When you talk about an experience at some place, do you use past tense?

Question

When I talk about a meal which I had at a restaurant, and given that the restaurant still exists; Should I use the past tense or the present tense? For example:

I had a meal called "chicken roller" for the first time at a restaurant called "Bashkeer". The restaurant was spacious and the lighting was fabulous, and the waiters went the extra mile to make us comfortable.

Answer 1

Since you ate the meal previously, i.e., in the past, use the past tense, as you wrote. What difference does it make whether or not the restaurant still exists?

That said, if I were reviewing a restaurant, and I want to state that it is currently a good place to eat, then it might look like this:

Try the "chicken roller" at the Bashkeer Restaurant. The restaurant is spacious, the lighting is fabulous, and the waiters go the extra mile to make the diner comfortable.

Here, the present tense makes sense.