How to Find Affordable Yet Delicious Cafes in an Unfamiliar City

Food is as much a part of travel as sightseeing and excursions. It tells about the culture of a country and city, local products and habits no worse than an ethnographic museum. In recent decades, the love for food has developed so much that a separate concept has emerged — gastro-tourism. But even if you leave your hometown not for it, you will still have to have lunch and dinner.

How to eat deliciously and affordably in an unfamiliar city is a two-part question. The first link in any search engine will help with the concept of ‘delicious,’ where all the most famous and popular establishments in the city will be gathered. With ‘affordable,’ the situation is a bit more complicated. Therefore, in the question ‘how to find a good restaurant in a foreign city,’ the word ‘how’ implies ‘where’ more. Let’s start by talking about that.

Maps

Google Maps: For the whole world, this method is convenient because you can immediately mark on the map where your chosen hotel or rented apartment is located and where all the food places are nearby. On the maps, check the establishment’s rating, reviews, and user photos — you can see portion sizes there and find an up-to-date menu.

Websites for Travelers

Among all the variety, Tripadvisor stands out. This portal remains one of the most popular for travel planning. It features thematic selections, restaurant rankings by average bill, and advice from other tourists.

Social Media

Experienced travelers know how to find good places for lunch and dinner on social media by location. This way, you can discover cafes and restaurants that have only recently opened and are now actively attracting an audience, for example, with discounts during their soft launch period.

Themed Websites

Dedicated specifically to restaurants. Such platforms are well-versed in food and the specifics of local establishments, which is why their selections and tops are compiled taking into account many features — cuisine, view, entertainment, awards, and so on. A tourist is unlikely to have time to do such work independently.

Word of Mouth

Has anyone you know already been to the city you’re about to visit? Ask them where they went, which cafes they visited. Maybe some distant relatives or former classmates live in the city? Go through your friends list on social media; you might find some ‘new locals’ among them. Ask for advice from hotel reception staff, other tourists in the lobby, taxi drivers, and tourist information center employees. Don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations — people love to feel like experts.

Tips for Finding Budget-Friendly Cafes and Restaurants

We’ve covered ‘delicious.’ How to find places that are also affordable? We’ve gathered several effective methods — online and offline.

Ask the Right Questions

‘Where do you usually go?’ is the right question. ‘Where would you recommend going?’ is the wrong question. Locals will immediately start thinking about the most popular, grand, and impressive restaurants in the city for you to visit, instead of telling you where to eat deliciously and affordably.

Go Beyond Tourist Areas

You’re standing in the city center, with a major landmark behind you. The question is — how to find a place for lunch? Start moving in any direction and don’t look at signs for at least five blocks. Tourists usually stay within this distance from the center, and so do cafes catering to them. Don’t be afraid to go beyond this invisible line if it’s important for you to avoid overspending on your trip.

Look at the Menu

A menu on a stand outside is convenient. Even more convenient is a menu in several languages, right? Both are obvious markers of tourist spots. Want inexpensive food? You’ll have to look for restaurants with menus only in the local language.

Observe the Number of Occupied Tables

Where the food is delicious, there will be few empty seats during lunch and dinner hours. Where it’s delicious and cheap, there will also be a queue outside. Occupied tables are a good indicator of the kitchen’s quality: people won’t crowd around waiting for a mediocre dinner.

Consider Street Food

In a huge number of cities around the world (and especially in Asia), streets are dotted with small food stalls and places where dishes are cooked right on the street. Just grab a plate, sit on a plastic stool, and enjoy delicious food. This is a great way to eat affordably and truly get acquainted with local cuisine.

Choose Local Specialties

It’s logical that pizza in Italy will be cheaper than sushi or pho soup. Therefore, choose dishes characteristic of the country and region if you want to save on food during your trip.

Pay Attention to Special Offers

Many restaurants, especially in Europe, create separate special offers for lunches. These include dishes from the main menu, but with a significant discount. This simple method allows you to get an amazing lunch for a fraction of the amount you would pay for a similar dinner. The choice of dishes is smaller, but the savings are greater!

Use Tourist Cards

In European cities, special tourist discount cards are available: Paris Pass, London Pass, Barcelona Card, iAmsterdam Card, and so on. Most often, they are talked about as a way to save on transport and museum tickets. But these cards also offer discounts in certain restaurants — usually around 15-25%, but sometimes the discount on the lunch menu can be as high as 50%. Upon arrival, visit the local tourist center and ask what discounts such a card provides.

Don’t Rule Out Chain Establishments

Yes, when traveling, you want to try as much authentic local cuisine as possible, but a restaurant tour can be expensive. It’s entirely possible to save money for something worthwhile if you visit a chain establishment for lunch a couple of times. This category includes both world-famous fast-food chains and purely local restaurant groups. We’ll set aside philosophical debates about traveling abroad just to visit a hypothetical ‘McDonald’s,’ but note that the menu will still differ slightly in each country. For example, only in Korean McDonald’s will you find Bulgogi sauce, and in Azerbaijan, there’s a ‘shawarma roll’.

Eat Where Students Hang Out

Where there are universities, there are students. And since students are usually broke, there are likely places with inexpensive food nearby. Find local universities on Google Maps and see what cafes are located nearby. Bars in that area will most likely also have ‘happy hours’.

The search for an inexpensive cafe with delicious food can itself become an exciting adventure in an unfamiliar city. Don’t deny yourself such pleasure!