I plan to spend 25 euros each day for food during my stay in Europe. Will that be enough?
Well, possibly if I know where to eat. In Madrid, for example, there are several choices, according to Map Magazine (I included excerpts from the articles):
- Restaurante Boñar de Leon
Cruz Verde, 16
Metro: San Bernardo
T. 91 531 00 30 or 91 521 26 02 Daily 9 AM – 2AM
“For it is here that your three-euro caña (technically it is a jara – a little bigger) will be accompanied by a gloriously generous plate of paella, cocido, chicken wings or other Spanish dishes. Upon seeing these gargantuan tapas you might logically ask, “If this is a tapa, what does an actual meal look like?”
- Darbar
Calle Barbieri 1 (intersection with Infantas)
Metro: Gran Via or Chueca
T. 91 521 3193
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 1-5 and 8:30-1; Monday 8:30-1; Sunday, closed
“The tapa-combo platter for two (14 euros) qualifies as a meal in and of itself and is a great place to start. With an assortment of pakoras, samosas, koftas and chicken tikka, one can’t go wrong.”
- Taberna Casa de Las Tostas
Calle Argumosa, 29
T. 91 527 0842
Daily 13:00 to 16 and 18:30 to 1.00
“The best news is that everything on the menu has the same price – only *6.75 euro .. . *A small charge is usually added for sitting on the terraza.”
- Casa Tortilla
Calle Hartzenbusch, 6
Metro: Bilbao
T: 914 454 176
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8 – 23:45h; Fri & Sat, 8 – 00:30h
“Simple: they charge only twelve euros for unlimited alcohol and tapas.”
- El Tigre
Calle Infantas, 30
Metro: Gran Via
“There were no stuffed tigers as the name might imply, but perhaps the name stems from the fact that you have to fight like a tiger to make it to the bar. However, once you do this, you will be rewarded with cañas for 1.50 euro accompanied by a small, but very full, plate of traditional tapas.”
- Glorieta de Montera: Caballero de Gracia, 10
Bazaar: Calle de la Libertad
La Finca de Susana: Calle Arlaban, 4
“Polite staff and an ample and interesting menu may lead you to believe you’re going to get whopped by the bill, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised: fettuccini with chicken and dried tomatoes (5.99), Risotto with asparagus and artichokes (5.98) or rice with squid (5.98).”
Here’s more from “The Pain in Spain”:
- Laan Café
Calle de Pelayo, 28
Metro: Chueca)
Mostly Mediterranean, with some fusion and Asian-inspired dishes as well
Cost: around 12 euros
- La Finca de Susana
Calle Arlaban, 4
Metro: Sevilla
Mediterranean food
Cost: around 9 euros
- La Isla del Tesoro
Manuela Malasaña, 3
Metro: Bilbao
Vegetarian food, with a different ethnic cuisine highlighted each day for lunch
Cost: around 10 euros
- Momo
Calle de la Libertad, 8
Metro: Chueca
Mediterranean food
Cost: around 10 euros
- Pink Sushiman
Calle Caballero de Gracias, 8
Metro: Sol or Gran Via
Japanese food
Cost: around 10 euros, lets you choose five dishes from revolving sushi belt or off the à la carte menu
- Samurai
Calle Cuesta de Santo Domingo, 24
Metro: Santo Domingo or Callao
Japanese food; different menu options
Cost: around 12 euros and up
- Siam
Calle San Bernardino, 6
Metro: Plaza de España or Noviciado
Thai food; different menu options
Cost: around 10 euros
- Zoe Café
Calle Santa María, 28
Metro: Antón Martín
International cuisine (Mediterranean, Asian, Lebanese, etc.)
Cost: around 10 euros Monday through Friday and around 11 euros on Saturday
And more (from Go Madrid):
- La Biotika
Amor de Dios, 3
T. 91 429 07 80
Vegetarian
Cost: 10 euros
- Vitamina
Chinchilla, 9
91 531 43 64
Vegetarian
Cost: 6.5 euros for the salad bar
- Pantumaca
Mayor, 31
Metro: Sol
T. 91 365 77 77
Catalan food
Cost: 10 euros
- Woody’s Diner
Arturo Soria, 66
T. 91 368 40 11
North American cuising
Cost: around 12 euros
- La Taquería de Birra
Pza. Comendadoras, 2
T. 91 522 80 49
Mexican
Cost: as little as 10 euros
- Restaurante Artemisa
Calle Tres Cruces off Gran Via
Cost: around 8 euros for three courses, including coffee and wine
Travel on the cheap 
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