Fine dining for less
Want to save up to $100 on your next restaurant bill? Myffy Rigby shows you how
The top tip for saving money in restaurants is to stay the hell out of them. But that's like saying the best way to avoid a hangover is by not drinking. Boo-sucks to that, we say. Consider what we're about to suggest something more like harm minimisation; going out will still cost you, but with any luck it won't be the arm as well as the leg.
It's the little things that always get you cursing the restaurant gods for your astronomical bill. Make sure you know what you're paying when fizz is being proffered at the start of the meal, say. Champagne at Lucio's (they serve Louis Roederer) is a cool $24 a glass. And drink tap water instead of bottled. A 750ml bottle of sparkling water at Guillaume at Bennelong is $10. There's no reason to be embarrassed about asking for tap - this is not Adelaide, people - but if you are, respond to the waiter's question with a question of your own: "What kind of sparkling/still do you pour?". When they tell you, let the smile freeze on your face, hesitate slightly and say "oh no ... tap's fine" like all you want in the world is bottled water but they don't stock a brand worth your time.
The cost of bread is usually worked into the bill, but if it isn't, consider avoiding it entirely - you'll only fill up on empty carbs with no room for the main event, which you're actually paying for (if it's free, hey, go for your life, carb-loader). On that note, question whether you really need to be ordering sides. If you're in an Italian restaurant, say, your main-course protein may likely arrive nude, meaning you'll need a green salad and possibly some sort of starch. The same goes with some high-end steak restaurants now (if you're eating at Rockpool Bar and Grill, the sides are seriously worth it but they're also around $9 a go). You might, in fact, be better off avoiding these restaurants entirely.
Not drinking wine is definitely a money-saving option, but then so's not breathing. Going by the glass is generally only cheaper if there are only two of you drinking and you're only having a glass per course. If you order something you're happy drinking over two courses, you'll find you save money with one $55 bottle of wine rather than four $15 glasses. Plus, good sommeliers are perfectly cool with hearing the words "we want nice wine but we don't want to spend more than $50 a bottle, can you help?" And if you want to BYO, several of Sydney's best restaurants including Claude's and Tetsuya's offer the service. It can, however, cost you a pretty penny (Claude's corkage is $20 per bottle) so you may want to weigh up whether it's worth it. You can also drink smarter - going local is usually a good idea but that's not to say going international won't turn up bargains, either. Anything from Portugal or Spain rather than Italy or France is probably a better-value bet. You're paying for the name a lot of the time, so a $40 Cotes du Rhone could well provide more bang for your buck than a similarly priced Bordeaux.
Sorry Sydney waiters, but tipping isn't customary in Australia. If you want to save at least 10 per cent on your bill, don't tip. They'll curse the day you were born but you'll save some serious paper. Sharing dessert is never a bad idea either and, unless you really badly need one of your own, you'll save yourself $35 if you're dining at Bilson's. If you really want something sweet but you're already maxed out, skip dessert and order coffee, which will come with petit fours.
The most important rule of all is to be charming, not cheap: you're still dining in a restaurant where they pride themselves on providing excellent food, service and wine. Treat them with the respect they're treating you. And just say no to Badoit.
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