Dining out is not the time to message your buddies, says Sophie Wallace

Even on the nights when we didn’t eat at the table and opted to sit in front of the telly instead, my mum still insisted we put our gadgets down while we were eating.

At the time it was a bit annoying. When you’re 16 and glued to your phone, of course it’s of great importance that you don’t miss a single message from your friends. Nevertheless, the “no phones at the table” policy has stuck with me.

It’s no secret I’m not a fan of seeing couples or families heading out for a meal and on their phones the whole time. I remember writing an article about the families I saw not even having conversations with one another when I worked as a waitress.

The other night though, I watched something which left me so flabbergasted I felt I had to address it in this week’s article.

Nick and I went out for a meal at a very posh restaurant and by very posh I mean the fanciest place I’ve ever seen. We were seated next to a couple roughly the same age as us who – I kid you not – spent at least an hour and a half eating.

I don’t think they looked up from their phones once, not even to acknowledge their servers.

Not only were Nick and I appalled at their general rudeness, we couldn’t believe a couple could go for a meal in a beautiful place and not spark up some sort of conversation.

Call me old fashioned, but when did verbal communication get so outdated?

There’s nothing like some good food, great wine and excellent chat, especially in gorgeous surroundings. My advice: Put the phone down and enjoy each other’s company. I’m sure your messages can wait.