# Most Expensive Meal



## dougiezerts (Oct 16, 2006)

What's the most expensive restaurant meal you've ever had--and was it worth it?
A few years ago, my brother-in-law treated us to Ruth Chris Steakhouse. There were, I recall, six of us, and the bill came to something like $300. Fortunately, he paid! Was it worth it? Yes, I'd say it was.
Also, my girlfriend and I ate at a restaurant in London. (Forget the name.) That bill came to 60 pounds--about $100 (the exchange rate was better, then). I'd say that was worth it.


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## anxiouscowboy (Sep 13, 2006)

Hotel Hershey-
Me and my girlfriend and the tab was $180 after her 20% discount (shes the garde manger there) Delicious and perfect in both food and service. The maître d', Sous Chef, and Executive Chef all came to the table to say hello and ask if we are enjoying the meal. The sous chef prepared us a suprise middle course of micro greens and duck proscuitto iirc. Awesome.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

In general, My wife and I are not expensive restaurant eaters, we're hole in the wall hunters.  The last kinda expensive restaurant my wife and I sampled was Victoria and Albert's, $300 for the two of us, but, I've been known to eat $150 worth of sushi at one sitting all by myself! Well, sushi and sake, with a couple sakes thrown in for the chefs. 

All other expensive meals have been paid for by other people, steakhouse meals being the most expensive. Go figure.


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## oldschool1982 (Jun 27, 2006)

Back in 92, when I worked in Atlanta, a few of us got together and invaded one of the concepts in the group for a "Last Night" type thing. We each ran a kitchen in the company. One of us was moving and myself and another were leaving the company. If I remember correctly between the 4 of us we destroyed 3 in house charge accounts with a total bill of around $900.00  :beer: Gosh I miss those old IHP accounts.


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## dmt (Jul 28, 2006)

Back in 1990, a party of five of us ate in a nice little ristorante called La Capannina in Torino, Italy.
Numerous courses later, after the grappa, the bill was 250,000 lira...
I've NEVER spent a quarter million on dinner before...
But in USD, that was only about $60 per person.
The big number in lira was what caught my attention.


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

Seriously we had the best meals 24/7 on the Oriana when we came back to the US from Australia.

The best most expensive meal? 

A chinese restaurant "again in Sydney". Salt and Pepper lobster at $100 + plus the most amazing hot sour soup, mu shu pork, potstickers, sw and sour pork, and fried special noodles...worth every penny...(bear in mind this was my 11 yo daughter and me!) I think we got out of there for about 200 aud +/-.

The very best not necessarily the most pricey? A steakhouse just inland from the Gold Coast. I do NOT remember the name but intend to look it up. You pick your steaks from a cold display case, brilliant line cooks, baked potatoes the size of your head, oven roasted vegetables, avocado/smoked salmon/capers/tomato/onion/caviar/toast apps...whole grilled fish of all kinds, calamari...

I'd say under $50 (aud) per person w/o the extensive wine list.

Suprisingly not that "dear" as they call it and always packed. 

It's worth booking a flight to Qld just to go there!

April


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

12 people, over $2000 bill (I think it was closer to $3000). Vertical food at George's in La Jolla.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Dinners at Tru and Alinea (both in Chicago) were about the same price: $300 for two including gratuity. My husband uses those meals as a benchmark for "too expensive" now.  

"Expensive" to me means 'out of my budget' or 'an extravagance'. This can change with one's circumstances. When I was a struggling new teacher a $12.50 meal was expensive!


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## dougiezerts (Oct 16, 2006)

You mean McDonalds was more your style!


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## blade55440 (Sep 9, 2005)

So far the most expensive meal for me was during my hospitality class "dine-out". We went to a ski resort in Alaska ("Seven Glaciers" at Alyeska Ski Lodge/Resort) and we all ordered what sounded good to us. If I'm not mistaken each person was given a $1-200 tab (not including alcohol). 

The thankful part was that the tips we earned in class paid for it all (we waited tables for the class)


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## oahuamateurchef (Nov 23, 2006)

I've never exceed $50 per person. Much more of the time it is around $35 per person on the most expensive nights.


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## blue_wolf (Jan 18, 2005)

It was our one year after we're married honeymoon (never took the first one). Chicago, little place called Atlantique, five course meal for 2 ran with tip about $200. The kicker, the cab fare to get there and back... $100. Worth it? To see the look on her face when the gay bartender started hitting on me infront of her...yeah, it was worth it. And the food was great too.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

Forgive me, but you guys are all pikers.  How about $1,000 for lunch for three? Yeah, LUNCH. Was it worth it? It should have been, but sadly it wasn't. At that price, I want everything to be perfect, and that was not the case. Artichokes in the veg ragout were tasteless, service was just plain silly and over the top (one person to carry out the plate, another to remove the cover, a third to receive the cover, and a fourth to put the plate on the table -- well, anyway at least 3 people). To their credit, though, they did let us sit at the table until about 5pm (from 1:30), when they had to start setting up for dinner.

Oh, yeah, where was this? Per Se, Thomas Keller's first NYC outpost.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Suzanne, I'm shocked to hear that. I'd never expect mediocrity from Thomas Keller.

