Eating at a Michelin starred restaurant is more than just eating, it is a culinary experience. Working with the best ingredients in the world naturally comes with high prices on the menu, which is why many people postpone or altogether avoid a dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant.
For those deterred by the price, Chef’s Pencil went on a quest to find the most affordable Michelin starred restaurants in Europe and published the results of their research. They analysed the menus of hundreds of restaurants across Europe to compare their prices and selected the ones that offered the most affordable 3 course menus.
You’ll be glad to know that you actually can eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant without breaking the bank – if you choose wisely. Switching from a dinner date to a lunch date can do the trick in most cases.
Chef’s Pencil
Most of the restaurants on the list have a “menu of the day” offer, which is generally a very good, cheaper option at regular restaurants too. At the Michelin ones, the “menu du jour” is usually served at lunch and is a lot more affordable than the typical tasting menus offered at dinner.
Considering France is home to some of the fanciest and most expensive restaurants in the world, it may come as a surprise that not less than 7 of the 10 most affordable European Michelin starred restaurants are actually in France, just not the most affordable one. It is L’Antic Molí in Ulldecona, a roughly 2-hour drive south of Barcelona, that took the title, with a lunch offer of just 20 euros.
Voted the second most underrated foodie destination in the world, Budapest also made it on the list. The Hungarian capital is in fact a fantastic destination for fine dining experiences and the restaurant Essência offers that at only 25 euros per person. 6 more Michelin starred restaurants are found in the country, all of which having generally much lower prices compared to Western and Northern Europe.
Without beating around the bush any longer, here are the 10 most affordable Michelin starred restaurants in Europe:
