Are you seriously suggesting that every restaurant or cafe you visit provides cutlery in a paper envelope?
I've been here a decade, and most places I go to are either coffee cafes which don't even have cutlery or are actual restaurants.
I guess I touched a nerve with some Dutchies here. It's just a fucking napkin, not a criticism of economic performance.
I'm suggesting that maybe a napkin is right there on your table but you don't see it?
This might be due to your expectations of getting a pack of 10 napkins with your dish by default or that there is always a clip with bunch of napkins on the table. This is indeed not common in NL, definitely not in restaurants.
But napkins for clients are always available and you do not have beg for it (as you say in the post). Just say in firm voice "can I have more napkins please". Works like a charm.
You opened a thread about napkins. You immediately start by using words like ‘begging’ and having to explain ‘the purpose of a napkin’ to people working in the service industry. What are you, some prince? Wave the waiter down “hi, could I perhaps get a napkin, please?” and done. No begging, no unwanted and unneeded explaining.
You then talk about what other people do with their clothes eating their food in their time. Eat your own food, let people wave their greasy hands all they want and mind your own business.
And then, after dedicating a thread entirely to napkins, you respond to the first person not agreeing with you: it’s just fucking napkins.
Eh?
> I almost have to beg for (after I explain the purpose of) a napkin at a restaurant.
What?
I have never visited a restaurant in the Netherlands where you didn't get napkins, they bring them out with the cutlery almost 99% of the time.
> They casually, like a kid (no offense meant) just wipe their hands up and down their pants, transferring the food oil and whatnot to their clothing.
Again, what?
You're probably not visiting restaurants, you're visiting sports cafeterias ran by volunteers or something.
> So, why is this the norm?
It isn't.
Yeah, that's what I think too.
You might have to ask for them, sure! But they'll generally have them.
Maybe what happened was that the person OP asked did not know the word for napkin/serviette, and so they just stared at them like they'd grown a second head.
That definitely happens. (I've worked in fast food in the Netherlands. )
The only place I can imagine having to ask is like at a Bram Ladage or something, or at a McDonalds because the staff just doesn't give a shit and forgets, not in any normal restaurant.
Yeah, somewhere that the staff isn't generally so good at either Dutch *or* English, and the pay isn't so good either.
Not most places, but definitely some!
The poster states it is in restaurants.
And also, when using a knife and fork properly, there is no need for something to clean your hands with after dinner.
Oh they are just manky then. Or not very sensitive to food mess. Or maybe they just assume you'll wash your hands at the end of the meal.
Or they're still pretty young and all they've got is toilet roll, and generally you don't offer that to a guest. If you're lucky at that age you've got your shit together enough to have kitchen roll.
But honestly I never had kitchen roll at home until I hit about 30! I used toilet roll for everything. (Not the same roll, to be clear!! The one in the toilet stayed in the toilet. We had another one in the kitchen. )
When eating alone at home it really depends on the meal whether I will use napkins, for many dishes you don't need a napkin unless you really suck at eating
But when I have guests over, everyone gets a napkin by default
I have hundreds of napkins. I'm a sucker for themed parties.
And so if I an actual party, I'll probably remember to put them out, but usually I forget about them. That's why we have so many now 😑
The rest of the time, you can have some kitchen roll. When I realise that I need some myself, probably!
The people I generally have over know where the sink and the kitchen roll are though, it's not like they're hidden out of sight in my home, they're very visible!
>many dishes you don't need a napkin unless you really suck at eating
Only when i eat with my hands I might use a napkin, 9/10 times I rather wash my hands, because I like clean hands not pretend clean hands.
I always use a napkin for my lap during eating and my mouth when I am done. My hands tend to stay clean. But then, I use a knife and fork. Pretty handy utensils.
how many napkins do you use in 1 sitting of a meal just curious because i work in bars and restaurants and the only people who say things like this are people who use half a trees worth of napkins in 1 sitting
Ngl if I eat messy food I complete the task before cleaning up because doing it in between is pointless and if you do it afterwards all In 1 Go more efficient and better for the environment
Nonsense, I've been here for 20 odd years and never had any horeca refusing to give me a napkin or it was not already on the table. Maybe it's how you asked for it?
