Abroad you can find many budget Michelin-starred restaurants
First, let's figure out what to expect from a starred restaurant. If an establishment has one Michelin star, it guarantees high-class cuisine in a pleasant atmosphere. Two stars – the restaurant's dishes can already be considered works of art. Three stars are awarded to restaurants with the signature cuisine of the greatest, often hereditary chefs – geniuses in their field.
As Gazeta.Ru notes, the most budget-friendly restaurants of this kind are in Asia. Despite the laughable cost of dishes, the food here meets all quality criteria. In Europe, prices are higher: you have to pay for the interior and waiter service.
Tim Ho Wan (Hong Kong)
The Chinese eatery in the Sham Shui Po district is run by a former chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Lung King Heen. The establishment seats 20 guests, and dish prices do not exceed $5. The restaurant's signature dish is its famous pork buns. In total, Tim Ho Wan offers more than 20 sets and changes its menu every month. The establishment is awarded one Michelin star.
Shinjukukappo Nakajima (Tokyo, Japan)
One of the most affordable restaurants in Tokyo, awarded one Michelin star, opened back in 2008. The menu includes both kaiseki – exquisite Japanese cuisine dishes, and iwashi (sardines). They are prepared in four different ways: deep-fried, grilled in soy sauce, baked with eggs, and served raw as sashimi with seaweed and sesame. Lunch will cost about $8.
Tsuta (Tokyo, Japan)
Another Japanese restaurant with one Michelin star offers dishes for under $9. The establishment has several features. For example, the menu includes soups whose broth is made from two-year fermented soy. The second highlight is the noodles. They are made from whole wheat flour and served with black truffle sauce. There is also a very exotic dish – the "umami" soup includes chicken, seafood, red wine, and rosemary.
Putien Restaurant (Singapore)
The Singaporean restaurant is famous for its sun-dried (not machine-dried) noodles. Special requirements are imposed on the preparation of the dish. The vermicelli must be translucent, thin, silky, but not brittle. For an appetizer, you can have seafood: for example, the rare abalone on ice will cost the visitor 9.90 Singapore dollars. The establishment is awarded one Michelin star.
The Spotted Pig (New York, USA)
The restaurant offers seasonal British and Italian cuisine dishes made from local ingredients. A radish salad with basil and Parmesan will cost $16, and a charcoal-grilled burger with Roquefort cheese will set you back $25. Note that the restaurant has confirmed its Michelin star for seven consecutive years. However, in American restaurants, don't forget about tips: here they amount to up to 25% of the dinner cost.
Alcron (Prague, Czech Republic)
The menu at the Prague restaurant with one Michelin star is a tasting menu; you need to choose five to seven dishes from the list. Portions are very small, but their quantity allows you not to leave hungry. You should try the goat cheese appetizer, lobster soup, oxtail with rosemary, and pumpkin cheesecake. Lunch will cost €44-55. There is one catch: the restaurant has only seven tables, so it's better to plan the tasting in advance.
Olo (Helsinki, Finland)
Olo serves only fixed sets, each with its own story. When serving, the chef will tell you what ingredients were used and what lies behind each dish. The chef loves experiments. One of the restaurant's dishes is semolina porridge with deer heart and sea buckthorn with oats and fried white chocolate. Lunch here will cost €52. The establishment is awarded one Michelin star.
Lafleur (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
The Michelin-starred restaurant, awarded two stars by the guide, is famous for unusual variations of seafood. The local chef turns fish and shellfish into unusual side dishes for classic meat dishes. The cuisine here can be defined as "fusion" – traditional German dishes are reinterpreted in an international style. For dinner, you will pay around €50.
Ze Kitchen Galerie (Paris, France)
The restaurant with one Michelin star is located near the Île de la Cité. The food is not the most budget-friendly, from €40 to €98 per set, but in Paris, there are generally not many places where you can dine for pennies. Fusion is how you can define the style here: Western ingredients receive an Asian (mainly Japanese) presentation: sesame, yuzu, seaweed give familiar flavors new shades. The chef's signature dessert is white chocolate mousse with wasabi.
II Luogo di Aimo e Nadia (Milan, Italy)
The Italian restaurant with two Michelin stars offers tasting sets that include seven items. The tasting begins with the chef's breadsticks and ends with braised veal shanks with porcini mushrooms and sorrento with lemon cream and almond milk. Compared to other budget restaurants, this place is not cheap: dinner here will cost €88.