A Handy Guide To Great Dining On A Budget Around Perth
Who isn’t on budget these days? Eating out with friends is getting more expensive, especially if you like quality eats, but you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a great meal. We understand your money woes and have compiled a few tips on how and where to dine around Perth on a budget.
Because you don’t always want to spend a fortune on dinner, and sometimes cheap and cheerful doesn’t always cut it, these budget-friendly venues will satisfy your belly and your bank account.
#1 Sharing Is Caring
Ordering share plates, shared entrees or sharing main meals is one way to make your buck go further, especially if you want to go somewhere that sits in the higher (budget friendly) price bracket. Why not choose a selection of entrees as your mains? Head somewhere with a fun atmosphere and a menu that’s easy to share.
Kitsch on Oxford Street is a no brainer as their hawker bites and street plates are specifically designed for sharing. Grab a traditional Pad Thai and some spiced corn fritters and you’re set. Sharers from El Publico will also get you bang for your buck, or you could indulge in their mixed grill, which when divided by five mates works out to be roughly $11 each. If you’re craving Italian, then sharing a pasta at No Mafia is a must, especially when they’re cooking up their iconic pappardelle with braised duck and mushroom, or spaghetti with calamari.
#2 Did Someone Say Bar Snacks?
Opt for the bar bites section of the menu – it’s normally a snack-sized menu with dishes you can share with mates, minus the hefty price tag. Some venues around Perth have complied a separate bar menu that’s available a selected times during the day, normally in-between services, so make sure you check their availability.
Bib & Tucker’s bar menu lists a mix of dishes for under $20, including fish tacos, fresh fish tostadas and even freshly shucked oysters. The Aviary has a dedicated snacks and sharing menu, that covers all the classics, with guacamole, fries, and satay chicken skewers. Goody Two’s has a decent bar snack menu too, with all dishes under $20, think fried chicken; dumplings, pork belly bites and bao buns. The Generous Squire in the city also has quite the selection of BBQ chicken wings; chicken tenders and Buffalo chicken wings to get your hands dirty – all under $20.
#3 Look Out For Specials!
It could be a Happy Hour or a mid-week dinner special – either one will help with your savings. During the week you can find countless meal deals from restaurants, bars, and pubs, you just have to keep an eye out for them.
Bivouac Canteen is a foodie fave and normally on the higher end of the price scale, but did you know that they have an Early Bird menu from Tuesday to Sunday? It’s a two-course share-style dinner for $55 per person, and that includes a glass of wine. Varsity always has an assortment of specials that
are constantly changing, for example, for the month of March they’re serving $5 cheeseburgers on Wednesday nights with the purchase of a pint.
We all know that Hylin puts on a great menu, but it’s their Back Bar that flies under the radar with its specials. They do $15 steak sangas on Friday night and then $12 burgers every Thursday night, both deals available with a drink purchase. If you’re just chasing a drink, then Bobeche have a decent Happy Hour with a selection of $10 cocktails, beer, and wine, from Tuesday to Saturday between 4pm and 6pm. Love a pint? Also in the CBD, City Beer Hall has made every single one of their tap beers only $10 all day every day, including Biggie Juices, Single Fins and Balter XPAs.
Go big or go home
Head to a venue that has a reputation for dishing-up larger portions. Nothing beats a classic pub meal; you’re guaranteed to leave with your belly full and not breaking bank. Look for meal deals that include sides (chips and a salad) as part of the price.
The Inglewood Hotel serves your pub classics like bangers and mash, chicken parmi, beef schnitty, fish and chips and more, all under $30. The Camfield’s Angus beef burger and steak sandwich are also a decent size and come with chips. Alternatively, you could stick to the grazing menu at The Brisbane Hotel, they have everything from pork and fennel sausage rolls to delicious potatoes.
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Slice, Slice Baby!
You can’t go wrong with pizza. Sharing a pizza between friends is a great way to save some money – order a couple of pizzas and split the cost. Spritz Spizzicheria’s pizzas roughly range between $20 and $24, so you could even have a whole pizza to yourself and walk away with only spending $20 on dinner.
General Public Food Co. also serves everything from pepperoni pizza to pumpkin and goats cheese pizzas, and it’ll only set you back between $22 and $26. A family-sized pizza from Pizza on Cambridge is also value for money, and they have three different price tiers to work with; classic, premium and “half and half” if you and your mates can’t agree on toppings. Or make the ultimate saving by ordering a mighty New York-style pizza slice from Mack Daddy’s on Beaufort Street. They do a big slice for $8, but the smart play here is ordering one of their huge 22″ pizzas and sharing amongst your pals!
BYO
Cut down your bill by going alcohol free, or head to a venue that’s BYO. Grab a bottle of wine from home and head to Pizzaca in Scarborough, who do BYO ($8 corkage per bottle) on Tuesday nights only. Italian hot spot Pappagallo offer BYO wine for lunch only – maybe a Friday lunch is on the cards? Or if you’re craving a burger, then head to the Hay Street Short Order, which is BYO seven days. Francoforte Spaghetti Bar in Northbridge do BYO wine ($5 per person), just order their smaller serve of pasta to make a saving.
Still stuck? Here’s 15 BYO options around Perth.
Prices correct a time of publishing