A footwear expert is warning British travellers to Europe and further aboard to pack with dress codes in mind or risk being turned away from restaurants and bars
While casual dining is common in the UK, dress code standards can be stricter in popular EU cities. For that reason, holidaymakers can find themselves turned away from bars and restaurants for failing to dress appropriately.
The footwear expert at A Fine Pair of Shoes, Julian Nelson, is warning travellers to pack appropriately to avoid disappointment. According to him, everything starts with packing the right footwear options.
Even if you have packed your airport-appropriate trainers or comfortable slides, Julian says you need a “smart-casual” option on hand when travelling to certain cities. It comes after an Airbnb host rejected a duo’s booking after learning where in the UK they’re from.
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“Restaurants and rooftop bars in places like Barcelona, Dubai, or even the Greek Islands often have strict dress codes, and they’re not letting men in wearing gym shoes or beach sandals,” he says.
In places like Dubai and Turkey, bars and restaurants are notorious for requiring “closed-toe shoes” for men. In one TripAdvisor thread about wearing open-toe shoes around Dubai, a commenter wrote: “Generally it’s fine, but upmarket places like [Jumeirah Burj Al Arab] will have a dress code so it’s best to check in advance.”
The commenter suggested calling or emailing ahead to clarify the ‘Smart Casual’ dress code and noted that it only seemed to apply to me. “Ladies should be fine in nice sandals…not flip flips”.
Another commenter speaking on Dubai’s dress codes clarified that while it is fine to dress more casually, most residents tend to dress up. “You will find that many Dubaians tend to dress up even for going to the mall. In fact, there are some sections at Dubai Mall that resemble a catwalk more than shopping mall hallways.
“Nonetheless, you will find people dressed in all sorts of styles, casual, middle of the road, etc.”
Julian warns that cruise ships also enforce dress codes that sometimes catch travellers off guard. “Cruise lines often have dress policies buried in their websites. Many specify that trainers aren’t allowed in the evenings, even just walking around the ship or dining in restaurants.”
P&O, Royal Caribbean, and MSC Cruises all have “smart evening” rules, which typically exclude sandals and trainers for men. P&O Cruises specifies that in the evening guests should opt for their “favourite ‘going out’ shirt, paired with smart shoes”.
Julian says a simple loafer or smart slip-on is lightweight and easy to pack, but can “save your evening”. “If you’re planning on going for a nice meal to end the holiday, or want to try out some cocktail bars in your nearest city, you don’t want to be turned away.”
He recommends travellers pack using a ‘three-shoe rule’: one pair for walking and daytime exploring; one smart option for the evenings; and one lightweight pair like slides for the pool or beach.