What is proper etiquette to tell your dinner host that their menu was horrible?!
What is proper etiquette to tell your dinner host that their menu was horrible?
My friend had an elaborate dinner party and the 7 course meal was absolutely horrible. Is there a proper way to tell her, or should I just suck it up?
Answers:
A Proper Guest Does Not Complain...
Take a deep breath and suck it up!
Proper etiquette dictates that you should just keep quiet about it, and not take anymore invitations to this person's house for dinner.
It depends on how close you are. You may have to keep it to yourself. If she can take it..then be honest.
You are a guest eating someone else's food that they made and paid for you. how dare you complain.
Suck it up. Why don't you give a dinner party and show her how it's done. Maybe she will learn something from you.
well, it depends.. do you want to keep their friendship?
friends dont tell friends "wtf man?! are you trying to poison me??"
just smile and suck it up. they obviously went through a lot of time and effort to make a 7course meal for you. if you want, you could try returning the favor. throw a dinner party for them and have foods that are more to your liking. maybe they'll get the hint from what you prepare as to what your pallet likes.
If you can't say any thing nice - say nothing at all
suck it up. telling her that would change nothing. sending her a card of thanks would be the proper thing to do
Even if she is a good friend you should suck it up. Put yourself in her place, make some suggestions for her next dinner party. Help her to plan the menu and maybe help her cook the food. This way you know her next party will be better. She is your friend after all, help her without hurting her feelings. Because criticism from a friend can hurt as bad as if it came from a stranger.
Listen to Swirly and all the others. Don't complain.
If she has another dinner party, suggest the following: "Instead of you doing all the cooking, why not have everyone bring a dish."
Suck it up. . .the woman made a 7 course meal for you, for crying out loud! I don't care if it was a half-raw hamburger and 6 burned French fries. She still tried to please you.
Next time, the pot-luck idea sounds pretty good. Tell her that it's sweet of her to offer to host the party, but she's already done so much for you that you and the other guests would like to treat her for a change.
Refuse seconds and say that you are full!
Don't let on that the dinner was a total disaster but offer to cook the next time or help her with the cooking!!
suck it up.
When and if she asks for your opinion, give it to her gently but honestly. Until then, keep quiet.
If you have any manners at all you will graciously thank her for the invitation & say nothing about the meal.
A dinner party isn't just about the food....it's also about the converstion and enjoying the company of the other guests.
I think it depends on how close of a friend she is. If my best friend made something that was horrible, I wouldn't hesitate to say something was horrible... and I have, as she's said about some of the concoctions that I've exposed her to. But if she's just a close acquaintance, then I would suggest to smile and nod and say, "Thanx for dinner."
Suck it up except if it was catered and she asked you.
I laughed about two minutes before this reply was typed.
There is no good way. I would just politely decline the next invite.
I'm curious what the menu was.
At my wife's high school reunion they had a prime rib that must have rubbed with excrement from a cow that got into a garlic patch....but it was just one course.
I would not insult anyone that has invited me to dinner. Just forget it
The proper etiquette would be not to comment at all. If your dinner host asks, then you could politely say that you didn't like it. However, also stress what was positive about the experience (i.e., the guests, the conversations, etc.)
suck it up. there is no proper etiquette to tell your host their menu was horrible.
Continue to suck it up like you did when you ate it. Do not tell them that would be ungrateful, shameful and.... why didn't your parents teach you this or maybe they did but you missed that class