Dougiezerts, I'd be more likely to take that $12.50 to the supermarket and buy a nice steak and fixings for a dinner I'd cook myself. Or I'd go to Tenuta's Italian market (I lived in Kenosha, WI) and splurge on prosciutto or the like. McDonald's? Maybe once or twice a year.


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## headless chicken (Apr 28, 2003)

I too experienced Ruth's Chris here in Toronto's Shelton Hotel about 10 years ago with 4 of us dining. The tab came to $200(CAN) and we all had a steak and drink but 1 of us had to go and order sides, a downside to a la carte. Personally, not really that worth it since theres another steak house which I regular to called the Keg Steak Mansion that does the best prime rib and garlic mash, $30/plate for a 20oz serving. That restaurant is also on my list of $ dining experiences but considering there were around 6-8 of us, the tab came to $300, and we all had drinks, definatly worth it.


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## deltadoc (Aug 15, 2004)

Most expensive meal (several times actually cause we liked the place so much) was Chouette in Wayzata, MN in 1976-1979 time frame.

Dinner for two with wine came to $375-425. Only one time was the server "snooty". All the rest of the times everything was perfect. The wine steward even recommended a house wine which was the equivalent of the best Poully Fuisse I ever had! He had a little taster's cup on a necklace around his neck and we invited him to share a snort with us!

Pepper crusted filet mignon ala bearnaise. Artichoke bottom medallions with crabmeat sauce. Appetizer plate which was a lazy susan affair half as big as the table!

Chateau Margot at $175 a bottle. Remember this was the 1970's!

Jean Claude Tindillier, one of the best chefs I ever encountered.

doc


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## benrias (May 2, 2003)

We are not rich, but [email protected] will we spend money on dinners...and living in Vegas is dangerous for this attitude 

Three most expensive meals for us:

1) Craftsteak at the MGM...my first Kobe beef experience. WONDERFUL! Two people $350...no alcohol.

2) SW steakhouse at the Wynn. Nice to find a place that serves classical sauces for your steaks. Three people, $400.

3) Shintaro at the Bellagio. Three people $500. I think I am still paying this one off :lol: 

All of these experiences were worth every dollar!

And a honorable mention...er, I mean "horrible mention" : 

Capital Grille at Fashion show mall. $250 for two people and the service was lacking and the food was served lukewarm and was brought to the table while my date for the evening was in the restroom. They would not keep it in the kitchen for me while she was away. Never, ever again!


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## waltwill6 (Nov 24, 2006)

Once was picked up and flown to Ft. Wayne from Minneapolis and back, for a tour and lunch.
Fantastic ribs, probably pretty cheap, but I know the pilot bought 700 gal. of jet fuel, one way! Twice!:lol:


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## pupon (Feb 23, 2007)

I once ate $100 worth of Toro at the Narita Airport in Tokyo which made me sick and caused me to miss a flight and trip which cost around $1K.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Most expensive to me is a variable term, depending on what you're spending the money on. 

When we were in Sweden, before they were accepted into the EC, Stolkholm was the most expensive city in the world. At a squat & gobble hamburger place, little better than a McDonalds, we paid 16 bucks for a cheeseburger & fries. 

At a neighborhood Chinese restaurant I dropped a C note for the two of us. 

At a fine dining establishment in New York, 50 bucks a plate is nothing. But in a neighborhood Chinese place? I'd call that expensive.


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## mochefs (Mar 8, 2007)

Probably Aqua in San Francisco. $2400 for 6 people. Chef's tasting menu. I have to admit it was a pretty incredible meal, and the tuna tartare was the best I've ever had (this was Michael Mina's version, it's changed a bit at Aqua now but I hear it can sometimes still be had at his own restaraunts now). Quite a bit of that $2400 was in alcohol though. The table had essentially 2 bottles per course @ 5 courses so it adds up fast.

This was back in my internet venture capital days (i.e. money flowed like water) and was charged to the business, I certainly didn't pick up the bill myself.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Most expensive for the wife and I is at Le Francais restaurant in Wheeling. We've been there a couple of times under different Chef's and we have always gotten a superb dinning experience. The price has range from $225-275 with no alcoholic beverages.

This has been our benchmark for food and we've yet to find equal or better. The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired (they're still stuck in the 70's look) but the food is good and well prepared. I'm slowly trying different places with well regarded Chef's in Chicago and have so far been underwhelmed. We always get a good meal...it's just fallen a bit short of my expectations.

I'm certainly not rich or well off. But my wife and I do love food. We've got three lovely kids under four and usually eat at home (where we have some pretty decent meals ). Bottom line...we rarely eat out like we have when we were younger. Eating out once or twice a year at a nice restaurant is still MUCH cheaper than when we used to eat out a couple of times a week at lower priced places.

happy eating all!
dan


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## nofifi (Jan 14, 2007)

My teenage son and his girlfriend back in the 1980's had the most expensive meal on Mom once. He took his little girlfriend to a restaurant in St. Louis with $50 in his pocket. The restaurant did not post prices on the menu (should have been his first clue). Of course, they both loved steak and lobster. I got a call around 10 p.m. from him to bring MONEY, lol. I told him that they could offer to wash dishes which he didn't find amusing. I took my time getting there (letting them sweat alittle was kind of funny). I do believe the bill was over $200 if I remember right. Thank goodness they weren't old enough to drink otherwise I think I would have let him wash dishes. Ahh...another lesson of life learned at the tender age of 16, always find out the price before you order. lol.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Don't you wish as a chef that you could get that kind of money for your food?


