Where have you eaten out lately?

[smalex]

Lora

And Yes, agreed Smun and Sal, my desire to try and feel some normality is overwhelming at the moment.

[Ella77]

I understand all of your reasons, and in a funny way they underline to me that I’m right not to want to eat indoors (me personally) yet, if you see what I mean. (Not meant rudely at all.)

[sally maclennane]

Not really but I think all that any of us can do is what is right for ourselves, and not judge others for doing differently (not implying at all that you are!)

[Ella77]

I think I mean that the reason I don’t want to eat indoors is that I can’t be sure that everybody else there will be fully vaccinated/not mingling a lot with others who aren’t, etc. etc. Since that’s *my* problem, I need to stay away and leave other people to do their thing.

[H1ppychick]

I am not eating indoors yet but I’m going for my first dinner ‘out’ on Weds for a friend’s birthday. It will no doubt be peeing it down and blowing a gale. I don’t think I’d be comfortable inside yet, I need to reacclimatise a bit more slowly to normal social interactions I think. I’m semi-vaccinated, I don’t get re-stuck for another month.

[sally maclennane]

Ah I see what you mean, it's that thing of only controlling what you can control, I guess.

[smalex]

I think the next month or two is going to be very revealing of people's thresholds. I saw my parents today for a coffee and my mum was talking about her church, atm it's 30 people max, distanced in groups. In *theory * in 6 weeks it could be back to normal full church everyone sitting cheek by jowl. Hard to imagine, particularly when a probablydisproportionate number of parishioners are on the older side. It'll be interesting to see how institutions (when not driven by trying to stay afloat) deal with it.

Its the June reopening that starts to make me twitch. Not out of my own fear as much as its further than we've been before in terms of reopening and it just feels very alien now.

[Ella77]

Yes, and not letting myself get weird at people .

It is so nice hearing of everybody’s plans and meals etc. It feels hopeful.

[Loralei]

I think I mean that the reason I don’t want to eat indoors is that I can’t be sure that everybody else there will be fully vaccinated/not mingling a lot with others who aren’t, etc. etc. Since that’s *my* problem, I need to stay away and leave other people to do their thing.

That makes sense, although I hope you can do some fun stuff while others are sidling (or charging headlong) into socialising again, even if it's just creating tableaux with the cats

I feel similarly weird about churches that I don't personally go to, Smal. I have felt, really, that P and the children should have been attending Mass online throughout, and leaving the limited places at church for those who won't otherwise see people (and who aren't likely to be superspreaders) but I was overruled.

[nineseven]

I'm partially vaccinated and will be happy to eat indoors. 99% of the restaurants I ate in last time were really good with distancing, sanitising etc.

[dizzyd]

The last time I had a meal inside absolutely freaked me out.

It was a local restaurant near my mum's house and there was no social distancing a big party arrived when we were halfway through our meal and they all sat down at a long table next to us. - we were in a booth.

I spent the next two weeks frantically worrying we'd all caught Covid. I'm pretty certain my mum had had her first jab as it was 29th December I think when we are out

So I'm definitely not rushing to eat inside as soon as it opens up even though my mum is fully vaccinated and we had our first ones middle of March

It was a horrible feeling of doom for two weeks

[nineseven]

It must have been before that, Dizzy, as restaurants had to close after December 16th. Unless they had opened illegally which is even worse!

[smalex]

Didn't it depend which tier you were in? I can't remember now. It was all a frantic melee of tiers and opening and closing.

[nineseven]

Ah sorry, in my head the third lockdown happened earlier than it did

[smalex]

I struggle to remember too now. I remember SCHOOL and NOT SCHOOL but everything else is a bit smudge.

Here, we haven't be able to eat inside a restaurant since Nov 1st, I don't think? Or even outside one maybe. It must be even longer for places that were in T3 since the beginning of the tiers.

[dizzyd]

It was in Liverpool they were tier 2 but yeah totally confusing

[Annabella]

When I say random it's right across the road from Vauxhall bus station. But in an amazing lone Georgian mansion which is an architectural antique shop (I bought some enamel lampshades there once which was a really weird experience). But that area of town has changed so much.

I used to live in Pimlico and went quite often. So it was definitely one of the places I wanted to go back to. Food is really good and also good cocktails. When inside I love all the chandeliers.

[wendy james]

This was my vegetable risotto with vegan feta from last night. It was the saltiest risotto I’ve ever had. Even P, who likes his food saltier than me, said it was a bit much. I did tell the waiting staff when they asked (I actually said everything was fine but she then specifically asked about the risotto!). Shame, as it looked so pretty.

The venue itself was lovely though (and P enjoyed his meal). It’s a Grade I listed building from the 14th/15th century and all higgeldy piggeldy rooms and courtyards.

[Princess Morripov]

Ah that’s a shame as it does look really well presented!

We had an amazing meal, but have brought half of it home

We had battered black pudding, breaded courgette and Halloumi fries to start.

354D8869-9E1A-4649-97CD-60DEB73CD2BB.jpeg

Then we had a pizza with all of the meat on, ridiculous dirty fries, Mac and cheese and onion rings for mains.

[Pippedydeadeye]

That all looks so good. Shame about the risotto.

I had steak & ale pie. Requested chips when preordering, got mash.