Let’s be real—$50 does not stretch as far as it used to at a boujee restaurant. If you’re hitting one of these uber romantic restaurants, you’re probably looking at a hefty bill at the end—and even though we’re more than willing to drop a $100 of our hard earned cash on a good dinner, it’s definitely not something we can all do every week.
So, to help you save some dosh but still get in a weekly date night, we’ve rounded up a heap of eateries where $50 will get you a delicious dinner for two with a side of at least semi-boujee vibes. You may have to stick to tap water and skip dessert, but hey—at least it gives you an excuse to head home for a *nightcap*, right?
And just putting it out there if you need more ideas—a meal of ramen, burgers or pho for two will probably also come in at under $50, so check out our lists of Brisbane’s best for those as well.
Rita’s
Teneriffe
This may be the one place on our list where you can actually spring for a drink—as long as you’re willing to have an early dinner (and who isn’t?). Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Rita’s dishes up half-price tacos, making them $4-$5 a pop. Four tacos each will still leave dosh leftover for a beer each, how good is that?
What to order: Two each of the chilli caramel pork belly, crispy fish, spiced onion bhaji and crispy miso eggplant tacos, plus a Tecate Lager each. Total: $50
Little Red Dumpling
Various
Want to be able to do the share plate thing? Charcuterie is out, we’re afraid, but dumplings are definitely in. Little Red Dumpling is the cheap and cheerful place to get them, and we recommend the underground CBD venue for the most romantic looking interiors.
What to order: Shallot pancakes, deep fried wonton, xiao long bao, fried chicken bao, cumin flavour lamb rib. Total: $50
La Costa
Fortitude Valley
Ok people, we’re going to blow your mind here. Fortitude Valley’s La Costa, a boujee date night-worthy restaurant if we ever saw one, dishes up bottomless pizza and gnocchi for just $25pp on Wednesday nights. No one is walking away hungry from this.
What to order: As much gnocchi and pizza as you can handle. Total: $50
Cheeky Poke
Various
We do love our carbs, but we also love our wardrobe, so it’s about balance. And for those nights when you need to go heavy on the veg, there’s Cheeky Poke. With spacious venues that look more like a glam restaurant than a fast and fresh eatery, it makes for a perfect spot to smash a salmon poke bowl, or one of their equally as good soups.
What to order: A poke bowl each—make it a Steve’s Bowl and a pork gyoza bowl and you can even spring for a bowl of taro crisps. Total: Under $50
Superfly Pizza
Woolloongabba
As well as dishing up some damn good pizzas for under $25 each (so you can just order two and split them, duh), Superfly Pizza also brings us date night joy with their weekly specials. Every Monday and Tuesday night you can cop any pizza for $18 each—leaving you enough change from a $50 for a side of arancini balls. Even better, on Wednesday and Thursday nights they’ll do a pizza, pasta and cannoli for $45 all together. That’s us done.
What to order: Pepperoni pizza, funghi pasta and tiramisù cannoli. Total: $45
Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers
South Bank, Fortitude Valley And Paddington
Is the best gnocchi in Brisbane worthy of date night? We sure think so. A pillowy bowl of Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers potato pasta will set you back less than $20, meaning you’ll have enough dosh to spring for a creamy tiramisu to share to finish things off.
What to order: One each of the beef bolognese and wild mushroom and truffle gnocchis, plus a tiramisu. Total: $48.80
Baja
Fortitude Valley
Ok you might not have expected to find the Valley’s swanky Baja on this list, but only because you don’t know about their taco Tuesday nights, when they dish up their authentic tacos for $6 a pop. You know what that means—$50 will get you four tacos each and change.
What to order: Two each of their fish, beef, chicken and mushroom tacos. Total: $48
Il Posto
Paddington
We do love Italian food for good bang for buck—all those carbs mean your waistline is always going to feel uncomfortably tight afterwards. Such is the case at Il Posto, where you can get $17 pizzas on Sundays and Thursdays and $18 on Wednesday nights. We’d highly recommend a focaccia on the side, just to ensure maximum waistband filling.
What to order: Any two pizzas or pastas, depending on the day, plus a side of parmesan focaccia. Total: $46.50 or $48.50.
Newstead Social
Newstead
Thought a steak date was out of reach for under $50, unless you were willing to stoop to a dodgy pub? Think again—this underground bar dishes them up for $20—with fries—every Wednesday night. Newstead Social’s buzzy atmosphere might make you want to order a drink that isn’t tap water, but stay strong—or don’t.
What to order: Steak and fries. Total: $40
El Torito
West End
There’s not much that we love more than a Mexican combo plate, and when it’s seriously good, authentic Mexican fare? Even better. El Torito is a West End staple, which is probably partly thanks to their budget-friendly prices. Here a combo plate will only set you back $21, but they’ve also got the likes of enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas and more that will fit the budget too.
What to order: Two Chimichanga Y Enchilada combos and a caramel flan to share for dessert. Total: $48.50
Bird’s Nest
Fortitude Valley
Dinner with drinks from a 50 with $10 to spare? It’s possible at Bird’s Nest in Fortitude Valley on a Monday night, where you can get a katsu curry AND a beer for just $20. You could even get some edamame or lotus chips on the side—that’s basically a two-course meal.
What to order: Two katsu curries and beers with a side of edamame. Total: $47
Little Greek Taverna
West End
Worried about still being hungry after you’ve spent $50? Well we usually finish a Greek feed feeling like we’ll never be able to eat again, so you should be pretty safe at Little Greek Taverna. You’ve got options here too—you can either get a main meal each and beg for a taste or get their Florinian platter for two which features a dip of your choice, a pita bread, saganaki, Greek salad, two chicken souvlaki and two lamb souvlaki for $50. We know which one we’d go for…
What to order: If you don’t get the platter (rookie error), one moussaka main and one lamb souvla main, or the prawn saganaki if you’re a seafood lover. Total: $50 (or $46).
Roti Place
Brisbane City
The must order at Roti Place is of course their roti, and luckily, their prices are cheap enough that you can afford a side along with your mains and still come out on top. Even some of their signature dishes come in at under $20—think nasi lemak with ayam goreng, satay chicken skewers and Malaysian combination laksa.
What to order: Roti canai, mee goreng and Hainanese chicken. Total: $42.50
Biang Biang Noodle
Fortitude Valley
Ok, Biang Biang doesn’t exactly have a romantic ambiance, but what it does have is some of the best noodles you’ll ever eat for under $20 a bowl—you even get to watch them hand stretch the noodles in front of you for a bit of dinner time entertainment.
What to order: One Biang Biang noodle, one yellow curry beef noodle, and a side of vegetable spring rolls. Total: $44
You can also find a heap of cheap eats for under $10 here.
Image credit: Grace Elizabeth Images, La Costa, Larissa Drazic, Bird's Nest