Three hours before opening, the Rothschild Restaurant was buzzing with activity.
However, thanks to Baron Conte’s thorough training and guidance, there was no chaos or noise. All staff members were quietly focused on their tasks, their footsteps barely audible.
"How on earth did he train them like this?" I muttered in curiosity.
As if hearing my question, Baron Conte approached me.
“I decided to go all out. I trained the employees with the idea that this establishment pays several times more than other places, as a reward for loyalty and diligence, and I taught them strictly,” he explained.
In Confucianism, loyalty is an obligation that a vassal owes to his lord without question. On the continent of Albania, however, loyalty is about repaying the lord for the wealth, honor, or land granted to the servant.
‘As an etiquette expert, he taught them in true noble fashion.’
“I trained them as if they were servants in a noble household. That way, they can provide ‘noble-like’ service to those who come here,” he continued, puffing out his chest.
“And I paid close attention to the restaurant's interior. The floor is made from oil-treated wood, and the walls are painted white to give a sense of refinement. We’ve also hung landscape paintings by various artists.”
Floors, which rarely draw attention, don’t need to be particularly fancy as long as they’re not plain dirt. But walls, on the other hand, are highly visible, so we hung paintings and painted them white to give a distinctly noble atmosphere.
“The tables are black-painted wood, the chairs are brown with red cushions, and the cutlery is made from silver-plated steel.”
Since there’s no porcelain here, all the expensive tableware is made from metal. In the imperial palace, pure gold utensils are abundant.
“To fully replicate a noble banquet hall, I’d have needed to leave a central space for dancing. But considering the status and etiquette of our guests, none of them will be dancing. Instead, we placed musicians in the center so they’re visible from any seat.”
In the center of the room were musicians with a small piano, cello, violin, viola, and flute.
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“We’ll teach the guests a few simple etiquette rules as they enter and expect them to maintain decorum.”
Like me, nobles never speak during meals. Talking while eating is considered an affront to God, who blessed them with such fine ingredients. With the addition of some simple etiquette, guests would surely feel like nobles themselves.
“By following these manners and dining on noble food, they’ll feel like aristocrats.”
“Precisely.”
Then Baron Conte cleared his throat.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Clearly, he had quite a few expenses to cover for his grandson's wedding.
“Don’t worry about the wedding costs—feel free to spend as needed. The Rothschild trading company will sponsor it.”
A satisfied smile spread across Baron Conte’s face, the kind unique to those who’ve received a financial lifeline. He straightened his shoulders and gave a proud nod.
“If anyone tries to belittle our dignity or bring up etiquette, I’ll personally put them in their place. Honestly, what’s stopping commoners from tasting the same food nobles enjoy at banquets?”
Once again, it proves that enough money can indeed change minds.
“Why don’t we both head out for the day? Antonio will handle the rest.”
“Haha, shall we?”
“I’ll crack open a bottle of wine I imported from the Kingdom of Lyon. Even Count Farnese struggled to get his hands on one.”
Lucas, a master craftsman from Florence’s wood guild, had brought his family to the Rothschild Restaurant.
It was his wife’s birthday, and he wanted his children to experience the kind of food nobles enjoyed at least once. As a senior craftsman and workshop owner, this luxury was not such a stretch for him.
‘Hiring a personal chef is costly, but a single meal shouldn’t be too bad.’
“Even with the high price, look at all the people crowding in...”
However, the wait wasn’t much of an inconvenience, as they were able to relax in a nearby café with complimentary drinks. His children, however, were starting to grow restless.
“Dad, when can we go in? I’m hungry,” one of them whined.
“Just a little longer. Our turn will come soon,” he reassured them, although he expected the wait to be lengthy, given the number of people filling the café.
He could empathize with them. Ordinary noble meals were occasionally within reach, but when would they ever get to enjoy banquet-level cuisine? For most, it would only happen if they were fortunate enough to be invited to a noble’s banquet.
Finally, someone called his name.
“Lucas, there’s a table ready for you. Please follow me inside.”
Lucas’s family followed in awe, amazed by the level of service.
‘We paid for this, but... are they really treating us like this?’
Then a staff member offered a gentle reminder.
“Nobles do not speak while dining. Please refrain from making any noise except for the absolute minimum necessary.”
“Understood,” Lucas replied.
“When you enter, a staff member will provide a brief explanation of basic etiquette.”
Lucas reminded his children to stay quiet. They were young, so he wasn’t sure they’d listen, but he had to try.
Upon entering, Lucas and his family were struck by the elegance of the atmosphere. An orchestra played beautiful music from the center, while a rich, earthy aroma filled the room. The white walls and black furniture created an environment that truly felt like a noble’s banquet hall.
“Please, take your seats.”
As they sat, a server explained the etiquette in simple terms.
“When eating bread, use your left hand to pick it up. For other dishes, use a knife in your right hand and a fork in your left. Otherwise, you may use your spoon or fork with your right hand.”
It was simple but essential etiquette that all nobles followed. Unlike middle- and upper-middle-class people, who tended to lift their bowls when eating soup or used spoons liberally, observing just this much helped bridge the gap.
“Now, here is a pre-meal drink, a light Latina Mountain wine. Since it’s mild, even the young ones may try a small amount. Savor it slowly to enjoy the aroma and taste.”
Following this advice, Lucas took a slow sip. It had a deep grape aroma, a slight bitterness, and a notable sharpness. His children wrinkled their noses briefly but drank without complaint.
“For the next courses, the young ones will be served grape juice. Please enjoy your meal.”
An array of dazzling dishes was then presented to Lucas and his family. A thick stew, a flambéed dragon (a decorative centerpiece), and a variety of fish dishes arrived in succession. However, despite the focus on “color” and “luxury,” the food was not particularly enjoyable.
“For the next course, we have sirloin seasoned generously with pepper, thyme, and saffron. Please enjoy it with the provided bread and soup.”
To maintain the grandeur of noble cuisine, each guest was served a massive portion of over 500 grams. Everyone eagerly took a bite, but the overpowering spices masked any trace of the beef flavor.
‘It looks stunning, but the taste... not so much.’
Despite the toned-down seasoning to accommodate non-noble palates, it was barely palatable. Still, they ate it—after all, it was noble cuisine.
Afterward, dessert arrived.
“A strawberry shortcake with fresh cream.”
Lucas and his family devoured it quickly, hoping to wash away the heavy taste of the previous courses.
As they left, Lucas commented with a sigh, “It feels nice to pretend to be a noble...”
Honestly, he’d likely return if given another opportunity—not for the taste, though. In the hierarchical society of the Toscana Empire, it was all about appearances. Showing that he could afford such luxuries was reason enough.
“Ah, nobles... always eating food that’s fancy but flavorless. Why do they waste their money like this?”
The food, even with reduced seasoning, could have been quite enjoyable, as could the other dishes. And everyone who dined there seemed to share the same sentiment, a sentiment that eventually reached the ears of the nobles themselves.