Dreaming Lens: What type of restaurant were you in? What meal were you eating or intending to eat? Were you well-served? Was the food palatable? Who were you dining with?
Personal Focus: Any establishment that concerns itself with food connects to nurturance. This especially applies to a restaurant, as the ritual of being waited on and served is also a form of self-care. The expense of eating out is always going to be higher than the expense of preparing something at home. The cost factor adds the color of celebrating abundance to the meaning of this symbol. If the Dreaming Lens focus was more negative, it could be indicating feelings of lack in this area of your life.
Waiters are responsible for the tempo and structure of your dining experience. Ideally they are informative, pleasant, and efficient. In this way, they are a Character Aspect of the organization and control that surrounds your issues of nurturance and self-care. The service you receive in your dream restaurant will inform you of how effectively you are managing the constant flow of meeting your needs in life. Ask yourself if you are happy with the service you provide yourself with each day.
The quality of your meal connects with both abundance and the ability to discern excellence. Responsible for this element is the chef, the unseen heart and soul of a restaurant. The chef also represents the creative power within your psyche. A fine meal could reveal that you are indeed being careful to ensure that your life provides for your needs in a way that reflects a consciousness of deserving abundance. However, a dream in which you are served unacceptable food indicates that there is something out of balance in this area. If the dream includes something as severe as food poisoning, you may want to examine your attitudes more closely.
The atmosphere and ambiance, or lack thereof, can be thought of as reflecting your sense of values and what you are attached to in life. There is nothing wrong with demanding and expecting luxury, especially if it is readily available to you. However, any visceral reactions to the setting of your dream restaurant may offer you insight into how your current value system is impacting you on an unconscious level. If the dream centered on issues connecting with the mood, setting, or attitude of the restaurant staff, you can use this information to inform you of any imbalance you may be expressing from your waking life.
The company you were keeping in such a dream can offer a wealth of additional items for consideration. Treat each person as a Character Aspect. Their qualities will inform your choices around receiving abundance, and also your commitment, or lack of commitment, to taking care of yourself.