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Original poster

Eating out on Christmas Day. Do we expect too much?

213 replies

Nonimai · 26/12/2023 07:46

We spent £100 a head yesterday on a meal that wasn’t horrible , it was just meh. Expectations are high. People were complaining. Did you have your meal out yesterday? Was it worth the money?
we went to a local gastro pub/restaurant in North England. Usually excellent roasts. Tbh they tried too hard to make it special - chefs only make this once a year - and it didn’t work.

OP posts:
dottypotter · 26/12/2023 16:55

It's not comfortable sat at the table fir a long time and eating everything in one go.

As someone else said perhaps relax on the sofa with a dessert later on and stagger it.

Ate out once years ago and never again. It wasn't as nice as you can make at home and also there's no cold meat for another day.
You don't need to buy into this notion that you need a roast on Xmas day either. You don't.

theresnolimits · 26/12/2023 17:01

We’ve eaten out on a few occasions but I honestly can’t justify the cost for limited menu/ mass catering. £400 for four of us plus drinks, plus service for a meal no where as special as I can make at home. Especially with great options from M and S, Cook etc. And someone has to not drink to drive home. Just not worth it.

43ontherocksporfavor · 26/12/2023 17:07

We did it once when I was a teen and my DM enjoyed not cooking but it was t a patch on her cooking. Haven’t done it since though have been to Spain and had paella at a beach restaurant which was much better than a roast in a pub here. Generally though I can make a great dinner from scratch for far less than £100 for 6 people!

SauvignonBlanche · 26/12/2023 17:27

TheHeadOfTheHouse · 26/12/2023 10:37

We booked the Toby carvery and I’ve done a chargeback on my credit card.

£250 for a 3 course meal for 3 adults and 2 children (doesn’t include drinks)

25 mins from seating to starters arriving.

starters were wrong, had to be changed, dh’s arrived when everyone had almost finished theirs.

main meal was nice (self service)

puddings again were wrong. Kids ice cream was bland and not what was ordered, dh didn’t get his pudding at all despite asking 2 members of staff.

they knocked off £7 for the missing pudding!

I hope you’re joking? 🙄

Paddleboarder · 26/12/2023 17:45

The staff should be receiving double or triple pay, but anyone not working through choice still won't be happy to be there. The quality of the food is unlikely to be much better than usual for that particular place, but because it costs so much more, customers are going to have far higher expectations.

mogsrus · 26/12/2023 17:58

25.mins waiting, so what exactly is the rush for goodness sake, just enjoy it

Bookist · 26/12/2023 18:08

We ate out yesterday. It was a bit better than average but wouldn't call it very good, and we won't go again. We had to book last minute because our usual gastro pub couldn't open because of flood damage. But we only paid £75 each for the four of us, so can't complain. Our usual place charges much more than that but is genuinely superb, gorgeous surroundings, lots of little extras and lovely atmosphere. I never have the turkey though, usually have their Beef Wellington which is to die for.

Christmassss · 26/12/2023 18:11

I’ve done it three times and surprisingly the best year by far was at the local Harvester. It was just before the third lockdown was about to start in our area and the staff were so lovely and they seemed genuinely pleased with the large tip we gave them. We were given a really good table and there was a nice atmosphere, I bought some little table gifts for my family. It was so nice to get out after being in all year and also my parent has just died so October to November had been terrible for me.
I absolutely loved getting dressed up and I’ve never enjoyed the presents opening part of the day so much. It was so good not having to check on the turkey etc.
I did stick a small turkey joint in the oven as we left for our lunch which was perfectly cooked when we returned so those that wanted it could have a turkey sandwich in the evening.
We tried to replicate the experience the next year and went somewhere else, the food was very nice but the atmosphere wasn’t quite right.
Now we go out each boxing day, we have the festive menu at various restaurants but don’t choose the roast dinner option. We don’t have any other family to visit so rather than another day in with the five of us we all go out.

Beckafett · 26/12/2023 18:21

TheHeadOfTheHouse · 26/12/2023 10:37

We booked the Toby carvery and I’ve done a chargeback on my credit card.

£250 for a 3 course meal for 3 adults and 2 children (doesn’t include drinks)

25 mins from seating to starters arriving.

starters were wrong, had to be changed, dh’s arrived when everyone had almost finished theirs.

main meal was nice (self service)

puddings again were wrong. Kids ice cream was bland and not what was ordered, dh didn’t get his pudding at all despite asking 2 members of staff.

they knocked off £7 for the missing pudding!

This is a joke surely?

Questionasker5664 · 27/12/2023 04:17

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Questionasker5664 · 27/12/2023 04:26

TrashedSofa · 26/12/2023 10:08

None of this really surprises me except the £80 only in tips- how shit!

