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AIBU?

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Original poster

4 bits of asparagus and half an egg - how much?

193 replies

Thornyroshbush · 29/05/2026 07:13

I went to my favourite restaurant in the world recently. Never had a plate of food I didn't love and I've probably been going 15(ish) times a year since 2018. It's 'tapas' style so you can easily have 4-5 plates in a meal. Just to give an indicating over the quality of the food.

One of the dishes we ordered to share was asparagus and a crispy egg. What turned up was four bits of asparagus and half a boiled egg in a shell (it looked a bit like a scotch egg, but no runny centre).

I'm wondering if I am being very unreasonable to still be absolutely gobsmacked over 24 hours later that anyone thought that was acceptable to send out of a kitchen at the price they charged for it. We're due to go back tomorrow night and I honestly want to cancel but DH thinks they deserve another chance...

So, can people tell me how much they would have thought that would cost?

OP posts:
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Jellox · 29/05/2026 09:00

I would have had to have said something at the time - probably not even as a complaint more for the fact that I’d assumed they had forgotten to bring the other plate.

You do not cut half an egg in half and literally have 1/4 of an egg.
It had to have been a mistake.

I would definitely cancel and say how disappointed you were and 1/4 egg is just ridiculous.
There is trying to make a profit and then there is taking the piss.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 29/05/2026 09:00

I'm interested in this:
"Grilled cod, curried beurre blanc, green bean, pickle £30"

It says bean rather than the plural ... please, please tell me you don't really get just one??

daysofpearlyspencer · 29/05/2026 09:00

NeedANewOne25 · 29/05/2026 08:40

Oh gosh, I see it’s Burnham Market? We go to the Norfolk coast a lot, and won’t go back there, (apart from a very nice reasonably priced cafe at the east end of the town centre). The atmosphere there is not for us.

We call it Burnham Markup and drive straight through

harderthanIexpected · 29/05/2026 09:00

TBF there seems to be more to the dish than just the asparagus and the egg? Judging by appearances alone I would say £15 seems reasonable.

Obviously it would have to be extremely well prepared though.

4 bits of asparagus and half an egg - how much?
holdupp · 29/05/2026 08:58

Hideously overpriced OP.

Northermcharn · 29/05/2026 08:56

Northermcharn · 29/05/2026 08:08

Well if Starbucks etc can charge 6.00 for a cup of milk with a dash of coffee, and millions buy it everyday, this is where we are.

Not even fresh milk. Powdered milk and water. Average dash of coffee, 6.00, probably more sometimes. Minimal cost, minimal effort almost est. 90% return. Guess the asparagus people aren't quite so flush.

Boxoffrogs21 · 29/05/2026 08:56

I wonder if something awful has happened if all the staff were so subdued and the chef not producing food of his usual quality?

But you’re not being unreasonable to cancel - it’s expensive and you’re not obliged to go and pay a lot of money and risk poor quality food and service.

MeltyMomenrs · 29/05/2026 08:56

TheBerry · 29/05/2026 08:05

Did you say anything at the time?? I'd go again if they've been good for 15 years but I'd definitely try to find out what happened that time... do they have a new chef?

this!

if my favourite place in the world served suych a fire meal I'd be talking to them. Not throwing my toys out the cot.

measuretwicecutonce · 29/05/2026 08:53

I often look at the tapas dish and imagine it’s like a starter or main depending on price. £15 for that dish is expensive for a stater and imo it’s what I’d expect for 1 portion and I’d expect a whole egg.

Original poster
Thornyroshbush · 29/05/2026 08:50

@Bananananna i’ll go back in a few months. But not tomorrow.

The main gripe is the chef thought he was acceptable to send that dish out. Everything else is secondary. No decent chef would do that - surely they’d be too embarrassed.

@C8H10N4O2 no one asked us if we enjoyed it. None of the staff interacted with any customers at all. Usually the announce each dish, talk to you, ask if you if enjoyed your plate etc. we got nothing. Nor did anyone else. As I said above, it was like being in the twilight zone.

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/05/2026 08:47

Have they changed hands recently ?

C8H10N4O2 · 29/05/2026 08:47

Thornyroshbush · 29/05/2026 08:14

It’s very easy to look back and say ‘should have said at the time’ but I was genuinely speechless - I couldn’t actually believe it had been sent out, and other people were eating the same plate and enjoying it! It was only when we got home and I had my microwavable meal (meant to be the next days dinner but I was so hungry I had to eat it) that I sort of went ‘eh’? It was also the ‘owners’ chef in the kitchen sending the food out! So not a new chef…and as I said, never has a bad plate before so having an entire meal be awfully was just so shocking I didn’t even really think about it. Probably makes no sense, but I genuinely didn’t until after

Will ring today and cancel today and explain why. Were due back again in July so will give it another go then. Possibly because it was half term it wasn’t as good as usual?! But I just can’t get past half a hard boiled egg and four asparagus spears (if you go on their drip advisor page you can see a photo of it - only that person got six spears!!!!)

