Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurants in the World
Are you a foodie but don’t have the budget to dine at the best restaurants or newest trendy spots? No worries! There are places around the world where you can get a Michelin Star meal for just a few bucks!
All the restaurants on this list have at least one Michelin Star, which means you’ll be eating top-quality food for a great price! And let’s be honest, cheap food tastes better than paying thousands for a meal. I took the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant from every country that had a Michelin Star Resurant to create this list. Let’s get into it!
Taquería El Califa de León – Mexico
Looking for the cheapest Michelin Star meal on the planet? Look no further than Taquería El Califa de León in Mexico City, Mexico. You can buy a delicious taco here for just $53-$82 pesos ($2.79-$4.32 USD). They have bisteck (steak), costilla (rib), gaonera (beef fillet), and chuleta (pork chop).
If you are looking for the best-seasoned meat, with the best corn tortilla, and fresh salsa, Taquería El Califa de León is the place for you. They have one Michelin Star and the line is usually about 45 minutes to an hour, but where else in the world can you just queue for Michelin Star meal?
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle – Singapore
The second cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world is Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle in Singapore. Here, they serve mouthwatering noodle bowls made from fresh ingredients with a traditional Singaporean taste like nothing else in the world. You can choose a $6-10 Singaporean dollars ($4.51-$7.50 USD) noodle bowl with a small, medium, and large option.
From the outside, this little food stall may not look like a traditional Michelin Star restaurant that you’re used to seeing, but the food makes up for anything that the restaurant itself lacks. Hill Street has one Michelin Star with about a 20-45 minute wait, depending on what time you get there in the day.
Feng Wei Ju – Macau
Now, we move on to the cheapest 2-star Michelin restaurants. Feng Wei Ju in Macau comes in as the cheapest 2-star restaurant in the world. Macau as a “country” is much like Hong Kong in that it’s a territory of China but is considered its own country.
Feng Wei Ju serves Sichuan food like sauteed chicken, steamed carp fish head with chili, and hand-pulled noodles. You can expect to pay around $3.73-$11 for appetizers and a main course of soup for around $20 and $43 for crab. You need to book a reservation about a month in advance but if you are looking for delicious and spicy authentic Chinese food, you need to come here.
Canton 8 (Huangpu) – China
It seems that if you’re looking for the cheapest Michelin Star food in the world, you need to head to Asia! Here at Canton 8, a tasting menu is only $40 and the average price per person when ordering off the menu is $30!
Some of the best dishes here include double-boiled soups, stir-fries, seafood dishes, and much more. If you are looking for a new twist on Chinese food from the Hong Kong Chef Mak, give this place a try!
Ying Jee Club – Hong Kong
This is another two-star Michelin restaurant that is famous for its re-created Cantonese cuisine made with quality local ingredients. The interior is also very luxurious feeling, and the food is delicious!
You can get a six-course tasting menu for around $200 per person and a main course for around $33-$66. This is one of the more expensive restaurants on the list, but in a city like Hong Kong, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world, it’s about what you would expect.
Bell’s – USA
This is one of the most highly rated Michelin Star restaurants in the USA when it comes to affordability and quality ingredients. They serve French/Californian food, which is quite the combo but sounds amazing. The freshness of California mixed with the simplicity and quality of French cuisine come together to make some really interesting and delicious dishes.
They have a lunch menu here with an average price of around $20 and their dinner menu is $110 per person and comes with six courses. They change their menu here almost nightly with 90% of their ingredients being sourced from within 20 miles of the restaurant. You’ll be guaranteed food that is right from the source and great seasonal dishes as well.
Orfali Bros – Dubai
Dubai is known as the city of luxury, so why not go to a Michelin Star restaurant while you’re here? They serve food from around the globe like gyoza from Japan, sourdough pizza from Italy, patatas bravas from Spain, and even a cheeseburger!
All of these things from their menu are served with a slight Middle Eastern twist that will be sure to leave you speechless. Most of the dishes here are around $30 and the deserts they serve look like they’re to die for!
Tầm Vị – Vietnam
Vietnamese food is my favorite food in the world. They are best known for Pho, but have so many other dishes that you would never know about unless you visit this beautiful country. Tầm Vị is located in the heart of Hanoi and offers Vietnamese food from all over Vietnam.
They have set menus here that offer tons of food for a great price! The set menus start at around $40, with the most popular menu item being the caramelized pork. If you want a taste of Vietnam in a beautiful location with great ambiance, make sure to book your reservation soon!
