Eating in a restaurant/ pub is not worth the money

[HoppingKangaroo]

Not eaten in a restaurant or pub this year. Went for a pub meal the other day. The cheapest meal was 14 pounds. The food was just okay and not really worth the cost. I can make something just as nice at home. AIBU to think with how expensive pubs and restaurants are now it is not worth the cost? Especially if you can make something almost or just as nice at home.

It's worth it just to get out of the house once in a while - away from these same four walls

An Indian food pub is the best and the food is cooked from fresh. Otherwise I agree, horrible frozen chips and microwaves food fresh from the Brakes lorry

We were always quite sniffy about Wetherspoons until this year, but now quite often in pubs that used to serve good basics at reasonable prices, the food is rubbish and the prices have gone up so a meal for two with a couple of drinks is at least £50 rather than less than £30 at Wetherspoons.

Also handy if there is a group as now you can pay on the app, sp you don't have to worry about who's paying and owing folks money.

I also enjoy nom British restaurants as they still seem to offer good value for money. We went to our local Indian which is BYOB and had starters and main for £40.

Surely you go to places that serve good food you expect to pay the price?

But we are paying the price but not getting good food. That is rather the point of this thread!

I'd have been perfectly happy if my £150 meal the other week was good but it was OK at best. How much should I be looking at paying if £75 a head isn't enough?

I think cuisines that many/most people don't feel confident cooking themselves will still do ok, and probably also the likes of Wetherspoons because people know what they're getting. But agree with posters upthread who thought the likes of Pizza Express and Zizzi's will suffer, things that are quite expensive for what they are and not really any better than supermarkets.

I've just started going out with friends for a monthly dinner/drinks - the first time in a decade.

So far we've had one truly brilliant Indian that I definitely could not have cooked myself, good prices (£12 per main), and a really, really crappy Italian at a minimum of £20 each with packet sauces, £30 wine and all sides cost extra. And it was bad.

I'm assuming they had similar overheads given they are on the same street and are not much different in size, though the Italian is in a more impressive building, so why the difference?!

With chefs hopping from job to job for ever increasing wages and only working 9-5 now. Things have changed. One chef I know went from a high end hotel chain to an independent high end hotel to a high end restaurant then back to the chain hotel then hopping back to the high end independent hotel. Five jobs in five months. His salary now 50k was 30k back in June.

My tip is eat out at lunchtime. It's a lottery at night depending who's on duty. Saturday night particularly risky

YANBU if you simply cannot afford it and therefore have come to the conclusion that cooking at home makes financial sense.

YABU if you think it’s not worth the cost because you have failed to include the costs required to run the establishment - staff wages, increased food prices, increased energy prices (pubs do not have capped rates like our homes and many are closing because they simply cannot afford to stay open). Also YABU if you are basing your entire view on rubbish meal at one pub - some places are worth their money, others aren’t. There’s also lots of people who want good quality food and an excellent service but are not willing to pay for it - thinking “Ferrari” dining at a “Ford escort” price 🤷‍♀️

Lots of places serviing Ford Escort food at Audi prices though, that's the problem.

Yes this is the issue.

If I want soggy fish and chips or a flaccid burger, I can cook that at home for less than a fiver.

I'm happy to pay decent prices for a decent experience. I tend to avoid mid range pubs and chain restaurants now as the prices simply don't match the experience.

The issue is that in UK we generally have REALLY mediocre quality ingredients. Meat in many places abroad is totally different. And the veg fgs. Hence often mediocre quality food. You can sometimes save it, but getting good ingredients in is PITA and costly. Thus increased costs.

I get it, no one is happy to pay for shite and they shouldn't be, but I have to be honest. With some of the prices per main people are quoting here... I am not surprised so many are unhappy 🤷🏻

We rarely eat out anymore for this reason. We do on occasion for convenience but not often.

We find that we don't enjoy the food from a lot of places bar a select few and so we prefer to buy in decent food, so for example we will spend an amount on decent steaks from the butchers to cook ourselves instead of spending the equivalent (usually more) out, for something we don't even really enjoy eating!

Example of how service and food abroad is so much better.

Cafe near us was an Austrian cafe run by Austrians. Nicely decorated and presented, spotlessly clean, perfect service and lovely food and a great array of coffees and other hot drinks. Coffee served with a nice little wrapped chocolate. Classical music playing softly in the background. Sadly, it closed during the pandemic.

It has been taken over.

Decor is dull and grey with some naff sparkly things. Windows needed cleaning. Messy and table not cleaned properly - sticky with crumbs. Haphazard service. Menu had sticky fingerprints on. Place smelled of cheap automatic air freshener. Tinny sounding pop music from the kitchen area. Coffee was passable. Don't know what the food is like, but appeared to be that British bog standard rubbish that's served everywhere - panninis, bacon sandwich, toasties, scones etc.

Definitely not going back. The usual disappointment. No attention to detail and no sense of proper service.

Oooh i miss getting tiny biscuits with every coffee!

Hospitality is on its knees unfortunately however I think even before the pandemic many places were overpriced and the food poorly cooked. My DC had a takeaway from our local Chinese the other day, it was so bad we chucked most if it away. Contrast that with the now very good selections in the supermarkets.

I agree it's sometimes nice to be out, everyone choosing a different dish etc however with the price if the drinks and general poor quality of the food and often service we don't do it. I can cook much better at home. Imo the only places worth going to are the more expensive ones.

Chain pubs and restaurants can be a very underwhelming experience.

You’re clearly going to the wrong restaurants and pubs OP. The ones I go to are great and 100% worth the money.

Mind you I live in London, so have a fabulous amount of choice.

Lots of pubs and restaurants nowadays are loud and uncomfortable and charge what used to be high end restaurant prices for bog standard pub grub. I have definitely decided to eat out less. I can cook nicer at home and use the money for cinemas, theatres and weekends away.

We have access to great tasting food in Norwich - the food is good value and we are spoiled for choice! No need to go to the bland chains.

I’m sure it’s an age thing, but I find eating out increasingly uncomfortable physically!

The uncomfortable chairs. the tiny tables that you can barely fit the food and drink on, the loud music and the proximity of other people.
We tend to go to a few places we know are comfortable, the food is consistently good, and it’s not ‘quirky’ in any way shape or form!

Having said this, I am going out for lunch with a friend tomorrow, and away for a night next weekend with dh which involves eating out in a nice fish restaurant.
we’ve been before and the food is fab, although on the pricy side.
Lunch tomorrow with friend is going to be a two course set meal at a French chain bistro type place, and we’ll share bottle of wine.

Really looking forward to both meals out, and of course it’s always about more than the food!

I’m sure it’s an age thing, but I find eating out increasingly uncomfortable physically

I know what you mean! The noise in a lot of places is unbearable to me now. Uncomfortable seats etc. I have a real hatred for high tables with bar stools! Another pet peeve is going to a busy place in winter and they sit you near the door so you end up freezing with everyone coming in and out.

I avoid places with hard floors, furniture, no curtains. The acoustics resemble the school canteen. Give me drapes, carpets, table linen. A fire is a plus in the winter. Love eating al fresco in the summer.

Out of town independent or small chains try harder are less likely to have endured unpleasant customers.

@justasking111 one reason I save up and go to the local branch of the Ivy on special occasions- table cloths, nice heavy crystal glasses, lovely decor, well trained staff -- food always lovely if not necessarily totally amazing. Ambience is a biggie!!!