Restaurant costs

I don't know where you "see" that but you should know that all restaurants here in Catalonia (Girona, Barcelona, etc) are legally obliged to publish their menus (including prices) outside the restaurant, by the door, so any passer-by can check it WITHOUT having to go into the restaurant.

In any case, if you're intending to go to one of the Michelin-starred restaurants, note that there are waiting lists -especially in the top ones-, so one should pre-book online way in advance. As per prices -and noting that this depends a lot on what you order!- you should count around US$200/220 per person on say Celler de Can Roca, Les Cols or Miramar -which are the most "starred". Have a look at all of them here: https://www.costabravahotelsdeluxe.com/en/michelin-restaurants/ Also, you should know that some more of the best restaurants appearing in the famous Michelin Guide are also located in Barcelona, merely 60 miles from Girona. The city hosts 32 Michelin-starred restaurants. Here a good article about this: http://www.bonviveur.es/noticias/los-32-restaurantes-de-barcelona-con-estrellas-michelin-en-2017 --use Google Translate if you don't read Spanish. Also, this is a good summary -in English- of all Michelin-starred restaurant in the whole of Catalonia: https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/restaurants/catalan-restaurants-with-michelin-stars

However note as well that one doesn't need to head to one of those to have a terrific meal, there are plenty of other more humble but very good restaurants, where you can eat for far (far!) less than that. In Girona, for example, https://www.timeout.com/girona/restaurants. Also this -albeit it also includes Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca- is a good list: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-10-best-restaurants-in-girona/

Enjoy!

Enric covered it very well. I have always seen prices in restaurants in our many years of travels. There have been a few high end restaurants where the male's menu had the prices and the female did not. And few with just the prices on the black board in side.

Frank... are you sure you're talking about restaurants "here"? that'd be certainly sure grounds for a discrimination complaint -you know how we feel about those things on this side of the world. While I'm not disputing your claim, I must say though that through all my years I've never encountered that case in the high-end restaurants here in Catalonia.

I believe the whole E.U. has the law about posting menus outside. But it's true that many restaurant web sites don't show prices. I think that keeping a web site up to date is not their expertise nor priority, so they keep them pretty "evergreen," instead

Ah yes, sorry, if you're referring to websites, I do totally agree... in fact, most restaurant websites not only don't provide info on prices but sometimes hardly any info about the restaurant itself... LOL!

I was looking online so I can plan my costs. I have been to Europe and understand and appreciate how available menus are.

There have been a few high end restaurants where the male's menu had the prices and the female did not.

I've never heard anything like this! Where are these places that have male and female menus?

I've seen what Frank is describing at some very expensive, large city, good old boy restaurants in the past...

I've seen what Frank is describing at some very expensive, large city, good old boy restaurants in the past...

In the past? What, 1920's?

How pathetically misogynistic and patronising. If I ever saw such a menu I'd make sure I never ate there.

I'd imagine the food in there is stuck in the past, dated and not very good. Any chef worth his/her salt surely wouldn't want to be associated with such arcane practices.

JC were getting really off topic here but what I said applied at a few high end restaurants until about the 70s in the US and Europe. Haven't you seen Mad Men?

To this day some very expensive restaurants and most private club restaurants have menus with no prices available for guests who are being treated or entertained by someone who wishes to pay the bill. Google it and you'll see these examples if you don't trust me.

Ahem... guys, this post is referring to restaurants "in my turf".... and over here restaurants are obliged to publish the prices in their menus. Period. So I'm afraid all of that you mention doesn't apply in this case.

But Enric, some restaurants still were providing this type of menu as recently as 2013 "over here" in the EU. http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/dining/g247/fine-dining-restaurants-menus-without-prices-le-cinq-paris/?slide=5 I'm sorry but I know this takes it off the OPs topic and you wouldn't normally run in to this situation now in the US or Europe thank goodness.

I too think the practice of leaving prices off of menus on websites is frustrating but I can certainly understand their reluctance to have to update seasonal fare and prices. When I do see prices I always assume they could be stuck in time and I'm not surprised if the actual posted menu prices are different at the restaurant.

Ah, Mona... my dear friend, that's the typical mistake/misunderstanding from many overseas visitors from your end: this time "over here" means over here in the forum of Spain, and if you want me to be more precise, the restaurants in Girona, in Catalonia. That's why I meant in this instance, "my turf", Catalonia.

Europe is not a uniform entity, much like the US can be, it's as -you know- 50+ sovereign countries -with all that entails- and, despite sharing a lot of things, each one has its own customs, specific legislation, etc. What the heck, not even Spain, which is generally accepted to be "one country", it's not so... we have different nationalities with different cultures, mores... and legislation passed by different parliaments which result in that very often the adjective "Spanish" doesn't really define a generalisation (ie. there's no "Spanish" cuisine as such).

While it's true that for many things one can say "here in Europe" without much regard to details, for many others one cannot. I have to grant you that in this side of the pond we also misuse the term "Europe" and sometimes the generalisation is not accurate, which can be confusing, I know. Sorry for that. But this wasn't the case in my early post.

Besides... your example refers to Italy, I wouldn't know what the legislation says there. And also, one swallow does not make a summer, right? :))