Dining on a Budget in England for Two Loving Souls

[Weatherbull]

Hello, Im new here in the forum. But I have been visiting this site ever since I stumbled upon it one time.

Anyway, I heard that restaurants in England get countless of raves. And I am planning to take my loving wife there soon for a short three-day vacation (hopefully) on the last week of February (sort of like a post-Valentine gift to her).

Were from New York, and would like a different type of setting this time. Our tastes include a laid-back, rusty setting with a gaiety atmosphere where the food and booze would cater to a most convenient budget. Then again, any suggestions for a couple like us who are in our early 40s would be fine as long as the price is right, and wouldnt be something that my wife will tell me not to splurge on. (She is usually like that a bit different from others whom I have known to splurge on what she likes to refer to as hard-earned money. Thats why I married her. She keeps me on track with my finances.)

Well be staying at a friends house when we get there, so breakfast and lunch arent a problem since my friend and I will do the honors of cooking and baking like crazy. But, for dinner (on three consecutive nights), thats where I want to make it special for my wife. Just the two of us on the streets of England with good restaurant food that we will be sharing together.

Any suggestions would be great, and please include the possible amounts that we may be spending for the meals. No particular food preference on this. Just would like to know the restaurant and the meal budget that we're likely to spend. Thanks.

[thepiranha]

England is a big country, so I can't be specific about dining options. If you are in London, I highly recommend the hundreds of Indian restaurants in the city. Indian food is both excellent and cheap in England because there are so many immigrants from India. It's hard to go more than a block or two without running into an Indian restaurant in London. I've also found excellent Chinese food in London. Unfortunately, the dollar is not doing well against the pound and almost everything that you do in England is going to cost more than in the U.S. I highly recommend taking in a play in London. I lived there for a short time and we would purchase the least expensive tickets to mid-week matinee performances. Just before the start of the play, we would move into the more expensive seats. There were times when the floor manager actually asked patrons to move forward because it was easier on the actors to have everybody seated closer to the stage.

[Weatherbull]

Your suggestion about Indian cuisine sounds great. I've known that spices can perk up the romance in your marriage So that is a good one to consider.

My wife likes Chinese food, so that is also something that I have to remember when we get there.

About the play and moving on to the more expensive seats, that was a good tip, too. I had to read that part again in your message to check if you were serious.

Thanks for the suggestions.

All the best!

[no-backpacker]

If you like Indonesian food I can recomend Melati. I'ts in Great Windmill St.

C.

[jashermd]

Hello,

Having recently moved to London (from the relatively cheap environs of Oxford) I've had an interesting time exploring the greater range of culinary options available here. As people who have read my posts know I don't normally stint when it comes to spending on food (or travel) but I do appreciate value for money.

The best tip I can suggest for London is buying a current copy of Time Out's 'Cheap Eats in London', which has some great finds. The guides are updated annually and are generally very good about pointing you in the right direction, and there are lots of handy maps as well. My only complaint is that it's organised geographically rather than by cuisine but that's a small niggling point.

Here are a few specific recommendations:

For Indian food, seek out Masala Zone. The food is updated 'Indian street cuisine' and the restuarant is a spinoff from the famous (and more expensive) Chutney Mary.

If the weather is fine (a big if, I have to admit) duck into a branch of Marks and Spencer Simply Food and buy a wrap and a smoothie and enjoy them in a park for about 5 per person.

If your wife likes Asian food, keep an eye out for branches of the Wagamama noodle bar. The noodles are simple but tasty and the bill is nice and small (at least by London standards).

There are some nice old fashioned fish and chip places in Marylebone which are still very inexpensive -- fish and chips is a classic British lunch.

If you do want to splash out do it at lunch time -- Nobu has a fantastic lunchtime bento box for 25 which features many of their famous dishes (such as the miso black cod) and is superb value for money.

Cheers,
Julian

[no-backpacker]

Julian, how is Nobu for dinner? Last time I was in London we went past Nobu, but never went in, although it looked very nice, maybe next time.

C.

[funtimes]

Julian Thank you for your thoughtful and budget conscious reply We will be in London this May so we would also appreciate any other dining suggestions you may have. If anyone has ideas for Paris, Munich and/or Salzburg that would be helpful as well Thanks ...Funtimes

[Weatherbull]

Thanks Julian and no-backpacker. Your suggestions are all great. Will think of those.

Everyone here has been very helpful. Appreciate it . Thanks.

[jashermd]

Hello,

The food at Nobu is amazing -- let's put it this way, it's where I'm having my birthday dinner! Personally I prefer the Berkeley St Nobu in terms of aesthetics (I especially like the organic chandelier, which is shaped like a tree branch growing down from the ceiling) and also because it's a bit smaller and more intimate, but the food is equally good at both of them. Definitely worth a visit the next time you're in London!

TimeOut also has an excellent 'Paris Eating and Drinking' guide that has both budget conscious and budget-blowing options, and it's very current. If you enjoy afternoon tea, make sure you stop by Mariage Freres in St Germain des Pres, and if you love ice-cream make sure you go to Berthillon on Ile St-Louis.

I'm afraid it's been awhile since I was last in Munich so I would hesitate to make any restaurant recommendations as things change quite rapidly...

Cheers,
Julian

[jashermd]

Hello,

Another fun budget option (at least if you're careful) is getting a picnic from the food halls at one of the big department stores in London or Paris. Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges, John Lewis, and Marks and Spencer all have food halls (M&S also has branches of 'Simply Food' scattered around town). Be careful at Harrods and Fortnum's though as it's easy to get carried away (especially in the sweets section -- the chocolates just look sooo yummy...)

In Paris, Galeries Lafayette has a particularly nice food hall.

In London, there are also branches of little cafes like Cafe Nero and Pret a Manger all over the place -- a good option for an inexpensive lunch (or a dinner in a pinch, though sandwiches for dinner isn't really my favourite thing). I particularly like the sandwiches at Cafe Nero (the ones they toast are really good) but find that Pret tends to overdo it on the mayonnaise. If you're really stuck, there's always Starbucks. Lunch at one of these places will run about 6-8 per person depending on what you order to drink.

The English tradition of afternoon tea isn't necessarily a money-saver, but it's something that you really shouldn't miss out on -- my personal favourite is the one at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair. The one at Fortnum and Mason probably offers the best value for money. One good thing from a budget standpoint is that if you have a nice afternoon tea around 4pm you can eat a light dinner (and dinner is always the most expensive meal of the day). There used to be an all-you-can-eat afternoon tea at The Savoy (which certainly helped my budget when I was visiting London as a student) but The Savoy is currently closed for renovations.

London's Chinatown is a good source for inexpensive meals, though the quality can be a bit variable. Make sure that the place you choose has lots of local people eating in it. An empty Chinese restaurant is NOT a good sign.

Cheers,
Julian








Message Edited by jashermd on 02-18-2008 12:37 PM