Etiquette on paying the bill at curry nights

Munich curry night is going back to the Ganesha tonight, one of my favourite curry houses. Also one who has been caught at least 3 times offering supposedly free drinks and then trying to charge for them. Some people have vowed never to go back there. Likewise the Surahi got a very bad rap for an incident a while ago.

Personally the quality of the curry, not the beauty of the decor, or the friendliness of the staff does it for me. So I’m sad to see boycotts being organised for places that serve top notch curry.

Next time there’s a disputed invoice can’t someone just say to the patron.


I’m sure when expressed like that they’ll back down, it certainly worked when I challenged the manager of Ganesha. Then there won’t be some poor sod out of pocket, and we’ll have a wider choice of curry emporiums. Win win.

I tend to make a note on my cell phone of just what I ordered - and received. Makes things easier after a bottle of wine or a few beers or so. And a free Schnaps is never offered, just brought to the tables.
Have a good one!

Isn't it normal to enquire if the Schnaps is free when it doesn't miraculously appear as mentioned above? I presume the question 'would you like' implies that I am going to pay for it but normally ask for clarification. Then I can be pleasantly surprised.

we got hit by a bar in schwabing last weekend for 100 bucks for schnapps that was foisted upon us by the owner that none of us even wanted. Its next door to my gf's flat and she used to go there every night. Now she'll never go there again. Way to go mr. bar owner!!!

That's daft, worm. How many shots are we talking about and how many people? Did nobody think to enquire as to whether they were free or not?

It ought to be, I agree. I did get caught as described at Ganesha once, but on reflection I paid up because I thought it was fair enough. They asked did I want a schnapps and I said "yes". I assumed it would be on the house, but it was my problem that I was wrong in assuming that. If they had asked whether I wanted a sweet, would I then have assumed that the sweet would be on the house? Would I heck.

Individuals making notes on their phone doesn't help. The manager will just say at the end there's 3 helles and a garlic naan unpaid

And at the Ganesha the manager asked would you like some mango liquor, which is a standard question after a sucessfull curry munching except the question is normall for mango schnapps. Being real men (including and especially the women among us) we said yes. Then the bill came with an extra Euro 3 per person. But as I said he backed down fairly fast when I told him that was a really stupid trick and he's lose the money he gained 30 times overs.

That might work when it looks like he will lose a crowd but I confronted him went there was just 2 of us and not only did he not back down but walked off while we tried to explain the problem and treated us like we were a couple of chancers trying to pull a fast one on him.

Whereupon I say that I don't drink Helles and I'm banned from eating garlic during the week, producing witnesses for both facts. He can't force me to pay and might be surprised at how loudly I am willing to say so. The other guests will surely check their final bills very carefully after that.

Is this issue with charging for Schnapps at Ganesha new?

I used to go there quite a lot and always got the mango liquer on the house. Granted it's been over a year since I've been there as I moved out of the area.

I also don't really understand how people get stuck paying for things that they didn't order at the end of the evening. Normally, when I organise something that is going to involve a number of random people turning up I ask when I book the restaraunt if they are going to have enough staff to keep tabs on things as people will be paying seperately. Then I (or my designated nagger if I am not attending the event myself) reitterate the point when I arrive. You don't have to be nasty about it.

According to one of those nice TV reportage things, it seems that you are not legaly responcible for anything you have not eaten or drank.

You don't have to pay outstanding items on the bill that are nothing to do with you.

Its crap when this happens, it ruins the whole night. I had the same experience in Absturtz (I think thats what its called, orienburgerstr. sells lots of international beers), the service was not so great and the staff were there just to chat to each other.

At the end of the evening the guy dealing with us presents the bill. There were 4 bottles (there were 6 of us) that we did not drink. my friend queried the bill (in english) and did not get much beyiong a 'you have to pay' (in english.

At which point one of the germans with us (the language all evening had been english) decided to jump in.

Lucky for us we had all written down what we had ordered and pointed out that we had each ordered drinks at the same time (we were drinking in rounds) and that as such, there would either be no outstanding bill or one for 6 bottles.

He said he would check, we didn't have to pay anything.

Slightly different situation but still a potential evening breaker.

They charge for the Schnapps, not the liquor

Thanks Uncle Nick, I may have got it backwards. The free stuff is mango coloured and tasty, the pay stuff is clear and very alcoholic.

Its not about individuals getting out of paying the extra because they don't drink beer or eat garlic, its about the whole group geting out of paying the extra because somebody will always feel obliged to pay.

Ian has a strict policy regarding unpaid items at his Friday night beer garden, and people will just jump in and pay while Ian's busy explaining to the waitress its her problem, not ours.

I'm not really denying that we shouldn't have drunk them but the bloke wasn't 'offering' them to us - he is this big muscley yugo and he was just coming up to us and putting the vodka in our hands and saying "Drink!" right in your face so we just kind of did.

we refused to pay that night, ended the night on a sour note

I went back the next day and said he could have 50 bucks or nothing at all and he took it, but he was well pissed off, and now we're not going back there again. a good night ruined

The problem is how you prove that you didn't have it. It's your word against theirs.


Depends on the restaurant. When I go to Goa for example they nearly always offer me a choice of liquor, shnapps, Indian rum, or mango cream desert.

That is exactly why you repeatedly make it clear at the beginning that you are not going to have any truck with someone waiving a bill around in an accusatory manner at the end of the evening in the precise hope that some poor (normally) drunk sod covers up for their mistake. It just leaves a nasty taste for all concerned which is a shame after a yummy meal. It's highly unlikely in any largish social group that people are all going to arrive and leave at the same time and it is important that the establishment acknowledges this at the start and is prepared to deal with the practical consequences.

And that's enough. They also can't prove that you did order and consume the disputed items and there the debate ends.

cant you just give how much you ordered then stand up and walk out? what are they going to do, citizens arrest or something.

Yes you can. Stick to your guns, pay what you think you owe and leave without making a scene. You can also do this if your food or the service is substandard in a significant way.

or leaving a tip.
Don't forget not to tip!

This is the policy we adopt at the Friday Beer Garden do's. It's not your fault that their system of keeping check on who has had what is rubbish.

If they make an offer of an 'after dinner' drink, why not just ask, "How Much?" That would clear up any confusion before it starts, eh?

How much? Poppadums and a glass of mango something at the end of the meal are normally free . So you appear kind of churlish in asking how much something free is going to be. Its a bit that Ganesha seem to be turning this assumption on its head because its makes me at least feel kind of good getting the freebie.

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See full discussion: Unpaid bar tabs on a group night out in Germany

And, more for bars not restaurants: Pay as you go