I havn't used the Michelin guide for awile and I am wondering if the prices are accurate.For example for Tufo Allegro in Pitigliano the price is 36/54.I am hoping that my memory is off,as I recall this is per person for a simple meal with house wine/more full meal with house wine.So can I expect to pay 93-130 dollars for dinner(or more if we order off the wine list) for the two of us I hope not!!!!! RR

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prices went up outrageusly in the last few years. neither I am up to date with the michelin guide, but consider that in rome 50 euro per person is the price for a meal in "good" restaurants, for the "very good" ones it can go easily in the 80euro range. then you can still have excellent food for 20eur per person but you need to do a little bit of search to find them.

as you may know already, in milano prices are higher, and generally lower in small towns and in southern italy

I went to Italy less than one year ago have prices gone up that much? It's hard to believe spending more than 100 dollars for a moderate restaurant without wine in a rural area such as
the example above Tufo Allegro.RR

Here's a link to some Tufo Allegro menus including wine: prices from €54-96. BTW, for many contributors to this board (such as Sandra & Andrea, and me), prices in USD have little meaning.

Jonathan

Jonathan, you're still on the pound, correct? What's the rate for that against the euro these day? I'm thinking the ones in the €50 range, that include wine with each course, while I wouldn't call reasonable, I'd say in line with our good to better restaurants here.

The pound buys anout €1.40-1.45 at the moment. But when I'm in France or Italy I tend just to think in euros, and compare like with like. Partly, that's because eating out in the UK is so expensive (ask Pauline & Steve!) if you stray off the pub lunch/curry house circuit.

A meal for 2 in a local Gloucestershire restaurant, including a bottle of fairly ordinary wine, will be about £70/€100. In Italy, I'd expect to pay two thirds of that. And at Cucina Casereccia, Lecce, less than half

But on a more general note, I'd just ask that, since this is an international forum, we should try to be more international in our currency citations

Jonathan

Il Tufo Allegro is one of the best restaurants in Toscana in my opinion. It has a fabulous wine list, very traditional dishes with a modern but not over the top twist. The service is heartfelt and truly wonderful. So based on that, it is a bargain. It is not a simple countryside restaurant like Il Pozzo in San Angelo in Colle. As I recall, our meals at Il Tufo without wine were in the €80-100 range. They were well worth it.

For less expensive dining, try Passaparola in MOntemerano. Good wine list, especially where local wines are concerned.

Just double checked and we paid €70 and €83 for our meals without wine. We drank }70 bottles that would ahve cost us €100-150 at fancier places!

That's fine,Generally I eat more than my wife so,I may get three courses and my wife maybe two,we don't have dessert,coffee,cheese etc not due to cost I just don't like dessert(I can hear people groan,I also don't like candy).We might have a gellato after.Wine is a seperate issue,In my mind a seperate budget.The problem with wine is my wife will drink at most one glass,usually less,which leaves me with 3 plus.Dean how about availability of half bottles
at wine specialty restaurants such as Tufo Allegro? I suppose I could carry a empty half bottle, and take some home? I love food but don't want to budget 200 dollars/day.Most of the time we will have something simple for dinneras we are early to bed early to rise types.
Dean,regarding wines to pair with fish for my
seafood lunches on the maremma coast? I don't like the Oak bomb chardonays of California much,I don't drink white wine often but I like Champagne and sparkling wines.When I visited Quercetto in Tuscany they had a nice sparkling wine called Francois(the name of their winemaker)I also like some french chardonay such as Montrachet but that is not an everyday wine! RR

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