The Best (And Only) Way To Order A Beer At A Pub In The UK - Tasting Table

"Should you enter one of these comforting, brass-and-dark wood alehouses, you should know that if you sit down at a table, expecting a member of staff to take your drink order, you will be waiting indefinitely. This is because, at the overwhelming majority of British pubs, drinks are only ever ordered at the bar."

"Having spent some time as a bartender in Scotland, I can tell you there are a number of good reasons for this. Firstly, British pubs typically have a far lower staff-to-customer ratio than the average restaurant, and impatient pub-goers would be unlikely to tolerate the bar being left unattended while drink orders are ferried from table to table."

"Additionally, many pubs are small (or cozy, if you prefer), and can quickly become crowded when busy. Adding enough extra staff to deliver table service in this kind of cramped environment would therefore turn many pubs into the stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera," with the added irony that it probably wouldn't result in you getting your drinks any faster."

"If you see staff venturing out from behind the bar, do not assume they are doing so to offer table service. Rather, they will almost certainly be going to fetch something from the stockroom, change the beer kegs, or fetch empty glasses left behind on tables vacated by departing customers (in the latter case, this is why it is considered polite for pub-goers to return their empty glasses to the bar before they leave)."

Traditional British pubs are closing rapidly, and many still operate without table service. Customers who sit at tables should expect to order drinks at the bar, not through staff who take orders at the table. This approach is supported by a low staff-to-customer ratio and the likelihood that bar service would be disrupted if staff had to move between tables. Many pubs are small and can become crowded quickly, making additional staff for table delivery impractical. Staff leaving the bar usually fetch items from the stockroom, change beer kegs, or clear empty glasses from tables. Returning empty glasses to the bar is considered polite. Groups often order rounds by sending multiple people to the bar together.

Read at Tasting Table