How Many Courses Do You Have in a Restaurant?

Doodledog

A friend of mine often has a starter and a pudding with no main. I do like a starter, but these days tend to go straight to the main and see if there's room for the pudding when I've eaten it.

Same for me.

I only have a main course as my appetite has diminished, sad because I love good food.
Last evening I went to an Italian restaurant with family friends and chose sea bass.
It was delicious but two large pieces were too much and I had to leave a quarter of it to my dismay.
I wish more places sold small portions.

I can eat an entire Tasting Menu type of meal 5 or 7 courses as they are tiny, different and tasty.

Us7DH and I share a starter if we are at one of our local restaurants. If we are in a more upmarket restaurant where the portions are usually smaller then I can manage a starter and main, and sometimes a dessert if it is one of my favourites or I pinch some of DH’s cheese course.

I only usually have a main, but last night I pushed the boat out and treated my birthday partner to a 5 course fish taster menu.
It was absolutely delicious and well worth the extra money. We both came away feeling not full, but very satisfied.
Excellent meal, and I want to do more of that kind of thing rather than an average type meal that anyone could cook.

Main course, preferably fish, a dessert if I’ve space.
I usually look online before we go, our favourite pub/restaurant today has rhubarb crumble, summer pudding and Elton mess along with other choices.
Last time we went I had turbot followed by blackcurrant sorbet.

Pineapple fritters! Rum Baba!😋

Oreo

I too wish that pubs and restaurants would be a bit more inventive where puds are concerned.
Where’s the seasonal fruit tart or crumble? Syrup tart? Lemon merangue?

Banish the sticky toffee pudding please. Too ubiquitous, too boring!

I too wish that pubs and restaurants would be a bit more inventive where puds are concerned.
Where’s the seasonal fruit tart or crumble? Syrup tart? Lemon merangue?

Normally 2, a main and a pudding.

TerriBull

I do wish restaurants, not all, wouldn't withhold the pudding menu, only bringing it along almost as an afterthought after the mains. Then I feel I could make an informed choice. If there is something really delectable on that, I'd rein in what I'm having first. If we agree on a pudding and there is a smidgen of room left, then we'll ask for two spoons, that's quite a common practice I do believe, in fact some restaurants will automatically bring two if only one orders on the assumption it is to be shared........not always

Similarly at home, I often used to make a pudding when we had a Sunday roast, but again there isn't room. I just have a well stocked freezer for ice creams, Magnum style the Aldi alternatives are just as appreciated by the grandchildren these days......and £££ cheaper when accumulating quite a few.

Anyone who aims their spoon in my direction with a dessert gets short shrift.😉

Depends on the place I guess, but usually just a main course.In some places the sweet choices can be a bit boring so that helps me to refrain ! Only so many brownies, sticky toffee puds and tiramisu cake you can take in one lifetime !!

We often share a starter as DH likes that, small main if offered and only if pudding a crumble to share. I like the restaurants that offer a small pud with coffee (inclusive).

I can't eat 3 courses now,I'll have starter and main or main and sweet

No, it’s not fair I agree.
I usually have two because I like the desserts . Sometimes just an entree and dessert. At lunchtime often just one, don’t get hungry until the evening these days. I was just thinking, how often do you see a fat 85 plus person? They either cark it or the metabolism takes over I think.

Alas our metabolism slows as we get older. ie burning calories up. Not fair.

I can only eat a main and possibly a light dessert. I used to always have three courses but for the last few years the starter has been abandoned. The strange thing is that I eat less but have put on weight.

I've never thought of having a starter instead of a main.
I only usually go to the Harvester, and a lot of their starters include nice "picky bits".
I reckon I could have a starter and a dessert. (and the salad, too, of course!)

Poppyred

Just a main course for me too since I had a month in hospital a year ago with Pancreatitis. I was always a 3-courses gal when we went out to dine, but it seems to have changed my eating patterns.

However later when home we do have an ice-cream lolly as a belated pudd'. I've always found that vanilla ice-cream acts as a digestive for me and I think that's possibly why I've never ever had indigestion.
.
.

Whitewavemark2

Depends on the restaurant.

High end - all courses on offer.

Reasonable - maybe starter and main.

Cheap and cheerful - one - maybe main or starter.

Cheap and not so cheerful - I avoid like the plague.

It seems that the less you may the bigger the portions😄😄

This.

3 or 4 courses in high end restaurants.
Each one complements the other.

Actually a favourite as I'm not into sweet stuff much is to order two or three starters for the variety.

Whitewavemark2

Depends on the restaurant.

High end - all courses on offer.

Reasonable - maybe starter and main.

Cheap and cheerful - one - maybe main or starter.

Cheap and not so cheerful - I avoid like the plague.

It seems that the less you may the bigger the portions😄😄

This is the point really. You go to your bog standard cheap and cheerful pub meal and it's a huge plate of food with chips offered. It's not just high end that have small portions.

I'm on holiday in September and was asked if I want the evening meal. Three courses I thought oh no. I'll look at the pubs around this "conference centre that takes guests too"

Then I looked at the pix and saw small elegantly laid out portions tho its a pretty ordinary "northern" menu. and of course starters can be a hearty soup or a slice of melon or slim bit of toast and veggie or meat pate - and pudding fresh fruit salad.

The pubs nearby would have saved me a bit but huge huge everything. And if you are staying at the place you can take your pud up for later.

2 max either starter or dessert! Usually dessert as that's a treat...lol

I either have two starters or just the main meal. Portions are so large these days and I hate wasting food.

When there is a dessert I really want I have a starter as my main then the dessert, otherwise it's just the main.

Friends of mine usually have a main each and have a pudding with 2 spoons ! I can only manage a main.