18/08/2026
Iām so sick of eating out, expensive, poor service with a tip expectation added with the bill and the food is more often than not very average - in the UK.
We tend to buy a local steak and enjoy it at home these days instead of eating out, a third of the price and a much better experience we find.
Or we jump on our private jet and eat in Italy, but this often costs the same to eat for a family of four - so always a difficult choice.
So when it was suggested to eat up the road in a little place called Sandhurst, I rolled my eyes and went along with my usual grumpy, middle aged, high expectant miserable attitude, which is getting worse in recent years.
My mums going to send her food back and complain, the wifeās going to feel sick after and hate the waitress for being rude, the kids wonāt eat it and Iām paying a hefty bill. So I thoughtā¦
But I was very wrong, so wrong we all canāt wait to go back, a restaurant has very rarely done that, and in Sandhurst - was I dreaming?
All family members struggling to find anything to complain about, thatās odd these days. Polite staff, comfortably seats, no sticky tables what was going onā¦?
Now I struggle sometimes to choose what to eat, the menu had the opposite effect - I wanted to try many dishes, so Iām afraid Iām coming back you canāt surely catch us out twiceā¦
The food that arrived at our table was shocking, so shockingly good for a restaurant just up the road that Iām still questioning this morning if I dreamed it or if it was real. My grumpy mood this morning lifted, Iām not sulking around the house having paid hundreds for moans of displeasure.
I have no choice now but to return to understand how they convinced me to enjoy myself. Even the wife, who moans at everything wants to return when I questioned her this morning.
Whatās going on Sandhurst???
Sandhurst - blink and you miss it as you drive through, but itās a place I will no longer blink at, Iām parking up and eating, eyes wide open.
Iāve heard a few comments about having to wait sometimes for the food - thatās called preparation and cooking, this isnāt heat in a bag food, this is real food, carefully created to make us happy.
You want quick - go eat in a chain.
And happy I am.
No tip added to the bill, I paid a tip of my choosing because the staff were genuinely nice people who wanted me there.
Thank you - we will return many times, so many other things to try.
Even if itās just to sit in your comfy seats.
Eating out shouldnāt be every night, eating out shouldnāt be cheap, eating out should be enjoyable and something you canāt do at home, eating out should be happy people serving happy people.
Someone has put energy in to make that happen here - eat there and enjoy it.
If your āI want it right nowā attitude raises its ugly head, which we are all guilty of feeling, sit back (in comfort) and enjoy the moment.
And if you simply donāt get it, LOOK hard at the food when it reaches you - that stuff takes time so take your time to appreciate it.
