large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

Pollycat

On a slightly different topic - does everyone check their bill before paying?

A friend of mine went to a steakhouse with 3 friends the other evening (we don't live anywhere posh) & they were overcharged by £75.:eek:
To put it in perspective, it should have been £125 so 60% too much.
When they pointed it out, they didn't even get an apology. She said the way the bill was printed, it didn't look like a mistake.

We check the bill but usually just to make sure they've not missed anything off but obviously we'd also pick up on any overcharge.

Also - tipping etiquette: we usually pay by credit card & you're given an option to add a tip but we always decline & leave a cash tip in the hope it gets to the staff rather than the owners.

Pollycat

PasturesNew wrote: »

Because it'd be weird/awkward to have everybody back to your house. Groups of random strangers having to be found a home where they'd all be allowed into and be able to park/find/get to ... and what if the 'host' hasn't got enough chairs, glasses, etc...?

Not everybody's got a sweeping drive, in an easy-to-find location, with tables, chairs, glasses, etc and is willing to let random groups of people into their home simply to avoid sitting in a restaurant.

It's nice being able to leave the scruffy house, with your panties thrown all over the floor and the bins unemptied... and go out .... not spend 3 days tidying up because a few people are coming round to talk.

Not everybody's eating with people they know/friends/family.

I've not even got any lightbulbs .... nobody's going to want to come here. Nor any glasses. After seating four people it'd be a folding chair then the floor.

PasturesNew
I'd happily sit on the floor in the dark guzzling out of the bottle & pass the time of day with you.

Homeownertobe

missbiggles1 wrote: »

If you go out for dinner then that's what you're doing for the evening - unless you're just meeting for a curry on your way to the cinema etc, you don't normally go out for dinner and then do something else as well - that would run up expensive!

You might not, but I do.

gingercordial

Pollycat wrote: »

On a slightly different topic - does everyone check their bill before paying?

A friend of mine went to a steakhouse with 3 friends the other evening (we don't live anywhere posh) & they were overcharged by £75.:eek:
To put it in perspective, it should have been £125 so 60% too much.
When they pointed it out, they didn't even get an apology. She said the way the bill was printed, it didn't look like a mistake.

We check the bill but usually just to make sure they've not missed anything off but obviously we'd also pick up on any overcharge.

Also - tipping etiquette: we usually pay by credit card & you're given an option to add a tip but we always decline & leave a cash tip in the hope it gets to the staff rather than the owners.

I always check the bill. I eat out quite a lot (including with work) and I would say about a third of the time the bill is wrong. Something we didn't have, another table's drinks or similar. Funny how it tends to happen most on big bills where there's less chance of spotting it... I've also had to correct waiters on what the right change should be when paying cash.

I've become quite evangelical about encouraging others to check the bill. My friends and family tend to think I'm being ridiculous (they blame it on me being an accountant) until I find the extra bottle of wine that's been added on!

One of my colleagues is also adamant about telling waiters when something is poor quality or not quite as expected and getting it removed from the bill or a freebie given. Between us we save a reasonable amount of money.

I do think some people on here need better friends if they are coming up short when everyone pays for their own food. I have a group of friends I regularly go out with for dinner (a knitting group) and we all put in for our own food and drink plus tip on an honesty basis, no splitting and no arguing. We always end up with too much money, well above even a generous tip, because everyone errs on the side of slightly overpaying rather than being stingy. We then leave a decent tip but put the excess into a kitty for our Christmas meal out. It makes things so much more pleasant!

seven-day-weekend

PasturesNew wrote: »

Because it'd be weird/awkward to have everybody back to your house. Groups of random strangers having to be found a home where they'd all be allowed into and be able to park/find/get to ... and what if the 'host' hasn't got enough chairs, glasses, etc...?

Not everybody's got a sweeping drive, in an easy-to-find location, with tables, chairs, glasses, etc and is willing to let random groups of people into their home simply to avoid sitting in a restaurant.

It's nice being able to leave the scruffy house, with your panties thrown all over the floor and the bins unemptied... and go out .... not spend 3 days tidying up because a few people are coming round to talk.

Not everybody's eating with people they know/friends/family.

I've not even got any lightbulbs .... nobody's going to want to come here. Nor any glasses. After seating four people it'd be a folding chair then the floor.

Well I wasn't actually thinking of 'groups of random strangers', nor was I thinking of casts of thousands, more like nine or ten friends and/or family. If we all went out to eat that would be great, but if people just wanted to talk then we can do that just as easily in the living room (although we only have permanent seating for five, some garden chairs could be deployed quite easily).

I don't know, perhaps it's me, I really do not see the point in going to a restaurant if you are not going to eat. I'll leave it there (again!) apart from to say I wouldn't go out to eat with strangers unless it was something like a wedding reception, so the scenario you propose would not arise.

missbiggles1

Homeownertobe wrote: »

You might not, but I do.

I do sometimes but then I call it something else along the lines of "grabbing a curry".

missbiggles1

PasturesNew wrote: »

Because it'd be weird/awkward to have everybody back to your house. Groups of random strangers having to be found a home where they'd all be allowed into and be able to park/find/get to ... and what if the 'host' hasn't got enough chairs, glasses, etc...?

Not everybody's got a sweeping drive, in an easy-to-find location, with tables, chairs, glasses, etc and is willing to let random groups of people into their home simply to avoid sitting in a restaurant.

It's nice being able to leave the scruffy house, with your panties thrown all over the floor and the bins unemptied... and go out .... not spend 3 days tidying up because a few people are coming round to talk.

Not everybody's eating with people they know/friends/family.

I've not even got any lightbulbs .... nobody's going to want to come here. Nor any glasses. After seating four people it'd be a folding chair then the floor.

I've not been able to invite people round for some years (small untidy house, disabled husband, too many pets) so I appreciate what you're saying on that score but I don't get the "groups of random strangers" comment. I wouldn't be having a meal with people you could describe like that whether in my home or in a restaurant - why would you?

Georgiegirl256

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I don't know, perhaps it's me, I really do not see the point in going to a restaurant if you are not going to eat. I'll leave it there (again!) apart from to say I wouldn't go out to eat with strangers unless it was something like a wedding reception, so the scenario you propose would not arise.

I don't think anyone's actually said that they'll go out to a restaurant and not have anything to eat and drink?

My point (I don't know about anyone else's) is that you should be able to have what you want without being judged by your dining companions.

seven-day-weekend

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

I don't think anyone's actually said that they'll go out to a restaurant and not have anything to eat and drink?

My point (I don't know about anyone else's) is that you should be able to have what you want without being judged by your dining companions.

I think some people have said they would only have a glass of water or a cup of coffee?

Georgiegirl256

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I think some people have said they would only have a glass of water or a cup of coffee?

If they turned up late I think that was.