If you want your money to go further in Peterborough, the cheapest main course isn’t automatically the best choice.

A £10 dish can look like a bargain until you add a drink, a side or dessert.

A slightly dearer meal may feel better value if it includes more of the meal and gives you a better occasion.

On the menus checked for this comparison, Parcs Restaurant at Peterborough College is the strongest starting point.

It promotes a three-course lunch for £12 per person, served Monday to Thursday with bookings at noon.

The restaurant is on Park Crescent, PE1 4DZ, and its official page lists Gold Hospitality Guild and AA College Rosette-related accreditation.

That’s a lot of meal for £12.

The catch is that Parcs isn’t an evening restaurant you can drop into whenever you fancy it. Its limited lunchtime schedule and college setting are part of the value calculation.

 You’ll also want to check the day’s dishes and ask about any service charge when booking.

For a more conventional restaurant, Middletons on Bridge Street is the clearest comparator.

It's official Peterborough page advertises a fixed-price menu from £9.95 per person, available at selected lunchtime and early-evening periods.

An independent current listing gives the three-course price as £14.95, so it’s worth checking the exact offer before you go rather than relying on the lowest advertised figure.

Middletons covers familiar crowd-pleasers including steaks, burgers, pizzas, seafood and desserts.

That makes it a different kind of value from Parcs: less of a bargain package on paper, perhaps, but a more recognisable restaurant setting for a meal out.

Katana sits further up the price scale, but still makes a fair comparison. Its lunch set menu runs Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 2.30pm: £14.95 for a main, £19.95 for two courses or £24.95 for three.

The pan-Asian and teppanyaki-style experience may suit someone who wants something more distinctive rather than simply the lowest bill.

At The Apple Cart on Bellona Drive, the weekend treat menu offers three courses for £22.

Its weekday lunch offer lets diners add a starter or dessert for £2.50, alongside separate pie, burger, curry and steak-and-drink promotions.

That gives you more ways to shape the bill, but the best deal depends on what you actually order.

So, if the question is “Where does the whole meal look strongest for the money?”, Parcs currently leads this small comparison.

 It isn’t a universal winner: opening times, menu choice, portion size, service and the occasion can all change the answer.

That’s the bit a menu cannot settle from a screen.

Have you eaten somewhere in Peterborough where the main course genuinely felt worth the money?

Nominate the dish, name the venue and tell us what made it stand out.