Taverns and Dining halls

[Shadowdragon]

What's the best way to set up a tavern? Should I make a dining hall, turn it into a tavern, then make a separate stockpile for drink to satisfy thirst? Or should I make a dining hall with a separate meeting hall/tavern?

[Austin]

Yes you want a dining hall then assign it to a tavern, a nearby food stockpile is good but don't forget to assign bedrooms to your tavern if you want outsiders to come stay at your fort. if you don't want outsiders to visit your fort making a dining hall a tavern is sort of pointless , although you can assign unsociable dwarves as the tavern keeper to force them to socialise.

[HueSatLight]

I have a dining hall, with at least a 5x5 dancing floor. I put tables in the corner, with a stockpile for meals, a stockpile for booze (and a binless stockpile for a bar of soap, I don't know if it's necessary, but I like the idea of them washing their hands before eating). And a chest for mugs and musical instruments (set to however many my civ needs for entertaining music). I've stopped assigning musicians, though, they end up serving booze and not performing music, and then there's vomit everywhere. I keep it restricted to citizens and long-term guests most of the time, and the dwarves love open mic night / karaoke. Lots of amateur musicians and story tellers.

I also have multiple dining halls, one at every apartment complex. Cafeteria, if you will. Around 32 apartments feeding into a room with 6 tables, meal, booze, and soap stockpiles. And then a dining hall at near the entrance to my fortress. That one's pretty popular, maybe it's the location, maybe it's because it's near the kitchens/stills so there's the meal and booze warehouse stockpiles. I made it the Farmers' guild hall, so maybe that's why its popular.

Next time, I'm going to have what I have now, but add a second dining hall that's not part of the tavern officially, but right next to it. I've noticed sometimes dwarves will go to a private dining hall (that's not theirs) instead of the pub. Maybe they want to eat in peace and quiet or maybe it's something else. It won't take much effort to add one. And I'm going to add a second tavern, out of a meeting hall. A dance hall. Assigned musicians, a 10x10 dance floor, but no booze stockpile (and no stocked mugs) on the premises.

[Shadowdragon]

Do I need tables in the tavern if I set it up as a meeting place and have a separate dining hall?

[HueSatLight]

I think tavern-wise, tables and chairs are only needed for eating. The dwarves will socialize standing up.