large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

KxMx

Really interesting read because most of the places I eat allow me & friends to order and pay seperately. If not we usually pay for what we've had.

I'd not go for a split bill because I'd only be able to afford my own meal & drinks. I have the lowest income so why should i subsidise those who can afford to pay for their own?

Last big group meal was a buffet restaurant, everyone put their money on the table and host totted up. She was relieved there was enough because apparently that doesn't happen often. I put £2 extra in for the tip and she tried to give it back!

Once I did an "experience" plus 3 course meal which was an overall set price, I pre ordered and ate 2 courses ( and didn't sit there with a po face & empty plate by the way :rotfl: ) but obviously happily paid the full asking price since it wouldn't have been reasonable to ask for a discount. I wasn't the only one who opted out of 3.

I dont eat out often due to medical reasons, but i certainly eat exactly what suits ME and I have no qualms about doing so.

onlyroz

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

To me, what would really spoil my enjoyment of an evening is if I was looking forward to a particular starter only to be told that because the majority were having puddings that I couldn't have it and would have to have a pudding instead. Would totally take the shine off my evening tbh.

If I was the only one who wanted a starter I'd probably suggest that it was brought to the table at the same time as the main courses - because I wouldn't want to have everybody chewing at their napkins in hunger as I ate it.


I also often suggest that the kids' meals are served with the starters, because they're slow eaters and I wouldn't want them to go hungry while everybody else was tucking in.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

This thread is genuinely eye-opening.

I have a small appetite and can rarely manage three courses. I also avoid eating large quantities in the evening as I find it makes me sleep badly. I don't drink wine and order water as I don't really like alcohol with food. All these years I thought I'd had nice evenings out catching up with mates at restaurants, but apparently they've all been inwardly wincing at the horror of sitting with someone who didn't eat and drink the same quantities as them! I've been utterly ruining the taste of their wine by the proximity of water on the table! What a rubbish friend I am.

balletshoes

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Different strokes for different folks I guess

To me, what would really spoil my enjoyment of an evening is if I was looking forward to a particular starter only to be told that because the majority were having puddings that I couldn't have it and would have to have a pudding instead. Would totally take the shine off my evening tbh.

But yeah, like I said earlier, I never even realised it was a thing that people did.
Definitely a weird eye opener this thread, that's for sure!

I keep coming back to this thread, reading the last page or so, and going away again, shaking my head . Who knew it was such a potentially contentious issue, going out for a meal with family or friends?

onlyroz

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

This thread is genuinely eye-opening.

I have a small appetite and can rarely manage three courses. I also avoid eating large quantities in the evening as I find it makes me sleep badly. I don't drink wine and order water as I don't really like alcohol with food. All these years I thought I'd had nice evenings out catching up with mates at restaurants, but apparently they've all been inwardly wincing at the horror of sitting with someone who didn't eat and drink the same quantities as them! I've been utterly ruining the taste of their wine by the proximity of water on the table! What a rubbish friend I am.

What you obviously should do is order three courses you don't really want and take a few mouthfuls from each plate. Your friends will be perfectly happy to pay their share of the food you've wasted, because it prevents their own enjoyment being spoiled.

Jagraf

I think maybe a lot of this thread is about the timings, rather than the actual food. If someone orders a starter instead of a main so that all the food comes out together, then to me that makes more sense.

TBagpuss

splishsplash wrote: »

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.

I think it depends on the situation. If you want separate bills, you need to say so at the start of the meal, not when the bill comes. If the restaurant can't do it they can say so then, and you know you need to keep track of what you're ordering.

I've eaten out in groups where the restaurant wasn't set up to offer separate bills and we would just ask the waiter if they could bring us back a menu when they brought the bill, as we needed to work out the split . Never had a problem. (groups where we did this usually involved situations where there were children / people who were not drinking alcohol / vegetarians so a straight split would not have been fair)

I don;t think that even an ocassion should necessarily mean splitting the bill is right. If you are the designated driver, or the vegetarian who has come to celebrate your friend's birthday but have ended up eating yet another mediocre goats cheese and red onion tart because that's the only option, or the person who is ordering carefully becuase you have limited finances but really want to be part of the celebration, you shouldn't be bounced into subsidising someone else.

If the rest of the group don't want to work out their split, that's fine. You can say "I had x & y so my bill is £15, Here's £17 to include a tip, then it is easy for the remaining members to take £17 off the total bill and split what is left evenly.

andygb

It is ages since we last ate out in a group, but we have always split the bill according to what you actually eat, rather than an even split across a big group of twenty or so. We used to find (with one "friend") that an even split of the bill used to result in him ordering the most expensive steak and high priced bottle of wine plus a brandy afterwards.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I wonder how much of the UK's obesity crisis and disgusting food wastage is caused by people ordering dishes just for the sake of it, rather than eating as their appetite dictates.

If I order a starter I'll struggle to finish my main and definitely won't be able to enjoy a dessert, so I just don't as I hate waste. I am genuinely amazed that for some people this would affect their own eating pleasure.

Georgiegirl256

pigpen wrote: »

No.. how difficult is that to comprehend?? .. MY food is on MY plate.. NOONE touches it.. they can have my leftovers (HAHAHA as IF!!) Why would I want your saliva or my partners or my mothers on MY cutlery or food?? Why would I want fingers in my dinner that someone had had up their nose or in their ear or down their pants?? They might have just sneezed on their hand then touch MY food??? Why would I want any of that.. it is thoroughly disgusting! Just because some people have the manners of pigs doen't mean we who have pleasant hygienic manners are wrong!
!

I'm the same. Turns my stomach. _pale_ I always remember the time we went out with my Mam's friend for lunch once. I think we all had the roast dinner, and I mentioned how I loved Yorkshire puddings and always saved mine until last (when she asked if I was eating it), and before I knew it, she plonked hers on my plate with the fork she'd been using the whole time. Even if she'd used a clean fork it wouldn't have been right by me. My Mam saw my face and said she would have felt the same (afterwards of course), and funnily enough, I lost my appetite after that.

onlyroz wrote: »

If I was the only one who wanted a starter I'd probably suggest that it was brought to the table at the same time as the main courses - because I wouldn't want to have everybody chewing at their napkins in hunger as I ate it.
.

That's one good way of getting round it, but wouldn't work if you're having both a starter and a main.

balletshoes wrote: »

I keep coming back to this thread, reading the last page or so, and going away again, shaking my head . Who knew it was such a potentially contentious issue, going out for a meal with family or friends?

I know, I don't think I'll view going for a meal out the same again! I know I said I was done with the thread last night, but it was more one person I was done with! It keeps on drawing me back lol!