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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Time allowed in restaurants these days

221 replies

Toots22 · 07/12/2024 21:04

AIBU

Went to a fairly nice cafe / restaurant for lunch today - 4 of us. The booking was for 90 minutes so I knew that up front. Place is busy, it’s a Saturday, I get it. But after paying £45 for my 13 year old and I for lunch, for a main and a drink each and then get pretty much kicked out the door before we’ve even finished our drinks, when we get the bill without asking and the server appears with the card machine immediately (there were empty tables). I know the cost of living etc is through the roof but is it unreasonable to be hacked off these days at the cost of things and the little time you’re allowed in a place for that price to just to enjoy your food and have a little bit of chat over lunch?

OP posts:
GRex · 07/12/2024 21:07

If queues are long and you don't mind, then it's good to hurry. Empty tables and being rushed is not on. I wouldn't leave a tip and wouldn't go again. Complaining might help you put it behind you, but not sure it will achieve anything.

Bjorkdidit · 07/12/2024 21:08

90 minutes is plenty for lunch and tbh, I'd be happier with prompt payment taking compared with usual service where they constantly interrupt your meal and conversation to try and upsell things but then disappear when you want to pay.

Ablondiebutagoody · 07/12/2024 21:41

Were you over the 90 minutes?

Original poster
Toots22 · 07/12/2024 21:44

Ablondiebutagoody · 07/12/2024 21:41

Were you over the 90 minutes?

No, we were presented with the bill and card machine with about 10 minutes to go…

OP posts:
Lifestooshort71 · 07/12/2024 21:45

How can you take 90 mins to eat one course? You knew before you went in that there was a time element or didn't you think it applied to you?

Ablondiebutagoody · 07/12/2024 21:46

Toots22 · 07/12/2024 21:44

No, we were presented with the bill and card machine with about 10 minutes to go…

Show quote history

Then I agree with you. If there are empty tables it's shitty for them to pressure you to leave.

Edit: Actually, it's shitty even if there aren't empty tables.

LadyKenya · 07/12/2024 21:49

One of the reasons that I do not eat out, is that I refuse to be rushed, when having a meal. I am not paying over the odds to be given a time restraint like that.

Createausername1970 · 07/12/2024 21:51

Toots22 · 07/12/2024 21:44

No, we were presented with the bill and card machine with about 10 minutes to go…

Show quote history

This was OK, I think. I was out for lunch the other day and we had paid, but stayed until we had finished our drinks. I prefer it this way actually, so I don't have find them to pay so that I can go.

Viviennemary · 07/12/2024 22:01

Bjorkdidit · 07/12/2024 21:08

90 minutes is plenty for lunch and tbh, I'd be happier with prompt payment taking compared with usual service where they constantly interrupt your meal and conversation to try and upsell things but then disappear when you want to pay.

I agree 90 minutes is plenty of time for a one course lunch. Still if you're not happy just don't go again.

wombat15 · 07/12/2024 22:08

That would annoy me and I wouldn't go again. If I go out for lunch I am usually meeting a friend and would be there for a couple of hours. Usually have more than one drink and spend quite a bit of money.

It's not new. There have always been places that do this but I avoid them.

SereneCapybara · 07/12/2024 22:10

I've had the opposite recently. You book and it says 90 mins only. The reminder emails says 90 mins only. Then once you are there, they don;t seem to care how long you stay.

changedmynam · 07/12/2024 22:18

We booked similar a few weeks ago.... a table of 8

I KNEW we had only booked for 90mins (fine)
However due to "circumstances in the kitchen" only a small fraction of the menu was available without a 60min + wait. (They couldnt be sure, it might be longer)

I said, well I assume if we order from that 75% of the menu we will have time to eat the food and was told in no uncertain terms, no our table is booked again in 90mins so we might not have time and probably wouldnt even be able to order a pudding as no time to serve it.

I was quite annoyed actually but we all ordered something from the small selection of items that were ready to serve in reasonable time, to avoid an arguement, and because the children in our party would not have been happy to NOT have pudding (we were at an ice cream place with the highlight being the deserts; the same children would have been happy to keep playing in the playground for an hour waiting for their lunch if necessary)

sweetydahling · 07/12/2024 22:23

A cafe I frequent (because friends inexplicably like the place) is notorious for this. 90 minutes then they boot you out. That's after my partner spent almost a tenner on a slice of toast.

