40 Birthday Dinner

[Silverfoxette]

Hi
I’ve booked a restaurant with great reviews and invited 12 of DH and our closest friends (more likely to be around 9 of us) for his birthday. Regarding cost, it’s coming in at £45 pp with a glass of Prosecco on arrival. I don’t know if i should pay for meals only or wine/beers/spirits? Husband friends are all BIG drinkers so I am thinking just food and maybe a bottle of wine or two and also don’t know what people will expect. I tend to overthink these things and worry about looking cheap.

I would cover the food and some bottles of wine for the table . But I’d expect guests to pay for any other drinks themselves.

Thank you

I'd cover the food and a couple of bottles of wine for the table, then let guests pay for extra drinks. For bigger celebrations, I've used company nights out at Spinners and liked how they bundle food, drinks, and activities per person with no surprises. That approach saves awkwardness and keeps the host's budget clear.

Have you invited them yet? I agree, if you don’t want to cover the lot then just say “I’ve booked and paid for the meal, some fizz and 6 bottles of wine for the table, everything else is pay as you go”.