Casual Waiter

The Dorchester; England; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and Development

Social Events

Well-being Support

Job summary

The Dorchester is seeking a Casual Waiter to join our renowned hotel team. You will deliver dishes with care, learn the menu, and provide a superior guest experience in a luxury setting.

Join a culture that values inclusiveness and development, with access to our award-winning learning academy to help you achieve the highest standards of service and leadership in hospitality, while supporting diverse guests and evolving skills.

Qualifications

• Attention to detail and accuracy in service procedures.
• Clear, friendly communication with guests and colleagues.
• Ability to work effectively with kitchen and bar teams.
• Customer service mindset focused on guest satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Serve dishes from kitchen to front-of-house, ensuring cleanliness and presentation.
• Label special dishes and notify Head Waiter for handling.
• Set up tables and equipment before service; reset dining area after close.
• Learn menu to answer guest questions and provide dish/beverage details.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Customer service

Job description

Join us as a Casual Waiter at The Dorchester Hotel, recognised as one of ‘The Sunday Times Top 10 Best Places to Work for’ in 2024-2026 and ‘Hotel of the Year – London’ at the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. We continually strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is part of our DNA, reflected in our values of passion, personality, respect, working together, and creativity. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our culture and drives our success.

We care about your career and are known for having the absolute best people in the industry. When you join us as Casual Waiter, you start a unique opportunity to become celebrated as the very best in your field. You'll learn not only from your fellow Legends, but also through our award-winning learning academy, so that you can achieve the highest standards of craft, service, and leadership and become a legend in your own story.

What you'll do

As Casual Waiter, you’ll love what you do and take pride in taking care of our guests:

• You will be responsible for efficiently bringing dishes from the kitchen to the designated front‑of‑house area. This includes ensuring dishes are clean and presentable before they are taken to guests, making sure that all serving equipment is polished and prepared before service begins, preparing tea and coffee according to each guest’s preferences, and ensuring that it meets our quality standards.
• When serving dishes with special requirements, you will clearly label the dish and ensure that it is delivered to the correct table, and notify the Head Waiter that a special dish is on the tray to ensure proper handling.
• You will set up the tables and prepare the equipment before the restaurant opens, along with completing the closing duties at the end of the day such as cleaning tables, storing equipment, and resetting the dining area.
• You will need to thoroughly learn the menu to answer guests’ questions and provide detailed information about dishes and beverages.

The items shared are the essence of a day in the life of our Casual Waiter, but we will make sure you are provided with specifics on how we care for our hotel.

The operational hours of work are shift‑based and may be subjected to change.

What you’ll bring

Essential Skills and Experience

• Attention to Detail: Ability to accurately follow service procedures and ensure orders are correct.
• Communication Skills: Clear and friendly verbal communication with guests and colleagues; adapting communication style to suit different situations.
• Team Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with fellow waitstaff, kitchen, and bar staff to deliver seamless service.
• Customer Service: Providing a positive dining experience by anticipating guest needs and responding to requests efficiently.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with Fine Dining Standards: Knowledge of formal dining service, but training will be provided.
• Basic Wine and Beverage Knowledge: Understanding of different types of beverages and the ability to learn more through training.
• Experience in Upscale Dining: Prior experience in a fine dining or luxury hospitality environment is advantageous.
• Willingness to Learn New Techniques: Openness to training and adopting new service techniques, tools, or technologies.

What you’ll get

• Training and Development: Advance in your career by accessing various apprenticeships from Level 2 to Hospitality Degree Level 5. We partner with outstanding nationally recognised Apprenticeship providers.
• Social Events: Participate in vibrant social events, including a summer party, winter ball, pub quizzes, and cultural and milestone recognition celebrations.
• Well-being Support: Access immediate well‑being advice because we care about our employees.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. If you need us to do anything to support you during the recruitment process (such as adjustments to how you apply, alternative formats of information, or adjustments to the assessment process itself), please do call People & Culture team on 02073197011 or email [e-mail] so that we can discuss how we can support you through this process.