Nice Restaurant - Do You Have to Order Different Dishes?

[NotQuiteCockney]

A book I'm reading mentioned, in passing, that in a nice restaurant, you and your dining companion have to order different dishes, or it's a faux pas. I hadn't been aware of this. I mean, DH and I never order the same thing, anyway, really. And we do share. But what if we both want the same thing? Or what if I'm eating with someone I wouldn't share mouthfuls with?

Is this really an etiquette point?

what a load of old nonsense!!!

have what you like.

I can't bear "etiquette" if it makes people feel uncomfortable

bolleaux

Never heard of that one. Sounds ridiculous!

Ok, fair enough, must be an American thing.

I've not heard of that before.

IMO if you're paying for your food (and paying a fair whack no doubt) then you can order whatever you like! Even if you want 3 courses of puddings

I think this is so that if the lady is not happy with her meal then her beau can graciously offer his

hence also polite for the lady to begin eating first

I have to be careful. if dh orders something I know I won;t like the look of then, obviously, I'll order something different. If there's a chance I'm going to covet his then I play safe and order the same. nothing worse than chomping away ay yours whilst wishing you were, as it were, chomping on his.

I think this is a foodie faux pas, not an etiquette faux pas. the other foodie faux pas is ordering the "safe" dish. usually easily identifiable by virtue of being chicken.

I never want the same food as DH, well, hardly ever.

And anyway, if he's eating red meat, he orders his well done, so there's no way I'd like it anyway.

Never heard of it as an etiquette point, but it's a bit naff to order the same thing as the person you're eating with, isn't it?

Hmmm, that sounded like he was getting his meat well done just so I wouldn't nick it. I am pretty sure that is not why he does it, he seems to actually like well-done meat. [vom]

we always order differently and swap plates half way through! very confusing for the poor waiters when they pick up the plates...

it may well be etiquette, but it's still bolleaux!

Actually if I can't decide between 2 things, I always make DH order the other one . And I get annoyed when he orders things I'm allergic to.

There's one restaurant where we swap plates, but mostly we don't.

I do encourage DH to order something I'd want to try, if I'm seriously torn between two things. But these days we mostly eat out with the DSes, so it's more of a 'grab and run' operation ...

DH took me to a Michelin starred restaurant for my birthday last week and we ordered Chateaubriand steak which could only be ordered for 2, so I don't think it's a problem! It was delicious

Well, I'm sure the rule doesn't apply in those sorts of cases. We had the 7-course menu at the Fat Duck last year, and you can only have that if everyone at the table has it.