The most requested table

Sandro Alessandrini is general manager at Launceston Place, in London’s Kensington.

‘These days, there are a lot of factors that influence what a “best table” can be and how you get it. For instance, a lot of guests focus more on the level or lighting on a table than they do the location of the table in the dining room – for some, there is nothing worse than not being able to get a great shot to share on Instagram. Being insistent and generally overly pushy doesn’t often get you the best table – kindness is definitely a winner in such a contest. We are lucky to have a lot of regulars at Launceston Place, and they are usually the ones we give priority to when assigning tables, along with any VIP. Also, we leave a lot of notes in our booking system, so we usually know who has requested a particular table, and we make sure we work on a first-come, first-served basis.

To avoid the online booking queue, get to know the management well and book through them. Booking systems are extremely accurate these days and they only accept a certain amount of covers every 15 or 30 minutes, so it’s impossible to book if the desired time is already taken. Trying your luck and phoning the restaurant directly – with a very time-flexible attitude – also helps. Sometimes we’ll have windows for shorter meals where you can have the table for an hour and a half rather than the standard two hours.’ launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk