non-smoking sections
 

Are any non-smoking sections in restaurants in Europe or Asia? Has anyone got any recommendations?

I'm not sure I totally understand your question. Are you asking if any restaurants in the Europe or Asia have non-smoking sections?

In my experience in Europe, they are few and far between, and usually "token" in that while you may not have someone right next to you lighting up, you may very well have people smoking quite nearby. I do think the situation is slowly changing.

I don't think I've ever seen a non-smoking section in a restaurant in Asia, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Good luck!

For example, I was recently in London. At the restaurant, Bunch of Grapes Pub, on Brompton Street (down the street from Harrod's) the upstairs was non-smoking. I am trying to compile a list of places, anywhere on the planet other than the U.S., that have non-smoking sections.

Marilyn, Attitudes about smoking our changing in Europe albeit not at the pace of the U.S. I read an article on BMI airlines about Tony Blair's concern about how much people in the U.K. and how much it is costing the economy. There are also many anitsmoking organizations in Europe. The seeds have been planted.

From a recent trip I noticed that more restaurants than not had no smoking sections. But, as the poster above mentioned, they are token and you may have a voracious smoker at the table next to you. Kind of like in the U.S., about 10 year ago. It was still very unappetizing. Try Europe in about a decade for some real relief.

Rocco, I can't believe you said it was smoking in Europe is like the U.S. ten years ago. That is exactly what I told someone I know who is totally an anitsmoker and she smoked for over 30 years. I might have to wait a decade before going overseas. I find the smoking unacceptable and intolerable. Luckily, there are many sights in the U.S. I haven't seen.

I am also very sensitive to smoke. Had lots of trouble in Paris, but not in Vienna, Salzburg or Venice. The Chow! Venice restaraunt guide for Venice details the smoking situation at each place...apparently public places in Italy (or maybe just Venice??) have new non-smoking area rules going into effect in 2004. I certainly don't think you need to avoid Europe just because of the smoke...just be creative and willing to look for places with true non-smoking rooms. Everyone told us "oh, you'll just be in rooms with other Americans"...not true. We ate only at places that had separate non-smoking rooms, and they seemed to be filled only with locals.

Anne

http://www.smokefreeworld.com/

This website lists smokefree dining, entertainment and travel worldwide along with user reviews.

cynthia, I've been traveling to Europe for about 30 years, and believe me the situation has changed a lot. As you said, the seeds have been planted. I do not think concern about smoke filled restaurants is a reason not to go to Europe.

Perhaps you might start with England, where you can certainly find health food or vegetarian restaurants in most major cities. These places are likely to be non-smoking, or at least have non-smoking sections. Just stay out of the pubs!

Here is one post for you


Le Florimond restaurant in Paris - nonsmoking as of October 6th

Author: Wildflower
Date: 11/05/2003, 08:36 am
Message: Just returned last night from our wonderful trip to Dordogne and Paris and would like to share this great news with those who are always looking for non-smoking restaurants in Paris. Like always we had there a great meal.
Are there any more non-smoking restaurants in Paris? We would like find out about them before our next trip in May.



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Author: JonJon
Date: 11/05/2003, 08:45 am
Message: Does this mean that smoking will not be allowed..at all...in this restaurant or have they established a non-smoking section? I often find the latter in Europe to be woefully ineffective.



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Author: Wildflower
Date: 11/05/2003, 09:23 am
Message:
JonJon
Le Florimond is a very small restaurants and a whole place is non-smoking. There is not any section or even one table that has been designated to smokers. This place is for NON-Smokers only

Smoke in restaurants is my least favourite aspect of being in Europe. When in London recently I was pleasantly surprised to not be smoked out once in the whole visit. I distincly remember being surpised to be asked smoking or non at a busy restaurant. And the non was really not smokey.

How about dining in Le Florimond in Paris since it is a non-smoking restaurants and food is excellent.

AnnO Thanks for the non-smoking info on Vienna, Salzburg and Venice. I will put them on the top of list to go after my trip to Beijing.

mvor www.smokefree.com is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks.

I want to thank everyone who gave advice and names of resturants. They are noted and filed. When anyone goes anywhere and comes a restaurnat/bar that has a non-smoking section, feel free to e-mail me.

Here are the restaurants with non-smoking sections that I have come across.
London - Yo! Sushi is total nonsmoking. I got the tip from Rick Steves.

London - Bunch of Grapes Pub has a second floor that is nonsmoking but opens at 5:00 p.m. It is on Brompton Street down the block from Harrods.

Paris - Leon de bruxlles (spelling), a cafe is a popular chain and has large nonsmoking sections and English menus.

Paris - Bofinger, a brasserie is near the opera and has a nonsmoking room, English menus and very good food.

From my experience, there are many restaurants in Europe with non-smoking areas. However, you will very possibly encounter some smoke wafting through the restaurant into your area.

Just back from Italy (Rome, Florence, Lucca). This trip we were delighted to find so little smoking in restaurants. Either there was no smoking allowed (some restaurants didn't even have ash trays) or people just weren't smoking.
In a couple of restaurants, there were separate rooms for smokers and non-smokers - the non-smokers' rooms were full and the smokers' rooms almost empty.

On our recent trip to Italy we noticed that in most restaurants the majority of people refrained from smoking, even if it was permitted.

OK 666 I don't understand why you did not add Le Florimond in Paris.

We had a pleasant dinner at Le Forimond in June. I recall there was a couple smoking. Therefore, I do not think that Le Florimond is a no smoking restaurant

earlxx:

Your recollection must be
inaccurate, or else the chef was making a big exception for friends or colleagues. Le Florimond has been totally non-smoking for at least two years now. I had dinner there in October and there were signs everywhere pointing out that smoking was entirely forbidden anywhere in the restaurant.

i agree with ira. we were so happy to find that in italy (compared to previous trips six and three years ago,) this year was really very smoke-free!

Hello StCirq
Actually you both are correct. In June Le Florimond was still smoking and officially it became a fully non-smoking on October 6th. For the last three years when dining there, and we visit this place at least three times a year, I think only twice we had smokers sitting near by. Most of the time nobody smoked. On November 3rd we had dinner there again and were surprised to see a sign on the door and a little sign on each table informing that for guests' comfort this place is non-smoking. We talked with the chef/owner about it and learned that they decided to become non-smoking restaurants as the most of people who dine there are non-smokers anyway.
P.S. StCirq thanks for your great help with our October trip to Dordogne. It was fantastic!!

We just got back from a week in Paris and only ran into smokers twice. We sat in the nonsmoking sections of restaurants (and most restaurants had a nonsmoking section). One evening in a lousy restaurant (we all make mistakes!) there was a young lady opposite us who chainsmoked her way through her meal. Fortunately she came in after we did so we escaped pretty quickly. The other evening we were in nonsmoking and a young American couple came in and wanted to sit by the window. Unfortunately, the window was in nonsmoking and the young lady smoked. The waiter was no help. He brought her an ashtray and said it was fine. (We noticed he spoke English to her and French to us which we thought was odd.)

At any rate, the rest of the time we had no problem. We actually ate in a couple cafes that didn't have a nonsmoking section (that we could see) and no one was smoking anyway. That was lovely!

It is getting better.