Prix Fixe: The Secret To Dining Out On A Budget

Perhaps the one factor that keeps more people from dining out than any other is the price. Eating out gets very expensive very quickly, but that doesn't mean it isn't a fun way to break the mold of having leftovers for another night. In order to strike a balance between high cost and great food, the restaurant industry uses the prix-fixe menu as a way to allow patrons to enjoy their meals without worrying about running up the bill. 

The Basic Concept

The basic idea behind a prix-fixe menu is that patrons order from a smaller menu than the regular one and agree to pay a certain amount for a fixed number of courses. When a restaurant advertises a "Five Course Prix-Fixe for $99," then you can ask for the prix-fixe menu, and choose from the options for each course of the meal, and then no matter what you order, the bill will be $99 per person. This system takes a lot of the guesswork out of figuring out how to get a delicious meal without breaking the bank. 

How to Do it Right

Certain restaurants will have a different take on this system than others, so it's important to read the fine print when booking one of these tables. Certain things to look for when picking a restaurant for a prix-fixe night are whether or not their full menu will be available as part of the offer, and whether or not a wine pairing will be offered as an add-on. Wine pairings will often be extra, and sometimes even as much as the meal itself, so this is something to consider when booking a prix-fixe table. 

Some Things to Watch Out For

Of course, there are some rules to dining prix-fixe, and not knowing them could make for an awkward situation when the check arrives. As noted earlier, wine is almost always extra unless it is explicitly stated otherwise. Also, some restaurants have strict rules on plate sharing, so if you're planning on getting one three-course meal for two people, you might be told that this isn't an option. However, what you get in exchange for the relatively small number of reasonable rules is well worth being able to get an extra meal out a month with the money you'll save by dining on prix-fixe night. 

Prix-fixe is one of the best kept secrets in the restaurant industry, and some cities will even run dine-out weeks with dozens of restaurants running this promotion. Either way, finding a restaurant or two that offers a prix-fixe menu periodically, and knowing how this promotion works, is sure to take a lot of the stress out of dining out, leaving you free to enjoy time and food with friends and family. It's also a great way to explore restaurants like The Thai D'or Restaurant that you may not have visited before.

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