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They thought everyone did this!

(91 Posts)
petitpois Fri 15-Nov-19 16:00:48

When you go to a restaurant, do you plan ahead what you are going to eat? I was talking to my daughter and her friend recently and if they are eating out, they both read the menus beforehand and plan what they are going to eat. For me, this ruins the whole experience. I like to be spontaneous and reading the menu and deciding what to have is part of the fun of the whole outing, no? What do you think?

GreenGran78 Sat 16-Nov-19 15:35:13

My son is vegan, so we always check to see if there is anything tasty for him. Some restaurants are very good, others have a couple of token, and rather boring offerings. Even airlines often get it wrong, and offer meals with egg or milk in
when vegan has been pre-ordered. Very annoying if it’s a long-haul flight.
I never decide what I want until I get to the restaurant, as I never know in advance what I will feel like.

Hetty58 Sat 16-Nov-19 16:01:01

Sometimes, when we book a lot of family (say 35 people) the restaurant wants an idea of what we'll order. We have to look at their ingredient list for the allergy information when we get there!

Altissimma Sat 16-Nov-19 16:32:44

Unless I know the establishment, we always check out the menu. For us it's because we keep kosher and eat vegetarian when we're out. Some restaurants are very good at offering interesting veggie choices, others think we all eat nut roast! Not helpful for those people who are vegetarian and have an allergy to nuts!

Jane10 Sat 16-Nov-19 16:38:16

I love looking at menus online even for places I'm not going to! However, I'm always keen to see the days 'special' and often choose it.

SunnySusie Sat 16-Nov-19 17:15:30

I always look at menus on line in advance if they are available. I am dairy intolerant and ideally I like menus with a reasonable list of the contents of the dish so that I can work out what I can eat. Often 'the choice' comes down to one dish only, or maybe two, and if its something I dont like then we need to find a different place to eat.

FC61 Sat 16-Nov-19 17:49:36

I often look up menus online if it’s a new restaurant. I don’t want any nasty shocks like invite a couple of friends, find parking , make huge effort to get there, sit down and find its £45 for sea bass and carrot purée and I’m embarrassed ? because I didn’t budget £250 and don’t always have that sort of cash floating about doing nothing .

RillaofIngleside Sat 16-Nov-19 18:53:21

I always check to see if there's anything I can eat as I have type 2 diabetes and am careful to control it as well as I can. It is amazing how limited my choices often are. Restaurants and shops are much more clued up to gluten than low carb and sugar free.

Shizam Sat 16-Nov-19 21:02:54

I always have a look. It’s easier in your own time to choose rather than quick decision when everyone’s chatting etc. Always choose wrong dish in those circs!

Jennyluck Sat 16-Nov-19 21:32:41

I always look on line first, especially if I’m meeting a friend, simply because I know we’ll be busy chatting ???

BradfordLass72 Sat 16-Nov-19 22:52:16

I rarely eat out but when there are family birthdays or other celebrations I either suffer the indignity of having someone read the menu to me - and then I forget the first choice by the time they've read the 10th.

Or I look online via my PC, which mercifully I can still see a bit.

Mcrc Sat 16-Nov-19 23:15:03

Umm, "Back in the day" Is that even an expression anymore? No one knew what was on the menu. I like that I am not completely surprised anymore since my husband is not a fan of certain menus. I will try anything, but if we are spending good money I want to enjoy the food as well as the ambience.

glammagran Sun 17-Nov-19 00:00:44

We are meeting up with our 3 adult children plus 4 DGC for a meal in December. It will be the first time since 2010 (4 living abroad)) I will have seen all 3 children in same place at same time. Will mean the world to me. We have to pick our meals 2 weeks in advance at this restaurant however.

Willitwork Sun 17-Nov-19 00:50:46

As I am coeliac also, it's important for me to check beforehand what's on offer when eating out. Some places still don't offer much and i dont want to be ill!

Tamayra Sun 17-Nov-19 05:24:35

Never thought to look on line !

Singleton1311 Sun 17-Nov-19 08:31:03

I don’t mind choosing dinner beforehand but I struggle to choose breakfast the night before in some hotels or b and bs