We are back in Northern Spain for our yearly culinary pilgrimage, and I once again can’t believe how affordable it is to dine out, as compared to the US.
We are so discouraged by the cost of eating out at home these days. Dinner at a pub in our neighborhood the other night for 3 of us - 2 burgers, a salad, one entree, a beer and 2 glasses of wine - was $200. Similar stories abound. So I thought I’d start a thread about great and affordable meal experiences abroad, not to harp on how tough things are in the US, but to remind everyone that restaurants can still accessible, delicious and affordable.
Fiest day in Galicia: Lunch was at Abastos2.0 in Santiago de Compostela, a very well regarded casual but classy seafood restaurant attached to the amazing municipal fresh market in the center of town - prime real estate in an old money city. We had 11 incredible, top quality seafood plates (including a repeat on the razor clams, a selection in pictures below), a bottle of wine from one of the region’s best producers, a beer, a vermouth, 3 botles of water, bread and 2 coffees for €225.
Then for a light dinner in Pontevedra, at the casual tapas restaurant associated with a Michelin 1* across the square, we had 3 absolutely wonderful dishes, a bottle of very tasty rosé, bread and water for €73.
You were in an area that I like very much and glad that you had a good time. However the issue of comparative prices is just not that simple. You know, I suspect, that the cost of rent, labour and just about every other overhead is much lower in Galicia than it is in NYC, LA, Paris etc. If you had those meals in Madrid, they would be more expensive. You do make a very good point that price inflation has marched forever upwards for dining out, and is pricing more and more people out of what is one of our most convivial experiences.
I don’t want to talk here about the whys or wherefores. I am not making any intellectual or philosophical point about the difficulties of the restaurant business. We all know those and they have been beaten to death here. Let’s just celebrate what we find!
Excellent topic, thank you, and your posting really puts a trip down there on the map/to-do list for me. Thank you.
And I agree 100% with your sentiments.
Just this past week in Paris we had 1/ an excellent 33E prix fixe lunch where some of the food was incredible (all was very good) & the amuse-bouche was wine tastes rather than food (!), and the manager, in discussing wine to pair w/ lunch, insisted on bringing tastes over, and then when I chose a fancier/more expensive white Burg than he had recommended & asked for his choice between the two, immediately chose his less-expensive one, and it was a home-run! (Desoler for the run-on.)
And 2/ a 59E prix-fixe dinner where the chef/owner was out the whole meal, the food was excellent (w/ the 3rd course dessert/il flottante better than the 42E one I had a few weeks ago c/o of Jean Imbert @ a much fancier place). And while I ordered a not-cheap Burg, they had very decent wine they were pouring (en Jeroboam) @ 7E a glass. (7E a glass!).
Of course there are all the trendy and/or fancy good (& not great) places too - but eating well & not spending a fortune, well… pas mal. pas mal…
I was pretty surprised about the quality of food for the price in Tokyo and Kyoto (given a very favorable exchange rate), even at the higher end restaurants. The very best bargains were at the local restaurants where we just walked in and had such a great experience (partly because of no real expectations). But yes, do understand the economics of US restaurants and business. My family and I are very much looking forward to Tokyo again this summer, but this time, exploring even more of the local restaurants. And, since this is a wine board, wine is more expensive in Tokyo, generally, so I mostly get local beers and cocktails with dinner. So, the US has that going for it.
Another thing is just to find delicious but simply served seafood like that - impossible in the US. Here it needs to be breaded, deep fried or otherwise finagled to suit the yak palates. Everything has to be a chocolate covered hamburger or “extra”.
I just wish there were seafood restaurants that served razor clams with a slice of lemon - and a trust in that that’s enough from the restaurant.
Agreed, Adam. It’s really hard in the US. Where I am in Spain right now, pretty much EVERY restaurant, from corner tapas bars to starred temples, offers plates of simple fresh seafood. And the fish markets are astounding in their variety. Even in Japan you don’t find quite this overflowing bounty on offer.
Last night, a little something different at one of the world’s best wine bars: langoustine tacos (2 each), smoked sardine foccacia (2 each), and fried artichokes for a food total of ~€65. The wine was…more than that, but that was our choice.
Agree with @Tom_Chen about Japan. I was there in the last 15 days, my first time being actually in Japan besides changing planes for 4 times at the local airports. The incredible amount of serious quality foods, at less than half of North American pricing (mostly in NYC where I’m based at), is insanely remarkable.
Just to note what @Adam_Frisch said about the sad thing about breading seafood. In Japan they pretty much bread everything with mouthwatering results, including melt in your mouth steaks!
Thanks for starting Sarah. We were in L’Herault in June '23, and was alerted to Ort(o), an organic farm in Cessenon-sur-Orb, run by an italian family, daughter went to cooking school in italy but returned back to france and started cooking on their farm with mom, outdoor seating in the garden surrounded by their produce. I had read about it on Aaron Ayscough’s substack. Lovely produce, simply cooked, and lunch was 3 courses for > €10. Local winemakers eat there, with nice variety of natural wines and local beers. (They’re on Insta, but i’m not @Ortoslowfood ).
Just a small, nice, simple place in the middle of nowhere, and they abound, if you seek them out. It’s the nice part of traveling, discovering little places and meeting producers, makers, creators, imho.
They were correct, in the best way. It’s an excellent dish. When you can drink Selosse and Raveneau and eat a langoustine taco, you don’t need much more.
Even high end here is a comparative bargain. The top menu at Casa Solla, considered the best chef in the region, with a bottle of Ulysse Collin Les Roises 60 month, a bottle of albarino, 2 menu additions and 2 sherries for €635 seems like a steal. A few highlights:
Sarah I 100% get what you’re talking about especially here in NYC. I’m heading to Spain next week and your pics are getting me excited about what is to come. Have a great time.
Prime tapas bar on a small square - croquettes, cockles, clams, smoked salmon (gift from the kitchen), pork w/farro, botttle of godello, water and bread for €92. Missed a few pictures, but you get the idea.
A very general question: What city/country do you think provides the best value for food? I know it depends on tastes and such, and my experience is limited, but I’ve found Mexico and Japan to be the best for me.
