What Is The Best Way Of Organising The Bill When A Group Of People Dine Out?

Separate checks unless you are the one paying for it all or have agreed to pay equal shares.

We frequently dine out with a large number of people.  We always ask for separate checks.  If you fail to do that you will invariable have someone who orders a steak while someone else orders a bowl of soup.  It would not be fair to required the soup person to subsidize the steak person.  Then you have someone that wants a margarita while the person beside him has nothing but water.   It's not fair to ask the water drinker to help pay the bill for the person who wants alcohol.   If the waitress or the establishment will not or can not give separate checks at the table we each figure out exactly what we owe toward the bill (you must remember to add the tax) and then we give that to one person to pay the bill.  The restaurant really does not like the time it takes for each couple to figure their bill so they are generally accommodating about giving separate checks.  The largest group we go to dinner with consists of about 40 people so a restaurant does not want to loose our business...we have a bit of leverage when we tell them how many customers "could" go somewhere they can accommodate us or that we will be figuring the bill individually and that will take a bit of time.

I always ask the waiter for the bill, then excuse my self while I go to the rest room. I'm not good at figuring fractions and normally when I get the back to the table the bill's been paid. Funny, I don't know why but it always seems to happen.

Separate checks

Share the expenses!

Separate checks unless someone has announced the bill is on them.

Make the agreement as u are making the invites. Best to say..."All are going Dutch."

Separate checks or a very good calculator. If I knew in advance I would have more than 15 people, I would ask for a banquet menu, where every choice costs the same, and each person pays equally.

I would discuss if your a party of four or more. To get separate checks.
It is not fair for another couple to share the bill if some folks are having cocktails. And they don't drink alcohol. Then you each pay your bill, and tip separately. Works for me.