How I earned money for dining out, thanks to Amex

An interesting experience to share: how I quadruple-dipped various offers when eating out, and it was not only free, but I effectively earned money!

I went to this restaurant called Chotto Matte at Soho in London. I’m not a big fan of Japanese cuisine to be honest, but they had a diverse menu so I enjoyed the dinner in general. The sirloin steak – not wagyu – was incredibly good. It is the best steak I’ve ever had in this country.

Let’s talk business. First off I booked the restaurant via First Table. First Table is a restaurant booking service that operates in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. For a small booking fee (usually £6 or £8) you get 50% off your entire food bill. If you use my referral link you’ll get £3 off your first booking.

That reduces my total bill from £182 to £91, at the cost of a £8 booking fee. Because Chotto Matte Soho is on Amex Platinum’s dining-benefit list, that £91 is fully covered by American Express already.

Even better, it is also participating in the current Amex Dining offer, which triggers a further 20% cashback.

And it doesn’t stop here. I had no idea but the restaurant also does in-store offer with BA, giving away 10 Avios per £1 spent. I registered my card with BA years ago and totally forgot it, so imagine how surprised I was seeing the mail congratulating me on the earning.

So instead of paying £182, I earned £9 plus 910 Avios – result!