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Hostesses Seat "Beautiful People" at Prime Tables, Actress Reveals
Jennifer Garner shares industry secrets about restaurant seating assignments based on appearance.
Mar. 15, 2026 at 9:48pm
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Actress Jennifer Garner has revealed that during her time working as a restaurant hostess, she was instructed by management to "merchandise" the dining room by seating the "beautiful people" and celebrities at the most prominent tables, while relegating other customers to less desirable seating areas. This practice, which has also been observed in upscale London restaurants, is aimed at creating an image of exclusivity and attracting more patrons.
Why it matters
This seating strategy highlights the restaurant industry's focus on image and appearance over providing equal service to all customers. It raises questions about fairness, discrimination, and the pressure on establishments to cater to a certain aesthetic in order to be perceived as successful and desirable.
The details
According to Garner, when famous guests like Steve Martin would request a specific table, she would have to move other customers to the bar and provide them with complimentary appetizers. Restaurants refer to less desirable seating areas as "Siberia." A 2016 TV investigation found that models were seated at prime tables, while a presenter with a visible medical condition was either seated in the back or turned away entirely.
- In her pre-fame days, Jennifer Garner worked as a restaurant hostess.
- Garner shared these revelations during a recent appearance on the Dish Podcast.
The players
Jennifer Garner
An American actress who previously worked as a restaurant hostess and is now revealing industry secrets about seating assignments.
Nick Grimshaw
A British broadcaster who expressed disbelief upon learning about the restaurant seating practices.
Angela Hartnett
A Michelin-starred British chef who acknowledged being aware of the "Siberia" seating practice in upscale restaurants.
Steve Martin
A famous American actor and comedian who had a preferred table at a restaurant where Garner worked.
Adam Pearson
A presenter on the Channel 4 documentary series "Tricks of the Restaurant Trade" who was discriminated against due to his visible medical condition.
What they’re saying
“I had to put the beautiful people in one area!”
— Jennifer Garner, Former restaurant hostess (Dish Podcast)
“Yes. You put the beautiful people in certain tables, you put the celebrities in certain tables - if someone even mildly famous walked in I would basically just..[switch tables].”
— Jennifer Garner, Former restaurant hostess (Dish Podcast)
“Someone very famous used to come in - Steve Martin - and he had a table he liked, table five. And I would have to go to those people and say 'I am leading you to the bar and I am buying you some calamari and that's on me' and people would be like 'wait, I'm in the middle of a date!'”
— Jennifer Garner, Former restaurant hostess (Dish Podcast)
“In certain restaurants they call it Siberia - they have the real inner area where they sit everyone who wants to be seen, and if you're outside of that you're in Siberia.”
— Angela Hartnett, Michelin-starred chef (Dish Podcast)
“Next time you get sat at the back of the restaurant, now you know why.”
— Adam Pearson, TV presenter (Tricks of the Restaurant Trade)
What’s next
The revelations about restaurant seating practices based on appearance have sparked discussions about potential discrimination and the need for more transparency in the industry. Lawmakers and consumer advocates may consider investigating these practices and pushing for reforms to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all patrons.
The takeaway
The restaurant industry's focus on image and exclusivity over providing equal service to all customers highlights troubling biases and raises important questions about fairness, discrimination, and the pressure on establishments to cater to a certain aesthetic in order to be perceived as successful. These revelations underscore the need for the industry to re-examine its practices and strive for more inclusive and ethical treatment of all patrons.
