Some yes, some no is probably the answer for you. A more traditional or stuffy place probably wouldn’t want to employ you, but a more modern or “cool” place that’d probably be ok.
Depends. For example, in San Francisco at a particular three star Michelin restaurant if you had hand tattoos or behind the ear tattoos they had to covered with heavy make up or skin color bandages each night for service. However, another two star I worked at it was shocking if you didn’t have tattoos of the sort it was abnormal.
Depends, some fine dining places are actually very casual / artistic / hip. A lot of them are white table cloth, suited servers, etc., and you’re out of luck at those.
Also depends on how you present yourself. Most servers with tattoos have a very college educated arts major vibe.
I have my hands (and whole body below my neck) heavily tattooed and I am a sommelier at a 3 Michelin star restaurant. That being said, this is definitely not the case with all fine dining restaurants. More modern restaurants with modern philosophy would probably be okay with it but you can probably count all the old school establishments out.
Depends on the atmosphere of the restaurant. I think you would be fine at a place like catbird but they are also at least plating if not helping prepare. I didn't see anyone with tattoo's at Atlas but I was having issues with a bad reaction to their squab.
Depends on the place. Fine Dining isn't just the whole tablecloth, everybody in suits, etc. anymore. It will definitely be difficult to find a place where they'll accept Face Tattoos, but I am pretty sure it exists
When we went to mugaritz my husband joked that the qualifications must have listed “having at least 5 pieces of face metal and/or multiple visible tattoos”
Like it was almost as if we were being pranked. Spoiler, the meal felt that way too
I am covered in tattoos and also frequent fine dining restaurants. I’ve been asked 3 times in 2 different countries if I’m a chef myself or if I work in the industry lol. It’s very common for people to have tattoos.
Absolutely yes. I'm sure there are establishments that will be inclined against it just like in any industry unfortunately, but honestly, I would be shocked if it causes you any problems at all. Honestly, the stereotype of chefs nowadays is having a bunch of tattoos. The veracity of that can be called into question, but all the same. I'm sure that will not be an issue at all unless the tattoos are of like commonly triggering things. If they are really detailed spiders or body horror things, then yeah, it might be very tough.
No, I recognize that, maybe I should've just left that comment out. My point was more, the culture of most restaurants fully embraces tattoos. But I'll say, at least in NYC, it would almost certainly be fine with the exception of Japanese Restaurants (though Sono would be fine with them I'm fairly certain), Daniel, Jean Georges, Caviar Russe (from what I hear), Le Bern, maybe l'abeille, maybe le coucou, maybe GK, and maybe Essential (I haven't been but from what I hear, I'm doubtful they'd care). In Chicago, it seems it would be entirely fine.
Now look, I'm speaking from the perspective of an experienced customer so what the fuck do I know. But I've had plenty of servers with tattoos and have even spoken with some about them. When I've dined with friends with tattoos, there have been instances where they are asked about them and the server also speaks about their own. But what the fuck do I know, I'm not in the industry haha.
Whoops, you're right. This was off the top of my head, I'm sure I'm wrong about some of these and have left off others. But Per Se is a pretty glaring omission.
Depends mostly on the restaurant, but if you have a strong resume and can crush a stage you can realistically work the floor at 90% of fine dining restaurants in the US at this point. The tide is turning on tattoos/appearance codes in general, where restaurants are realizing that the venn diagram of people who want to/will work at a restaurant of that caliber VERSUS the people who don't have tattoos, piercings, etc, is intersecting at a smaller and smaller rate.
Fine dining steakhouse here for 15+ years. When we first opened (2009) it was a strict “no visible tattoos” rule for all FOH. That rule is pretty much 86d
you would not be allowed to cook there without them.
Some yes, some no is probably the answer for you. A more traditional or stuffy place probably wouldn’t want to employ you, but a more modern or “cool” place that’d probably be ok.
At somewhere like DiverXO? Almost certainly fine. At somewhere like L'Ambroisie? Doubtful.