Time limits are useless for a nice long catchup with pals when you're having to chug down food and drink then race out the door!

Mumlaplomb · 07/12/2024 22:40

Totally with you. I’ve had this at a restaurant in the evening, we weren’t told there was a 1 hour 15 minute time limit, had to wait for food, brought expensive drinks and wanting pudding but were chucked out before we could order any pudding.

Precipice · 07/12/2024 22:44

Lifestooshort71 · 07/12/2024 21:45

How can you take 90 mins to eat one course? You knew before you went in that there was a time element or didn't you think it applied to you?

It all depends on how quickly your food comes...

Obeseandashamed · 07/12/2024 22:49

We had this not long ago at a local cafe. We were a table of 15 and racked up a bill of well over £300. We were also asked to leave after 90 mins which was surprising given 1) our spend 2) it wasn't overly busy and 3) a large group for brunch definitely takes longer than 90 mins. It irked me and I've not been back since.

Healingsfall · 07/12/2024 22:51

We had this. There were empty tables so the party after us were seated in an identity empty table but the waitress said "you were meant to sit there.. " which made us really unclear. The delay had been we'd ordered the beef roast but they hadn't mentioned it was rare beef, literally completey bloody, pink, rare meat. So my sis sent hers back as who the hell serves rare beef on a Sunday roast without advising so, so she asked for the chicken instead.

BigJabroni · 07/12/2024 22:54

Votes YANBU but then read you were 10 minutes short of the 90 so its moot.

How on earth does 1 course take that long anyway.

BigJabroni · 07/12/2024 22:55

Obeseandashamed · 07/12/2024 22:49

We had this not long ago at a local cafe. We were a table of 15 and racked up a bill of well over £300. We were also asked to leave after 90 mins which was surprising given 1) our spend 2) it wasn't overly busy and 3) a large group for brunch definitely takes longer than 90 mins. It irked me and I've not been back since.

£300 between 15 people is like £20 each. That'll barely buy you a big tasty and a Mcflurry these days.

RampantIvy · 07/12/2024 22:58

LadyKenya · 07/12/2024 21:49

One of the reasons that I do not eat out, is that I refuse to be rushed, when having a meal. I am not paying over the odds to be given a time restraint like that.

Are you a very slow eater or do you eat in places with slow service?

90 minutes is plenty of time to eat one course and have a drink.

InWalksBarberalla · 07/12/2024 22:59

Obeseandashamed · 07/12/2024 22:49

We had this not long ago at a local cafe. We were a table of 15 and racked up a bill of well over £300. We were also asked to leave after 90 mins which was surprising given 1) our spend 2) it wasn't overly busy and 3) a large group for brunch definitely takes longer than 90 mins. It irked me and I've not been back since.

That's a pretty small spend for such a large group and the space you'd be taking up though.

MartinCrieffsLemon · 07/12/2024 23:01

It's the run up to Christmas so places are much busier
You were advised of the time limit
10 minute before you leave is to then give you time to finish up and pack up rather than paying and then taking another 10 minutes
Empty tables might well be reserved for a time slot later which would not allow the table to be used (say, it was reserved for 1:30 so you leaving at 1 would leave it empty)

TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack · 07/12/2024 23:01

We booked at a restaurant for 6pm recently, for 5 of us, we spent £450 and were asked to leave the table at 8pm, despite the fact that they were so slow to take pudding orders that dh had barely finished his. It’s a piss take frankly!

MartinCrieffsLemon · 07/12/2024 23:01

Also, 90 minutes for a main and a drink is plenty.

TunnocksOrDeath · 07/12/2024 23:01

If your slot was, say 12:00 to 13:30 and your table was booked for another customer from 13:30 then it really is irrelevant whether there were other, empty, tables there at 13:20. They could have also been reserved for 13:30 or it could be policy to hold them for walk-ins. I'd say 10 minutes to go is about fair to start making hints, since some customers take flipping ages to pay, and then take turns using the loo before finally gettIng their belongings together and vacating a table.