maître d'hôtel

The maître d'hôtel (French for 'master of the house'; pronounced [mɛːtʁə dotɛl] ), head waiter, host, waiter captain, or maître d' (UK: MAY-trə DEE, also US: MAY-tər -⁠) 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. Other roles include supervising wine selections and helping chefs create menus. In North America, a maître d'hôtel is known as a dining room manager. In large organizations, such as certain hotels, or cruise ships with multiple restaurants, the maître d'hôtel is often responsible for the overall dining experience, including room service and buffet servic...