Sharing Meals?
 

Many times my husband I will share an entree and/or dessert, not because we are "cheap," but because we can't always eat it all and we want to make sure we have room for dessert.

Is this appropriate in England/Wales/France, has anyone done it, or would we be considered "rude Americans"?

My husband and I always want separate desserts! I guess it depends on the restaurant if they don't mind if you share.

Did someone read the "share meals in Paris" thread. :-) ((b))

First, in Europe an entrée is the appetizer, not the main serving. So if you split an entrée and a dessert in Europe, you will seem cheap. You can order an entrée + plat, or a plat + dessert (French terms, don't know what they say in Wales) while the other person can order the opposite. That keeps you from having to order too many courses. There are other types of places to eat if you only want a very light meal.

I'm sure that the OP means by an entree as the "main course" or "plat" as you say it.

You may have to pay a slight extra charge to do this in some restaurants. Something like an extra plate. Some restaurants probably won't care. ((b))

The other thing to be aware of is that portions in europe are generally smaller than the gargantuan ones you get in the US. (I can never finish a main dish here - but always can in europe).

Also - not everything comes together in some countries (ie you must order veggies or salad or whatever separately - it doesn;t always come with the meat or seafod you ordered).

I can't speak as to England and Wales, as I haven't traveled there as much, but in France, the main courses tend to smaller-sized portions than in most American restaurants. So you will probably be able to each eat an entire entree with no problem.

I'm sure there are times that I have ordered a dessert in France and my husband has not. I can't remember if any French restaurants, in that case, brought an extra fork/spoon for him, as they might in the U.S. But it's easy enough to share a dessert without stating to the waiter that you are doing so. Not that you're being deceptive, it's just that it doesn't matter who eats the dessert.

It also depends on the type of restaurant. It will be less of a big deal in less formal restaurants. I do remember that in London last year, that we had lunch in a pub, and hubby and I both ordered appetizers for lunch while my son had fish and chips, and nobody seemed to mind.

My husband and I are like you, we just can't eat that much at one sitting. During our last 3 trips to Europe (England, Scotland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland), we have NEVER had any problem at all sharing meals. Many times, we are given an estra plate without even having to ask.

I can't speak for the French, but I doubt you will have any difficulties in the UK.

It seems to have become quite normal to share a dessert here in Australia. But beware! My husband and I were eating in a family-type restaurant in London a few years ago. We rarely eat dessert but we saw a nice one go by and decided to splurge. We checked the menu, and, based on its size and ingredients, decided it was the one nominated "For two". But ours was at least double the size when it arrived. It was ENORMOUS - like enough to feed a whole family!!