I snapped earlier and I feel so awful now :(

If you experienced motion sickness on the way there, I guess not eating much 'helps' with the journey back!

All in all, a bit of a weird story. I'd be intrigued to know the restaurant in question.

Weird there wasn’t an à la carte menu to choose from, I have never heard of only being able to have a set menu unless a special night - e.g. Valentines - or a Sunday lunch scenario (but the latter is usually in places like gastropubs where they give the whole of the food service over to making a multitude of roasts and trimmings). Did they have fabric table coverings? I would imagine so at that price and hence no to the markers, which is fair enough and common sense.

To those saying it was weird that you were told on arrival of the set menu I don’t find that weird at all, lots of places will tell you on arrival if there such a system in place - but @thetallfairy that was your time to decline and go elsewhere. Were you eating with another adult who wanted to eat there in particular? I imagine so as the kids were likely not to be fussed and it would be odd to get motion sickness if you were driving yourself there, that’s more of a passenger issue.

Hope you feel better now.

The tall fairy or the tall tale?

They did?

🦖

I think they were rude. Should have said at the beginning of the meal you needed to spend so much. But… how ridiculous is that. Guess they dint be in business for long.

Give them a shitty review

I wouldn’t feel awful about this but it seems a really odd sort of restaurant. Did you have to declare your meal choice before you even sat at a table?

I wonder if they were thinking they’d lose money on your booking as you were only ordering a main. I know this is sometimes an issue when a low ordering or tipping party block a large table. Restaurants are really up against it financially.

and the markers? Not crayons? Or sharpies?! I wonder if they were worried they might damage the table or tablecloth.

obviously there’s no excuse for rudeness and you shouldn’t overthink it but don’t go back!

So you went somewhere they presumably expect adults to pay £90 each and yet you ordered nothing except 2 kids' meals at £20 each. They obviously do welcome kids as they have the separate menu for them but would expect them to be eating alongside full-paying adults - or at least 1. So you took up a table spending about half of what they would expect as a minimum (probably a lot less as dining alone is relatively rare) and then at the end instead of leaving you got out colouring stuff for your kids?? Yeah, I'm not surprised they were off with you tbh. It's tough in the hospitality trade at the moment (is this a reverse?). It sounds like this place wasn't suitable for your needs and you should have gone elsewhere.

Why was colouring not allowed?

Chalk this one up to experience and move on.
Research the menu better next time and if you're not feeling well - cancel.
X

Clearly they expect/welcome children if they have a children’s menu. So you’d expect them to have or at least allow some form of entertainment (colouring etc) for them, young kids don’t generally sit perfectly in a restaurant. Their response to you only wanting a main was rude too. If I worked somewhere that was the rule I’d probably think it was daft and empathise. They were rude and you were rude back, fair enough. Don’t overthink it and don’t go back

Strangest post I've read for a while....

I dont understand how it was £90 or nothing but you didnt pay £90?So you just ate your kids food?

You hardly snapped! Just stated your opinion.

Think you’re going overboard / overthinking it all. Really isn’t the big issue you’re making it out to be.

I don’t get this: you went out to this type of restaurant but didn’t order anything at all and then picked through one of your kids’ leftovers?? I would have thought you quite weird but that didn’t give the staff the right to be rude. And rude they were. I’d leave a review tbh.

They wouldn’t allow you to order a main course by itself, but we’re happy to have you sit there ordering nothing at all?

I don’t understand actually how you had the conversation before even seated at the table on only wanting a main course, I’ve never said that till I ordered.

Don't feel bad, because they were rude. OK, maybe you should have researched, and no doubt you will next time, but you're (probably!) old enough to remember when we all just went out and didn't google restaurants before going. And if your kids are well behaved, why shouldn't they go? As a little kid, I could eat more than most adults (and could behave better than some). Not that my parents could have afforded it, but I'd have loved what you describe here. And if you can afford it, good on you, and unless they advertised no kids, why not?

We were considering going out for Christmas Day lunch but at £130 a head we hastily reverted back to eating at home. £90 a head for something you weren’t well enough to eat and horrible staff? Was it for an occasion or am I woefully out of touch?

Anyway, my litany of unhelpful comments aside, I hope you’re feeling better soon Op and don’t feel bad for being a little brusque - it might feel like snapping to you but the staff sounded surly and rude. It sounds like you met them where they were at.

So you just ordered the kids meals and ate some of theirs ? Were you maybe w but embarassed as you didn’t know the price?