to, say, Gunter’s Tea Shop, order two ices, and then sit with her in the park to enjoy those ices (or in an open carriage or while walking through the park).

To read more about the Regency restaurant experience, don’t miss the full post: https://www.paullettgolden.com/post/dining-out-in-the-regency