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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that restaurant food in Britain is fairly poor quality?

176 replies

partinor · 13/01/2019 14:26

I live in a city that is supposed to have some of the best restaurants in Britain. I also am a good cook. Unless I spend £50 plus per meal, I usually end up eating a meal that is fine, but I could have easily made a meal as good or better myself fairly quickly.

Too many restaurants seem to basically buy in a combination of frozen ready made meals, and prop this up with fairly easy to make fresh food such as a fish cooked in a very easy to make sauce.

If I go out to eat I want something that is better than I can make fairly easily at home. I am beginning to think Britain must be a nation of poor cooks as I have been to so many places people rave about and I just think meh, that is fine, but no better than I made in 20 minutes after work last night.

I will carry on eating out with friends, just for the socialising.
Aibu.

OP posts:
leaveby10 · 13/01/2019 14:53

But sometimes places can surprise you - recently had a beef bourguignon suet pudding in a pub and omg best thing I've eaten in years!

Original poster
partinor · 13/01/2019 14:54

I will never order risotto from a restaurant. It is usually pretty awful.
I am not talking about eating in a village. I do live in a village but I ma talking about eating in a City - Nottingham. That has lots of restaurants and lots of diversity, and I have eaten at a fair number of places these days.
So yes I just eat out for the socialising aspect. Or to try cuisine I haven't tried before. So have eaten South Korean and enjoyed that. And so I made some at home.

OP posts:
Pachyderm1 · 13/01/2019 14:54

Maybe you’re an exceptional cook!

themoomoo · 13/01/2019 14:55

oh, and we do only go out to a restaurant at most 4 times a year, but they cost us a fair few hundred for the 2 of us each time; still works out less per year than going to a run of the mill place once a week or so

JellyBears · 13/01/2019 14:55

Lol not where I live!! I live in London and I’ve had amazing food all over.

JacquesHammer · 13/01/2019 14:55

Maybe I just have higher standards for food than others?

Grin
JennyHolzersGhost · 13/01/2019 14:56

What kind of places are you talking about ? Can you be more specific ? Do you mean restaurant chains / brands ?

themoomoo · 13/01/2019 14:56

Have you not been to Sat Bains if you're in Nottingham?
I must admit it's low on my list of restaurants as there were a couple of courses I just wasn't keen on but the other 3 people I went with loved it, and the courses I did like were very very good

tiggerkid · 13/01/2019 14:58

There are good restaurants in some places but, generally, I find outside London there isn't a great deal of cuisine variety and you are probably right in that the choice of good quality restaurants is rather limited. Last summer, I visited my sister, who lives in (a medium size city) in California and I was astounded by the amount of choice and quality they got there compared to what most average places in the UK have.

Undoubtedly, there are some exceptions but, generally, like I said, I do find that variety and quality could be better in many places.

themoomoo · 13/01/2019 14:58

There's also the Mem Saab in Nottingham. Michelin starrred Indian food

YouTheCat · 13/01/2019 14:58

Our local Italian/Albanian serves lovely fresh food. Not a hint of anything frozen (except the homemade ice cream). We're going there on Wednesday for dp's birthday and it'll be about £20 per person (that is if we have wine and pudding).

3out · 13/01/2019 15:00

We live very remote. The only place which freezes its meals is the Chinese takeaway. We don’t have any chains here though, maybe that’s the problem?

Original poster
partinor · 13/01/2019 15:01

Mem Saab is fine. That is the kind of place I am talking about. The food is fine, can't fault it, but I make as nice curries at home for tea a couple of times a month. And they are easy to make. And easy to get good ingredients for them.
I enjoyed Three Chimneys on Skye.

OP posts:
lanbro · 13/01/2019 15:02

Chain places are usually pretty poor, people I know rave about Miller & Carter but I find it average at best. I much prefer an independent Italian or a chain free local pub, although the best meal I've eaten recently was a home cooked meal of venison at a friend's house, absolutely beautiful!

Original poster
partinor · 13/01/2019 15:03

tiggerkid I agree. When we went to california on holiday I was amazed at the quality of food. Even places that we popped into for a quick lunch that looked just ordinary cafes, served really well cooked food.

OP posts:
JemSynergy · 13/01/2019 15:03

I don't really like Michelin starred restaurants. I don't want to have to buy something on the way home to eat after I have eaten in a restaurant. Grin

appless · 13/01/2019 15:04

When I eat out it's usually to get food that I don't know how to make. So usually foreign cuisine. In which case it certainly doesn't need to be expensive to be good.

themoomoo · 13/01/2019 15:04

I think you're looking for the type of food you can't produce at home then, rather than having nice food as a treat you don't have to cook yourself: if that's the case you need at least a 2 or 3 star place. They really do have the skills and ingredients you wouldn't be able to create at home.
personally, i think UK has amazing restaurants and far more diversity than eg. France or Italy, but yes, it's a real treat for decent places, as it should be

Winnie2019 · 13/01/2019 15:05

My bug bear is the service that you get in restaurants. I don't want to have to wait 15 minutes before being acknowledged then 45 minutes for food and God forbid if we should want a second drink as you just know that if it does arrive it will arrive just as you're getting your coat Hmm.

If we want food that arrives on time and to order a second drink we go to our local curry house. I've never had a poor meal or poor service at an Indian restaurant.

Missingstreetlife · 13/01/2019 15:07

Several independent Mediterranean cafes and restaurants near me look unimposing but serve really good food, including seafood and amazing risotto. Some with rave reviews or fancy premises and menus, not so much

themoomoo · 13/01/2019 15:08

I don't really like Michelin starred restaurants. I don't want to have to buy something on the way home to eat after I have eaten in a restaurant

this restaurant was the scene of the biggest regret of my life
www.hertog-jan.com/en/

By the time the main course arrived I was so stuffed I could manage literally one mouthful and it truly was the most amazing tasting forkful i have ever had in my life: and i couldn't physically fit it in as the amount of food i'd already had was obscene

BoomBoomsCousin · 13/01/2019 15:08

I tend to agree op. There are good restaurants (even reasonably priced ones) dotted around the place, but the chance of finding good food at a random one you go in is pretty low. Even in London, in the under £50/head bracket, there are a lot of mediocre places.

JacquesHammer · 13/01/2019 15:09

I think it’s as easy as the luck of the draw in terms of where you live.

I live semi-rurally and can think of countless places without trying that do stunning, award-winning food. Furthest would be 25 mins away.

Original poster
partinor · 13/01/2019 15:10

themoomoo Yes either food I can not make at home, or that takes a long time to make at home, or is just a faff to make.

But I have known better home cooks than me, I don't think I am exceptional. So sad that many restaurants can not get basic cooking right.

OP posts:
Aridane · 13/01/2019 15:10

I remember an article on how some of the high end restaurants how the food part made off the premises (eg sauce) and people were quite surprised at the mass pre- prepared element, especially given The price being charged. So to that extent YANBU.

However, London has awesome restaurants across a variety of price ranges with tasty freshly prepared food.- ranging from fresh frY ups at greasy spoons / tasty noodle bars / food stalls at markets, huge range of ethnic restaurants, and higher end restaurants. So overall I think YABU