Eating out as a vegetarian. Aaaaggggghhhhhh!

[Neolara]

Once again I've come back from a meal out and my food has been terrible while everyone else has had great food. Every. Bloody. Time.

This time, we were at a nice pub. There actually weren't any vegetarian options. The only option was vegan. Could I swop the coconut feta for normal feta? No, unfortunately you can't which (according to the waitress) is a shame because they get asked that a lot...

When it arrives, my dish is a plate of lettuce with about 10 small diced pieces of aubergine (maybe a third of an aubergine?) and a scattering of coconut feta. It tastes ok, but it's really just a starter, bulked out with a lot of lettuce. The lettuce is covered in a very dressing that is so sweet, I didn't even manage to eat all the lettuce. It costs £15. Everyone else (meat eaters), talks about how full the are and how good the food is. I've come home after spending £50 on two drinks, a starter and a rubbish main meal, and made myself a piece of toast because I'm still hungry.

If it was a one off, I wouldn't mind that much. But it's every time. The rise of veganism has been an absolute disaster for vegetarian.food in restaurants. Eating out is very rarely a pleasure any more.
.

Exactly!

Incidentally @BarbaraofSeville

https://www.lotusplantbased.com/menu-1
quite nice

And

https://thelittlelondonvegan.com/xian-biang-biang-noodles-spitalfields/

not a vegan restaurant but I never order meat here. Their vegetarian special sauce is soooo good

@Noodge Have messaged you.

But the point still stands, there are foods not thought of as 'vegetarian/vegan' that are part of an omnivore's diet.

Like someone up thread said, there is a perception that vegetarian food is A, B or C at the moment it is butternut squash, it used to be goat cheese tart.

IMHO there should be a selection of both vegan and vegi, or something on the menu saying, "please ask the chef if you want vegan / vegi food".

As well as vegetarians and people who just want to eat a vegi dish people with religeous / cultural reasons for wanting vegi food eg there are some Jewish people who will eat kosher at home but vegi when eating out.

Me and my family went here yesterday.

https://www.wetherbywhaler.co.uk/our-restaurants/pudsey/menu/

I realise this is a fish and chip restaurant and catering for folk who don't eat fish isn't their niche however what I do protest is the amount of money they're charging for these options and the vegan option (which is what I had) is more expensive than the normal haddock fillet!😮

Maybe personal taste, I appreciate that but my meal tasted of absolutely nothing. Just a really bland, plain tomato sauce with some bits of soggy aubergine floating about in it. I could not detect any mozzarella at all.

The new potatoes at least, were nice.

The meal I had should have been cheaper than it was-ingredients-wise it probably cost about £2.

I do not like the look of any of the vegetarian options here either. What does everyone else think? They all look bland and unimaginative to me. Surely they could do a bit better?

Not in this case obviously because we have a relative over who LOVES fish and chips and can't get them where they live (abroad) but mostly my family will pick somewhere with nice options for me as the only non-omnivore. Last week we all went on a trip to a quaint touristy town.

We looked at many restaurants, and there were 8 of us. We pick according to where's nice for me, so restaurants who don't cater well for those who don't eat meat must be missing out on not only vegans/vegetarians but also those who are with them.

Tbf, Yorkshire fish and chip restaurants tend to specialise in fish and chips only ie limited menu.

Probably 95%+ of what they sell will be some variation on fish and chips so they won't be missing out by not catering for vegetarians, after all, the chips are cooked in beef dripping so not their target market.

It's too late now but you'd be better going somewhere more suitable for you, then your relative can get a fish and chip takeaway, exactly the same food, and not at restaurant prices either.

My vegetarian friend paid £17 for a poshed up onion when we last ate out....crazy price!!

I've eaten here before and it's exactly the sort of place I was talking about. I wouldn't call it a 'proper restaurant', it sells the same thing as a chippy just in a building with staff and crockery.
The food wasn't that great either in this case they don't even have proper tartar sauce. Overpriced and terrible. If they can't even do their 'mainstay' properly what hope would you have with vegetarian options?

I don't think vegans/vegetarians would choose such a place though...

I've been lucky enough to eat out quite a lot in the past week. All very good!

Cafe - homity pie with salad

Curry house - butter masala paneer with garlic naan and onion bhaji

Posh place - beetroot tart with ricotta / gnocchi with truffle / hen of the woods mushrooms with black garlic on sourdough crumpet / hispi cabbage with blue cheese

All of them delicious and all felt very good value for their price point. And all delightfully vegetarian, rather than forced vegan.