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## nofifi (Jan 14, 2007)

After reading all your posts here, along with the other professionals, I would venture to say most of you could not post prices on your menu's and still have a good following. I am constantly blown away by you professionals on this forum...i.e. what you do...what you know, etc. I remain your humble grasshopper. I just wish I had the money not to care about prices.


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## ninja_59 (May 2, 2004)

Hi

I was invited last year at the Montréal Delta, the restaurant turns 360 degres, wonderfull view of the city, gosh just two people & 2 btles of wine, the bill was over 350 Can funds.

What a meal and ambiance, I would go back anytime 


```
http://www.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotelinfo.html?categoryId=2&hotelId=35
```


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

I'm flattered Nofifi. Cheftalk is indeed a fantastic board, and I've tried many others.


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## nofifi (Jan 14, 2007)

Ok, Kuan, you can pay me that 5 bucks now for all those nice things I said about you, lol.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

If you include wine......I remember one mushroom tasting meal where 6 of us had Grange Grunge from 1976, White Bourdeaux, something else and a btl of vintage Yequim......
The food was $100pp the wine I did not pay for nor know what they paid but it had to have been a whole bunch.

Bagwell 2424 (HI) in 1978, $300 for 2. Several meals at Nicolias Roof in Atlanta during the late 1970's-80s.....first you start with the many flavored in house vodkas....
Splurging in New Orleans can take on a whole new meaning.......

My lately departed guy introduced me to fine wines....that's where your ticket can expenitially multiply.....$800+ btl of Margaux 1983 or 4.....
ummmmm old Argmanac.....thank goodness his cellar was deep and wide, guess it helped that his father was an importer.

Dining at An American Place can easily set me back $100 pp.....I actually plan to drop that.

When I dined around Chapel Hill hitting a multitude of restaurants for a mydrid of tastes it was not crazy to drop $50+ per place with 3-4 on that evening's list.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Most expensive for me is about $175 for two people. No alcohol as we don't drink. Once at Christophers with some truly prime beef. The other at Bambara, I had locally grown lamb (Utah raised lamb can be some of the finest), wife had the Muscovy duck. Was very good. 

It's hard to hit the kind of numbers you guys are throwing around in this part of the country.

Phil


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

If you take wine or alcohol in general out of the equation it's a much lower ticket at the end of the night.

Now I remember why I don't go on vacation often, I'm too busy eating out......


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## indianwells (Jan 2, 2007)

$450 for 4 at K-Pauls Louisiana Kitchen about 4 years ago. Wine and 3 courses. His blackened Drumfish with mashed potatoes was a dish i'll take to my grave. Well, the taste of it anyway.:lips:


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## greenawalt87 (Jul 26, 2004)

Back in the 70`s for me to spend $100 to $150 for two for an evening dinning and drinking was nothing. Now I would rather go by the food and enjoy it at home. There are tooo many rip pff now adays


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## allie (Jul 21, 2006)

The most expensive meal I've ever eaten was sadly at Lonestar Steakhouse in Indianapolis. It was definitely not my choice but we were with family and it was a Sunday evening and nothing else was open in that particular area of the city. The total for 2 adults and one child came to $130 which I thought was ridiculous when we had absolutely nothing I could not have made at home for under $40, fed the three of us and still had leftovers for lunch!

I'm a cheapskate I guess but I'd much rather take that money and go to the grocery store or travel to a larger area and go to a more upscale store and buy anything I want then come home and experiment!


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## theloggg (Sep 28, 1999)

Ate at The French Laundry a couple years ago. My portion of the bill, FOR LUNCH, after tax and tip was $430.


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## lisacutri (Dec 23, 2006)

we were on our honey moon in indonesia just this last month and we splurged on the credit card! $400 for two people including drinks. That may not sound like much but it's hard to rack up that sort of bill in Indonesia! Needless to say it was amazing sitting on the beach sipping fresh margharitas watching the sunset! i had the most amazing blue crab consume for a starter and my new hubby had stuffed zuchhini flowers followed up by some amazing fresh fish salmon and kingfish! Mind you we did go out the next night and sat right in the sand drinking dollar beers and had the freshest snapper that i have ever had BBQ in front of you for an amazing $6 per person! we went back three more times!
Isn't it fuuny how you don't think twice about spending so much money if it is a 'special' ocasion, but if i went to the supermarket and had to fork over $400 in one go i might think twice!


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## jzone (Oct 7, 2004)

about $400 Canadian at Lumiere in Vancouver BC for 2 of us. (not including tip)

That was for the Chefs tasting menu with wine flight. Definitely worth it, still the best meal I've ever had. 

Had many close to that price now and none have compared.


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## allanmcpherson (Apr 5, 2007)

For me, a tie:

Signatures, at LCB Ottawa. Pushing $500 for two. We had the full tasting menu with wine selections by course. 

