Our trip is scheduled for November 28-December 8th. I am wanting to know are there any places that can be reasonable (for two adults) eating under 50 for a decent dinner (not fancy, just local eating)? How do I figure out the hidden charges? We have been to Germany, Czech Republic and Austria and never had any hidden fees in our meals, so I am a little concerned for a budget on meals. I want to stick close to 50 per nite. This might be helpful to all, I can't drink a lot of alcohol, due to some medication for arthritis I am on.
Any help is sincerely appreciated.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Posts: 47 | Location: Central California | Registered: 19 March 2005
Hello, We have just come back from Rome and unbelievably had a very acceptable set lunch for 7 euros from Tazza D'Oro which also has the cheapest and arguably the best espresso in town for 56 cents. We also ate very cheaply at da Buffetto you can read more here. Please note there is now a Da Baffetto 2 which seems a little upmarket of the first one which is good as it is very basic!! This enabled us to enjoy some lovely evening meals at San Eustachio for example that came in somewhat over your budget. You will find the link above will help you far more than I can but see if you can find a copy of Chow Venice to help you with your Venice dining requirements as well as looking at the reviews on ST.
Wendy
Posts: 2745 | Location: Lightwater Surrey U K | Registered: 30 March 2003
Ther eare no hidden fees. The "coperto" fee must be clarly stated on your menu. It's a fix fee and it covers bread, linens and cutlery cleaning costs and such stuff. It should range from nothing to 5 euro (in luxury places). No tip is required. Read more on eating cheap here.
Thank you for your responses! Having never been to Italy and hearing some horror stories, I was a bit nervous! I will certainly do some research from your links!
Carole
Posts: 47 | Location: Central California | Registered: 19 March 2005
Sure it is. Just as in any other big city, cafeterias and holes-in-the-wall abound, and you often eat pretty well in them. When wandering in the street disconsolately, you should have in your stock of Italian words with which to bedevil passersby: tavola calda, literally "hot table"; we're talking $8‑10 meals here. Similarly, you can eat perfectly adequate sammiches (sammich: panino, tramezzino) in many bars/caffés. Bar is a word we English-speakers think we know, but in Italy it's less drinking and more eating and social, bless 'em: good place also to have cheap breakfast, half the price or less than what your hotel will charge you, and that's where many Italians on their way to work will be having a bite as well.
I don't think eating out in Italy is cheap. The Euro is still strong. I keep eating costs down in Italy by staying in apartments where I can have breakfast and, usually, one other meal "at home."
The take-out sections of the grocery stores and markets have really great selections of antipasti from which you can construct a great meal. You can get sandwich fixings of all kinds. Easy to eat items such as suppli and arancini, rice balls with different fillings, are good food. Go to the open air markets for fresh fruits and vegetables.
I echo Bill's reccommendation to find the tavola caldas.
Although pizza's can be inexpensive and filling, look carefully before purchasing a slice, there are lots of pretty bad pizzas out there. And there are excellent ones, too. I was in Florence in October and had a piece of pizza topped with porcini mushrooms to die for.
Carry some snacks with you so you don't have to settle for the first place you can sit down when hunger hits.
Originally posted by Bill Thayer: ...(sammich: panino, tramezzino) in many bars/caffés. Bar is a word we English-speakers think we know, but in Italy it's less drinking and more eating and social, bless 'em: good place also to have cheap breakfast, half the price or less than what your hotel will charge you, and that's where many Italians on their way to work will be having a bite as well.
Do not use seating in a bar. It is more expensive. Enjoy your breakfast/sandwich standing at the bar or eating station.
Posts: 648 | Location: Palmyra, NJ, USA | Registered: 29 July 2003
We usually have a cafe and cornetto for breakfast, panino or pizza for lunch and then splurge on dinner. But our joy is to go for a long, leisurly dinner each night, drink a decent bottle of wine and eat magnificent food. Sometimes these dinners come very cheaply but other times they don't. For us, part of the vacation is the food...and so we budget for this.
Whatever you choose to do, you CAN eat reasonably while in Italy.
Posts: 696 | Location: Berkeley, CA USA | Registered: 07 August 2003
In Venezia you can eat well and cheaply in many bars with cicchetti. Sora Alla Ponte during the day or early eveing has one of the best cicchetti displays. Don't even think of eating there at dinner unless poorly cooked frozen food delights you but do go for cicchetti and cheap wine. Da Pinto also off Campo delle Becarie is a bargain and dinner is wonderful. Do not go for the menu touristico but order off the regular menu. Portions are pretty huge. Bar La Marca in Campiello Bella Viena (I think) inthe fruit market is pretty wonderful. Cheap too. Banco Giro is a good bargain. Da Rioba in Canareggio is good and will push your price range a little. Alla Frasca will fit if you stick to the regular menu and skip the whole fish.
