Eating out is always an expensive let down.

[istheheatingonyet]

I'm just not doing it any more. Granted I am "older" but the last offering was bread, mashed acocado, feta and some sort of sauce. Is it a meal, is it brunch nobody knows?
Cheap ingredients, silly price.
What a waste of money.

I always find breakfast places disappointing for the money. There’s one in our town where you build your own brunch and every item is between £3 and £4. So 2 slices of toasted sourdough with fried eggs and 2 bacon rashers is about £11. Sure, it tastes nice but I can’t justify the cost.

These days I only eat out in restaurants where I know what I’m getting (tried and tested or chains) and only order food I wouldn’t cook myself. I used to enjoy finding new places to eat, but with the cost of eating out I can’t risk ending up disappointed.

Depends where you go. We avoid chain places and luckily have lots of independent imaginative eateries. We eat out 3 or 4 times a month and are spoilt for choice.
We go away every 6 weeks for a couple of nights and I research where to eat/ drink in advance.

I don’t think there’s a Hare and Tortoise in my neck of the woods (haven't heard of it) but I’ll certainly check. Three consecutive visits to Wagamama’s I’ve had to complain after years of being fairly happy with it. Maybe they are cutting too many corners now.

Looks like H&T are all in London, I’m miles away.

When I eat out and think of the price, I don't just factor in the cost of the ingredients. You're not just paying for the food. You're paying for:
Not having to prepare and cook it yourself
Not having to clean everything up after yourself
Not having to wipe down the table after yourself
The experience of having someone ask what you want and bring it to you
The restaurant chain's profits

I tend to order things on a menu that I can't make myself or are something I wouldn't usually eat on a regular basis. However, I do sometimes order something I know I'll like even if I can make it myself. I'll be out of the house so I obviously can't make it myself anyway so it's not the same as just being able to make it yourself.

Guess I am lucky where I live because there is a huge choice of places to eat out and most of it is great. That said if I was out with a big group of friends for an evening I would be perfectly happy to eat and have a few drinks in the local spoons because its about the company and the fun not necessarily the food.

Exactly. Saying you could make it yourself for a fraction of the price is nonsense. Have you added in a charge for your time buying and preparing the food?
The petrol and car wear and tear collecting it (and yes, restaurants probs get theirs delivered, but the delivery company will be passing their fuel and wear and tear costs on)?
The element of your rent/mortgage and council tax allocated to t(e time prepping and eating?
Your heating costs for that time (at a much higher rate as there’s no cap on commercial fuel costs)?
The time of the person dishing up, taking to the table, collecting?
The time washing up and the costs to heat the water and provide detergent etc?

> not worth paying extra for this. Especially if you are on a very restricted budget
When I'm on a very restricted budget, I don't eat out
And otherwise I know where to go to get great quality food and marvellous service, at reasonable prices - and it's never a chain restaurant

I rarely go to chain restaurants and always enjoy eating out (central London and greater London locally). It is expensive so a rare treat.

I love the eggs benedict, fiesta brunch, chicken strips and lasagne etc. I'm happy with what I'm getting and the price. I can go elsewhere (still just a pub) and pay £17 for lasagne and chips and it be utter crap; I don't mind mediocre so much as long as I'm not paying loads for it!

So eating out isn't always an expensive let down then, is it?

I wouldn't say it's always an expensive let down. But it often is.

There was a thread here a while ago about how, even in non chain restaurants, much of the food comes from specialised caterers and is microwaved from frozen when you order. I guess if you think of the logistics of it, this isn't surprising, but it kind of puts me off eating out.

I agree. Went to Hawksmoor for an engagement dinner, my steak that I’d asked for ‘blue’ came well done, the sauce accompanying it had ‘split’ and drinks arrived after the meal had served.

Similar experience at Gouchos too. Also expensive, with indifferent to rude service and food I could have cooked better at home.

Both places had good reviews 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wagamama is the best imo and always worth every penny

Have to disagree with this. I think it’s SO over priced and the food is never above average.
But we are blessed to live in a large city with lots of independent, authentic ramen places. So I guess your opinion would differ if you don’t have access to these.

