What is a "reasonable price" in a restaurant?

LittleBook

Hope this is OK for here and hasn't been done before.

I lived away from Ireland and when I came back in late 2008 I found restaurant prices to be exhorbitant.

Two years on and a recession and they still seem quite high in general ... but it could be me!!

Honestly, I'm more of a "what it's worth" than a "what it costs" person but I'm curious as to what other foodies would consider a reasonable price for each of:

Starter
Main Course
Dessert
Bottle of house wine
Glass of house wine
Overall meal per person range

Just for a Friday/Saturday night dinner out ... not "special occasion" standard but not "anything rather than cooking" standard either.

I'm in Dublin so I guess the price range I'm looking for info on should apply to Dublin restaurants but all feedback appreciated.

Thanks!

Kimia

Good question, and one that you'll find out the more you eat out I find.

Here's what I think:

Starter - €5-9
Main Course - €15 - €20 (maybe €25 for a steak)
Dessert - €4-7
Bottle of house wine
Glass of house wine
Overall meal per person range - €20-30

My boyfriend and I don't drink wine but we may have a beer each. Usually our bill comes to between 50 and 60 euros for nice places.

TrustedApple

Starter - €5-9 must are 5 to 6 euros with the Italian meats at 9 euro
Main Course - €9 - €20 (16.90 for a 8oz irash steak with mush owen and chips)
pasta about 9 to 12 euro and piza the same and chicken 13.90 with veg and pot or pasta and veal at 16.90 with veg and pot or pasta
Dessert - €4.90
Bottle of house wine 17.50 for a good doc italion wine
Glass of house wine 4.90
bear Italian 5.50
Overall meal per person range - 21 to 23 for 3 coures or 30 with steak and veal

our eb is 13.90 for starter and main and dessert 3.90 extra and a botle of wine 11.90

this is where i work and well not say where it is because i will get banned for it

happyeveryday

Great question littlebook.

Samapple a little off topic the question is "curious as to what other foodies would consider a reasonable price" - not what do you pay or expect to pay but instead what would you consider a reasonable price.

ie Soup for €5/€6 is not reasonable....and a ordinary main for over €15 can be likewise. Mid range establishment .

Thinking cost of ingredients, wages, ambiance and then business costs (rent, rates etc....) and comparing all this to similar experiences abroad.

Can't personally take my self to eat in certain Dublin restaurants having experienced some great food for have the price abroad. Yet you have to accept that Dublin is a capital city with the associated costs of doing business.

Degag

It's an impossible question to answer. It depends what you are looking for. Mcdonalds costs a tenner or less, a three star Michelin Restaurant could cost a few hundred. I really don't think there is a definative answer to this.

Iolar Iontach

A reasonable price is a lot less than we've become accustomed to paying here.

The_Conductor

It really is a 'how long is a piece of string' question......

You will find different type and quality restaurants to cater for every price bracket. If you like really good food, alongside really good service- but don't want to pay for it- perhaps give the wine a miss (typically this is where restaurants make their biggest markups- a 500-1000% markup on wine is not unusual........

My wife and I love Spanish tappas, and do not even look at the menu prices- indulging in all sorts of prawns, chilli dishes and other really delicious food- alongside starters and desert. In the centre of Dublin- if we avoid wine- we can have the most amazing meal out for under EUR50........

Shop around- there are lots of restaurants out there who even now haven't clicked that we're in the middle of an appalling recession- while there are other very high end restuarants with the pre-theater menus etc, only too happy to serve you excellent food at reasonable prices. Shop around......

LittleBook

Degag wrote: »

It's an impossible question to answer. It depends what you are looking for. Mcdonalds costs a tenner or less, a three star Michelin Restaurant could cost a few hundred. I really don't think there is a definative answer to this.

Iolar Iontach wrote: »

A reasonable price is a lot less than we've become accustomed to paying here.

smccarrick wrote: »

It really is a 'how long is a piece of string' question......

Of course it's a completely subjective question, not just in terms of what one would consider a reasonable price but in terms of what one would consider a good dinner.

I'm coming from the postion of being considered unreasonable by my friends for not wanting to pay more than @ €10 for a starter, @ €20 for a main and under @ €25 for a bottle of house wine in restaurants which I personally wouldn't consider anything special.

Add to this the fact that in some restaurants "mains" need to have an additional side order to actually make them "mains" in my eyes and we're well into "unreasonable" territory.

happyeveryday wrote: »

Can't personally take my self to eat in certain Dublin restaurants having experienced some great food for have the price abroad.

Same boat here

smccarrick wrote: »

My wife and I love Spanish tappas, and do not even look at the menu prices- indulging in all sorts of prawns, chilli dishes and other really delicious food- alongside starters and desert.

Actually I think it's tapas that made me wonder ... I adore them and found a couple of really great (and reasonably priced!) tapas restaurants in the city centre. Up until then I just accepted that a good quality (complete) meal would set me back over €50 every time.

smccarrick wrote: »

Shop around- there are lots of restaurants out there who even now haven't clicked that we're in the middle of an appalling recession- while there are other very high end restuarants with the pre-theater menus etc, only too happy to serve you excellent food at reasonable prices. Shop around......

I will

Kimia

LittleBook wrote: »

Actually I think it's tapas that made me wonder ... I adore them and found a couple of really great (and reasonably priced!) tapas restaurants in the city centre. Up until then I just accepted that a good quality (complete) meal would set me back over €50 every time.

What are these tapas bars you speak of? I'm assuming one of them is the Port House but what are the others??

