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What do you expect from a restaurant

[Deleted User]

Had lunch today in a restaurant that has a Bib Gourmand I though it was excellent and extremely good value for the level of skill and experience that goes in doing food like that ( 20 for a two course lunch ).

Reading the reviews on Tripadvisor which were mostly five star however a lot of complaints of the portions being too small, now while the portions were not large its not that sort of restaurant you wouldn't leave hungry.

So do you expect to be stuffed and waddle out after a meal in a restaurant.

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SEPT 23 1989

Ann_Landers wrote: »

Ugh, why? Being uncomfortably full is a horrible feeling. It's awful that people mark down quality restaurants because they are not disgustingly full leaving the establishment. I've never left a restaurant in Ireland unsatisfied with the portions and indeed usually there is way too much food. I'm a fan of doggy bags.

It's a hangover from the famine

Ann_Landers

Meilani Freezing Mothball wrote: »

I expect to be pleasantly sated.

This is my goal too and honestly, I don't think I have ever left a restaurant in Ireland less than sated. I think when people are saying they left hungry that they expect to be stuffed to the gills and anything less isn't enough.

Ann_Landers

mariaalice wrote: »

I wouldn't put up with that if your still so hungry you have to go to McDonald's afterwards then there is something wrong.

I'm always doubtful of these "we had to stop at the chipper afterwards" stories.

Carry

Shenshen wrote: »

Nope, I'd just expect to be full. If I leave hungry after having had a main, I'd be a bit miffed.

I would expect food that's better than I could make at home, and a decent selection. Being vegetarian, my choice in many restaurants is still "Do I eat or don't I eat?". If I even get that choice

Same here, plus I like new taste experiences or at least familiar food with a twist. I don't eat red meat, only occasionally chicken or seafood, so it's hard in rural Ireland to find a restaurant that has a bit of choice beyond the usual "meat and 2 veg".

I don't like huge portions which leave me nearly comatose, just the right amount to be not hungry anymore but still having a functioning brain.

And I don't like overcooked vegetables or any artificial ingredients (like glutamat or such like).

Sounds fussy, but since I'm a passionate cook I expect exceptional or at least honest food when I pay for it in a restaurant.

Plus friendly and efficient staff - and no blaring music.

DonkeyDick1992

i expect good quality food and a decent portion depending on if 2/3/4 courses the portions should vary to allow for the other courses, but you get what you pay for, although I brought the girlfriend the a famous hotel in west Clare (NO NAMES) last summer for spa day and dinner, we got 2 steaks, and 2 deserts, was 135euro and both of us left half our steaks on the plate due to bad quality but was an experience, wouldnt have the steak there again

blackvalley

mariaalice wrote: »

My pet hate is tables too close together, it need to be an all round good experiences ambience, .

Totally agree. " Table for two please " and you are seated closer to the people on your right and left than you are to your partner across the table .

[Deleted User]

DonkeyDick1992 wrote: »

I brought the girlfriend the a famous hotel in west Clare (NO NAMES) last summer for spa day and dinner, we got 2 steaks, and 2 deserts, was 135euro

That's just insane.

Why would you pay waaaaaaaaay over the rates for Michelin starred restaurants to eat at a place that...isn't? Paid €100 recently at a restaurant that had had a Michelin star, it was very good...but even at that overpriced. €135 is off the scale. You'd pay less at the Dorchester in London.

893bet

DonkeyDick1992 wrote: »

i expect good quality food and a decent portion depending on if 2/3/4 courses the portions should vary to allow for the other courses, but you get what you pay for, although I brought the girlfriend the a famous hotel in west Clare (NO NAMES) last summer for spa day and dinner, we got 2 steaks, and 2 deserts, was 135euro and both of us left half our steaks on the plate due to bad quality but was an experience, wouldnt have the steak there again

Biggest issue is you paid!

I would do the same mostly likely. Pay, say it was fine, never eat there again, maybe leave a poor-bad review on line ( unfair given they weren't given a chance to fix).

For Forks Sake

Dimitri Deep Stream wrote: »

Regardless of how good the food is if I'm not fit to burst when leaving then it's a disappointment.

You're doing it wrong. Quantity =/= quality.

