On a recent evening at buzzing Columbus Circle dining destination Bad Roman, Morgan Raum, 26, took out her iPhone and LED light to capture the server swirling black truffle honey atop the whipped ricotta appetizer.
But before she could finish capturing the sticky moment for her Instagram account @ToooMuchFood, an angry diner at the table next to her interrupted the content creation.
“I had my LED light, it’s smaller than my phone, shining in the other direction. He was yelling, ‘enough, enough’ at the end of the video I was taking,” Raum told The Post. “I was shocked because no one ever yells at us at a restaurant. I said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m filming content …’ and he was like, ‘You can’t shine your light – you’re bothering us!’”
In recent years restaurants have capitulated to — and in many cases actively courted — TikTokers and Instagrammers for promotional purposes.
But now, some diners and proprietors are saying that meal is over.
They’re demanding social media mavens not use flashes and lights and, in some cases, are banning phones altogether.
Former Food Network “Chopped” champion Jenn Back was recently criticized by both fellow patrons and management at a prominent Asian-fusion restaurant in Midtown for using flash photography to get content for her @Jennerous_Eats Instagram account
“[Other] diners were complaining about how we had our light on,” said Back, a 28-year-old product manager living in Brooklyn. “Management came out to us saying, ‘You’re not allowed to use your light.’ I said, ‘How do you expect me to take photos?’ They said, ‘you just have to make do with what you have.’”
Back, who had been given a complimentary meal in exchange for a social media mention, was taken aback, particularly since there weren’t many diners nearby.
“It definitely ruined the experience for me,” she said.
Some restaurants are telling diners of their photography policy in writing, following suit with private clubs such as Soho House which has long forbid photos.
Raf’s, a European-style eatery in NoHo, emails diners a reservation confirmation that notes “We’ve recently implemented a no-flash photography policy in the main dining room.”
The candlelit Carriage House, in the West Village, serves up a cheeky memo on its menu dishing: “Flashing is for Mardi Gras, not dinner. Please refrain from using flash photo or video.”
“Lately, dining culture has dictated that ‘phones eat first’ to capture an image of the food, and to fuel the excitement of dining. We seek to preserve the old-school dining experience so guests may live in the moment and connect,” Philip Testa, co-owner at Carriage House told The Post. “[We hope] guests will focus on the company they’re with, over the need to capture a shot for social media feeds.”
West Village Italian hot spot Saint Theo’s also has a “no photos please” message on its menu, though on TikTok and Instagram, influencers can be seen subtly posing at the restaurant or sneaking a discreet food photo on their personal pages.
Other restaurants are taking things a step further. Fine dining restaurant Reverence in Harlem has a strict no-phone policy. At Lamia’s Fish Market on the Lower East Side on Wednesday nights, diners get a free bottle of champagne if they agree to lock away their phones for the meal.
Owner and chef Lamia Funti said that four or five tables typically opt into the challenge each week.
But, some establishments are still more than happy to accommodate content creators.
After the disgruntled customer screamed at Raum at Bad Roman, the restaurant manager reassured her she’d done nothing wrong.
After all, dishes such as the garlic babka and a steak topped with a giant raviolo are designed for social media.
“I am self aware — if I’m at a nice romantic restaurant and it’s dark, and no one is on their phones, I’m not going to bring out my LED light,” said Raum, noting that she always tried to be polite.
“But I was at Bad Roman, they built this restaurant to be filmed.”