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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

£100 for a casual lunch out for 4 is too much

412 replies

GrealishGoddess · 31/08/2025 19:55

Deeply middle class problem but. Anyone else noticed that you can no longer get out of the likes of Bill’s, Wagamama, Pizza Express, etc , with two teens, for less than £100. Is this just inflation, NI effects, price gouging, what? AIBU to stay home?

OP posts:
TheNightingalesStarling · 31/08/2025 20:12

£15-£20 for a main.
£5 for a drink
Thats £20- £25 already.

Staff need paying, premises need paying for, and food.

RoseGlass7 · 31/08/2025 20:12

I use Tesco Clubcard vouchers in Pizza Express and don't pay a tip - it is expensive enough and many jobs are on minimum wage. It's that or I don't eat out at all.

MyDogHumpsThings · 31/08/2025 20:14

OonaStubbs · 31/08/2025 20:09

Eating out should be a luxury, people didn't used to expect to eat at restaurants all the time, it used to be a once or twice a year treat.

Should? Just because it was once thus, doesn’t mean it always has to be. You make it sound like eating out is a moral failing!

I accept that it’s a luxury, not a right, and that we need to spend according to our means.

Original poster
GrealishGoddess · 31/08/2025 20:14

Obviously you can make it cheaper - no wine, just tap ; sharing pizza, deals etc, but… that’s being “careful” in a mediocre place that we used to enjoy quite casually. That’s what’s different.

OP posts:
StMarie4me · 31/08/2025 20:14

Take my 3 granddaughters to Wetherspoons or Farmhouse Inns these days. Circa £50. Spoons gets a free drink too. And with ND teens/ DD it means they know they’ll like it!

DiscoBob · 31/08/2025 20:15

One course and one drink in a mid range restaurant might cost £25 inc tip. It is steep, but you just have to either go somewhere cheaper or go less frequently or eat less.

I always take eating out as a big treat and try not to think about the price as if the food and company are great then it is too much fun to feel bad about.

I wish I could afford it more often though, definitely.

Passthecake30 · 31/08/2025 20:15

We’ve reduced eating out and have nicer food at home at the weekends instead. We went to F&B last year, spent £120 and it was absolutely inedible.
We do use Tescos club card vouchers in prezzo or pizza express, we tend to save these for dd’s bday treat with her friends.

PiggyPokkyFool · 31/08/2025 20:15

Prezzo do a great lunch menu with 2(very generous and yes I love a decent portion and eat lots) for £12.50pp
3 people, a glass of wine, a coke and an apple juice was less than £50 inc. service last week and was really yummy too.

Trickabrick · 31/08/2025 20:16

MessageMystery · 31/08/2025 20:06

4 people don’t need 4 pizzas. I’d get two and a side dish for four.

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣 good one, you’ve not met the average teen lately?!

Digdongdoo · 31/08/2025 20:18

Yeah it's expensive, which is why we don't do it. But wages and rents aren't cheap, I can see why it costs so much.

Someone2025 · 31/08/2025 20:18

GrealishGoddess · 31/08/2025 20:02

4 standard pizzas, shared one dough balls, two glasses house wine, tap water, obligatory service. Not going crazy.with ordering but not sharing etc to scrimp - that’s 100 easy

Unfortunately £100 would be about right for that, the wine probably pushed it up a good bit, alcohol ( amongst other things) is after becoming very expensive, did the teenagers just have tap water?

DancefloorAcrobatics · 31/08/2025 20:19

We did Pizza Hut buffet in the week for £9.99 each & tap water. Seemed good value if it wasn't for the fact that they kept running out of food! So spent more time waiting than actually eating... really frustrating.

But then I wouldn't pay £17.99 for a cheese & peperoni pizza off their normal menu.

GlitteryUnicornSparkles · 31/08/2025 20:20

Maybe slightly on the high end given drinks were tap water, however with drinks included I think thats probably around average for eating out these days. It’s £25 per person. A single medium takeaway pizza at somewhere like dominos is around £18 and a single drink can easily be £6.

I was gobsmacked when it cost me £26 for two shit (not very edible) toasties and two small coffees at Starbucks the other day (first and last time I’ll go there!).

MasterBeth · 31/08/2025 20:20

OonaStubbs · 31/08/2025 20:09

Eating out should be a luxury, people didn't used to expect to eat at restaurants all the time, it used to be a once or twice a year treat.

Why should it be a luxury?

Chompingatthebeat · 31/08/2025 20:21

OonaStubbs · 31/08/2025 20:09

Eating out should be a luxury, people didn't used to expect to eat at restaurants all the time, it used to be a once or twice a year treat.

It depends what you call a luxury

Mildmanneredmum · 31/08/2025 20:23

Fraudornot · 31/08/2025 20:08

And agree Wetherspoons is pretty much as good but could feed 2 adults and 2 teens with drinks for around £45

Agreed! Love Wetherspoons for cheap and cheerful, and tbh, good value food

DancefloorAcrobatics · 31/08/2025 20:25

OonaStubbs · 31/08/2025 20:09

Eating out should be a luxury, people didn't used to expect to eat at restaurants all the time, it used to be a once or twice a year treat.

... and what about the people working in the restaurant. That's another lot joining the queue at the jobcentre and being bashed on MN because they receive benefits...

Wherewillitend25 · 31/08/2025 20:25

This is where most of us are I think, due to the COL increases? Reduced disposable income so far less likely to spend it on a “mediocre” experience.
We do still eat out but we save it for really good restaurants.

Sunholidays · 31/08/2025 20:28

HauntedHero · 31/08/2025 20:09

I didn't realise anyone ate in Pizza Express without a voucher or using some sort of deal.

Really? I love Pizza Express pizzas -never used a voucher in my life!

There must be more people like me out there.

doubleshotcappuccino · 31/08/2025 20:29

Are you in a place with Leon’s ? They have a good subscription and I save my rewards so that I can use that for a family lunch -

MyElatedUmberFinch · 31/08/2025 20:29

GrealishGoddess · 31/08/2025 20:14

Obviously you can make it cheaper - no wine, just tap ; sharing pizza, deals etc, but… that’s being “careful” in a mediocre place that we used to enjoy quite casually. That’s what’s different.

Unless it’s a Saturday it’s pretty easy to find vouchers to use for such restaurants.

Cherrysoup · 31/08/2025 20:30

Possibly the booze? I think I paid a tenner for a medium glass of house red the other day. I’d rather buy 2 bottles of bog standard and stay at home!

GlasgowGal2014 · 31/08/2025 20:30

MessageMystery · 31/08/2025 20:06

4 people don’t need 4 pizzas. I’d get two and a side dish for four.

Show quote history

Seriously? My eleven year eats a pizza to himself when we go out for dinner and has done for years. And no, he's not obese - he's healthy, active and as thin as a rake.

iirbRosb · 31/08/2025 20:30

We don’t really eat out now for this reason

SumUp · 31/08/2025 20:31

OonaStubbs · 31/08/2025 20:09

Eating out should be a luxury, people didn't used to expect to eat at restaurants all the time, it used to be a once or twice a year treat.

Yes, in eating out, you’re effectively paying for servants to host you, source, cook and serve a meal to you.

But that said, it’s right that we should question rather than accepting an erosion of our collective living standards.

I wish there were more workers canteens, like I experienced in Germany in the 80s. Anyone could use them, there was not much choice and it was mass catering, but it was good quality and very affordable.

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