WWYD: anniversary dinner and endless talk of bleeding bowels..

[Shiklah]

DH and I rarely grab a moment for ourselves, tonight he booked a restaurant above a gastro pub for our anniversary whilst DC had a party. We were told on arrival that the restaurant was shut due to staff illness so we were in the pub which was very full. Stuck on a table in the draft near the door a table of 3 was seated next to us. They were shouting and making a big fuss as soon as they sat down and one man loudly told the waitress about a recent operation. As our food arrived the man launched into a detailed description with graphic details, at high volume, of his bowel movements and his bleeding rectum. Dh and I are farmers and fairly robust, we tried to ignore it but it was absolutely gross. He continued for over 30 minutes. It was unbelievable.

I found a waitress and complained and after 25 minutes they moved us. I didn't eat any of my main and had a pudding and a cocktail in the other room. When they brought the bill we asked for a discount but they said they couldn't control what other customers talked about. I said that I felt given they knew we had booked for a special occasion, and the man was vocal about his medical condition to the waitress it was obvious we would be uncomfortable. DH said he wanted to speak to the owner tomorrow (he wasn't in tonight), and as they know us we left. We'll speak to them tomorrow.

WWYD?

Pay in full? Not pay at all? Pay for the puddings and drinks?:

call your fish "pan fried" (as opposed to?? Wardrobe fried? Wheelbarrow fried? Not fried?)

Deep fried.

Lol at gastro pub, I've never made that connection.

I think people have forgotten about deep frying. I make that point every time someone asks that question.

I totally get why they stress the 'pan fried' thing. So as to avoid mini 'but I thought the fish would be in batter!' outrages.

I think YABU to ask for a discount because you didn't like the topic of conversation but YANBU to expect a discount for eating in the pub when you'd booked the restaurant. You should have been told in advance that the restaurant was closed. TBH I would have probably asked for a discount at that point.

Oops wrong thread!!!

Surely if you are eating in the pub you are paying pub prices rather than a inflated restaurant price?
So you got what you paid for which was a pub meal regardless of the conversation around you.

They moved you away from the unpleasant guest, so I don't think you can fault them on that. And tbh, it's an anniversary meal, it's not such a big deal that they should have to break their backs to accommodate you. If you didn't want to be in the pub area, you could have gone to a different venue.

It wasn't the restaurant's fault. There was nothing they could do.

You could have told him to shut the fuck up! You claim to be robust, so why put up with such a pig of a man ruining a rare night out together.

I said that I felt given they knew we had booked for a special occasion, and the man was vocal about his medical condition to the waitress it was obvious we would be uncomfortable.

I don’t really get this. So if it hadn’t been your anniversary would you have been ok with it? You were moved so I think you’re being a bit precious to be unable to eat because of it.

It was so bad you still ordered pudding?

Sometime a good pudding can help us cling to our sanity.

So the staff let you leave without paying?

you probably weren't the only ones who thought he was a prat, i'm surprised someone else didn't call him out on it. personally i wouldn't have stayed around for 15 minutes let alone stay for dessert.

Just got back from the pub so to update the manager had already waived the bill so we gave the staff a £30 tip.

There are a lot of assumptions made pp. We couldn't go anywhere else because other than the chippie and kebab shop there isn't anywhere else for 15 miles (very rural). A main course off the restaurant menu is £20-£30 which is a lot for us. Personally I wouldn't tell a man I didn't know to 'shut the fuck up', and nor would DH. We did ask him to lower his voice and change the topic but I think he was totally fixated. Maybe we should have just left but once the waitress had moved us I felt really bad that we hadn't eaten our food and it was awkward so we ordered pudding. It all seems very funny today and DC keep asking for more details

Anyway, 10 minutes after we left (yes without paying which was no problem as we discussed it with the waitress first) he vomited at the table and refused to leave when asked. He then became very aggressive and had some sort of a seizure so the staff called an ambulance for him and when he found out he ran out to his car and drove off abandoning his 2 dining companions who then had to call a taxi. The staff must have the patience of saints, I don't know how they do it.

No doubt it'll be discussed round the bar for years to come with increasingly exaggerated disgusting details.

thanks for all the advice, it was easily sorted in the end :)

Wow poor staff, and glad you gave the tip as a gesture. What a nightmare that man was!