Džiaugsmas – Lithuania
If you are looking to go to a classic Michelin-feeling restaurant with a minimalist interior, served on grey tables with grey plates, and a very high-end feel, then Džiaugsmas is the place you’ll want to try. This restaurant looks like it was modeled after the restaurant from the movie “The Menu”.
Most of their main courses are under 30 Euros and they have a tasting dinner for 100 Euros. For a European country, this is one of the cheapest fine-dining, modern restaurants you’ll find.
Villa Vest – Denmark
In terms of location, I don’t know if it gets much better than this. This restaurant is on a cliff that overlooks hundreds of miles of ocean. It’s the perfect spot to come and watch the sunset and have some incredibly creative and modern dishes.
For a 6-course meal, it costs around $200 per person which, as I said, is pretty cheap for a Michelin Star restaurant in Europe. They also have a hotel on the second floor so you could eat at this restaurant every night you’re here if you want to!
Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten – Japan
Have you ever tried eel or wanted to try eel? Well, now is your chance! Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten is located in Tokyo and from the outside looks like any old restaurant you might pass by in Japan. The thing that makes this place so special is the Grill Master Kanemoto. He’s been grilling freshwater eel now for almost 80 years and has really perfected his craft.
If you want to try unagi for yourself, it costs only about $17-$55 per person depending on the size and what it comes with. This restaurant is over 200 years old and the chef is almost 100 years old. Make sure you get to try his famous unagi before the restaurant is passed on to the next master chef!
maiBeck – Germany
For 65 Euros you can get a four-course meal at this one-star Michelin restaurant. The two chefs in charge, Jan Cornelius Maier and Tobias Becker (aka MaiBeck), serve traditional German dishes with a modern twist.
Some of their most popular dishes include the shoulder of German salt meadow lamb, different fish dishes, and veal. The location is amazing being right in the center of Cologne, Germany, and has a view of Old Town and is right on the river. If you are looking for a cheap Michelin Star restaurant in Germany, this will be your best bet!
Auberge du Vert Mont – France
This is the first restaurant on the list that has both a Michelin Star and a Green Star, which is awarded every year to restaurants that uphold outstanding sustainable and eco-friendly culinary practices. This restaurant is located right on the French/Belgium border and doesn’t have much around it except for farmland and little French cottages.
Even with the restaurant being in France, chef Florent Ladeyn focuses on fixing Flemish (or Belgian) cuisine with a modern flare. It’s 50 Euros for a tasting menu which is a great value for a Michelin Star restaurant in the food capital of the world!
Ó Balcão – Portugal
When in Portugal, you eat fish, and chef Rodrigo Castelo is serving up some of the best in all of Portugal. His restaurant is just outside of Lisbon in a small town called Santarem. This is another restaurant that has one Michelin Star and one Green Star.
He cooks mainly river fish because he’s striving to maintain a balance with the local ecosystem. The interior looks like a typical Portuguese restaurant with azulejo tiles, an open kitchen, and a simple design. Prices here are under 10 Euros per dish with the average price around 40 Euros per person.
La Table de Manon – Belgium
This adorable restaurant located in rural Belgium offers French contemporary dishes at an excellent price! It’s just 48 Euros for their four-course lunch menu or 76 Euros for their six-course dinner menu. You’ll experience quality modern cooking from chef Manon Schenck.
The interior of the restaurant is very cute and colorful and almost looks like the inside of someone’s living room, which will make you feel right at home. It’s about an hour and a half outside of Belgium’s capital, Brussels, and is surrounded by nothing but farmhouses. If you want a quality Michelin Star meal in a quaint little restaurant, then give this place a try!
Palate – South Korea
If you are in South Korea and have had enough Korean barbeque and kimchi to last you a lifetime, then head over to Palate for some modern French cuisine! That’s right, in Busan, South Korea there’s a restaurant with a Michelin Star serving the best French food in all of South Korea. The location of the restaurant has an incredible view of the ocean that will make this meal one to remember.
The portions as classic French Michelin Star-sized (meaning they’re about the size of quarters) but size isn’t everything! These little dishes pack a huge flavorful punch that will leave you in awe and wishing they were bigger.
Trishna – United Kingdom
Did you know that the UK’s national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala? Indian food in the UK is so popular that their cheapest Michelin Star restaurant serves some of the best Indian food you’ll ever eat! They have a three-course lunch tasting menu for only $50 and a five-course dinner tasting for $100. They also have a sommelier in-house who will choose the perfect wine to match your meal.
