What would you order?

henetha,
Lobster yes. I haven’t eaten that since I saw two foreign students go up to the aquarium and choose their lobster, in the restaurant where we were eating.
Yes I know that could be a bit silly, since all meat eating means killing the animal, but I couldn’t choose my meal.

Watching that would definitely put me off too, Mollygo.
My husband used to go fishing a lot and occasionally brought home a lobster, but then they became so expensive that he sold them to local hotels/restaurants instead!

I remember in the early seventies we sat outside a restaurant in Mons in Belgium where they had tanks of lobsters and various fish including trout. The water looked awful and I felt very sorry for the fish. I can’t even kill the trout I catch never mind pick one out of a tank for my lunch.

As a very keen cook, I do like to order what I wouldn't cook at home.

If abroad I like to try local specialities.

We have just returned from Oslo, for our final evenings meal I had sea trout fillet in a white sauce with kale and potatoes, I know it doesn’t sound exciting but it was just so utterly delicious.
The trout was not farmed and was so fresh and delicate.

My husband and son both had real food envy.

Hunters chicken !
And always chips as I very rarely have them at home.
Then sticky toffee to follow.
Before going out I think I should try something else , but nearly always order the same thing .

I'm not very good at trying new things but always like duck or lamb. We have had some strange combinations here in rural France. Haute cuisine it ain't.
I do like crepes or creme brulee for dessert.

I live to try and order smaller dishes for sharing, like a tali or Greek meze so we can all share and I can try and but if everything & love to try and order something I’ve not had before or don’t eat often

Cossy

I live to try and order smaller dishes for sharing, like a tali or Greek meze so we can all share and I can try and but if everything & love to try and order something I’ve not had before or don’t eat often

Ignore the above should read as below !

I love to try and order smaller dishes for sharing, like a tali or Greek meze so we can all share and I can try everything & love to have something I’ve not had before or don’t eat often

Stupid fat fingers !!!

Same as many of you, I usually go for things I don't do at home. If I went for a complete blow out it would be Moules Mariniere starter, Lamb Shank and then a Creme Brulee followed by a Sambuca................................followed by lashings of Gaviscon!!

Offal - don't cook it at home much apart from liver and kidneys, but brains and sweetbreads that I have never cooked myself. Used to enjoy heart as well - people don't seem to eat that much nowadays.

I’m a starter and pud person too. I think starters are usually much more interesting and main courses are just too much for me. If available I adore a good fish soup with aoli and Parmesan croutons. No mussels though unless blended, I don’t like the texture. For pudding I like anything coffee flavoured or a light fruity cheesecake type thing.

Depends where it is. In an ordinary pub, often fish and chips, since we never have it at home and takeaways are once in a blue moon.

Other than that, something I’d never make at home. We used to have a brilliant Thai restaurant close by - they were all Thais and it felt like somewhere in Bangkok (I have been) - lots of lovely carved wood, a shrine with flowers, and a picture of their king on the wall.
Food was invariably superb. I really miss that place. ?

sodapop

I'm not very good at trying new things but always like duck or lamb. We have had some strange combinations here in rural France. Haute cuisine it ain't.
I do like crepes or creme brulee for dessert.

I agree about France. Overrated I think. I’ve had my worst ever dishes in France. And why, with all those fabulous markets do they not serve vegetables with the main course, and if they do it’s often a measly grey overdone portion of green (grey) beans.
I’ve had couscous in Paris that was like a bowl if washing up water with a large fatty bone floating in it. I could go on but that’s not what this thread is about. Apologies everyone.

Whatever takes my fancy at the time. I won't risk something I've never eaten before. Don't like places that are very expensive based on bizarre combinations of tiny bits of veg/foam/garnish, sometimes accompanied by odd explanations of their processes - touch of Emperor's New Clothes in some reviews but often very disappointing. Always found food in France excellent, including roadside vans and cafés.

I love scallops too (you can't often buy really fresh big scallops) also ribeye steak. I don't have a deep fat fryer so don't cook squid at home (it doesn't work well in an air fryer).
I don't think it's possible to cook a steak as well at home, you can't get that lovely caramelised outside whilst keeping it rare inside. I tend not to order things I can cook myself at home, so wouldn't have a roast.
Personally I love Italian or Thai when I go out.
My husband doesn't like brassica or spinach, so I'd often have these as a side dish.

I love to try something different usually. I tried a Budha Bowl recently - it was delicious.

DaisyL

Offal - don't cook it at home much apart from liver and kidneys, but brains and sweetbreads that I have never cooked myself. Used to enjoy heart as well - people don't seem to eat that much nowadays.

DaisyL -where do you find brains? love them but didn't seen them in ages

A whole variety of starters to create a varied tapas.

icanhandthemback

A pudding!

If I am stuck about which dish to order in the mains, I will be swayed by the addition of decent veg...not peas!

I agree- I don’t want to go out and pay for lazy veg such as frozen carrots and peas. I love a good carvery or roast, I do them at home but enjoy them much better when someone else does all the work

HannahLoisLuke, I have to agree about veg in France. When visiting a very gourmet-minded BiL there, we’ve been to many expensive restaurants where the typical offering is maybe 6 exceedingly skinny French beans - if you’re lucky.

A couple of extremely expensive ‘tasting’ menus - umpteen tiny courses - have been (to me) a complete waste of time and money.* We’ve had infinitely better, simpler meals at much cheaper restaurants - a little one in Beaune springs to mind, will def. go there again.

*Couldn’t help cracking up when a young nephew - maybe 10 at the time - made loud ‘puke’ noises at some ‘olive foam’ offering - with a waiter present. I have to say I shared his sentiments exactly!

And I love a really good fish soup. I wouldn't bother to cook it at home, too many different types of fish required and the stock is so important.
I agree with sodapop, we've had some truly awful meals in France, particularly in Paris. Very ordinary food, and expensive.
Brussels is great for restaurants, I went for a couple of days with my daughter just before lock down. Lots of lovely independent restaurants, some family-run with local specialities.

Like many others here I would treat myself to something I don’t have at home because I have a very fussy eater of a husband who means it’s often wasteful to make a dish just for me ,so I choose a fish or curry dish as he won’t touch either !!!.

My choice is usually limited to one if I choose vegan or two if I choose vegetarian. I don't bother now...would rather cook something at home.

I love seafood so if not ordering that I tend to go for combinations I haven't eaten before. Depending on the restaurant I often choose the vegetarian option as they do seem to put more effort into it and come up with delicious combinations I would never have thought of.
OH has similar tastes but his always comes with chips as he never gets them at home.

A nice fillet steak with Stilton sauce, followed by a nice warm chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream.