Restaurant Coat Checks: How To Use Them And The Etiquette You Need To Know

If you walk into a restaurant and someone offers to take your coat, you may instinctively refuse. Coat checks might still be standard in places where you'll be standing for a while, or squeezed into a crowd, such as at museums, concert venues, and theaters. But when it comes to dining out, most of us are just used to having all our belongings with us at the table. However, if you're eating at one of the best high-end restaurants in the U.S., you might very well encounter a coat check. 

So, let's look at when to use them, why to use them, and how. Everyone feels more confident when they know what dining etiquette mistakes to avoid, and while increasingly uncommon, general coat check guidelines are not yet among outdated restaurant etiquette rules that are just laughable now. Coat checks became widespread in Europe and reached North America in the 19th century; people attending formal events needed a place to store their topcoats, cloaks, hats, and gloves. 

Most environments are more relaxed today, and people only wear such accessories when it's cold out, so coat checks — requiring both space and a staff member — began phasing out. However, those still around today signal one or both of these things: that the restaurant is formal, or that it's pretty compact. When you see a coat check, you should use it. It helps you enjoy the full fine-dining experience and have a bit more room, and in tighter restaurants, it's also in the best interest of staff and fellow diners.

Of course, it's ultimately your decision whether you check your belongings, however fancy the restaurant is — the space issue is where it becomes the more considerate thing to do. If you see the dining room is spacious and you don't wish to part with your coat, that's perfectly acceptable. But if things are tighter, coat-checking helps things run smoothly for everyone. 

When coats hang off of chair backs, they take up valuable real estate where other patrons walk, as do staff, carrying trays, plates, and drinks. Someone could trip, at worst hurting themselves or — less serious but still undesirable — spilling on your coat. The same goes for shopping bags and anything else that you can't comfortably sit on or keep on your person. Speaking of which, no one is expected to not have their personal handbag on them, small space or not.

Really the only other thing to know, then, is coat check restaurant tipping etiquette. Yes, you should tip, but no, you don't have to shell out more than a dollar or two. If you're just checking your coat, one dollar is sufficient. If you're checking something like a shopping bag or maybe a larger umbrella, opt for two dollars. Three dollars wouldn't hurt if, say, it's the holiday season and you've arrived with multiple big shopping bags in tow, but that's not the norm. With a buck or two and an awareness of space, you'll navigate restaurant coat checks with ease.