Not that I plan to but what is the general consensus in Europe, particularly London,about asking for To-Go boxes/bags; is there even such a thing there? My husband and I are frugal and not food-wasters at all. We usually practice taking our leftovers from restaurants in the U.S. if we have at least half left.

No-one turns a hair if you ask for doggie bags at Indian or Chinese restaurants in London - except once when we had a HUGE amount, found ourselves passing someone with a "hungry" sign asking for "change" and offered him the take-away. Which he spurned, contemptuously.

Never tried it anywhere else - not least because I can't remember when Mrs F + I last left enough to make the request worthwhile.

I have very rarely seen anyone ask for a "doggie bag" in France or Italy, though I was surprised once when a French waiter did ask if we wanted him to package up our leftovers. I can't speak for London, but I think it might be regarded as peculiar in France or Italy.

I was discussing this very thing with a friend the other day... I was recalling the first time I was in the US and was having lunch out with an American friend. At the end of the meal he asked to take what was left with him - and I was absolutely horrified! Had to remind myself that it's common practice there.

To be honest, in London now it's no longer really frowned upon other than in the very upmarket restaurants. In Indians, Chineses, Thais etc nobody would bat an eye. However, probably the main reason that this is the case that these restaurants cater for take-aways but most restaurants don't - so you may find that they won't have anything there ready for you to take it away in! Having said that, they should still offer to get creative with some tinfoil!

I think To Go boxes are a particular american curiosity, and really isn't done in London, except perhaps for Flanner's rare example (Indian and Chinese restaurants usually operate as take out facilities as well, so boxing up food is no big deal for them).

But to be honest, I've often wondered if it's a symptom of the huge portions that are frequently served in US restaurants. Unless you plan on eating at TGIs, I can't imagine that you'd have half your food left over in a London restaurant anyway. You'll probably find portions smaller than what you're used to.

Talllulah, I see we speak as one.

I've never had a waiter stare or otherwise chastise me for asking to take leftovers away in France, Italy, Portugal, Germany or the UK.

Beware, mrshekmi, that asking food questions on this forum often leads to a food fight. Take a look at this fairly contentious thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1359019

Interestingly, on this thread, someone named StCirq gave a somewhat different answer than the one above. Must be a completely different person.

Eeeewww. Asking for a doggie bag in a Chinese restaurant brings new meaning to the term.

Ah, yes, American restaurants are notoriously big on their portions. Can't wait to dine in London and experience the difference!

I guess we don't eat at the same places. I don't go for the "let's see how much stuff we can put on your plate" places in the US, but go to a pretty varied group of restaurants. And I eat at a pretty varied group in Europe too. I just don't see any noticeably difference in the size of the portions. The one exception I'll make is that a "secondi" or meat course in Italy is generally smaller than anywhere else -- but that includes in the UK or France as well as the US.
In fact I've been served embarrassingly huge portions of food in places like the Alsatian restaurants in France (platters of sauerkraut and various meats that would make a TGI Friday's waiter groan). I've never seen a small plate of food in Germany. And I've ordered roast ribs of beef which only come in one portion size in the UK that top the size of the "king cut" in the US -- and come with "jacket potatoes" the size of Idaho!
So I just don't get this constant referral to how huge American portions are. Is it just me that doesn't get it?

My dear, it is vulgar, and is not needed. In the US you have disgustingly large portions, so you feel that you should take your leftovers home rather than letting them be disposed of. This in itself is vulgar, not being able to afford to leave something suggests that one cannot afford to eat properly. That aside, the portions in London are small, if you can't eat all of it then leave it. What are you going to do with it - eat it for breakfast?

Don't be so tight.

Not a completely different person, rockhopper, just a SOMEWHAT different person, as in one who's been back to Europe about 10 times since that old post and acquired a lot more experiences...and perhaps lost a few memory cells in the process.

As for portion size, I've seen huge platters of food in most countries I've visited, but I do think on average portion sizes in America are larger than in Europe, especially at moderately priced places.

Also, in Europe people stay put at the table a lot longer than they do in America. It's not uncommon for dinner to go on for 2-3 hours. I don't often see people lingering over a meal that long in the USA. Overall, I think we get bigger portions and snarf them down faster.

No breakfast on earth - not baked beans with bubble and Bury black pudding, not even congee with lots of dried prawns - can match last night's curry, cold.

Though cold foo yung comes close. As does chicken with cashew nuts.

m_kingdom2 wrote:

What are you going to do with it - eat it [leftovers] for breakfast?

Yes sir/ma'am I do. Why should I eat beyond capacity or have perfectly good food thrown out.

m_kingdom2 also wrote:
This [to-go boxes] in itself is vulgar, not being able to afford to leave something suggests that one cannot afford to eat properly.

If you want to do this fine, but don't tell me how to live.

We were dining with a Spanish family (the parents of our former exchange student) and their reply was "Es feo!" which translates - ugly! so I assume this is not done in Spain. However it seems to me awhile ago there were some posts about the French government encouraging doggie bags for unfinished wine! Interesting!

I've never done this in Europe, and really would not care to, but I also don't remember ever seeing anyone do this in Paris (which is just the place I've been to most often so would notice). I can't imagine having more than half your meal left -- I would not order so much if I weren't hungry. For example, I would skip dessert or maybe the appetizer and not load up on bread. Those are the things I do when I'm not that hungry in restaurants.

Actually, Patrick, I was thinking the same thing as you. I do not routinely dine in restaurants in the US that have very large portions that one must take home, either. I don't notice any big difference in portion size, but I don't eat in American chain restaurants like Applebees or TGIF (I don't know if they do that, just an example of places I don't dine), I eat in regular independent restaurants, usually of some ethnic cuisine.

The only type of restaurant I notice that often gives very large portions where I live are a couple Italian restaurants. There is one mini-"chain" (really just a couple branches) of an Italian restaurant here that brags about what it calls "oversized portions". They claim that is authentic Sicilian as those were their ancestors and the inspiration for their restaurant. Maybe it is, I don't know, but I don't know why oversized portions appeal to folks. Those literally can serve about 2-3 people.

flanneruk: Ooohhh! I'm almost tempted to get an Indian tonight just for the pleasure of it cold tomorrow morning! Haven't done that for ages...and it is SO good

Well this wouldn't work for Indian or Chinese take-away, but carry a few ziplock bags in your purse, and tuck that 1/2 sandwich away yourself.

It has nothing to do with being "tight".I have the means to spend whatever I want on food,that doesn't mean I want to waste the finite resources on the planet.The way I was brought up wasting food was a sin.Certainly not vulgar.

Tallulah said:
Author: Tallulah
Date: 09/21/2004, 12:57 pm
Message: flanneruk: Ooohhh! I'm almost tempted to get an Indian tonight just for the pleasure of it cold tomorrow morning! Haven't done that for ages...and it is SO good.


Tallulah, call Sahir 555-1489. He sounds like the Indian you're looking for.