In 1900, the first Michelin Red Guide was published as an attempt to increase the desire to travel, and consequently the demand for cars and tires. Today, the Michelin Red Guide is known the world over as a reliable resource for discovering some of the best restaurants across the globe.
Restaurants awarded a coveted Michelin star become destination locations for chefs, foodies, and fine dining enthusiasts.
Since many Michelin-starred restaurants tend to be expensive, you might be surprised to learn that there are actually quite a few Michelin restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal for less than $100 US dollars.
We have put together a list of five restaurants where you can taste the food that earned them one or more Michelin stars, without spending more than $100 US dollars.
1. The Spotted Pig (New York, United States)
Open for lunch and dinner every day, and brunch on the weekends, The Spotted Pig is one of many New York City Michelin-starred restaurants. This American gastropub serves British and Italian seasonal foods, sourcing local ingredients whenever possible. Although the menu includes a wide variety of flavors, the Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese and Shoestring Fries remains the perennial guest favorite.
2. Nectari (Barcelona, Spain)
Chef Jordi Esteve creates innovative Spanish cuisine with Japanese influences. While everything on the menu has Esteve’s signature touches, the seafood dishes, in particular, garner some of the highest guest reviews. If you have trouble deciding, you can enjoy the full tasting menu, which currently includes trout tartar, gazpacho with lobster, rack of lamb, and much more, for around $60 US dollars.
3. Hand and Flowers (Marlow, United Kingdom)
This British pub has two Michelin stars and is, in fact, the only pub in the UK to have earned this distinction. The Hand and Flowers signature Fish and Chips with Tartare Sauce is just under $25 US dollars if you are looking for traditional British fare. Instead of a dinner tasting menu, Hand and Flowers offers a Set Lunch menu for about $40 US dollars. It currently includes Smoked Haddock Velouté, Dill Oil and Granny Smith Apple Tortellini, Chicken “Jambonette” Chasseur with Tomato Fondue, Roasted Shallot and Soft Herb Crust, and Plum Savarin with Earl Grey Syrup and Salted Almond Ice Cream.
4. Restaurant Kochzimmer (Beelitz, Germany)
This charming restaurant in picturesque Beelitz has one Michelin star. The restaurant offers three separate tasting menus, the gourmet, small, and large. Only the small tasting menu is less than $100 US dollars, but that includes four courses with trout, lobster, roast lamb, and dessert. The large tasting menu is the most expensive tasting menu Kochzimmer offers and it is just under $110 US dollars. You can also choose to order a la carte with three courses starting around $70 US dollars.
5. Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (Singapore)
No list of affordable Michelin star restaurants is complete without Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle, although technically it’s a food stand not a restaurant. With one Michelin star, this food stand is the cheapest place in the world to get a meal deserving of a Michelin star. For over 35 years, Chan Hon Meng has been serving amazing meals out of his food stall. Every morning, people wait up to 40 minutes for his soya sauce chicken over rice or noodles. Each dish is approximately $2 US dollars.
Eating at a restaurant with a Michelin star doesn't have to be expensive. As anyone in the hospitality and tourism industry knows, some of the best deals on food are available during lunchtime. In fact, many Michelin-starred restaurants offer reasonably priced lunch prix fixe menus under $100 US dollars, even though you can expect to pay twice that when ordering dinner.
