Sick of eatting out and it’s not that good!

[Greekdream]

Second time this week eatting out one was a birthday celebration and today for father day
both times spending over 100 quid and the food worse then you make at home

just don’t wanna go it anymore unless it’s somewhere really good
tricky when it’s special occasions tho

Totally agree. Have really cut down on eating out because so, so often, it’s better at home, irrespective of cost. We have a few favourites places that are consistently top notch but most are £££££ so we save them for a real treat.

I’m with you. Really try to find out of the way places that are authentic these days. Found our new favourite a Latin American street food hall in New Cross - simply stunning but certainly a million miles from fine dining - however it feels like being on holiday! I won’t eat out in the town I live in as it’s all boring and just not worth the expense save for one Turkish that’s incredible. So I save all my dining out for when I travel then really go to town on it! But for me £££££ doesn’t equal amazing food.

I only eat out for Social occasions, and am always disappointed in the quality of the food. We tend to go to pubs, or a local cafe. These are not establishments of my choosing, as such, but I am not the one choosing the venue. I eat something beforehand, if possible, so I am not spending a lot of money on food of so, so quality. Other than those occasions, I do not eat out, just for the sake of it, or order takeaways.

YADNBU! I said this to DH after we got back from a holiday in Menorca, where every restaurant we ate at had, at worst, just good food. I’d rather save for a holiday where I enjoy eating delicious, freshly prepared food every evening, than eat out in the UK once a month and receive mass produced microwaved crap.

Also agree with this. We go to one tiny Japanese restaurant which is super cheap and nothing to look at but the food is beyond fantastic. £££ doesn’t always equal good food unfortunately.

We’ve really cut down on eating out in the past 2/3 years - quality has massively gone down whilst prices have surged. No matter where you go the menu seems to be practically the same overpriced rubbish. We used to go out for a nice restaurant meal once or twice a week, now we go out about twice a month and it’s always to the same two places where we know that the food is actually going to a) not disappoint and b) be worth the money. It’s depressing as we used to love trying new places all the time and supporting local businesses.

Depressing isn't it. I can make better tasting food at home, and I am no domestic goddess.

Even a decent pizza costs £25 a head, plus drink and dessert.

I completely agree. So fed up with finishing a meal out and wishing we hadn’t bothered!
So expensive and just not worth it, we have about 2 places now we go too.

I agree. I eat out for the pleasure of the company, or maybe the venue; the food is definitely secondary.

The absolute biggest decline in quality I've noticed is in Sunday roasts - either served or carveries.

Going back 20 years, pre-dc, dh and I would go out for a meal most Sundays. Could have been a standard local pub, slightly posher pub or a nicer restaurant in the City. But there were SO MANY good Sunday lunches around - proper thick gravy, delicious perfectly cooked veg, crisp roasties, decent portions.

The last few years it's really gone to shit. Watery, tasteless gravy. Overcooked veg - or, at one pretty pricey pub a couple of months ago, they had frozen carrots and broccoli! (I can tell a frozen carrot a bloody mile off). And the good ones have stingy portions.

You can do a lovely roast for a fraction of the cost at home, it's just absolutely not worth it nowadays imo.

It’s also a dying trade, my OH is a Head Chef and also trainer and assessor and many learn the trade ‘on the job’ he is in despair at the quality of the candidates who lack passion and drive, he has been doing it over 30 years, to the point he is now losing interest and looking to retire soon.

Part of it is the salary can be quite low versus the overheads for establishments means staff are always thin on the ground.

He is working 15 hours today due to Father’s Day bookings, he work in fine dining however they are so short staffed he has to also prep to keep o top of it. It’s going to kill him if he is not careful.

Also the pay overseas is often higher than the UK. My OH earns good money but that’s because he is in demand and can negotiate his salary but he earned six figures overseas before coming back here.

I think some of these supposedly higher end but mainstream restaurants are style over substance too.

I’m not impressed by flashy decor, dry ice theatre or any other fripperies. Reasonable choice, well cooked and fairly priced tasty food is what I’m after.

Completely agree.
The Ivy is one that is in this category, in my opinion. People seem to love it, but I find it very expensive for what it is.

Ditto - Miller & Carter

We've just been away for a week and found eating out to be a bit dire. One pub in a local village had to be booked two days in advance to even get in and then we were told when we got there that half the menu couldn't be ordered and the rest was sold out. We ended up with very little choice and ended up paying over £70 for three poor meals. Husband's meal was tiny, me and ds had burgers which were nothin special and not even a bit of salad on the side. At lunchtimes we were paying £11/£12 basically for a cheese toastie. Think we will stick to self catering next time.

I too am fed up with not just higher prices in restaurants but the fact that the menus are always so boringly similar unless you go very high end. We hardly ever eat out anymore unless we’re abroad.

@Meadowfinch

dessert not needed after pizza to be fair

We only eat out when we're away on holiday/weekend break now

Nearby village pub charging £27 for a fish dish! I enjoy cooking and can make it myself for a fraction of that. Used to enjoy eating out but if you have starter, main and a bottle of wine, it's just crazy

Even that is so variable! I’m not a fan of the Ivy chain and Ivy Asia in Manchester I found really poor. But I love the food in Ivy Asia in Mayfair. It’s a chain but has a totally different menu 🤷‍♀️ The Prawn Har Gow is immense.

It's why I usually end up eating at the same chains every time. At least I know what I'm getting

Not everything that makes life enjoyable is a necessity!

So true! Especially Miller and Carter....fine dining for chavs

All hail the arrival of a teeny-tiny!

I rarely eat out especially at places with vast menus as I presume food is frozen/pre-cooked and never order takeaway. I’m in London so no shortage of places but I’m not impressed by most of it or the prices.

100% agree. Eating out is not worth it. The food is usually average and flavourless, even at fine dining places. I don't look forward to eating out anymore.

@StonwEd i'll have to try the foodhall as I work near there. Don't gate keep the Turkish place!!

edit hate keep to gate keep 😂