Personally, as long as the waiting staff don't pick the moment just as I've put a fork of food into my mouth to do the "is everything ok" thing, they're fine by me

freshpopcorn

The main type of waiting style I don't like are the one's that try and push you out the door whilst your eating. Especially when the restaurant isn't even busy!

Ush1

Depends on a few things.

If I'm out with the family, child friendly is a big one.
Decent menu with fresh food that's cooked nicely and you can't go too wrong. I'm not fussed about prices(usually!).

Noveight

Decent sized portions, a nice setting, a few different choices of main, tasty food that's a cut higher than what I'd prepare myself.

Radiant Cool Crazy Nightmare

Food served on a plate please. Nothing worse for me than to receive food on a timber chopping board or roofing slate. After that I am easy enough.

nullzero

A hygienic environment, professional service, a decent level of cooking at least (I've been in restaurants where the same sauce has been placed on different dishes with different names which is just pure laziness).

Not to be left waiting an age to pay your bill, and I dislike card machines which are programmed with prompts for leaving a gratuity which the waiting staff will never see a cent of.

Boom_Bap

I'm just trying to think what draws me and my family back to our favorite place.

In no particular order
- Variety on the menu (meats dishes/fish/veggie/pizza)
- But the menu not too big
- Tasty food - better than what I can cook at home
- Being stuffed afterwards
- Friendly staff - helpful staff
- Space
- Menu or the kids with variety
- Decent price
- Parking
- Free Wifi so that I can instagram pictures of my food*

*joke

Sleepy

It depends on why I'm going there. If I'm on the road and just want to sate my appetite price is a key condideration. If I'm out with the family, we'd be looking for somewhere family friendly that has a menu suitable for them. If I'm out for a meal with Mrs Sleepy the minimum I look for is that the chef can prepare a better meal than me. If I was going to somewhere with a Michelin Star, I don't care about portion sizes, I just want to be utterly blown away by the chef's talent.

trellheim

this thread inspired me to this old memory ... what you must be able to do in a restaurant

http://imgur.com/IcCbIKI

Pelvis

A stable chair at a reasonable height with some form of cushioning, and arm rests would be a nice addition. Nothing worse than a wobbly plank of wood that's barely 2" off the ground.

For the average burger joint I just want a normal soft drink. I'm not interested in your stupid over priced lemonade. If you don't have something as ubiquitous as a diet coke then you can fuck right off.

Space. Space between me and the person either side of me AND behind me!

Air conditioning is nice.

A table that can fit more than 2 plates and a bottle of ketchup.

No loud children.

I had my first experience in a michelin restuarant there a few months ago, as a gift to my girlfriend. The meal incl wine + tip came to over €200. Not something I'll be doing again anytime soon, but it was an experience. Some of the best food I've ever tasted, but as important, it was just a very comfortable, relaxing, therapeutic experience.

awec

mariaalice wrote: »

Had lunch today in a restaurant that has a Bib Gourmand I though it was excellent and extremely good value for the level of skill and experience that goes in doing food like that ( 20 for a two course lunch ).

Reading the reviews on Tripadvisor which were mostly five star however a lot of complaints of the portions being too small, now while the portions were not large its not that sort of restaurant you wouldn't leave hungry.

So do you expect to be stuffed and waddle out after a meal in a restaurant.

Ignore Trip Advisor reviews, there are too many people out there who review restaurants based on how big the bowl of chips they give you is.

[Deleted User]

awec wrote: »

Ignore Trip Advisor reviews, there are too many people out there who review restaurants based on how big the bowl of chips they give you is.

Considering the crap portions of chips a lot of places are giving now I'm not surprised its something getting highlighted.

Porklife

I recently ate in a Michelin star restaurant in Dublin and wasn't all that impressed but they quickly turned the situation around.

We opted for the tasting menu with matching wines. As it was a tasting menu, we weren't actually given a food menu, just a drinks menu so we didn't know what was coming next or what to expect which added a level of excitement.

The restaurant called me the day before the meal to ask if we had any allergies. I told them I'm allergic to cucumber and dislike dill but aside from that,a ll good.

