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[Food] Eating out. Is it all that?









Peteinblack

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jun 3, 2004
4,123
Bath, Somerset.
We like going to restaurants for social reasons; an opportunity to dress-up, meet with friends, have a nice evening out of the house, enjoy food we have not eaten before or could not make ourselves, sometimes have conversations we might not have had sat on the sofa, and the overall vibe of a good restaurant.

Just as going to a good pub provides a different experience to having a drink at home.
 


Herr Tubthumper

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NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,458
The Fatherland
Having three different Michelin star restaurants within walking distance from my house means I am very spoilt for choice and all are excellent, with one being very reasonably priced if you don't have wine. The only problem is that any non Michelin star restaurant now pales in comparison and disappointment is almost guaranteed.
Where do you live? I currently have 2 in my neighborhood, a 3 star is just 400 feet from my apartment. 4 others have sadly come and gone over the past 12 years as well; I used to have a 2 star on my road.

Thankfully we also have other decent non-Michelin places of varying types.
 


DavidinSouthampton

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Jan 3, 2012
17,298
We will only go out if it’s somewhere we are confident is decent, either from our own experience recommendations or good reviews. It’s also a social thing.

when we were on holiday in our Motorhome in June, we booked in on the way to and from a ferry to a hotel in Northern Scotland now run by some friends of ours. On the return leg they had told us their small restaurant hosts a local chef (a former Masterchef contestant) one Saturday a month for an 8 course tasting menu, it coincided and we booked it - £80 per head - worried that it would be a load of pretentious guff!

it was wonderful - the tastes, the presentation, the explanations of each dish, the service. To cap it, our daughters had contacted the hotel to book the “flight of wines“ at £40 each to accompany it in honour of Mrs DiS’s 70th birthday.

We would do it again.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,123
Back in Sussex
Where do you live? I currently have 2 in my neighborhood, a 3 star is just 400 feet from my apartment. 4 others have sadly come and gone over the past 12 years as well; I used to have a 2 star on my road.

Thankfully we also have other decent non-Michelin places of varying types.
Aughton, I suspect, "the Michelin star capital of Britain"...

 




Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,458
The Fatherland
Aughton, I suspect, "the Michelin star capital of Britain"...

Thamks. I'll read the Telegraph article later. Bray is similar...which I had heard of because the two chefs there are well known. Not heard of Aughton before.
 








Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,458
The Fatherland
He’s not a Newcastle fan
Very funny, I have to hand that to you ….which is not something you can say to a twice convicted Saudi shoplifter.
 






BLOCK F

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2009
6,702
We don’t tend to go out to eat very often unless we are on holiday. This is, no doubt, partly an age thing, but not entirely. In my working life, I ate in many a fancy restaurant and more often than not enjoyed it. However, for the reasons we all know, prices have gone through the roof for what is often a mediocre offering and overpriced wine.
We stayed in two nice hotels in Devon and Cornwall last month, 3 nights in each. The food in the cheaper one was very good and we enjoyed it. The more expensive one, that thinks it is better than it is, served up very mediocre fare and we were disappointed.
Finally, what is this obsession with burgers? Overpriced burgers piled with god knows what on them and served in horrible brioche buns. You can’t escape from them on many a menu. When we want a burger, I buy fresh ones made by our local butcher and put them into decent rolls. Much nicer than some of the poncy offerings that exist and , of course, at a fraction of the price.
 








Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,460
Worthing
We only tend to go out to eat Thai or Indian/Bangkadashi food. That’s mostly down to Mr Q who has to eat spicy food ALL the time.
Worthing is a bit limited on top places.
 


Anger

Well-known member
Jul 21, 2017
501
I am glad to see that this thread has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that eating out… is and isn’t “all that”.

As well as being appreciated by some partners.
 






mejonaNO12 aka riskit

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2003
21,865
England
I'm in two camps.

We really try to do cafes and restaurants etc most weekends (tied in with a walk or something) with the kids aged 6 and 3. We sit down, have a nice chat, no phones etc around (don't get me started on families who bring tablets etc to meals and pass them to kids at first opportunity). Share food. Try different things. Really nice experience. Worst case is a colouring book is brought out if the 3 year old is having an off day. So that "eating out" is about family time rather than being too worried about quality. We try and keep the cost down on those.

However if somehow my wife and I get an opportunity to go out for dinner by ourselves we try and go BIG. Something special. It's such a rare occasion that I'd rather have a real treat than a "meh" that still cost £60 or something and I'd resent the money.

Fourth and Church was the last time and it was fantastic. A real treat for us.
 
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