Has anyone booked any restaurants/bars for 3 weeks time? We have booked dinner at Simpsons in Birmingham for the 24th. They’re promising heated and covered seating...that’ll do.
We have already been before so initially I wanted to see if any other starred eateries were doing anything similar but I couldn’t find any.
I've booked some pubs, and all are understandably taking deposits for the bookings.
I really, really hope they don't extend the lockdown further, as one landlord I know has remortgaged his home to pay for the deliveries for the 12th April reopenings. I imagine he's very much not alone in having to do so.
We've got the Fat Duck booked for June 22nd which, according to a mate, is being referred to as 'Freedom Day' and his entire office have been given the day off!
Originally Posted by Chinese_Alan
I didn't even know it (restaurants serving outdoors) was possible until a former colleague asked me if I fancied getting out for lunch w/c 12 April. Then we booked again for early evening the week after! Just hope the weather picks up!
I will 100% be avoiding going out this day* and for 2 weeks after, to avoid the worst of the COVID spreading! A restaurant meal really can wait...
* sorry, I meant whatever day lockdown ends
Last edited by ach5; 23rd March 2021 at 19:17.
Hicce in Kings Cross on the 12th for dinner. Wasn’t specifically trying to book somewhere on the 12th but Monday was a good day so went for that!
Went there is October for my wife’s 40th…. It were beaut!!
I’ve got a few days booked in the Peak District in an Airbnb - 4 pubs in 4 days, not a single one asked for a deposit (I would have been happy to). The sad thing was so many pub websites there have lapsed or give 404s, hopefully they haven’t gone under.
Excellent to hear - I think they've had to down here in London as during the last lifting of restrictions, people were booking multiple places for a night and then choosing on the night which one to go to, rather than actually going to them all. Really not on, but people will be people.
Everything nearby is fully booked for that week commencing 12th April, so I hope they get enough cash flow to mend some of the inevitable wounds to their finances.
Draught beer...oh I've missed you.
Best stay inside for the rest of your adult life then. That’ll mitigate any risk of death.
Oh, wait...you’re going to die anyway!
A life without some risk isn’t worth living.
*Apols for Tapatalk censoring my punctuation*
When I went before it was December and I did mention how nice it would be to eat in the garden..even if inside a tent I guess I’ve got my wish!
- - - Updated - - -
Fully support deposits being taken. Booked a place near(ish) to Hull for late May (Pipe and Glass) and I’ve had to pay a £20 p/p deposit.
Can see the need for deposits due to people behaving like selfish dicks, but the place i wanted to book wants my card details with no mention of an actual deposit. I’ve no idea if they’re allowed to take an unspecified amount if we were no-shows, not that that would happen barring a catastrophe!
Missed eating out far more than the pub, though i’m very much looking forward to cold pints of decent beer, lager,IPA...
Good luck to everyone who thinks they're going anywhere on 12 April. I smell a Boris back down in the air.
All the rhetoric from the various government departments sounds decidedly downbeat so I wouldn't be surprised if we have a few more weeks of caution so everyone doesn't go mad over Easter.
I personally can't see much pleasure to be had in eating outside in April anyway. How are they screening people?
The website usually says, often depends on day/time. Worth a look.
Should never worry though unless you’re planning on not showing.
I booked a table at Paul Ainsworth’s place in Padstow once about 2 months in advance and they never gave me a courtesy call like you’d expect a day or two before at the ‘point of no return’ as such. They then rang me 10 mins after I was meant to show asking where I was. I was in Greece. Bad form on their part IMO but they never charged me. I was very apologetic and embarrassed.
Wouldn’t dream of a no show, barring some real emergency and never have done. i’m a greedy b’stard and look forward to it too much! Still think it’s a bit of an ask asking for a blank cheque as it were and there’s no other details on the site when you attempt to book.
We’ve a £60 voucher from Christmas from our eldest that’s been burning a whole in the cupboard too!
That sounds very odd to not specify the amount - any number you can call? I wouldn't be keen to give them my details with no amount or conditions specified. One place I've booked uses the booking fee as your bar tab, so they keep it if you turn up or not and you could potentially be in a position where you don't spend it all (though I can't foresee that happening given it's £30 for a table of 4).
I’ve tried calling them about 5-6 times on different days to no avail. Shall keep trying though as i’m not giving them a blank cheque, the food is bloody lovely though!
I assume that the 12th April date was partially chosen as it is after Easter/school holidays but could be wrong.
When you mean screening, do you mean COVID screening or keeping the weather out?! Most of the places near me set up for outside dining have a canvas or similar roof, partial sides and loads of patio heaters so probably as close as you can be to inside whilst being outside... Greenpeace they arent.
I have left CC details with the restaurant and they take a charge if you give less than 24 hours notice which seems fair. If things don't open then then just rebook it another date, still have to do that from a 17th December booking which was cancelled actually!
Is it really worth booking an outside meal in this country early April. To me the whole experience of eating out is the place itself, not sitting outside shivering in a covered Car Park. No I wait till June
I'll wait until the rabid desperates have got their instinctive needs out of the way 1st. Waiting a few more weeks won't hurt me.
We are going away for a few days at the coast that week and will hopefully be eating out(side) a few times.
This thread has prompted me to make some bookings (when places nearby where we're staying are open to answer the phones). We'll probably book lunches or early evening if we're going to be outside.
But risking death just for something like a restaurant meal?
Seems daft to me, but each to their own.
ummm the covid dining experience. Couldnt think of anything worse but each to their own
Indeed but Ahh the added frisson of covid risk, it'll transform the Nando's piri piri chicken
Never mind the power/burn rate of all those outdoor heaters, what a thrill.
Last edited by Passenger; 24th March 2021 at 12:16.
Don't you remember when Rishi subsidised everyone to risk death for a restaurant meal ;)
As you say, each to their own though as no-one is forced to sit outside for a meal in April and you can judge your individual risk of death and make decisions based on that just as everyone does all the time every day.
A life without risk isn't worth living.
Seriously though... I ride a motorbike and a mountain bike. We ski and eat medium rare burgers. We've both had Covid and I've been vaccinated long enough ago to consider myself protected. We don't have contact with any especially vulnerable friends or relatives. When it comes to eating a nice fish and chips in the fresh air at the seaside, how does one calculate the risk of death vs the pleasure?
After a year of being sensible, considering others, observing guidance and the lockdown rules, we’re taking a short break in Dorset and have booked three restaurants. We’ll still be sensible, consider others and observe guidance and rules but at least we’ll do it in a manner more akin to normality. Foreign travel will wait until next year though.
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