I ordered a gin and tonic upon arrival and it came with a swirl of cucumber. In their defense, I ordered Hendrix and that traditionally comes with cucumber. I sent it back and they were lovely about it, replacing the cucumber with lime.

The first few courses were amazing, small portions as we expected but great combinations and imaginative presentation. The staff were really charismatic and knowledgeable. I think it was the fifth course when we were presented with the 'beef' on top of blackened garlic. I took a bite and almost got sick. It was this really bloody, pungent, gamey taste. I'd never tasted beef like that before!

I called the waiter over and he apologised profusely and said it wasn't beef, it was in fact pigeon. He had just served another table beef and it was on his mind.

Easy mistake to make but disappointing in a Michelin star restaurant. I know the stars are based purely on food and not on service but still.

Anyway, long story short, they invited us back for a dinner on the house to remedy the situation! The second time round, it was flawless!

suicide_circus

I hate seating which is either too high or too low. Sitting on a sofa or armchair is not conducive to eating a knife and fork meal. And let's have some soft but functional lighting so I can read the menu and see my food. And toothpicks on the table are a perfectly valid convenience.

Ush1

suicide_circus wrote: »

I hate seating which is either too high or too low. Sitting on a sofa or armchair is not conducive to eating a knife and fork meal. And let's have some soft but functional lighting so I can read the menu and see my food. And toothpicks on the table are a perfectly valid convenience.

Good point, I hate eating in low lighting where I can't see my food properly!!

[Deleted User]

awec wrote: »

Ignore Trip Advisor reviews, there are too many people out there who review restaurants based on how big the bowl of chips they give you is.

I kinda like Tripadvisor for precisely that reason. It doesn't follow the 5 star great, 4 star very good, 3 star adequate stuff, the reviews are more about peoples expectations and reactions and are a little more...democratic. Find it is usually far more likely to mirror my reactions to a place rather than relying on word of mouth or reputation based on assumptions about stars.

Alun

Ush1 wrote: »

Good point, I hate eating in low lighting where I can't see my food properly!!

And where you have to use the torch in your phone to even read the menu!

nullzero

Pelvis wrote: »

No loud children.

If you're in a place that caters to families then you can expect children to be loud and it's just too bad.

BrokenArrows

The most important thing i want from a restaurant is to be able to pay and leave quickly.

I hate having to ask for the bill which takes 10 minutes to deliver and then another 10 minutes for them to return with the card machine.

TheShow

Porklife wrote: »

I recently ate in a Michelin star restaurant in Dublin and wasn't all that impressed but they quickly turned the situation around.

We opted for the tasting menu with matching wines. As it was a tasting menu, we weren't actually given a food menu, just a drinks menu so we didn't know what was coming next or what to expect which added a level of excitement.

The restaurant called me the day before the meal to ask if we had any allergies. I told them I'm allergic to cucumber and dislike dill but aside from that,a ll good.

I ordered a gin and tonic upon arrival and it came with a swirl of cucumber. In their defense, I ordered Hendrix and that traditionally comes with cucumber. I sent it back and they were lovely about it, replacing the cucumber with lime.

The first few courses were amazing, small portions as we expected but great combinations and imaginative presentation. The staff were really charismatic and knowledgeable. I think it was the fifth course when we were presented with the 'beef' on top of blackened garlic. I took a bite and almost got sick. It was this really bloody, pungent, gamey taste. I'd never tasted beef like that before!

I called the waiter over and he apologised profusely and said it wasn't beef, it was in fact pigeon. He had just served another table beef and it was on his mind.

Easy mistake to make but disappointing in a Michelin star restaurant. I know the stars are based purely on food and not on service but still.

Anyway, long story short, they invited us back for a dinner on the house to remedy the situation! The second time round, it was flawless!

Stars are based on the whole experience - food and service.

ebbsy

I would expect to see lovely crumpet serving lovely crumpet.

Ferm001

Radiant Cool Crazy Nightmare wrote: »

Food served on a plate please. Nothing worse for me than to receive food on a timber chopping board or roofing slate. After that I am easy enough.

Totally agree. Had lunch in pub today with OH, steak on wooden board with bucket of chips and bowl of pepper sauce, fish on a slate with shopping trolley of chips and bowl of peas. Would have tasted just as good on a dinner plate.