The
Ikea restaurant is one of those under-appreciated possibilities for a cheap meal. While most view it as simply a stop off while shopping for flat packed furniture, others (including myself), see it as a life raft for a cheap, relatively nutritious meal.
Although the location could be considered a bit far away - Richmond (new store in Springvale opening soon) - for some, the drive is worth it. Where else can you feed an entire family of 2 adults and 2 children for under $10 without slaving over a stove?
The Ikea restaurant serves 3 meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The
breakfast menu hovers between $1.95 and $4.95. However, despite the low price, customers are still provided with a generous plateful of sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns and other breakfast staples.
The
lunch and dinner menu consists of the same thing, but again, prices are low for what they provide.
There is even a
monthly special, where a particular meal is discounted for a certain time.
A sneaky, money saving trick is to hook yourself up with an
Ikea Family card - gets you additional discounts on meals, and free refillable drinks from the drink dispensers.
The restaurant hours are very convenient - Monday to Friday (9:30am-8:30pm) and Saturdays to Sundays (8:30am-6:30pm).
As a result, it is possible to go to Ikea for dinner (as I have done numerous times), and spend under $8 for an entire meal including drinks, bread rolls and dessert. Definitely a saving.
