14 Most Popular Types of Restaurants with Characteristics

What is a Restaurant?

A restaurant is a place where food and beverages are sold and served to customers. There are various types of restaurants that have evolved to meet the dynamic demands of consumers.

A restaurant has to prepare a dining service for its guests and must consider the menu, service hour, mode of service and expenditure potential of the customer.

Different Types of Restaurants and Their Characteristics

These are the various kinds of restaurants in India:

1. Bistro

The bistro is a small restaurant that serves simple, moderately priced meals and wine. Braised meats are typically dishes that are provided in a bistro. It serves coffee as well. The service is informal and quick. It may not have printed menus.

2. Brasserie

A brasserie is a formal restaurant that serves drinks, single dishes, and other meals. One can have just a drink or coffee. The waiters are in traditional uniforms with long aprons and waistcoats.

3. Coffee shop

A coffee shop is a restaurant that mainly serves snacks and beverages 24 hours a day. This Coffee shop concept comes from the USA. The service and ambiance of the coffee shop are informal. The furniture and service equipment used are not so expensive.

4. Specialty Restaurant

A specialty restaurant serves specialty dishes, which are their strengths and contribute to the brand’s image.

It operates during luncheon and dinner hours, between noon and 3 p.m. and between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. The uniform of the service staff will be according to the tradition of the region or country.

5. Fine Dining Restaurant

Fine dining is a type of restaurant that primarily caters to the needs of the affluent market segment, which wants to experience fine dining.

This kind of restaurant may either offer dishes from one particular region or country or exotic dishes from various cuisines, wines, spirits, and digestives. It is open mostly during dinner time.

6. Popular Restaurant

The type of this restaurant is informal yet hygienically kept, and it is located in busy areas such as Bus stands, Railway stations, Shopping areas, and so on. Catering to the requirements of the middle class and the customers who are in a hurry.

7. Dhaba

Dhaba is a roadside food stall found on national and state highways, mainly catering to the requirements of heavy vehicle crews. It specialized in Punjabi cuisine and tandoor cooking, serving very limited dishes that were freshly prepared.

8. Fast Food Joint

The fast-food joint concept was first introduced in the USA, and now it has become popular around the world. It is characterized by the speed of service and the affordable price of the menu items.

9. Cafe

This is a restaurant of French origin, mainly serving coffee and snacks. The French introduced Cafés in the French colonies in India but served Indian snacks such as vada, samosas, and so on along with coffee and pastries.

10. Cafeteria

The traditional cafeteria system consists of a straight line of counters containing a variety of hot and cold dishes. The customers start at the end of a line, pick up a tray, and move along the length of the counter as they select the dishes they want to have.

11. Foodcourt

A foodcourt refers to a number of independent food stalls, each serving different items of food. The customers order the food items they want to have and consume them in a common dining area.

The food court in Spencer’s Chennai offers South Indian, North Indian, and Chinese delicacies, pastries, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, burgers, ice cream, and beverages.

12. Drive-in

In a Drive-in restaurant, customers drive in and park their vehicles. The waiters go to the customers with menu cards, collect orders, and deliver the food items on specially designed trays, and the customers remain parked while they eat.

13. Bar

A bar offers all kinds of spirits such as Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, and Beer. Hotels and restaurants have separate licensed areas to sell these alcoholic drinks. Snacks are also available here.

14. Carvery

Cavery is a restaurant serving roast meat and poultry, which are carved at the carving counter by a carver in the presence of guests.

So, this is the list of some of the most popular types of restaurants and their characteristics that you could find in India.

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Dipayan Mondal
Dipayan Mondal

Dipayan is the author of this blog. He completed his hotel management degree from GNIHM, Kolkata. And he is very passionate about the hospitality industry. And right now, he is working as a successful hotelier in a 5-star hotel.