To be upset husband has booked a ‘novelty’ restaurant?

[trapperjohna]

It’s my 50th next Saturday. DH told me he’d book a nice restaurant and I was really looking forward to it as we rarely ever eat out. I was expecting to go somewhere nice in central Liverpool, he knows I love the waterfront so I was thinking he’d book somewhere around there.

Today he’s revealed he’s booked a place in Sheffield (which is annoying enough in itself, 90 minute drive for a meal and it won’t be relaxing at all) which is a novelty restaurant where the staff are intentionally rude to you and it’s all part of it. He’s booked it for the teens as well. I asked why on Earth he’d booked that and he said because he was curious about it and thought it’d be fun.

But it’s not me at all. I’m very self-conscious and even though it’ll all be a joke the thought of the staff verbally abusing me makes me anxious. I’ll end up taking something to heart and getting upset.

DH is annoyed I’ve asked him to cancel it and says I’m a spoil sport, but it’s my birthday dinner.

Why do you want us to look at the reviews @Wetblanket78 ? 🙄😂 We can all see what it is.

Fuck that
Contact some friends and make your own plans for food and cocktails somewhere nice. Why would he not cancel it when you told him you didn’t like it?

From the website : "rude waiters who in return are expecting you to give it full Karen"

There is no way I would go there.
Your family clearly have no idea how insulting the term Karen is. AND it's more often aimed at women of your age.

I would be ashamed of my family if they wanted to support such a place, never mind think I might enjoy going there.

Do they understand the meaning behind the name?

You won't be able to make the best out of it if you are already dreading to go. You will be 50 for goodness sake! Grow a back bone and tell him that he can go by himself with the step son but you are not going. And he will still owe you a treat for YOUR birthday as what he did was idiotic and not acceptable. Please do be a good role model for your daughter and show her that you don't have to put up with silly ideas of men just to make peace and 'make most of it'.

Dear God, this is awful. Of all the fabulous restaurants here in Liverpool and he picks some joke like this.
Tell him straight: when it’s his birthday he can go there. This is your birthday which should be a special day for you. What is so hard for him to understand about that?

He's basically planned something you would hate, which would bring traumatic memories for you, for YOUR birthday and he's calling you a spoilsport? And he's got you doubting yourself to the point you've had to ask all of us?

I am so angry on your behalf.

I hope you have an amazing birthday somewhere you'll be happy and I hope this is some kind of hideous mental blip from your DH and that he is not usually so disparaging and inconsiderate of you.

Please let us know when he's changed the booking to something you might actually enjoy...

Do you have a card on his credit card account? If so, book something nice for you and a friend at his expense if he doesn’t change his mind and cancel his ridiculous choice.

Book some where nice for yourself and your daughter...even better book a spa day out for yourselves. Leave the men to be humiliated by waiting staff if that is what they like.

Tell him you're not going. It looks awful.

If you want a nice restaurant with lovely food but a bit of novelty, try Sapporo Teppinyaki in Liverppol. The food is delicious and staff are great!

I would ring the restaurant to check if the booking is genuine and if it is, I would book a place on Liverpool waterfront that would be a treat for you. Then cancel the Sheffield place and tell him what you’ve done. If he isn’t taking your protesting seriously, and you want to have a nice birthday, what else can you do?

Yes - exactly this.

Making a joke, then a restaurant name, out of a name now used as a slur word doesn't appeal at all. If my husband booked that he'd be moving into the spare room. Tell your husband to go with his mates, if he thinks misogyny is funny.

This IN SPADES.

It's my 50th soon too. DH and I are having a few days away and we have booked a nice, posh restaurant without the kids.

This sounds absolutely horrific.

I was just going to say that it's the "Karen" restaurant. Offensive on all fronts.
You should see the logo.

Exactly this.

You're not pathetic, it sounds absolutely awful and I bet the food is ghastly.

I think you need to make it quite plain that not only do you not want to go, but you are genuinely hurt and upset that he might have thought for even a moment that this was an appropriate place to take his DW on her 50th birthday.

1. It is a burger joint FGS. A burger joint!
2. Its USP would appear to be insulting middle aged women. For his wife's 50th? Just how cruel, dense and thoughtless is he?

Definitely don't go and be a good example to your DD that women shouldn't always have to put up with any old crap so as not to hurt poor man's feelings.

I thought you were going to say a Disney themed restaurant or similar!

Does your husband not like you or something?

@trapperjohna - I was bullied at school, and just reading about this diner is making me anxious, so I can only imagine how awful you must be feeling. Your dh needs to get it through his head that this would be a hellish experience for you - some people might enjoy it, and fair play to them - but for you, it would be like an arachnophobic person being taken to an immersive tarantula handling experience!

I just wish I could sit him down and read him the riot act for you!

From most of the reviews it seems popular for birthdays, I guess it’s a weird theatre type experience, although I’d quite like to work there, and it’ll be like being on mumsnet in real life! Lots of bitchy rudeness.

My 19 year old DD is a bit disappointed for me but thinks we should try and make the best of it

This alone would make me determined to not go. Show her that she should not put her wants after what the men in her life want.

I wouldn't go. It is your birthday, you say where you want to go.

Why are you not telling them to cancel and book somewhere else? You need to stop being so passive and tell them it isn't happening.

I am near Sheffield and have just read up about it. It sounds awful.

Please put your big girl pants on and tell them you aren't going, and that's that. Even if it had fantastic service, there is no way I would undertake a five hour round trip for a burger and chips. I have just checked the journey time and it would take about two and a half hours each way (at this time of day).

Tell him you couldn't give a shit if he thinks you're a spoilsport. Its your birthday, its your choice how you spend it. I certainly wouldn't want to go to that hideous restaurant either. If he's still being an arse about it, book somewhere lovely for you, DD and your friends.