Me and my fiance have been talking about our budget for meals. We have breakfast included in all of our hotels, so it would be for lunch, dinner, gelatos, drinks... Is 100 Euros doable for a couple or that is not enough or not even possible? We don't need or want to want to eat in fancy restaurants but we do want to experience Italy's Cuisine. We will be in Rome, Florence and Venice.
It depends on how you eat but it is doable. Restaurants usually have menus posted outside so you can see the prices before you even sit down. Go a couple blocks away from the main tourist areas to get better food at lower prices. House wine are usually pretty good and very economical compared to getting a branded bottle of wine. Beers and sodas can get costly so you may want to avoid those. Carry a bottle and fill it at the water fountains (just make sure there isn't a sign that says non potable). Stand at the bars for an espresso instead of sitting at an outdoor table. If you don't see a price listed, ask first, there are always reports of some unscrupulous gelato places charging 18 euros for a cone or a single serving, avoid the toppings on the gelato. Remember that you don't have to have an antipasto, primi and secondi each, just order what you want and if you feel like sharing a dish, that's not a problem either. We usually get panini from grocery stores or other small shops for lunch instead of a big lunch or id we do have a bigger lunch we end up eating a smaller dinner.
It you truly mean ..........lunch, dinner, gelatos, drinks........ then probably not or at least on the very low end. We tend to skip lunch or just snack on cheese, bread, fruit from a local market so 50E per person is reasonable. If you are carefully and plan a bit, it will be doable.
Unless you're going to expensive restaurants every night you can easily get away with 100 euros. If you drink the house wine that will be less expensive than beer. If you go a few blocks away from the sites you'll find cheap family restaurants that have great food and wine for great prices. Donna
uh yea with change.
You should be able to eat very good on that.Check if there's a coperta, you can find places that don't have it. Make sure you are not paying for the bread. Drinks(water,cokes)are expensive in any restaurant. We were paying as much, or more, for drinks(family of four)as we were for two plates.We started bringing drinks with us.We would order a couple of cokes and split 'em and then supplement with our own drinks.Order the house wine. Check gelato prices before you order or you could blow a good part of your budget. Fill up on breakfast at the hotel,a fairly light luch and then chow down at dinner.Find a market and stock up on your prefered drink and take it with you as opposed to buying in shops around town. Fill up water bottles at the fountains. 99% of 'em have great drinking water. We were eating pretty good for four on around what your budget will be.If you order alcohol/mixed drinks that can eat into your budget fairly rapidly.
"We started bringing drinks with us.We would order a couple of cokes and split 'em and then supplement with our own drinks." ............ And do not be surprised if the owners get a tad upset!
Nope, never had anyone say anything about it. Just to clarify though it wasn't like a bag full of drinks. Just 2/3 in the backpack.
We often eat in Rome for 100Euro a day...Breakfast is usually only a few euro (max of 10 euro for cuppachino and a danish from a snack shop) Lunch can be simple, pizza or a sandwich, some wine for maybe 20 euro tops. This leaves 70 euro for Dinner. We will sometimes have our big meal mid-day and a lighter meal at night.
Easily, as long as you are not going to the finest restaurants. You will be able to eat very well and at a reasonable price if you eat in out of the way places patronized by locals. Eating in a heavily touristed area will garner you a larger bill and probably not the greatest food. Eat with the locals.
When you are in Florence have lunch at Caffee Italiano near the gelateria Vivoli. First course, bottled water, house wine, bread, and coffee - for euro 5.70! And you don't have to tip.
thanks for all the responses! I'm sure we are going to have a deliscious time ;)