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?

You’re going for a curry so there will quite likely be poppadums shared, possibly some shared sides, rice and naan often shared. It’s tricky to “just pay what you ate”. I think you probably need to split the food equally and try to ask people to account for their own drinks.

This is why I prefer to order and pay up front. Not always possible I know. Last work meal I went on I had one soft drink and definitely overpaid.
Whenever the bill is split I never, ever end up underpaying.

Can the restaurant give you a set meal type menu- most have them for large groups. So still a bit of choice but restricted and same cost for everyone- restaurants prefer it for big groups anyway as makes their life a bit easier.
On the drinks maybe ask people to keep a note of what they have had and put in for that, then second whip round if it comes under.

Last time went to one like this where 'paid what ate' the bill was still £30 short as so many cf out there. Why not go to somewhere with set menu or a buffet king style place with price on entry and pay for own drinks?

I don't think people deliberately underpay. Mostly they forget that they ate some of the poppadums, don't check how much soft drinks are - often fiendishly expensive in cheaper restaurants- or forget they have had three drinks rather than two.

But I do agree - some sort of set price menu for that number of people is the way to go.

I had this last Friday and still feel aggrieved as the bill was split between 10 people and I ended up overpaying.

I don't drink so always overpay when the bill is split.

There are apps that can split bills for you so everyone knows what they owe

apps.apple.com/gb/app/splitwise/id458023433

apps.apple.com/gb/app/cost-split/id524132764

Er, so the drinkers have to pay for the alcohol AND the soft drinks?

I'd ask for separate bills. I've lived in countries where this is done automatically unless you are out as a couple when they tended to give you just one bill. Keeping tabs on individual bills int difficult. All orders have to be assigned to a customer. It's just a click.

Also, remember that they may charge a fixed service charge as you are a group so if there is extra work from splitting the bill they've already charged extra

Why don’t you just call the restaurant and ask them? I’ve been to restaurants where they are happy to split bills and others where they’ll do a set menu so everyone pays the same and pay for booze separately.

Whatever happens, make sure you tell everyone in advance because I think most problems arise from people just assuming that everyone is happy splitting to bill or assuming that it will be paid individually. Then people get upset.

Just get individual bills surely. In no longer live in the Uk have to say the fact you always get an individual bill is just normal everywhere else.
really wouldn’t worry about it being work for the restaurant to keep track of everyone’s bill, they have to do that anyway.

Pay for what you eat and drink. Only drinkers think its acceptable to split with non drinkers when they get the better deal.

We always ask the restaurant to do a fixed price menu for a large group. The choices may be s bit reduced though. Everyone pays the same for food snd a tip and gets their own drinks . It works well for us and also helps people on a tight budget.

Oh I hate this too. I will have a glass of fizzy water as driving. I tend to suggest everyone pays for themselves and pay early so I'm not left with a waiter saying there are 4 beers and 3 wines outstanding.

Split the food, pay for your own drinks, and sort out your own tip.

Usually with a group that large you need to preorder and pay a deposit so they can order the food in, and also make sure you aren’t a no show so they lose lots of money. Then you just work it out from that and people pay for their own drinks.

Have you spoken to the restaurant yet?

One way that only works if everyone tried to be honest, is for everyone to put in for what they think theirs adds up to, then split any shortfall equally.

I have organised events like this tbf. So maybe a leaving meal it Christmas meal.

But it's always been a set menu, pay in advance, buy drinks at the bar.

We've been in large groups at pubs before and gone to the bar individually to pay. The organiser checked at the end that there were no outstanding unpaid items.

And why should the drinkers pay for all the soft drinks they haven’t drank, bloody cheeky!

If you all aren’t willing to just split it. Which it appears to be the case, then ask the restaurant to do a fixed price offering and then people just pay and buy their own drinks.it’s going to take forever as the wait staff go round and calculate and process 20 different bills at the end though. To the extent that if I had to sit through that shit I’d rather not go.

Yes @Hollypups everyone has this perception that soft drinks are practically free, or it's some sort of vice tax on the wicked alcohol drinkers.

I've seen glasses of fizzy soft drinks at around £3-4 so a couple of those is often more than a glass or two of wine.

That's why set price menu and everyone pays roughly for the drinks they had is the way to go.

Quite @rookiemere went out to naice restaurant recently, pregnant so got 'treat' of can of coke... 3 bloody pounds!!

This is what we do generally. If there's sim