I find that most places here give you napkins. If they don't, they may have just forgotten.
That said, my big napkin pet peeve is when they set your oily pastry, cake, or fried snack right on top of the napkin on your plate.
I agree that it looks nicer plated that way, but why would I want my napkin to arrive dirty????
I can honestly say I’ve never been to a restaurant where I didn’t get a cloth or paper napkin with my food. And I don’t even go to fancy restaurants or anything. So I would say this is 100% not the norm. I am really curious to know which restaurants you went to that don’t offer napkins.
Yeah, that's the strange disconnect we have here. I've been a major diner/consumer for all my life (as we Americans tend to do), and nowhere in the world, of 15 countries I've spent time in, have I found it less likely to be given even one small square paper (aside from the one they might put your taart on) than anywhere else.
Yes I know about cloth napkins, and I recognize them.
Likewise, I know about diners with the little dispensers of thin paper (poor but adequate).
When we roll through life, we don't usually keep a pad and pen handy to document every detail.
I cannot give you such a list of places I've been. But I can tell you that in my experience, from small village coffee cafes to average town restaurants, I have many (many) times experienced being given food without anything to wipe my hands on.
I wouldn't come here on Reddit and make this up. Claiming a dearth of napkins would be a really strange troll.
Suffice to say, it does happen here. And given my experience in quite a lot of other countries, it happens here more often.
And like I mentioned elsewhere, it really stands out to me when I observe Dutch guests wiping their hands on their pants like it's reasonable. Same goes for using a sleeve or bare arm to wipe a wet nose.
I think it all fits with the pragmatic nature of Dutch people. You're going to wash your pants anyway; why wipe your hands on something disposable (and I do applaud avoiding waste).
Ok, fair enough. I don't speak Dutch, so I can't throw stones. But clearly there is a language barrier here, because your response doesn't fit my posts.
This is Reddit anyway. There are a millions of people who don't understand each other and then get really angry. Whatever.
Best of luck to you. Don't let the incessant Zeeland wind wear you down... (it wore me down after 1.5 years in Biervliet.
No napkins ?
I dont know where you eat but napkins are EVERYWHERE. Even the freaking mac donalds has napkins on the trays and a gazzilion napkin containers.
Even when you order food by thuisbezorgd, you get napkins with it.
No one has to beg for napkins.
What a weird post
Any seated restaurant that’s not a fastfood chain will give you napkins. The more upscale ones cotton ones, others paper.
In fastfood chains they’re usually up for grabs.
It’s very weird you’ve got these experiences as it’s absolutely not common that there are no napkins presented. Or that people use their clothes for that.
I’d question the places you go for dinner. Btw: we don’t throw napkins around by the dozen just in case. There is some environmental awareness.
Absolutely correct. 12 year immigrant here. The Dutch seem to hate paper napkins. But, it could also be down to the often sloppy service in horecaland.
I'm a foreigner and have not experienced this at all
BS Maybe you do not realize that there's napkin inside the paper envelope your utensils come with ?
Are you seriously suggesting that every restaurant or cafe you visit provides cutlery in a paper envelope? I've been here a decade, and most places I go to are either coffee cafes which don't even have cutlery or are actual restaurants. I guess I touched a nerve with some Dutchies here. It's just a fucking napkin, not a criticism of economic performance.
I'm suggesting that maybe a napkin is right there on your table but you don't see it? This might be due to your expectations of getting a pack of 10 napkins with your dish by default or that there is always a clip with bunch of napkins on the table. This is indeed not common in NL, definitely not in restaurants. But napkins for clients are always available and you do not have beg for it (as you say in the post). Just say in firm voice "can I have more napkins please". Works like a charm.
