Friend’s GF Orders The Most Expensive Meals On Menu Knowing Guy Is Paying, Livid As It Backfires

So the man refused to pay for her – and was called out immediately for doing so

The Original Poster (OP) shared that he invited seven people to a restaurant: his girlfriend, her sister, his friend and his friend’s girlfriend, plus a few mutual friends. It was tough for the restaurant to find a table for eight, but finally, everyone got seated. OP thought the hard part was over—but he was wrong.

He told the group that dinner was on him. Everyone started ordering, but one woman—his friend’s girlfriend—chose some of the most expensive dishes on the menu. When the bill came, her total alone was £113 (about $151), nearly half of the full bill of £260 ($347). OP was shocked and even thought she might be trying to take advantage of him.

But it turned out she just had a taste for gourmet and luxury food. Even though OP was dealing with some money issues, he could still cover the bill. Still, seeing one guest eat that much on his dime felt unfair.

In the end, OP refused to cover her part of the bill. That led to him being called cheap, stingy, and even a jerk. Luckily, everyone had agreed in advance to pay for their own drinks, or things could have gotten worse.

This experience made OP question if he was wrong. So, he turned to the internet to ask for advice about restaurant etiquette and fair bill splitting, hoping to find out if others thought he acted out of line.

“On one hand, backing out of your offer to pay—especially after the food has already been eaten—is definitely a bad look,” says Vlad Ostrometsky, manager of the UNIT Cafe in Odessa, Ukraine. He shared his thoughts on the situation with Bored Panda, who asked him to comment.

“But on the other hand,” he adds, “taking advantage of someone else’s hospitality and generosity is also wrong—especially if you’re responsible for nearly half of the total restaurant bill.”

Vlad pointed out that the host didn’t know all the guests personally, which can make things tricky. That’s why he recommends a smart tip for budget-friendly dining: when inviting people out, always mention a spending limit or budget range. This helps guests understand how much of the host’s kindness they’re expected to use.

Still, since no budget was discussed up front, Vlad thinks the OP should’ve just paid the full bill to avoid embarrassment, then reconsidered whether or not to invite that guest again. “In this case,” Vlad says, “the issue was caused by a mix of entitled behavior and poor communication, and that’s never a good combo.”

In the comments section, many people were shocked at how entitled and selfish the woman seemed for running up such a large tab. However, a few readers pointed out that the OP had the chance to speak up earlier—especially when he saw her ordering such high-priced items.

So now we turn it over to you, our readers: What would you do in this situation? Should the host always stick to the promise of covering the bill, no matter what? Or is it fair to set boundaries when things go too far? Share your thoughts below—we’d love to hear your take on dining etiquette and social spending!

Many commenters were also baffled by this lady’s order, so they mostly sided with the man