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3 course meal

AryaStark

What is considered to be a 3 course meal?
I went out for dinner and it was advertised that a 3 course meal was 15 euro (cheap I know!).
Looking at the menu there was no dessert listed. It turned out that Tea/Coffee was a course! I would have never considered that tea/coffee was a course. I was told by the manager that it is normal!
I am almost 40 now and this is the first time I have been told that a cup of tea is a course in a meal!

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darlett

Don't be too cross with them! It's a very normal thing for set menus to label tea and coffee as a course. The idea that it's a scam is wonderful, as if it's a get rich scheme to diddle an unsuspecting public out of their hard earned cash rather than trying to promote themselves. They are obviously trying to attract people not repel them after one disappointment by 'stealing' back a dessert from them and replacing it with a coffee (what would be the typical difference between the price of a coffee and a slice of apple pie for example? A couple of euro?)

Not including the imperial mint, someone clearly needs a slap in that business.

[Deleted User]

Sounds like a scam to me, you can call tea/coffee a course all you want but a 3-course meal is taken by almost everyone to be a starter, main course and desert.

Yourself isit

learn_more wrote: »

What, you don't think their exists a working class - middle class divide anymore? Why, just cause you've got a big TV ?

Not me talking rubbish mate.

The class differences exist - but the workers can now afford to eat out. It's not 1920

Yourself isit

It strikes me that's I've never had a set menu 3 course meal (although I once had a 10 course meal).

Funny that the middle classes are not going a la carte.

A quick search on Google though seems to indicate that appetiser/main/dessert is common worldwide.

AryaStark

riffmongous wrote: »

Sounds like a scam to me, you can call tea/coffee a course all you want but a 3-course meal is taken by almost everyone to be a starter, main course and desert.

I agree with this and its what I was expecting!!! Starter, main and dessert!!!

Glenster

You cant count coffee as a course unless there are more than 6 courses.

This is a fact and cannot be disputed.

__Alex__

Yeah, I've heard tea or coffee called a course. €15 for a starter, main and tea/coffee is extremely cheap. Wouldn't see that as a scam at all.

AryaStark

__Alex__ wrote: »

Yeah, I've heard tea or coffee called a course. €15 for a starter, main and tea/coffee is extremely cheap. Wouldn't see that as a scam at all.

I never said it was a scam... just wondering if it was normal. While it was very cheap the courses were very small and there was only 2 choices of starter and main. I loved the food and will be going back as it was great value, just not good advertising!

__Alex__

AryaStark wrote: »

I never said it was a scam... just wondering if it was normal. While it was very cheap the courses were very small and there was only 2 choices of starter and main. I loved the food and will be going back as it was great value, just not good advertising!

Other posters have said it was a scam.

Even if the courses were small, €15 for them AND tea/coffee is very cheap.

If the three courses were food-based, I would dread to think what the food would be like at such a low price.

freshpopcorn

When I was at college we did a little bit of menu writing and Tea/Coffee was always considered as a course!

astrofool

Tea/Coffee can count as a course, not a scam. "The more you know"

crustyjuggler

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Beggars can't be choosers

They can choose where to beg .

elperello

__Alex__ wrote: »

Other posters have said it was a scam.

Even if the courses were small, €15 for them AND tea/coffee is very cheap.

If the three courses were food-based, I would dread to think what the food would be like at such a low price.

Using cheaper cuts and careful costing you could put up a very acceptable basic meal and still turn a small profit.

As an "early bird" special to get people in and hopefully return and maybe try your ala carte it's a good idea. However by advertising a cup of tea as a course you risk losing goodwill.

Much better to say two course + tea or coffee or maybe main plus starter or dessert plus tea/coffee. This can allow two budget diners to taste both your starter and dessert and thus get a better idea of what you can serve up.

mrsdewinter

Absolutely. Why not advertise a 2-course meal and 'throw in' the tea/coffee for free at the end. For people in the hospitality business, it doesn't seem very hospitable to say, 'dessert??? Lol! No, silly - your 3rd course is tea or Nescafe...'

jimgoose

learn_more wrote: »

Oh here's the truth.

