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AIBU?

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Original poster

Would you eat at a restaurant that didn't serve alcohol?

488 replies

Yearn · 22/11/2021 02:40

If a restaurant served only soft drinks and alcohol-free beers/wines/cocktails would you eat there on an evening? Even on a Friday/Saturday night. No BYOB either.

YABU - Yes, I would eat there even on a weekend night.
YANBU - No, I wouldn't eat there on an evening.

OP posts:
GodIsAVegan · 22/11/2021 03:44

Seemingly my earlier comment has bothered some people.
To be clear, I said If you can’t, you MIGHT have a problem. MIGHT.
A close relative of ours refused to go anywhere socially that didn’t have a bar, including restaurants, even kids birthday parties. He died from alcoholism in his late forties. I’m in no way saying that if you don’t want to go to a restaurant without a bar, that you’re definitely an alcohol, I just have experience of someone who did refuse and did have an alcohol issue. It’s one reason that people won’t consider certain restaurants.

fallfallfall · 22/11/2021 03:54

eating at a restaurant is about the cooking and great food you just can't do on your own.

BasiliskStare · 22/11/2021 03:57

I do think some people might choose an alcohol free restaurant for a number of reasons ( not sanctimonious) - so it could be religious / health / AA type things and I would happily go along if they were good friends. As I said my preference would be for me to be able to order a glass of wine for myself but if it were a problem for others I would not do it. If I were choosing a restaurant myself I would choose one where DH & I could have a glass of wine each ( which is not to say we end up in some Brideshead type situation where there are bottles strewn all over the place ) Grin Good friend of mine has been in AA but she is happy to go to a restaurant and not drink as long as no one tells her "Oh one won't do you any harm" If I were lucky enough to be invited out with people who specifically wanted a restaurant with no alcohol whatsoever I would go ( given cheese and coffee comments ) but on balance if I were choosing the restaurant I would let the party choose whether they wanted to drink alcohol or not.

HoppingPavlova · 22/11/2021 03:57

Nope, I like a drink with my meals out. No, I don’t generally have a drink with my meals at home, maybe one night a week I would, two tops. I don’t believe that makes me an alcoholic. I would also never be coextensive a bar at a childrens party, I’d find that extremely odd.

BasiliskStare · 22/11/2021 04:03

@GodIsAVegan That puts your comment into context and I am sorry you had that experience with close relative - but liking a glass of wine with your meal isn't quite the same as being an alcoholic & as I say - If great friends invited me to a a restaurant with no wine - Of course I would go.

But I see your point and am sorry you lost a close relative like that.
Flowers

Kennykenkencat · 22/11/2021 04:04

Wouldn’t bother me as I don’t drink but I can see why others would have a problem with that and I think it’s trade would suffer if it didn’t have a BYOB and a glass charge.

But I can see it doing well if it was well advertised that people could bring their own

TheOriginalEmu · 22/11/2021 04:08

It wouldn’t make any difference to me, I do drink but not often and it wouldn’t affect where I chose to eat.

LinoVentura · 22/11/2021 04:11

A lot of the best Arabic restaurants where I used to live are not licensed and they do not want people bringing their own booze either. (Some friends of mine tried once.) Although the food goes well with a beer, alcohol is hardly the perfect or natural accompaniment.

That's my favourite food (when done to a high standard) so for me the lack of alcohol was irrelevant. In the places I'm referring to the food is delicious and reasonably priced. Most of these places are very popular so I'm not the only one who thinks like that.

CiaoEB · 22/11/2021 04:12

Depends what the food was like. I love wine however we go to a few middle eastern places that are unlicensed but the food is really good. Couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t go elsewhere for an after dinner drink though.

BasiliskStare · 22/11/2021 04:12

@Kennykenkencat - when DH and I were first together ( long time ago ) & did not have much money - there was a restaurant near us which was lovely but inexpensive for the food and it was BYOB - ( they charged a modest corkage. ) Made for a cracking night out without spending a fortune . Am feeling quite nostalgic.

I'd still go to a completely teetotal restaurant if good friends chose it - but to be honest - would not choose it myself. I'd let everyone decide for themselves.

