As you tour around Europe during your study abroad experience, you may feel as if you were finally satiating your thirst for knowledge – but have you thought about how you will feed your stomach? In all likelihood, your student budget won't necessarily allow you to eat out in the ritziest of joints day and night. Fortunately, countries throughout the continent feature a hierarchy of restaurant types, at least one of which will be perfect for the amount of money you're willing to spend on your meals.
Know the restaurant lingo
While you make the rounds in Italy, you may work up an appetite. If that's the case, and you're looking for a place where you can sit down and enjoy a decent meal for a reasonable price, then you should keep your eyes peeled for certain locales. For example, any restaurant boasting to be "tavola calda," "trattoria," "osteria" or "rosticceria" are safe bets for restaurants that whose prices won't make you keel over like the Tower of Pisa. On top of that, anything proclaiming it is an "enoteca" is another great option, though you should be careful not to get your hopes up, as some of these venues sell only wine and beer, not food. A portion of these locales have also veered from tradition, branching out their offerings to include little bites.
Throughout the rest of Europe, you will come across all kinds of affordable eateries, so don't you worry. For instance, just about every nation has a whole slew of university cafeterias where you can mix and mingle with travelers from throughout the globe. If these aren't open at certain points in your journey, such as during the August vacation, then you should explore so-called "tourist menus." Restaurants will help travelers out by offering pre-set, multi-course meals at a fixed price. This is also often referred to as "prix fixe" throughout France and elsewhere. The beauty of this option is that you can not only sample various local dishes, but you also won't have any surprises when the bill arrives.
Snag a small bite
While these choices are all well and good, it is not always ideal to hunker down and have a heavy meal. If you are feeling like you just want to grab a quick bite on the go, then you should simply head to one of the many cafés lining the streets of Europe. Although it may seem strange to us, these eateries are called "bars" because you have to go up to a long counter to drink your espresso beverages. In addition to coffee, you can snag food items like pastries or sandwiches.
To get your hands on little bites, you should explore options like tapas. Better yet, there is a custom in different countries where, at 5:00 PM onward, you can buy a cocktail and have access to a buffet of delicious appetizers for no additional cost. In France, this is called "aperitif" and in Italy, it's "aperitivo." Generally, tourists don't know about this amazing opportunity, so by heading to a restaurant to partake in this tradition, you will definitely immerse yourself in local culture.