Birthday meal

[Ifonlystarlight]

Partners big birthday coming up.
I want to go for a nice meal with about eight family members.

So I was thinking of giving out menus, getting them to pre order, I will pay for the food and a few of bottles of wine on the table maybe two white one red.
Then after this people order their own drinks and pay for them at the bar?

Don’t want to be a cheeky fucker but don’t think I could afford the whole bill drinks for eight wine loving adults.
If this seems cheeky I will have to re think and do something else maybe a small party at home.

I think it sounds lovely and very generous.

I think that sounds lovely! I wouldn’t expect to be paid for at all!

I've always paid for myself if I've gone out for a birthday meal. What you're suggesting sounds very generous.

I think that sounds very generous.

Very generous. I'd always expect to pay for myself at a birthday meal out.

Not cheeky at all. Very generous actually.

Oh good I’m pleased people think this is polite.
I’ve just seen on here people say it’s cheeky fucker territory to invite others out on a birthday meal and not to pay.
But the way a certain couple of family members get through the wine I’d be bankrupt so whilst I’m happy to pay for the food I really can’t stretch to wine also.

Think that's lovely. Yes I agree, tell others that when the table wine runs out then to buy from the bar.

Sounds perfect and very generous.

I do the exact same thing for my husband’s 50th. I paid for everyone’s food and people bought their own drink.

Do? Meant did :)

Yes that's absolutely perfect.

At my uncles wedding we did this, full meal and few bottles of wine paid for but after that it was buy your own :)

Sounds very generous indeed. I’d expect to pay for my own meal.

Can you book somewhere with a private room and a set group menu? So you know what it’ll cost.

That would suit me as I don't drink wine, and don't alcohol whilst eating, somehow I always end up with a 20 quid or so tagged onto the bill to subsidise a older relatives empty legs. When I complain, I get 'But you had two glasses of 7 UP or 'Don't make a fuss and ruin the night'

Enjoy OP.

Well dp has said he’d like the dc to attend so I’m now thinking about making it a Sunday roast For the Timing (not too late) and what the children will eat.
But this would also limit the cost to top price £16 for a main meal as i could just give choices of. beef/chicken/pork roast.
Then the children’s meals and a few bottles of wine, I think I could keep the cost under £250.
Tea and cake back at our house so no deserts out. The thing that may bump it up would be if people ordered starters.
Or alternatively I could do something completely different and spend the £250 and put food on at home and buy a fair bit of alcohol in for those who like a drink.

Not sure what to do. What do people think sounds better?
I just want our parents and siblings/partners to have a nice time with dp but we just aren’t flush with money at the moment.

*should say have a nice time with dp on his birthday but me not look like a right area wife!

• a tight arse wife Good grief this autocorrect!

That sounds incredibly generous!

I would just state you are paying for main meals and few bottles of wine on the table, that is more than enough!

If you enjoy hosting and your place is big enough, then it would be lovely at home too, but much more effort on your part.

I like the other poster's idea of a 'set meal' in a private room - is that an option?

If you want to do food at home, you could get the likes of Cook dinner party meals -
all prep done for you, just stick in the oven. You could ask people to BYOB and provide some prosecco etc.

If it’s a set menu then you won’t have the issue of starters or not in a restaurant. Are you able to give a rough area of the country that you’re in so we could give suggestions?

I think either option sounds lovely and is generous of you. To be honest, as it is your partners birthday I would probably just ask which they would prefer.

Very generous of you!

When I go out for people’s birthday dinners I always expect to pay for myself

I was initially thinking an Italian restaurant that is very good locally.
However if it’s the Sunday we go for, I would use a country pub as park in beer garden for the dc if it’s warm enough. This would also limit the cost as id just tell everyone they’d have the option of a meat roast (no vegetarians) and to let me know what they wanted in advance and I would pay.
The Italian however will have mains up to and over 30.00 so if we go for this option I may have to go for a ‘set meal’ option.

I don’t think I could get a private room in either. But that’s ok could still decorate tables etc.

Takeachansey that also sounds good, the cook dinner party food. Where do you get this from?

www.cookfood.net/menu/entertaining/cook-for-a-crowd/dinner-party-for-8

There’s more options if you look in the other sections. It’s all frozen but very high quality food. There’s stores in major cities but they deliver. There’s usually discount codes too.

M&S/Waitrose etc do entertaining food too.

In terms of asking people to select in advance, I had a very small wedding (I fed 30) and we had a private area in a restaurant. The chef/owner suggested against pre orders as people either forget what they ordered or change their mind on the day! If it’s a set menu then it’s usually a choice of 3 for each course that’s easy for the kitchen to prepare.

More than generous- your partner is very lucky and I hope they have a lovely time