restaurant prices in BA compared with Italy

[sergio]

I’ve just come back from two weeks in Italy, mostly Rome. I found a lot of things quite similar to Argentina – culturally speaking (more about that in another post). As I ate out every day – sometimes in tourist areas, other times in places that only locals patronize, I got a good idea of restaurant prices. In general I paid around 8-10 euros for a main course (pasta usually). Sometimes a bit less or a bit more. The food was always good, service satisfactory, atmosphere nice. I have just returned to BA. On Sunday I ate at a very good Italian restaurant in La Boca. The place was busy with a Porteno crowd. Pasta dishes were $35 pesos. That’s about 8 euros or what I often spent for the same quality (usually larger portion in Italy) pasta in Rome, Florence, etc. Dessert was 20 pesos. I paid less in Italy. It just doesn’t make sense to me. All of the ingredients came from Argentina. Wages are low in Argentina. We are not earning euros. Something’s wrong and I am getting pretty worried.

 

[ramon]

For what people earn restaurant and general prices are outrageous and getting worse. Rents are now European Prices but the catch is you get much worse quality. Food in most restaurants is equal to Us Cities and portions are much smaller. As anyone shoppped in the RIP OFF Supermarkets here . 100 gram boxes at the price of half a kilo back home. I am tired of the overt capitalism taking Buenos Aires by hold now . The way things are going in 5 years time we will be as dear as Moscow Russia with the Rich chucking their crumbs to the poor.

 

[malbec]

Sergio, please send me the address of that restaurant in Italy!Because I found Italy horrendous (the prices, I mean!) . One small beer (330 ml) is about 4 EUR. And as a foreigner it is really difficult to find anything decent to eat for less than 15 EUR.Ramon: ahh capitalism! Isn't it the beast you created?

 

[sergio]

I was not lying, Malbec. Pasta dishes averaged 8-10 euros in tourist areas (this was my experience in two weeks). Less outisde those areas. I don't know about beer prices. Wine may have been more than here but it is not cheap here any more, at least if you order something good. I paid $40 pesos for Trumpeter Syrah at the La Boca restaurant I mentioned. That was one of the CHEAPEST on the list - most were 60 pesos or well above. By the way, really good coffee in Italy is 90 euro cents if you drink it Italian style, standing. Around 2 euros if you sit (not vert common). If you are out of Argentina you may not know what is going on here as far as inflation is concerned.

 

[ReemsterCARP]

I've never paid more than 24 pesos for a pasta here in Buenos Aires.