How many $$$ to be expensive - Restaurant?

24

Replies

  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I guess I've been in new York city for two long. $120 (including tip) for dinner for two with drinks and dessert is pretty normal.

    You have to remember that, like California, there's a conversion rate from "regular" US currency.

    Anything more than $30/person is in "expensiveish" territory to me...but that doesn't mean I don't have these expensiveish meals.
  • sixout
    sixout Posts: 3,128 Member
    Depends. Myself and a date for a quick night out, just some random place and nothing fancy, I expect to spend about 15-20 per person. Lunch or something like that.

    Fancy dinner or special occasion? A few weeks back I spent 275 for two people. Of course, I'm a food snob, so somewhere classy, with good food can get somewhat expensive.
  • MeeshyBW
    MeeshyBW Posts: 382 Member
    Anything over 75 and I better get laid lol!

    With cracking tits like yours love, i don't think that would be a problem!
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Over €200 for two seems to verging on the expensive.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    I would consider 40-50 a plate to be expensive, 20-30 to be average and >20 to be cheap. Eating out in Aus is costly

    This, except i'm in Canada.

    X2

    My most expensive meal was in Vegas @ $380 for myself though, I like fancy places lol

    This....we eat out quite a bit....like every other meal. I cook one at home and then we eat out one...

    rotating schedule....money is never an object, the quality of the food and atmosphere is the most important thing....

    that being said, I'm an excellent excellent cook...so if I say, I'm cooking, all plans for a meal out, go out the window STAT....

    my cooking trumps
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
    I really enjoy fine dining so $180+ for two people starts getting towards being too expensive. Of course that includes apps, wine, entrees, and dessert. :)

    Then again, it's what I really enjoy. So... you know.
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    Normal dining out - total bill <$50
    Special occasion - total bill <$100

    Above that I consider expensive.

    JM
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I'd call an entree over $30 an expensive dinner. But I prefer to spend under $15 per person, and keep an eye out for coupons and deals.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Here the Cheesecake Cafe is considered expensive and for a meal with dessert no drinks it's usually about $32 CAD before tip. A full size cheesecake is $60 before tip there as well which is killer in comparison to how much it costs to make the same cake at home lol.

    Though we have more expensive restaurants in the city that I have been to where the meal is about $50 before tip, I think this was at the chophouse that I saw this as my meal price but I was being taken out by my boss for lunch.
  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
    atmosphere

    Word.

    A lot of people forget that is part of the cost.
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    We very seldom go out and eat because it is so expensive. My husband loves to cook and we can have fun cooking meals with all our new cooking stuff we got from our wedding. And it is so good!! I would say spending $20.00 and up is expensive to me. I hate spending a lot of food. Like I said, it is a treat when we go out which is very very seldom.
  • daoc1972
    daoc1972 Posts: 92 Member
    I travel for business often and have a daily limit of $65 for all meals. If I blow it on just dinner, that's expensive. Breakfast over $12 is expensive. Lunch over $25 is expensive. Dinner over $50 is expensive.
  • MeeshyBW
    MeeshyBW Posts: 382 Member
    Over €200 for two seems to verging on the expensive.

    Including drink? If so I agree.

    A bistro type meal where I come from for 2 with a couple of drinks is anything from £90-£130. A bottle of wine with that would be a good £30-£50+ on top of that.

    Upscale can be anything from £150+ depending on what you eat, courses taken, wine etc.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    atmosphere

    Word.

    A lot of people forget that is part of the cost.

    it is...you pay for more than food...you pay for attentive staff, quiet backgrounds, low lighting and well cared for tables....you pay for the experience of it just being you and the other person enjoying a meal without the sweat and work....and allowing each other to focus on the two of you and your life, day, and care of each other...

    the more expensive the place, the more you should have these things.......if I were paying a lot of money and NOT getting these things...or an experience (because some restaurants offer an experience with the prices) then I would be concerned.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    For me, up to around £50 ($75) is ok for a meal for 2, including drinks and tip.

