The problem with going out to dinner is the cost! Sounds like a fairly obvious statement – we’d all go out all the time if it was free – but I always wonder whether I’m paying too much for a meal, although I nearly always enjoy it. Even when you go to relatively cheap places, if you want a starter, main course and a drink you’re looking at paying over £30 most of the time, which is a lot of money.
I think this is made worse because I’m such a fast eater. Usually I finish my main course in less than 15 minutes, and the starter is barely on the table before it’s finished. I always enjoy it – but I’m not sure if it’s worth the money.
Take the cinema for example. For an hour and a half’s entertainment you have to pay around £7. Going to the gym costs around £30 a month, and gives you many hours of “fun”. Buying a computer game costs around £35, and usually lasts for around 20 hours. Going out to dinner costs a full £30, and lasts around an hour and a half. When you put it that way, you don’t seem to get value for money.
With that said, I still enjoy going out to a meal more than any of the other options. I’m not known for my cooking, so it’s a real treat to be able to go out and get a high quality meal (and not have to worry about the washing up).
So, where do I recommend going for dinner? There are a huge number of places to choose from now, but I prefer to keep to the local places rather than the big chains. There are some chain restaurants that do good food, but I never think they are quite the same.
The one exception is “Jamie’s”. As you might have guessed, this is a chain of high quality restaurants owned by Jamie Oliver, and they really do serve good food. Although the price is a bit more expensive than other restaurants, it’s not prohibitively costly, so it’s fine for a one off meal.
Other good restaurants that I eat at regularly include Giraffe, TGIs (yes, it’s an annoying place, but the burgers are good) and Nandos. There are some local ones too.