UK: what to eat out?

yirara
yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
I'll be on business in a tiny seaside resort next week and wonder what the best dinner option might be for me. No, not a specific restaurant, but some general advise on what to eat in the UK. If I was in London I'd eat a few nigiri sushi, a misosoup and edamane. But there's no sushi in that town. Lots of fine dining, lots of chippies and pubs.. and the average Chinese, Indian and Italian by the look of it. My stomach can't deal with fried and very fatty food, and I don't want to go too much over my calories, but I need something substantial enough in the evening. Not too happy about eating out alone, thus I might chose for take away or a simple place. Any ideas?
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm partial to bangers and mash, shepherds pie, and fish 'n chips myself...I especially love mushy peas.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Where will you be exactly? There's probably someone here that lives nearby or knows the area and can make some specific recommendations.

    There are a lot of chain restaurants and pubs in the UK where you can see the menus online beforehand. Some places also have calorie counts or recommended 'lighter' options on the menus. Portions are usually smaller than those in the US (though I don't know where you're from).
  • tkphotogirl
    tkphotogirl Posts: 245 Member
    Which town? Someone on here might have local knowledge. I'd probably go for Indian food and have something like tandoori king prawns (no sauce so easier to guesstimate calories) and plain rice.
  • rhubarbrach
    rhubarbrach Posts: 1 Member
    It's not fine dining but everywhere has a whetherspoons pub. All the food has the calories on the menu and a wide selection of everything. What I think would be good for you, if your on your lonesome, it wont be too intimidating and there is often a TV on for some distractions
    Saying that, if your by the seaside, treat yourself to a proper chippy tea :)
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    giggity
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Sorry, it's such a tiny place with just one big business that I'd prefer not to tell.
    So, no fish and chips, no bangers and mash and the usual food as I'll have reflux problems for days if I'd eat those. Mashed potatoes without butter would be ok, but then I'd need a grilled, not a panfried sausage. Mushy peas are lovely though!
    Btw, there only seems to be something like a chain cafe and a chain pub or something. Lots of independent places.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Independent cafes and pubs will do simple things like jacket potatoes, ploughmans salads and sandwiches.

    If you go for a takeaway, tandoori chicken and plain rice, or a tomato-based curry would be less fattier options. For Chinese, just avoid deep-fried items. You could have plain rice with vegetables and chicken.

    If you go for Italian, there's usually some form of pasta with pomodoro sauce. Most Italian restaurants also have grilled meat or fish options.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I'd go for steak and salad. Great protein, you can guesstimate the calories well. Just ask for no dressing on the salad.

    If you go for Chinese I find egg foo yung not too horrendous, again good protien and it doesn't soak the oil up to bad.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    I'd go to a pub and have a jacket potato and salad or something. As has already been said, pretty much everywhere has a Wetherspoons nowadays and they list the calorie count of all their foods on the menu, which is useful in a way but their food is also so much higher in calories than other places.
    Personally though I'd just pick a nice looking independent restaurant and decide what to get after looking at the menu. I wouldn't worry about having to eat out alone, most restaurants will be packed in a seaside town at this time of year so you'll just blend in to the crowd.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Thanks guys. Gives me some ideas. Nah, it's not about being noticable or something. It's just boring to really eat out alone. Then I'd rather get a take away, lay on my hotel bed and play a computer game while eating *blush*
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Thanks guys. Gives me some ideas. Nah, it's not about being noticable or something. It's just boring to really eat out alone. Then I'd rather get a take away, lay on my hotel bed and play a computer game while eating *blush*
    You might find a nice restaurant with a sea view or something, go out and explore the seaside! :)
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    I'll go for a hike once the business part is done. Sitting outside: nah, I'm too used to 45C outside temperatures at the moment. I'd need winter clothes to survive the British summer :wink:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    I'll go for a hike once the business part is done. Sitting outside: nah, I'm too used to 45C outside temperatures at the moment. I'd need winter clothes to survive the British summer :wink:

    Haha it's actually been pretty mild here lately so you're coming at a good time. It wont be anywhere near 45 though!

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    edited July 2015
    Not wanting to start a 'my summer is better than your summer' discussion, but I was in London last summer, and in the evening I was sooo freezing in my hotelroom. I took my book and sat down in the steamroom, and it didn't feel particularly hot, but pleasantly temperate o:)
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    Tandoori or tikka from the Indian? That's cooked dry. With rice or bread? Would your stomach handle that?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Might be a good idea, Furbuster. I don't mind fullfat dairy or olive oil over a salad, but something seem to happen to fat when it's heated, regardless of whether it's molten cheese, oil or very farty meat. That jyst gives me reflux.
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    I think farty meat would give anybody a bad belly ;)
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    Get yourself down to Nando's mate. I hope you like chicken.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Get yourself down to Nando's mate. I hope you like chicken.

    and Nando's do a takeaway! Win win!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Well.. if each small town had a Nandos... Like I said: hardly any chains there. I did notice a Thai restaurant. Maybe they have something I can eat.
  • fidangul
    fidangul Posts: 673 Member
    There's most probably a local kebab shop, get a chicken shish ( which is grilled like you said you preferred) loads of salad skip the pitta and sauce. Done!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    Hey, that's a brilliant idea! I cannot get decent kebabs here. So lets find out if the British ones are good or not (I prefer German ones so far.)
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    Dry tikka or tandoori chicken from the Indian with salad, and a chapati (flatbread) on the side. I'd probably add a veggie curry or saag aloo to that as well but I love Indian food!
  • kimw91
    kimw91 Posts: 355 Member
    I second the Indian idea. Otherwise I'd see if you can get a puttanesca or other tomato based (not bolognese) pasta dish at the Italian, just ask them not to add any extra oil or cheese. The Chinese place may have a lemongrass or ginger dish with chicken or seafood as a protein, these are usually less sauce-laden. Because they serve the rice/noodles separately, you'll be able to control your portion pretty well.

    If you really can't find anything to your liking, why don't you drop by the local supermarket? You could opt for some pre-roasted chicken with salad and hummus or if you have access to a microwave an Innocent veggie pot or so.
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    yay cheeky nandos!
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited July 2015
    Just use trip advisor for this secret town and then pick something healthyish, portion control or find a way to burn the extra. If its a seaside town then its likely to have reasonable sea food....
    Its also likely to have lots of independent cafe/ restaurants and a few gastro pubs.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited July 2015
    If I eat out, it's either a bit of CHEEKY NANDOS, wetherspoons, indian or chinese... but cmon... a cheeky nandos.
  • fidangul
    fidangul Posts: 673 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Hey, that's a brilliant idea! I cannot get decent kebabs here. So lets find out if the British ones are good or not (I prefer German ones so far.)

    You're welcome
  • kpkitten
    kpkitten Posts: 164 Member
    Lots of pubs and restaurants here have a sea bass or salmon option which I tend to think of as lighter. And you can always ask them to cook something in a particular way - grilled vs fried, steamed vs boiled. Depending on the pub/restaurant you'll either get blank looks or acquiescence - we're sloowwwwly becoming a place where eateries are happy to cater to particular requirements!
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Most pubs serve reasonable food.

    Lots of pubs are now 'gastropubs' and serve more than reasonable food. I live in a small village and have two pubs in walking distance which serve 'fine' food as nice as any of the eateries in town.
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