The_Conductor

Kimia wrote: »

What are these tapas bars you speak of? I'm assuming one of them is the Port House but what are the others??

Salamanca is really good- they're on Andrew Street and also on the corner of Parliament Street. I haven't investigated much further (no reason to )

LittleBook

Kimia wrote: »

What are these tapas bars you speak of? I'm assuming one of them is the Port House but what are the others??

Yes ... and no! I'm thinking of Bar Pintxo which I just now learned is connected to The Port House somehow ... I've never been to The Port House. Another good one is Salamanca.

But the best one is Havana ... great food and great value.

olaola

LittleBook wrote: »

Yes ... and no! I'm thinking of Bar Pintxo which I just now learned is connected to The Port House somehow ... I've never been to The Port House. Another good one is Salamanca.

But the best one is Havana ... great food and great value.

I'll second Bar Pinxto, and Port House. Great spots for a nice bottle of wine and some yummy (and v.cheap) tapas. I think Salamanca is too expensive. But Havana, yowza, I really think it doesn't rate. It's has a nice atmosphere and all. But the food is quite poor.

LittleBook

olaola wrote: »

But Havana, yowza, I really think it doesn't rate. It's has a nice atmosphere and all. But the food is quite poor.

Oh wow, I loved Havana! The first time I might have gotten carried away by the fact that I'd finally found a "reasonably priced" restaurant in Dublin but I've been back several times since I've consistently enjoyed the food.

If anything I found the set-up slightly irritating, very cramped, tables far too close together and having to push through people to get upstairs to the teeny tiny bathroom.

lynski

great thread!
I have spent over 100 euros on a meal for 2 and thought it was great value and i have spent 30 euros and thought it was a rip off.
Any chinese sit down is too expensive, IMHO, food same as takeaway but 50% more expensive.
Any carvery is too expensive, and most sit-down Indians.
Unless there is great service, really good fresh food and a nice atmosphere anything over 15 for a main is too much, up to 10 for a starter.
After that, it just depends.

olaola

LittleBook wrote: »

Oh wow, I loved Havana! The first time I might have gotten carried away by the fact that I'd finally found a "reasonably priced" restaurant in Dublin but I've been back several times since I've consistently enjoyed the food.

If anything I found the set-up slightly irritating, very cramped, tables far too close together and having to push through people to get upstairs to the teeny tiny bathroom.

I've given it a few chances - but they've all been pretty disappointing. Even went with Spanish friend who was v.unimpressed. I shan't be going back when I can just go around the corner to the Port House!

helimachoptor

I worked in Coruna for a short time a couple of years ago, there a start, main, dessert and a coffee worked out around €20 per person so cheap and fantastic food. Here €30 would be good!

LittleBook

lynski wrote: »

Unless there is great service, really good fresh food and a nice atmosphere anything over 15 for a main is too much, up to 10 for a starter.

Fair enough, seems I'm not as unreasonable as my friends make out

The_Conductor

lynski wrote: »

anything over 15 for a main is too much, up to 10 for a starter.

It really depends- when I'm going out, I frequently pay far more for my starter, than I do for my main course (damn addiction to tiger prawns!)

Gone West

Myself and the GF pay about 70-90 for a nice meal out.

For that, we get a bottle of good wine (usually merlot unless herself wants PG), a couple of the best Argentine steaks (300+ grams), hollowed out tomatoes with mashed potatoes inside, various sides, fresh lobster starter, shrimp starter, fresh fruit smoothies served in half a coconut shell. Steaks and ribs come out on a heavy hot metal griddle, which keeps them warm for ages.
Usually have a beer or 3 afterwards.
Excellent desserts, always some warm chocolate in there somewhere

There is a fountain which is always filled with strawberries, and the top section of the fountain is full of clotted cream. Out of season, its filled with other fruits.

The staff are beautiful, helpful, cheerful and know every detail of everything on the 15 page menu.

Live music and at other tables there are actors, mafiosos, politicians with their mistresses, the business "elite", etc.

The decor is great, the views are excellent, and you can sit at your table all night enjoying the atmosphere and entertainment and not be rushed on.
The place sits about 300 people, over 5 levels with excellent city views, yet the tables are quiet enough. You´d normally see a lad propose to his gf there of a friday night.

We usually go there once every couple of weeks, simple but good quality, fresh food, large portions.

Beats the pants of the tepid tiny portions of overpriced pretentious sh1t on sale in Dublin/Ireland, "beef with coffee foam, tarte gratin with bacon caramel" the whole thing could weigh 200 grams and would not fill you. Thrown at you by sourfaced cows, with an automatic 15% "service charge", in crowded place with (as smcarrick said) crappy wine priced 1000% of cost, and end up paying 200$ for essentially a crappy meal, just to be rushed out when you are done. No thanks.

Faith

Do you feel like telling us where that magical place is, Fuzzy?

JimsAlterEgo

don't eat out in "Italian" joints unless they are authentic (not pizza/pasta muck) - biggest rip off 10-12 for pasta and sauce

TitoPuente

I went to the Port house recently. I have a real problem paying 3-4 times as much as I would in Spain... for worse tapas. Tapas are supposed to be a cheap way of keeping flies out of your sherry... not another excuse for Irish resturanteurs to fleece people.

wyndham

Anything over the €4 mark for soup is too much imo. Also, steak priced @ €23+, with €3-4 extra for any form of vegetables, of which you will need at least 2, is just a pisstake. Could go on.