large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

74jax

splishsplash wrote: »

Simples? Just curious...

Was there enough of a difference in the amounts you paid to make it worth the hassle of your host having to rework the bill?

Incidentally, wouldn't it have been more polite for you to have done the work as you were going against the general consensus? I hope you at least offered?

Did you pay £2 or £6 as your contribution to the tip?

Sorry I don't fully understand.

Host said everyone that's x amount, I 'think' it was £27 each but to be honest I don't really know. Ours was £10.95 each, rounded to 11 was £33, DD had a £6 starter and we all paid 2 for a tip. I paid 45 by card.

Really wasn't an issue.

I'm not sure what you mean I should offer? I just said it's ok well pay for our own it's only 45 for us three.

As per your last question, we all paid 2 each for a tip, so I don't know what you mean sorry.

Andypandyboy

10% is the norm for tipping here, in the US is is 20%.

The subject causes ructions on the cruising forums as many cruise companies insist of auto payment of tips ufront or automatically add it to your daily account at a set rate. Brits hate this system and often remove them to tip after the event in cash to specific people. Americans see this as beyond the pale, or as "stiffing the crew" and there have been some interesting bust ups online!!

Pollycat

LilElvis wrote: »

My Mum has got some old butcher's knives my Grandad was given as repayment of a debt. It includes one of those giant machete type ones that butchers use to whack through carcasses in a single blow. I think my husband will be running scared if it ends up in our kitchen :rotfl:

Isn't there a truism that blunt knives cause more accidents than sharp ones? I get the whetstone out once a month or so and sharpen all mine - I've never managed to get the hang of using a steel.

My friend bought us a meat cleaver as an anniversary present (she knows my penchant for knives).
I also have a Ken Hom one.
But they are safe in a drawer.

I've also heard that a blunt knife is more likely to cause an accident than a sharp one.

My Mum's knives are so blunt they 'slide' off whatever you're trying to cut - I hate using them.
Slicing tinned corned beef?
Forget it!
It just ends up squashed.

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I've always wanted someone to teach me how to sharpen a knife properly because then I'd buy better ones rather than just buy new when they're blunt. My mum used to sharpen hers on the front doorstep, a skill she neglected to pass on to me, unfortunately.:(

My Grandma did too.
But doorsteps in most houses nowadays aren't the same as they used to be.
I can't imagine trying to sharpen my knives on my tiled doorstep. :rotfl:
I'm pretty sure that in my childhood a bloke used to come round sharpening knives.

74jax

duchy wrote: »

I'm just wondering how bad the meal was to only warrent a £2 tip per person for a three course meal.

I was so disappointed. We were all dead excited, I loved the menu. To be fair people on here did say it wasn't great in this thread but I was so excited.

We got the starters after 45 mins, the mains came n hour after that, we got to restaurant at 8 and didn't eat til about 10. Hubby never got his drink throughout, despite asking and yep many of you were so right on here - the chicken was just dry dry dry.

I'm gutted. Even this morning I've had a text about how bad it was and she's sorry for suggesting it. Not get fault at all, but a big disappointment.

missbiggles1

Pollycat wrote: »

My friend bought us a meat cleaver as an anniversary present (she knows my penchant for knives).
I also have a Ken Hom one.
But they are safe in a drawer.

I've also heard that a blunt knife is more likely to cause an accident than a sharp one.

My Mum's knives are so blunt they 'slide' off whatever you're trying to cut - I hate using them.
Slicing tinned corned beef?
Forget it!
It just ends up squashed.


My Grandma did too.
But doorsteps in most houses nowadays aren't the same as they used to be.
I can't imagine trying to sharpen my knives on my tiled doorstep. :rotfl:
I'm pretty sure that in my childhood a bloke used to come round sharpening knives.

I think I remember that as well. A bloke on a bike with a whetstone powered by the pedals - like this. https://tradesmansbike.wordpress.com/1940s1950s-knife-sharpener-gundle/

On a par with the rag and bone man and the strawberry sellers.

Georgiegirl256

SingleSue wrote: »

My aunt did the most amazing Scottish oats, I tried to recreate it but failed miserably and now she has sadly departed this world so will never get to experience her wonderful cooking again.

My Dad did too! He was the best at making porridge!

LilElvis wrote: »

And someone's bound to come along soon to say that diners shouldn't tip at all :rotfl:

Well....I have views on that, but probably better hadn't go into them or this thread might then run for another 60 odd pages! :rotfl:

onlyroz

Andypandyboy wrote: »

Restaurants that do tasting menus usually stipulate that the whole table has to have it to avoid this scenario;)

I have never ever experienced a restaurant telling me what I must order from their menu. Can you give some examples of places that do this so I know where to avoid?

Andypandyboy

PasturesNew wrote: »

Well, as a rule, I don't. In two years I've had a carvery and a pub meal, so both get-togethers and costing about £7-9.

If we say it's £10/year, that's 20p/week

The point is that poorer people CAN eat out - within their budget - so long as they're not expected to subsidise those on much larger incomes who've gone hell for leather at the menu/drinks expecting somebody else to pay for them. Especially if it's the poorer person's one trip out/year, whereas the wealthier ones are at it 2-3x a month.

I think you may be out of the norm though. Most people who eat out are doing so with those who are within their own circle so work colleagues or friends they know well. In that situation most around the table would be of a similar income bracket or the venue would have been chosen accordingly and everyone would have roughly the same. Often it is a set menu for a set price.

I have never been out for a meal and just calculated what I have eaten and paid for that. It has honestly never happened and I am rarely the one to work the bill out. Someone just picks up the bill and divides it by the number there. So I think that way of doing things must be the most common. Or maybe it just becoms the norm when you have friendship groups who have always done that?

Nor have I ever felt taken advantage of by someone shovelling food away. I don't often eat three courses unless it is a long lazy dinner, but lots of friends do and it has never entered my head to think they are taking advantage. I woudn't want to police what my friends eat to that degree!

I think that there seems to be a perception that those who split the bill equally do so from an ulterior motive, that they set out to "shaft" other diners. From my perspective it happens because that is what we have always done and anything else seems odd and embarrassing and involves too much faffing at the table. Either that, or you all know some quite nasty people who make conscious decisions to eat as much as they can when out with others.

Thankfully, I don't know anyone like that:rotfl:

missbiggles1

onlyroz wrote: »

I have never ever experienced a restaurant telling me what I must order from their menu. Can you give some examples of places that do this so I know where to avoid?

I have to agree with the other poster, tasting menus are often only available if the whole table orders it - I don't think I've ever come across a restaurant that does it differently (although that isn't saying they don't exist, obviously).

onlyroz

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I have to agree with the other poster, tasting menus are often only available if the whole table orders it - I don't think I've ever come across a restaurant that does it differently (although that isn't saying they don't exist).

I can understand them saying "2 people minimum" or similar, but to force everyone in a large party to have it seems like poor business practice. Surely it's not too complicated for them to coordinate different preferences?