How much would you expect this meal to cost?

[Sofielou]

I'm not sure if I'm a bit unrealistic with my expectation here so I thought I'd see what wise Mumsnetters think!

We had a meal out at popular chain Italian restaurant. We ordered:

4 x main meals (3 x pizzas and 1 x pasta dish)
1 x meal from child menu (pasta dish)
4 x soft drinks (3 x Coca Cola, 1 x Sprite)

No starters, no desserts, no alcoholic drinks.

What would you roughly expect the total of the bill to be? (Not London if that makes a difference?!)

Actually feeling nostalgic and a bit sad. In our twenties a friend and I would go to Pizza Express for an occasional treat. Pizza each and a carafe of wine between us. In those days (1990s) it was seen as quite upmarket establishment or maybe I just didn't go out much then. Of course things have moved on a lot since then.

Absolutely! I wish I'd just got the prosecco now! 😂

@rookiemere that's shocking. And I thought The Ivy was bad enough charging £3.50 for soft drinks. Mind you, that was a few years ago now. Their prices have probably risen to Hawksmoor prices!

I got a shock last time we are at one of these places.

Pizza can be 8-16 depending on what type, same for pasta. We'll go with 12.

8 for children's meal

4 drinks at £3 each.

68

We order in pizza sometimes but I am far too mean to pay £100 for a pizza meal.

We go out for Indian regularly and love it. A good indian meal with lots of dishes, starters and the freshly made naans are worth paying for IMO.

We went to Bella last night. Three pizzas, 2 pasta dishes, 2 sides ( salad and coleslaw), 5 soft drinks. Total cost £75. It was delicious, made even better by having £60 of tesco clubcard vouchers to use towards the cost.

£75 - £80. (Sorry, haven't read full thread, but that's my guess).

And if I were to own a restaurant, I'd go Italian every time.
The mark-up is enormous.

I once bought Groupon vouchers for a Bella Italia 'deal' which brought a family meal down to a very manageable £40 without any drinks. Deal, or so I thought. We'd had a plumbing emergency so weren't able to cook at home at the time, so took the family out for dinner. Except no-one had any knowledge about the vouchers. I had the waiting staff, manager and family all basically telling me I was wrong about the vouchers. Ended up paying the usual amount (at least £80!) and went home feeling like a total fraud. Complained and did get the 'difference' refunded but it made me think how much we are generally overcharged for food, if they could afford to run what was a half-price promotion. Never eaten there since as I thought their customer service shambolic.

£66

Agree. Pizza and pasta are just so cheap to make.

The last 3 time I've been out the bill hasn't been under £200 one was nearly £300

The prices were always inflated hot these chains because so many people used vouchers. There seem to be fewer vouchers about now but the prices haven’t changed to reflect that. I’d go to an independent now, these chains are really bad value and a bit soul destroying

Went out last night with some girlfriends to an independent hipster type place. Anyone want to take a guess at how much the bill was?
we got:

• 3 x chicken and bacon flatbreads


• 6 x cocktails, but only paid for 3 as it was happy hour BOGOF


• A side of fries, onion rings and loaded fries (beef and cheese)


• A brownie

£85?

£154

😱

Is that London prices? I live up north so was basing it on roughly what that might cost around here! (although I seem a bit out of touch based on this thread)

Nope, North West!

Flat breads were £20 each, loaded fries £9, brownie was £9, cocktails £15 each then they stuck on a service charge too

Where the frig are you eating? A Michelin star place?

About 70

@PlasticineMeg

Flatbreads £20 each?! Christ alive.

I had a truffle and ricotta flat bread that cost £23

That was at the oblix in the shard

60ish

I would’ve guessed £80, so not far off the £75 it cost you.

YABU

£85