Middle class ppl and above know full well tea/coffee would be considered a course on a set menu and poorer working class ppl wouldn't necessarily know.

It's really not meant to be a rip off but the ppl who prepare the menu would be aware that it could be mis-understood by working-class ppl, and could use that to their advantage, but probably don't.

There you go, hope that clears things up.

If you presented a cup of tea or coffee as a "course" to great-uncle Brigadier-General Sir Peregrine JC Bamford-Goose he'd have shoved his .38 Webley up your arse and shot you clean through the gall-bladder. What you want is an aperitif, possibly an amuse-bouche, followed by hors d'oeuvres. Then starter/main/desert. Followed by a nice palate-cleansing sorbet before the cheeeseboard, then brandy-and-cigars. What are we at now, nine? Yes, that's more like it.

__Alex__

elperello wrote: »

Using cheaper cuts and careful costing you could put up a very acceptable basic meal and still turn a small profit.

Even so, there are a lot of fixed costs that must be applied to every meal. So you'd be still hard-pressed to produce a decent three course meal for that price point, even with using cheaper cuts.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

jimgoose wrote: »

If you presented a cup of tea or coffee as a "course" to great-uncle Brigadier-General Sir Peregrine JC Bamford-Goose he'd have shoved his .38 Webley up your arse and shot you clean through the gall-bladder. What you want is an aperitif, possibly an amuse-bouche, followed by hors d'oeuvres. Then starter/main/desert. Followed by a nice palate-cleansing sorbet before the cheeeseboard, then brandy-and-cigars. What are we at now, nine? Yes, that's more like it.

That should be starter/soup/mains/dessert, as it was in my heyday.

LaChatteGitane

There is no doubt Ireland is an expensive country for dining out, IMO.
We used to live in France and we would often pop out for a meal in a Les Routiers place. Simple, but good food.
The starter consisted of a buffet with salads and fish, the main was usually something, something meat with potatoes and a sauce that fitted with the meat. Dessert or cheeseboard for 12€ at the time. I have noticed it is now 14€.
There was always a choice of two main dishes and two desserts.

Another place we frequented was 11€ for starter, main, dessert and 1/4 bottle of wine pp. There was no choice. It was the menu of the day and that was it. The wine wasn't particularly good but palatable.

meeeeh

Caylee Mealy Marrow wrote: »

That should be starter/soup/mains/dessert, as it was in my heyday.

What about fish course. And then meat course?

Anyway I wouldn't consider coffee and tea a course, maybe if they produce very good espresso with some biscuits. I think listing it as three course will just make people feel there was some false advertising. Offer it as two courses and coffee/tea and they will think it's a good value.

elperello

__Alex__ wrote: »

Even so, there are a lot of fixed costs that must be applied to every meal. So you'd be still hard-pressed to produce a decent three course meal for that price point, even with using cheaper cuts.

Sorry, I meant two course + tea/coffee for €15 which is do-able. Of course you are right about fixed costs and the proprietor won't get rich on this type of business.

__Alex__

elperello wrote: »

Sorry, I meant two course + tea/coffee for €15 which is do-able. Of course you are right about fixed costs and the proprietor won't get rich on this type of business.

Oh yes, it's definitely possible to get a decent two course meal for €15. I also agree that it'd be better to advertise it as two courses and tea/coffee. Indeed I just recently myself availed of an offer advertised in this way. I think at the above price point, the restaurant is hoping booze will be ordered on top of the €15!

dudara

It's very common to see tea/coffee offered as a course.

I have to say though, that I don't like the practice. I rarely drink tea or coffee after a meal, especially if evening time, so I find the whole thing a bit of a sham. I'd prefer it if the restaurant advertised two courses with tea/coffee.

suicide_circus

I had a one course meal out of Butlers this morning!

[Deleted User]

In decent restaurants the tea and coffee is often complimentary in the 3 course menu. Imperial Hotel in Cork for example, old school class.