Maître d'

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The maître d' (short for maître d'hôtel, literally "master of the hall") in a suitably staffed restaurant or hotel is the person in charge of assigning customers to tables in the establishment, and dividing the dining area into areas of responsibility for the various servers on duty. He or she may also be the person who receives and records advance reservations for dining, as well as dealing with any customer complaints and making sure all servers are completing their tasks in an efficient manner. In some localities or traditions particularly small organizations like a single restaurant the post is also known as the headwaiter or host.

In large organizations such as hotels or cruise ships where more restaurants are available, he or she is responsible for the overall dining experience including room service and buffet, service quality and guest satisfaction, while the head waiters or supervisors are responsible for the specific restaurant or dining room they work in.

In the United States, these functions may be vested in a manager, supervisor, or cashier. The distinction between a maître d'hôtel and host is, in practice, one of nomenclature.

Maître d'hôtel also refers to a flavored butter or sauce made from butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Traditionally the seasonings and parsley are worked into cold butter, and then the lemon juice is added a little at a time. It is typically served on meat or fish.