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

[GrealishGoddess]

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?

Look out for deals on Deliveroo etc and get takeaway. We got two Zizis pizzas on a 2 for 1 deal the other day plus fries for bout 20 quid.

We went to PE a few months ago.

5 Pizzas
5 Drinks (1 alcoholic)
£137.00

Wouldn’t have minded too much (although extortion) but we were in and out in under an hour and the pizzas weren’t actually that great. Piss take.

Toby Carvery with a voucher is good, I paid £40 this weekend for 2 courses for 2 adults and 1 child including refillable soft drinks.

Dh and I had a carvery today. They served the meat but it was help yourself to veg and potatoes etc. Most people are sensible but you do occasionally see some plates piled high with veg. Dh saw a young person today with 4 Yorkshire puddings on top of their plate. We had sparkling water with our meal and our bill was £46. Pot of tea and pot of coffee was free along with complementary shortbread. You do pay for Americanos lattes etc.

We go for takeaways as it works out cheaper - £30 a head to eat in pizza hut vs £8-10 to take the same pizza home.

I went to a Zizzi last week with my family (me, dds 21 & 18, ds 13) with a relative. We meet up once a year, usually go to this same Zizzi.

last year it cost about £110 (I remember because I thought it was expensive, then remembered there were 5 of us eating - one sharing starter, 5 mains and 3 (maybe 4) desserts, plus drinks all round, and thought ok, not so bad).

This year - no starter, 5 mains, 2 desserts, plus a drink each. £135. I was astonished. That’s a pretty steep raise, for less food, in just a year

Going out to eat is very expensive. I rarely eat out these days, but I like to cook and bake. Try making your own pizzas at home maybe ? Your not wrong though

The cost of very mediocre food in restaurants is high nowadays. I rarely bother as I don't think it is good value for money. You could buy 4 pizzas and have a. nice bottle of wine for a tiny fraction on the cost.

That’s for two pizzas and three sides. Not a particularly generous amount of food.

One side dish for four? And half a pizza? I would have go home and snack 😂

I never eat pizza out tbh, if I'm going to eat out I want something that I can't easily cook at home. £100 on bread with a topping and drinks is ridiculous. I'd just get a decent pizza from the supermarket.

i think it's the norm and not value for money. These days, we almost never go out for that reason and cook at home now instead. we buy'treat' stuff like a file steak and a nice bottle of red to have something special instead.

I completely agree - mine were young teens several years ago and we could eat at similar chains for £60, and we’d have had drinks (soft and alcoholic), a main each, maybe a couple of puds, and probably shared a couple of starters AND a garlic bread. What I mean is, we didn’t need to cut back, it was a big, full on meal for £60 max. Yes, still a lot, but for us it was affordable and didn’t seem unreasonable, whereas £100 would

I think the easy availability of Just Eat/Deliveroo/Uber Eats have also contributed to the price hike and actual dine in places have so much more competition.

We only go to Pizza Express with tesco club card vouchers, otherwise it's wetherspoons (their pizzas are surprisingly good!). Or a takeaway which usually does lunch the next day too (not because we eat like the proverbial mumsnet sparrow, but because our favourite place is v generous).

Remember the days when Tesco vouchers were 4:1? We lived like kings!

Yeah we barely eat out anymore. It’s just not worth it. Once or twice a year and then on holiday (which is every 2-3 years).

Well not anymore. It’s healthy for families to get out and be able to have a meal in a different environment. Once a month I’d think is good. Also helps the local economy.

Doesn’t affect me as I’m single and no dependants but I do empathise that a basic chain restaurant meal is like a luxury these days as opposed to a budget manageable treat for those with families.

I went out for fish and chips recently with my 2 children. 3 children’s portions of battered cod and chips (I always have a child’s portion), 3 fresh orange juices and 3 lots of tartar and curry sauce - it cost me £57 😱

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@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

absolutely not. Glass of wine with a meal is a nice thing. Maybe cut down on the pizza instead - one pizza per person is too much imo.

Ditto! I use either my blue light discount or Tesco clubcard vouchers. If I don't have a voucher, we don't go.

We’ve stopped eating out unless there is a really good reason to. Casual dinners/lunches are no longer an option. I also take packed lunch to work as the cost is prohibitive!
We ate at Wagamama recently and were surprised with the bill being £80 instead of the expected £100+ for the 4 of us. Then we realised that the kids hadn’t ordered desserts.

London isn’t affordable anymore!

We went to pizza express with the kids once, cost a fortune even extra on top of the Tesco vouchers I had. It was ok, not worth how much they wanted.
my boys love to eat so we eat out a bit tbh adult portion for boys so yep it’s expensive ! Prefer to go somewhere nice not a chain place as it’s always pretty meh Toby mind you the boys love 🥰

It’s been getting worse for years. We practically never eat out. We go to the pub instead and get a couple of drinks and some chips and then eat at home.

take outs are as bad. When I grew up a Chinese takeout was £30 max. Now we don’t get change for £80. Crazy.

I feed 425 people with a small roast chicken at home. Can’t believe some people would go out to eat and eat a main course! So greedy!!!!!!!1111!!!!11