To think cooking in many cafes in uk is shit and overpriced?

[midlifehope]

I am sick of regretting eating out lately. This am I had a veggie breakfast that was rubbish, cold toast doused in plastic margarine, microwaved veggie sausages etc....last time I ate out I had a stale jacket potato with coleslaw that had gone off and hairs on the plate..... The food takes ages and comes out crap. I can cook much better myself. Aibu to think that cafes in the uk (some of them) need to sort themselves out???

[TheWernethWife]

If you are in Manchester go to Katsouris on Cross St (have a branch on Bury market as well) food is brilliant - it's only small and you have to get in early before the office lunchtime eaters get in. Bury has more seating.

[Notso]

I agree WorktoLive

[midlifehope]

Barbecue only because the uk is where I spend 99% of my time

[midlifehope]

Not so - I so should have walked out!!!

[grovel]

I agree about the variability of quality. Not so sure about cost/rip off. A friend of mine does the accounts for a few (mostly OK) cafes and remarked that none of the owners are remotely rich. You need to sell a hell of a lot to cover rent, business rates, utilities, insurance etc.

[ofshoes]

I don't trust Tripadvisor, I've been burned too many times by ecstatic reviews that promise orgasmic culinary feats and find out it's the same bland shit that every other restaurant or cafe provide. I'm fucked if I'm spending ?20 on "sliders" again.

I suspect that the ratings are easily skewed by owners and managers with bogus accounts.

[barbecue]

Why just "in the UK"? There are good and bad cafes everywhere.

[WorktoLive]

See, I would see a cafe that served smaller portions of the standard menu as the children's menu instead of assorted beige shit and chips as a good thing.

Even better if they don't call it the 'children's menu', but just the lighter appetite menu so you have a choice of buying a small or a large portion of everything on the menu - you would have room for a second course then manchestermummy.

[Notso]

I always have a good look at the food that others are eating before I go to a cafe. It's pretty easy to get an idea of the standard of the food from having a look around.
The "four breakfasts to do first" would have had me walking out.

[manchestermummy]

Oh YANBU!

There's a café that MIL and SIL are obsessed with so we all went there for MIL's birthday. I had high hopes but I was incredibly disappointed.

Terrible service, plates not cleared at all between courses, expensive (£12 a cheese and tomato pizza in the NW!), and my sweet potato fries had been salted so heavily they were inedible. It was also very, very child unfriendly which given it was situated at a holiday park that had a playground was odd. One highchair for the whole place (SIL had to wait!) and no childrens' choice on the menu: there were small versions of massive adult meals but that was even too much for dd1 who eats very well usually! Our dc don't have to eat nuggets and chips btw but it's really weird having a café on a family-friendly park that doesn't cater for them?!

Actually that's the other thing: I hate huge portions. Give me less food and I might spend more on an extra course!

[Sansarya]

keepitsimple, all greasy spoon caffs in London seem to serve the same stuff. If you want a decent breakfast then get yourself to one of the cafes run by Australians that do decent coffee too!

[WorktoLive]

Sounds like a completely normal cooked breakfast to me apart from it's missing the bacon, and as long as it's good quality ingredients, something I would eat, but I have a cooked breakfast most days - just low fat version if I am trying to lose weight. Not sure why anyone would expect a cafe breakfast to be 'balanced' though.

I don't generally bother with buying cooked breakfasts though, because either the ingredients will be poor quality, or it will be really expensive, and I tend to stick to things that take some skill and effort to produce, rather than things that are easy to cook from common ingredients, because I'll just make that at home.

You've quoted my post about the crap ingredients keepitsimple0, but I don't understand what you mean by 'got bit by this pre-made bought sandwich filling. really?'

[midlifehope]

*four

[midlifehope]

Agreed attitude is massive part of the problem. I went to order this am and the woman said 'I've got for breakfasts to get out first' as if I was inconveniencing her. 4 breakfasts is hardly a rush

[FieldTrip]

A fry-up is an excellent meal (apologies, I might be about to get on my high horse)

High protein, moderate carbs, more fruit and veg than your average breakfast and calories only a problem if you're eating too much the rest of the day.

So much better than cereals, toast and marmalade, a muffin/pastry...most breakfasts are almost completely devoid of protein.

[sliceofsoup]

There really is no sense to the fry up. It isn't a bit balanced, but I have to say I love one now and again. :o

Agree about attitude. I find people serving food are often really grumpy and sometimes very rude. A smile costs nothing.

[sherbetpips]

Not just the food but the attitude too, I often avoid cafe's because I am usually made to feel like I have just wondered into someones kitchen expecting food. One near us doesnt even acknowledge you when you come in, just wonders across if you indicate you are ready to order. If her friends come in however she just plonks herself down and has a cup of tea and a chat, complete ignoring any customers.

[keepitsimple0]

I don't agree with many British people over what constitutes good food

yes, some of the problem is cultural. You see a lot of breakfasts with toast, eggs, sausage, beans, and hash browns or other form of potato, almost certainly not made in house. even with high quality sausages, that's not the greatest balanced meal.

[keepitsimple0]

So many crimes against food - margarine, pre-made industrial sandwich fillings that are 50% mayonnaise, canned squirty cream on hot chocolate or scones instead of the real thing.

I was in a small seaside town recently and got bit by this pre-made bought sandwich filling. really?

[sliceofsoup]

I tend to agree OP.

It isn't even that I have had any bad experiences as such, but I find that small cafes can fall in to the trap of using the same suppliers, and having the same menus.

For example, I am much more likely to return to somewhere for a fry up if they serve sausages from their local butcher. If they serve cheap sausages that are the same as the ones in the cafe in the next town, or even the same as in the chippy, I won't go back. Its just lazy, because I am sure they could serve butchers sausages for not a big difference in price. And I wouldn't mind paying 50p more.

Or things like paninis, with the same chicken, and the same sauces. It is just so uniform, and I know that it is all coming in frozen.

I try to support the cafes who have a lot of home baking, and food that is seasonal and different.

But then I have worked in kitchens, and I know the way they work. There is a stark difference in quality of food and prep, and no difference in price.

[andyourlittledogtoo]

YANBU - so true. Same with takeaways! Find it incredible that a business can be set up with the sole aim of serving food and then sells stuff you could have cooked better yourself. Second the poster above who suggested using trip adviser. So annoying as well when you've decided to treat yourself to a little splurge!

[midlifehope]

Oh and I'm sick of being served decaf late - as instant granules with warmed milk. I can do better at home

[midlifehope]

Ok bosuns locker in new quay - looked great on trip adviser but was shite. Boulders cafe in Borth for crappy breakfast- under new owners

[Viviennemary]

I agree with looking on trip Advisor. Then try a few cafes and pick out your favourite few. And then just stick with them. That's what I usually do. I'd rather go to an independent cafe than a coffee shop type chain though I do go in these sometimes.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

I live in wales too, and some of the café food is pure awful.
Luckily we have a Wetherspoons which is standardised at least.