What do you order at the restaurant?

[SparklesandGold]

For me it’s:

Starter - soup/nachos/cheese board etc

Mains - chilli chicken strips/steak/burger/curry / lasagne / roast dinner etc

Dessert - pavlova/choc fudge cake/sticky toffee pudding/cheesecake

I'm with @AtillatheHun in that I never eat something that I can make at home. IMO there is no point in eating a roast dinner when out when I can make a better job of it at home. I eat something that I can't get the ingredients for or something that I don't have the cooking equipment to do.

Most of you seem to have heartier appetites than I do.

Reading this made me realise that I usually choose Indian to eat out:

Starter: poppadoms and dips and share an onion bhaji
Main: lemon rice, tandoori chicken and maybe a veg side

I'm usually full now and Indian restaurants tend not to do much in the way of desserts in my experience.

Starter: I like Thai Tom yum soup or crispy duck.
Main: love a Sunday roast, good steak, fajitas or a nice sea bass or similar with Greek salad and chips.
Pudding: not that bothered about pudding, maybe more wine!

In a world free of allergies, financial barriers etc I would choose:
Chili squid and seaweed for starters
Ribs and Prawns in Jack Daniels sauce with creamy mash, greens and gravy for mains
Pavlova with lots of fresh fruits and cream for desert
Bottle of ice cold Champagne

Goat cheese salad

Steak and chips, and a large glass of red

Dessert selection, small mouthfuls of deliciousness

Ooo food!

Starter: King prawn cocktail or Camembert with dippy things. Failing those, pate on toast

Main: rare steak with fat chips, mushrooms and onion rings, maybe an egg or prawn linguine and garlic bread.

Pudding: warm chocolate fudge cake with clotted cream or a citrus flavour cheesecake.

Tapas is my all time favourite. DD and I once ordered 21 dishes between us. The staff had to bring a side table

I love lots of little dishes. Tapas is a good call, as is Sushi.

Does rather depend on the restaurant, doesn't it?

If it is Thai I would have the hot and sour soup, then a green or red curry, then a coconut ice cream or that weird desert with pearl tapioca that tastes sweet and salty.

I don't normally have starts though elsewhere unless something really amazing - like the squid I had in an Indian takeaway that was out of this world!

I am pescatarian so either go down the veg or fish option. Rather fed up of Bream or Bass. Like another poster on another thread, fed up of the mushroom rissotto/veg lasagne sole veggie choice cop out! Also hate that most veg stuff is now Butternut squash/sweet potato.

Don't normally go for a dessert now but will weaken for crumble/creme brulee!

I think it depends very much on the restaurant. Last weekend fine dining with in-laws Scallops Lamb with daupinoise potatoes and veg cheese board. DS birthday pan asian tapas. Time before that chorizo and halloumi, sea bass and an espresso martini (Not really a pudding fan)

Starter - the sticky chipotle chicken bites from Miller and Carter
Main - chilli con carni, rice, nachos, sour cream, jalapeños
Dessert - sticky toffee pudding and piping hot custard

Ah. The dream restaurant! In that case..

Tuna sashimi or garlic prawns with bread olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Swordfish in a thai chilli and coriander base, with a side of interesting greens tossed in garlic and chilli oil.

Tiramisu

So it has to be a Japanese, Spanish, Thai and Italian fusion restaurant (which as it’s a fantasy restaurant is no issue I guess). Plus I’d need to be wearing very stretchy clothes!

In real life though I’d go to the amazing Vietnamese restaurant near us where they serve you what they want to, no menu & no choosing required, everyone gets the same at the same time & its delicious without fail. I actually prefer that as the pressure is off & there’s no food envy when you realise the person next to you chose better (has happened so many times when I still haven’t decided when the order is being taken, I make a rash decision because the waiter is staring expectantly & then regret it - indecisiveness is a curse!).

Oooh rubs hands

Starter - meze platter including tzatziki, halloumi, olives, houmous and bread
Main - margarita pizza - the really good thin crust, cooked in a wood fired oven sort with a Greek salad on the side
Dessert - tiramisu
Cheese board - or maybe I could choose off the cheese trolley if this is dream restaurant territory
Drink - prosecco to start followed by an ice cold NZ Sauvignon blanc
Coffee
Amaretto over ice

DONE