Hotels/Restaurants and Tasting Menus

Had one myself in Italy, where the men were served completely different food to the women , also in France when we had teenagers with us we were advised which menu to go on and the food was sublime both times.
We have a very famous one about 40miles away and DD and SIL went for a special birthday. No choice whatsoever and so much description from the waiters the tiny portions of food were cold before it was eaten. They were still very hungry at the end. Also, their wine was on a fancy pouring contraption and they were only allowed a top-up when deemed so by the wine waiter.
I thought they had exaggerated because of the astronomical price. But no a few months later a friend went and came back saying she enjoyed better food from the local Chippy, and she thought the complementary very small bottle of vinegar was an insult. DD's is still in one of my drawers.

Restaurants that don’t serve food on plates is a pet hate of mine. I once had a meal served on a wooden board and all the sauce dripped into my lap. Also one course on a tasting menu was served on a wooden spoon - mind you a pudding serving in an egg shell was delicious.

Tasting menus are the kind of thing you only do once in a restaurant because once you have tried it there is no surprise.
The only tasting menus I really enjoyed were in France, both in Avignon and were about 250 Euros a head and was so impressed I bought the chef's cookery book too.
An acclaimed restaurant in the Lakes tasting menu used to be served on Cumbrian slate, the starter anyway, and I wasn't impressed with that.

That’s did not dud.

Absolutely love tasting menus, but my partner doesn’t so sometimes we go to a restaurant which has them to please me and sometimes to a restaurant with a different menu to please her. It works for us at least it dud pre covid.

I have done it twice, once at a seafood restaurant in Sicily whichever’s was very difficult for me as I am not a fan of shellfish or octopus. And a second time at home here in Australia which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Would I do it again, yes probably as long as it wasn’t seafood

I was treated to a tasting menu for my birthday whilst visiting my dd in Australia. It was a 5* renowned restaurant on gold coast, we were abit apprehensive and when it came we thought we are going to be hungry still after this even though it was 7 courses.We definitely wasn’t,and it was lovely, but very expensive.

I have been to 2 michelin starred restaurants for tasting menus. They were both very expensive over £90pp, they tried to encourage us to pair wines with the courses but that doubled the price! The first time left us still hungry and we stopped at the chippy on the way home. The second time at Purnells in Birmingham the food was sublime but the portions still small I was always wanting more. Glyn Purnell was lovely and he always serves you one course. I would prefer 3 courses with bigger portions.

I enjoy tasting menus (can’t remember the last time I had one). My only criticism is that if you come across one or more dishes that you particularly enjoy, it would be nice to have more of that. However I have had some tasters when I have been offered more of a particularly tasty dish.

DH and I did one in Nathan Outlaws fish restaurant in Cornwall and it was superb. Some of the dishes we tried I would not have ordered in a million years but they were so tasty and we ate every morsel! I would go back in a heartbeat. You have to book way in advance though as it’s very popular even though it is expensive.

Funnygran
Same here. Given a voucher so felt we had to use it but chose lunch as it was cheaper. It took nearly 7 months before the menu mainly consisted of something we fancied. Mostly sounded awful! Food was OK but minute. Charged £10 extra for cheese ( 2 slithers of nondescript plastic) as DH doesn't like dessert. We had 2 glasses of wine plus an aperitif to start. The total bill came to over £180 just for 3 course lunch!! Never again for vastly overpriced food. My starter was basically a tiny new potato that I could easy put in my mouth without cutting. The restaurant has since been awarded a Michelin star and put the price up by £10 a head. They are basically taking the **.

I was trying to persuade a favourite small restaurant to try this recently. They're so small that with social distancing it's not worth their while opening. They have a carry out menu instead.
Anyway, I suggested a tasting menu which would allow for only a few tables but could charge a significant cost. The lady replied that tasting menus are a nightmare to lay on. Extra chef time, more plates and cutlery, more ingredients to source and store etc plus more waiting staff to explain the dishes and the extra staff time to learn the menus etc. I really hadn't thought about it from their point of view. It's such a good place we'd have happily paid serious money to help them out. I just hope they can hang in there.

I would like tasting menus. The portions are not too big and the choice is good.

I'm much to fussy, so many things I won't even try, yes I know that's my loss. I'd never try a tasting menu

I’ve done a couple and have loved them. For me it’s good to try something I may never had ordered, and as each course is small, leaving something isn’t a worry. Xx

Our DS and wife bought us a voucher for a very expensive local restaurant that only does tasting menus. The food was delicious but such tiny portions and I think DH made himself some toast when we got home. The waiter described each course as he put it down on the table and to be honest he spent more time describing the food than it took to eat it! It was an experience which I’m glad we had though and I would recommend it even if you never do it again.

Thank you all for your replies. Never have been a fan but perhaps now is the time to give it a try. I think it will go on my to do list.

Witzend
Our son calls the frothy foam stuff "spit". I don't think it adds anything.
Beaune is beautiful, especially the hospices.

I’ve only ever had two, both in France.
One was nice enough, the other wasn’t anything to shout about, and one ‘taste’ - some sort of olive foam thing, was positively vile.
Both were extremely expensive. I particularly remember the not so nice one, since there were 10 of us and although we hadn’t chosen the venue, dh picked up the bill. That was because we were staying with a very well off relative who would usually pay, so we felt it only fair to take our turn now and then.
But a few days later I enjoyed a much simpler (and cheaper) meal in a little restaurant in Beaune an awful lot more.

I have allergies, DH has a list of wont do foods we have always found the Chef accommodating to our requirements.

I enjoy trying things out, but for me tasting menus are best enjoyed as a group.

There are all sorts of meals just as there are all sorts of restaurant. If you don't like tasting menus then don't eat there. Restaurants are businesses not charities. I customers are not happy to pay the prices they won't come back. Luckily, many people do value the unusual and interesting dishes on offer. Chefs will nearly always ask for food dislikes in advance or can change out particular items if necessary.

I think it is just an excuse to charge exorbitant prices for often inferior food. I suppose it is easier for the restaurant though as they know what to buy in. As that is the case they should be cheaper!

I hate them. I keep waiting for my main course to arrive!

We have tried many tasting menus over the years, it’s a good way to try new things. Only ever been underwhelmed once.