Eating out is just tooooo expensive these days
Discussion
I love eating out. I’m no exponent of fine dining but enjoy an individual as opposed to chain restaurant but I’m deterred lately by the pricing.
I accept I’m poorer than the average PHer but lately starters seem to have crept to £8, a steak is £22 and everything is extra.
It makes a meal for two £100 without pricey wine and to me that just feels like a lot more than it was 2 or 3 years ago.
I know I’m generalising.
Are restaurants capitalising on there being more people about prepared to pay these prices or just trying to squeeze more from a dwindling market?
I accept I’m poorer than the average PHer but lately starters seem to have crept to £8, a steak is £22 and everything is extra.
It makes a meal for two £100 without pricey wine and to me that just feels like a lot more than it was 2 or 3 years ago.
I know I’m generalising.
Are restaurants capitalising on there being more people about prepared to pay these prices or just trying to squeeze more from a dwindling market?
Prices do t usually go up in a dwindling market.
Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
High business rates and clamp down by immigration has meant the overheads have gone up massively over the past few years and that overhead ends up in the menu price.
There's also been a change in consumer behaviour with the meteoric rise of the app enabled deliveries over the past couple of years and to an extent social media (witness the massive queues for new niche pop up restaurants which then aren't even around a few months later)
The era of large chains is over, walked past Zizzi yesterday and even though it was payday Friday it wasn't full at 8pm, a few years back there would be queues waiting for tables yet the independent restaurant next to it is packed most days of the week.
There's also been a change in consumer behaviour with the meteoric rise of the app enabled deliveries over the past couple of years and to an extent social media (witness the massive queues for new niche pop up restaurants which then aren't even around a few months later)
The era of large chains is over, walked past Zizzi yesterday and even though it was payday Friday it wasn't full at 8pm, a few years back there would be queues waiting for tables yet the independent restaurant next to it is packed most days of the week.
Edited by untakenname on Saturday 3rd August 11:11
Hardly surprising an increasing number of pubs are becoming history and humdrum restaurants are closing having regard to the general level of crap food and drink they serve and extortionate prices they charge.
When you can cook better food at home at a fraction of the price and enjoy a bottle of your favourite wine/beer whatever without being ripped off its cut to call time on dining out which is often a totally underwhelming experience.
But heyho here in the UK folks hardly ever complain about s
tty standards and just love being ripped off. Especially as usual those who can't afford it. 
When you can cook better food at home at a fraction of the price and enjoy a bottle of your favourite wine/beer whatever without being ripped off its cut to call time on dining out which is often a totally underwhelming experience.
But heyho here in the UK folks hardly ever complain about s
tty standards and just love being ripped off. Especially as usual those who can't afford it. CubanPete said:
Prices do t usually go up in a dwindling market.
Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
What a bizarre generalisation. Rolf at ‘non steak main’. Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
It’s like it’s 1970 again.
Badda said:
CubanPete said:
Prices do t usually go up in a dwindling market.
Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
What a bizarre generalisation. Rolf at ‘non steak main’. Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
It’s like it’s 1970 again.
We don't eat out as much as we used to but have noticed a definite increase in prices over the past 2-3 years.
However the other thing I have noticed increasing enormously are lunch deals, fixed price set menus and targeted online discounts. Not so much recently but we regularly used to have lunch out with a 33% discount, can currently get 40% all mains at another place and free wine at another. And, the 40% deal runs all year, every day except special menus, valentines etc Very much a case of menu pricing for passing trade and big discount for locals to fill the seats the rest of the time.
Okay, they are all chains but a dinner for 4, appetisers, mains and drinks can be £50.
Having said that I have a £100 gift voucher for another place, that will probably just about cover one of us!
However the other thing I have noticed increasing enormously are lunch deals, fixed price set menus and targeted online discounts. Not so much recently but we regularly used to have lunch out with a 33% discount, can currently get 40% all mains at another place and free wine at another. And, the 40% deal runs all year, every day except special menus, valentines etc Very much a case of menu pricing for passing trade and big discount for locals to fill the seats the rest of the time.
Okay, they are all chains but a dinner for 4, appetisers, mains and drinks can be £50.
Having said that I have a £100 gift voucher for another place, that will probably just about cover one of us!
CubanPete said:
Badda said:
CubanPete said:
Prices do t usually go up in a dwindling market.
Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
What a bizarre generalisation. Rolf at ‘non steak main’. Post 2009 you could get a decent meal for £8-9 a head for a non steak main, it sat at this level for about for years and the suddenly jumped to the £12-13 Mark and has been there a while. It is starting to creep up again, will be interesting to see if it can sustain these prices.
We have a very decent local and landlord who is good to the locals; we are usually given food and ice cream for the little one foc, but we have eaten through the menu a bit.
It’s like it’s 1970 again.
£9 jump to £13 (or more) is my experience in the Surrey / Kent / Sussex area too. 40%+ is noticeable and means we don't eat out as much as we did. Fish and Chips for two in a good sit down chippy used to be £15 not so long ago, its £20 now.