About the same cost was Maple, in Halifax when When Chef Smith was there. Again the tasting and wine menu. 

Both truely astounding. I think I would give Signatures the edge, just because the wine selections were just as exciting as the food.

--Al


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## scotty (Jun 19, 2007)

My then girlfriend and I went to Key West in 1972 and while there asked a local person where a good, romantic restaurant was. He directed us to one and we went. I do not remember the name but it was on the water and had it's own dock for yachts. Big yachts. Very romantic setting. All the waiters had long hair pulled back in ponytails and wore white shorts and white shirts - kinda weird. While I was still looking around my girlfriend picked up her menu and said, "This is weird - there are no prices listed". I picked up mine and mine did have prices listed and my eyes probably popped out when I saw them. I don't even remember what we had but it was great. Bill was about $200.00 before tip and we only had one glass of wine each. We found out later that this place was known for catering to the rich and famous who liked to dock their yachts and dine.

I have spent more on dinner for two (with more wine) since then but I think about how much $200.00 in 1972 would be in today's dollars. A lot.


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## rockdaboat (Jun 27, 2011)

$220 for two at bistro c.v. in Steamboat Springs, CO.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Trattoria Del Lupo in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Our first trip to Vegas (2008) and my husband wanted me to have a fantastic experience.

We had a plate of pasta and a salad each, along with one glass of "house wine" for me; our bill was $91, can you believe that?

And no, it wasn't worth it.

My hand made pasta is _WAY_ better. Sorry Wolfgang...


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I'd be happy to pay most of the prices mentioned on this thread. In the UK, the cost of a meal, with wine, would be considerably more - and astronomically more if you want to eat at a Michelin starred place like The Fat Duck. I've eaten the taster menu there (but only once, as I didn't really enjoy a few of the dishes) AND other dishes from the menu. Whilst Heston's fat thrice-cooked chips are to die for, they cost an arm and a leg!

http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/The-Menus/Tasting-Menu/


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## somethingtasty (Apr 24, 2011)

DMT, I've spent millions of Turkish lira on one outing of coffee and drinks  Well, back in the old days, now it's different over there.

Anyway, nothing especially expensive here.


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## brownedoff (Apr 4, 2011)

Living in Scandinavia, prices are even higher than the UK. Including food, drinks and tip, I paid the equivalent of $1111 for a dinner for two not so long ago.

Admittedly, the restaurant was very good and I did save up for several months beforehand.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Most expensive meal was when wife ordered extra cheese and said "Yes," to counter person who asked "Do you want fries with that?"  So much for retirement.

BDL


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## capsaicin (Jan 16, 2011)

Robuchon's Atelier in New York.  The bill came to about $800 for two.

Then we walked over to Le Cirque because she had this thing about crème brûlée, and they are reputed to have the best in the city.  That and a couple of other desserts and dessert drinks later it was another $160 or so.  Since it was just dessert at another place, I am counting it together with the meal, grand total $960.

The meal was totally worth it.  The girl was totally not.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

including the airfare...st barts...ooh la la...

joey


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

LOL. I did some homework before posting. This thread was opened _*10/16/06 at 5:34 pm. *_OK, 5 years ago; the last 8 posts in the past 2 weeks. This is cool. I really hate getting gouged for serious coin in return for no-big-deal eats/service. OK, now saying that, I've had numerous dinners _(always for 2)_ at *Lone Star Steakhouse*, costing north of $60 otd. no problemmo. This past Friday evening I dropped $40 for 2 glasses of wine and 1 bowl of some very pedestrian tortellini. The waitress bought herself an $11 tip by taking a third wine glass off the bill because I didn't like it _(I did drink it though)_. Anyway, a while back I posted about _Grant Achatz_'s new place *NEXT*. On Thursday they announced their new menu and ticket reservations. I believe the entire weekend sold out in _*20 seconds*_, on-line. Yes, I said _*20 seconds*_. _The *French Laundry*_ sells out by 10:30 every morning for reservations 2 months ahead. It's Prix Fixe $270 / service included, to sit down. Their wine list is considerably overpriced, but it's only $90 corkage to byo. _*per se*_, another Keller place, is $295 or $185. They have an a la carte menu too. The famed _*Alinea*_, in Chicago runs $210 to sit down. It's interesting what people will pay to go out. This is a cool thread.


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## temeculachef (Jul 8, 2011)

Me and my wife (gf at the time) had our 5 years together at the Ritz Carlton and we got a 7 course meal from the chef.  Everything from filet, kobe beef, abalone, cheeses and more with around 4 bottles of wine.  It was a bill around $700 but luckily I worked there at the time and got it all for free!  Guess this isn't a post for how much I paid, but I would have had to.

Was a great night and food was amazing, Thanks Chef Joe!

Michael


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## lyle (Jan 9, 2008)

We used to have departmental meetings out in the Bay Area, and one time all went to dinner at Scoma's on Pier 47. The menu really wasn't all that high-priced, but it _felt_ expensive because we were spoiled so outrageously, the food was so wonderful, and the location so cool. I looked out the window at a fishing boat, other piers, and the San Francisco Bay. Since there were about 25 of us, the bill was quite formidable. Close to a thousand, I'd guess. Many of the staff lined up to see us off when we filed out.

