Since I keep notes on my meals when traveling, I can offer these prices on restaurants in Madrid.

These totals are for restaurants that are quite upscale, in that there are tablecloths, crystal, and most important, very good food! Although they may be listed in Michelin (I have no idea) they are not "fancy" places. All dinners included inexpensive local wine. All dinners are for 2 people, and are comprised of several courses. All are in Madrid and prices are from 2010. Desserts were not ordered.

Dinner at a well-regarded seafood restaurant=137 euro

Dinner at a well-regarded gastro-bar; table service=70 euro

Dinner at a well-regarded restaurant with meat as main courses=67 euro


Light meals/snacks:

Two cups of hot chocolate and one shared order churros at San Gines=7.90 euro

Bocadillo of squid with glass of non-alcoholic mosto at bar=5.30 euro

I can certainly eat tapas instead of a dinner, but be aware that those tapas can add up; a tapas meal night not be less pricey than a sit down meal.


My only additional comment is that one can find a very good restaurant price/value ratio in Spain, provided one chooses wisely. I found the food to be outstanding in most instances.

Well I certainly enjoy good food but I am not a gourmet, however on one trip I was traveling with my adult daughter and we were in Nice for her birthday. So we thought we would splurge and try a Michelin starred restaurant for the celebration. Early in the day we walked by the restaurant to try to view the menu - we peeked in the large glass window and what did we see???? a small dog wandering on top of the tables snarfing up orts from the previous night's dinner. We have yet to try a Michelin starred restaurant but have enjoyed many good meals - some quite cheap, others in more refined establishments!

Thank you to the poster who linked the pinxtos routes in SS - I only wish we were going to be there a few days longer!

Sorry..the prices I gave above are from 2011, not 2010.

I think tastes and expectations vary so widely that there is no one answer.

While PP mentioned the prices for high-end seafood, there are still many other, much less pricey local fish available which still taste very good.
Especially at small harbor restaurants in smaller towns where the catch of the day is indeed the catch of the day from the fisherman next door (and not the tuna flewn in from the Canaries).

And the Spanish cuisine has many regional variations and offers many more delicious options than just seafood and high-end steaks, for those with a bit less euros to spend each day. Even a potaje/ stew for under €10 in a rural village can be the best meal of your vacation.

While high-end restaurants sure will offer great food for an adequate price, it does not hurt IMO to leave some room for experimenting outside the range of Top 10 restaurants in Madrid or Barcelona or Donostia.

But as tastes fortunately differ, anyone can find his/her perfect restaurant.

Yes, that is a good point. And the pricey seafood meal that I mentioned included one very expensive shellfish order. Without that, the price would have been much lower. Shellfish is divine in Spain but often carries a high price tag!