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A hostel owner in Lisbon taught me the best money saving trick for eating out
I was staying at this small hostel near the Alfama district last spring, and the owner, an older guy named Rui, saw me looking at a menu for a fancy seafood place. He just shook his head and said, 'You want to eat like a king for 10 euros? Go to the market at closing time.' He told me to head to the Mercado da Ribeira around 6:45 PM, right before the vendors pack up. I did, and I got a massive portion of grilled sardines, a heap of roasted potatoes, and a beer for exactly 9.50 euros from a stall that was selling it for triple that at lunch. The food was fresh, hot, and I ate it on the steps outside watching the sunset. He said the trick works in almost any city with a daily market. Has anyone else tried this market timing hack somewhere else?
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sean_green443mo ago
Grilled sardines for under ten euros is crazy.
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nathan1003mo ago
That grilled sardines deal is unreal. I did the same thing at a fish market in Barcelona and got a full paella for two people for twelve euros. You gotta pick the busy stalls though, right @the_susan, so nothing's sitting around.
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jessica70729d ago
Twelve euros for a paella for two in Barcelona sounds like a tourist trap special to me. I tried that at La Boqueria and the rice was mushy and the seafood was obviously frozen. Busy stalls can still be running on volume and cutting corners, not necessarily serving fresh stuff. I'd rather pay a bit more at a quieter spot where they actually take time to cook it right. Give me the underrated hole-in-the-wall over the crowds any day.
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