So I have to disagree with OP. It’s really where you’re eating.

TGI’s, Frankie & Benny’s, Pizza Hut etc I think you’re pretty much guaranteed a shit experience especially because they’re not exactly cheap. We have recently also had a ‘fancy’ instagrammable spot pop up. The prices are extortionate. I mean super expensive and I’m not against paying good money for good food. It’s marketed as really high end and you aren’t allowed to take photos in there. The food wasn’t great either. So it’s just a gimmick. I think these over hyped places can often be disappointing too.

A little bit of research into restaurants and their best dishes and I’m never left disappointed or feeling like I’ve been ripped off though.

Absolute waste of money! I am NOT even the best cook out there and I can cook better more than the places my young adult kids "drag" me too!

It is just as well that we are all different then isn't it? I love a hearty hotpot made with neck of lamb, and served with green veg. I would not be against trying red cabbage though.

I suppose it helps if you don't order food that can be microwaved, also that you can see the kitchen.

If I want a ready meal, I'll buy one from the supermarket for about a third of the cost rather than pay restaurant prices for the 'experience' of having someone warm it up and shove it on a plate for me and saving eating out for foods like good wood fired pizza, stir fried Asian food with long ingredient lists (while the rice I had the other day was almost certainly freshly cooked, the fishcakes were possibly microwaved but they were very good anyway) or Indian street food, again with lots of ingredients and produced from a tiny open kitchen with no visible microwaves or freezers.

These days I prefer to buy myself nice quality ingredients and cook at home. But only self to cater for. For what it costs to eat out with wine I can eat 4 healthy meaks at home. Not same admittedly and nice to go out once in a while fir special occasions

I agree OP. With the cost of living and the strains on our finances I DO still go out to eat but am much more choosy. Last week i went to a friend's choice- and we had a 'mediterranean' brunch which was a very poor version of Shakshuka- tinned chopped tomatos heated up with two poached eggs - no onions, peppers, herbs etc - and it was £22. I resent paying that amount for that.

I contrast for a tenner at our local family-run greasy spoon I can get a full English which contains black pudding, baked beans, grilled tomatos, fried bread and regular toast, 2 sausages, 2 eggs of your choice and homemade hash browns plus unlimited cups of coffee and a chat with the owner about who is taking over the old HSBC building and what they plan to use it for.

I don't mind paying. I just don't like being ripped off.

I'd hardly call going to a cafe for brunch something I'd expect to be a sensational dining experience. It's somewhere you go to hang out with friends and family with no expectations

The last restaurant I went to was sensational with food is never be able to cook myself. It wasn't crazy expensive either

Am with you on this! I love the five bean chilli and I think their pizza is nice too. 😂 Also you get to walk off the calories whilst spending half an hour climbing endless steps to the toilets! 😄 🤣

I have some sympathy op, you are on a budget so eating out is a treat. On this occasion the food disappointed, your reaction is going to be bigger than someone else who has more disposable income.

as eating out is a treat, you are going to need to pick venue’s carefully, because the mid range are a minefield- if you have friends who eat like you ask for recommendations.

i have to say I find avo bland and it makes the toast cold… give me a good club sandwich anytime

Ooh yes I forgot about the pizza and chilli!
I can only assume they don't trust men to hold on to their bladders, because the ladies is always at the top of Mount Everest 🤣

I certainly have cut down on eating out. I admit that there is not too many options in my town but I have noticed that the prices have increased (understandably) but also note a significant decline in quality. Things like a prawn dish that is normally made with fresh prawns and are now frozen. Sauces bought in and not made inhouse like before. I do think that there is a shortage of chefs in my area does not help.

I always enjoy an authentic Thai, since (except for the odd green curry) I’d never bother to make such things myself. So that’s always worth it.

Anything I can probably make better at home won’t be worth it - but then we’ll almost always be going for the company of friends/family, not just for the sake of not having to cook.