Show quote history

It was 200+ covers across about 4 hours. A lot of customers seem to have the attitude that they're paying double, staff paid extra so no need to tip. Generally the tip jar throughout the festive period while the pub is rammed, big work parties every night etc is no more than £200 to split with 20 people...
(Tips are a lovely bonus and some people are very generous, but there's nothing more disheartening than spending hours waiting on a drunken pain in the ass group, to find £2 bunged in the middle of an absolute mess of a seating area)

AmazingBouncingFerret · 27/12/2023 07:01

I would have cried at the £80 tips for Christmas Day. I work in hospitality but only as a barista so tips aren’t as big as waitering would be but even I was banking £300 some days on Christmas week!

Roselilly36 · 27/12/2023 07:31

We have only ever once gone out to a restaurant for Christmas lunch, it was so disappointing we haven’t ever done it since. DH is an excellent cook though.

MetalFences · 27/12/2023 08:52

Kids ice cream was bland

I'm sewing this on a cushion later.

Goodlard · 27/12/2023 08:54

MetalFences · 27/12/2023 08:52

Kids ice cream was bland

I'm sewing this on a cushion later.

GrinGrinGrin

Nel81 · 27/12/2023 18:07

We ate out for the second Christmas day in a row. Last year didn't seem to have much of a Christmassy atmosphere and dinner was ok. This year we went somewhere we go regularly for food and Sunday dinners. Atmosphere was much better and food was delicious... eventually. First sitting was at 12:30, we didn't get our starters until 1:45. We were still eating our desserts when the second sitting people started arriving at 3:30. We should have had a cheeseboard as well but opted to bring it home. 6 adults and a 5 year old with additional needs.

Dibbydoos · 27/12/2023 18:17

We ate out on Christmas Day, service was poor - 4pm sitting received mains at 5pm! My mums meal had been sitting under a lamp so was dry. It cost £220 for 3 of us.

If we have to eat out next Christmas Day we're going for a carvery instead.

fetchacloth · 27/12/2023 18:22

Iouis · 26/12/2023 08:14

Anywhere decent pays their staff double on Christmas day

Show quote history

Indeed they do. A hotel chain I used to work for paid double time for working on Christmas Day plus an extra days holiday.
Any decent employer does the same, hence the higher prices.

fetchacloth · 27/12/2023 18:24

Dibbydoos · 27/12/2023 18:17

We ate out on Christmas Day, service was poor - 4pm sitting received mains at 5pm! My mums meal had been sitting under a lamp so was dry. It cost £220 for 3 of us.

If we have to eat out next Christmas Day we're going for a carvery instead.

Some of the best Christmas Day meals out I've had have been carveries. The food is fresher and is considerably good value.
Some of the worst have been at high end restaurants in hotels. I wouldn't waste my money on those these days.

Georgyporky · 27/12/2023 18:32

We'll never do Xmas meals in England again - unless there's no choice.
We want dinner at dinner time, not a few hours after breakfast - & that itself is difficult to find.
We've been to various countries for Xmas, & they all do it better than UK.

Welshphoenix · 27/12/2023 19:03

We ate out at the hotel we were staying at, the food was excellent , the service brilliant and no complaints at all. What did they not do that you expected? And were all the complaints the same? If so maybe something went wrong if everyone had different issues then it could be a matter of over expecting. Sorry missed out we paid £85 a head for a 5 course meal x

Morrisons00 · 27/12/2023 19:07

id say its similar like having a full english breakfast, at a supermarket cafe, all preheated and served , nothing too fancy.

personally id consider a small cafe rather than a big chain for christmas dinner etc

Meecrowavay · 27/12/2023 19:12

You're just paying more for the staff's increased wages really, it doesn't always correlate with better food. Most restaurant staff will be on at least double time on Christmas Day. The best places get booked up really far in advance. Start asking around now and get in quick for 2024.

Cabinsarebins · 27/12/2023 19:12

Roasts are always better at home and there is nothing you could do to one to make it worth £100 a head so it’s inevitable most people are disappointed, the staff are under paid and pissed off and maybe embarrassed at what they are having to serve for extortion prices while their own family eat a good meal without them.
i worked hospitality for 20 years for my sins, never Christmas Day thankfully but there were times I refused to run food because it was so awful/rip off to customers
The only time I’ve eaten out on Christmas Day was for a curry it was lovely as always, the prices weren’t inflated and we gave a massive tip instead.

incywincyspidery · 27/12/2023 19:20

IMO the food itself is better at home, cooked on a smaller scale. I guess it depends on which you value higher- the quality of your meal or having a stress free experience. I am always very stressed right up until the moment I serve Christmas dinner and tbh I often don't eat that much of it when I've cooked it so I would highly value eating out, even if the meal wasn't great. The rest of my family, however, would only want to eat out if the food was at least as good as at home because they all side step the planning, buying, preparing, cooking, stressing stage and jump straight to the eating bit!