Unforgettable!


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

I had dinner at Le Bic Fin on the company dime where I treated 3 other Chefs and the bill was just shy of $2k before tax and tip.  I was audited by the company I worked for at the time even though I had permission from my boss to do this, and was stripped of my travel privaledges for 90 days but man was it worth it.  I can tell you almost EVERY detail of the meal, all 8 courses still to this day and that was back in 05.

For my 40th my wife took me to NYC for dinner at WD-50, I have always been a HUGE Wylie fan, so when we left for my birthday weekend I had no idea what to expect.  The dinner itself was about $200 each for the 12 course tasting, but when you add train tickets, hotel, and everything else we did over the course of the weekend it was expensive.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

An English muffin & Hot Chocolate sitting on a stool, 4 years old, next to my Mom at Woolworth's. I bet Her's and mine together would cost less than .50 at the time, to replace the memory would be priceless.......................


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## gourmetm (Jun 27, 2011)

Oh I, too, loved the Woolworth's counter. Coca cola there (syrup & seltzer) was tops!


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

GourmetM said:


> Oh I, too, loved the Woolworth's counter. Coca cola there (syrup & seltzer) was tops!


My Great Grandmother used to walk my little brother and I down the the Woolworths on Miami Beach for Egg Creams and Grilled Cheese sandwiches on Sundays for lunch. One of my earliest food memories.


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

Blue Hill at Stone Barnes with my gf. The tasting menu along with drinks was over $300 for the two of us and it was an amazing experience and I am going to go back. Even the tasting menu at $110 a person alone is worth it for that type of dining.


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

was it worth it? I am thinking about going to the french laundry next year..


theloggg said:


> Ate at The French Laundry a couple years ago. My portion of the bill, FOR LUNCH, after tax and tip was $430.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

Worth it? I don't know.

_The *French Laundry*_ sells out by 10:30 every morning for reservations 2 months ahead. That didn't start last month. It's been like that since always. That's a lot of people thinking _"it's worth it"_. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Ate at the Four Seasons in NY. Forum of the 12 Ceasars also NY, The Towers Suite,& La Fonda Del Sol. These places are long gone but each one was spectacular in their own right


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

MikeZ said:


> was it worth it? I am thinking about going to the french laundry next year..


I think you should go. The place is amazing. I was there in 2002 with a friend. Our tab was over $1,000 with tip and taxes. The place is not that big and I thought there were more wait staff in the room than customers. Each table is watched by close circuit camera so the kitchen knows when to start the next course for each table. I met Thomas Keller after dinner and got a tour of the kitchen. You will not be disappointed.


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## beecher (Jun 9, 2010)

We took five grown children with us to celebrate my birthday this year at my favorite sushi place (Maki Zushi) with my favorite sushi chef (Yoshi). The final tab was over a grand. That's why the kids don't usually get invited. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lookaround.gif


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

heh 1k for a dinner for 2 and meeting thomas keller and getting a tour is well worth it


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

Here's a nice/interesting article from: 

*Gastronomics: Exactly How Much Do People Spend at New York's Top Restaurants?*

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/10/exact-restaurant-spending-habits.html


[h2] [/h2]


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The French Laundry is sooooooo worth it. FWIW, those camera feeds don't just go to the kitchen. Wherever in the world Keller is currently, he's watching all of his restaurants' FOH and BOH.

As to more routine and mundane big ticket meals: Half a dozen times a year, I spend $80 - $100 per at Korean/Japanese restaurants for sashimi/soju _lunches_. We're not big drinkers, soju isn't that expensive, and those are bargain, negotiated, "good customer" prices. At Japanese/Japanese restaurants of similar quality, drinking top sake, those lunches would run $250ish/per.

Does that make the $100/per lunch a bargain? I don't really care, just love the food and the Korean twists make it even better. Any way you look at it, unless the boss is paying, it's a lot of money. Worth it? To me, yes. The Japanese/Japanese versions? Not so much, but not only because of the money.

There's also the _panchan_, the variety, the "spicy," and the "party" as opposed to Church of Fish ambience. On top of that, they know me; an important thing in a sushi-ya as it means I don't have to do a lot of defensive ordering, demonstrate my sophistication, deal with "live" issues, and do a lot of other explanation in pidgin Japanese to avoid the "American" favorites strangers think you want. What's that worth?

Sometimes spending more means getting more, sometimes it means getting less. You listen, you try, you learn, you pick your shots.

When it's a choice between what you want and something which costs less but is not as good, get what you want. You'll only regret the expense til the next paycheck. If you never try it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

BDL


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

I had a boyfriend take me to an exclusive restaurant at a Men's Club here in Indy.  The Athletic Club.  You could not just go in, you had to be a member in good standing to eat there.  It was chateaubriand w/  béarnaise sauce and piped mashed potatos, with salad.   The meat was very good, I could have done without the sauce, though.   I was very impressed - the BF was NOT a member, he worked there part time and got one of the "big wigs" to approve this in order to impress me.     

Different BF flew me in a rented private plane to Chicago to dine and see the Bears before Indy had it's own team.   It was a top-of the-hotel place and the whole restaurant revolved.   I cannot remember the meal, but the view was spectacular, overlooking the lake. I'm sure he dropped a bundle on that weekend. 

