Head Waiter

Dorchester Collection; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury hotel group in the City of Westminster is seeking a Head Waiter to join their prestigious team at The Grill. The ideal candidate will deliver exceptional 5-star service, ensuring guests' needs are met with precision and care. Responsibilities include running a station, greeting guests, and assisting with orders. Essential skills include strong customer service, teamwork, and attention to detail. Previous experience in fine dining service is preferred. Employee perks include complimentary stays at hotels and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Complimentary stays at Dorchester Collection Hotels

50% off food and beverages

Enrolment in Aviva Private Pension scheme

Seasonal ticket loan

Well-being support

Referral bonus of £1000

Qualifications

• Friendly and polite attitude when serving customers.
• Ability to work closely with other waiters and kitchen staff.
• Ensure orders are correct and service is smooth.
• Serve customers on time and manage tasks quickly.
• Knowledge of menu items, including dishes and drinks.
• Maintain a neat and presentable appearance.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the ultimate 5-star experience to guests.
• Run a station, greet guests, and assist with order taking.
• Fulfill special requests related to dietary needs and occasions.
• Work in shift-based operational hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Skills

Customer Service Skills

Teamwork

Attention to Detail

Time Management

Basic Food & Drink Knowledge

Professional Appearance

Job description

Position Overview

Join us as a Head Waiter at The Grill at The Dorchester, recently recognised as one of ‘The Sunday Times Top 10 Best Places to Work for’ in 2024 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 proud to have the absolute best people in the industry. When you join us as a Head Waiter at The Grill at The Dorchester, you will have a unique opportunity to excel in your field. You will learn from your fellow Legends and our award-winning learning academy to achieve the highest standards in craft, service, and leadership.

What you'll get

• Complimentary Stays: Enjoy complimentary stays with breakfast at Dorchester Collection Hotels every year.
• Discounts: Get 50% off food and beverages at selected bars and restaurants within the
• Dorchester Collection: Enjoy Friends & Family stay discounts out hotels, Benefit from discounts at various high street and online shops
• Employee Perks: Enrol from day 1 into the Aviva Private Pension scheme (we contribute 8% towards your pension); Benefit from Seasonal ticket loan, Rental deposit scheme, private financial advice, and Eye care vouchers.
• 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.
• Referral Bonus: Earn a £1000 bonus when you recommend a friend.
• Well-being Support: Access immediate well-being advice because we care about our employees.

What you'll do

As a Head Waiter, you'll enjoy your work and take pride in delighting our guests:

You will be responsible for delivering the ultimate 5-star experience ensuring that all guest needs are fulfilled during their day. This will include running a station, greeting guests, menu knowledge and assist management with order taking and billing all to ensure our guests receive nothing but the best experience.
Sometimes our guests have special requests involving dietary requirements and even special occasions. Most of these requests are fulfilled by our Head Waiter.
The items shared are the essence of a day in the life of a Head Waiter, but we’ll 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.
We are open breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The operational hours of work are shift-based.

What you'll bring

Essential Skills and Experiences

• Customer Service Skills: You should be friendly and polite when serving customers. You must always make customers feel welcome and comfortable.
• Teamwork: You will work closely with other waiters and kitchen staff. You should be able to help your team and communicate clearly with them.
• Attention to Detail: You need to make sure orders are correct and the service is smooth. You should notice small things, like if a customer’s glass is empty.
• Time Management: You must be able to serve customers on time and manage tasks quickly. You should be able to handle multiple requests without getting flustered.
• Basic Food & Drink Knowledge: You should know the menu well, including the dishes and drinks we serve. You need to answer simple questions about food, like ingredients or allergies.
• Professional Appearance: You should look neat and presentable at all times. Our head waiters wear uniforms and follow our dress code.

Preferred Skills and Experiences

• Previous Experience as a Head Waiter or Senior Waiter: If you have worked in a similar role before, that’s great!
• Knowledge of Fine Dining Service: It would be helpful if you understand luxury service or fine dining, like knowing how to serve different types of wine. If you don't know this yet, we will provide training.
• Problem Solving: You may need to deal with complaints or solve problems quickly. Being able to stay calm and find solutions will help.