To think it's just weird that a pub restaurant is refusing to share costs or a sample menu?

[Allthefoodandwine]

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Is it just me who thinks this is really bizarre?

New managers of a local pub, who despite being repeatedly asked for a menu, even a sample menu with an idea of costs, are refusing to share ANY information.

We visited there regularly when the previous managers had it, and we would like to go again.

But AIBU to want to see the kind or food they are serving & an idea of cost?

It's marketed as a mystery experience so if you don't want that or you're concerned about the price then it may not be for you.

How does it work with allergies?

Surely if you have any allergies you specify them or have the common sense not to go for a mystery tasting?!
(I say this as an allergy sufferer)

Big Cook Little Cook comes to life!

I would love it. But it’s easy to answer, just don’t go.

5 courses for £39 ? I would be expecting crap. Probably£75-120.

No, I’m not new here - and you’re inventing things I’ve never said. It’s other people who’ve been making a song and dance about the lack of prices. My comments have all related to the mystery food concept. It’s the OP’s failure to understand why a business built around a mystery menu doesn’t issue sample menus that baffles me.

You’re wrong, the OP mentions in several replies that the curiosity menu isn’t the issue, it’s the mystery on pricing that is. You should read the comments.

It’s a local pub not a restaurant. But many places nowadays include things like bread, coffee and biscuits etc as a course, which is wrong imo, but they do.
There are plenty of very nice independent places around that offer set 3 course menus for £30-£35.

@HotChocolateNotCocoa 'Failure to understand' crikey, that's strong.....
The mystery menu is NOT the issue.... Had you read, or understood any of my previous comments, the menu is NOT the issue... I have had many tasting menus, with no detailed menu.
One of which was 27 courses, and was incredible.
It's the lack of pricing, and the bizarre reluctance to share any information....
Trying to be all mysterious....
THAT is what I find it odd.

So please go for a walk or something to calm down

Menu of Curiosity- the clue is in the name-it's concept. One which seems to be baffling some mumsnetters.

Mystery menu- fine. Mystery bill in a COL crisis- not fine.

I eat out regularly but I check menus online out of habit and get an idea of costs beforehand, I don't have unlimited disposable cash so I wouldn't sign myself up to anything at the moment without knowing what I'm committing to

Was just going to post the same thing!
Has it not occurred to people that if you have allergies or are a fussy eater or like to know exactly what you're getting at any point or have a strict budget that you might not be the target audience?

If a person can afford to eat out in a col crisis is i would suggest the crisis doesn't apply to them.
Eating out is a luxury not a given.

I would say expect for every person enticed by the mystery offering there will be 10 put off by it. Unless they run a more usual menu alongside this offering that is dish described and priced I would expect the mystery gimmick to be shortlived.

I’m perfectly calm, thank you. It’s you who keeps beating the same drum about “bizarre reluctance to share information”. You’re trying to say I haven’t read or understood your posts, yet still completely contradict yourself as you’re saying it.

In your post above, you say “The mystery menu is NOT the issue” - then in the very next paragraph, you say “Trying to be all mysterious.... THAT is what I find it odd.” Can you not see that these two statements are incompatible?

Just accept that this restaurant and its format is not for you. Go to one of the countless other restaurants that have menus everyone can view in advance and with upfront pricing. These are not difficult things to find. Strike this restaurant off your list and MOVE ON!

@HotChocolateNotCocoa you ok hon?

Oh dear…

A 'normal' place sure weird but as it's a thing I do get it

Sometimes I want to go to a place ans just say feed me please and food turns up

But a price should be clear

Yabu to expect them to abandon their USP of "mystery" because you don't like mysteries. Their choice is to target their offering to people who are intrigued and excited by mysteries. If that's not your preference there are plenty of othet pubs to go to. They are not obliged to cater to your preferences and you are not obliged to give them your custom. If they can sustain their business attracting enough customers then they aren't doing anything wrong. Not everything is for you.

The menu being curious is one thing, the price clearly isn’t. Nothing baffling about it.

Just go somewhere else.

People do care when it's a local village pub. It's not ok for people to buy it and shit it up, so people do tend to be vocal about it.

Generally I hate businesses which have to explain their concept to me, basically explaining how I should correctly be a customer, and if they make a mistake it's because I was customering incorrectly.

Fortunately they don't tend to last long.

I don't mind the mystery menu element. But there's no way I would go without having some idea of the cost.

People do care when it's a local village pub. It's not ok for people to buy it and shit it up, so people do tend to be vocal about it.

The problem with this argument is that it positions a village pub as a community service rather than a business. And while a thriving pub can indeed be OF service to a community, it still needs to be run on the principles of a business.

Was there a queue of other buyers who all wanted to keep it as a traditional pub? Or, in an age where pubs are closing and hospitality in general is struggling, was this a good offer made at the right time? This isn’t a straight choice between “mystery menu restaurant or classic pub” - there’s a third, less palatable alternative, which is the building sitting empty (which can often lead to the fourth option: redevelopment).

I see the same a lot on local Facebook groups when a new business springs up and people decide it’s not what they want. “Not ANOTHER fried chicken place/burger bar/vape and phone repair shop! Why can’t we have something different for a change, somewhere decent?” Of course, they have no idea what they want this decent, different thing to be, or who’s going to put the money up for it. But they carry on reminiscing about how we used to have such lovely shops, the town centre was thriving…