Now days, I'm more into home style food.  It has to be well prepared, though.  I won't go to just any greasy spoon.  

DD


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## gunnar (Apr 3, 2008)

$350.00,give or take a bit without including tip,  8 years ago, 5 course meal with a matched 3oz. pour of wine with each course (we skipped the Napoleon brandy and truffle for dessert and saved $65 per person) it was our  second wedding anniversary and ate at The Firehouse in Old Town Sacramento...back when that meant something. They also subbed out the normal appetizer and gave us a dozen oysters and cracked a bottle of champagne for the dining room in celebration of our marriage. When I had to excuse myself from the table there was a freshly folded napkin waiting for me in my seat. Still the most mind blowing meal I have eaten,  wish I had kept the menu. I left a 60 dollar tip.


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## chefboyarg (Oct 28, 2008)

> Originally Posted by *boar_d_laze*
> 
> You'll only regret the expense til the next paycheck. If you never try it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
> 
> BDL


Couldn't agree more.

As for most expensive I think I topped out at $350 for 2 at a seafood place here, including a larger than normal tip. I think it was well worth it because it opened my eyes to the truly different tastes of oysters (every one I had tried up until that meal had tasted pretty much the same, these bad boys shocased very unique flavor with ranging brininess and sweetness) and introduced me to the wondrous culinary delight of octopus. Details are a tad fuzzy but the start I had the octo which was grilled and came with a groovy yogurt based sauce, almonds and a couple of other garnishes I don't really remember. I also had the deep fried potato wedges which were great. Main was BBQ mackerel which I wasn't really overwhelmed by. Cheese was good, if not a tad typical in choice and then a peanut butter and chocolate dessert that my girlfriend swears was the best dessert in town. Beer seemed a drink that would go well with BBQ so I enjoyed a few pints from a local brewery and a whiskey with cheese/dessert.

I'm drooling just writing that recap. Need...to...spend...exorbitant amount of money on delicious food...now


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

Going to Le Bernardin on Friday I think that will be the new most expensive meal. Hoping to hit Next in Chicago for the el bulli menu next year


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_Well ..._ Good luck with that. I hope I'm wrong for your sake. I'm not positive, but I think you have to buy 3 other dinners to get the El Bulli tickets. I think it's kinda like a _"subscription"_ sorta thing.



MikeZ said:


> Hoping to hit Next in Chicago for the el bulli menu next year


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## olechef (Sep 17, 2011)

Dinner at NOMA (Copenhagen) eight people $4200 plus tip. Definitly worth it.


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## jamzer1 (May 6, 2012)

Most expensive meal I have had,

I will put the pictures up on my profile.

1Star Michelin Tasting Menu in Ireland - 125euro - wine included.

Seems reasonable enough compared to some on here /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

  Tasting Menu

CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL

Bread and Butter

Sea Vegetable Brioche

Brown Soda Bread

Corn and Helvick Beer Bread

Organic Glenilen Butter

Smoked Butter, Walnut, Sea Salt

Amuse One Crisp Potato, Rosemary Salt.

Glenilen Yoghurt Panna Cotta, Carrot Jelly, Pistachio Crunch

Choux Pastry, Garden Broccoli, Black Olive Butter

Parsley and Fennel Macaroon, Cashel Blue Cheese

West Cork Scallops Textures and Structures, Irish Caviar, Herbs

_ Honjozo Sake, Akashi-Tai, Japan_

Mc Grath's Beef Oak Smoke, Foie Gras, Béarnaise 2012

_ Pinot Noir, Firesteed, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2009_

Wild Sea Bass Youghal Bay Crab Porridge, Saffron, Rock Samphire

_ Riesling Kabinett "Saarburger Kupp", Dr Wagner, Saar, Germany 2010_

Irish Rose Veal Morels, Stone Leeks, Garden Celeriac, Wild Garlic

_ Ceruasolo di Vittoria, COS, Sicily, Italy 2009_

Blood Orange Soy Milk, Lemon verbena, Cranberry, Granola "The Cliff"

The Cliff House Sweet Snacks Rhubarb and White Chocolate "Magnum" Dark Chocolate 80%, Apricot Puree, Olive Oil

Parsnip Custard, Hibiscus Apple, Rosemary Blossom

Violette Pavlova and Glenilen Farm Fromage Frais

Vanilla "Parfait", Spear Mint, Rhubarb Sorbet, Tapioca

_"Kabir" Moscato di Pantelleria, Donnafugata, Marsala, Sicily, Italy 2009_


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## vealstew4u (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi, Six of us in the Theater district NYC after seeing Jersey Boys.

We went to Barbetta. the place has some history, over 100 years in business. very impressive.

the bill including tip was 1900 for the six of us.

Dinner was good not great.

Apps came out to table way too soon for my liking.

well this is not a review page...

see you....


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

olechef said:


> Dinner at NOMA (Copenhagen) eight people $4200 plus tip. Definitly worth it.


Hoa !!

Hold up there !!

Are you talking about 4,200 U.S. Dollars? And that's not including the tip?

