The smooth, solicitous waiters are alert to your every need, offering a choice of male or female lobsters, volunteering to crack the shell, asking if your wine is cold enough.

No sooner do you sit than a waiter, solicitous but not intrusive, arrives with a basket of crusty bread and a glass of rare Burgundy.

When, sated, we turned our chips to red, a solicitous waiter advised that the crema de papaya dessert would help us digest all that meat.

We clumsily entered the restaurant and a solicitous waiter rushed over, as if on cue, to help don Juan.

Diners are welcomed by solicitous waiters bearing platters of Parmesan cheese, bruschetta and marinated zucchini.

The murky lighting caused him to bang his shins twice as he followed an overly solicitous waiter to a table in an even darker corner.

The lovely young hostesses may catch the eye, but it is the knowledgeable, solicitous waiters who set the tone of the restaurant.

The solicitous waiters were well informed about ingredients in dishes and selections on the wine list.

Throughout our month in Melbourne, I thought often of that solicitous waiter.

Our delight in this feast was so obvious that our solicitous waiter brought us another bottle of earthy Brunello di Montalcino without charge.