Edited

So what did you say when they asked if you enjoyed the meal?

You are regular customers whom they should value and recognise as regulars . Why did you feel unable to say “usually fab but not the best, has there been a problem in the kitchen?”. It can help to have a couple of objective phrases prepared fo this situation. I would at least call them to discuss the reservation and ask if they having issues temporarily, then if you don’t get a satisfactory answer cancel and maybe give them their second chance in a couple of months.

Woody asparagus and overcooked egg is really poor cooking, whatever it looks like. Portion sizes - hard to say as I don’t know what is normal price wise. They may be skimping on portions to avoid raising prices.

Bananananna · 29/05/2026 08:45

I don't really understand why you're cancelling for tomorrow based on one negative experience, that you never gave them the opportunity to rectify, when you've gone to great lengths to tell us how wonderful it's been the 500 other times you've been there.

If you like it, go. Just don't order that dish again. And if you have a problem with any dish at any restaurant you obviously need to deal with it there and then. Saying you were too speechless to mention it is a bit dramatic.

Mightchangemyname · 29/05/2026 08:45

This is why I refuse to do tapas in the UK these days! £150 later and you leave hungry having had two pieces of bread and a chorizo!!

BlueyandBingo · 29/05/2026 08:42

I have now seen a photo which confirms it is where I thought 😕
I would let them know, whenever I have spoken to them about anything (not complaints) they have always been lovely

NeedANewOne25 · 29/05/2026 08:40

Oh gosh, I see it’s Burnham Market? We go to the Norfolk coast a lot, and won’t go back there, (apart from a very nice reasonably priced cafe at the east end of the town centre). The atmosphere there is not for us.

Original poster
Thornyroshbush · 29/05/2026 08:40

@BlueyandBingo it’s been named above, but yes!

Usually excellent (can’t stress this enough as I don’t want people to think they’re crap), but this was diabolical! Possibly not helped by the chef-owner shouting ‘I need more ketchup’ (for kids meals which I’m sure they never used to do…) every few minutes. Not the ‘usual atmosphere’. Which sounds awful, but you can’t charge those prices and have bad food, small portions and a bad atmosphere!! Also all the waiting staff were really miserable?! And usually they’re so chatty and cheerful. Just odd all around. Was like stepping into the twilight zone.

@Bjorkdidit got the sauces, but way less than was pictured! Not enough for the amount of asparagus…which given how little there was! 😂

OP posts:
BlueyandBingo · 29/05/2026 08:35

Oh no @Thornyroshbush I think you are describing my favourite restaurant, is it next to a car park??
I don’t want to name it as they are usually so good- we always go, usually twice, when visiting the area

daysofpearlyspencer · 29/05/2026 08:34

We paid £40.00 for 2 lots of medium fish and chips in north Norfolk recently. Something we won't be doing again.

Bjorkdidit · 29/05/2026 08:33

Choux · 29/05/2026 08:21

Here’s the mgmt provided photo in TripAdvisor. The asparagus looks fatter than the stuff I got in Sainsbury’s yesterday and it’s beautifully presented. but for that price why not give you both halves of the egg?!?

OP also says her egg was dry so it should have been sent back on that basis alone. The egg is supposed to be runny so you can dip the asparagus spears in it.

Did you get the sauces? That looks like you should have also got two flavoursome sauces - hollandaise and something herby? That would really enhance the dish. £15 is still a lot and I'd still expect it all to be perfectly cooked - not woody asparagus or solid egg yolk, but it also sounds like it was a poor example of what you should have received.

Original poster
Thornyroshbush · 29/05/2026 08:29

PeppyRosePoster · 29/05/2026 08:24

It does look beautifully presented.

Sadly ours did not look like that. The asparagus wasn’t charred or soft (hard and woody) and the egg yolk was solid + the sauce was about a teaspoon size. Even if it did look like that it’s not worth £15!

But as I said their food is usually excellent. You don’t go back for at least 15x a year for eight years If it’s not!!!

But I’m still shocked the chef (who is the co owner with his wife) thought it acceptable to send out our plate. And that’s what’s really got me. The quality and quantity is awful, but to actually think it’s okay to send it out?!

And as PP said…to give half an egg! So 1/4 of an egg for each person…

OP posts:
tiramisugelato · 29/05/2026 08:27

YABU for spending £15 on eggs and asparagus in the first place - what a rip off 🤣

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 29/05/2026 08:26

PeppyRosePoster · 29/05/2026 08:24

It does look beautifully presented.

Have to agree 🤣