With how many bottles of wine, or was that before the bar tab?

For eight adults that's 525 U.S. Dollars, EACH?!

I gotta get me some of that owners action, dude !! I'm in the *WRONG* business ...


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## jjmm121 (Aug 8, 2008)

Well I think we tried to set the bar...on the high side. It was my wife's 41st birthday - we had a very difficult previous 12 months and were unable to really celebrate her 40th bday the right way. So I made a reservation at Alinea in Chicago. Needless to say 20 plus courses and wine pairings from the reserve selection resulted in a tab for 2 at $1,200. Best meal ever.  I have a copy of the menu and cc receipt just waiting to be framed.


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## zoebisch (Apr 9, 2012)

kaneohegirlinaz said:


> Hoa !!
> 
> Hold up there !!
> 
> ...


It pays to be reputed as the "best restaurant" in the world. I would love to sample Rene's cuisine. To give you an idea


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## daddycrackers (May 29, 2012)

Morimoto has just opened his NYC restaurant.  At the time my office was in Chelsea Market which is also the home of the Food Network.  About a week before the opening I get in the elevator and a chef walks in to go to the Food Network floor.  I see he has 'Morimoto' on his whites so I ask him if he was there for an Iron Chef taping.  He tells me that he is one of Morimotos chefs at the restaurant.  I then ask him...'What does a guy have to do to get a table at the hottest new opening in town?' I was half joking but a week later, not only are my wife and I sitting in Morimoto's, but we are dining at the chef's table so not only did we get in on opening night, we had the Iron Chef himself, Masaharu Morimoto prepare our meals for us.

It was quite an experience, one I'm sure will never be repeated.  There were about 2 or 3 other couples with us.  Before the meal started a server comes up to you and quietly asks you about how much you would like to spend for your meal.  No menu, no selecting what you want.  Basically Morimoto made up dishes for us on the fly, prepared the meal and a few times served the dishes himself.  The grand total for my wife and I, with tip was about $800.

It was worth every penny.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Not unique to Morimoto. That sort of improvised, "tasting menu" is actually a fairly common practice in Japanese restaurants -- especially sushi-ya. It's called _omikase_.

BDL


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Some of us non-Japanese chefs have been also known to do that at the request of guests. I always called it an ultimate compliment.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

I was lucky enough to dine with Morimoto in Philly while he was testing menu items before he opened his restaurant there.  I was in Philly opening a place and Morimoto came in for one of our soft opening nights and invited all the trainers down to his place for a "light lunch" the next day.  It was an AMAZING experience to say the least and one I wont forget.


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2012)

If your looking for the most expensive restaurant and you also happen to be in New York... Thomas Keller's Per Se has a $295 per head tasting menu (I think it's the only option) and another $200 for wine pairings. Now I've heard wonderful things about Per Se and know a waiter there but I still have an extremely tough time justifying that much for one person for dinner and I am not one to shy away from expensive meals. The most expensive meal I had was at Vetri in Philadelphia, when the Friday tasting menu was only $135 a person. It has since bumped its pricing to $155 and exclusively does the tasting menu, but is really nice and has been getting rave reviews from everyone in and out of Philly.


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## r6zack (Jul 23, 2012)

My wife and I don't eat out much because I'd rather just cook it and save the money, but every now and then it's nice to get all dressed up, and go have a wonderful night with my wife and relax. About a year ago we went to The Melting Pot in Nashville and had ourselves a good time. We splurged quite heavily, my wife had the wine pairing with each of her meals and I tried a new beer pairing they were doing, which was quite fantastic. On top of ordering the most expensive meal option, with the wine and beer pairings, after our meal we decided to hang out at the bar and have a few more drinks before our ride showed up. Our total price was just under $400, but the food and the experience were totally worth ever damn cent.


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## pirate-chef (Jan 25, 2012)

12000 danish krown... lunch for 4 a few months ago ( about 2120 usd ) not bad but it was the tasting menu at noma and worth it in every way from service. when i got home my wife asked the price and i responded with not to ask as i wont be doing it again any time soon since i cant get another table.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Our most expensive meal was at Ruth Chris in DC. about $500.00 for two. The reason the tab was so high was because my husbands drink of choice was Johnny Walker Blue. The meal and the experience was totally worth it. We were treated like royalty.

Another equally expensive meal was Sunday brunch at the Ritz Carlton in DC. We drank beaujolais nouveau and champagne. Absolutely worth it, we were treated very well, and had a blast walking around in Georgetown quite tipsy afterwards. The two things we still regret about that experience was not taking advantage of the desserts, and being so hungover that evening that we had to cancel a private limo ride we had planned around DC. It was one of those splurge vacations.

My husband and I are quite picky about where we eat, which is why we don't eat out very often. We rather save up and have one of those "once in a lifetime" dining experiences rather than eat anywhere and take a chance. We rather spend a few hundred dollars on a sure thing, than $80 here and there for mediocre food. We don't ever set out to spend X amount, it sort of just happens that way. For example, I can't seem to justify spending $300.00 set price per person just because it's a certain famous restaurant. We do choose pricier places but we prefer a la carte options, which tend to add up if we're enjoying the establishment, experience, and food.


