Following research, olive magazine's investigation team has unveiled the clever psychological techniques restaurants employ, from targeting women with the dessert menu; using leftovers in the chef's specials; charging more for smaller dishes and the tactical use of the cheese trolley.
The top ten tricks are revealed as:
1. Menu manipulation: "Techniques include putting big ticket items in the right hand corner where the eye is drawn or putting expensive dishes next to even more expensive ones, making them appear comparatively good value."
2. Targeting women with the dessert menu: "Women and desserts are a winning combination…. it's highly likely they (waiters) will gush about a particular dessert because they know women respond better to recommendations than men and are the target dessert consumer."
3. Chef's leftovers: "Some businesses will use the specials board to charge a premium for day- or two-day old food."
4. Where tips really go: "Under the new rules, restaurants are not obliged to share out any service charge with staff."
5. Water equals cash: "Restaurant's latest attempt to make money out of tap water is to use filtration systems that enable them to charge a minimum price."
6. Small is beautiful?: "Restaurateurs know that small or sharing plates present a great way to raise a customer's average spend."
7. Wine list trap: "Restaurants have grown wise to customers ordering two or three above the house wine in order not to look cheap, and have ramped up these margins accordingly."
8. The surprise attack of the cheese trolley: "Waiters play up to the 'sod it' factor a diner displays when they've had some wine."
9. Beware the set menu: "They guarantee a punter will spend £25-£30 on food for lunch when they might normally only have spent £15."
10. Upselling: "The main tactic is the power of suggestion - verbal and mental."
According to Christine Hayes, editor of olive magazine: "Everyone likes to eat out, but beware the tricks of the trade. Our investigation shines a light on some of the ways in which restaurants will try and get you to spend more. As they well know, the budget goes out of the window in the face of a killer cheese trolley."
July's issue of olive with the feature is on sale now, priced at £3.40.
About olive magazine
BBC Magazines says: “olive is the stylish, monthly magazine for food lovers with an emphasis on getting great value. It has 93,300 monthly readers according to the last Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) figures. olive is published by BBC Magazines.”
