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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to go to a restaurant just for dessert?

62 replies

justwantedchocolatecake · 11/08/2026 23:15

I’m on holiday in Spain with two other adults. This evening we had dinner in an Asian restaurant. We wanted dessert, but they didn’t serve it. So we decided to go to another restaurant following our main course for dessert.
We got a table in another restaurant, but when we asked the waitress for the chocolate cake, she asked “but are you going to order dinner?” We said no, we just wanted dessert and coffees/drinks as we’d already had our dinner. She immediately said “no no no”, looked very disapproving and actually tutted at us! She took away our menus and pointed for us to leave.
We were genuinely gobsmacked at being turfed out for only wanting dessert. I understand that they probably wanted people who would have a bigger bill, but we would have spent €30 on what we wanted. We were tired too so weren’t going to hog the table for hours, it was literally a case of eating the dessert and going back to our hotel. they could have had our €30 on top of whatever the next diners would spend!
We have never come across this before. We’ve all gone for just dessert to restaurants in the UK with no issues, and we’ve even done it once before in Spain on this holiday. I actually lived in a different part of Spain for a year while I was at uni and I’ve never heard of this as a blanket rule. The way the waitress reacted (and not explaining why) made it seem like we had transgressed some widely known rule.
We ended up going to a different restaurant for dessert and it wasn’t a problem. AIBU to be taken aback?

OP posts:
Iriseee · 11/08/2026 23:17

YANBU unless they were extremely busy and turning away other guests who would have paid for dinner as well as dessert.

So I agree with you, but I am the sort of annoying person who just orders various starters and no main.

morningtrain · 11/08/2026 23:19

We do this all the time! Usually on holiday.. we eat early & are too full for dessert, then get a sweet craving around 10pm! Surely some people just order one course? Who’s to say it’s ok if that’s a main rather than a dessert.. their loss.

SusanJJ · 11/08/2026 23:25

Different establishments have different rules. If you turn up at dinner time it's not unreasonable to expect you to order mains.

latetothefisting · 11/08/2026 23:37

morningtrain · 11/08/2026 23:19

We do this all the time! Usually on holiday.. we eat early & are too full for dessert, then get a sweet craving around 10pm! Surely some people just order one course? Who’s to say it’s ok if that’s a main rather than a dessert.. their loss.

Yeah if anything desserts (and drinks) have the biggest mark up price so it could have been a quick earner for them.

Personally if I was going to only order dessert I probably would have asked if that was okay at the point of being seated, as although it's not unreasonable it's slightly out of the ordinary.

I suppose it depends on how busy they were. If there were loads of seats then she was being U - 30 euros is much better than 0 euros! If they were busy I can sort of see why they didn't want you taking up space that could have been taken by a party ordering 3 courses - although you knew you'd only be half an hour and would leave once you'd finished perhaps she was used to spanish people who can drag out coffee and cake and chatting for several hours!

latetothefishing · 11/08/2026 23:38

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OneAmpleSloth · 11/08/2026 23:38

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TidyPearlBee · 11/08/2026 23:39

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OneAmpleSloth · 11/08/2026 23:39

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TidyPearlBee · 11/08/2026 23:39

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Whoops75 · 11/08/2026 23:40

You should have made it clear before taking a table.

latetothefishing · 11/08/2026 23:40

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latetothefishing · 11/08/2026 23:42

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HereIfYouNeedMe · 11/08/2026 23:47

Get a life @latetothefishing@latetothefisting@TidyPearlBee@OneAmpleSloth

TidyPearlBee · 11/08/2026 23:49

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cymruyespls · 11/08/2026 23:54

WTF is happening on here? Am I having a stroke 😂

FluffyFluffy · 11/08/2026 23:54

It’s code?

latetothefisting · 11/08/2026 23:54

HereIfYouNeedMe · 11/08/2026 23:47

Get a life @latetothefishing@latetothefisting@TidyPearlBee@OneAmpleSloth

um...I made a perfectly normal post, I can't help that subsequently there was some sort of either glitch or spam! maybe report it to MN (I've also done this) rather than slating people?

HereIfYouNeedMe · 11/08/2026 23:56

cymruyespls · 11/08/2026 23:54

WTF is happening on here? Am I having a stroke 😂

Thought it was just me 😂 I think it’s bedtime!!

latetothefishing · 11/08/2026 23:59

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Gabitule · 12/08/2026 00:00

I’m so confused! Is everyone seeing what I’m seeing?

TidyPearlBee · 12/08/2026 00:04

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Oftenaddled · 12/08/2026 00:05

Gabitule · 12/08/2026 00:00

I’m so confused! Is everyone seeing what I’m seeing?

It's just a troll spamming the board. Report the posts and they will be hidden, then deleted

KLD89 · 12/08/2026 00:08

Gabitule · 12/08/2026 00:00

I’m so confused! Is everyone seeing what I’m seeing?

Right?!! I saw the sweetcorn one, now the crusty knickers. So gross, what is happening right now 🫣

user1471457354 · 12/08/2026 06:57

I worked in a restaurant (not in spain but the UK) and it was a very busy and popular tourist area so every restaurant was very busy and had queues. We had a table of 6 come in and initially order 6 glasses of tap water (free) then when I went to take their food order they asked for 1 dessert (£6) to share between 6 people. They were told to order a plate each or leave. They left.

However I think its fine to order dessert only as along as its one each and paying for drinks.

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 12/08/2026 07:01

It's ok to do this as long as you check first, you should have made clear you only wanted dessert when you asked for the table.