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Dining Guide / What to Wear

Checking a Restaurant Dress Code

The most reliable way to learn a restaurant's dress code is its official website or a quick question when you book. Here's how to read the notices, what to ask, and whether you can borrow a jacket.

Checking a Restaurant Dress Code

Key Points

  1. Start with the restaurant's official site — look for “Policies,” “FAQ” or reservation notes. Hotel restaurants usually list it on each restaurant's own page.
  2. Some notices name a level (“smart casual,” “jacket required”). Others only list what to avoid (“no shorts or sandals”). The second kind doesn't mean anything else goes.
  3. If there's no notice, or it's unclear, ask when you book: “Is there a dress code?” Mentioning a birthday or anniversary helps staff describe the atmosphere.
  4. Some jacket-required restaurants keep loaner jackets, but sizes and numbers are often limited, so confirm ahead rather than counting on one.
  5. Rules can differ between lunch and dinner, the terrace and the dining room, or a private room and the main floor.
  6. Review sites and booking platforms can be out of date. Check the official site or ask the restaurant directly.

Do

  • Check the official website
  • Ask about dress code when you book
  • Lean one step more formal if unsure
  • Tell your companions what you found

Avoid

  • Relying only on reviews
  • Reading “no shorts” as “anything else is fine”
  • Counting on a loaner jacket

Handy Tip

When you ask, describe your plan — “I was planning on a blazer without a tie; is that all right?” — so the restaurant can give you a clear yes or no.

Customs That Vary

Some upscale restaurants in Europe and the US still require jackets, while many others have dropped dress codes. In Japan, hotel restaurants often say “smart casual” or list items to avoid; Japanese restaurants with tatami rooms may not mention dress at all, but expect you to remove your shoes.

Practice in a Lesson

Sources