Two courses in a restaurant. Are you ordering....?

[noblegiraffe]

....a starter and a main, or a main and dessert?

When I go to a restaurant, I'm scanning the main courses and then looking at the dessert menu before I've even ordered. I don't even look at the starter menu, as far as I'm concerned those items would delay your dinner and probably ruin your appetite so that you had no room for pudding.

When I've been out, and someone asks the question 'is anyone having a starter?' generally there's a shake of heads and we get on with looking at the good stuff.

In my mind, the starters have always been there for people who feel like they could tackle the whole menu and are headed for 3 courses. Someone who has a starter and a main but no pudding has simply failed to complete their meal.

But I've heard tell of people who would deliberately choose to have a starter and a main, knowing that this would leave no room for dessert. They prefer it that way. Savoury over sweet.

These people must be ultra-rare, right? Who in their right mind chooses garlic mushrooms over chocolate brownie? (I struggled to even think of an example of a starter, so rarely do I look at that bit). Or are there lots of people out there who are regularly crushed when no one else wants a starter, the same as I am when people say they couldn't possibly have dessert?

Please vote! (Note: People who would only have one course and declare themselves full to the brim don't get a vote).

I'd normally just have a main, but would sometimes get a starter and main. Never dessert, I don't like sweet stuff.

Only a starter for me as I have an ileostomy and can eat very little.

@63isMe What’s wrong with the word dessert?

I'm definitely a starter and main ! Never bother with deserts as I like a coffee to finish.

Starter and main for me every time

In fact if having a 3 course meal I would secretly much rather have a second starter instead of a pudding

The pudding is the only non-negotiable for me!

I usually have a main course and a pudding but I have been known to have two starters instead of a main (plus pudding obviously).

I only fancy a pudding if I'm not drinking alcohol, as a glass of wine fulfils my desire for something sweet. So, starter and main if it's an evening meal and I'm having wine, main and pudding if it's lunch and I'm sticking to water/coffee etc (I don't like day drinking).

Hardly anywhere does good desserts. So starter for me. I find desserts inevitably disappoint. But I do have a sweet tooth so if I knew they were good then I'd probably go dessert

starter and main unless the puddings are really good. Starters are often the best thing on the menu and desserts are usually the same old chocolate ganache, fruit tart or boring ice creams

I'm with you OP. Main and pudding every time. I think if you want a starter just eat a bit of your main, pause for a few minutes, then carry on!

Starter and main for me. Puddings are always overpriced and disappointing.

I don't have a sweet tooth - savoury all the way!

I'll often have 2 starters for my main, or if there's a nice cheeseboard on the desert menu have that as a main.

It's important to peruse the whole menu before making a decision.

If I'm having a pudding it has to be special. Had the most delicious home made sticky toffee pud with good ice cream and caramelised pecans the other day.

I'm not a huge fan of what local places have to offer for dessert so I usually get a starter and a main or a main and then pick up something sweet on the way home

What's wrong with chocolate ganache?! Or ice cream? If you're bored of ice cream you're bored of life, surely.

I’m definitely a ‘starter and a main!’

Heres why:

Usually I find deserts in restaurants pretty underwhelming/no better than what I could make/bake myself or get from a supermarket.
Whereas starters are usually cooked/made so well that I couldn’t replicate this the same at home, so it feels more of a treat.

Also, I’m a huge fan of chocolate and would prefer to, once I’m home, make a cuppa and have a bit of choc to round off my meal.
Additionally, if it’s a weekend meal out with a couple of drinks as well, I think alcohol and deserts don’t really mix the same.

Starter and main for DD
Main and dessert for me

Really depends on the restaurant. Somewhere like Pizza Express I think their desserts are awful, so I would much rather have a starter. Some cuisines aren't big on desserts so I'd definitely have a starter.

If it's a place that makes their own desserts and there's some good options, yes I'll go dessert. But if it's cheesecake/brownie/ice cream on offer I'd rather not bother. Or the worst, when they have crumble but it turns out the crumble and fruit have definitely been cooked separately because it's bought in and you just have toddler fruit mush with some dry crumbs. Travesty.

Starter and a main here as I'm not fussed about sweet stuff. Cheese and biscuits nice occasionally.

I'm lactose intolerant so rarely find a suitable option. I find desserts are always described to make you think they're going to be utterly decadent and then are almost always underwhelming. Now, I don't really bother to look as I find more options in the starters.

Often when out, we will order only starters as if it's tapas 😆

I can do without terrible bought in desserts.

I have very sweet tooth but in the restaurant I often order starter and main because I’m very fussy about desserts and I only like interesting choices. Chocolate cake or brownie won’t cut it for me. So I didn’t vote as there was no option: going for the most interesting g combination depending on what’s available. And if I do the starter I have a tea with a piece of chocolate when I back home so I still have something sweet - win win.

More likely a starter and a main course. Often find the starters the most interesting bit of the menu and find it hard to miss out. Though may sometimes find I fancy a pudding too when it comes to it. Can't tell in advance. Would almost always share with DH as just want to taste of something sweet really.

Actually we quite often share starter and share pudding. So we get both, but only order two courses each!

When I have a meal out with DP We order one starter and one pudding and share both (have a main each of course).

I used to be main and dessert but I often find desserts underwhelming and predictable these days so would go for a starter.

snap! and posted simultaneously!

Starter and main. I prefer savoury food.