    I don't go out to restaurants a lot though, just on special occasions really.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I don't think there's a universal threshold. It depends on what you're used to. I grew up in a small town in East Texas, where a family of 5 could eat at Golden Corral for $30. I didn't realize until I went to college in Austin that Applebees and Chilis are not "expensive" restaurants. Having lived in Austin and Houston for the past 12 years, I would say $50+ per person is expensive. $20ish to $40ish per person is mid-range, and if you can get an app, entree, drinks, and dessert for less than $20 per person, that's cheap.
  • MeeshyBW
    MeeshyBW Posts: 382 Member
    Can I just ask where the heck you can all eat out for $20 - $30?

    Are you all talking about eating one course?
  • swarovski75
    swarovski75 Posts: 195 Member
    My most expensive meal was in Vegas @ $380 for myself though, I like fancy places lol

    ^true story. I've seen the receipt! (freakin' lunatic).

    That said, Expensive for me is $40+ per entrée, but again, I'm in Canada. Eating out is costly here. The most I've paid for a meal for myself (+ my share of the wine) was $180 euro or about $240...worth every penny. :)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    $125+ per person without wine or tip
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    $125+ per person without wine or tip

    But you order three entrees for yourself.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    $125+ per person without wine or tip

    But you order three entrees for yourself.

    QFT.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Depends entirely on the food, who is preparing it, and what my wallet looks like.

    I've had $10 hamburgers that were the best ever and I would have happily paid $50 for them, back when I would have paid $50 for a burger.

    I've had meals prepared by famous chefs that should have boggled the mind, but really weren't worth half what somebody else paid for them.

    It's all relative.
  • jbutterflye
    jbutterflye Posts: 1,914 Member
    We never go to fast food joints and rarely eat out, so, when we do, price is not a factor. We usually make our decisions based on type of fare and occasion.

    I love to cook, so I'd rather make something special for my wife at home.

    That's really nice. :flowerforyou:
  • Mrder37
    Mrder37 Posts: 904
    If you don't get a free toy it's a fancy restaurant :)
  • carriempls
    carriempls Posts: 326 Member
    If a restaurant has apps for $4-7, and entrees for $12-18 I generally consider that reasonable. Anything below that is cheap, anything above that is "spendy" and if you hit $50-60 per person then you're getting expensive.

    I'd say most of my meals out for dinner fall in the reasonable category (lunch would usually be cheap). Sometimes I get spendy and once every few years I'll do expensive.
  • KittyViolet
    KittyViolet Posts: 220 Member
    Over $30 with tip for one person is expensive for me, but I also stick to water 95% of the time so I can stay under fairly well at regular restos (and eat to my hearts content :heart: ).
  • aeg1986
    aeg1986 Posts: 7
    My most expensive meal was in Vegas @ $380 for myself though, I like fancy places lol

    ^true story. I've seen the receipt! (freakin' lunatic).

    That said, Expensive for me is $40+ per entrée, but again, I'm in Canada. Eating out is costly here. The most I've paid for a meal for myself (+ my share of the wine) was $180 euro or about $240...worth every penny. :)

    Oh my gosh, eating out in Canada IS expensive!! What does a typical meal in Canada cost if you were to eat out?
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    $200, but there's 5 of us.

    We don't do expensive dinners often. :)
  • Ivian_
    Ivian_ Posts: 276 Member
    If it's going to keep from being able to pay my bills, then it's too much. Otherwise, I don't mind how expensive the place is as long as it lives up to it's price tag!
  • mconway79
    mconway79 Posts: 49 Member
    Id say a regular meal at a restaurant (not fast food) to me I would not think twice if it was in the $12 to$18 range. I would consider above my normal comfort zone in the $25 to $30 range and expensive for me is above $30. I do how ever not consider ordering a $10 appetizer for hubby and I and each ordering $18 meals to be to expensive. It is a lot of money but not expensive. We usually would add pop or alcoholic beverage to that as well. To me $75-85 is reasonable for the two of us to go out and have an appetizer, drink and a nice meal with tip.

Categories