TheOriginalEmu · 22/11/2021 04:13

I do agree with @GodIsAVegan …not being able to eat out without alcohol can be one of the signs that alcohol is an issue. Obviously in and of itself wanting a glass of wine with dinner doesn’t make you an alcoholic, but when taken in context with other behaviour it can be a clue.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 22/11/2021 04:18

I'd eat there. I find that alcohol ruins the taste of the meal so I'd usually drink soft drinks anyway and have alcohol afterwards (if I can be bothered).

SarahBellam · 22/11/2021 04:25

No. If it were breakfast or lunch then no problem, but I don’t go out for dinner very often and having a lovely glass of wine is part of the treat. So many restaurants do serve alcohol as well as soft drinks and by only serving soft drinks you are limiting your market.

Mercurial123 · 22/11/2021 04:25

If it was a cuisine that isn’t usually paired with alcohol and if an alcohol-free culture (Lebanese for example) fine, I would drink mint tea or whatever).

Have you ever been to Lebanon? They have vineyards, produce their own beer have a great nightlife and then there's arak. It also has a large Christian population. And of course some Muslims drink alcohol.

BasiliskStare · 22/11/2021 04:30

@TheOriginalEmu - I agree but if eating out is a treat then a glass of wine can be nice. Other behaviours I agree. But as I think I have said if a friend of mine specifically invited me to an alcohol free restaurant - of course I would go. Just would not choose it myself ( for avoidance of doubt I do not get through a litre bottle of vodka per day ) Just at the weekend a glass of wine feels relaxing. & I do mean a glass or two - I am not talking about never going anywhere which does not serve alcohol.

I do realise alcoholism can be a problem & I do - but there can be a middle ground between teetotal and drinking to excess . Out of respect if I were invited where the host does not want alcohol at all - of course I would go along with that.

ilovesooty · 22/11/2021 04:32

Yes. I rarely choose to drink alcohol with meals anyway, other than on holiday sometimes.

CakesOfVersailles · 22/11/2021 04:33

Yes I would. I might choose somewhere else if planning a birthday dinner or similar get together however, so that other people would have a choice.

NumberTheory · 22/11/2021 04:52

I would be less likely to choose to eat there but it wouldn't be totally out of the question as we don't always have alcohol when we eat out. The more upmarket it was the less likely, though.

If I was invited somewhere I wouldn't say "no" just because there was no alcohol involved (except, maybe, if it was my dad but that's a whole other thread...).

SinoohXaenaHide · 22/11/2021 05:01

I haven't voted because it could be either

If the food had rave reviews and was of a quality or kind that couldn't be matched by any other nearby restaurant that did serve alcohol, and if there was no particular event being celebrated, then yes I would go. I would just drink tap water because soft drinks are far too sweet for me, so I would expect it to be a cheap night out. But I wouldn't choose it for a special celebration meal out.

OmgIThinkILikeYou · 22/11/2021 05:02

I don't drink so this wouldn't bother me or most people I eat out with. We are all always driving anyway

Missey85 · 22/11/2021 05:07

YABU most don't go to restaurants to get smashed? If you do you might want to think about why? The Pubs for that

jamandmarmalade21 · 22/11/2021 05:09

Yes always been a fan of McDonalds Wink

BasiliskStare · 22/11/2021 05:16

@SinoohXaenaHide - I agree I would just drink water because like you I do not like most soft drinks - apart from tonic water which I do not find too sweet.

For those who have suffered or family / friends have with alcoholism - I wish you well - it is a horrid problem but surely we may have found on this thread people who are not teetotal and not alcoholics - for many people there is a middle ground.

But to go back to the question - yes I would go if invited to a restaurant which served no alcohol - If I were the person choosing and inviting I would give people the choice & not be ordering millions of bottles of wine. Most people I know who do not drink alcohol at all are comfortable with people having a glass of wine as long as it isn't foisted on them.

If it were a party / meal where the main guests were teetotal - I would go along with that.

Aristodog · 22/11/2021 05:21

Yes, I tend to be driving anyway so obviously don’t have a drink if I have the car with me.

Would actually be a nice change to go somewhere with an interesting selection of non-alcoholic drinks rather than that being an afterthought!

sbhydrogen · 22/11/2021 05:22

I once went to a burger/grill restaurant for dinner that didn't serve alcohol. It was weird, and I wouldn't go there again out of choice. If the food was exceptional then yes, I might go back, but it was just 'good'. There are loads of other similar restaurants that have beer and wine, so why would I limit myself? For me, going out for dinner is about the whole experience not just the food.