Best value dining in Ireland: cheap eats, set menus and BYOB

The best value meals in Ireland usually come from timing rather than luck: lunch and early-evening set menus, midweek offers, places where you can bring your own wine, and cheap eats that are good rather than merely cheap. On Mosey, filter by price band and for places diners tagged as great value, look at what people paid for specific dishes, and watch for offers, early bird slots and bonus voucher credit at places you already like.

What counts as good value when you eat out?

Value is not the lowest bill. It is how good the meal was for what you paid. A bowl of noodles that is the best thing you eat all week is excellent value. A cheap dinner you leave hungry and disappointed is not.

Three questions help:

• What does a typical dish cost here, really? Not the cheapest starter, but what you would order.
• What comes with it? Bread, sides and water can double a bill, or cost nothing.
• Is the portion right? Photographs from diners show you the size of the plate that actually arrives.

On Mosey, a dish page shows what people paid where they said, alongside their photographs of it. A few of those tell you whether a place is a quick, cheap lunch or a bigger night out faster than any menu document does.

Where are the cheap eats that are actually good?

The best cheap food in Ireland tends to come from places that do one thing well: a bakery, a chipper, a noodle bar, a food truck, a sandwich counter, a café at lunchtime. Use these filters to find them:

• Price band. Places are banded from € to €€€€. Start at one euro sign and look at the ratings.
• Great value. Diners can tag a place as great value when they rate it. Several of those from different people is a strong signal. Dublin has a great value page built from those tags.
• By dish. The cuisine filter starts with pizza, burgers, kebab, fried chicken, seafood and sushi, which is where many of the cheapest good meals live.
• Quick service and takeaway. Lunch you eat standing up, or on a bench, costs less than lunch at a table.
• Student discounts. Diners can tag whether a place offers a student discount. Worth checking if you have a card.

How do set menus and early bird deals work?

The early bird is a long-standing Irish habit: a set menu, usually two or three courses, at a lower price for people who eat earlier in the evening. Set lunch menus work the same way. Both exist because a place would rather fill a quiet table at a lower price than leave it empty, which makes them some of the best value going.

On Mosey you may meet three versions of this:

1. Early bird offers on booking slots. Where a place runs one, the offer is shown against the early times when you choose a slot. You book, arrive, and staff honour the perk. There is no code.
2. Offers you buy in advance. A set menu, say, valid on certain days within a window, so it fits around your week.
3. Lower prices at quiet times. Some places lower the price of chosen items during set hours, and the lower price shows on the menu during that window.

Always read the conditions: which days and times, which dishes, and whether drinks or sides are included.

Can you bring your own wine (BYOB) in Ireland?

Some places let you bring your own wine, and it can make a big difference to the bill. Others do not allow it at all, and many that do charge corkage, a fee per bottle for opening and serving it.

• Always ask before you bring a bottle. Do not assume, even if a friend did it last year.
• Ask what corkage costs. It may be per bottle or per person.
• Look for the corkage tag. When diners rate a place for wine, they can say whether there is corkage if you bring your own. Treat it as a reason to ask, not a confirmation.

Making money go further at places you already like

The cheapest meal out is often at a place where you are already a regular.

• Rewards. Joining a place's rewards on Mosey is free. When you pay through Mosey, the visit counts itself, and you get a reminder before a reward expires.
• Vouchers with bonus credit. Some places give more credit than you pay for a voucher. Buying one for yourself, for somewhere you were going anyway, is a straightforward discount. See vouchers and gifts.
• Memberships. Some places offer monthly credit, a standing discount or something free. The test is simple: does it pay for itself at the rate you already go?
• Collection over delivery. Collection usually costs less, because nobody is paying for a driver.

Is fine dining ever good value?

Sometimes, if you choose the meal carefully. A set lunch at a high-end place is often the most affordable way to eat there, with the same kitchen cooking a shorter menu. Before you book, check what is included, whether drinks pairings are optional, and whether there is a service charge for groups. Our guide to tipping in Ireland covers what is expected.

For more ways to cut the cost of eating out, read eating out on a budget in Ireland.

Try it on Mosey

Filter by price and great value near you, compare what people paid for the dishes you want, and keep an eye out for early bird slots and voucher credit at places you like.