Picture the scene: you’ve been invited out for a meal by a hot guy. An actual meal! On a Saturday night! It’s just like on Sex And The City when they used to inexplicably spend every evening having second-date meals with men they barely knew in restaurants called things like Gavroche. Is this what being a grown-up is like?
Then he suggests the venue. Your heart sinks, and next thing you know, you’re spending your Saturday night silently seething, watching a man you’re rapidly going off shove half a chicken with lemon and herb dressing in his mouth before going up for his third refillable soft drink. He’s taken you to fucking Nandos. He couldn’t even manage Cote or Zizzi.
Chain restaurants are a funny thing, aren’t they? They’re reliable, reasonably priced, and you can book a table at most of them, which is more than can be said for some of our more prestigious restaurants. Yet we’re incredibly snobbish about them. A date taking you to the shit Italian at the end of their road is romantic. But if they take you to Pizza Express, that’s just not on.
But looks like the rest of the country isn’t sharing our snobbery. Casual dining (ie eating at relatively low-cost chain restaurants) has increased 11.6 per cent over the last five years (mainly because chain restaurants are increasingly seen as good options for family dining).
The UK might have lost its reputation for being terrible at food – we now boast some of the best restaurants in the world – but sometimes all you want on a Friday night is a £9 pizza and glass of wine meal deal, followed by an individual strawberry cheesecake for an extra £3.
And that's fair enough; at least you know what you’re getting. Should you find yourself in a strange town, most chains are pretty consistent in terms of quality and price, and you’re never going to have to queue round the block on a Friday night just so you can eat a gourmet burger in a glazed brioche bun (and pay £18.50 for the privilege).
Prince Harry has even been spotted at Nandos in Fulham Broadway – no doubt making full use of his 20 per cent military discount card. How many pop-up Russian-Japanese fusion basement speakeasies can boast those sort of celebrity connections?
So next time you get invited out for a slap-up Valentine’s day meal at Pizza Express, resist the urge to complain. You know exactly what you’re getting – the chances of you having a bad meal are negated; it’s impossible to spend more than £30 on a meal for two, which means plenty more money for drinks later; and if you’re really lucky, your dining partner will have found a voucher for a free glass of prosecco on arrival – winner!
In case you're still not sold, here's some delicious chicken you can make at home.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter @rebecca_hol
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.