One of the few redeeming features of the recession was that it brought us back to earth with a bang.
The mad, ludicrous shite that had been going on since around 1998 was brought to a shuddering halt, and from property to pints, prices suddenly started to look a lot more reasonable the further away the Celtic Tiger retreated.
Alas, history wouldn't be history if it didn't repeat itself – and we've seen some very worrying signs of the old mentality creeping into the pub and restaurant scene across Dublin.
Such as this bill for a pretty basic lunch – a duck salad with lemonade – in the Avoca Café on Suffolk Street, which was shared with us today.
Yes, you can check the menu before you commit to eating somewhere, and yes, good food costs money – but both of those things are beside the point here.
This isn't some high-end establishment at the forefront of food innovation; it's the Avoca Café, serving decent but fairly standard fare in a decent but fairly standard setting. (
Killer sambos, mind...)
Going north of a tenner for lunch is grand if you want to treat yourself to something special. But popping above the €20 mark? Ridiculous.
Thankfully there are plenty of better and cheaper options in the immediate vicinity. But nonetheless, there's a whiff of ridiculousness about this, and we can't help but feel like it's starting to spread...
