While in the Good Old Days some of you may not have thought twice about dropping the price of a small car on a great meal, in these new not-quite-so-great days it’s time to be a little bit more savvy about where and how we choose to dine out. Thankfully, a number of restaurants across the board have decided that it’s better to drop their prices and ride it out than stick to their guns and disappear. The Specials Board is the diner’s new best friend.
There are fantastic deals to be had and a good starting point would be to check out Menu Pages, Ireland’s leading dining guide in order to avail of some fantastic restaurant offers.
Wherever you decide to dine, a few things to remember to avoid the shock of a huge bill…
1. The wine will get you every time. Most good restaurants have a decent house wine, or, if you’re feeling flush, go for the next one up. If possible, politely tell the wait staff you’d rather they didn’t refill your glass for you.
2. We have pretty good tap water here. Drink it.
3. Try to avoid the “eyes bigger than your belly” syndrome and only order what you’ll be able for. Go for a starter/ main or main/ dessert.
4. Try sharing. Indian and Thai foods are great for sharing and you can usually get away with one less dish than the head count. Pizzas are often unmanageable for one.
5. Go for the early bird. Same food at lower prices and getting out earlier often avoids the whole wine debacle. Same goes for lunchtime specials – some of the top restaurants are doing great deals.
6. Watch out for “extras” and check what you’ve been charged for. Unfortunately some restaurants still have a policy of charging extra for bread, rice, vegetables, etc. These can really bump up the bill.
Aside from our many restaurants, Ireland has some great farmers’ markets and if the weather is on your side few pleasures rival the taste of freshly made food in the great outdoors. The food market in Dublin’s Temple Bar deserves special mention and is perfect for a Saturday of eating while you stroll. Supporting small businesses adds that feelgood factor. For the foodies among you, check out the annual Taste of Ireland four-day gourmet food-fest, pricier, but very popular for those with expensive palates.
So, keep an eye on the chalkboards and an ear open for recommendations. If a restaurant or market checks all your boxes, spread the good word. Other good sites to visit which will help you obtain great value are listed below:
www.cheapeats.ie
www.diningtreats.com
www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie
www.tastefestivals.ie
Bon appetit!
Tags: money saving tips, spare time ideas
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Hi,
I was enjoying the weather last Saturday, buying a birthday present for my niece. Afterwards met my girlfriend and kinda owed her a nice afternoon (she also knew I had a win the night before on the horses). Anyway, as opposed to losing out on a rare sunny afternoon in Dublin by eating out (in) we drove to Ballsbridge and picked up a take away lunch from Roly’s and headed straight to Herbert Park to chill out, bask in the sun. For less than a score we managed to have location, sun and a good lunch meal.
Highly Recommended!!!
I’ve had 2 very cheap meals recently from good restaurants that I found on Menupages.ie - €20 for 2 main dishes from Roly’s Bistro with free bottle of wine (and it was good too) and 3 courses + bottle wine for 2 at Diep Le Shaker (during the celtic tiger I couldn’t even get a table there, let alone 2 of us eat for €60). Nice one!
Tried out the recession buster menu in Hardwood Restaurant in Popes Quay, Cork (Tuesday and Wednesday nights). €20 for glass of wine / beer, choice of starter, choice of main and a scoop of icecream. Food and wine top class, enjoyed by all in our group - not one complaint. Restaurant was full so booking recommended. Enjoy!