Thursday, July 30, 2009

How Much is Dinner in France?


I got an email from a reader named Janet. She asked me 'how many euros does dinner in France cost? What 'gotchas' should I be aware of? I answered her with some of the info below.


Janet i was just in France a few weeks ago in Normandy. Looking over my notes below are some ideas....there are no 'gotchas' in France, or in Europe. The tax and tip are included. you can leave a few euros but no tip needed.

In Rouen, a large city in Normandy, there was a really excellent tasting menu with three courses for 30 euros which included a huge cheese platter, you could pick from about 10 cheeses. That would be $41.00 per person.

In Le Havre we had Thai food and it was about 22 euros each. Lots of food, again no tip nor tax so that's it.

A seafood lunch of two courses on the beach in the same city was about 35 per person.

In Caen we had a nice dinner at a place called Boucherie Boeuf and Cow. Fois gras atop a filet of beef with potatoes was 20, a terrine de compagne was $6. A bottle of cold cider was 10.

At the Hotel Le Dauphin in Caen, we had tuna and duck dishes with strawberry soup and dessert with a bottle of cider and I think the total was about 74 euros for two.

In Granville, a lovely seaside town, we had bulots which is an appetizer of large snails for 8 and ate at a late night place for about 15 euros each. Mussels all over Normandy were about 10 e for a big plate and always came with fries. Not Freedom fries, mind you, French fries.

In Carteret a plate of 12 oysters on the half shell and two beers were 22 euros. Most delicious oysters I've ever had and the view of the fishermen was killer.

I hope this is helpful Janet, and I hope you enjoy your trip to France!

1 Comments:

Blogger Jax said...

i love it when we get reader questions. Janet, I was in Lyon for a gastronomy tour in April, and I agree with Max - there are very few gotchas in France. Wine is often sold by the carafe instead of the glass, so be aware of that re: price versus how much you're getting. Overall, wine is inexpensive compared to the prices state-side.

And, if you're looking to cut costs like I always am, France is full of public markets and little food shops where you can buy a block of cheese, some fruit, and a baguette for lunch, for just a few Euros.

A final tip for a lower-cost meal - Many towns in France have what are called bouchons - little traditional bistros. These offer classic French food without the white table cloth. ;)

Have fun! jaclyn, GoNomad writer
http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0807/lyon-france-gastronomy-capital.html

4:29 PM  

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