To feel like I cook better meals at home!

[WilsonMilson]

Went out for a bank holiday meal today with the family. Tried somewhere new. Same thing as usual happened when we go out for mid priced meals - felt disappointed and underwhelmed by the food.

It was a gastro pub. I had fish and chips - the oil it had been fried in tasted old, the batter was hard and burnt, the fish had bones and overall it was just edible but average. I cook much better and tastier food at home. I find this happens more often than not, unless we go to really expensive restaurants, which is not realistic to do all the time. The place gets great reviews on Tripadvisor too, so I was looking forward to it.

Anyone else feel the same way when eating out and think you make nicer food at home? I am a keen cook, and for the money we spent I could have cooked an absolute feast at home.

Yes rarely go out as a result realised over lockdown this was the case currently cooking chicken katsu curry, tastes better than Wagamama and will be served hot

only go to high end restaurants and ethnic food restaurants that I can’t copy easily

I don’t always eat out expecting better food than I could make at home. It’s often different food - I wouldn’t cook myself fish and chips for example. It’s also been shopped for, cooked and cleaned up by someone who’s not me!
That’s what I pay money for!

Nope, that sounds like probably what I would be able to produce at home. Or certainly that I could be bothered to produce.

Totally agree. We could drop over £100 for a Sunday roast in the local gastro pub. My roast is better. Ditto steak restaurants.

Same here op

If we do eat anything out now it tends to be in a nice cafe somewhere with a coffee so only a light lunch.

Went to a garden place today and had a lovely coffee, a home made scotch egg and some garlic ciabatta and it was lovely.

I'm tending to avoid the disappointment of gastro places now.

We have somewhere near us that does the best carvery and that is always awesome even though very well priced but other than that we avoid.

I think the quality of food has gone downgraded to even out the cost to pubs etc to be honest.

I've also noticed a lot of places the menus are all very similar now.

I miss good old independent small restaurants with amazing food but they went down with covid in our area and it's just being propped up by either crappy chain places or huts now

I'm a shit cook, so no, I tend never to feel this way. Unless it's lasagne. I make a good lasagne.

I agree that many restaurants meals are very poor; I was incredibly disappointed yesterday and actually sent my meal back, as did the two people I was with ... it was just awful, clearly cobbled together leftovers not even heated properly (obviously not freshly cooked). We paid for our drinks and the starter we had eaten and left the restaurant.
However did find a really nice different restaurant on the way home and had a lovely meal - there are some good places around ... but it's just luck if you find them.

This is why I only ever order things I wouldn't cook at home. I've been disappointed too many times!
We don't eat out much though as we're a family of 5 and a sit down meal with drinks is usually over £100. I'd often rather do cheap and cheerful like wetherspoons and expect to be underwhelmed!
We save nice meals for holidays and usually try something different - best one from our last UK holiday was a small Polish restaurant: Chicken Kievs the size of baby dolphins! Lots of interesting sides we'd never tried etc, that was definitely worth the money. Similar for a Mexican place we went to.

I’ve definitely found this post-lockdown! I love cooking but also enjoy the break of eating out. Before Covid we used to eat out twice a week. Now, I totally resent paying the equivalent of a whole week’s grocery bill for a family of 4 to eat at a chain restaurant where the food is often cold, reheated, badly cooked…

I try to go to independent restaurants where possible or food I wouldn’t normally try to copy at home.

Same thing happens to me much of the time, so have stopped going out for food as often, especially as prices have gone up but quality down. Most of it I can make better at home. I try to tell myself I pay for atmosphere, convenience of location to meet people, not the food.

I think that s every time we get a takeaway.

If we go out (which we only do rarely these days) it's as much about the vibe and not having to do dishes etc as it is the food.

That said, your meal sounds awful. It wasn't a very fancy pub with slebrity clientele in a fancy Surrey village by any chance? I've had a terrible meal there

If we’re having a meal out we tend to make it worth it by going somewhere where the food is better than what we cook. Different if grabbing something on a day out, but it doesn’t seem worth going out to eat stuff out of a pub freezer.

Yes our home cooked food is better. But we havent had to shop, chop or clean up and if its with company, the table is big enough and I dont have to tidy the house.

I do think this a lot. Especially when I order a pasta dish for £15 and know I could make something nicer for about £1.
It's nice to have a break from cooking sometimes though.

Yup. I’m vegetarian and eating out is often disappointing and expensive. I am
no chef but the older I’ve got, the better at cooking I’ve got, so my own efforts surpass those of average places.

I don't necessarily go out to get better food, I go out to get a break from cooking and cleaning, and to enjoy a nice relaxing meal with someone else serving me. It's the atmosphere of sitting in a restaurant or beer garden that makes it worthwhile IMO.

That said, all our local restaurants serve good quality food with local produce - they're all independents and I don't think I've ever had a meal I've been unhappy with.

Last time I went for a pub meal with friends, I didn't really fancy anything on the menu so I ordered several starters and appetisers and had myself a little buffet. Everyone was a bit until it arrived and they realised I'm actually a genius! Olives, sweet potato fries, baked camembert, garlic bread... It was lush and much more flavourful than their underwhelming fish and chips.

I'm the world's worst cook but I'm constantly disappointed by meals out. I know being a vegetarian cuts my choices but it's repetitive wherever you go and usually quite poor.

Absolutely this. Family of 5 and husband is a great cook. No point going out for a roast....last time we did we spend £20ish on main course. With 1 slice of beef and 3 small potatoes each!! We do it every so often then remind the kids why we don't go much.

You have to go when it's difficult to cook yourself e.g on holiday when the kitchen isn't equipped well, or when you fancy a break from home, or when a friend suggests it.....

I took the kids for a 'posh' kebab the other day.....£50!!! But they were happy and it was a treat. (A not to be repeated treat for a long time.)

Don't choose something you can do yourself

That’s why we only eat out for special occasions now, then we go somewhere really nice. I refuse to pay £££ for average food that I could have done better! And tbh I totally avoid anywhere that calls itself a “Gastro pub”!!

Totally agree. I'm a decent cook with quite a diverse repertoire and places like pubs don't do it for me.
If we go out, I tend to make sure its somewhere where they do food that I wouldn't cook at home or it's too much of a faff!

Same here op. Most places are just overpriced frozen foods. I eat our very rarely now, and it's to either the chinese or Indian restaurants near us. Both small and independent, and food I cannot as good at home.

Absolutely, me and DH said this

A roast for us and kids meals for the children is about €40 and we go once or twice a month. Food is great and no turning the kitchen upside down!