Should I ask to take the rest of the wine bottle home?

tain

Does the OP expect to leave the wine for the waiters to drink instead of leaving a tip?

Fleet_Beekeeper

The only way this happens with me is when we have a big group and a few non-drinkers. But they are as rare as left-over wine!

keithyno.1

I think some of the posters who have responded to the question seem to be confusing the LEGAL position (with regards to whether a restaurant is able to sell you a bottle of wine, which you then take out to consume off the premises) with the MORAL aspect i.e. is it OK to take out left over wine you have purchased, just as you would with left over food in a doggy bag?

Well I'm no lawyer and my knowledge of the fine details of the UK licencing laws is next to nothing, but if any restaurant tried to stop me taking the partly-drunk contents of a bottle of wine which I'd PURCHASED with a meal, well let's put it this way...they'd have to physically stop me leaving the premises by barring my way at the exit. And if they attempted to do that, they would have to accept the consequences of my determination to leave (I'm certainly no Mike Tyson but I'm a 6 foot male who as I get older am increasingly less likely to put up with b*llsh1t from ANYONE).

I hardly think any self-respecting restaurateur is going to try and purposely "rub up" a paying customer by steadfastly refusing to let them take away a product they've fully paid for anyway (whatever the legal position), do you?

So in short, there is NO moral dilemma here!!

mashedavocado

Of course you should take it! You've paid for it!

7thfebruary

Of course it is okay. We always take home the remainder of our bottle of wine when leaving the restaurant. We have paid for it and so it belongs to us. I can't think why anyone should think otherwise.

tallgirld

I have taken left over food from a restaurant before so taking home an unfinished bottle of wine would be normal for me!

I know what you mean though as there are people who frown on that sort of thing. Sod em you paid for it!

gloriouslyhappy

Far better to take home any wine left after you'd had sufficient, than force yourself to drink more than you want, and especially if you're driving!

Wish the drunken idiots on the last tube / train / bus would practice a bit of saying no to that extra glass..

Augustus_the_Strong

"Is it OK to ask if we can take the rest of the bottle home?"
Don't ask, just tell them (if you need to say anything at all) that you'd like to take it home so could they please bring the cork/screw-top/whatever.

Why on earth would it not be ok?

surfsister

meritaten wrote: »

you paid for it - and once its opened they cant give it to anyone else so just take it with you!

wring they sell it by the glass!!! to other customers

jobbingmusician

If you have this problem regularly, be sure to put a sherry cork in your bag - these are great for popping in half-empty wine bottles