While Macau has yet to feel the full brunt of the economic crisis, eateries are hedging their bets by introducing set lunches and special deals to keep regular customers happy and bring in some new ones. While some construction projects have been put on hold and workers laid off, punters are still flocking to casinos.
The best of the city's favourite restaurants are booked solid on weekends. And outlets in big hotels - where reservations are a must - are bringing haute cuisine to a refined clientele who don't want to break the bank.
Still, the best down-to-earth dining bargains are the smaller places with lower overheads that don't add tax or service charges, and some of these are well worth exploring.
So, even if you don't win big at the casinos, you can still enjoy one of Macau's best attractions - its excellent cuisine.
The Kitchen Value and sophistication
The Kitchen is one of the newest and slickest topnotch eateries in town. You don't have to win at the casino tables to enjoy its normally priced fare because this sophisticated, modern brasserie, with the same excellent wines available at the Lisboa and Grand Lisboa, sets out two lunchtime deals, with Portuguese soup, salad from the salad bar and dessert. Prime sirloin stars in the HK$298 set, and you can also choose traditional French onion soup and substitute chicken or snapper for the main course; the other, at a mere HK$208, combines tomato soup and either short ribs, quail or salmon from the grill. Open noon-2.30pm, 6.30-10.30pm