"Having a coffee" prices in Spain...

[Belgik]

Have a look!

El Mundo Survey [In Spanish]

This is a (probably unofficial) survey of the price of a coffee in various places in Spain, done by "El Mundo", a large national newspaper.

And look who's below (most expensive). In view of my perception of the general quality of coffee in Iberia, that would seem to be a waste of money...

Paul

[CakeBoy]

Some of the best coffees we ever had were 60-80 Centimos up in the hills in the south. I am surprised $'bucks can compete at those prices. If they are not losing cash, it must be because people crave the 'North American ambience' for a change from the traditional Spanish feel. It sue isn't for the 'flavour'!

[Beanie]

I am surprised $'bucks can compete at those prices. If they are not losing cash, it must be because people crave the 'North American ambience' for a change from the traditional Spanish feel. It sue isn't for the 'flavour'!

I think 'location' is key in their market research and they prolly rely more on 'tourist dollars'.

Reminds me of the lines of 'western' people lined up outside Mickey D's in Beijing Bumped into a few who were visiting for only 10 days... and went to Mickey D's every day I just don't get it. We ate at different places 3 times a day, everyday and had such a variety of very good fresh quality food and spent less than we would've at MD's.

[fred25]

Reminds me of the lines of 'western' people lined up outside Mickey D's in Beijing Bumped into a few who were visiting for only 10 days... and went to Mickey D's every day I just don't get it. We ate at different places 3 times a day, everyday and had such a variety of very good fresh quality food and spent less than we would've at MD's.

Had a similar experience in beijing about 10 years ago (god I'm getting old )... The only people in the MD were westerners - also I guess the prices were pretty high for chinese people... The best eating experience we had was going in some restaurant in a middle of a 'non-touristy' (i.e. the most interesting) area of beinjing - it was a family-run restaurant, with great food.... And they were so astonished to see westeners in their restaurant the whole family turned up in the dining room to watch us eat! ... great memories...

[Beanie]

Had a similar experience in beijing about 10 years ago (god I'm getting old )... The only people in the MD were westerners - also I guess the prices were pretty high for chinese people... The best eating experience we had was going in some restaurant in a middle of a 'non-touristy' (i.e. the most interesting) area of beinjing - it was a family-run restaurant, with great food.... And they were so astonished to see westeners in their restaurant the whole family turned up in the dining room to watch us eat! ... great memories...

OMG... thinking about it, my trip was also about 9 years ago I swear it didn't seem that long ago I was there for work... event planning, choosing suppliers, site inspection, etc., so I was pretty much pampered for the whole trip I think I could've blended in with the crowd easier, except my companion was a 6'4" skinny Dutch fellow who was head & shoulders above everyone At the silk market, I kept trying to ditch him so I could get better bargains Hmm... I think I'm going to go through my photo albums now

[bica]

Had a similar experience in beijing about 10 years ago (god I'm getting old )... The only people in the MD were westerners - also I guess the prices were pretty high for chinese people... The best eating experience we had was going in some restaurant in a middle of a 'non-touristy' (i.e. the most interesting) area of beinjing - it was a family-run restaurant, with great food.... And they were so astonished to see westeners in their restaurant the whole family turned up in the dining room to watch us eat! ... great memories...

Ah reminds me very much of when I lived in Singapore, you'd have the very tourist-y areas where most westerners would go and, in my opinion, would pay way more than the food was worth - but the best places to eat were always either hawker centres (food courts where a lot of stalls exist that sell mostly cheap local dishes) and one very obscure run down little place called hong kong noodles (the kind of place you'd only think to go in if the you asked the cab driver to take you somewhere where the locals eat or if your friends dragged you there).

I swear at this place you'd eat with plastic cutlery, on plastic tables, the level of hygiene was somewhat dubious but you really didn't care because it was the best food in the world - period unfortunately I moved, and then a couple of years later the place was shut down, but turns out the couple that ran it now have a stall in a hawker centre near by - all is not lost.

When I got back to portugal last weekend I had a pretty heated argument with a family member about $-bucks - she kept whining about how we should have it here and I had to explain to her that coffee here (lisbon) is much better and so much cheaper, light-years cheaper. I pay 60-70 cents for a good 'bica' here, in the afore-mentioned chain you wouldn't even get the left over coffee sludge for that price , especially with the economic crisis in this country.

The problem is that places like that are 'trendy', younger people here think it's a statement to go there; it's a bit like dishing cash out for foreign vodka instead of using the same amount of money to buy several bottles of very good local wine. I'm not exactly what I'd call mature and grown up but after living long enough in the UK to know how hard it is to find a decent cup of coffee, I know what it is to take something like that for granted sadly here, fashion speaks louder than words