large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

Peter333

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I don't mean to be either abstruse or argumentative but how many people would have "a visitor from abroad" drop in for the weekend - or at any time, for that matter?

I don't see the point of inventing unlikely scenarios and asking people "what if" unless you're inventing a new parlour game or comedy panel show.

I agree with OnlyRoz and Duchy. I have a number of relatives and friends who live abroad, and it's not unusual for them to come over to visit, sometimes with not much notice. Especially the people we know in France, and Holland. It's quicker/easier for them to get to us, than it is for the relatives we have in Scotland to get to us!

Not everyone only knows people in the UK you know! :rotfl:

SingleSue

PasturesNew wrote: »

I don't know where you live, but I've some strange idea in my head about where it is ... and I believe it's about 200 miles from me

LOVE cats... dogs hate me. Dogs also do unexpected things which sometimes perturb me

It's hard to be polite when a dog's rolling on it's back presenting its willy to you and the host says "awww look he wants his belly rubbing". Yeah, right like THAT's going to happen!



Good lord you need to get out more (alone) .... you'll be surprised how strange strangers can be

You'd be welcome to come and see me too but then you would have to put up with planet Zog from youngest and then not be able to come into the house where my very lovely cat resides because 'people' are not allowed in (not my rules, it's the boys safe haven and where they feel they can relax, it would cause months of hell if this was broken).

Could go out though but it would have to be somewhere that served chicken burgers but is not Wetherspoons or Mac D's (youngest refuses to step foot in them - he also will not go into Tesco or Poundland as that is where the poor people go according to him ) and even then, it could still be a night of planet Zog as there would be someone they don't know at the table. :rotfl:

SingleSue

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I bet if we did a poll it would be a tiny number (and I've both been to university and lived abroad).

ETA
Although I did go and stay in Germany with a schoolfriend when she was based there for a while.

I've had various guests from abroad and I didn't go to uni or live abroad. They couldn't stay here of course but my parents are always very good at letting them sleep at theirs.

missbiggles1

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I would choose the expensive restaurant so as thoughtful as your intention is, it's not for everyone.

I like to eat one course meals of excellent food. And an expensive, lovely drink instead of a few glasses of cheap crap.

It's got nothing to do with money, though I expect people to pay their fair share of whatever they consume, as I do.

If I'm going to pay £30 for a meal out, I'd like a nice piece of fish/chicken with some fresh veg, not a plate of brushetta, pasta/pizza and a pudding.

I actually love puddings, but only eat chocolate ones - calories just aren't worth it for anything else! So many restaurants don't offer anything for chocolate lovers. Anything with fruit is an absolute no-no for me. Fruit is a healthyish snack or part of breakfast; not part of a 500 calorie dessert as far as I'm concerned. If I'm out in a group and puddings are consumed, I'm very happy to have a coffee.

I have no idea how people fit 3 courses, wine and coffee in their bodies without feeling ill. I would be so physically uncomfortable it would actually be painful, result in an awful night's sleep and then a zombie like day the next day. I did however have no problem doing all of this as a student or in my 20's: it's an age thing for me 20 years on.

Well, possibly because they don't feel that every pudding has to contain chocolate and have 500 calories in it!

missbiggles1

duchy wrote: »

Me

I have friends from all over -It isn't unusual to get a PM or message saying "Hey I'm in London this weekend - can we get together" This weekend however I'm in Devon and have plans to catch up with two different friends who live close to where we are staying - I *think* they know each other (one has recently moved to the area) -they certainly have mutual friends in common. It is fairly likely we'll get together for a meal together.Most people don't only have "local friends" only but have friends from wherever they have lived or worked and some of those people may go on to live and work abroad or in another part of the country. I suppose if you've always lived in the same town and have friends who don't move for work or other reasons it's possible .

I'm in Chicago next month -and we're trying to schedule dinner with a friend who lives there - My tschedule is pretty tight so again it's certainly possible I'll be invited to join an existing social arrangement like a preplanned meal so it works both ways .

