The mere entering of a place where alcohol is served is not haram. What is really prohibited is to drink alcohol or to participate in drinking parties. What applies to the hotel also applies to the restaurant unless it is dedicated to serving alcohol only. In this case, it will be no more than a pub or bar, and a Muslim should avoid entering it in order to protect himself from not only the haram acts done there but f
rom falling into doubtful matters.
Dr. `Abdul-Fattah `Ashoor, Professor of the Exegesis of the Qur’an at Al-Azhar Univ., states the following: “So many Qur’anic verses state that what is prohibited is to drink alcohol. In the Prophetic Sunnah, there are clear indications that prohibit taking part in drinking parties, selling alcohol, buying it, serving it, etc. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have cursed ten categories of people saying: “Truly, Allah has cursed khamr (wine or other intoxicant) and has cursed the one who produces it, the one for whom it is produced, the one who drinks it, the one who serves it, the one who carries it, the one for whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who earns from the sale of it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
There is no evidence from either the Qur’an or the Sunnah to prohibit the mere entering of a place where alcohol is served.
Having said this, I say that there is nothing wrong if you enter a hotel for the purpose of sleeping, attending a conference, attending a party as long as you avoid drinking alcohol, you avoid drinking parties, and you don’t participate in serving alcohol to others.
As to the issue of entering a restaurant where alcohol is served, I would like to stress that there is nothing wrong with entering it and eating halal food in it as long as you don’t drink alcohol. However, if the restaurant is no more than a pub or bar that is dedicated to serving different kinds of alcoholic beverages, then you as a Muslim should avoid entering it in order to protect yourself not only from the haram acts done there but from falling into doubtful matters. An-Nu`man ibn Basheer (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: “That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly, it is the heart.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)