There are enumerable tavola caldo all over Rome. Ask someone where you are staying for good ones in the area. Usually these are both "take out" and sit down places where you can easily eat for under 50Euro for two. I would recommend lunch as your main meal and dinner could be a good pizza at Pizza Re' in Via Ripetta. Also for lunch, Sora Margherita is quite good where you can have a tasty Roman meal for under 50Euro with a house wine. This is what a Tavola Caldo looks like:
Posts: 1339 | Location: Essex Fells, NJ and Longboat Key, Florida | Registered: 21 July 2002
Also, the basic suggestion is to wander off the touristy areas.This is where you will hit the cheaper prices, often better food and you will be less likely to be charged illegal "hidden fees" (these are usually a rip off). Ethnic food is usually cheaper (well, not Japanese!): in Florence I have found aplace that serves perfectly good kebab and other oriental-style sandwiches for 2-4 euro: one of these and a one euro dessert make a satisfying light meal. And this happens ina city where you may have to pay 5-6 euro for a slice of awful pizza in any bar. The "do not sit down at bars" is especially valid in touristy areas. If you hit a productive areas where bars cater to local clerks usually sitting does not add to the price.
I would also just suggest going a little easy on the courses to help cut back on costs. For an example dinner, you may want to split a "primo" course of a regional pasta dish, and then order separate "secondo" courses - (meat or fish usually). This is a way to enjoy the good food, while cutting back at the same time. If your partner drinks wine, perhaps they could order the "vino (rosso (red)/bianco (white)) della casa" for a low-priced, usually very drinkable wine.
Generally, I find that my husband and I can really rack up the bill during the day on an Italy trip with stops for espresso, bottled water, pre-dinner drinks, and gelato.. While great things, (and not usually expensive in themselves), they can really compile over the course of a trip. If you're really trying to watch the budget, I would suggest keeping an eye on the smaller things such as these, in order to help leave a little more breathing room.
Originally posted by Shannon: Also in Venice - La Zucca Osteria da Alberto Vino Vino Bentigodi
at all of these (especially without wine) you can eat for under 50 Euro.
Also in Venice: Ca Foscari al Canton Trattoria San Toma Arco Da Silvio Da Sandro Due Torre - open for lunch all year; dinners Friday and Saturday from May -October Ruth
We have not eaten at many "tavola caldo" in Italy and I do not have a section about that in my Restaurant notes. In my experience, you only find them in the larger cities - is this true? I do not remember running across them in the smaller Tuscany towns for example (Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano).
We did get prepared food from Volpetti in Rome on our last trip - which is a tavola caldo. I think we paid by weight - is this how you pay if ordering to stay and eat there? I would like to add the info to the site.
Peter I am going to email you to ask if I can use your photo.
I know this subject has laid dormant for almost six months, however, reading the notes, I had to comment -
My wife and I just returned from a short trip to Italy, visiting Rome and Siena.
I found it very easy to eat for under 40 Euro for two, often (usually) under 30.
Every neighborhood in which we strolled, Trastavere, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Novonna, etc. had dozens of Trattoria with excellent meals for these prices.
I am not a light eater, but I find two courses, either a primi or secondi with a salad to be a filling and satisfying lunch or dinner. With a caraffe of vino rosso di cassa, maybe un botiglia di aqua gassata, what more do you need from life...$30 - $40 euro.
When I travel with my kids, and I am feeling cheap (I'm almost always feeling cheep). I pick up panini from a bar and eat sitting in a piazza. Family of four EU 25.
I miss the lira, and the feeling of being a millionaire with all its zeros, and feared that the Euro would bring Parisian prices to Rome, but my experience has been that I can eat well cheaper that NYC, San Francisco, London, or Paris.
I wish the restaurants in California would add such good simple wines by the carafe for a fraction of the price I find in every restaurant and trattoria I visit in Italy.
And don't get me started about tax and tip.
A $10 hamburger in a San Francisco Restaurant costs me $12.50 with tax and tip.
A 5 EU pizza margherrita near the Spanish Steps costs 5 EU. What a deal!
Sorry to go on and on, but I love eating in Italy (did I mention that the food is good as well?)
Tom Birmingham Studio One - Big Sur Fine Arts & Photography www.bigsurarts.com
Posts: 19 | Location: Big Sur,CA | Registered: 06 November 2005
I think almost all our meals in Rome were under/ around 50 euros, and they mostly included at least a half carrafe of house wine, liter of water, antipasti, and two entree's. I seem to recall one such meal barely being over 30. We forgot our "Good Eats" book and grudgingly took some reccomendations from the rick steves book, which we hated to admit were always excellent meals.
I don't remember exactly the names- we went to Osteria Ponte Sisto twice, and Osteria de Lucia (?), both in Trastevere. I don't remember the other one but it was just a bit north of the Pantheon and was very good, and I think that may be the one that was around 30. Maybe Nicky remembers (i'm at work right now).