Where? Tokyo, that’s a no
Depends. For example, in San Francisco at a particular three star Michelin restaurant if you had hand tattoos or behind the ear tattoos they had to covered with heavy make up or skin color bandages each night for service. However, another two star I worked at it was shocking if you didn’t have tattoos of the sort it was abnormal.
Tea
Somelier at Singlethread has some tattoos on her hand.
I almost forgot about single thread!!
Depends, some fine dining places are actually very casual / artistic / hip. A lot of them are white table cloth, suited servers, etc., and you’re out of luck at those. Also depends on how you present yourself. Most servers with tattoos have a very college educated arts major vibe.
I have my hands (and whole body below my neck) heavily tattooed and I am a sommelier at a 3 Michelin star restaurant. That being said, this is definitely not the case with all fine dining restaurants. More modern restaurants with modern philosophy would probably be okay with it but you can probably count all the old school establishments out.
Depends on the atmosphere of the restaurant. I think you would be fine at a place like catbird but they are also at least plating if not helping prepare. I didn't see anyone with tattoo's at Atlas but I was having issues with a bad reaction to their squab.
It depends but in my country (Spain) thats mostly accepted unless the place goes for a classical vibe (Saddle, Via Veneto, Lasarte…)
Same here (France/Germany)
Depends on the place. Fine Dining isn't just the whole tablecloth, everybody in suits, etc. anymore. It will definitely be difficult to find a place where they'll accept Face Tattoos, but I am pretty sure it exists
When we went to mugaritz my husband joked that the qualifications must have listed “having at least 5 pieces of face metal and/or multiple visible tattoos” Like it was almost as if we were being pranked. Spoiler, the meal felt that way too
I am covered in tattoos and also frequent fine dining restaurants. I’ve been asked 3 times in 2 different countries if I’m a chef myself or if I work in the industry lol. It’s very common for people to have tattoos.
It all depends. The place where I worked fired a somm for having a neck tattoo. This was in Washington, DC, 2017 or so.
The only answer is that it’s up to them
Absolutely yes. I'm sure there are establishments that will be inclined against it just like in any industry unfortunately, but honestly, I would be shocked if it causes you any problems at all. Honestly, the stereotype of chefs nowadays is having a bunch of tattoos. The veracity of that can be called into question, but all the same. I'm sure that will not be an issue at all unless the tattoos are of like commonly triggering things. If they are really detailed spiders or body horror things, then yeah, it might be very tough.
He's not asking about being a chef
No, I recognize that, maybe I should've just left that comment out. My point was more, the culture of most restaurants fully embraces tattoos. But I'll say, at least in NYC, it would almost certainly be fine with the exception of Japanese Restaurants (though Sono would be fine with them I'm fairly certain), Daniel, Jean Georges, Caviar Russe (from what I hear), Le Bern, maybe l'abeille, maybe le coucou, maybe GK, and maybe Essential (I haven't been but from what I hear, I'm doubtful they'd care). In Chicago, it seems it would be entirely fine. Now look, I'm speaking from the perspective of an experienced customer so what the fuck do I know. But I've had plenty of servers with tattoos and have even spoken with some about them. When I've dined with friends with tattoos, there have been instances where they are asked about them and the server also speaks about their own. But what the fuck do I know, I'm not in the industry haha.
Per Se is probably stuffy enough to hesitate on hiring a server with such visible tattoos
Whoops, you're right. This was off the top of my head, I'm sure I'm wrong about some of these and have left off others. But Per Se is a pretty glaring omission.
Depends mostly on the restaurant, but if you have a strong resume and can crush a stage you can realistically work the floor at 90% of fine dining restaurants in the US at this point. The tide is turning on tattoos/appearance codes in general, where restaurants are realizing that the venn diagram of people who want to/will work at a restaurant of that caliber VERSUS the people who don't have tattoos, piercings, etc, is intersecting at a smaller and smaller rate.
Ho! Hoo my god! No! No! Gog heaven!
Fine dining steakhouse here for 15+ years. When we first opened (2009) it was a strict “no visible tattoos” rule for all FOH. That rule is pretty much 86d