Across the pond our American friends are trialling a restaurant ticketing scheme known as Tock.

Tock’s premise is simple: It’s an advance booking system Customers pay for their table reservation in advance, much in the same way that people pay the full amount for entry to sporting events, musical concerts and theatrical performances.

The restaurateur Nick Kokonas, the co-owner of Chicago’s Alinea – who are describe themselves as being a ‘fun, emotional and proactive’ place – is the man behind this idea. And it has now been transported to our shores, with the first instance of the Tock system appearing in London.

Rather predictably, this has split opinion in the dining world.

“I can’t contemplate a pre-pay system that treats every customer as a potential culprit,” said Nick Gibson, of Islington’s Draper’s Arms. Gibson was clear in an interview that he isn’t admonishing other restaurants for their business decisions, but did add that there is an issue which has caused this pre-pay scheme to gain traction: “It’s just a shame when a tiny minority cause wholly unnecessary inconvenience and upset for a vast majority of good people.”

Others are more bullish and a number of food critics and respected writers appear to be vaguely positive about the idea, though they are the first to admit that they are in a slightly privileged position in the world of fine dining.

So how did we get to a situation where some – it is only a very select minority at the moment – implement Tock?

Marina O’Loughlin offers some explanations: “In big cities, concierges block-book for weeks in advance [just] in case. Then there are the would-be diners who reserve three or four restaurants at a time.” Again, these are issues that could be a problem for an in-demand restaurant that probably has an exceptionally long waiting list. It’s unlikely that your local restaurant experiences this, unless you live in an affluent and decidedly trendy part of the country.

But is this whole premise a bad thing?

In reality, it very well could be. Cancellations happen, plans change and if they do you could be left with a (hefty) bill to pay.

But as with everything a little bit of courtesy can go a long way. If you need to retract your reservation, then a simple apologetic phone call will likely ensure that you’ll be ushered in the next time you try and reserve a table for two.

As they say, the jury is out. There is merit in the system, but there’s plenty of problems about it too.

What side of the coin are you on?