Many people think service and hospitality are the same thing.

They are not . 

As Danny Mayer mentions in his book ” Setting the Table ” hospitality is when something happens for you service is when something happens to you. 

Langans Brasserie, Mayfair, London

Hospitality can also be subtle. I was once in Langans Brasserie, Mayfair enjoying a lunch with a colleague when they said ” have you noticed something ? we have been here drinking water and wine for an hour and have never touched the bottles “. This was due to our waiter ( who had a few tables to run ) passing and noticing the levels of our drinks and carefully pouring a top up. I had not noticed this as our waiter never interacted  with us as we were engrossed in a discussion that we were both passionate about. I can remember what I had for the meal ( sausage and mash ) , I remember the white table cloth, a famous newsreader sat on the next table … and what did stand out was the elegance and caring not to disturb our conversation which the waiter had picked up on. 

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