A sit-down restaurant is a type of restaurant which provides tables where one sits down to eat the meal, typically served by wait-staff. Historically called simply restaurants, following the rise of fast food and take-out restaurants, a retronym for the older "standard" restaurant was created. Most commonly, "sit-down restaurant" refers to a casual dining restaurant with table service rather than a fast-food restaurant where one orders food at a counter. Sit-down restaurants are often further categorized as "family-style" or "formal".

Types of restaurants