London restaurant under fire: €68 scrambled eggs
If you thought the hospitality industry in Amsterdam (or the Netherlands) had become expensive, I strongly advise against taking a trip to London. I was there myself last November and I’m still in shock at the prices they charge here. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a very fun city with amazing restaurants (like this one) and I had already been warned that it had become considerably more expensive since my last visit a few years ago. But some restaurants really take the biscuit…
Luckily, I skipped restaurant Hide, because what they dare to charge for their dishes is truly obscene. Even guests are now protesting. The reason: scrambled eggs on toast for £58 — that’s about €68. That’s right, for eggs and bread. Absolutely crazy.
Five-star breakfast
Admittedly, Hide may have a Michelin star — but the prices for breakfast are truly outrageous. The reviews are therefore scathing, apart from a few hilarious ones: ‘It’s ridiculous, but I like ridiculous things.‘ The scrambled eggs in question are called ‘tasteless‘ by many visitors, while someone else also wrote that the dishes were ‘basic‘, without ‘any wow factor’.
Check the prices beforehand
What always amazes me when restaurants go viral for this reason: does no one check the price online beforehand?! Now, I know some people like to be surprised, but I always look at the menu and prices in advance. Even so, I nearly got caught out in London too.
Cancel quickly
I had made a reservation (with credit card confirmation) at the oh-so-hip Sketch for brunch. I checked the menu anyway (thankfully in time, so my credit card wasn’t charged) and was completely shocked by the prices. It turns out there are several restaurants at Sketch, and I had booked brunch at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Lecture Room. I cancelled immediately, because that was a bit too much for me.
A little personal responsibility, please
I do find it rather odd to kick up a fuss about the bill afterwards; the prices are, after all, listed on the menu. And in this case I find it even more surprising, because the ‘standard’ scrambled eggs already cost £38. Still very pricey, but these guests chose to add white truffle, bringing the final total to €68.
Managing expectations
And now I’m curious what these guests had expected? In an extremely fancy establishment, ordering some fresh truffle with your dish and then being completely outraged that the truffle, just like everything else on the menu, is rather expensive?
Instead of getting angry afterwards, it might be better to stop ordering these absurdly priced dishes altogether. Perhaps these establishments will eventually decide to lower their prices a little. At least, I hope so.
Also read:
