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There’s always an excuse to eat out whether it’s birthdays, overdue meet ups, spontaneous dinners or when you just can't be bothered to cook and need some girly time (our favourite!).
We grew out of the whole clubbing/raving scene 'prematurely' so restaurants became our thing pretty early in our teenage years. It’s cheeky for us to even say 'restaurants' because in all honesty we frequented TGI Fridays, Nandos and Pizza Hut - fancy huh? Joking! But you've got to start somewhere right?
Historically dining is an essential pillar stone to a family and group of friends as it provides an opportunity for everyone to press pause on their day and enjoy each others company. We all have got to eat, so why not get dressed up and put the two together? This being said, its not all daffodils and roses at the table…
Coming together to eat as a group is always such a good time but has the potential to be hefty task especially when it involves merging two or more friendship groups for special occasions. Once you've finally found a venue to accommodate differing personalities and tastes; the next worry is dinner table discussions and trying to avoid awkward silences is a fete of its own. Above all else, the biggest dining dilemma, the one elephant in the room which just cannot be ignored –
Paying the bill.
We're not sure about you but unless you’re dining with people you’re familiar with, the arrival of the bill can be one of THE most awkward moments, closely followed by going to the bathroom and realising you have had food stuck in your teeth the entire meal. So the next question is for the majority of the meal - who looks at it first?
Does looking at it first insinuate that I'm paying for the whole thing?
How about on dates?
Do I act like I haven't seen it? After all he's the dude, as a gentleman, he should take care of it?
Or should I suggest splitting it?
Should I offer to cover it on an #independentwoman vibe?
What card did I bring?
Sound familiar?
Yes, these are all the thoughts that run through women’s (well our) minds about the bill so let’s address it..
Splitter or Counter?
First, let’s start off with the bill and the all-important question - Are you a splitter or a counter?
We personally are splitters; lets save the hassle of using our phones to calculate who had what; then when two people order the same thing you have to split that in half and make sure it’s counted - #TeamTooMuch. Counters also usually forget about tax and gratuity whereas splitters immediately consider that. Having said this, if someone has opted to order champagne and cocktails all night, whilst we have been watching our diet and order pineapple juice, here presents a slight issue. In this case, we would suggest splitting the food equally and deal with drinks individually.
In the UK, legally all taxes and mandatory charges must be reflected in the price and should gratuity need to be paid, it is compulsory that this is clearly communicated before the meal. This being said, there is a growing culture of Brits leaving tips (gratuity) after a meal - guess we’re not so stingy after all.
That’s all well and good but what happens when the service didn’t meet expectation we hear you ask. When it comes to bad service, we’re old school – bad service, no tip, and this is perfectly in line with the 'Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982' (FYI).
Service Charge/Gratuity
If the service is great however, it is generally recommended to leave a tip of between 10-12.5% and to be fair, the waiting staff deserve it. We all remember the retail days, so being on your feet all day And trying to resist eating the food they’re serving can’t be easy!
Although leaving tips in the UK are becoming more the norm, in North America tipping is tradition - point blank period. While the amount you tip is at your own discretion, it is expected even at bars where you are simply buying a drink. Yes we were shocked too - and yes we do mean EVERY drink you buy.
While tipping decisions/amount may vary by continent as far as general dining etiquette, for us the rules are simple - split equally, order sensibly.
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