Vegans visiting restaurants

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Inspired by another thread (you all know which!) but not about that or wishing to cause controversy, I’m just interested to know, if you are vegan are you happy to eat in restaurants serving meat? Or with people at the same table eating meat?
I know many Vegan people for whom it is a personal choice and they don’t worry about what others do. But others were clearly repulsed by meat to the extinct that they would be uncomfortable if meat were near by. Or is it more of a case of not liking it in their home. My house, my rules. Which in my opinion is fair enough.
Like I say, I’m just interested, not looking to judge!

Couldn't give a shit what other people eat or don't eat. Which is more than I can say for others - as a lifelong veggie, I am sick to death of meat eaters feeling the need to challenge me on my eating habits, when I have no quarrel with theirs. It's boring.

I'm vegetarian rather than vegan, but I don't give a toss what's on anyone else's plate.

As @ConsentOrderorNot says though, I could do without the endless inevitable "do you want some bacon with that?" sarcastic comments.

I'm not vegan but have a close friend who is. If we eat at hers we eat vegan food, prepared by her (no idea how she'd feel if I brought my own meat but it would be rather rude so I wouldn't do it). If we eat out she eats with us and doesn't mind if people order meat or dairy. If the meal is for her birthday then we always go to a local vegan restaurant though because she loves it but otherwise we eat in restaurants which serve meat.

I've lost count of the times meat eaters have demanded I justify my choice to be vegetarian.

I have never challenged them on their choice to eat meat, or not eat bloody mushrooms, or drink red wine rather than beer. Who cares!!! Not me!

Im a vegetarian and I am too busy stuffing my own face to notice or care what anyone else eats.

One of my adult children is a vegan and she is also only interested in what she can eat.

I know a few veggies/vegans (including myself) and none of them could give a shit what others eat in a restaurant, its different in your own house as its disrespectful.

And a big fat "yes" to being fed up of being lectured/quizzed when I sit down to eat with someone who eats meat. My FIL even did it to me at my own wedding (where we had meat and veggie options). I hope the time will come in the future when veggies and vegans can quiz meat eaters in front of everyone on why they think it's acceptable to eat meat and make them feel really uncomfortable about it (not all meat eaters, mainly FIL)!

Meat-eater here. Know plenty of vegetarians/vegans and not a single one of them has ever been bothered about eating at a vegetarian/vegan-specific restaurant, as long as they have decent options.

I'm happy to go to a good vegetarian/vegan restaurant if they want too.

I’m out sure if these comments are being directed at me but I didn’t ask these questions as I feel people need to justify their choice to be veggie/vegan. I was merely interested.

I know people (vegetarian) who for religious reasons will go to vegetarian only restaurants for instance. Or people who will only eat in restaurants where kosher food is served.

Agree with the posters above re constantly being asked to justify my eating habits to meat eaters despite not giving a flying one about what anyone else is eating. The irony of the 'how do you know if someone is a vegan' joke /meme is never lost on me because out in the real world it's usually not the veggies banging on about it.

I’ve only been to a vegan restaurant twice, so I don’t really mind where I eat. I wouldn’t eat animal products again but I didn’t give it up because I didn’t like it and I suspect I’d like it again if I were to eat it. It’s just of no interest to me anymore.

As a vegan I refuse to eat in any restaurant unless all the other diners have been stripped of their shoes and handbags and sandblasted with lentils. I also refuse to eat salad unless the lettuce has been offered a cigarette and a blindfold. (Not really, am vegan for my own reasons, don't proselytise, not interested in other people's views and don't care a jot what anyone else eats.)

My sister is vegan and her husband has to cook any meat products in a separate kitchenette but when they go out he's allowed a roast dinner. If we all go out she lectures us on animal cruelty etc etc - we don't go any more as it's patronising and tiresome.

Yes I also get tired of explaining reasons for not eating meat. Is the same as not drinking, drinkers often quiz me (aggressively).

Not meaning this thread, the OP asks an interesting question imo - I mean the 'WHY don't you eat meat?' as if it is an unheard-of choice.

I wouldn't probably enjoy a meal in a steakhouse or fried chicken restaurant - I find those smells off-putting. But anywhere normal is fine for me. I would probably struggle with someone eating a full lobster, crab, identifiable offal or steak tartare in my eyeline!

