Finding it increasingly difficult to justify eating out at pubs etc

Wish we could lean into the Italian style of going out locally for one drink and a chat/ walk around, then back home for dinner. We just need the outside tables. And the weather. And the affordable aperos!

I agree, we enjoy eating out and trying new food but for a family of 5 it’s hard to justify the cost. The last few meals we’ve had out have been disappointing and it ends up costing about £130.

At a recent pub lunch, DS’s ‘chicken burger’ was two pieces of dry over-cooked chicken stuck in a bun with some lettuce. It was chewy!
We were on the south coast and there was no fresh fish on the menu, only scampi or battered cod (probably frozen).

DH and I both cook very nice food at home, so it’s hard to justify paying a lot of money for something mediocre.
It’s a shame as we do miss going out for a nice meal.

We do eat out regularly, more than once a week probably
Always at independents as they need the support.

The cost of eating shit food in an average pub is usually as much as good food in a smaller place (I'm veggie and so specialist veggie places tend to need to be good to keep going and there are usually less of them).

I wouldn't consider weatherspoons to be eating out but it is my Go To for a cheap know-what-you're-getting meal.

My point is, Supermarket Meal Deals are up to £5, Spoons is £8, an unknown pub might be £12 and a good veggie place £15: £8 and under is so cheap I don't really care if its good quality so it's a convenience choice, whereas £15 is a careful choice to spend money. The unknown £12 pub is more than I care to gamble when for a few quid more I'll be getting great food.

OH used to have a mixed grill which was about £17 back in the day. It's now £32. Seriously?

We never eat out in the evening now but go out for lunch at the local golf club a couple of times a month where you can get a main course for £9 to £13.

See I am SE and have relatives in NW. Can't say I actually noticed any price difference. Although we did go to the Curry Mile

Last time I went out for a meal was a treat for a friends birthday. The food was nice nothing amazing, price I was ok with. More the service was quite crap, waiting ages to get our drinks brought over, table all wonky and shoogly so kept rocking about (got a beer mat to stabilise it) once they put our food down they didn't even have salt and pepper on the table! Kind of annoying when you have to constantly ask for the basic things to go with your food

Reading all of these, the restaurant/pub food industry is in big trouble. I am sorry for those affected.

We gave up eating at chain restaurants a few years ago, because the food was poor value and I really object to paying £9 for a glass of Château Crappy. When you can produce a really good dinner for 4, for the cost of one cover at an average restaurant, it really isn't justifiable. We still eat out, but only at good independent restaurants, and we and our friends cook for each other.

Really good income but we rarely eat out because it seems pretty frivolous.

Being on a very tight budget, meals out in pubs are as rare as hens teeth

We did think this last Saturday that we would eat whilst in the pub, until we saw the menu ( and prices ) , there was seriously nothing less then £20 a head for bog standard cook on a grill or through the pans meal

If we eat out now its a lunch special ( live in a tourist area and out of season prices are reasonable at lunchtime - 2 course and a small glass of wine £20/£25 a head with beautiful views ) . But for bog standard we are hungry lets eat whilst we are out are now a local cafe or a McD's

We went to pizza express the other weekend and for us and 2 kids it was over £100 - no alcohol. Shocking really.

Agree totally.

I know I can make good cakes, get my food up to a good mid range restaurant standard. So anything that isn't complicated or exquisite is not worth it. Either that or absolute convenience food like a mcdonalds.

And yy to bad or sullen service ... I was at a £££ restaurant on a date and the waitress (unprompted) asked my date to tip in cash as they didn't get all their card tips.

I've worked in the service industry myself so hardly being snobby but it didn't make for a refined experience! (My date didn't have cash so it just made things awkward).

A lot of places seem to be prioritising their Deliveroo or Uber contracts too....I've sat waiting whilst they fill up those orders.

I stopped for a lunch at the weekend on my way to an art gallery - £11 for a meal and drink.

Some of the local newsagents do a samosa for £1.50 so I'll get one of those next time I'm in the area.

We've given up eating in "ordinary" pubs and chain restaurants for this reason.

We now only go to gastropubs or restaurants with good reputations or Michelin stars.

It means, of course, that we now go out for a meal once or maybe twice a year rather than twice a month (or more) but at least we get something worth paying for.

Plus, a meal out now becomes a "special event" and something we look forward to.

Also depends on where you are…I’m in Lyme Regis on hols at present where a very underwhelming pasty is a fiver, an (admittedly) delicious ice-cream £4…..really expensive, I feel like a “fleeced” tourist. These things are so much cheaper at home (I live in a land locked county and a good pasty in the village post office is about £2.50)

Thats probably because it literally was a ready meal.

I think my biggest rip off was in Bills Restaurant where they charged £15 for a 'cauliflower steak'... basically a SLICE of cauliflower with some sauce and a few veg, good god was really taking the P!

same for us.

Agree totally. I feel extra ripped off as a vegetarian, having to pay a huge amount for some lousy risotto (at best) or some dry vegetable bake, or a chickpea burger bought from an industrial supplier. I get a drink and some chips if I absolutely have to.

Well yes, everyone chooses what they feel it is worth spending money on.
We can afford to eat out, we just choose not to very often (nowadays, we used to eat out a lot) because we no longer enjoy it enough for it to be worth our while. Quality has decreased while prices have increased.
We still spend money on things that we do feel are worth it.

Yep agree! Took my teens out for my birthday meal god it was awful ! 80£ × what a waste....

People seem to have money for other things though

We've gone back to the 'old days', taking a flask and filled rolls when we go out for the day!

The last time we went out for a meal my fish portion was very small. Not worth it.

Agreed completely, I think we went out for one meal last year and haven't eaten out at all this year. I can make nicer at home and the quality is so poor. It does make me sad though I used to love going out to eat but nowhere near us does a good roast!

Just been on holiday in the UK for a week and have eaten out at pubs which we don't often do. The food was expensive on average £17.50 for a plate of pasta. Absolutely delicious but we won't be eating out for a while now.