Maître d'hôtel

"Head waiter" redirects here. For the silent film featuring Oliver Hardy, see The Head Waiter.

The maître d'hôtel (French: "master of hotel", pronounced: [mɛːtʁə d‿otɛl]), head waiter, host or maître d' (US /ˈmeɪtər diː/) manages the public part, or "front of the house", of a formal restaurant. The responsibilities of a maître d'hôtel generally include supervising the waiting staff, welcoming guests and assigning tables to them, taking reservations and ensuring that guests are satisfied.

In large organizations such as hotels or cruise ships with multiple restaurants, the maître d'hôtel is often responsible for the overall dining experience including room service and buffet services, while head waiters or supervisors are responsible for the specific restaurant or dining room they work in.

In restaurants where food is partly prepared at table, the maître d’hôtel may be responsible for such operations as boning fish, mixing salads and flambéing foods.

See also

• Beurre Maitre d’Hotel, a parsley butter
• Brigade de cuisine, a formal back-of-house (kitchen) hierarchy.
• Hospitality
• List of restaurant terminology
• Concierge