The lap of luxury

How would you define luxury? Is it something only available to a few people, or something that costs a fortune, or just something you want rather than something you need?

My personal definition of luxury is none of those. It's something that lifts me out of my everyday existence and makes me feel on top of the world.

Some of my personal luxuries are:

• Eating out. Hugely extravagant but a lovely occasional treat.
• Extra-delicious food. In particular bread, cake, desserts, chocolate.
• A trip to the theatre. Only rarely given such crazy prices!
• My weekly chat with Jenny in the local coffee shop.
• Books. I love being totally engrossed in a really good book.
• A beautiful piece of furniture that cost a lot but I can enjoy it for years.
• Ditto a beautiful painting.
• Lazing in the garden on a hot, sunny day. Not that frequent in Belfast!
• Holidays, especially in places I've never been to before.
• A long hot shower. Or a long hot bath.

I suppose these could all be summed up under the heading of pampering. It's all very relative though. To someone really hard up, getting a taxi, having a hairdo or buying a new duvet might be the height of luxury, while to someone hugely rich, to get any sense of luxury they'd have to buy a new yacht or a £10,000 watch.

Eating out

Jenny and I eat out at restaurants quite a lot, and I think I've finally worked out the essentials of an eating-out success - exceptional food and pampering.

The meal has to be special, a cut above home cooking with an extra indefinable something we can't create ourselves. And ideally with unique dishes we couldn't find anywhere else. Since Jenny's cooking already sets a high standard, that's asking a lot.

I also expect to be pampered - to be treated like a valued guest with friendliness, attentiveness, flexibility, a touch of style in the furnishings and decor - and generous portions. I don't want to feel like just another customer to be got rid of as quickly as possible.

Every niggle and annoyance about eating out really boils down to those two things, the basic yardsticks that divide the good, the bad and the ugly. And my, how swiftly good turns to bad when the staff don't follow those simple principles.

If those two qualities are lacking, what's the point of going to a fancy restaurant at all? If the food and service are unexceptional, why pay a premium? You might as well go down the road to the local takeaway and pick up some unexceptional pizza or curry.

Jenny and I have tried a wide range of restaurants in South and East Belfast and it's frustrating how often they disappoint. You would think it was easy enough to meet those basic requirements, but so often carelessness and brusqueness strike the wrong note.

Why run a restaurant at all if you're not prepared to put your heart and soul into it and give every diner an experience to remember, where every detail of the meal is a pleasure and a delight? Is that so hard?

And is it so hard to provide a few tasty vegetarian options? With hundreds of meatless ingredients to choose from, why am I offered such bland and predictable fare? Why such a lack of imagination?

PS: See Jenny's comments on three popular East Belfast restaurants