Ever walked into a restaurant, sat down, and realised you can’t afford a single item on the menu? It’s a tricky situation. Do you fake an urgent telephone call, run from the building shrieking, order a side of creamed spinach and a glass of water while your companions tuck into steak, or order the full tasting menu and then fake a coronary?

To save you the embarrassment, food envy or ambulance ride, we’ve trawled the country to bring you a list of some of the restaurants where you can still get a good quality main course for under R70.

Johannesburg

2B Cuisine
Try: Gourmet lamb or beef burger
Price: R58

33 High Street
Try: The baskets (meat, seafood, rib and chicken, vegetarian)
Price: R65
Or: Hake and chips
Price: R65

Contessa
Try: Beef burger with various sauces
Price: R55–R59

Da Graziella
Try: Fettuccini pasta with Napolitana sauce
Price: R55–R68

Fisherman’s Plate
Try: Crispy garlic prawns
Price: R55
Or: Stir-fried clams
Price: R55

Fruits and Roots
Try: Vegetable Thai curry
Price: R58
Or: The mighty burger – a vegetarian burger with hummus, lettuce, tomato, stir-fried mushrooms and chips
Price: R58

Parker’s Grill
Try: Chicken/Wiener schnitzel
Price: R68 
Or: Chicken tikka masala
Price: R69.50

Pronto
Try: Regina pizza
Price: R68
Or: Alfredo original
Price: R65

Satori
Try: Carbonara pasta – bacon, Parmesan and cream
Price: R59
Or: Nicoletta pizza – avocado, feta and bacon
Price: R66

Shayona
Try: Three curries meal – roti, three curries, farsan, rice, dal or kahdi, papad and salads
Price: R60

Vera Vita
Try: Scaloppina di maiale – crumbed/grilled/pan-fried pork fillet with white wine, garlic and black pepper
Price: R69

Pretoria

Al Dente Ristorante
Try: Pasta with vodka sauce, onions and ham
Price: R65

Barn 52
Try: A burger topped with avocado, basil and pineapple, served with Oriental teriyaki sauce
Price: R68

Bravo Pizzeria
Try: Talented Mr Ribley Pizza – deboned ribs, onions, feta and mushrooms
Price: R45 
Or: Love you long time $10 pizza – pepperoni, jalapeños, caramelised onion and feta 
Price: R55

Gameal’s
Try: Napoletana and beef meatballs with penne, with fresh chilli on the side
Price: R58

Guia
Try: Beef and black pepper hot plate or spicy beef/chicken/pork in a sweet-and-sour sauce
Price: R68

La Cantina
Try: Quattro Stagioni pizza – tomato, mozzarella , mushrooms, ham, anchovies, artichokes and oreganum
Price: R65

Lollipop Roadhouse
Try: Chicken cordon bleu
Price: R45

Oriental Palace
Try: Lamb Masalawala, made with tomatoes, ginger, onions and green pepper
Price: R70

Durban

Britannia Hotel
Try: Mutton curry with rice or bread
Price: R53

Delfi
Try: Moussaka – layers of brinjal, potato, mince and béchamel sauce
Price: R48

Green with Envy
Try: Roasted red pepper and cashew nut chicken pasta
Price: R59
Or: Beef fillet ciabatta, served with onion marmalade and rocket
Price: R61

Indian Summer
Try: South Indian Masala Dosa
Price: R30
Or: Butter chicken and naan bread
Price: R50

La Pizza Pazza
Try: Melanzane a la Parmigiana – layers of brinjal, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and Napoletana sauce
Price: R69

Mad Italian
Try: Pizza 2010 – Camembert, bacon, garlic, rocket and green fig preserve
Price: R69.95

Marco’s
Try: Gnocchi Della Mamma – a choice of three sauces (Gorgonzola, pesto or Bolognese)
Price: R59
Or: Della Mamma – smoked chicken and prawn in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce
Price: R69

Remo’s
Try: Greggo pizza – crispy bacon, crumbled feta and fresh apple
Price: R70

Spiga D’Oro
Try: Pennealla Chef Pasta – mushroom, penne pasta and Gorgonzola sauce
Price: R59

Cape Town

Bacini’s
Try: Ricco pizza – ricotta cheese, spinach, brinjals and sundried tomatoes
Price: R70

Beefcakes
Try: Plain Beefcakes burger
Price: R59

Bombay Chilli
Try: All the chicken curry dishes and vegetarian options are R70 or less, their most popular being the butter chicken.
Or: Mixed vegetable korma
Price: R60

Bombay Bicycle Club
Try: Melanzane Parmigiano – a vegetable bake with brinjal, tomato and cheese
Price: R70
Or: Fettuccini Estive (tomato, basil, olives and basil pesto)
Price: R55

Carlyle’s on Derry
Try: Wild Mushroom Cappelletti: Handmade mushroom and ricotta filled pasta parcels, served with a wild mushroom, sage and parmesan sauce
Price: R 60.
Or try: The number 3 pizza, with Thai chicken, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander
Price: R65.

Chandani Indian and Vegetarian Restaurant
Try: The Brinjal Masala
Price: R70 (does not include rice)

Eastern Food Bazaar
Try: Any of the huge selection of curries
Price: All under R40

El Burro
Try: Grilled vegetable tacos – three corn tortillas with brinjal, feta, baby marrow, cherry tomato and tarragon
Price: R66

Fireman’s Arms
Try: Bangers and mash
Price: R69

Jakes on Summerley
Try: Chicken and toasted cashew nut stir-fry with wok-fried noodles, oyster sauce, mange tout, peppers and mushrooms
Price: R69

Masala Dosa
Try: Curried lamb dosa – deboned leg of lamb in a creamy tomato gravy, served with a lentil crepe
Price: R67

Passage to India
Try: Chicken Saegwala or the chicken tikka masala, both served with rice
Price: R67

Sidewalk Café
Try: Classic fish and chips with tartar sauce
Price: R70
Or: Chicken, bacon and avo burger with onion jam and chili mayo
Price: R60

Woodlands Eatery
The menu changes weekly, but try the artichoke, mushroom pine nut and goat’s cheese pasta if it’s available
Price: R65
Or: Vegetarian chickpea, butternut and lentil burger with beetroot and yoghurt dressing served with roasted sweet potatoes
Price: R40, plus an extra R10 for a gluten-free bun

By Katharine Jacobs
Research by Kelly Pluke and Monique Broumels