Top Ten List – Ways To Save Money When Dining Out
Posted on July 24, 2009. Filed under: Entertainment | Tags: Food, Money Saving Tips, Restaurants |
I read an article the other day that listed ways in which we could save money during difficult economic times. The article focused on dining out and gave some smart tips on how we can save instead of sacrifice having a meal out at a nice restaurant. I recently tried some of the tips listed below while dining out with a friend at Jane and Cafeteria, two of New York City’s most trendy restaurants.
At Jane’s we dined in a casual upbeat environment. We ordered one of their most popular dishes (Toasted Ricotta Gnocchi) as our main course and asked for extra plates so that we could share. We also ordered a large house salad and shared that as well. Add two cocktails and the bill was under $30 for each of us, including tips. That’s really very good for dining out on a Friday night in Manhattan.
The next time we eat out it was at Cafeteria. This hot spot American bistro had great dinner specials like(The Meatloaf) and also drink specials. We forfeited appetizers and shared a dessert, and as usual we had our self mandated one drink minimum. Again our bill was no more than $30. Listed below are some other good money saving tips.
10 ways to save money when dining out 
1. Learn to share – Eva Longoria Parker and renowned Chef Todd English have the right idea (pictured above)
2. Pitcher instead of bottled water – Water flows ‘freely‘ from the faucet
3. Become an early bird – Many restaurants offer specials for people who dine before the dinner rush
4. Order at the bar – Instead of a table sit at the bar and order from the bar menu which is usually less expensive
5. Doggy-bag it – I say make that a ‘human‘ bag to go
6. Chat it up with the staff – While you’re at it, ask if there’s a mailing list with specials and discounts for loyal customers. Your servers may not
look like these models but many are actors and fashion models……
7. Make Sunday the new Friday – Many restaurants offer special Sunday menus geared towards families and group dining
8. Make sides the new appetizer - Save on the additional cost of appetizers
9. Do group dinners - The benefit of dining as a group is you can share. You may not have appetizers served to you by popular Chef Rocco Dispirito (pictured above) but being able to sample from a variety of choices can be a lot of fun!
10. BYOB – Some places allow outside beverages, you pay a small corkage fee, less than the cost of buying a bottle at the restaurant
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Jane restaurant is located at 100 West Houston Street in Greenwich Village, NYC
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Cafeteria restaurant is located at 119 Seventh Avenue in Chelsea, NYC
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Eating out can be very expensive in the city, but you mention great ways to go about saving money when dining in New York. It is Restaurant Week right now so a lot of restuarants are offering a cheaper price fix for lunch than dinner (3 courses for $25). It is a great way to experience some of the best restaurants in the city.
Helena N.
July 25, 2009
Thanks Helena, I am definitely going to check out a nice eatery this last week of Restaurant Week.
joanieb
July 26, 2009
Had curried shrimp, rice and peas, and string beans and carrots. What I considered the meal I would have ordered as my last meal. I threw in two cold beers and I just couldn’t get over the elation that was brought to my palate. Since I was smart, knowing that at this particular take out joint a large order can amply satisfy two, the total for my meal was $15.00 a mere $7.50 per person. I agree, even on a budget, one can splurge and have a first class meal in a restaurant. Seriously folks, I have been all over the world, eaten in many top restaurants and hotels, but I would honestly have paid $50, for the $7.50 meal that I had today.
Peace,
Brian
brian
August 1, 2009
I hear you Brian, It is a proven fact that many of the so called “hole in the wall” or restaurants off the “beaten path” often turn out to be the best places to eat a good meal. Pleasing to the stomach and to the wallet!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
joanieb
August 2, 2009
[...] Before I dim the lights on the year 2009 and put the closed sign on the door (figuratively speaking) I thought it would be fun to do a mental review and make a list of the variety of restaurants I visited this year. To keep the list to the top 20 best, I decided to list only the ones that brought to mind the fondest memories of good times with friends; delicious tasting food, great atmosphere and reasonable prices (for a few tips on ways to save money while dining out, see my post http://joanieb.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/10-money-saving-tips-for-dining-out/) [...]
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