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?!)

I don't really understand why you were shocked when the bill came

You had the menu in front of you with the prices on - you could have changed your mind when you saw them

I didn't ask what the two teenagers or my partner were ordering at the time of placing the order! Why would I? I knew what mine cost, but I didn't sit there totting up what everyone was ordering. Who does that? And besides, I was too busy sorting the toddler out to police the order!

I similarly didn't look at the price of every single item on the menu when I ordered mine. Again. Who does that?!

I do! Isn't that a big part of what the menu is for? 🤨

I do- I though everyone did? As a family we would normally have a chat while we decide " Oh I had the ravioli last time it was really good " or " I think I may go for the fettucini" or " I fancy a steak, but look at the price". Normal talk at our table.

£80

@SagittariusDwarf

You look at the price of every single item? Even the ones you have no interest in? And you'd be able to tot up the bill in your head as a result, when each person placed their order, so there are no surprises when the bill arrives? Whilst distracted by a toddler?

Wow. Ok. I didn't realise people did that.

@speakout

One of the teens wasn't mine, so not quite a family meal.

£75 is pretty much bang on for what you had in Pizza Express at least. Eating out anywhere is expensive these days

£80

This doesn't seem unusually high, tbh.

This is why we don't eat out very often, it costs a lot for food that is usually less nice than we make at home.

Just saw the price, seems about right, perhaps cheaper. We pay £12 per pizza at our local independent, no idea what soft drinks cost but we pay £25 for a bottle of wine (well on a good day, if kids are back from university there are the cocktails too)

Not really relevant- it was still a family group, rather than a hen party or a couple's romantic night out. You would be classed as a " family group" if there were offers or deals etc.Italian is rarely good value for money, and chain restaurants of any description are usually dire and overpriced.

I would always know the price, it is just there when you read the menu, it goes in!

I said the price of every item on the menu. Not the ones I am interested in.

No. I would have thought it wouldn't need spelling out that I do not look at the price of items on the menu in which I have no interest. I look at the price of the items my party and I are ordering. That way, there no "big surprise" when the bill comes. Use the information you have readily available to you next time.

I also didn't particularly listen when the others were placing their orders as again, I was a bit distracted by the toddler.

I agree. Even if I don't want a certain type of food I am curious about the menu selection, types of food available and the prices. It gives me an idea of the theme of a restaurant and overall value. I never order steak while I am out, but I always look at the selection, price etc. I also have a look at the drinks menu, price of a house wine etc, even though I am not ordering alcohol.

😂 ok then

Jeez some things are just not worth arguing about with strangers when you've had 3 hrs broken sleep......

I was going to say £72 and that was thinking about standard priced adult meals which are around £14 on the menu here, so not considering someone ordering one of the more expensive meals.

Zizzis is overpriced processed expensive food!

No cooking involved, pre packaged rubbish.

So expensive OP!

If you're not used to looking at prices on the menu and just order without thought, that's a pretty privileged position to be in, many people can't afford to do that, or go to somewhere like Zizzi and pay full price rather than use a voucher either.

Italian chains are well known for being expensive for what you get if you pay full price. You don't need to study every price on the menu to know that, it's fairly obvious that if mains are around £15 and there's 4 of you and you order drinks too, you're going to end up spending around £70-80.

The poster saying about how restaurants, especially chains where its around £20 ph for a quick main and drink, or more like £30 if you have a starter and a second drink or a dessert, are likely to suffer when people's budgets are squeezed is right. Niether the food or experience is particularly special and if you don't want to cook you can get ready made food in the supermarket that is just as nice (M&S family pizza meal deal for £10-15 for example) for probably around a quarter of the cost.

£70. A. It more if you add a tip.

£70 ish plus Service charge , around £80 total

And man alive, people do like to write essays here, and it’s so sanctimonious and argumentative.