Prices in Portugal

[EMM]

I mean real food, not pre packed pre cooked , microwave portion controlled mass produced stuff such as sold in UK pubs.

Where in the UK can you get a bottle of wine in a restaurant for a under £8 ??

[maccasa]

Regarding meal prices in UK - we use a chain of pubs called King henry's taverns - our usual is 2 x 10oz rump steaks with chips, salad and a veg (usually peas) + bottle of house wine (spanish and ok) The Price is £14.99 (for two) and it is available all day. For another £3 you can upgrade to almost any wine in the place. It's excellent value and always very good steak.

[widge]

Regarding meal prices in UK - we use a chain of pubs called King henry's taverns - our usual is 2 x 10oz rump steaks with chips, salad and a veg (usually peas) + bottle of house wine (spanish and ok) The Price is £14.99 (for two) and it is available all day. For another £3 you can upgrade to almost any wine in the place. It's excellent value and always very good steak.

So that's how you can afford such an enormous villa in Carvoeiro - "nobody got rich wasting money eh!!!" Only joking.

[sunman]

Regarding meal prices in UK - we use a chain of pubs called King henry's taverns - our usual is 2 x 10oz rump steaks with chips, salad and a veg (usually peas) + bottle of house wine (spanish and ok) The Price is £14.99 (for two) and it is available all day. For another £3 you can upgrade to almost any wine in the place. It's excellent value and always very good steak.

my friend has a food company in Cheshire which supplies to all the pubs; in order to freeze the meals he needs to add sauces which is why you get chicken chasseur and the like; he's unable to freeze steaks & says that if you order one you are guaranteed a freshly cooked meal

[CM]

Went to the Hightown Hotel on Sunday..4 x chicken tikka (half rice half chips) 2 x gammon and salad, 2 x roast dinners £25

They have wine for £7 a bottle which is Echo falls (or similar) real fire non microwaved stuff

Spent a few bob on tim taylors though!

[Stevie-C]

I mean real food, not pre packed pre cooked , microwave portion controlled mass produced stuff such as sold in UK pubs.

Where in the UK can you get a bottle of wine in a restaurant for a under £8 ??

Almost every Wetherspoons pub sell bottles of wine for £6-£8 and not like some of the crap you get in Portugal and other European destinations. Other bars wanting to compete also do deals. It wasn't that long ago that pubs were selling bottles for £5-£6 during certain times of the evening to attract customers. Further, not all food in these places is pre-packed and pre-cooked. Many restaurants in Aberdeen compete for business by doing lunch, early evening and pre-theatre deals. It is not uncommon to get 3 courses with wine for about £20 or so per head but more common to get 2 courses with wine for £20 per head or less. You may not get a bottle of wine for under £8 in the better restaurants but for me, it's the final cost that is important, not how it is made up.

[Stevie-C]

Regarding meal prices in UK - we use a chain of pubs called King henry's taverns - our usual is 2 x 10oz rump steaks with chips, salad and a veg (usually peas) + bottle of house wine (spanish and ok) The Price is £14.99 (for two) and it is available all day. For another £3 you can upgrade to almost any wine in the place. It's excellent value and always very good steak.

Yip, similar in Aberdeen although we can't get it that cheap. We can get two steak meals or mixed grills (they are great) with wine for under £20.

[maccasa]

The same chain do a 2-for-one lunch menu @ £7 and the portions are good - this includes a 6 oz steak and the peppered pork chops are excellent

I just looked at the web site and note they are only in the midlands - aberdeen is a bit out of their area, however as you say Wetherspoons offer very good deals.

www.king-henrys-taverns.co.uk/

[Stevie-C]

When we first started going to Spain/Portugal or wherever in Europe, the weather was kind of guaranteed and the food and drink was always so much cheaper than in the UK. Made the price of getting/staying there more attractive. Now, with the euro, exchange rates, inflation and general problems with economies the weather is the only attraction, and of course chilling out if you can. Now if you are OK with a like for like scenario or close to that (I would be) then it's not a problem. However, I have found that over the years in general, food and drink can be more expensive. Of course, off the main drag you can get cheaper but that is not where you want to be generally is it. If I can get reasonably priced food and drink in the Oil Capital of Europe then why can't I get it in Portugal/Spain/Italy etc.

[maccasa]

But Aberdeen isnt a tourist centre - it charges a lot for oil!

[pickwick]

Hi

I do not know how anyone can compare a Wetherspoons pub meal with say grilled chicken or fish from a charcoal bbq in the open air by the sea in the Algarve?? If the most important thing to you is the price and not the location/ambience then stay in and microvave a vesta curry!!

Pickwick

[EMM]

Well said Pickwick,

If you want industrially produced thai chicken pcs, processed in a low cost UK food factory, dunked in a chemical sauce , packed in a microwaveble pouch and then called " Chicken Tikka " then its up to you.
Or a pasta carbonara that includes industrially restructed meat ( called ham ) etc its up to you.

Your wine shipped into the UK in tankers and bottled somewhere in the UK and a fancy label added thenthe shareholders of Weatherspoons or the other pub chains will be delighted.

You get what you pay for.

[bruce]

Our local family run pub does 2 courses for £8.95 - all meat supplied by our local butcher, the menu is varied and freshly cooked for £8 you can get a decent bottle of wine (Wolfblass/McGuigan/etc).
Why do some people have to continue to knock everything about the UK! I have had some pretty awful meals in Carvoeiro and some horrible wine as well as some very good ones!

[cereza]

Hi I do not know how anyone can compare a Wetherspoons pub meal with say grilled chicken or fish from a charcoal bbq in the open air by the sea in the Algarve?? If the most important thing to you is the price and not the location/ambience then stay in and microvave a vesta curry!!

I quite agree - you cannot compare the two. Sure you can get cheap meals in the UK but you can also pay through the nose - the same applies in the Algarve - you just have to be a bit more discerning and swerve the rip off places.

By the way can you still buy Vesta curry ??

[pickwick]

Cerreza

Yes!!

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/product.asp?id=16070

Pickwick