Samantha Brown Encourages Foodies To Plan Trips Around This Culinary Event

As a foodie, you shouldn't only look for the best restaurants for world-class dining when planning your next vacation. Instead, it's high time you started planning your trips around a culinary event known as Restaurant Week. According to travel expert Samantha Brown, planning a trip around Restaurant Week will allow you to, as she writes in her blog, "save on amazing food, hotel, and maybe airfare!" This is because, during these special events, many restaurants offer fixed-price lunch and dinner menus that let travelers score good deals on dining while sampling some of the best local food available.

Better yet, "Restaurant Weeks usually fall in January and July when travel is often quiet," writes Brown. As such, she believes travelers stand to gain even more by timing trips around these events, especially since visitors are often at an advantage when traveling during the shoulder season. Additionally, Brown points out in an Instagram Reel that during Restaurant Week, travelers not only find hotels at lower rates, but they also encounter fewer crowds in popular areas. 

All of this is a major win if you're planning to travel on a shoestring budget and hoping that things like good food, accommodations, and airfare won't eat up the bulk of your spending. Ultimately, Brown emphasizes that planning your travels around Restaurant Week is a smart move for anyone looking to stretch their dollars.

Many cities see Restaurant Week as a promotional event, during which participating eateries offer fixed-price menus often featuring two- or three-course meals. One well-known example is New York City. During NYC's Restaurant Week, menus are typically priced around $30 for lunch and up to $60 for dinner. It's worth noting that the Big Apple was one of the first to adopt the concept in 1992. Since then, many other cities across the U.S. have followed suit.

Originally, these events were created to boost business during periods when travel demand was low, which has since opened up the opportunity for travelers to visit great restaurants and enjoy excellent dining at reduced prices. Cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Boston, and Seattle also take part, with hundreds of restaurants participating every year.

To make the most of Restaurant Week, it's important to do your homework well. Start by searching for "Restaurant Week" along with your destination name when deciding on travel dates. This will help you determine when and where the event is taking place, as well as which months are likely better suited for travel if you want to take advantage of the deals. It's also essential to book reservations early, as popular restaurants tend to fill up quickly during these events. So while you may already be planning your next vacation by researching the most affordable countries to visit in 2026, foodies should also consider timing their travels around Restaurant Week as part of their overall strategy.