large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

burnoutbabe

If restaurants were happy to have seperate bills for each couple/person, that would be fine. But generlaly they ate not for groups, and you either have to split it, or have everyone try and calcualte exactly what they ate (and various people under pay or over pay) and then the tip is missed and someone who left early and chucked in a £20 forgot their drink and the host often ends up having to pay more.

That's why people generally split it. As restaurants are just not designed for correctly calculating the bill per person and it never works out if one tries to do it oneself (especially if anyone shares a bottle of wine)

moneyistooshorttomention

Well - I remember what I had, ie I had that main course and this pudding and 2 glasses of wine x. So I dont think its odd to expect other people to remember (accurately) exactly what they had. If there seems to be a discrepancy at the end - it's not down to me and the ones with "bad memories" or bad memories (delete as applicable) can sort it out between themselves. I dont expect to be penalised for either convenient memories or bad memories.

Then I put on the table what I owe (which I have probably rounded up to the nearest £ or so - for ease). If a tip is genuinely warranted (eg particularly good service/food) or the odd occasion where I think the place charges less for things than I feel is a reasonable amount - then I will round up what I've had by a bit more to allow for my personal decision to give a tip.

NB; Actually I think restaurants are missing a trick here (apart from those very expensive ones that are "out of our league" to most of us - eg the Ivy). Why dont they get the waiter/waitress at the outset to ask (in a matter of fact way) "Are you having separate bills?" and smile around the whole table generally in an expectant way (ie that that is what the restaurant expects they will do). That way - they will get known as the restaurant that enables people to do "fair shares" and might attract more custom.

onlyroz

burnoutbabe wrote: »

If restaurants were happy to have seperate bills for each couple/person, that would be fine. But generlaly they ate not for groups, and you either have to split it, or have everyone try and calcualte exactly what they ate (and various people under pay or over pay) and then the tip is missed and someone who left early and chucked in a £20 forgot their drink and the host often ends up having to pay more.

That's why people generally split it. As restaurants are just not designed for correctly calculating the bill per person and it never works out if one tries to do it oneself (especially if anyone shares a bottle of wine)

As has been pointed out, restaurants are perfectly happy to produce separate bills because it usually means they get a bigger tip.

moneyistooshorttomention

Anyone else ever been surprised to discover a restaurant/pub doesnt have their menu on line - whether it be because they don't have a website in the first place or they do (but have still not put it up there)?

I certainly also appreciate the chance to check the menu out in advance and decide what I will have (and see how much it will cost me).

In a more "individual" type restaurant that does their menus more "on the hoof" according to what foodstuffs are fresh on the day (yay - fine by me:D) - then they could still put up a "typical menu" so that it's possible to see the sort of food they serve and the sort of price level they charge at.

missbiggles1

BarryBlue wrote: »

I thought that was an interesting comment. Certainly whenever we visit a restaurant we go with friends if it's not just the two of us. I would have no desire to share a dining experience with people who were not friends. On that basis we always just divide the bill between the number of people, usually 4 or sometimes 6. We generally have similarly priced meals anyway and if someone has had something costing an extra quid or two - so what! If there were people who took advantage we wouldn't be dining with them at all. We would not expect to visit a restaurant with anyone who couldn't afford to eat there.

This topic has been discussed several times before, of course, and it always goes the same way. It seems to me that it goes down gender lines. The ones who whip out their calculators are normally women. Blokes out for a curry just chuck money on the table and never worry about it. Couples who know each other as friends surely cannot seriously sit there working everything out to the penny. Life's too short for that!;)

You know, sometimes life is really just as simple as this and yet people try to make it so complicated.:)

Fortunately my female friends aren't "calculator whippers" either and are more generous in spirit than most here seem to be - thank goodness!

silvercar

duchy wrote: »

What complete and utter rubbish !
Ever eaten at the Ivy ? (I assume that fits your criteria of a good/expensive restaurant). It's full of real and supposed celebrities (as well as far richer and more successful people unknown to Hello magazine) -many of whom have to keep their weight down (telly adds pounds) or have bodyimage issues. Plenty of these people won't have more than just the soup -or just a starter. No-one bats an eyelid as they tuck into their own overpriced but rather nice meal.

If you are embarrassed - it says far more about you and your lack of social confidence than it does about the person who has the confidence to order exactly what they want to eat -whether that is one course or four or five. In fact the higher class the restaurant the more accustomed they are to "eccentric " ordering. The rich and successful order exactly what they want and don't care what the "little people" think be that the staff of the establishment or other customers.They are paying to get exactly what they want in terms of both food and service - and often pay handsomely for it.Not to be confused with the wannabes who spend loudly and conspicuously in the hope that it will impress people - and of course it doesn't LOL

(Of course if your idea of a "good" and "expensive" restaurant is a Harvester then perhaps you are judged by the sort of staff such places employ-it's all relative after all)

The genuinely successful are never embarrassed by someone getting exactly what they want -in fact it's a trait they admire.

Homeownertobe wrote: »

Oh my, aren't you angry? Personal comments and insults - what a happy person you appear to be.

As for your barbs about the Ivy, you're about a decade out with your cultural references. I'd have been more impressed if you'd talked about the Chiltern Firehouse, but even then, you'd be about 18 months late for that one.:rotfl:

LOL! Still trying to get a table at Chiltern Firehouse!

The point is whether you are at The Ivy, Nobu, Nobikov or wherever, you may eat as eccentrically as you like but the bill is generally split between a few cards. I've not noticed people with their calculators out working out their share. In those kind of places you really are paying for the ambiance, the service, the company, the staff etc and not the cost of the actual food.

Nurse a glass of tap water and a starter at Oblix and claim you are only there for the food and won't look out of the window!

indiepanda

My usual approach is to split the bill unless I feel that would be unfair on my dining companions - e.g. if I have had an alcoholic drink and they have only had tap water or I had a pudding and they hadn't. If you do that then on the occasions the boot is on the other foot and they have had more, they will usually chip in more too.

I do recall going out with people from work many years ago where the better off people always wanted to split the bill - and they would have had three courses and lots of drink, and basically free ride off those who were worse off and had one drink and just one course. Made me feel really uncomfortable but as I was the most junior person there it was hard to speak up and point out their selfish behaviour It's a lot easier eating out with friends where you pick your venue according to what you can both afford.

burnoutbabe

what do people do when they have their £10 but some bright spark pipes up "lets all pay for the hen/birthday person" etc.

Say no?

(i do think its very rude to suggest this, out loud at the meal, but then even if suggested before, its hard to say no to it anyway, so you'd just have to refuse to go)

splishsplash

onlyroz wrote: »

As has been pointed out, restaurants are perfectly happy to produce separate bills because it usually means they get a bigger tip.

Really? Most of the restaurants I go to are small but very busy - very busy - and would certainly not be impressed by a request for separate bills, especially where a large party is concerned (as in the OP). They wouldn't the till system in place to allow it. I couldn't imagine even asking. If someone was determined to divvy the bill up, the least they could do is their own algebra.

A large party suggests an occasion. You are attending the occasion, so why not pay for the occasion. It's a bit like booking a group of concert tickets and trying to pay less because you don't want to hear the supporting acts.

Jagraf

If I can't go out comfortably, I don't. I would never want to work out my money so to the penny that IT makes the evening uncomfortable.

Fortunately things are positive now but I remember worrying that someone would suggest a bottle of wine etc (which is natural in a place where you go to eat and drink) and we really had very little money.

I never go out, even for coffee, where I couldn't afford to pay for two coffees at least.