Tuesday 15 September 2009

Money-Saving Tips for Eating Out

Now, without trying to get too autobiographical, I'm not rich. I'm certainly in no financial position to be eating out all the time...at fully-priced restaurants. There are two main reasons I can afford to produce the volume of reviews that I do. The first is being pedantic enough to document just about every meal I eat out of my house; the second regards money-off deals.

Pretty much every booking I make is done through TopTable. Many of you may already know about or use this website, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. They run offers all the time, some of which have allowed me to eat some stunning meals across not just the capital, but other cities and even other countries (they currently run reservations in 14 different nations). I cannot recommend trying this franchise out highly enough. You accrue points as you attend more reservations and these can eventually add up to a free meal or gifts.

The second, more recent, deal-maker I have been using is the Taste London website (they of the festival fame). They operate on a similar scheme to TopTable, but you also get a fancy card to go with your application. The main difference between the two sites is this one costs money. £70 for the year, it's worth investing in for their 50% off deal with Pizza Express alone. There are a good few restaurants across the capital that subscribe to their scheme, and their search facility is excellent. Whilst not as detailed as TopTable, it still outlines the procedure you need to follow for booking and dining with a Taste London card at any particular restaurant. (For example, some you may need to call ahead and mention the card, others may have a limited usage.)

Both schemes are fabulous and hugely important in bringing decent eating to more than just those with an income surplus. I like both sites and both serve excellent purposes, but my preferred one at this moment in time is TopTable, simply for the great depth they can give you with menus, pictures, reviews and information on their site. Great newsletter too, and it's free!Look into these if you feel you need to start eating out more.

No comments:

Post a Comment