Food budget

This is one of those questions that will have many answers.. but I will just give you my rough budget ( I never really plan that ) and you can see where you can go with it.

Breakfast in Paris: 5-7 euros, coffee /tea and toasted baguette ( tartine) , and a pastry ( usaully a croissant), butter and jam. I have found this continental breakfast for as cheap as 4 euros,, but that was down a little side street in middle of nowhere . You could also just pick up a coffee and Egg McMuffin for 2 or 3 euros at McDonalds( yes, thats what I said, McDonalds, LOL ) I have been to Paris with a teen boy and he demanded protein in the morning.. not easy to find)

Lunch is usaully a crepe or sandwich from a street cart or kiosk, about 5-7 euros with a tinned pop.

Snack, always, always provide snack funds,, I usually get at least one ice cream a day( 3-4 euros) and one pastry( 2-3) . I also get a crepe for a snack too, usaully a sweet one, as opposed to a meat and cheese one which I had for lunch.

Dinner is about 20-35 euros ,depending on many factors. Sometimes I get the menu( 2 or 3 course set menu of the day) or sometimes I just get a huge salad ( which is usually cheaper at 10 euros or so) it depends on how hungary I am.

I figure if a person is trying to be very budget minded they CAN eat on less then that, I think one can sqeek by with 25-30 euros a day , especially if they do picnics and street food. Maybe some could do it even cheaper, I wouldn't want to myself, I need ice cream, pastries and wine to have a good time.. LOL
You can certainly spend hundreds on food a day if you wanted to.

Don't forget to add a bottle of wine to your picnics! Pack a wine saver and cork.

A croque Monsieur or croque Madame in France from the bakery is roughly the equivalent of an Egg McMuffin and easier to find. McD's is good for bathrooms and a hamburger/fries fix. In Europe McD's don't always open really early; I suppose that is because Europeans (French and Italian, at least) don't eat the kind of breakfast we are used to. One of the advantages of eating the hotel breakfast is that you usually can get a generous amount of coffee. I order cafe au lait (with milk) and that provides a reasonable amount of protein. You can always supplement meals with nuts, cheese or yoghurt from the store.

We just got back and prices in Paris are sky high. A cafe au lait is 5 euros. In the mroning, a cafe creme, which provides a small pot of coffee, and a croissant as 8 euros. Unfortuantely, I even paid (unknowingly) 8 euros for a Kir at a cafe near Place Bastille.

The dinner menu at Bofinger (near Bastille) with a small carafe of wine was 118 euros for two.

Outside of the main attractions, food is much cheaper. We had a lovely cheese platter and glass of rose near Pere Lachaise for 9 euros for two.

Best bet-- rent an apartment and cook. Food is still expensive, but you get cheaper meals when you cook. And wine is much cheaper in Monoprix than the restaurants.

Haven't been to Spain yet...
Eating in Paris is always going to be more expensive than in the outlying towns/villages.
"Take-away" food is cheaper than eating in the cafes/bistros/restaurants....however, part of the French experience is the sidewalk cafe/bistro bit.
Renting an apt is good for doing some of your own meals. If you don't have my husband along at mealtime it is cheaper -- he likes the full meal and wine experience so it was never too cheap for us.
It's all about personal choices and what you will be happy with.

Sue, a " cafe creme" does not include food. You simply misunderstood when ordering ..
A cafe creme is a coffe drink, food extra. Next time find a cheaper place, I managed breakfasts out cheaper then 8 euros.

I think Pat gave a good answer, though I'd agree that I personally wouldn't want to skimp so much while visiting the best food destinations on earth.

I was in Paris this year as well, and I very much disagree that restaurant prices are "sky high". Maybe if you stick to tourist trap type restaurants near the big sights, but good value places abound in other areas. I can eat better and more cheaply in Paris than I can in most big US cities. Do some research before you go on good budget places (there are books and websites galore).

We found great sandwiches at the local bakeries. Get food and coffee where you see workers gathered together to eat. It will be cheaper. As a rule, lunches are usually less expensive than dinner, so try and make lunch your big meal of the day. The plus side is that you get to walk it off afterwards! Spain has of course all those great Tapas to indulge in. Go down side streets to find great neighborhood restaurants. This will probably give you lower prices.

We ate several meals at La Pergola Brasserie. It is at the corner of Avenue De St. Ouen and Bd Bessieres. It faces Bd Bessieres and is in the 17th, barely. Great food, good service. Wife and I ate all we could hold, including 1/2 carafe of wine for 22-25E total, depending on meat selection.

You can buy falfal(sp?) for around 5E and get a drink and chips, fruit or cookies from Monoprix and eat in a park for less than 10E. You can also buy cheese, bread, fruit and a drink- 2 liter soda and eat in a park for less than 12E for 2 persons-did this one.

Breakfast was coffee and pastry 4 to 6E.