New normal: Dining out in the age of COVID-19

Gloves and masks are a part of the new uniform at restaurants around the world. In Rome, a bartender hands a customer espresso to go early in reopening efforts.

Thorough and frequent cleanings are part of essential guidelines. An empty table is made ready in a newly reopened restaurant at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

At restaurants around the world, owners and staff pull together to adjust to new rules and regulations for phased-in rollouts. In Mykonos, Greece, employees at the restaurant I Frati make final preparations before reopening for the start of the delayed tourist season on May 24.

Patience and pivoting are key in the new normal. In Paris, customers on April 29 wait to be served by French Chef Amandine Chaignot as she transformed her restaurant Pouliche into a mini-market to sell gourmet baskets made with products from local producers.

Slow starts and careful consideration to meet changing regional requirements are a part of the picture. At a cafe in Prague, patrons on May 25 share a quiet meal as restaurants begin to reopen.

New protocols are established to manage changed routines and assure safe dining. An employee on May 22 puts a "sanitized" sticker on a patio table indicating the time of the cleaning at a restaurant in Houston.

In the new normal, what might have seen unusual six months ago is welcomed as a sensible precaution. At a restaurant in Yokohama, a server offers hand sanitizer to customers as they enter a restaurant for lunch.

In some cities, additional precautions are taken with a temperature check. At the entrance to the historic Gambrinus Bar in Naples, a waiter takes a temperature reading before seating patrons.

Restaurant layouts and tabletops have modified to offer safe distancing. At a hotpot restaurant in Bangkok, plastic partitions have been added to promote personal safety.

At this restaurant in Thailand, stuffed toy panda placeholders keep patrons safely distanced.

The addition of temporary plexiglass barriers is a common site. In Campania, Italy, coffee is safely served through a plastic barrier.

Contactless ordering becomes mainstream, as observed on May 23 at Bouillon Pigalle, a well-known restaurant in Paris during the coronavirus lockdown.

"Contactless delivery" is a new selling point. A woman wearing a protective mask is seen on May 22 between two restaurant signs in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic.

Design innovations come to life to meet the new normal. At the H.A.N.D restaurant in Paris, a couple has lunch on May 27 with personal plexiglass protection designed by Christophe Gernigon as France eases lockdown measures.

Tape and other ground markings identify six-foot intervals and establish a safe waiting stance. In Singapore, patrons wear face masks and observe social distancing on May 2 as they queue outside a restaurant.

Restaurant-goers learn to adjust to eating and drinking while masked. At Galatoire’s Restaurant in New Orleans, a woman takes a sip from her glass during dinner on May 22.

Creativity in the kitchen abounds. At Pizza Home restaurant in Hanoi, owner Hoang Tung poses with a coronavirus-themed burger on March 26.

Signage guides the way through new regulations. At Deidesheim Farm in Rhineland, tables are clearly marked.

Clever additions can be eye-catching. A restaurant in Sydney uses cardboard cutouts to maintain social distancing guidelines on May 14.

Amano Restaurant In Auckland provides an online contact-tracing register for guests on its reopening day May 17.

Dining with masks is a common sight. The MITO restaurant in Brussels prepares to reopen with customers respecting health and distance rules.

 In Amsterdam, patrons dine canal side by candlelight in “quarantine greenhouses” to maintain social distancing as protection against the coronavirus.

Take-away burgers and breakfast are served up from behind plexiglass in Ocean City, Maryland, over Memorial Day weekend set the stage for the summer ahead.

Menus are evolving in form and function in restaurants around the world to adapt to new safety measures. In New Orleans, a waiter sanitizes a dinner menu before presenting to guests.

Unexpected adaptations show a soft side. At Nello Restaurant in New York City's Upper East Side reservations are held by masked, red bears on May 20.

Restaurants survive the pandemic by changing operations. In Yokohama, a restaurant pivots to offer curbside pickup.

A man tries to keep his distance while showing his phone to the staff as he pays and picks up food from a restaurant take-out booth in Leicester, England.

Educating customers to changes in routine and regulations is part of the new normal. In Norena, Spain, a restaurant and bar displays a sign clearly indicating a no-go zone.

Digital payment becomes commonplace. In Madrid, customers at a cafe in Plaza Mayor participate in contactless service by paying the bill with their phone.

A sense of humor eases the strange. Patrons at Cafe & Konditorei Rothe in Berlin enjoy outdoor seating with foam noodle hats to assist with social distancing, as seen on the restaurant's Facebook page.

The newly reopened Cafe Prag in Schwerin, Germany, serves up COVID cookies on May 9.

Reminders of pre-coronavirus world remain a presence. In the Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian, a woman sits and reflects as the country loosens a national lockdown.

Meals bring people together. Salvatore Rapuano shares his message of hope on a Neapolitan Pizza in Campania, Italy.

A look toward a brighter future keeps everyone going. In Spain, restaurant staff adapts to the new normal in Phase 2 of the reopening after the coronavirus lockdown.

A 'quarantini' toast to making it through together. In Turin, Italy, a bartender in Piazza Vittorio Venito hands drinks to guests during reopening.