£10 scrummy meal deal gets full marks from me

Jan 30 2009 by Lady Who Lunches

A GIRL doesn’t have to drop her standards just because Gordon Brown’s managed to land us in the middle of a rather inconvenient recession.

Scanning the PA’s regular ‘Good Food Guide’ section, I’m pleased to see a number of good local restaurants offering well-priced table d’hote menus aimed at those who appreciate a good deal as well as a good meal.

Particularly worth checking out are the £14.95 three-course lunch at Ballathie House Hotel and Symphony Hotels’ ‘Dine Out for Two for only £20, including a bottle of wine’ offer at the Queen and the Lovat - 63 Tay Street, the Anglers Inn at Guildtown, Duncans, Brig Farm Shop, Perthshire Visitors’ Centre, Sportsters and Maza Express are also worth a visit if you like a bargain.

However, the grand-mummy of all cut- price offers still has to be good, old M&S for its extraordinarily popular ‘Dine in for £10’ offer.

The secret is to get in fast on a Thursday before all the best stuff is gone. Leave it until 5pm on Friday and you’ll be fighting off Kinnoull Hill yummy mummies for the last ‘Scallops Mornay’.

I’ll grant you that dining IN doesn’t have the allure of a meal OUT at a nice restaurant, but a £10 dinner for two with wine takes some beating.

Last weekend, the husband and I enjoyed paella and a house salad, all washed down with a cheeky, little Merlot and followed by a hot chocolate fudge cake that appeared to contain twice our daily fat and sugar allocation. Served with a dollop of Pedro Ximinez-soaked raisin ice-cream I had left over from Christmas, it was absolutely scrumptious.

I’ve heard some rumblings of discontent regarding the portion size, but the paella was a good serving for two people and came with generous helpings of chicken and prawns. Ditto the salad and the pudding were more than enough for two healthy appetites.

Best of all, with everything microwave friendly, there was precious little washing up for the au pair.

Venue: M&S

Price: £10 (dinner for two with bottle of wine)

Food: Paella, house salad, chocolate fudge pudding and a bottle of Merlot.

Value for Money: Unbeatable.