dressing for Three Chimneys?
 

Hi, all.

I'm off to Scotland at the end of the month, and after reading everyone's raves, I am definitely planning on dinner at the Three Chimneys on Skye. Should I force my sweetie to pack a jacket and tie for the occasion, or will he be all right in a button-down shirt? Would it be insane to e-mail ahead for a reservation?

Yes - you had best book ahead - it is a world reknown restaurant.

No need for formal wear. Smart casual would be fine -- but do make your reservations ASAP.

Unless there's a cancellation you won't get in. They're currently booking past November. I was told 3 weeks ago about friends who are marrying in Skye in Novmeber who tried to book dinner and got the last table. In November. Mid-week.

You might get lunch, tho':)

I think it's the sort of place where they will not throw you out for wearing jeans but you'd more comfortable more upmarket

Skye is in the middle of nowhere - you hardly need a jacket and tie - it's not The Ritz my dear.

You would be surprised by some places in the missle of nowhere.

A jacket and tie in the middle of nowhere=naff, prententious and smalltime.

Yawn....

When did a jacket and tie become formal wear?

Interesting question ira. I'd say sometime in the late 90s.

But there's absolutely no question that in everyday modern British, formal means jacket and tie.

Anything fancier is always expressly indicated: lounge suit, lounge suit native costume or service dress, black tie, white tie, decorations may be worn, doctors wear scarlet.

All of them increasingly rare.

Dear Kingdom (is that Kingdom of the Blind?) the Three Chimneys is the 28th best restaurant in the world.

The Ritz doesn't feature on the list.

Dress codes and quality of food have nothing to do with each other. Just because somewhere is smart doesn't mean the food is outstanding.

Quite. And just because it's not in the middle of your somewhere, doesn't mean it's not smart

This is very "curmudgeon'y" of me BUT, if a man is so lazy, impolite and disrespectful of himself (and, of course, his escort, particularly if it is me), as to go to dinner at a nice, renown restaurant wearing his golf attire, or bowling shirt, and doesn't even pack a nice linen blazer/sport coat... well he's not the man for me...and I don't want to eat with him!! Harumph!!!

Did I suggest that one went in sporting attire? I'd never ever suggest that.

A jacket - not brass buttoned blazer - worn with an open neck shirt, or a suit worn with a fine cotton T-shirt is suitable for smart-casual/border of formal-wear. I wouldn't recommend turning up in a t-shirt and jeans, but a tie is very old fashioned and naff now - unless you wear it tied as a bowtie, which quite frankly look affected, even on fashion shoots. Ties should only be worn with suits for business, or at The Ritz (terribly stuck in its ways).

A tie and jacket is the height of naffness.

what the hell is naffness?

Naffness - dreadfully out of vogue and in bad taste. An American in a brass buttoned blazer and striped "club" tie with smart slacks, thinking they are well dressed.

MK2: Wrong.

An American so attired is wearing national dress. No more or less naff than a shalwar khameez or a Nehru suit. The fact that it's quaint here doesn't make it naff - especially as almost all Americans at least wear blazers that fit.

What IS naff is for an Englishman to dress that way. Naffer still if - sorry, when - it doesn't fit properly.

Naffer still - in fact downright offensive - is for people like SuzieC to assume that because this country don't share her provincial manners we "don't respect" ourselves.

When you're in this country, Suzie, you might have the courtesy to respect our weay of life.

My goodness, my husband is American and he would <i>never</i> wear a brass-buttoned blazer and striped tie. Yikes!

There are plenty of very stylish Americans, however, the brass buttoned blazer type ones do taint their image so.

It always amazes me how off topic this forum drifts. I ate at 3 chimneys with my family a few years ago. We had no reservations - popped by in mid afternoon (5 of us) and ran to the back door - talked with the owner. We got in that day at the earliest seating (it wasn't overly early). We certainly weren't dressed up - and were welcomed with the hospitality I always receive in Scotland. So bottom line, I wouldn't bring anything special to wear - and I would still stop by if you don't get a reservation. All this being said, our meal was fine - we had a lovely time - but nothing I would rave about.