Who the hell are you all hanging out with who aggressively question your choices? I know loads of vegetarians and vegans and it would never occur to me or any of our friends to expect them to justify it. I have asked a couple I know well if their choices are motivated by animal welfare or, like of if my closest friends, just a strong dislike of meat, but it’s only ever a polite enquiry because I am genuinely interested.

Some places I don't go to because they pride themselves on not offering veggie/vegan options and being snide about people not eating meat. But most places are not run by total arseholes so are fine. On balance I'd prefer not to see, smell or handle meat, but all my family and most of my friends are meat eaters- I shop for, prep and cook meat accordingly. I can't be doing with rabid anti vegan idiots or pious anti meat idiots. Eat what you like and leave me to to the same and we'll be fine.

Long term vegerarian and I don't give a toss .

What does annoy me is when people 'joke' that "Oh I bet you'd love a bit of bacon" and wave it at me .
Yes , hold me back I am this close > < to leaping across the table and prising it out of your mouth before it hits your gums .
I stop me eating meat . Not my parents. Not God . Not fads . Not social media . Me .

I was so tempted to vomit on their lap to get my message across but I'm cooler than that

I’m vegan and happy to eat in a restaurant that serves meat as long as their vegan option isn’t side salad and chips or something equally crap! I don’t think people should take meat to a vegan home without checking it’s ok though, there’s a difference between a public space and your home.

I agree that I wouldn't want to go to a steak house, or a sushi place, because the smell would make me feel ill.

I'm more than happy to go to normal restaurants though. I've been veggie for more than half of my (long) life. No one's ever said anything like "do you want some bacon with that?" to me, but I get the ones who say "oh we hardly eat meat at all, in fact we're nearly vegetarian but we'd miss steak too much. And sausages. And lamb, we love our roast lamb. " or "we buy an organic chicken, and we make that last for the whole week, out of respect for the animal".

Oh actually I forgot the "hilarious" ones - "lettuce has got a heart", "potatoes have got eyes" etc etc. To be fair, they'd only say that kind of shite once because I have the most fabulous death stare.

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU EAT, JUST LET ME EAT MY DINNER IN PEACE!

I’ll happily eat in most places. The only one I actively avoid is Nando’s.

Meat eater - always happy to cater for veggie / vegan friends, to eat what they prepare for me etc. As long as there are no snidey comments or lectures from anyone.

I was a vegetarian for 20 years (I'm not anymore) and have lots of vegan friends. No problems at all eating at restaurants that serve meat and I don't know anyone who would have an issue with that. I think it's a lot different than someone bringing meat to your home though.

For example, I'm also Jewish. Many Jews keep kosher at home (no pork or shellfish allowed in the house, and no mixing of meat and dairy), but still eat at non-kosher restaurants or with colleagues or friends who aren't eating kosher. They would just choose a kosher option from the menu. Only those who are very strict (usually Orthodox) would not eat in a non-kosher restaurant. It would be pretty offensive though to bring non-kosher food to my house if I was keeping kosher and expecting me to serve it to you.

I've been vegetarian for about 25 years and vegan for 2. I cook meat for other people (badly) couldn't give a toss what anyone else eats and to be honest I've never met a veggie or vegan who could (oh actually just one, but she's a nutritionist so would just lecture about food in general), in fact my sister who is an omnivore lectures far more about food than any vegetarians I've known.

I really wish people would just fuck off and let me eat in peace without feeling the need to pick holes in my diet or decision making processes.

In fact I'm making this for tomorrow's tea

RED DRAGON PIE

@atleastitsnotmonday the comments aren't aimed at you, you asked if we mind going to restaurants with people who eat meat. The answer is it's not the meat that's the issue, but quite often the conversation that comes along with it.

To the PP who said "why are you hanging round with people who do this?" - generally I find it happens when I eat out with people for the first time ie colleagues at a work function, people you meet on holiday, groups where theres a mix of people and may be some you've not met before. Also older people and men do it more frequently - older people because it's not the norm for them, and with men the argument is ALWAYS that we are put on this earth to eat meat blah blah blah. With my FIL he seems to think it's a conversation starter, even though I now obviously roll my eyes when he asks dumb questions like "how do you get protein?" And "but what can you eat for xmas dinner?"