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.

This is true. The mark-up on Italian food is something else!

There must be some amazing cooks on Mumsnet because never have I ever felt this way. Just came back from a lovely meal of half rack of ribs 😋

Agree but I’ve found this for a while. A pub near us gets everything sent in pre-portioned packs. You’re essentially paying a lot of money for a microwave/boil in the bag meal. I do expect to pay a premium for someone else to prep and clear up after me but I want to enjoy what I’m eating and it’s rarely as good as I cook at home.

YABU

I'm a pretty good cook, but I don't go out to eat (unless it's a really nice restaurant) solely because I expect the food to be better than what I would cook.

I like to go out to eat for the following reasons:

• It makes a nice change from cooking
• We can all order different things and aren't restricted to all eating the same dish
• We enjoy the whole experience of going out to eat
• Someone serves us, brings drinks, etc., and we don't have to clean up afterwards
• We can eat food that I couldn't, or wouldn't want to, make at home. Sushi, dim sum, fish and chips, for example
• We are supporting a local business and their employees

To be honest, I would rather get an M&S meal deal than go to a restaurant.

no sorry very rarely have a bad meal out. had hotel bar food yesterday lunchtime. it was devine. last week went to a Michelin star restaurant in a hotel. again it was superb. wine was very good too and excellent service. we lucky we live near a hotel that has a fab dining room that is open to non residents. it's 45e a head for three courses including tea and coffee. booked out solid evey weekend as its so good. Nice bar too. has a fab range of meat and fish dishes and the deserts are devine. very rarely had a bad meal in good while. its usually service that grinds me..love going out for dinner

I also echo what @Anonymous48 says. if could afford it would eat out every weekend.

I agree after lockdown it’s just got worse and more expensive.

I had a delicious seafood meal in a small family run restaurant (Spanish family) near Edinburgh at the seaside a few months ago.

I just can’t get motivated to go to the mediocre ones anymore.

We have a really good carvery by us £11.99 pp and nice cocktails for £4. Other than that I stick to Indian. I like a Miner's Benedict (£6.56) from spoons with refillable coffee (£1.45), it's a bargain breakfast. I'm the only adult who can cook, so I like the break.

I'm not a good cook, I'm barely an average cook if I'm being honest (I can bake).

We don't eat out anymore because DH prefers my cooking 🤯

Can't even have Fish n Chips from our local chippy as the last time it was nearly a tenner each (fair enough) and swimming in oil that tasted like it was 2nd hand from the Chinese up the road. 🤮 Don't get me wrong, I love a Chinese takeaway, but you don't want your battered haddock swimming in oil which tasted strongly of takeaway.

Sometimes, it depends on where you go.

Overall, you have to weigh up the cost against the treat if not having to shop, cook or clean up yourself.

I think most pub food and "British food" tend to be fried and beige.

Yep, same here. We usually only do Thai or Indian food out now as we can’t cook that. Given the rising costs of everything and the standard of service (everyone means well, but everywhere is short staffed and they don’t reduce table numbers) we often feel like it’s just not worth it, especially for pub type food

Totally agree! We used to eat out a lot but now not often at all. If we do we go to a nice independent pizza place near us that do really good neapolitian pizza which we can't do ourselves and which costs £70 for 4 adults inc 2 courses and drinks. Sometimes we go to Miller and Carter as we really like the steaks and get 20% as we are shareholders. I also eat in high end places in London a couple of times a year. Apart from that I prefer to eat at home.

Occasionally disappointed. I try to order something I can't cook myself. I've had some delicious meals out recently.

Same here, tend to avoid steak restaurants generally in this country and also have things that we either cannot cook at home / stuff I don't have at home because not everyone likes it.

I rarely get takeaways for the same reason

I agree, often I could do better at home but to me, eating out isn't just about the food. It's the atmosphere, having an excuse to dress up a bit and not having to cook and clear up.

I agree with you but sometimes I would happily eat mcdonald's just so I don't have to cook it

Yes, pisses me off. We’re expected to support local eateries and can’t leave negative/truthful if negative reviews because it’s harmful to said local business. But times are hard for many people, and if I go for a meal I don’t want to be wasting hard earned money on substandard food.

I paid £32 plus drinks for 2 of us for Sunday lunch yesterday - this was a shared plate of mixed chicken, rare roast beef and roast pork and crackling plus yorkshires and fab gravy- came with creamed leeks, red cabbage , roasted caramelised carrots and broccoli, Swede crush and roast potatoes. I simply wouldn't have gone to that much effort at home- all nice and hot totally fantastic value- I could have fed4 on it!! the George at Nunney (beautiful village just outside Frome) - highly recommend for Sunday lunch

Totally agree - we only eat out at Chinese, Middle Eastern or Indian restaurants now, where I can't recreate it at home. I can't enjoy it, if I know I'm spending a fortune and the food is just ok

I think it’s fairly normal to have better home cooked food if you are going to gastropubs and regular restaurants.

Like PP I tend to eat things I couldn’t or wouldn’t ever cook myself. I also tend to avoid pubs and brasseries (you know, the ones with a huge menu spanning a wide range of food types and that double as a cocktail bar). I think you get better quality in places that are specifically food , not drink, focused and are all about one type of food.

I’m lucky to live in a big city where there’s lots of choice, lots of specialist and foodie restaurants rather than pubs, and tbh places that aren’t good tend to go under very quickly.

I'm very picky about where we go out for this reason. Even DH, who can't cook to save his life, now points out when I could have cooked a better version.

If I go out with others the amount of times they will say it was really nice (and mean it) while I thought it was meh is high.

Another vegetarian here. I’m so fed up paying £££‘s for risotto (hate fucking risotto anyway but it seems to be the staple of every bloody vegetarian option at every restaurant near me,) OR plant burger & soggy chips. The worst meal I had recently was at a hotel near us that we went to for DH’s birthday; undercooked sweet potato swimming in oil & some cream cheese. It was actually horrid. Won’t have a meal there again. I just think the risotto needs to go & restaurants should offer way more choice with vegetarian options - but I digress. Yes, I defo cook better meals at home, without a shadow of a doubt