Rick Steves' Clever Dining Tip To Avoid Paying Extra At Restaurants In Europe

When you're on vacation in Europe, having all your meals at restaurants can take a bite out of your budget. You can take travel pro Rick Steves' advice and enjoy a few picnic lunches, allowing you to spend less and check out local grocery stores, but that isn't going to work for every meal. However, Steves has a great tip for saving money at restaurants as well: trying out the fixed-price menus you see around Europe. These are often in the form of lunch specials, where you can eat quite a bit, and save the picnic or lighter meal for the evening. On his website, Steves writes about fixed-price menus in France, saying, "In France, the menu is called la carte. You can order individual items off the full menu (à la carte) just as you would at home — but you can save money by ordering a multi-course, limited-option, fixed-price meal...which, confusingly, is called le menu (or la formule)." (You may also see something like "nos formules," which means "our fixed-price options.")

These menus have other names in other countries, like menú del día in Spain or menu fisso in Italy, and the idea is that you pay a set price for a few dishes that the restaurant has picked out. It not only saves you money, but you may get to try things you wouldn't have chosen otherwise. Sometimes it's not a several-course meal, but rather an entree and a dessert for a fixed price — but either way, it's often a good deal.

In another post on his website, Rick Steves advises, "Every country has early bird and 'Blue Plate' specials. Know the lingo, learn your options, and you can dine well with savvy locals anywhere in Europe for under $15." Since dinner is often eaten later in many European countries compared to what we're used to in America, early-bird and fixed-price menus may very well serve as your dinner, with a later meal taken more as a snack.   

It isn't just Steves that knows this trick. In a thread about eating cheaply in Paris and London on Reddit's r/Shoestring, one person says, "Also hit up the fixed price menu in restaurants. Much cheaper than ordering off the menu." However, another person in the same thread recommends avoiding touristy areas, which may have higher fixed-menu prices. Steves' guidebook co-author, Cameron Hewitt, says that if you simply walk a few blocks away from a tourist spot, you're more likely to get a cheaper price and better food.

One caveat with fixed-price menus, though, is that you should make sure you know exactly what you're ordering. As Steves says, "le menu" can mean a fixed-price menu instead of what you order from. Make sure you have a translation app (such as Google Translate) handy so you can ask questions about menu options. Additionally, wherever you eat, Steves suggests ordering tap water, which can keep you from paying for bottled water in some places. Finally, check out the travel expert's tips for eating like a local in Europe.