[tempsy]

in what world is 60-70 francs for dinner eg under $80 or $40pp eye-popping for dinner especially when you add tax and tip to any menu price in the US?

and you can't compare in-n-out to a sit down place.

an average casual ramen place is like $22 a bowl now here. add an egg (yes, they don't include it anymore) and it's $25. then add one drink or something and you're at $30. Then tax is $33 and tip is another $6-7. That's $40 for a ramen and a drink.

[tschwimmer]

This is a reasonable middle eastern restaurant in Palo Alto: https://orenshummus.com/lunch-dinner-menu/

If you get 2 drinks, an appetizer and 2 sandwiches yes, it's about $40 pp. But if you just get two sandwiches it's much closer to 20-25PP.

Similar story here: https://coconutspaloalto.com/menu.html

These are two restaurants in some of the most expensive real estate and highest income area in California if not the whole US. Meanwhile the Indian place was as I said, 40km outside Basel (the town was amusingly called Frick).

(by the way I checked Ramen Nagi, also in Palo Alto and has lines out the door every day. Regular bowl is 15.25, an egg is 2.75. So I think your baseline is a bit high.)

[tempsy]

You intentionally picked fast casual places that are akin to a Chipotle. I'm talking about a sit down place with service.

I'm in San Francisco. Not sure if you've been to a sit down place recently but trying to argue a sit down meal is $25pp inclusive of tax and tip is ridiculous.

[tschwimmer]

Coconuts and Orens are full service sit down restaurants. They may not be super fancy byt you do not order from a counter like Chipotle. Ramen Nagi is not strictly full service because the lines are so long - the server comes out and hands you a order card to expedite the process. But there are roving waitstaff that handle appetizers and drinks. I think you settle the check at the counter.

The most recent full service restaurant we went to in SF was Sam Wo (https://www.yelp.com/biz/sam-wo-restaurant-san-francisco-3), that was definitely under 25PP I think even with drinks).

I mean, sure, if you go to trendy restaurant of the week it's going to be super expensive. But there are plenty of places you can eat out in SF for ~$15 a person out the door. I don't feel like that's true in Zurich.

In fact, writing this comment made me remember when I went to Hiltl Sihlpost. That's definitely not a full service restaurant, but it was 30 francs for a plate of entirely vegetarian food! Reflecting more, I think what's missing in Zurich is the equivalent of low end Bay Area restaurants.