Makes a change!

In that fish and chip place I'd probably have had haloumi fries and a side of chips. Then again, I'd never order anything involving tomatoes and aubergine - the devil's combination.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie if you are midlands based then I think I know the 'posh place' - it's fabulous. If I'm right you should check out Land, although it's plant based it is fantastic on any level not just "good for a vegan place" and I say that as a meat eater.

Though I question you judgment based on your aubergine and tomato comment - no moussaka, no pasta alla norma, no aubergine parmigiana?!?!

@SummaLuvin You're right! It's so good - my gripe with them is that they don't change the menu often enough. The current menu was excellent though - stunning dessert (banana, chocolate and lime tart/ice cream).

And Land is exceptional - we go there for pretty much every new menu!

And no, no, no to tomato and aubergine!

Totally agree. Lifelong vegetarian here as parents are, veggie food improved for decades then in recent years the vegan (+/- low carb) trend has turned everything into fake vegan meat substitutes and coconut based alternatives. Very disappointing.

Fish and chip places in the North use beef dripping so a vegetarian can't even have chips.

Quite why anyone would want their chips to taste of beef dripping I really don't know, I ate some chips a while ago before I realised that beef dripping is used and could not understand why they tasted so vile

Tbf, that's fairly rare these days. I can't stand beef dripping, even when I am eating meat. Although it's probably healthier than big vats of hydrogenated oil.

I'm not veggie but mostly used to choose vegi option when eating out. I'm so annoyed as well at the options all being vegan now I’m more likely to choose a meat option than order vegan

a friend (not vegan) had a vegan burger but asked for a proper cheese slice on top. She was told no as it was a vegan burger. I asked ok could I order a cheese slice as a side. I was told no ‘because they knew what I was going to do with the slice'

No, in Yorkshire, pretty much every fish and chip shop uses beef dripping, trust me.

The Wetherby Whaler definitely does. If they don't, they will say, but that's a rarity and they'd probably not last long.

We spent time in Scarborough, Whitby and a few other seaside places and actually went in and asked in just about all the fish and chip shops. Every single one said they use dripping

We’re in South Yorkshire it’s really rare for places to cook in dripping round here. I tend to ask before ordering but on the rare occasion that I haven’t and ended up eating chips cooked in dripping it was awful. They taste dirty and leave a film in your mouth. Apparently that’s why they serve tea with fish and chips historically, the heat clears the palette more than a cold drink.

Scarborough is the worst, the whole sea front smelled like a combination of weed and beef dripping last time we went.

@CrystalCascade yes, It's definitely not a 'proper' restaurant but It's a restaurant I guess by the definition. In fairness the service was good and It's reasonable inside. I just resent that price for what it was! I've had some really lovely meals for a similar price and I'd rather pay a tenner at Wetherspoons in all fairness, at least you're getting what you pay for! And yes, I didn't choose it but I don't see family member very often and wanted to be part of their meal that evening. I ate again later as I was hungry again-a few potatoes and tomato sauce/veg isn't going to satiate many people for long.

I'm not sure, being someone who doesn't frequent chipperies, whether It's the consensus where I live to use beef dripping but I know they do at the Wetherby Whaler (hence my meal coming with new potatoes). Seems from what others have said that It's a West Yorkshire 'thing' though.

I'm not veggie but I do sympathise. My favourite restaurant is a steak place and offers one veggie/vegan option...it's some grilled watermelon doused in vinegar and a side of peas and a lettuce wedge. Probably the most miserable meal I've ever seen. It costs £25 quid! Literally the same as steak, chips and salad.

Wetherspoon's is fine. You're hungry, you pay a fair price for a filling meal that isn't fancy. Job done.
Fancy restaurant or pub and you get something disappointing that costs a lot.

@Whichwhatnow that sounds revolting! Would you name and shame?

@KirstenBlest I agree-and they've been great since long before the vegan movement took off or so many more people decided to cut down on meat.

Well, Wetherspoons is fine if you a) want to be surrounded by people who’ve been drinking since 10.30 in the morning and b) don’t mind your money going to that Brexit pillock who owns it. Personally, I’d rather have a Greggs vegan sausage roll.

I've never had that experience regarding drunks, in a 'spoons to be honest. I don't know if It's just particular ones? Mostly families and 'normal' people having a drink/food when I've been.

Tim Martin owns about 30%? I think. Plus do we know the politics of every owner of each establishment we drink/eat in? He's vocal, I think that's what's made him stand out with Brexit.