Kiplinger's Personal Finance – May 1, 2003

EATING OUT | Go online for discreet discounts to upscale restaurants

By Sean O'Neal

At the renowned Teatro Goldoni in Washington, D.C., the risotto with lobster and stewed beef--plus a bottle of Italian merlot--costs $109. But on a recent Friday evening we knocked $25 off the bill by using a $50 gift certificate we bought at half-price through Restaurant.com.

Yes, times are tough. Teatro Goldoni is one of about 1,100 chic eateries that discreetly serve up discounts online to spur business, while not openly lowering prices. Restaurateurs in California, Illinois, Florida and New York offer the most deals. The sites below can help you find a seat at the table.

DinnerBroker. You can shave 10% to 30% off the tab when you book at www.dinnerbroker.com, which will notify the restaurant to deduct the discount before your bill is handed to you. About 250 of the participating restaurants regularly offer discounts. Some recent examples of the restaurants highly rated by Zagat guides include: Russian Tea Time, in Chicago (20% off); La Strada, in Houston (20%); Zinc Bistrot, in Portland, Ore. (25%); and San Francisco's Palio d'Asti (up to 20%). At most restaurants, seats were available only during off-peak hours (before 7 p.m. and after 9:30 p.m.).

Restaurant.com. The site sells gift certificates (which you can print and redeem up to one year later) to about 1,000 establishments at half-price. The most common offer is a $25 certificate for $12.50, though many are $50 certificates for $25. On the list: New York's trendy Tribeca eatery Edward's, Denver's Kevin Taylor, Atlanta's Wisteria and Boston's Taranta.

EBay. As you might expect, the auction site is in on the action. We searched for keywords "gift certificate" and "restaurant" at www.ebay.com and came up with 2,700 certificates for sale. For example, a pair of $20 gift certificates to the McCormick & SchmickÍs seafood chain sold for $12. We also spotted deals at ChicagoÍs Aubriot, Fort Lauderdale's Victoria Park and San Antonio's L'Etoile.

Copyright © 2003, The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.