Sat 04 Apr 2007Roly's, DublinIt's a very clear sign of the times. You turn up to a restaurant
on a Monday evening, no booking, and are told that you can have a
table in 10 minutes. Just take a seat in the bar and have a drink.
A full 15 minutes later a waiter turns up, not to offer you a drink
but to take you to your table.At this point you are deep in conversation with your companion,
but the waiter cuts through your chat like a laser in a sci-fi
movie, without so much as an "excuse me".