How to Eat Well and Affordably While Travelling

Food is often the difference between a trip that felt authentic and one that felt generic. Yet in high-traffic destinations, the restaurants that are easiest to find are usually the ones optimised for one-time visitors rather than repeat customers.

A few signals reliably indicate a tourist trap: laminated menus translated into six languages, staff actively recruiting people from the pavement, photographs of every dish, and a location directly facing a major landmark. None of these are absolute proof, but together they describe a business model built on foot traffic instead of cooking.

Better signals point the other way. A short menu that changes with the season, a dining room with local customers, handwritten daily specials, and a location two or three streets away from the main square usually indicate a kitchen that depends on its reputation.

Timing matters more in Europe than many visitors expect. In Spain and Italy, kitchens often close between lunch and dinner and reopen late. Arriving at 18:30 for dinner in Seville or Naples means either a closed door or the restaurant that serves only tourists. Adapting to local meal hours immediately improves the quality of what you eat.

The best value meal of the day is usually lunch. Set lunch menus, known as menu del día in Spain, pranzo di lavoro in Italy or plat du jour in France, deliver two or three courses at a fraction of the equivalent evening price. Building the day around a substantial lunch and a lighter evening meal cuts food spending significantly.

Markets deserve equal attention. Buying regional cheese, bread, olives and fruit for a picnic on a viewpoint is often the most memorable meal of a trip, costs very little, and offers a much clearer picture of local produce than any restaurant.