IKEA’s £3 meal deal … is it super value and is it worth the money?

Forget flatpack furniture, for many a visit to IKEA means meatballs.

Its restaurant is always packed with people looking to enjoy a taste of Sweden, while at the end of a visit there is the opportunity to pay the IKEA tax … a hot dog, ice cream or pastry.

It has always strived to offer good value, even in these credit crunched times.

One of its current offers is a daily dish for just £3.

Add in a free hot drink for those with an IKEA Family card – as long as you visit on weekdays – and it really is a value option … as long as you don’t end up spending the savings on blue bags, tealights and that chest of drawers you never knew you needed but now you’ve got it you need a new kitchen to go with it.

It’s all part of the fun of the famous store which has its Reading base confusingly in West Berkshire. Yes, it might be Calcot but it crosses the border of our neighbouring local authority, and not a lot of people know that.

Anyway, for those who have never eaten in the company’s restaurant before, it is an experience.

It is a large open space packed with tables, the kitchen and serving area is at the back.

There are two serving areas, and at busy times you can queue at either one. You can keep an eye on the other queue to see if it is moving slower or faster than yours … possibly the most fun you can have while in a queue.

You grab a tray and place it on the metal bars that look like they’ve come straight from a 1970s work canteen, and admire the drinks, desserts and starters in the chilled cabinets that look like they’ve come straight from a 1970s work canteen.

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Large screens above the serving area – which also looks like it’s come straight from a 1970s work canteen – show some of the tempting choices that await, be it meatballs, salmon, pasta, breakfasts or desserts.

When it’s your turn, the hard-working and friendly kitchen staff – who multitask between serving you and getting food cooked and taken to the counter – will ask you what you want, plate it and give it to you.

You then pop it on your tray, pick up any extras you want and walk to the tills, where you can pick up a glass or mug for your choice of drink.

You then pay the IKEA cashier, move on to the cutlery and condiments, find a table, eat and put your dirties back on the tray and move it to the collection point.

What is on offer in IKEA’s £3 meal deal?

The offer is available from 11am Mondays to Fridays, with the dish changing. The choice for the offer is take it or come back another day.

Each dish is available at its normal price the rest of the week. These are listed in brackets so you can see what the saving would be.

• Mondays is Meatballs (£5.50) day … eight meatballs served with mash or chips, peas, IKEA’s creamy sauce, and lingonberry jam.
• Tuesday is Veggie Balls (£4.50) day. This comes with a quinoa mix and a tomato and spinach ragout.
• Wednesday is a Salmon fillet (£6.95), served with mash or chips, a bean mix, and lemon and dill sauce.
• Thursday is Plant balls (£4.95), a vegan version of the meatballs, and served with mash or chips, peas, IKEA’s creamy sauce, and lingonberry jam.
• Fridays can only be fish and chips (£6.95) … battered haddock with chips and peas.

A free drink … how do I get that?

Anyone can join the IKEA Family scheme, it’s free to do so. It enables people to get discounts on selected items.

And there is one other perk that is pretty handy if you visit on a weekday: a free hot drink.

It is limited to tea or filtered coffee, but it is helpful if you need to have a quick pitstop between the showroom and the market hall.

What is it like?

Essentially, you can’t go to IKEA and not have meatballs (or the veggie/vegan alternative). They are much admired for a reason, not least because of the sauce.

At the same time, this is a canteen style experience, and you can expect canteen style food… there is no Maître d’ here, just mattresses in the bedding section.

The food is perfectly fine, it’s just closer to casual dining than a sit-down meal where the best tableware has been set out.

As part of this, you must pick your own mug off the dishwasher trays, and cutlery from after the cashier. The dishwasher is not the world’s greatest and as a result, items are not always clean.

It took several attempts to pick a clean mug and cutlery that didn’t have residue from someone else’s meals. The knife and fork needed a wipe down with the napkins before I could eat.

The tables, likewise, were not as clean as one would wish for. And this is mainly because of the constant turnaround means IKEA’s team don’t get much opportunity to clean up.

So, please be sweet and tidy up after yourselves – it’s nice for the next person and helps the hardworking team.

Is it worth the money?

For £3? Without a shadow of a doubt, especially as some dishes are nearly £7 at full price.

It’s hard to come away from IKEA’s kitchen and not feel happy.

And if you haven’t had enough, there is always the ice cream after the checkouts.