To feel ripped off

I never buy takeaway lunch from a sit down cafe as you will pretty much always pay the same price (chains tend to show takeaway price as its worth their while applying differing vat rates) and I think that was probably your mistake.

I think you just need to write it off in your mind as doing your bit for supporting local business.

I tend to go to places that offer a meal deal if I treat myself to lunch at work.

YANBU, prices are astronomical now! A few weeks ago we went out to eat at Pizza Express. As a rare treat we each had a dessert. I knew from the menu that they were £7.95 each, which was shocking in itself but what really took the piss was each dessert was about 4 spoonfuls. The size of them was absolutely ridiculous for the price. We won't be making that mistake again!!

I don't think that's too bad. I'm still aggrieved that I went to try a new cafe for breakfast the other day. Cost me and DP £35 and it was absolutely vile 😭 my food was stone cold too.

when did you last feel ripped off?

Every time I go to a supermarket 😳

did you not look at the prices before ordering? They're legally obliged to post them. There's no way you should be surprised.

My friend runs a bakery and my life is she taking the piss with her prices. You can't get a coffee and a pastry for less than £10. She did a Christmas morning graze box. Couple of mince pies, some mini pastries, 2 tiny portions of granola, coffee beans and seasonal fruit. I know for a fact the seasonal fruit was from lidl. Also strawberries and red grapes are not seasonal fruit in the UK in December. Oh this was yours for the daylight robbery price of £35!

I'm nearly always shocked at the price of a coffee because I don't often go out for one. Last time I did, the coffee was £3.50, which is sort of what I expected, but two shortbread biscuits was £1. Im sure I could buy a packet of them for not much more than that!

That's why we don't have breakfast or lunch out lots - mind you Wetherspoons breakfast muffin and lovely lavazza coffee we do treat ourselves to every now and again

I take a lovely flask of coffee to work and a homemade sandwich or a M&S pasta meal

The increase in price is a direct reflection of the increase in their overheads but I totally agree with you OP that is a crazy amount to pay for what you get and my mind boggles at how those on lower incomes can afford it

We have fancy coffee machine at home and I love cooking and baking so make at homr and refuse to pay inflated cafe prices because of the poor value. It really stings to pay more than £3.50 for a coffee when they make it poorly or £5 for a watery soup when I could have done it better at home!

I will eat out at restaurants when socialising and take kids in holidays but not for impromptu visits

Seems fairly standard to me. Is it a long time since you were in a cafe?

Interesting comments about staff being young, wonder if employing school kids under 18 at £6.40 an hour is helping them employ staff. £5 an hour difference between a young teen and a 21 yr old is a big difference.
I also take food/drink (like my mum did)
If you want a treat, too good to go app has Greggs bags £3.15.

£27 for 2 hot chocs, waffle and Bagel. 🥴

Its been bugging me all day

Seriously?

Sadly that's a pretty average price just how things are now.

I nearly fainted at Five Guys when burgers and fries and milkshakes for two adults and two kids came to over £70!! It did taste good but given I had to collect like I do at macdonalds and it wasn’t like a table service meal I was expecting a bit cheaper!!

This morning in Cambridge (which tends to be expensive) I paid £10.40 for a latte and a bacon brioche - both were absolutely delicious, I don't mind paying a bit more when it's good so choose very carefully where I go

Ha. About 15 years ago I went to a posh new cafe near me in London. They charged me £7 for a black coffee. I never went back.

Last year met a friend and bought two smoothies in Joe and the Juice for £19 😲
I don’t even like smoothies.

I think expecting soup to be 3 quid is a bit naive, these days that probably barely covers the gas bill to heat it up.

As a teenager I was always really embarrassed by my mother unwrapping homemade sandwiches and flasks of tea on train journeys.

Guess what I do now...? 😆

How can you not already know this?

Cafes have always been expensive for very basic food, which is why I almost never use them. I understand why they charge the prices they do, but that doesn't mean I have to pay them.

If I wanted soup, cake and coffee to eat in my desk, I'd have gone to the Co-op, Tesco Metro or similar and got a can of soup, coffee from the Costa machine and whatever sweet thing I fancied, likely cost, under a fiver.

Alleyrose

I'm so shocked how cheap that toasted panini is at £4.50

It's £9.50 for one in the cafe round the corner from me (they're bloody massive though I think)

Eating out/coffee etc is such a rip off...I try and meet up with friends at my local Wetherspoons...its 5 mins walk from my house and pretty good value...
I really begrudge paying stupid money in a cafe for a tiny baked potato or toasted sandwich.

This was in the Metrocentre in Newcastle. Local bowling in Scotland was only £25 for 2 games for the 3 of us

3 of us (2 adults and a child) played 2 games of bowling: £48!!!!