If you are headed to a restaurant for a great conversation, prefer full-service over take-away or buffets. Better yet, choose one where the service isn’t too quick and pick a corner table.
In-person conversations are more complex than they appear. Good conversations require your full mental bandwidth. You need to pay complete attention to the other person – the words they use, the expressions on their face, their bodily gestures and the implicit things they communicate between the lines.
All of this requires you to suspend interruptions and dispel any sense of hurry. A restaurant with good service staff ensures this. Once you have ordered your food, you can ease into a nice flow of exchanges before it arrives.
Also, there is no rush after you finish eating. You haven’t paid yet, so there is no need to leave. You can continue conversing and pay when you are done.
Like plants, conversation need to be carefully nurtured. Some spaces are more conducive than others, so choose wisely.
Observations 