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Fancy a steak and chips down the pub

Sounds like an awful lot of money for steak and chips but if people want to pay that much to be waited on and for (presumably) well cooked food then that’s up to them. Fortunately I don’t like eating out much and I don’t like steak much and I don’t like spending much so it won’t affect me.
Saying that I did actually eat at that restaurant once ( treat for the wife) a few years back, I don’t think it was quite that expensive then (didn’t have steak).
 
That makes me furious! WTF is a "discretionary 12.5% service charge"?????? If you want to tip (repeat: "tip") you tip what you like, be it 5% or 25%.
And "service charge" makes no sense. If you go to a restaurant someone brings the food to your table, and afterwards takes the empty dishes away. That is what a restaurant is. So why a "service charge"? Is service optional? Can I go into the kitchen and get the food myself?
It can be so simple. You pay the prices on the menu, and if you are satisfied you "leave a tip," which by definition is "discretionary." And don't let me hear any nonsense about waiters not being paid and having to live off tips, that is not my problem, and I know nothing, and do not want to know anything, about the relationship between waiters and management.

Sentiments with which I entirely agree. 'Discretionary service charge' almost defines the expression 'weasel words'.

There are many sensible word conjoinments in the French language, as well as many stupid ones, but the mating of 'servis' and 'compris' are definitively amongst the former.
 
'Discretionary' service charges - are used widely across the sector, personally i dont mind them, i have chosen not to pay them, and where they exist i do not leave a tip. Of course they vary in %, 12.5% i dont mind that much, 15% needs thinking about....I also look to see that all are shared amongst the staff fairly. If you dont like them, then vote with your feet and choose not to eat at places that deploy them.

As it happens, i know the proprietor of the aforementioned local chain, reasonably well, and his attitude to food, seasonality, sustainability and low food miles is admirable and they (IMO & E) provide great food at great value - he is one of the good guys. I could name several others that are not.

We have just got back from a road trip where we ate out for 17 days - there is huge variability; but the restaurant experience is about creating food memories, some that is purely food as fuel, but for others it is about the experience, the ingredients and the skill that goes into making what we eat - along with the ambience - many of those "shack" experiences are carefully curated, some have evolved.....

We ate at the Kitchin in Edinburgh, the cooking, ingredients and service were impeccable - the wine choices created interest, but my overall impression was underwhelming. The flavours were were great, but were not challenging or interesting. It all seemed rather formulaic - which is not something i attribute to M* cooking usual. Would I go again? probably not. We had a fantastic overall experience though - did it offer value? Yes in many senses it did, it certainly wasnt cheap, but you do go into these places with your eyes and wallet open

We have eaten at all the michelin starred restaurants in Edinburgh and this wasn't my least favourite, On this trip whilst in Edinburgh we ate another place which has no stars but but had our tastebuds jumping, was creative and put a smile on our face. We enjoyed it more.

By contrast on the trip we also ate (for the 4th time over many years) - in a tiny seafood restaurant in Inverness, not cheap, but every time we've been there is something different, more creative on the menu. Again great service - IMO worthy of at least 1*
 
Why do people moan about the cost of anything? You aren't being forced to pay it are you? Who cares if some folk want to pay £90 for a steak and chips?
Indeed. And which is better ‘value’, a meal for £50 which is quickly forgotten, or a meal for £150 which lingers in the memory for years?
 
Is his restaurant fully booked? Then he could probably charge more. Will I be eating there? No. Have I formed a set of uncomplimentary assumptions about those that do? Yes.
 
Sentiments with which I entirely agree. 'Discretionary service charge' almost defines the expression 'weasel words'.

There are many sensible word conjoinments in the French language, as well as many stupid ones, but the mating of 'servis' and 'compris' are definitively amongst the former.

If I've got enough on me, I always give my waiter or waitress a cash tip and refuse to pay the discretionary service charge at establishments that try that sort of nonsense. I have had some pretty furious responses from management, too. It can be a nice show to end a meal and gets people thinking.
 
I always think the food and drink element of a meal out is only part of what makes it memorable. Good company is just as important. If the restaurant is full of unpleasant people that definitely spoils the atmosphere. If I’m in a restaurant, that’s everyone else’s meal ruined. And of course the prices go up for a bit to cover the cost of the fumigation.

I had a fine meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyon once (IIRC every restaurant in Lyon was legally obliged to have at least one back then) of which the only bit I remember is the doorman already having my coat held up for me to put my arms into by the time I got to the entrance. It didn’t occur to me until later that he’d probably been standing there like that for ages so he could usher me out as quickly as humanly possible.
 
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I always think the food and drink element of a meal out is only part of what makes a meal memorable. Good company is just as important. If the restaurant is full of unpleasant people that definitely spoils the atmosphere. If I’m in a restaurant, that’s everyone else’s meal ruined. And of course the prices go up for a bit to cover costs of the fumigation.

I had a fine meal in Lyon once of which the only bit I remember is the doorman already having my coat held up for me to put my arms into by the time I got to the entrance. It only occurred to me later that he’d probably been standing there like that for ages so he could usher me out as quickly as humanly possible.
Mbe he shoulda ushered you out humanely.
 
Michelin stars and/or celebrity chefs restaurants are way overrated (in the USA) IMO.

If I eat out, mom and pop authentic cuisine eatery. Or a food truck/stand...

PS- Not knocking Kerridge's strategy.
 
Michelin stars and/or celebrity chefs restaurants are way overrated (in the USA) IMO.

If I eat out, mom and pop authentic cuisine eatery. Or a food truck/stand...

PS- Not knocking Kerridge's strategy.


So much more choice in the USA for eating out, especially in the mid range with huge numbers of local family owned places as well as the better chains. This is probably due to more of an eating out culture in general. UK is more hit and miss but getting better than the horror years of the 60's and 70's. Big cities and high end is as good as anywhere in the world and has been for a few years, the trailing piece always was the mid range sensibly priced night out with the family. As I said, much better now but Covid will have hit those places so hard.
 
I remember the 60s going out was a real treat. To a Berni Inn was as far as most could stretch - there was nowt much else available.

Things started to change in the 70s. By 1975 as a student I would go to various hip cafes in Brighton (Asterix was a favourite) but back in the countryside where the family lived you could not eat out at all, there were just a few milk bars or breakfast based cafes, perhaps a tearoom in a tourist area. A proper lunch was only available at great cost in a Hotel or pubs did a sandwich or crisps. The Gastropub came many years later.
 
Highest Michelin * are France, Japan, Italy, Germany and then USA.
I think Switzerland has the highest per capita.
 
I remember the 60s going out was a real treat. To a Berni Inn was as far as most could stretch - there was nowt much else available.

Things started to change in the 70s. By 1975 as a student I would go to various hip cafes in Brighton (Asterix was a favourite) but back in the countryside where the family lived you could not eat out at all, there were just a few milk bars or breakfast based cafes, perhaps a tearoom in a tourist area. A proper lunch was only available at great cost in a Hotel or pubs did a sandwich or crisps. The Gastropub came many years later.
Spot on!
 
The whole Daily Record article just comes across as a whinge from someone who doesn't understand the costs involved in running a restaurant. What is the relevance of the Christmas hamper cost and it's cooking time?

The relevance was the price of it, and you had to cook it yourself.
 


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