Why January is a great time to eat out

Forget detox. Forget the weather outside. The first month of the year is one of the best times for enjoying a meal or drink out. Here's why.

January: traditionally the month where most of the nation vows to live healthily and hibernate, as a reaction to the foodie and financial excesses of the Christmas season. But not me.

January finds me in pubs, cafes and restaurants, pursuing new foodie adventures. Not every day or even every weekend, mind, but I certainly don’t change my eating and drinking habits because the year’s suddenly got a different number on the end.
And I know January is a stretch financially, which is why I make an effort to spend less at other times of the year so I can justify this little extravagance.

Here’s why I think the first month of the year is a great time to eat out.

You can dine out for less

January is, unsurprisingly, the slowest month of the year for the hospitality industry. A few places close for some or all of the month. But many others offer cut-price menus and dishes in an attempt to get punters through the door.

Here are some examples in Liverpool, London and Newcastle, where it's Newcastle Restaurant Week from the 19th to the 25th.

This year, a group of pubs and bars have got together to launch Try January, a response to Alcohol Concern's (very worthwhile) Dry January, which is encouraging people to try new drinks and dishes, in moderation of course.

It's also a chance to dine at some of the most salubrious establishments for less than you would at any other time of the year.

You can get in and stretch out

Another advantage of everyone staying in is that there’s plenty of room at eating establishments. So it's much easier to get a reservation at the best places around. And you can enjoy a meal with plenty of elbow room and attentive service.

You can easily cut back on the booze

Because everyone is expected to be detoxing, you don't feel nearly so pressured to order much, if any, alcohol to accompany your meal. Good news for your body and your wallet.

The weather outside is frightening

For me, the depths of mid-winter are the perfect time for languid eating indoors. You might enjoy a real fire or twinkling lights while the rain and wind lashes down in the darkness outside (admittedly, this does make getting to and from your dining establishment slightly less enjoyable).

Come the summer you can throw together a quick, cheap picnic and head down to the park or the beach. But at this time of year it’s time to savour your food surrounded by four walls.

You're bucking the trend

Finally, there’s the mildly vicarious thrill that, while others eat soup and sweat off the pounds on an exercise bike, part of you knows you really shouldn’t be doing this (Christmas hangs as a permanent reminder of that around your waistline) but you’re doing it anyway. And, anyway, there’s always February…

It's my birthday month

OK, OK, I confess. But, even if it wasn't, I would still be firmly in January's corner for all of the reasons above.

Where to find deals

In terms of where to look, lastminute has a selection of deals across the UK. So does OpenTable (formerly toptable). There's also Squaremeal, Time Out London, 5pm (if you're in Central Scotland) and Tablepouncer (in the south of England).

And check out general discount sites such as Groupon, Living Social and Wowcher.

If you've spotted a deal, let us know in the Comments box below.

This is a classic lovefood article that has been updated

You might also like

Top five restaurant nightmares

How to get the best seat in a restaurant

Do chain restaurants put you off?

How to cut the cost of eating out

Scores on the Doors: how food hygiene ratings work