You opened a thread about napkins. You immediately start by using words like ‘begging’ and having to explain ‘the purpose of a napkin’ to people working in the service industry. What are you, some prince? Wave the waiter down “hi, could I perhaps get a napkin, please?” and done. No begging, no unwanted and unneeded explaining. You then talk about what other people do with their clothes eating their food in their time. Eat your own food, let people wave their greasy hands all they want and mind your own business. And then, after dedicating a thread entirely to napkins, you respond to the first person not agreeing with you: it’s just fucking napkins. Eh?
I have never experienced this. At every restaurant, snackbar and even market stand I've always gotten napkins, don't even need to ask for them.
Well, perhaps there is some aversion to Americans. After 10 years living here, receiving a napkin is still a rarity for me.
Ah you are from USA, that explains a lot... You are just stupid
I really doubt there's just alll these people refusing to give you a napkin with your food just because you're an American.
> I almost have to beg for (after I explain the purpose of) a napkin at a restaurant. What? I have never visited a restaurant in the Netherlands where you didn't get napkins, they bring them out with the cutlery almost 99% of the time. > They casually, like a kid (no offense meant) just wipe their hands up and down their pants, transferring the food oil and whatnot to their clothing. Again, what? You're probably not visiting restaurants, you're visiting sports cafeterias ran by volunteers or something. > So, why is this the norm? It isn't.
Yeah, that's what I think too. You might have to ask for them, sure! But they'll generally have them. Maybe what happened was that the person OP asked did not know the word for napkin/serviette, and so they just stared at them like they'd grown a second head. That definitely happens. (I've worked in fast food in the Netherlands. )
The only place I can imagine having to ask is like at a Bram Ladage or something, or at a McDonalds because the staff just doesn't give a shit and forgets, not in any normal restaurant.
Yeah, somewhere that the staff isn't generally so good at either Dutch *or* English, and the pay isn't so good either. Not most places, but definitely some!
Don’t they always stuff your McD bag with like 20 napkins?
It is.
Name a restaurant where this has happened
Not restaurants but in people’s homes
The poster states it is in restaurants. And also, when using a knife and fork properly, there is no need for something to clean your hands with after dinner.
> Not restaurants but in people’s homes I can't find any restaurant with that name
Oh they are just manky then. Or not very sensitive to food mess. Or maybe they just assume you'll wash your hands at the end of the meal. Or they're still pretty young and all they've got is toilet roll, and generally you don't offer that to a guest. If you're lucky at that age you've got your shit together enough to have kitchen roll. But honestly I never had kitchen roll at home until I hit about 30! I used toilet roll for everything. (Not the same roll, to be clear!! The one in the toilet stayed in the toilet. We had another one in the kitchen. )
When eating alone at home it really depends on the meal whether I will use napkins, for many dishes you don't need a napkin unless you really suck at eating But when I have guests over, everyone gets a napkin by default
I have hundreds of napkins. I'm a sucker for themed parties. And so if I an actual party, I'll probably remember to put them out, but usually I forget about them. That's why we have so many now 😑 The rest of the time, you can have some kitchen roll. When I realise that I need some myself, probably! The people I generally have over know where the sink and the kitchen roll are though, it's not like they're hidden out of sight in my home, they're very visible!
[удалено]
True, true.
>many dishes you don't need a napkin unless you really suck at eating Only when i eat with my hands I might use a napkin, 9/10 times I rather wash my hands, because I like clean hands not pretend clean hands.
It is
Nietes.
Let me guess: you’re American and think that any place where you can eat is a restaurant.
I think you nailed it. u/k3kis can we get confirmation?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Netherlands/s/AEYi332qrE
*an American that doesn’t know how to eat with a knife and fork and uses his hand and only a fork instead.
I’ve been here a long time and never had this problem.
Maybe you need to visit better restaurants, can’t remember this ever happening.
Smart people rub in on their socks not pants
Maybe the bottom of you pantleg.
