Have expensive tastes, but not the cash to indulge them? Well, starve no more. We have been scouring the city’s best restaurants for deals that will allow wallets of any thickness enjoy the gourmet meals they so heartily deserve.

(Need more options? Please peep the guides for the rest of the week: Monday; Tuesday; Wednesday; Thursday; Saturday; and Sunday.)

TUESDAY

Ciudad: Paella on the Patio 445 S. Figueroa St., Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90071, 213-486-5171

Though the patio isn’t much to look at, the paella is good enough to eat every Tuesday of the summer. For $29 a person, you get a 3-course prix fixe meal featuring an entrée of…yes, paella. Each week presents two new choices of the famous Spanish dish, like the traditional seafood paella Valenciana; or a spinach, chickpea and pine nut version. For the real paella enthusiasts, sometimes you will find a traditional paella negra, or “black paella,” on the menu, in which the rice is turned a silky black color by using squid ink. Indecisive people will delight in the fact that you can order a half-portion of each. No Spanish meal would be complete without a glass of wine, though, so take your pick from the wine list, or just order a pitcher of sangria. We know that’s what you really want.

Il Grano: Crudo Tuesdays 11359 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, 310-477-7886 (at left)

Think of “crudo” as the Italian version of sushi. For the past decade Chef Salvatore Marino has been one of the pioneering chefs of this cuisine form in Los Angeles, and his dishes only keep getting better. Though you can sample a “crudo fantasia” any night at Il Grano, Tuesdays are for the die-hard seafood lovers. Tasting menus start at $49 for five courses, and you’ll see some familiar fish like blue fin tuna and Mediterranean sea bass. But then again, you might get some sea urchin in the shell and garnished with roe. Whatever you have, it will definitely be an experience.

La Terza 8384 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323-782-8384

With its chef, Gino Angelini, hailed by the LA Times as “LA’s best Italian chef,” you really can’t go wrong at this W. 3^rd Street mainstay. But you also can’t afford to eat there every night. That’s why every Tuesday and Friday, you can sample the antipasti at a discount from a special buffet. The options change depending on the season, so you can find everything from ossobuco ravioli to beet salad with burrata.

Murano: $12 Tuesdays 9010 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-246-9118 (at right)

One of the best deals in one of the best-decorated restaurants around. Every Tuesday, executive chef Joe Anguiano creates a special menu of three choices each of pizzas, pastas and Panini for you to choose from. The menu always features the savory but sweet pizza bianca with chorizo and red onions; the prosciutto di Parma Panini with tomato, basil and mozzarella; and the linguine with Kobe beef meatballs. However, the other two items in each category change weekly depending on the produce that Anguiano finds, and her whim. Chefs have whims, and they must be followed. Recent dishes included a marinated hangar steak Panini with red onion marmalade, watercress and sweet gorgonzola; and a pancetta and asparagus pizza. With whims like that, you’ll be happy to eat Richey’s creations every Tuesday.

Tinto Tapas: Paella Tuesdays 7511 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046, 323-512-3095

Paella is hard to make. It takes a ton of prep time, special kitchenware, and a farmer’s market worth of ingredients. That’s why several restaurants only offer it once or twice, or if they have it every day, it comes in orders for two people or more. Well, you still have to order it in pairs on Tuesdays at Tinto Tapas, but you get your choice of their two paellas and a pitcher of sangria (mixed by the owner himself) for the paltry sum of $45. You can have either the traditional Paella Valenciana with chicken, squid and shrimp; or the Paella del Mar, which has clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and scampi. And all for what would only be around 25 euros these days, so it’s cheaper than hitting .

Violet: 7 Before 7 3221 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405, 310-453-9113 (at left)

Every Tuesday-Thursday, Chef Jared Simons teases diners with his notorious “7 Before 7” menu. Basically, he serves seven dishes before 7pm for $7 each. There are also wines by the glass for…you guessed it, $7. Sunday nights are also a great time to come to this Westside hotspot since Simons changes out his regular menu for a $25 3-course prix fixe with changing items, as well as a $10 bottomless glass of house wine. Don’t forget to get your complimentary milk and cookies at the end, either. And just because we love talking about specials, we’ll also let you in on another little secret about Violet. Every Monday-Thursday at the bar, you can get a juicy Kobe beef burger and a glass of champagne for $25. This restaurant just keeps getting better and better. 

Wine Bar at Whisper Lounge 189 The Grove Dr., #F90b, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-930-7860

Set to the strains of live jazz music, Tuesday nights at the Grove’s hippest bar (we know, that’s not saying much) turn into a wine-tasting extravaganza. Not only are bottles of wine half-price tonight, but you can also get 3oz tastes of any of the wines offered by the glass. It almost makes up for having to brave the crowds of tourists riding by on that annoying little trolley.

(Need more options? Please peep the guides for the rest of the week: Monday; Tuesday; Wednesday; Thursday; Saturday; and Sunday.)

-- Compiled by Eric Rosen