Beware Tea Lights
Traditionally, only restaurants with thoughtful service and delicious, complex flavours that came patrons coming back could sustainably afford to create a beautiful restaurant space. As such, we've learned to associate strong aesthetics with a delicious meal and a memorable experience.
As the cost of creating an Instagrammable space plummeted, many restaurants have tried to maintain high margins by trying to hoodwink diners into paying for a luxury experience without delivering one. A dead giveaway to me that a restaurant has cut corners in creating an intimate, layered atmosphere is switch-on tea lights in lieu of real candles on the tables.
The moment I see the artificial flicker of a plastic tea light, it feels like the clock has struck midnight and the carriage has turned back into a pumpkin. The facade melts away and cracks start to become apparent. A spelling mistake on the menu, a plastic serving plate masquerading as stoneware.
If a restaurant uses fake candles on their tables, they are likely to cheap out on food quality too. I have never had an incredible meal at a restaurant using tea lights. You can't cheap out when trying to create a premium experience - those paying attention always see through the charade.