slightly and then pour a little water into their wine glasses. I’m not sure if they noticed me sobbing.
"I miss the goosebumps that spectacular dishes give me while I’m eating them.
"I miss the noise, the buzz, the hum, the rhythm and the air of expectation you find in established restaurants.
"I miss those few seconds where I simply stare at the dish in front of me before picking up my knife and fork.
In a show of affection for restaurants good and bad, the letter continued: "I miss good service and feeling the love; I miss comically inept service and feeling the apathy."
"I miss chefs. I miss playing tattoo bingo when there’s an open kitchen and I’m sitting at the counter. I miss seeing that fierce look of concentration on their faces, knowing that I’m about to be a recipient of something created out of that intensity."
"I miss eating out with friends and having funny, loud conversations in the flesh, instead of cyberchats with wobbly wifi and Pinteresque pauses."
How to land a job as a Michelin inspector is still shrouded in mystery - but unlike spies, the tyre company's staff get to tell their entourage what they do.
The inspector joked: "I miss being asked by friends “How did you get this job?” – even though it sometimes came out as “How did you get this job?”"
Hospitality folk, what do you miss most about restaurants? We'd love to hear your thoughts and stories in the comments below!
