Remembering names, hanging up coats, asking how the meal went — it’s often the little things that keep people coming back.

Lifestyle canvassed Hamilton to learn what residents thought about the Bermuda dining experience. The people we spoke to did not complain about the quality of food and drink on offer, nor did they care about opening hours or moan that restaurants all served the same type of food.

In a nutshell, they all wanted good service.

— Louise Charlton, 38, lawyer

Recently I went to a fairly high-end restaurant and I was surprised when they didn’t take our coats.

When we took our seats the coats were wet and they kept falling on the floor. Finally, my friend had to hang our jackets up herself.

In a good restaurant you take for granted something as simple as hanging up people’s coats. It makes a difference.

Bolero Brasserie is my favourite. The manager always greets us by name when we come in, although I confess I don’t know his.

— Stephanie Lovell, 33, marketing administrator at Digicel Bermuda

I recently had a very bad customer service experience. It was at a very new, expensive restaurant that everyone has been talking about. The servers really had a bad attitude. It ruined the whole experience.

My favourite restaurant is Flanagan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. It has a comfortable atmosphere.

I have never had any problems with the staff, they are always willing to answer my questions. They ask if I have enjoyed my food. I am originally from St Kitts and the variety of food here is better.

— Antonello Fadda, 56, manager at Washington Mall Food Court

The first thing to improve restaurants is to bring more people to Bermuda.

The food court probably feeds 1,100 to 1500 people a day. We are probably taking customers away from other restaurants but that is the nature of the game. We need more patrons.

I travel a lot and the variety of restaurants in Bermuda is pretty good for a small island.

Now, customer service is another story. Service could be improved all the time.

Here, the cost of doing business is high because of the cost of food, but there is a big margin to make a profit because there is no tax. If there was income tax, the business would be gone.

— Heidi Proctor, 54, retailer at Dockyard Glassworks

I am originally from Switzerland. Most restaurants in Bermuda are pretty good, although there is always room for improvement.

My favourite restaurant in Bermuda might be Blu Bar and Grill although I only eat out maybe once a month. I like the ambience there. The service there is good. Local restaurants are trying. As long as they have good service and the food is good, people will come.

— Charlene Place, 21, university student

They need to get better restaurants in Bermuda, in general. We need to bring in more Americanised restaurants, although I know it is probably not possible. I would really like to see an Olive Garden in Bermuda.

The service in local restaurants in Bermuda is not bad. It is friendly enough, although there are probably restaurants in Bermuda where you will find individuals who hate their jobs.

My favourite restaurant in Bermuda is Pickled Onion. The prices are not too bad and the service is great. Unfortunately, I don’t feel the price in Bermuda justifies what you get.

— Anthony Foggo, 27, assistant manager at CellOne

There are not enough middle-of-the-road restaurants. There are small diners and then five-star restaurants and not much in between.

If you go to Speciality Inn in Smith’s on a Thursday evening, the place is packed. It’s crowded because there are not a lot of other nice, casual restaurants like that. The service in local restaurants is great but restaurants are expensive. A lot of the time the price doesn’t match what you are getting. All the restaurants might charge the same for a steak, but the steaks aren’t all the same quality.

One of my favourite restaurants is the Lobster Pot in town. It is not a crazy, fancy restaurant; it is casual with really great food.

— Raphael Simons, 44, head of IT security and fraud risk at HSBC

I can’t think of any restaurant that needs vast improvement. I eat out often enough between client meetings and regular stuff.

I love Bolero Brasserie and the chef’s take on traditional food. We just came back from a trip to the United States and I am a huge foodie.

I thought Bermuda restaurants could easily take on the restaurants I was in out there. The same goes for the United Kingdom.

The cost of food here justifies what you get and is comparable to prices abroad. There is a lot of variety here considering we don’t have a tonne of home-grown stuff to offer other than local fish. Service is good here.