When is it ok to send food back?

Is it acceptable to send a dish back because you simply don't like it, or do you put up with over/under-cooked food to avoid making a fuss?

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I wouldn't send something back just cause I didn't like it, but if it's not cooked right (depending on the class of the establishment) I'd send it back.

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It's a good question :)

I think if you've chosen something off the menu and the dish by and large looks and tastes as you'd expect having read the ingredients then it's a bit off to send it back simply because you don't like it. However, if it's nothing like you'd expect from the description then I think that's fine.

If the food is poorly cooked then sending it back is fine, providing the meal is ruined by the mistakes rather than just looking a bit rough on the plate.


I hardly send anything back, I hate confrontation and would rather eat something or just leave it than create a fuss. If I'm asked after if there was anything wrong with the dish then I'd say something.


A few weeks ago in Pizza Express I found a hair in my salad, I didn't say anything but made sure the staff noticed me fish it out and discard it.... the meal was taken off the bill.... a fair outcome I thought, nobody likes to find a hair in their salad :vomit:

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But I love hairy salad!

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There have been two occasions when I wish I'd said something but shied away from confrontation. One was a semi-defrosted panacotta that looked and tasted like a lump of lard, another was supposed to be "stuffed baked mackerel" which turned out to be a whole fish dumped on the plate, complete with tail and head, with a wedge of lemon on the top.

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Would cost also be a factor - i.e would you be more likely to send back a £35 dish of black cod than say, a £7 plate of lasagne?

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Yeah I think cost is definitely a big part of it.

I think you'd struggle to send a meal back if it was "2 meals for £7"... I mean what are you expecting for £3.50? - unless you saw the waiter sneeze on it as he brought it over or something.

But if you're paying big money I think you're more entitled to send something back which isn't up to scratch. Plus - and this may be a huge sweeping generalisation - I think that people who are used to paying big money for food are probably also used to getting their own way fairly often and so perhaps feel less apologetic about making a fuss?

As for me though, I don't think I've ever sent anything back. Just doesn't feel very British. Head down and just get on with it. Had a seabass once which absolutely stank - it'd definitely been around a while. Didn't stop me from eating it through gritted teeth. I moaned about it to everyone on our table and then when the waitress came around with her obligatory "everything OK?" I gave a "MMmmmm delicious, thank you."

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I've got a mate who's really picky - he always makes a fuss and moans about food then gets it sent back - he's so embarrassing to be at a table with. Then you feel obliged to stop what you're eating a wait for his to come back after it's been corrected. Makes for a great meal.
We had a meal out with him once and he sent back the starter AND the main meal. A delightful evening.

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That sounds like fun. I get irritated when people complain about the plates not being hot enough, or the salad taking up too much space.

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:speechless:

Does that happen? If I was the waiter and some well proportioned diner said that the temptation would be too great to resist giving a smart arse reply :laugh:

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I think the exact quote was "all this salad is taking up the chips space"

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