I don't like going out for dinner.

My pet peve is pasta in a restaurant, its not hat its not nice it just doesn't feel like i should be paying that much for pasta that i could knock out myself for next to no effort.
 
Gav_881 said:
My pet peve is pasta in a restaurant, its not hat its not nice it just doesn't feel like i should be paying that much for pasta that i could knock out myself for next to no effort.
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That is why I avoid most and try and find those that do more than a bowl of pasta, a prawn and a 12.5% service charge for it.
 
Gav_881 said:
i think Tapas has to be my favourite meal out, its far from cheap but putting together 5-7 good dishes for a single serving is very much worth paying to not do at home
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My OH loves Tapas, not overly a fan myself, but we do now and then select from a decent choice of 5-7 starters in a restaurant, rather than the usual starter, main and sweet, which I guess could be classed as a kind of Tapas :)
 
BUDFORCE said:
Maybe becuase I do a lot of cooking at home, I am no professional chef, but can knock up some quite good stuff.
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Oddly enough this is the reason I do enjoy going out for a meal but reading through a number of the comments a lot of folk seem to be comparing your average restaurant / chain with proper restaurants where the chef can elevate food beyond something average. By no means am i rich but I've dined out at some nice places where I've been served some relatively simple looking dishes but as soon as you take your first bite you're treated to a well balanced range of flavours that I certainly didn't think was possible! I don't think I've paid any more than between 50 - 100 per person at a restaurant but for the quality of food I would say its entirely worth it. I'm very much of the camp that people should dine out to try things they've possibly not tried at home / aren't capable of cooking simply to see how food is supposed to be cooked! In general I'm happy enough to pay for something where someone is a professional in their area of expertise so why would i not want to eat something prepared by someone with hundreds if not thousands of hours training for / perfecting their craft and more importantly something that they#re enthusiastic about.
 
Derek W said:
Oddly enough this is the reason I do enjoy going out for a meal but reading through a number of the comments a lot of folk seem to be comparing your average restaurant / chain with proper restaurants where the chef can elevate food beyond something average. By no means am i rich but I've dined out at some nice places where I've been served some relatively simple looking dishes but as soon as you take your first bite you're treated to a well balanced range of flavours that I certainly didn't think was possible! I don't think I've paid any more than between 50 - 100 per person at a restaurant but for the quality of food I would say its entirely worth it. I'm very much of the camp that people should dine out to try things they've possibly not tried at home / aren't capable of cooking simply to see how food is supposed to be cooked! In general I'm happy enough to pay for something where someone is a professional in their area of expertise so why would i not want to eat something prepared by someone with hundreds if not thousands of hours training for / perfecting their craft and more importantly something that they#re enthusiastic about.
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Totally agree.

I've learnt a lot at home (COVID gave us time to learn more) and have also taken much inspiration from the restaurants we have visited and continue to do so, but I know my cooking could never rival that we have experienced.

We sometimes, depending on the menu, will select 6 starters, or a mixture of that and smaller plates and enjoy sharing these between us. A few restaurants we have visited have informed us that this is becoming more and more popular.
 
I tend to enjoy going out most when it’s a bit more of an experience. Not necessarily ‘fancy dining’ but just something outside of ‘the norm’.

There’s a steak place in Bristol called mugshot where you cook your own steak on a hot stone - that was a riot going as a group.

There’s also a great tapas place called Paco Tapas, which is Michelin guide and they do a sherry pairing with the courses. They have things like salty sherry… really different, memorable and fun. Highly recommended!

Otherwise, I want minimum interaction. Pizza or burger place - simple, tasty and satisfying. A conduit for a good experience with friends / your partner.
 
Paco Tapas is pretty pricey but imo 100% worth the cost, I've been a few times now.
@Nitefly do you live in Bristol? It's a bit of a drive but i would highly recommend the Black Bear inn, near Usk. Very good food without the fuss of the 'fancier' establishments
 
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@Derek W - agree 100%. You can absolutely tell when you visit a place that exists for the joy of the food and produce they serve and not just for the number of covers they can push through in a service. No matter how good a home cook you are, you won’t beat an enthusiastic person that does it for a living.

To echo your sentiments (and it’s definitely a cliched thing to do), we went to Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. The menu is small, they didn’t have everything available and the service was classic slightly abrupt dim sum restaurant in canteen style seating. HOWEVER, the food was actual reference level dim sum. The food was recognisable as in standard dishes that you get in every dim sum place in the UK, but the flavour was from another planet. A revelation in how it is actually meant to taste.

Similarly, if you’re in a really good restaurant order the fish. I find it’s pretty much always the best dish on the menu (that goes for tasting menus too). When someone really knows what they’re doing in the kitchen, seafood and fish is elevated to a very special level indeed.
 
Slightly off topic: I'm 35 and in the last 10-15ish years i've noticed a surge of coffee shops and restaurants popping up in my local area. I'm trying to get an idea of how often people eat out now and how this compares to 20-30 years ago. When i was a kid i'd say we would eat out somewhere maybe once a month.

As an adult i do maybe once every other month but i know people that eat out at least once a week and not in chains either, must cost a fortune.
 
Bassmansam said:
Slightly off topic: I'm 35 and in the last 10-15ish years i've noticed a surge of coffee shops and restaurants popping up in my local area. I'm trying to get an idea of how often people eat out now and how this compares to 20-30 years ago. When i was a kid i'd say we would eat out somewhere maybe once a month.

As an adult i do maybe once every other month but i know people that eat out at least once a week and not in chains either, must cost a fortune.
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Everyone's skint but the coffee shops are full @ £30 a coffee.
 
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