Splitting the meal bill with a large group

[BrassicaBabe]

So, going out with work colleagues for the first time since Covid. There wi be over 20 of us for a curry. Mostly drinkers. But a good chunk of non drinkers too.

Without sharpening a pencil and working out 20 x individual bills is there a fair and logical way of splitting the bill that folks have had success with?

We always just ask the restaurant for individual bills, they've never once raised an eyebrow and can do it immediately so I assume it's quite a common practise. It also means people can leave as and when they want and don't have to wait for everyone to be finished, which is often helpful in a large group.

Very easy to get individual bills these days, and then throw in something for group tip.

Usually with a large group you pick from a restricted menu on which each item is roughly the same price. Then you buy your own drinks.

One option is to ask the servers for an alcohol bill and a separate food and soft drinks bill.
At the end, split the food and soft drinks bill by number of diners and the drinkers split the alcohol bill between them and add this to their share from the first bill.

If it’s a work thing I insist on paying only for what I got and tip. Happy to split evenly with friends

I just keep track of what I am eating and drinking and put a bit more than that in the pot at the end of the night. Everyone seems happy with that.

With a group meal we usually ask for the alcohol to be billed separately.
So the main bill is divided by 20 assuming everyone has had similar number of courses.
Then the alcohol bill is split between those who had alcohol

Thanks. We're a group of ex work colleagues. So it's not quite a friend thing, not quite a work thing.

20 individual bills sounds like a nightmare for the restaurant. Esp as drinks are added over the evening. Folks keeping their own tally isn't too bad.

I'm the "organiser" so I'm always left with the maths etc. Drives me potty.

That might work!

When I’ve attended similar, the organiser has worked out a rough “drinkers” price and “non-drinkers” price - so often the drinkers will pay, say £40 and the non-drinkers £30. Some people win, some lose (some soft drinks are ££, some people drink but not as much as others) but I think it works overall if everyone is ok with a rough split.

When we go out on work meals we just all go up at the end and pay for what we have had. Just let them know at the start that you'll all be paying separately at the end. No restaurant has ever batted an eyelid.

Why are people suggesting that soft drinks (which are often as expensive as alcoholic drinks, especially if fancy juices or mocktails) are split between everyone, but alcohol isn't? Surely either everyone pays for their own drinks, or all drinks are split?

If it's a set price menu (or all meals are very similarly priced and everyone is having the same number of courses), then I'd suggest food only is put on the main bill and split. All drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, are then purchased by individuals from the bar, with everyone paying for their own.

I dont get why is this such a problem in the UK. In my home country everyone pays for what they had, the waiter either does the sums for each person at the table on paper or from the top of their head while taking items off the list, or they do it straight on the till, again, taking items off the list for each person.

If there is that many of you, could you not order and pay in advance for the food? Drinks can be bought at the bar or split at the end?

Why are people suggesting that soft drinks (which are often as expensive as alcoholic drinks, especially if fancy juices or mocktails) are split between everyone, but alcohol isn't?

Well obviously if people are having mocktails then that's different.
But a couple of my friends will just have water (I think that's becoming more common) and others will have 1 coke or Fanta at £2.80. That's considerably cheaper then £8 for glass of wine or £9 for a cocktail. People drinking alcohol will often have several drinks each.

I have this issue looming soon ... meal out for friends birthday where most people will be reasonable and order similar items/price but one person ALWAYS orders seafood starter, fillet steak or other items generally most ££ on the menu. Then agrees enthusiastically to the slightest suggestion of bill splitting. No one, including muggins here has ever been brave enough to suggest otherwise so it's partly our fault.

But peoples cheeky fuckery in this scenario do boil my piss.

This is exactly what happens where I live ( northern town, England). I never understand why people don't automatically do this?

Just pay for what you eat - ask the restaurant to issue individual bills? Or order and pay in advance?

But if it takes 2 minutes to do this for each person and pay individually and OP has a group of 20, that's 40 minutes just to pay the bill!
Fine in a group of 6 but not really practical for 20

This is why I don't attend these kind of events.

Except when you're the mug who pays last and 2 people forgot to pay for their second glass of wine that was marked as "13 x White Wine " or whatever

A table that big it would be good for the kitchen for you to preorder your food. You can get people to pay you when they order so that can be paid in one lump sum and then people buy thier own drinks from the bar.

Last time we had a large group meal, we had a shared tab for the food and then everyone paid for their own drinks from the bar. So much simpler.

Why would the food and soft drinks be lumped in together? If I'm drinking wine, I don't want to pay for someone's lemonade or lassi too.

Just pay for what you’ve eaten and drank. Then you just ask them to put that amount through the card machine. Then leave a tip.