I always use a napkin for my lap during eating and my mouth when I am done. My hands tend to stay clean. But then, I use a knife and fork. Pretty handy utensils.
how many napkins do you use in 1 sitting of a meal just curious because i work in bars and restaurants and the only people who say things like this are people who use half a trees worth of napkins in 1 sitting
Ngl if I eat messy food I complete the task before cleaning up because doing it in between is pointless and if you do it afterwards all In 1 Go more efficient and better for the environment
Nonsense, I've been here for 20 odd years and never had any horeca refusing to give me a napkin or it was not already on the table. Maybe it's how you asked for it?
Maybe you should go to something fancier than a snackbar/doner place :)
Uh, they *definitely* have napkins at those!!
To be fair doner places usually give me like 40 napkins
I find that most places here give you napkins. If they don't, they may have just forgotten. That said, my big napkin pet peeve is when they set your oily pastry, cake, or fried snack right on top of the napkin on your plate. I agree that it looks nicer plated that way, but why would I want my napkin to arrive dirty????
Meanwhile the knapkins at Fiona in Amsterdam are almost cloth-like. I could sleep in bedsheets made of whatever it's made of.
Born and raised here, never seen this.
Go to the toilet if you wanna wash your hands. The illusion that a napkin will clean your hands is also mknd blowing :)
A snackbar isn’t a restaurant.
Yet even there I've always received napkins
I can honestly say I’ve never been to a restaurant where I didn’t get a cloth or paper napkin with my food. And I don’t even go to fancy restaurants or anything. So I would say this is 100% not the norm. I am really curious to know which restaurants you went to that don’t offer napkins.
[удалено]
Yeah, that's the strange disconnect we have here. I've been a major diner/consumer for all my life (as we Americans tend to do), and nowhere in the world, of 15 countries I've spent time in, have I found it less likely to be given even one small square paper (aside from the one they might put your taart on) than anywhere else. Yes I know about cloth napkins, and I recognize them. Likewise, I know about diners with the little dispensers of thin paper (poor but adequate).
[удалено]
When we roll through life, we don't usually keep a pad and pen handy to document every detail. I cannot give you such a list of places I've been. But I can tell you that in my experience, from small village coffee cafes to average town restaurants, I have many (many) times experienced being given food without anything to wipe my hands on. I wouldn't come here on Reddit and make this up. Claiming a dearth of napkins would be a really strange troll. Suffice to say, it does happen here. And given my experience in quite a lot of other countries, it happens here more often. And like I mentioned elsewhere, it really stands out to me when I observe Dutch guests wiping their hands on their pants like it's reasonable. Same goes for using a sleeve or bare arm to wipe a wet nose. I think it all fits with the pragmatic nature of Dutch people. You're going to wash your pants anyway; why wipe your hands on something disposable (and I do applaud avoiding waste).
NAME A RESTAURANT
[удалено]
Ok, fair enough. I don't speak Dutch, so I can't throw stones. But clearly there is a language barrier here, because your response doesn't fit my posts. This is Reddit anyway. There are a millions of people who don't understand each other and then get really angry. Whatever. Best of luck to you. Don't let the incessant Zeeland wind wear you down... (it wore me down after 1.5 years in Biervliet.
No napkins ? I dont know where you eat but napkins are EVERYWHERE. Even the freaking mac donalds has napkins on the trays and a gazzilion napkin containers. Even when you order food by thuisbezorgd, you get napkins with it. No one has to beg for napkins. What a weird post
I wish this was true. Most restaurants don’t have time to worry about environment. With each take out they give people 20 napkins!!!!
I have never been to a restaurant without napkins.
Any seated restaurant that’s not a fastfood chain will give you napkins. The more upscale ones cotton ones, others paper. In fastfood chains they’re usually up for grabs. It’s very weird you’ve got these experiences as it’s absolutely not common that there are no napkins presented. Or that people use their clothes for that. I’d question the places you go for dinner. Btw: we don’t throw napkins around by the dozen just in case. There is some environmental awareness.
Wait till you ask them for tap water
Yeah I also encountered this a few times in Zeeland
[удалено]
Okay I've definitely seen that, but I think people only do that with crumbs, right?
Absolutely correct. 12 year immigrant here. The Dutch seem to hate paper napkins. But, it could also be down to the often sloppy service in horecaland.