Dining disasters

did look quite rude actually.

There’s no ombudsman for dining – fine or otherwise. The Food Standards Agency is an independent Government department that deals with all things food related. But if you have a problem with a restaurant or takeaway, you can complain through Resolver but also report them to your local authority if you’ve encountered: Poor food hygiene. Foreign object in your food (surprisingly common in the complaints I see). Cleanliness of facilities. Food poisoning comes on quite quickly. So make sure you let the place where you have eaten know asap. Problems occur in clusters, as anyone who has seen Airplane will know, so if there is an issue, it’ll have hit someone else too.

Councils often publish ‘lists of shame’ of offending restaurants in your local area, so if you’re worried about hygiene, check online. Don’t forget to look for the hygiene certifications in each venue too. It’s also a good idea to have a look at some online reviews.

Here’s a few tips to help you avoid a nightmare if you’re eating out:

Book online. It doesn’t guarantee good service or a decent meal, but there’s an email to back you up if need be.

Drink tap water. Places selling booze have to offer it to you so don’t feel pressured in to the bottled stuff. And wine costs can double your bill.

There’s loads of discount cards that you can pick up on reduced price offers, like Tastecard. You can often get the money it costs back from the discount on the first few meals.

If you get a duff meal, then snap a picture and don’t eat it all! Lots of people only complain after polishing off the main course, which makes it harder to say the food wasn’t good enough. Tell the waiter that you’re unhappy but don’t worry about making a scene. Decide what you’d like as a compromise, like a reduced bill or a replacement meal.

More at www.resolver.co.uk or check out Facebook and Twitter. @WalkerResolver @resolvercouk www.facebook.com/resolvercouk