How much for a birthday meal!

[3offTheTee]

Brought Mrs 3OTT to Santander for a few days, well 9 for her birthday and hd bargain/ cheap flights with Ryanair. She has a mid 60’s birthday so not that special, pension next year.

Do not tend to eat out much at home an d there are some great restaurants in Santander where I would expect to pay just short of €100

There is a 1* Michelin which charges €58 each for a smallish tasting menu with wine will work out around €150. Top end and in a way I object but we are here only once.

What is reasonable and would you pay €150?

 

[PhilTheFragger]

if there is just the 2 of you, if you budget for £25-30 a head per night, then you shouldn’t be far out.

 

[Fade and Die]

You can pay as much as you want, last weekend we went to Valencia for our 25th anniversary, 1st night we went to a swanky restaurant and had the tasting menu and shared a wine flight. Cost £185. Next evening we had a fantastic Tappas, several tumblers of beer and wine and it came to £33!
Both meals were great! (1st visit to Valencia, thought it was amazing)

 

[3offTheTee]

if there is just the 2 of you, if you budget for £25-30 a head per night, then you shouldn’t be far out.

Sorry Phil, I never finished it off. Updated now.

 

[fundy]

Spend what you what but spoil her for the birthday as long as you can afford it dont overthink it

Personally I would be on the fence re the michelin star place, id want to see what was on the menu and if it appealed as mrs f can be a little picky food wise (albeit doesnt sound at all expensive for a michelin starred tasting menu), if not id try and find a "popular with the locals" place

 

[3offTheTee]

You can pay as much as you want, last weekend we went to Valencia for our 25th anniversary, 1st night we went to a swanky restaurant and had the tasting menu and shared a wine flight. Cost £185. Next evening we had a fantastic Tappas, several tumblers of beer and wine and it came to £33!
Both meals were great! (1st visit to Valencia, thought it was amazing)

Valencia is fantastic. Beach close and smaller than Barcelona and feels safer. been several times and twice for Las Fallas. What a great few days. there is an exceptional tapas bar in the market.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Ok, well we just recently went to Paris for the France England rugby match and we went to the Moulin Rouge
Utterly fabulous dahling, even at £160 a head, just do it, life is about making memories , grab it and enjoy

 

[Fade and Die]

Valencia is fantastic. Beach close and smaller than Barcelona and feels safer. been several times and twice for Las Fallas. What a great few days. there is an exceptional tapas bar in the market.

Boatellas? We was hoping to try it but it was closed for the holidays!

Really lovely city, spotlessly clean and as you say even wandering around the small backstreets we felt safe. Excellent street art too….



Plus The Holy Grail!

 

[Hobbit]

Would we pay €150? It would have to something spectacular for me to even consider it. The top restaurants locally would come in around €10 for a starter, €30 max for mains, €10 for a pud + €15+ for a bottle of wine = €120 all in.

Menu del dia/noche, 3 courses, starts around €10 each + wine, with a few top venues doing couples meal deals around €40 inc wine.

Our favourite Indian has a meal deal, inc wine, €35 per couple. And that’s anything on the menu, not selected cheap options.

Edit; eating in the local villages, as opposed to the tourist trap of Mojacar, comes in cheaper.

 

[Marshy77]

Brought Mrs 3OTT to Santander for a few days, well 9 for her birthday and hd bargain/ cheap flights with Ryanair. She has a mid 60’s birthday so not that special, pension next year.

Do not tend to eat out much at home an d there are some great restaurants in Santander where I would expect to pay just short of €100

There is a 1* Michelin which charges €58 each for a smallish tasting menu with wine will work out around €150. Top end and in a way I object but we are here only once.

What is reasonable and would you pay €150?

I'd say that's pretty reasonable for a Michelin star meal.

If you compare it to home, a 3 course meal with wine at say Miller and Carter would be about the same. Main meals in bang average chain restaurants are now between £14-20 plus drinks are averaging £12-16 depending what your drinking.

If you can afford it, do it. If not, find where the locals eat. That'll be far cheaper and possibly a better experience.

 

[Billysboots]

I’ve occasionally eaten in restaurants which have Michelin stars and, more than once, wondered whether they have actually been rated by a tyre expert. It’s not unusual in my (limited) experience to find them vastly overrated, with a price list to match.

Give me a down to earth restaurant packed full of local diners any day of the week.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It's about cost v experiences isn't it? Many on here wouldn't pay to play a top course, others are ticking them off as fast as they can. I think I'd struggle to enjoy a restaurant at those prices but that is me. I like food but not that much ?. If you do, then pay the money and have the experience.

 

[AmandaJR]

If she's a real foodie and would thoroughly enjoy the experience then go for it and don't stress on the price - assuming you can afford it

I'm not a foodie and would probably hate it and feel intimidated by the wine waiter (or whetever the posh name for that is)...nice little pizzeria would do for me!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If she's a real foodie and would thoroughly enjoy the experience then go for it and don't stress on the price - assuming you can afford it

I'm not a foodie and would probably hate it and feel intimidated by the wine waiter (or whetever the posh name for that is)...nice little pizzeria would do for me!

Sommelier ?

 

[Neilds]

We have had a £200 lunch at Hand and Flowers (Tom Kerridge) and loved it, but also had a £20 meal at at rundown beach shack in Santorini as the sun set and enjoyed it equally as much. It all depends on the people you are with and the atmosphere

 

[Bazzatron]

You can make more money, get it spent.

 

[Jamesbrown]

If my missus wanted to go for a treat then fine but myself no chance, I’d get the same satisfaction from toast.

 

[AmandaJR]

If my missus wanted to go for a treat then fine but myself no chance, I’d get the same satisfaction from toast.

Fresh bread, thick butter, cheddar cheese and some ready salted crisps...food heaven!

 

[3offTheTee]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. We both like our food but prefer our wine.


Spoken with the hotel who advised the food Is produced by the same chef for 2 places next door to each other, one Michelin * the other Michelin Bib gormet which is around 50% of the price. Going to the cheaper one which still has sea views, win/win. She’ll be happy with the extra bottle of Albarino!

 

[Hobbit]

It's about cost v experiences isn't it? Many on here wouldn't pay to play a top course, others are ticking them off as fast as they can. I think I'd struggle to enjoy a restaurant at those prices but that is me. I like food but not that much ?. If you do, then pay the money and have the experience.

Spot on! Sometimes it’s about ‘the where,’ not ‘the what.’

We’ve paid almost €20 for two coffees in Piazza Navona, Rome, and St Mark’s Square in Venice. We both remember those experiences vividly. Way, way over priced but wow, what venues.