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One of the saddest sights of the British summer (or the funniest,
depending on your sense of humour) is the group of thirsty tourists
sitting at a table in a pub, patiently waiting for someone to come and
take their order. In most cases, a friendly native will put them out of
their misery by explaining rule number one, or they will figure it out
for themselves, but in a busy pub it can be some time before the correct
procedure becomes clear.

Most British landlords worth their salt will approach the group and
ask them whether they will be ordering a drink , or whether they just
want to put their feet up at his expense.

That usually resolves the problem quite quickly.
Dave