21TonyK said:
... lunch deals, fixed price set menus and targeted online discounts....
I suspect quite a few places are pricing the menu in expectation that most customers will have some sort of voucher (via clubcard points, groupon, ad in local paper etc), so it is expensive when having to eat at 'list price'.Thankyou4calling said:
I love eating out. I’m no exponent of fine dining but enjoy an individual as opposed to chain restaurant but I’m deterred lately by the pricing.
I accept I’m poorer than the average PHer but lately starters seem to have crept to £8, a steak is £22 and everything is extra.
It makes a meal for two £100 without pricey wine and to me that just feels like a lot more than it was 2 or 3 years ago.
I know I’m generalising.
Are restaurants capitalising on there being more people about prepared to pay these prices or just trying to squeeze more from a dwindling market?
We eat out a lot and I can't remember the last time we spent £100, probably nearer to £60, and sometimes much less.I accept I’m poorer than the average PHer but lately starters seem to have crept to £8, a steak is £22 and everything is extra.
It makes a meal for two £100 without pricey wine and to me that just feels like a lot more than it was 2 or 3 years ago.
I know I’m generalising.
Are restaurants capitalising on there being more people about prepared to pay these prices or just trying to squeeze more from a dwindling market?
I live in Chelsea and generally eat out in Richmond, Kew, Twickenham so I know they are pricey areas but even so
Starter. £6
Main. £18
Sides/Sauce £5
Desert £6
Glass of wine £7
Times two people and £100 is easily hit.
I know there are deals and cheaper ( plus pricier) but it just feels like my enjoyment is being eroded by having to compromise to keep the overall bill under three figures.
Starter. £6
Main. £18
Sides/Sauce £5
Desert £6
Glass of wine £7
Times two people and £100 is easily hit.
I know there are deals and cheaper ( plus pricier) but it just feels like my enjoyment is being eroded by having to compromise to keep the overall bill under three figures.
Thankyou4calling said:
I live in Chelsea and generally eat out in Richmond, Kew, Twickenham so I know they are pricey areas but even so
Starter. £6
Main. £18
Sides/Sauce £5
Desert £6
Glass of wine £7
Times two people and £100 is easily hit.
I know there are deals and cheaper ( plus pricier) but it just feels like my enjoyment is being eroded by having to compromise to keep the overall bill under three figures.
Well that explains it, we never have 3 courses as we can't eat that much, and beer only costs £3.50 a pintStarter. £6
Main. £18
Sides/Sauce £5
Desert £6
Glass of wine £7
Times two people and £100 is easily hit.
I know there are deals and cheaper ( plus pricier) but it just feels like my enjoyment is being eroded by having to compromise to keep the overall bill under three figures.
Truckosaurus said:
I suspect quite a few places are pricing the menu in expectation that most customers will have some sort of voucher (via clubcard points, groupon, ad in local paper etc), so it is expensive when having to eat at 'list price'.
I think this is the issue, all the tastecard/meerkat meals type stuff that gives you half price food and what not.You have to use one of these to avoid being ripped off in a lot of places
I’m a regular at Beefeater’ local to me ,most weekends ,always getting 40%off vouchers via email and using my rewards for 2 free starters,today was £33.49 and I paid for my starters,we had a sharer ,wife had 8oz sirloin and I had a gammon to let the points build back up,I’m sure I grabbed a pint whilst ordering food so bargain,also they serve a cracking pint of San Miguel to top it off .
I usually find eating out in the UK to be relatively cheap compared to where I live.
That said, we recently tried Wagamama's in Bormuff (birth town) for me, wife, 2 teens and my folks, and I was surprised the bill got to £160.
A decent curry in the UK is probably 1/2 what I'd pay in my adopted home country, but restaurant prices *here* have very high overheads - rent is stupidly high and there's a high minimum wage.
That said, we recently tried Wagamama's in Bormuff (birth town) for me, wife, 2 teens and my folks, and I was surprised the bill got to £160.
A decent curry in the UK is probably 1/2 what I'd pay in my adopted home country, but restaurant prices *here* have very high overheads - rent is stupidly high and there's a high minimum wage.
RC1807 said:
That said, we recently tried Wagamama's in Bormuff (birth town) for me, wife, 2 teens and my folks, and I was surprised the bill got to £160.
That’s instantly what I thought when the OP mentioned Richmond... wagamamas, gaucho, etc all the usual suspects for surprisingly high bills and no taste cards accepted.Welshbeef said:
Your not going to the Grayhound (Nettlebed) or the croooked billet (stoke row) then are you.
Crooked billet a few times, greyhound I'll have to check out. These wouldn't be regular places for me - in fact, i probably don't even eat out every week, but i have no problem going out once in a while and spending a little more. Actually i prefer it to some £50 restaurant meals which i could probably cook equally well at home. Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff