Dilemma: Someone else is paying for the food, what do you order?

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: Dilemma: Someone else is paying for the food, what do you order?

What a party: you are treated to a dinner. But when you accept the invitation, you step into a social minefield. Do you pile the table high with exclusive dishes, because hey, that bill isn't coming to you, or do you keep it very modest with a soup and a green salad because you don't want to burden your host with costs? Experts give advice: ‘If someone has a high salary, you can order what you want.’

Everyone knows that colleague who goes all out on the menu when it's clear that the boss is paying. ‘Just have the lobster, and a vodka martini please.’ ‘Don’t be that person,’ says Guy. ‘I've sat at tables with people who first look at what the most expensive item is on the menu and then try to figure out what that dish actually is. Sad, right?’

Risotto with mushrooms please
Nandan takes his dining companions into account, not just when it comes to the bill. ‘I don't order meat when I'm vegetarians out to dinner,’ he says. ‘My dining companions didn't notice, because I didn't say it but just ordered something else.’ And when it comes to the prices on the menu, Nandan has another interesting rule: ‘If I'm hungry, I won't order something I've never eaten before, especially not if it's expensive.’

Insult
‘It's probably polite to order the cheapest dish,’ says Mary. ‘But also consider the expectations of your dining companion who invited you. They probably expect that you might order something more expensive. Moreover: isn't it insulting if you choose something cheap? As if you think they can't afford it.’

Foie gras, bring it on!
‘Let the host order first, and base your choice on that,’ says Sean. ‘If your dining companion orders a martini and an appetizer with foie gras, then I assume they don't mind what I choose. If they have a carafe of water placed on the table and order a cheap main course, then I will adjust to that.’

The boss pays
‘The only time my food is paid for is when I go out to dinner through work. Then we get a budget,’ says Karl. ‘My colleagues and I just order what we want, as long as we stay within budget.’

Lobster or not?
Tip for a date: ask for advice. ‘If I'm asked out and we're in a restaurant I don't know, I say: everything on the menu looks good, what would you recommend? And if he then says: great lobster, then I assume I can order that. But it has to be something you like. If you're craving ribs, then you order those, right?’ Uh... ribs on a date? Do you think that's charming, until your armpits are in the marinade?

High salary
‘It completely depends on the budget of the person who invited you,’ says Jeff. ‘If it's someone with a high salary, then you don't have to worry at all. But don't take advantage of it, because then you'll never be invited out for dinner again!’

Doggy bag
Lynn has experience with people who get the most out of it – if it's free or if someone else is paying. ‘I will never treat those types,’ she says. Her rule, from experience: ‘Don't order more than one drink, don't order anything more expensive than the most expensive appetizer, and don't order extra to take home. ’

No guilt
Another solution: you just don't participate in that nonsense. Like David: ‘I never let anyone pay for me, so I don't have to deal with guilt. I just order what I feel like. I love fish and steaks, so I usually order something more expensive than average. If I want an appetizer and my dining companion doesn't, I just order it. And a dessert too, if it comes to that. I don't go out to eat that often, so I really don't feel like holding back when I'm in a restaurant.’

Source: Quora