to be put off going out to restaurants because of the smell?

[toonoisie]

I don’t know if this is just me being fussy, but I’m starting to feel really put off eating out. It’s not the food or the cost, it’s the smell that clings to everything.

Every time I go somewhere, especially places doing grilled or fried food, I come home and my clothes absolutely stink. My coat smells, my hair smells, even my bag sometimes. It’s that heavy, greasy food smell that just doesn’t shift unless everything goes straight in the wash. I don’t want to be washing coats and outfits after every meal out.

It’s got to the point where I think twice before going because I know I’ll come back feeling like I need a full shower and laundry reset. Bit of a mood killer when you’re meant to be enjoying yourself.

I get that it comes with the territory, it’s a restaurant not a perfume shop but surely better ventilation is a thing?

AIBU to be put off by this or is everyone else just accepting that this is part of eating out?

I think you must have the nose of a bloodhound because I have never noticed anything like this, even with Indian restaurants. Food smells nice and is not something I noticed after I leave the restaurant.

Surely your things must smell at home too if you're so effected by food smells?

This! I was nuts about people’s laundry detergents when I was pregnant and a particular brand made me ill!

I eat out at all sorts of places and have never had this. My favourite curry place smells strongly of all sorts, the curries, garlic, seekh kebabs and I have never once come home stinking! I think this is a you problem, probably only temporary. But I'd swerve going out for the time being.

If OP is anything like me then yes. I cook with the window open, extractor fan on and do the sniff test on coats, blankets etc
I can still smell my cooking from 12hrs ago and it was only meatball pasta

No idea where you are eating but I have never had this

other people’s lives must be so difficult! . How do you LIVE like this?

I can fully relate.

Even just going for a Nando’s, or carvery or pub meal I find food smells cling to absolutely everything. Christmas dinner bat a relatives house too, over powering smell of roast potatoes/goose fat on EVERYTHING.

Ive definitely got home many times and had to put my coat a bag an every item of clothing in the wash.

I am the same. Even at friends or families. I have no idea why, but smells clinging to me, especially food smells, makes me so angry and irrititated. I wish i wasnt like this but i cant help it

Same for me. I was in Cafe Nero the other day and all my clothes, hair and bag smelled of coffee and toasties. Needed shower and change of clothes afterwards,

When cooking at home, I shut all the doors and windows in the rest of the house.

I open the kitchen door which leads to the garden, put the extractor fan on high. Once the food is cooked, I will leave it outside to cool down. Then I have candles to light that gets rid of the smell.

Someone who worked in a chip shop came to visit years ago, and I could smell the chip fat on him. After he left I could still smell the chip fat on the chair he'd been sitting on.

I would rather know I stink of food than going round smelling of it. At least I know, my clothes and hair are clean.

This!

The smell gets into everything!

Clearly it is not just a me problem because many others have said the same.

You most likely do come home stinking - you just don't notice it.

I have a very sensitive sense of smell and I don’t notice this. Although I don’t eat out that often to be fair.

I have special clothes I change into when I do a cooking session. Usually I batch cook in the morning, I will change into the 'cooking outfit' and then when I have finished, I will go for a shower after.

The smell of cooking on clothes is something I really don't like. I don't want the smell transferring to the sofa if I wore them afterwards.

Cooking smells are definitely noticeable on other people, especially from fried food. It can be really strong!

I have had this experience from time to time so I know what you're talking about. It tends to happen in smaller, older venues. You're choosing places with poor ventilation/extraction systems in their kitchen. There are a couple of places I avoid for this reason.

It is newer places too. It has happened in a new coffee shop - other posters have mentioned this also.

Are you ME?! 😵‍💫
Couldve written this word for word 😆

I've been vegetarian for most of my adult life ( and that's quite a few years )
I eat out in restaurant's and cafes that mostly cater to those that eat meat but I don't chose to go to places like McDonald's , Burger King , KFC , or Witherspoons or those restaurants that have the same name and same menu ( usually steaks ) in lots of towns and cities .Do you mean places like that ?
We go to independent cafes & restaurants including Indians , Thai & Mediterranean .
I never not gone in one due to smell ,and adding cooking meat smell to yours , just never noticed it .
Your not pregnant are you ?
Being early pregnant can definitely make you more aware of food smells .

So every single person you ever meet after, say, lunchtime, has smells really strongly of cooking?

Do you have other sensory issues @toonoisie Is your username chosen for a reason?

@toonoisie do you make the rest of the family change and shower after eating?

You put your food outside before you eat it? What if it's raining? Don't you/your family want to eat hot food?
I feel bad for you that you have this issue it must make life a nightmare. Have you seen a dr? I wonder if hypnosis or something could help? It seems like a hyper focusing issue which likely gets worse the more you think about it. Hopefully it's just a phase 💐

Are you pregnant? My sense of smell went hyper both times I was. Had to move queue in the supermarket a couple of times because someone wearing perfume joined a couple of trolleys behind me.