Booking meals for a large group

[HRMumness]

Friends of DH are visiting from overseas. They wanted to catch up for a meal with all their respective friends. We gave them a couple of suggestions but now they have emailed asking DH to book the meal for them without actually suggesting where. There are almost 20 people including kids, a fair chunk of which we don't know.

I told DH that he shouldn't book it for them, mainly because we don't know all these people and given we have less than a weeks notice may end up with him phoning around half the week / having to put down a credit card deposit. DH already organised a boys night on his friends behalf which was fine as he had plenty of notice and there was only a handful of them. However, They are being a bit cheeky with this aren't they?

By the time you've typed, read and replied to this thread you could have picked up the phone and booked a table at Pizza Express. It's really not that time consuming.

Ah crossed posts....

Ah crossed posts....

One of the best examples I have seen!

These friends would not be happy if we picked Pizza express.

Well, if they are super picky then I have more sympathy with you!

Great minds, Chrome, great minds.

I reckon you could have sorted this in less time than you've taken writing this thread. Why don't you look on Top Table for recommendations for the most convenient area?

I see others have said the same thing. Should have RTFT!

On one hand you say that you dont know what they like and on the other hand you say that you are sure they wont like pizza express.
Is there something else? You seem to dislike them.
Pick something british. Have you ever met an expat returning to uk and not happy to eat in a british pub or fish and chips or a British Restaurant? You cant go wrong with 'british theme' in this situation.

I sympathise that you need to know where in London they want the meal, they might be staying miles out and it will be hard to get a table in central London on marathon day, let alone travel around!

Was it really that big a deal?

Pick restaurant.

Book restaurant.

Send email.

That's it, is it not? You can use the phone while your wife is pregnant too, so I've heard.

kettners.livebookings.biz/

I would go with this.

I've booked tables for large groups loads of times and never had to put down a deposit and I've done it with very short notice (the next day in some cases) stop being silly and book that table!

YABU IMO

Friends who are abroad, so can't really do this themselves, have asked you to phone somewhere to book a table for a meal - how hard can it be?
I can't see why anyone wouldn't do this for friends but then I quite often think I must have a different definition of the word 'friends' from a lot of people on MN

Choose somewhere you like.

Book it.

Go.

Have a nice time.

Sorted!

Backforgood - they have been in London for the best part of a week staying with family.

We could go and pick somewhere convenient for us but I think it is a bit rude to their friends.

Oh FfS OP. You're pregnant, not incapable of speech! You could've sorted it by now.
I have no idea why this seems so difficult for you.

If Pizza Express is a no no, book Strada/ Ask/ Zizzi. Even bloody TGI Fridays. Just get it done with and stop stressing about nothing...

Just back from pizza express where I had organised a table for 15 of us - no deposit required but had to have everyone's order in advance, which was in fact more of a faff than collecting fivers.

In your situation I'd ring up 3 restaurants - Italian non chain that should suit most people and see if a) they could accommodate that number of people and b) if any deposit is required, then tell your DH the result.

Grumpy Read fucking thread.
The OP's DH has told them to choose a place and he will ring them and book. End of story so retract your arsey fucking post.

At no point was it about OP not being able to ring a restaurant and book a table for 20. It was about the couple being vague with where they wanted to eat and 20 others attending that the OP doesn't know. So the issue of dietary requirements, disabled acces, highchairs etc needs to be taken in to consideration.

Jesus some people just have a go for the sake of it.

Grumpyinyorkshire - if you actually read the whole thread, you would see that DH already declined to choose / book a restaurant for reasons mentioned above.

The issue is not that I'm pregnant (although that does mean I barely have energy to do anything beyond the bare minimum at the moment), it is that I have a small toddler who makes it difficult to have phone conversations when she is awake and I've only got 1.5 hours during the day when she is napping when I have to get dinner ready / do washing and other housework. If I'm lucky I get maybe 5 minutes to sit down before she wakes up. DH is often in meetings and very busy during the day. We are also in the middle of finalising major renovations so we've got enough people to call during the day as it is without ringing around at short notice to find somewhere that can accommodate us.

I know some of the people going and they would turn their nose up at Pizza Express / other chain restaurants, the rest we have no idea about and haven't met before.

Ok am I the only one on your side?

Bloody lazy gits. They should do it themselves. These days, one can visit the website and do it all via email or electronic form. So the whole abroad thing is neither here nor there.

Sounds like they are shoving it onto you.

And yes - booking larger groups does more often than not entail a deposit. Then there will be the hassle of dietary requirements, as mentioned, and whether the food will suit all diners.

I speak from bitter experience as I am often the 'organiser'...the one who gets things booked. The one who decides where. The one who has to make follow-up calls to check various things.

But no more. I'm a changed person - or a 'lazy git' as I have decided to become.