It may be an unlikely scenario to you but it's not for many other people.

Obviously lots of people have friends from all over the place but I don't think that's true for the majority, that's all.

missbiggles1

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Excuse me!

Where did the personal attack on me come from??? I think you are confusing me with someone else.

a. A chip or some "finger food" is different - ie not something needing cutlery to have it. So that's on the okay list.

b. Second paragraph is really puzzling. I couldnt possibly have made "irresponsible reproductive choices" - as I dont have any children (so I've, quite obviously, been being responsible at enforcing that decision I personally made for myself).

Anyway - it's food we are discussing on this thread and not "personal lives":). Do stay on topic.

S/he wasn't talking about you.

seven-day-weekend

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Well, possibly because they don't feel that every pudding has to contain chocolate and have 500 calories in it!

Aw! It's not a pudding if it doesn't have those things!

FBaby

Well, possibly because they don't feel that every pudding has to contain chocolate and have 500 calories in it!

I think we need to share where we all go to eat because I do so quite regularly, to all sort of places, anywhere from Weatherspoons/Toby Carvery to local 5 star hotel, and except for the latter, which is much more a rare occasion, there are NEVER low calorie desserts, except for the occasional bowl of fruit which always end up being a rip off with a lot of hard melon and a couple of strawberries. There is the option of cheese and crackers, but not keen on this and certainly not low calorie any way. Most places seem to like to make their huge, highly calorific dessert a selling point.

This thread has made me realise how rare it is that I actually really enjoy the food when I go out to eat with friends/ family. The only ones I actually look forward to the Turkish restaurant and never bother with pudding as it really isn’t a main part of the meal for them anyway.

duchy

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Obviously lots of people have friends from all over the place but I don't think that's true for the majority, that's all.

Maybe that's an age thing though.......
It's far more common for people nowadays to have travelled more, worked abroad , holidayed abroad (not saying you haven't but you are of the generation that first benefited from cheap international travel and not everyone of your generation chose to take advantage of those opportunities).
As we've discussed before you are older han me - and even at my age I find my peers divide very sharply into those who embraced the internet and those who have never got a real handle on it - I suspect your age group that's even more true.Those who haven't are less likely to keep up friendships when people move away if they aren't comfortable with the various electronic means of keeping in contact - a letter a month with a friend will never replace regular chats on-line between old friends for example. Maybe that explains at least in part why you think it's very normal to only have local friends whilst others have more diverse friendships geographically ? Or maybe it's even simpler than than in I grew up with family who were reasonably far flung with close family in Ireland, USA and Australia and more distant but still in touch family in other countries so hosting guests from further afield was very normal to me from a young age so it continued naturally into adulthood with friendships - as I never saw distance as a barrier to continuing and sustaining a friendship ?

Often we are the sum of our experiences and this thread has shown that dining covers a range of attitudes and beliefs )and then some LOL) but if this thread has done anything I hope it has made some people realize that there isn't just one way - and maybe if someone now wants two starters....or no starter at all, doesn't want to be paying for someone else's excesses or wants to divert from what they took to be the only socially acceptable way to enjoy a meal out this thread has given them the confidence to say what they want rather than feel they can't.

SingleSue

I was invited out for a meal last night, their treat (an old school friend of Josh's, he wanted to say thanks for all my support). I had a starter as my main with a side, not because I was being careful but because it is what I always have when we go there...it's blooming gorgeous!

He thought I was trying to keep the costs down as it worked out cheaper than a normal main and I had to explain it was my usual meal there and something I don't get the chance to have at home due to youngest's food allergies and although tempted by the steak, I knew if I had it that it would go to waste (their steaks are massive - well to me anyway) especially as he had ordered a shared starter and I hate wasting food, more so when someone is treating me to a meal out.

It was a money no object night and I could have had a full 3 courses had I wanted but I can only eat what my tummy can handle.