Light up or lighten up?

What two Delhi bar-restaurants do with customers seeking a smoke.

Ever since the government banned smoking in public places, going to a pub or a restaurant has not been the same, especially for smokers. With most places lacking smokers’ space, every time one needs a drag one has to step outside. We decided to find out what smokers have to do to have a cigarette halfway through a meal.

On a weekend, when Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) in Connaught Place was half-empty, a friend and I were catching up over drinks. Halfway through our meal, my friend had this urge to smoke. So we politely asked the man serving us whether it was okay if we stepped out for a couple of minutes. “No, sir,” he replied, politely but firmly.

“What do you mean, ‘No, sir’?” I questioned. He told us to either leave a credit card behind or settle the bill before stepping out. “For going out for two minutes, you want me to leave my card with you?” I asked him. “Sir, what if you don’t come back?” he asked. “What if you swipe my card in my absence for twice the amount I have to pay?” I retorted. “We don’t do that kind of thing here,” he said. “Neither do we leave a place without picking up our tab,” I replied.

Ultimately, the smoker’s urge won and we had no choice but to leave our card behind and went out fuming (literally!). “Thank you,” the waiter said, with a triumphant smile. The food didn’t taste as good after this experience!

We thought we’d check whether TGIF was alone in acting snooty. Another evening out with friends at Bennigan’s in Saket, and this time I was prepared to walk out and pay the bill rather than eat a dodgy meal. There were three of us, so one of us was ready to stay behind. In the middle of our meal, I asked the waiter if it was all right to step out for a quick smoke. He said, “Of course, sir.” So I asked, “Do you want us to leave a card or something?” “It’s not a problem, sir,” he replied, “as you would be back in a few minutes.” He certainly got a hefty tip from us!

Rating: 3/10 for TGIF. The waiter was doing his job, but there has to be some basic courtesy. We left a credit card, but he never took his eyes off us! And 7/10 for Bennigan’s, a pub that still trusts its customers not to run away without paying the bill

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