I also wish I could remember the Tavolo Caldo we had lunch at in Venice. It was right by the Guggenheim and was my personal favorite meal in Venice, though one should keep in mind we only had two dinners there. It was also very reasonable.
I think staying under the 50 mark shouldn't be hard.
Posts: 16 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 29 October 2005
One addition to the list for Rome, Der Pallaro offers a dining experience at 20 euro per person including wine and dessert. My wife and I went twice and enjoyed both visits. There is no menu, you are served a multiple course meal of dishes a tipico style of Rome. Hard to beat for the price.Located near Campo dei Fiori.
I have serious problems with da Baffetto Due. First time we went we got overcharged. BADLY. I didn't figure it out until we got home and by then it was too late. The bill came, it seemed high but I figure I had mis-remembered everything we ordered.
Next time everything we ordered I wrote down. Then the waitress cops an attitude!! What? I mess up her cheating the tourist? Tough!!
Cheat me once - shame on you. Cheat me twice - shame on me.
On the plus side the food is excellent at da Baffetto and dB2 and the prices are extremely reasonable. You have to seriously work at it to get the cost over $30 for 2.
We usually order 4-6 antipasta at $1-2 each. Then one main course or a pizza.
If you go just keep track of what you ordered and check your bill.
Other inexpensive meals in Rome - Order just the antipasta at De Orso 80 (north of Piazza Navona) HUGE amount of food and it is 15 euro each. Watch the wine, house red is 15 euro & house white is 4.
Lunch can be cheaper than dinner but not necessarily. We always try to do lunch or dinner as make it yourself sandwiches. Fixings from the forno and the salumeria (bakery and meat shop) There is this wonderful bakery on the street down to campo fiori - the most wonderful sweets. We ended up pretty regularly dropping 10 - 15 euro on cookies. TO DIE FOR!!
Another very good place well within your price range is la Sacristea just off piazza della rotunda (Pantheon) with the Pantheon at your back take the first street on the right (about 100 feet north) it's also the street that the little electric bus travels on. La Sacristea is about 50 yards max up the road.
Taverna Coppella (on Via de Coppella) closed Wed. - I think the reason people don't go here is it is TOO cheap. They think that something this cheap can't be good. Again 2 people have 2-3 courses for 20-25 euro.
As somebody mentioned it is the nickel and dime stuff that will kill you. Coke is exhorbitant in restaurants. Seriously, you can drink wine for less than coke. We usually will hit the supermercati and pick up water, gatorade, coke for our touring and then just drink the bottled water (usually 1-2 euro) at the meal.
A great blow-out meal (50 euro each) is Myosotis north of Piazza Rotunda. One of the few restaurants in Rome that is part of the slow food movement.
If you are up near Piazza Vittorio any of the local chinese places. This is Rome's chinatown. We had a huge 4-5 course meal for 6 euro each. It's not italian - but that's OK the family at the next table IS italian and they are eating chinese.
In the winter we had a wonderful filling bowl of soup at Cul de sac - an enoteca just south of piazza Navona. With bread and a glass of wine it was 15 euro for 2.
If your not catholic (or even if you are but don't have problems attending a non-catholic service) the baptist church Teatro de Valle #27 has a Sunday fellowship luncheon. Like church suppers everywhere it is a competition event. The ladies cook their hearts out. Service is at 11. Introduce yourself to Pastor Benedetti (Italo) and say hi from Mary and Tom in AZ. You will be welcome to attend the luncheon. Donations are requested. We usually leave 5-10 euro each.
I like Pepys in Piazza Barberini (near el triton). The bartender is a jamaica-mon and is a hoot. The sandwiches are fresh and reasonable. Stay away from the Fritos same bags have been there since forever - I think they date back to 1999. They just dust them regularly.
Last but not least - BREK in the Largo Argentina. Don't eat downstairs - tourist central. Go upstairs. The upstairs is decorated with stage pieces from various theatre productions. BREK is where all the starving artists go. You get a pasta, a meat and a beverage for 5 euro (last year). It's cafeteria style but absolutely fresh. They prepare the pasta and grill the meat while you wait. Try to go at an off hours or the line can be quite long.
Hi, We found a place in Venice not too far from the Train station (same side of the canal) that had a nice selection of reasonable italian dinners. Spaghetti for 4 adults, canned coke, bread, etc. ran less than 10 euros per person. You ordered at the bar, waited for them to cook it, then filled you tray, paid at the cashier and took it to a table. It was different from most tavola caldas I've been in; better selection and fresh food.
For extremely good lunchtime value in Rome try Gusto on Piazza Augusto Imperatore,9 http://WWW.gusto.it You can choose from the extensive hot & cold buffett or a freshly made large Pizza with the price for the Buffett being 7 euros and the price for the Pizza being 8 euros both inclusive of a small size drink (beer or coke etc..)Aim to arrive at around 12:30/12:45 as it gets very busy with local office workers at around 13:00pm onwards
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