How Do You Deal With a Disappointing Meal?

[Scunner]

Taking this topic from another thread - how do you deal with a bad dining experience? I've had a few over the years in Calis (but in truth just a few) and I do tend to pay up and leave in a mood rather than cause an awkward scene - my feeling often is that the night turned out bad enough without making it worse by having to discuss where exactly it was bad...you?

[Bluwise]

If something really isn't quite right I am careful to be very polite about it - especially if I am expecting a replacement (don't want anything nasty adding!) and really don't like to hear people complaining loudly as it's just not necessary.
If something was very wrong then I would definitely complain but wouldn't accept a replacement and would leave - hopefully not paying for the dish either.
If I just don't like what I have been served, I swap and eat my husband's instead - he'll eat most things.  If he won't swap, I just keep picking at his, much to his justified annoyance!

I am very disappointed if waiters take away my hardly touched plate without asking if everything was OK.  If they do ask, I make sure they know the food was fine.  This often ends up with my being offered something else which I of course decline out of both good manners (as there was nothing wrong with it)  and the fact I'm already stuffed with my OH's dinner!
 If the meal and/or service is basically poor, then usually say nothing - can't be bothered with the hassle that is likely to follow -  we just don't go back, end of.

[Linda]

Us Brits like to moan but not necessarily to complain!! My take on this ... is that it makes it easier to complain if there is something fundamentally wrong with the meal and that is not always the case .....
I think the problem in Turkey is that they are not trained on how to deal with a complaint .... merely to ask if the meal is OK ... if it's not .. then they are lost!!

[Scunner]

Yes I found that too - if the response to "how was your meal" was "rubbish", you generally got nothing much more than an awkward smile and not a word.

[Liz 101]

I've had only a very few poor inedible meals, but in each case I have complained contructively & not had to pay for them. In 2 of the instances, I was trying restaurants that had received rave reviews on CBF!

Not been back to any of them though, there are far too many excellent places to go, without bothering with the bad ones again

[Robw]

Mostly i just never return unless its really bad then they know about it.

[Harmless]

I tend to say nothing unless it is not only my meal that is not good.  If it is not only my meal that is disappointing, then I let my hubby have a moan, he is so much better at it than me.
However, I do always praise a nice meal.

[janmack]

If the food is really badly cooked, eg under/overcooked, I will politely tell the waiter.  This hasn't happened very often thank goodness.  

If it's just a case of the meal not being what I expected I tend not to say anything and it doesn't particularly put me off going back to the restaurant.

If, however, the service is bad, there is no way I would return.

[kayakebab]

I've just had 10 days eating out while family were here and found many of the meals disappointing.
Tasteless moussaka at Kings Garden, flavourless pasta bolognese in Anna aparts but basically well cooked, hot etc.... its a difficult one as can't really tell them it needs a bit more garlic, herbs seasoning etc, but wouldn't go back.
Had overpriced lunch in Olu Deniz and did say how expensive compared to Calis and got the usual story about rent costs.
Best I had was at the Roka but others disappointed by things on menu not being available.

I think there's such a lot that makes the meal experience, a bland snack in beautiful surroundings with lovely staff is a great lunch experience.

The worst was the stone cold lunch on our recent boat trip on a boat called Angel.
They didn't give a toss when we all complained, but they didn't give a toss about being an hour and a quarter late picking us up either ( the only conversation from them all day was to ask the 2 single women on a date).
We complained to the agent who sold the trip, he had words with them, no consolation for ruining our day of course but I shan't use Focus again.

[tinkerman]

yemekleriniz chok crap!