If you want to choose your own meal instead of having a tasting menu, you have this option as well. The main courses here are all under $40 and are fresh and delicious tasting and have a kick of spice that Indian food is famous for.
Suan Thip – Thailand
If you are in Thailand and looking for a place that will serve you Michelin-grade Thai food that will blow your mind, then Suan Thip is where you’ll want to go. It’s located just outside of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, is right along a river, and has an open concept that will connect you to the outdoors while you enjoy your traditional Thai dishes.
Some of their most famous dishes are stir-fried crispy catfish with curry, but any of their curry dishes will leave you speechless. Main dishes cost under $10, meaning that you can get a full meal here for under $30! There are not many Michelin Star restaurants where you can say you did that!
Tula – Spain
Spain is known for their food, beaches, and culture. So why not combine all of these things and try Tula! They serve freshly caught fish, beef and pork dishes, and even duck! Their tasting menu is $90 and make sure that you leave room for dessert! Arroz con Leche is chef Borja Susilla and chef Clara Puig’s specialty.
This restaurant is located right on the beach and is the perfect place to watch the sunset over the ocean and enjoy an excellent meal.
Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery – Malaysia
Located on the island of George Town in Malaysia, this old-school eatery serves nothing but Malaysian perfection. Some of the staples at this restaurant are fresh fish, curry, chicken, beef, and prawns. For the main dishes, you can expect to pay around $10, so again, you’ll be getting a full meal for around $30.
They also play only 60s music here and have an adorable aesthetic inside and outside the restaurant. Chef Gaik Lean holds her secret recipes close and only shares them with her guests, who make the trip to this fanatic restaurant and eat her delicious food.
Trattoria da Amerigo – Italy
In the small town of Savigno outside of Bologna, Italy, you’ll find a traditional Italian Trattoria (small restaurant) serving some traditional Italian delicacies. If you love Italian food as much as I do, this is the perfect place for you. They have gnocchi, risotto, minestrone, lasagna, ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti, and so much more!
I can’t think of a better place to get your Italian fix than this little restaurant. The tasting menu here consists of three courses and costs just 50 Euros per person. If you would rather just order a full portion size, expect to pay around 20 Euros per dish. This little Italian town will be sure to get you in the mood to eat some traditional dishes at this adorable little restaurant.
OD Urla – Turkey
This restaurant is in a tiny town just outside of İzmir, Turkey and serves delectable French cuisine. The restaurant itself will make you feel like you are dining in luxury. It’s an all-window building surrounded by tall trees up in the Turkish hills. They even have a chef’s table where you can sit and watch the chefs at work in the kitchen, which is right in front of you! OD Urla not only has a Michelin Star but also has a Green Star with all the ingredients being sourced within a 6-mile radius of the restaurant.
Here, you’ll get an open-fire cooked meal that really brings out the flavors and textures of whatever you’re eating. They have a tasting menu here for $115, or you can order off the menu and choose from dishes like grilled squid, beef ribs, mashed potatoes, and much more for under $15 per dish.
Tosca – Switzerland
This Italian restaurant in the heart of Geneva, Switzerland, serves modernized Tuscan food in a gorgeous restaurant that will make you feel like you are in the heart of Tuscany.
Now, Switzerland is known for its ultra-high prices. You can’t even go to a McDonald’s without spending at least $50. With that in mind, the menu here is not that bad. It’s $150 for a four-course meal and you can expect nothing but excellence. You’ll also have a selection of top-notch Tuscan wines to choose from or have paired with your meal.
Fujin Tree Taiwanese Cuisine & Champagne (Songshan) – Taiwan
If you are not familiar with Taiwanese cuisine, look no further than Songshan. It’s located in the heart of Taipei and serves only the best of traditional Taiwanese food. For only $120, you can get a four-person set menu. That’s just $30 per person! It includes soups, vegetables, pork, and of course, lots of rice.
You can also expect an ever-changing menu depending on the season to make sure that everything is in season and perfectly prepared. There are also lots of fish dishes and crustacean dishes that are to die for!
La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise – Czech Republic
Last on the list, we have La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise, which is located in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic. This is a very upscale restaurant and focuses on serving 19th-century Czech cuisine with a modern twist.
For around $100 per person, you can get a five-course tasting menu with options that will be sure to amaze you. If you want to try food from a country that is known for deliciously fresh food in an incredible atmosphere, then this is the place for you!
What do you think?
What restaurant on this list are you most excited to try? Did you know there’s such a thing as cheap Michelin Star restaurants? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!
