This year I was thinking of not cooking and taking the family out to celebrate. But I've seen that the fixed menu prices are insane - like 80-100 euros per person even at decent places. How do you find restaurants with good value for money in Milan (or other cities)? Is it worth booking now or should I wait a bit?
Those crazy-high prices on New Year's Eve are pretty much the norm at restaurants with any kind of reputation, unfortunately. What works best is looking for restaurants a step below the top tier - ones with good reviews but that haven't become *the* destination yet - and booking right away, because they fill up fast too. Also consider places in less central areas, where costs drop quite a bit without sacrificing quality. If you can, call them directly and ask if they offer alternative menus: sometimes they have cheaper options compared to the big fixed New Year's Eve dinners.
It's not really that crazy, actually - New Year's Eve is an exception, and restaurants know they have limited tables available, so they jack up the prices accordingly. That said, there are some tricks. First off, don't just stick to the usual fancy places downtown: restaurants that are a bit less well-known often have decent menus at lower prices, maybe 50 - 60 euros instead of 100. It's worth checking reviews and local Instagram accounts, not just the super famous ones. Another thing is to look for alternatives: some ethnic places (Thai, Japanese, Czech) charge less, or you can check out areas that are a bit more on the outskirts, which keep more reasonable prices even on New Year's Eve.
As for timing, it's smart to book, yeah, but more so you have options than because you'll miss out. If you wait too long, the good spots fill up and you're left with the pricier ones. I'd say start looking now (end of September), so you get the full picture and aren't forced to take whatever's left. Maybe before you book, read some recent reviews and call directly to figure out what's included in the menu - sometimes the sparkling wine is extra, coffee costs more, that kind of stuff that inflates the bill. Trust word of mouth more than booking sites; those sites often have prices already "prettied up."
Last year I made the mistake of waiting too long and ended up choosing between a 120-euro menu at some random place or staying home. This year I've learned that the smart move is to book right away, but not at the usual restaurants everyone knows. Try looking for places that do good food but don't have a fancy name - often they have fixed menus for 60-70 euros max, and the quality is honestly comparable. On TheFork (or Lafourchette) you sometimes still find last-minute discounts even in December if you book with some notice.
Another thing: consider whether a trattoria or historic inn in your area couldn't put together a decent New Year's Eve dinner anyway. I'm not saying anything fancy, but those places without Michelin stars that have lots of loyal regulars often offer more reasonable prices for New Year's Eve. The difference between 100 euros and 65-70 is huge when you multiply it by 4-5 people. Oh, and if there's a place you've wanted to try for a while but it's normally packed, New Year's Eve could paradoxically be the right occasion because they have fixed menus and limited tables - maybe it costs a bit more than usual, but at least you get in.
Log into answer.
