Do You Ever Eat Out and Wish You Hadn't Bothered?

Justamum

And if it's not too impolite to ask, how much did this meal rip you off for?

organic_wanabe

I think the bill came to just under £70. I should have said that I had John Dory (fish) for my main course which was served in a tasty sauce but there was no pasta/rice/potatoes (and as I said before - you only got one-half a slice of bread and that went with my soup starter) served on a few carrot rings (wrong texture for fish IMHO) and some small cauli florets. DH had calves liver - the only meat-based main course. which came with four small potato wedges. I thought there were more waiters than there was food, and I'm not a huge person to feed at 5' and just over 8 stone.

competitionscafe

Was that at Kitchin in Leith? I though their fixed price lunch menu was £15.50 for 2 courses, and £19.50 for 3 courses? Even with wine, etc £70 for lunch for 2 sounds quite high! Used to be £12.50 for 2 course lunch, but then they got a Michelin Star and put the price up! Unless you ordered from the a la carte/dinner menu? (you said late lunch). In which case £35 each for 3 courses & wine would be quite easy to achieve. If it Kitchin I still think their £15.50 lunch is worthwhile.

http://www.s1play.com/restaurants/review-28611.shtml

debtworrier

organic_wanabe wrote:

After starting this thread when I was feeling a bit unhappy about the quality of food I had at a restaurant in the middle of Edinburgh, against my better judgement I let my DH take me out for a late Valentine's Lunch - we especially went a day late so that it would not be too busy. We went to a place which has been having rave reviews after getting one Michelin star after only 6 months in existence. Well I certainly came away with some great ideas for my next dinner party - my HM bread is so precious that I serve each guest only one half-slice per person! When it comes to dessert - use a melon scoop for the ice-cream (only one scoop per person) and sprinkle a little black pepper over it. Oh yes, and for the rhubarb compote - don't worry one stick of rhubarb should serve about 5 guests. Did I enjoy it - it was interesting but I certainly wont be returning.

Would you care to name and shame?

debtworrier

thriftmonster wrote:

Also why do waiters have such a problem with an 11yo ordering a medium rare steak. That's how he eats it at home - but they always check with the adults as if he isn't capable of ordering for himself.

Because they don't want to get sued.

MimiJane

I'll never again visit a "chain", i.e. Brewers Fayre/Beefeater/Vintage Inn ... all over cooked and over priced rubbish:rolleyes: However, our local pub does a great roast and we often visit a cafe a few miles away where you can get a huge plateful of wonderful food for less than a £5.

liuhut

We used to take the kids out every Friday and have atakeaway once a week too. My new years res was to eat in more and since then we have not been out once!! It has saved me about £40 - 50 a week!!! OH and I have started cooking more and trying to get the kids to try different things and have not missed it at all, actually I used to find it really stressful as the little one who always get fed up and then make a noise and I would be constantly working about others!!

So I have saved appox £400 in two months and my sanity on a friday night

Zyyb

Admittedly, i think me and my group of 3 friends used to eat out a little too often, we don't live together, so it seems the perfect way to catch up. We now only do it once or twice a month though and for birthdays etc.

There's not much love for Frankie & bennies here, but i've always had good service and good VFM at my local Norwich branch, my meal with drinks is never more then £12 and i always feel full up and happy when i come out!

I think i'll try cooking a little more for myself in the future, but it does irritate me when people say, i could make this at home for £5. You're not really including all the costs, unless you've planned out 7 meals and have fresh ingredients on your weekly shop, you're going to have to go out and buy what you need, then prepare, cook and clean up. That could take well over 2 hours and unless you're a good cook with good ingredients, your food could still come out average. If however, you are that good a cook and you live in the Norwich Area, how much do you charge to come to my house and cook for me? hehe

Also, my friend cooked her own pasta the other night, (i'd already eaten) she spent about 20 minutes getting it just the way she liked it and then promptly dropped it as she walked to the table. Now i know that doesn't happen that often, but it's still a risk you take!

Wow that's a big post, in summary, Frankie & Bennys is good, don't underestimate the cost, i'll cook more for myself and don't drop your food.

tenuissent

I haven't read everything here but I agree with the general feeling that most meals out are a waste of time and money unless the food is unusual and interesting and plentiful...

But I want to put a word in for good pub Sunday lunches. We live two minutes from one that for just under £7 a head lines up three different enormous roasts and carves them to order, generously (seconds helpings later if you still have space), and you help yourself from great trayfuls of roast potatoes, parsnips, three or four green vegetables (not wonderfully cooked, but quite good), gravy, condiments, then stagger back to your seat with a groaning plateful. It's absolutely delicious. I have stopped cooking Sunday lunch anyway, unless we have guests, in which case we all go to the pub, and walk back home for pudding and coffee.

redridinghood_2

I tend to avoid the 'chain' restuarants apart from Ask and Pizza Express, all the food generally looks as if it has been heated up in a microwave and tastes worse. I do mystery shopping and some of the food I have been paid to eat is diabolical.

My DH and I often travel and we always love the idea of a sunday lunch somewhere idyllic. We have not found a decent one yet in over 4 years! We are on the verge of giving up to be truthful.