Eating OS while staying in a hotel alone..

SnowyOwl_2

Hi All

I am heading off to Brighton at the weekend...can't flipping wait as work has me stressed out (they have even been talking about cancelling my day off as there is so much to do, never mind that I've been working two evenings a week since mid-August and have already cancelled a scheduled day off...it'd make ya scream!). Anyway, I am taking the day off and I am going away for the weekend all on my ownsome. However my funds are a bit low. I don't enjoy sitting in restaurants on my own and would feel too self-conscious to do so. I know where the supermarkets are in Brighton so can go to those on Friday, and there will be a fridge and kettle in my hotel room. What do you suggest I purchase in order to feed myself healthily and frugally? Guess I should take a bowl & spoon with me?

Look forward to hearing your suggestions.

SnowyOwl

squeaky

Personally I'd give myself a day off from OS too and have fish and chips! A very rare treat for me.

Volunteers for the firing squad can form an orderly queue here:-

se999

I'd follow Squeakies advice on the Fish & Chips, they never taste the same without the sea air.

The big money savers are to take a corkscrew/bottleopener. Paying hotel prices for drinks isn't moneysaving.

Also if you're out and about take a flask with you. Take coffee/teabags from home, and buy milk from the supermarket. It might also be useful to warm you up if the sea breeze is too bracing!

If you do want picnic type food, baguette and cheese and fresh fruit is always good. Sandwiches and ready salads are nearly always cheaper at the supermarket than buying from a cafe.

But there should be take-away places around, so if you don't want to sit in a restaurant alone, you can still order a takeaway. Just remember a plastic plate and a fork!

Eating along in restaurants isn't that much fun, but one trick is to take a book or magazine with you to read in the gap between ordering the food and the food arriving, it gives you something to do.

Have a good weekend.

Curry_Queen

I agree with you Squeaky! if I had the chance to get away for a couple of days then I wouldn't want to be struggling to cook in a hotel room and would be down on the sea-front, bag of chips in hand

scuzz

I know you say you don't like eating out alone, but how about trying the Lanes? There are some good little restaurants in there, which are quite cheap - well for Brighton anyway!

You could make something at home before going. Maybe a nice pasta salad or something similar

robnye

for lunch, use boots meal deal or another local cafe/takeaway

competitionscafe

SnowyOwl wrote:

I don't enjoy sitting in restaurants on my own and would feel too self-conscious to do so.

I feel the same but there are some restaurants where I wouldn't feel self conscious as there are often several other people there in the same siuation - usually ones where you have to share a table, eg: in London/Glasgow: Wagamamas (long communal tables/benches) and Food for thought (vegetarian) restuarant in London which has small communal tables - there is a Wagamamas in Brighton: http://www.wagamama.com/locations_map.php?locationid=34 or maybe there's a vegetarian place similar to FFT? (Seems likely for Brighton) Otherwise go down the road to Real Eating (in Hove) - lovely people (and gorgeous food) and I am sure they will make you feel at home: http://www.real-eating.co.uk/restaurant.htm - or you could use their deli to stock up on fantastic cheeses, cold meats, bread etc (and a bottle of wine) and have that?

Fish and chips gets my vote too, but if you are there for more than one night then maybe one of the above too?

MATH

I used to feel self concious eating in a restaurant by myself but it is not nearly as bad as you think and lots of people do. Ask for a table where you can sit with your back to the wall so you face the action and take a novel/cross word/seduko puzzle with you to toy with between courses. It is the not having anyone to talk to or deflect off that causes the discomfort so a 'prop' can take the pressure off. Order all the things you cannot cook. wouldn't buy yourself and rather than thinking of it as a ordeal consider it a treat. Failing that how about taking an Ol'Style chum on an all expensises trip with you. Send me a PM if you feel you cannot live it up in posh hotels/restaurants without me;)

Michael_K

The Americans have a gadget that would be handy for hotel stays. On Amazon US it's referred to as a 'hot pot'. It's like a less powerful kettle that can heat up foods like soup or stews. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006IUXU/ref=pd_ts_k_19/102-6389624-9318519?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=289743

Unfortunately I haven't seen anything similar over here.

If luggage space wasn't a problem and if I had one, I'd consider taking a small slow cooker. Provided it didn't produce steam, there shouldn't be a problem using one in a hotel room.

black-saturn

Not very OS but theres always things which you only need to add boiling water to to eat such as Pot Noodle, Cuppa Soup and Smash. But personally I would go for the fish and chips option. You don't go on holiday often so try and treat yourself a little bit. And I hope you have a great time.

MATH

I can't believe you lot - what kind of a treat is it going away to eat hook on coil heated pot noodle in your room.:rotfl: I'm sure you are also prohibited from rustling up your own scran in your rooms it must certainly break fire regulations. For goodness sake Snowy Owl don't do it. Try the restaurant at least once, if you really don't like it go down the chippy or drive thru Maccy D's:rolleyes: What's is more embarassing, eating in a public dining room at a table for one or being thrown out of a hotel for secretive braising of offal in your room?