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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Restaurant dilemma

39 replies

Pakpak · 18/10/2019 20:52

Hi all,

Very superficial one but wanted to get opinions. My husband won a £500 voucher in a raffle for a very hard to get into restaurant in London back at the beginning of the summer. He was not interested in using it so suggested me taking my friends.
I have a group of five of us including me that tends to meet for dinner /drinks/nice things so I put it to the group and of course they were very excited at the prospect.

Unfortunately as I quickly found out it is almost impossible to book for weekends or evenings which is annoying.

After a few months of trying one of the group decided to use a contact and managed to get a booking for one evening.

On the WhatsApp group one of them can’t make that evening and the other two haven’t replied.

Question is: is it bad form to go ahead with the booking even if only two of us can go? I really want to use the voucher but don’t want to be mean. I would probably ask a couple of other people to join instead though to spend the money.

I appreciate that this is totally first world problem but is making me feel anxious. Would you be offended?

OP posts:
honeylulu · 18/10/2019 20:54

Nope crack on! Don't miss out by being polite!

JammyGem · 18/10/2019 20:55

Surely they will understand just how difficult it has been to make a reservation, so I would go ahead without them. Otherwise you run the risk of the voucher expiring before you ever have a chance of getting a reservation on a date you can all do.

aibutohavethisusername · 18/10/2019 20:56

Send them a reminder and give them 24 hours to firm a reply.

burnoutbabe · 18/10/2019 21:00

Maybe use social Media to contact the restaurant to say you got this voucher and can't appear to use it any evening or weekend, what should you do?
As not great publicity if they give out vouchers that end up not being used (unless it's meant for lunchtime use and they make it clear)

Original poster
Pakpak · 18/10/2019 21:09

It would normally be a good strategy but this sort of place wouldn’t care. It is infuriating though!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pakpak · 18/10/2019 21:11

Thank you for your comments. I think I’m their situation I would definitely understand but the one who declined is a difficult personality and I just want to sanity check that I’m not being unreasonable to go ahead with the booking! Thank you ladies x

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 18/10/2019 21:14

Definitely go and spend the money! If it's a super-nice place, I'm sure you can spend £500 between you. Get a really, really good bottle of wine...

Wheat2Harvest · 18/10/2019 21:19

In situations like this people sometimes wonder what the catch is, even though there isn't one. Maybe this needs to be pointed out to them?

NailsNeedDoing · 18/10/2019 21:26

If people haven't replied, then they're telling you you don't have to worry about them. So don't. It must be disappointing for the one that can't do that evening, but surely she'd understand that you have limited options when it's a freebie and your other friend has already had to pull strings. You will be able to spend the money between you if you try!

RB68 · 18/10/2019 21:26

I would go - at the end of the day its the only booking you can get to use it - oh and if you need new friends....

SleepWarrior · 18/10/2019 21:33

Totally go ahead.

Send a firm but apologetic message along the lines of

"Such a shame to hear you might not be able to make that date. We're going to have to go ahead with the booking because it's proving impossible to find an alternative date that the restaurant will accept. Let me know by x date if you can move things around and join us, I'll be sure not to fill your spot before then. Fingers crossed".

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 18/10/2019 21:37

You would NBU to go ahead. If you wait around for a date that suits everyone you might wait forever. Give 24 hours for all replies and then press on - they’re getting something for nothing anyway.

Bluntness100 · 18/10/2019 21:40

Jeez, just go ahead, order the most expensive stuff on the menu and some bloody good wine and have a ball.

Leeds2 · 18/10/2019 21:41

I would absolutely go ahead. I would give the two I hadn't heard from a deadline to let me know, say within 48 hours, and make it clear that if you haven't heard by then they won't be able to come.

Original poster
Pakpak · 18/10/2019 21:43

Loving your replies. Just what I needed to hear! ! Have a tendency to overthink these things

OP posts:
Boysey45 · 18/10/2019 21:53

Go ahead and take some friends from work or whatever. If they cant be arsed to reply then sod them.Or just get the most expensive things and drinks for the two of you.

LittleDancers · 18/10/2019 21:53

Go definitely. It's not your fault they can't make the only date it's reasonable to have it on. It would be a shame to miss out on it altogether and if they are a true/good friend they would understand that and wouldn't want you to miss out on it just because they can't make the date. It is a freebie they weren't expecting after all that you offered so they can't be too miserable about it.

SunshineAngel · 18/10/2019 22:01

The thing is with friendship groups of multiple people, it's near impossible to find dates and times that suit everyone - and in situations like this when it's difficult to book anyway, you simply have to go ahead when you can! Go for it :).

loulou0987 · 18/10/2019 22:02

I would probably just say that the voucher expires and you need to use by x date

Eatingjamwithtwospoons · 18/10/2019 22:09

I can't get over why your husband doesn't want to use it? Died he not like the food? Or the chance of a £250 bottle of wine?!

Grumpasaurus · 18/10/2019 22:11

I will go op :-). Am assuming a Michelin star restaurant with a tasting menu- even with only 2 people, there mightn't be change from £500...

Derbee · 18/10/2019 22:12

Definitely go. You can spend £500 between the 2 of you, as long as you’re drinkers...

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 18/10/2019 22:14

We are using the voucher for xxxx on yyyy date because that is the only date that DH (whose voucher it is) can go...

Let me know how many to book for on yyyy date.

Thanks

kateandme · 18/10/2019 22:20

Go.and which restaurant?

kateandme · 18/10/2019 22:21

And if it is high end you will easily spend that on 3.my.mum and dad went to le manoir years ago and it was 350 when they were trying to reign it in!

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