Restaurants cashing in on appetite for value
By By Suzi Dixon
One in four Bristolians choose where they eat out on the basis of the discount vouchers restaurant offers, new research has revealed.
With the recession biting, fewer people are eating out, leading restaurants to up the ante with two-for-one discount deals to lure customers in.
Website moneysupermarket.com found 26% of diners would choose a restaurant offering vouchers ahead of an establishment offering no discount. Some 40 per cent of Britons are now using a restaurant voucher at least once a month.
Simon James, moneysupermarket.com’s voucher expert, said: “Restaurant discount vouchers have become increasingly popular over the last 12 months or so as the nation’s appetite for value has increased.
“Brits have cottoned on the fact that you don’t have to pay over the odds to get good grub and in many cases, you can get it for half price.”
Here are the latest Bristol deals…
Ha ha bar & grill – 20A Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HP
£10 off a £20 spend – ends July 24
Loved by ladies who lunch and the new media mafia, Ha ha is one of the Triangle’s most popular pubs — and the food’s pretty good too.
You can opt for no-mess no-fuss sharer platters from £7.95 or impress that new date with A-class pub grub such as salmon and haddock fishcakes, butternut squash and blue cheese risotto or an assortment of seafood or grill dishes.
The wine list is excellent or, for a special occasion, grab a cocktail. We love the Bling! Bling! — with 42 below Vodka, fresh raspberries, Piper-Heidsieck champagne and Chanbord, it appeals to all our A-list fantasies.
VOUCHER LINK: Register and print online voucher
www.hahaonline.co.uk/promotions/10pounds-off
GBK – 74 Park Street, Bristol BS1 5JX AND Glass Walk, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BQ
Buy two main meals, get the most expensive free – ends July 19
Whether it’s a pre- or post-pub snack, GBK is perfect for the city’s burger fans.
The latest, greatest deal allows diners to buy two main meals for the price of one, with the most expensive meal being struck off your bill. It’s a great excuse to experiment with some of the more exotic choices on the menu — the Kiwiburger features beetroot, egg, pineapple and cheese, or why not try Buffalo, Wild Boar or Moroccan lamb?
Smaller portions and salads are also available, while the organic range, with meet from laverstokepark.co.uk, will appeal to the more eco-conscious diner.
VOUCHER LINK: Register and the voucher will be emailed to you
www.cravegbk.com/GBK_Gang_Form.html
La Tasca – Glass House, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BX; 1 Clifton Heights, Bristol BS8 1EJ
50% off total bill – ends July 31
Perfect for a lazy weekday night out in the summer sun, La Tasca is famed for its paella and tapas dishes that provide a taste of Spain in the most urban locations.
While the menu hardly challenges the palette, it is ideal for groups looking to share a tapas plate or five alongside a jug of sangria.
The Cabot Circus venue is a great mid-shop stop, while the Clifton Heights restaurant provides a useful meeting point.
Recommended — the chorizo frito al vino goes very well with the sangria, while the croquetas de champinones and traditional patatas bravas are well made and excellent comfort food.
VOUCHER LINK: Register and the voucher will be emailed to you
www.latasca.co.uk/promotions/50percent-off
Pizza Express – Corn Street, Bristol BS1 1HT; Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TY; Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1TP; Regent Street, Bristol BS8 4HG
2-4-1 plus free starter, Wednesday only – ends August
Moneysupermarket.com found Pizza Express vouchers are currently the most popular — and no wonder, when you can get two fresh pizzas and still get change from a £10 note.
Their latest offer ties in with the popular Orange Wednesday promotion and allows Orange customers to treat a friend to a pizza, with free garlic bread or dough balls to start.
To get it, text ‘FILM’ to 241 from any Orange phone on a Wednesday (texts cost 35p) to get a ‘text ticket’. Visit the Orange website, then print and fill in the Pizza Express voucher to get two-for-one on mains plus free dough balls or garlic bread.
If you’re not an Orange customer, you can still get a regular two-for-one offer, but without the dough balls.
VOUCHER LINK: Orange customers – http://web.orange.co.uk/p/film/orange_wednesdays
Everyone else – http://pizza-express.s3.amazonaws.com/summer_jun09/voucher.pdf
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