Dinner at the Fat Duck

koloko

I have a quandry

It's my wife's 30th birthday over the weekend and I'm taking her to dinner at the Fat Duck in Bray.

To get a table I had to book 2 months in advance, leave my credit card details, and take a table for 4 as they had no tables for 2.

Before placing the reservation, I phoned round and got her best friend and her brother to fill the other two places. I explained the bill would be in the region of £250 per person. Both agreed.

This morning her brother has texted me to tell me he is broke and can't go. The Fat Duck require 5 days notice to cancel or reduce numbers so it is too late for that. I don't think I can find another person at this late stage to fill the place.

My quandry is - given that the Fat Duck are going to charge me for a 4th meal whether its eaten or not, should I just tell my brother in law he can come and eat for free? It seems nonsensical for me to pay for a meal that isn't eaten when there is someone that would like to eat it.

However on the flip side of the coin if I do this it feels like my brother in law has stiffed me out of £250! Any advice welcome

EKEA

Tell him to come and pay you what he can.
Then pay you the rest as time goes on.

browneyedbazzi

Have you called the restaurant? They may have a policy that says no cancellations etc but it may be that they don't always apply it strictly and will have a bit of goodwill and let you off (sometimes the policies are there to put people off from messing them about but they use a bit of discretion when applying it). For £250 it's certainly worth a phone call to find out!

koloko

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Have you called the restaurant? They may have a policy that says no cancellations etc but it may be that they don't always apply it strictly and will have a bit of goodwill and let you off (sometimes the policies are there to put people off from messing them about but they use a bit of discretion when applying it). For £250 it's certainly worth a phone call to find out!

Always worth a go! I'll call them at lunch.

midnightraven3

if they wont allow you to cancel the places, or offer a gesture of goodwill, i would be asking someone else along
a friend of your wife perhaps?

cef66

I second phoning the restaurant and would say one of the guests has suddenly been taken ill so can't make the meal, which is something you can't be expected to know in advance.