Weird British culture?

[Sheilbh]

One of my best experiences visiting London (other than meeting up with Sheilbh, of course  ) was walking into a random cafe/caff full of pensioners to drink milky tea, eat black pudding and beans on toast, and puff away on Mayfairs.  It felt quintessentially British.   

I love a caff.  I think British food is at its best at the low and high end.  It's the reasonable mid-market we struggle with.

[Josquius]

Tourists and people in general going to naff chains over decent restaurants- I have observed this even in myself.
I think the reason is safety. Going into a nice little private restaurant down a back alley....how do you know whether its reasonably priced or not? To a lesser extent- how do you know the quality?
In Britain in general proper restaurants have a reputation for being expensive and involve waiting for a long time- even when naff chains can cost just as much for worse stuff.

Squeeze: are you talking about meat pies?

Aye, its not a real pie unless its got animal parts in it (cheese pie being a notable exception, unless you put too many big onion chunks in as some folk are apt to do ). 

How about the fact we say sorry for everything even when it's not our fault or when we actually mean excuse me. Sorry, can I just squeeze past you before I miss my train. Sorry, I think you just stood on my foot, etc.

That is actually in the textbook at my school here.
A page about how British people always say sorry but this isn't a heartfelt apology, just an automatic response.

[garbon]

Tourists and people in general going to naff chains over decent restaurants- I have observed this even in myself.
I think the reason is safety. Going into a nice little private restaurant down a back alley....how do you know whether its reasonably priced or not? To a lesser extent- how do you know the quality?
In Britain in general proper restaurants have a reputation for being expensive and involve waiting for a long time- even when naff chains can cost just as much for worse stuff.

It probably is easiest to dismiss people's opinions by just assuming they go to chains.

[Eddie Teach]

Chains generally serve better food than mom & pop places, that's why they become successful and expand.

[viper37]

I've liked all the specifically British foods I've tried.  Yorkshire pudding. 

it's settled, then.  It's not a unique British thing, it's common to all anglo-saxons, they can't appreciate food
(pudding, really??  Yorkshire pudding?  What's next? Boiled boar with mint sauce?? )

[Viking]

I've liked all the specifically British foods I've tried.  Yorkshire pudding. 

it's settled, then.  It's a unique British thing, it's common to all anglo-saxons, they can't appreciate food
(pudding, really??  Yorkshire pudding?  What's next? Boiled boar with mint sauce?? )

Well given that modern ethnic cuisines mostly arose in the anglosphere catering to anglotastes I'd rather suggest that the british invented the idea of value in traditional ethnic cuisine. It's the same kind of thing that there isn't british food, there is just food, It's not the Royal British Mail it's the mail and the stamps are not British Stamps, they are just stamps, there is no traditional british costumes there are just; clothes.

Most ethnic cuisines are invented anyways; invented by the british to be specific. Curry, Sweet and Sour Sauce and Spring Rolls are all british inventions.

[Duque de Bragança]

Obviously there's also very good very expensive food.  Like the steaks at Hawksmoor which is why every tourist should go there and none should go to the Aberdeen Steak House

Thanks for the tip

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Aberdeen Steak houses are an enduring mystery.............

I went in one once, back in the 80s, even then the formula seemed somewhat dated, I had a small over-priced steak. The other people in the restaurant were homesick Americans, they paid a heavy price for that 

[Brazen]

I'm having meat pies at a journo lunch in Fleet Street today... I'll check for hinged floorboards before I sit.

[Brazen]

As an aside, I work next to Smithfield meat market. Some pubs are open all night and the rest are open at 7am for when the butchers knock off work, so you can go in for a full English breakfast and a pint of Guinness before work