large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

seven-day-weekend

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Why would you go out for a meal with your neighbour or anybody you didn't know reasonably well - it just seems such an unlikely scenario to me?

I'm genuinely puzzled, on one hand you say you don't mix much but then you talk about sharing food with strangers, it just seems so illogical. (That isn't meant to be critical, by the way, just genuine puzzlement.)

I think the only way the poster gets to socialize is to do so with aquaintances and/or friends of friends.

seven-day-weekend

onlyroz wrote: »

Have you never been out with a group of work colleagues? [B]Probably wouldn't go. Or attended a conference? Yes, but the food was provided, we didn't have to pay for it[/B] Or gone on an excursion while on holiday where you are put on a large table with a bunch of strangers? NO Or maybe been invited to a birthday party of a distant relative? Probably wouldn't go Or perhaps met up with some old school friends you haven't seen in 20 years? Wouldn't go Or maybe met up with a group of friends who have invited along some other people that you don't know too well? No

Other than a wedding reception, I can't envisage a scenario where I shared food with people I didn't know. Especially if I had to pay for it.

Peter333

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We frequent Wetherspoons reasonably often too

It's quite decent isn't it? Very cheap and always a nice atmosphere.

onlyroz wrote: »

Have you never been out with a group of work colleagues? Or attended a conference? Or gone on an excursion while on holiday where you are put on a large table with a bunch of strangers? Or maybe been invited to a birthday party of a distant relative? Or perhaps met up with some old school friends you haven't seen in 20 years? Or maybe met up with a group of friends who have invited along some other people that you don't know too well?

Well exactly. I go out for food with people I am not close to, as often as my family! (Work stuff/seminars/hobby group get togethers...)

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I've never had any problem sharing in a variety of restaurants and in several different countries. Particularly with puddings it's quite common to ask for one portion and two spoons.

You're contradicting yourself... You clearly said eating off someone else's fork; in other words SHARING the same eating utensil. Stop moving the goalposts!

Torry_Quine

:Some of the comments on this thread have me shaking my head in disbelief.

Why is is thought by some unacceptable to have some people having courses that others aren't? Sometimes I'll have a starter but others I won't but have no problem if others do. I see no problem with letting my husband taste from my fork/spoon, if that seems terrible then what else won't you share.:p

As to playing some people are over complicating what should be a pleasant occasion. If people have had roughly the same then the bill.will be roughly split but if my share is different, more or less then I will put in my due amount.

If I tip it will be a small amount of about a couple of pounds but dislike the idea of service charges already added.

onlyroz

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Other than a wedding reception, I can't envisage a scenario where I shared food with people I didn't know. Especially if I had to pay for it.

So say you had a visitor from abroad this weekend, and their visit coincided with a pre-arranged family meal. Would you not bring them along?

Pollycat

Peter333 wrote: »

It's quite decent isn't it? Very cheap and always a nice atmosphere.

I think it depends which one.
We've been in some in different towns/cities that are really dire.
Others are nice.

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Why is is thought by some unacceptable to have some people having courses that others aren't? Sometimes I'll have a starter but others I won't but have no problem if others do. I see no problem with letting my husband taste from my fork/spoon, if that seems terrible then what else won't you share.:p

I believe - although I may be wrong - that the sharing food from a fork originated from this comment from me:

Pollycat wrote: »

Someone we know feels it's acceptable to reach over the table and take something from her husband's plate - quite often with her fingers.

Whilst I wouldn't like to share food from someone else's fork, I know some people do it.
But that's very different to the behaviour I mentioned above - which I wouldn't expect in public from a child, let alone a grown woman.

Georgiegirl256

Torry_Quine wrote: »

:
Why is is thought by some unacceptable to have some people having courses that others aren't? Sometimes I'll have a starter but others I won't but have no problem if others do. I see no problem with letting my husband taste from my fork/spoon, if that seems terrible then what else won't you share.:p
.

Not really bothered by my husband doing it, but anyone else is a big no no.

Jagraf

Person_one wrote: »

Are you only a member of one discrete friendship group though? Do you never get invites where its a newer or different group of people or includes some 'extras'?

Over the past month say, these are my experiences

Family birthday meal where host paid £20 a head (recognised that it was quite expensive). Host paid for 4 bottles of wine and mineral water. Table was for twelve, rest split between us (irrespective if what we ate or drank)

Morning coffee with closest girlfriends - six of us - ranged from coffee or coke or orange juice etc, some had two drinks, I think it was £7 a head including tips - all split equally.

Meal with sis in law who has more kids than us - all split down Middle.

Lunch with colleague - we alternate with payment sometimes it includes a hot meal but who's ever turn it is gets it and pays.

Pub with friend - wine and a coke x 2 - round each.

Never ever work out my own bill nor anyone else does.

If theres an extra we just split the Bill with one more.

Not been out with s group of work colleagues as such for ages, but if we do we tend to choose from a set menu and pay the going rate In advance to someone then just get our own drinks at the bar. No divvying up.

duchy

There are so many situations where what is consumed is different .......and frankly why should anyone have to be forced to admit they are a bit short this month anyway- especially to aquaintances rather than friends.

I work with a woman who if she ate a three course meal would be violently sick as she has had stomach surgery, I have another friend who has to keep to a gluten free diet.....diabetes is an all too common problem ....pregnant women won't usually drink and often can't eat large meals especially later in pregnancy, Ramadan is nearly upon us - most Muslims even those who will drink the rest of the year abstain for Eid, I have friends who are LDS so don't drink ........all of these people would be excluded from some people's meals based on postings here........surely I'm not the only person with a diversity of friends who all enjoy socializing rather than an insular group who all MUST eat and drink the same or pay a financial penalty or worse a social one ?

<goes back to sit on the headshakers bench>

minimacka

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

....and then there's the never-mentioned thought of "What happens about a tip?"

In the past we have had a problem with tipping within our family as in there are 4 siblings 2 of these had 2 children and 2 of these had 1 child. At family meals the 2 siblings with the 2 children usually just put the exact same amount in usually giving a good tip, and the other 2 siblings sorted there bills out between them 1 giving a good tip and the other one taking the cash and paying on his credit card. We never knew if he put the "good" tip into the tips dish so after being caught out with this a couple of times we usually got separate bills and put out each individual tip in. I do like to tip with good service even if the good hasn't been that great its not the waiter/waitress fault. I also tip in cash and not on a card I like to know that the person not the company has got it.