Man left with eye-watering Valentine's Day bill after misreading wine list
Going out for a meal on Valentine's Day can be an expensive affair and many dread getting the bill at the the end of the night.
One man said his "brain misfired" when he ordered wine on a romantic date night on February 14, 2022. The individual, who wishes to remain unnamed, was stunned when he was landed with an unexpectedly large bill. He soon realised ordering wine may have been a big mistake.
He romantically booked a Valentine's Day meal for him and his girlfriend, who he met after living in Japan for the last few years, and admits that he doesn't usually splurge. He asked the waiter for advice on what wine they should enjoy but eventually chose a 2013 bottle of Amuse Bouche, thinking the options suggested were too expensive.
It turns out he had misunderstood the waiter slightly, and the bottle was actually much more expensive.
The pair were already stuck into the wine, which he thought it cost about £60, but quickly realised the bottle of red was closer to a price of £600. Luckily he took it in his stride - and the pair really enjoyed the bottle.
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He shared the tale on Reddit, and said: "I've been living in Japan for almost two years now and have been seeing a girl for about six months. On Valentine's Day, I made reservations for a course meal at a hotel restaurant.
"We both decided it would be nice to dress up a little and have a fancy meal. Two course meals were already going to set me back a pretty penny, but the f*** up was when it came time to order drinks.
"As befits a romantic dinner, we decided on a bottle of wine. I have long since decided not to pretend to be a wine expert and to just ask the servers for their recommendation when it comes to this kind of thing. Our waiter went for the drink menu, came back with a tablet, and made a few suggestions, all around the ¥16,000 (£127) price range.
"Of course I tried not to let it show, but I thought that was a bit on the expensive side and swiped to an £63.50 alternative. I told him we’d go with that one, and he politely took the order and left. My girlfriend spent the next 10 minutes or so joking about the wine ordering process, and I thought she was making fun of me for going with a cheaper wine. Fair enough.
"The wine was served to us and we both agreed it was really good. She kept going with the joking, though, and it was when she said that she hoped that it was 80,000 yen and not £60,000 that it finally hit me.
"Somehow, even after living here for as long as I have, my brain misfired and I equated 80,000 yen with £60 when it's actually more like £635. By that point, we were well into the bottle and there was no going back."
Owning up to the mistake and even managing to find it funny, he continued: "Needless to say, that was a shocker, but I did my best to take it in stride and just enjoy it. She was pretty cool about it too, laughing about it but also showing concern about the (for us) outrageous price. I'm fortunate enough to not have to worry about it, and I'm thankful for that, but my bank account definitely took a hit."
After sharing the experience on Reddit, one person commented to say: "At least it tasted good! And you won’t be making the same mistake twice!! Another added: "And noticing the mistake early and being able to savour the expensive treat a bit instead of being surprised by the bill!"
Have you ever had a Valentine's Day blunder? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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