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## jah42 (Jul 16, 2013)

Around 2200 dollars here as well at Noma for the tasting manu and fixed wine menu for four persons.

It wasnt the best meal i've had (the deserts were a bit of a letdown) but definatly the most memorable.

The amount of flavor Rene Redzepi and his team can squeeze out of such humble ingredient they use at Noma is nothing short of phnomenal and the service was second to none.


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## centaurita (Aug 10, 2013)

It's a tie between a honeymoon meal at a Bahama resort, and an anniversary meal in nearby Columbus, OH. Both were well over $300 with drinks and tip for the two of us. I don't think that includes any dessert since we almost never get dessert.

The price was expected at both places and I believe we were both well satisfied with the meal and service both times. The anniversary meal was at a place called Hyde Park and would definitely go there again.

I have a feeling that record will be broken soon when we go to Ruth's Chris in Columbus. We received $200 in gift certificates (to RC) last Xmas and are saving them to apply toward our anniversary meal in October. I hope it will be worth it!


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

Twelve years ago, DH and I went to the The HerbFarm outside of Seattle in Woodinville. It was their harvest celebration menu. Nine courses (as I recall) and every one of them was amazing. At the time, it was slightly over $400 and well worth it.


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## rob15285 (Aug 13, 2013)

My fiancé and I got married in Vegas last year and went out for a meal that evening. 4 of us went to jean George's steak house in the Aria and it came to almost $500. And to be honest I wasn't that impressed.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

I set a new personal record(thanks to my boss) at L2O in Chicago.  16 courses, wine with each course and $500pp later we were walking out the door.

Great meal but I wouldn't do it if I had to pay on my own.


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

The $500/head meal doesn't seem all that hard to find recently. My daughter and her husband had one of those five or six years ago at The French Laundry. They and another couple had the _degustacion _with, since the other guy considered himself a wine expert, a complete range of appropriate wines. They spent four hours and the now-not-uncommon $500 apiece.

With the first of two kids now in college, she says she's not likely to do it again, but looks back on it a truly transcendental experience.

I envy her that experience and the memories, but won't be doing anything like that.

Mike /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crying.gif

Spell-checker challenged my french, but when consulted, suggested _Turkestan_ or _Dexedrine_ among other non-starters. Sounded kind of desperate, actually. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## harrisonh (Jan 20, 2013)

cost does not always equal quality. 

But if you expect great ingredients, excellent presentation, and personal attention to the plate instead of mass production, you will need to open the wallet.

Every time a friend makes me go to applebees, red lobster, chili's or olive garden, I feel I wasted my money. To me spending 15 dollars per person at olive garden is a complete rip off. BUT I've been to a number of chefs tables including some James Beard winners, where I've spent 200-350 a plate and in most cases, it was worth every penny. OR I can get a sloppy indian taco from the local taco joint and devour it with gusto,
For me spending 280 a plate isn't the "most expensive" IF I enjoyed it. For me, spending 15 bucks a plate for crap is expensive.

AND if I ever get the chance, I'd love to go to Japan to Sukiyabashi Jiro and have omakase from the Master


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## alaminute (Aug 22, 2013)

Regardless of price almost everybody says it was worth it. It's like your buying a life experience. I usually spend between $150-$175 for two at sushi spots, and I spent $250 for my moms birthday at an incredible French seafood restaurant but I don't really feel these are so big. I hope to make reservations at the French laundry for a vacation in about eight months. I'll probably put away $750-800 and go for a full tasting for two with pairings. *crossing fingers*


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## brandon odell (Aug 19, 2012)

Had a couple friends that ate at one of Thomas Keller's restaurants. They spent about $150 apiece then had to stop at McD's afterwards to fill up.

One of those guys was with me at a $250 per person wine dinner I had one of our vendors pay for. The wine was a 10-year flight of Caymus Special Select. Awesome. The host hosed the hotel we were at on the food budget and we ended up with a meal I was almost embarrassed at for the chef. If it were me, I would have took a loss on that dinner just to look good.


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## pheedno (Sep 3, 2013)

Had a $300 tab at Mockingbird Bistro in Houston once(including wine and tip). Worth every penny. I have since returned 4 times and its probably my favorite restaurant in Houston.


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## jellly (Jan 3, 2005)

I just ate at Alinea a few weeks ago - $450 for one person, with wine pairing.  That is not something I would want to spend on a meal too often!  But, I figure it is a once in a lifetime sort of meal.


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## rocket (Sep 9, 2013)

The most expensive meal I've ever had was at Boneta in Vancouver. It was 200 with tip for 2 people. Was it with it? Yes, but by no means was it the best meal I've ever had.


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## geno (Jun 10, 2012)

Harrisonh: So are people from India now making tacos?  Or are you finding Native Mexicans who are selling tacos?  I guess you lost me on that one, since tacos is not really a Mexican food.


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## knoxvillechef (Sep 11, 2013)

Ireland, Ashford Castle on my honeymoon. Four course dinner featuring local trout and vision from the property. Came in around $350. Worth every penny! The maitre d' was amazing and the chef's cooking tableside did a fantastic job.


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## matchabunny (Sep 9, 2013)

The most expensive meal we've ever had was a last hurrah dinner before Foiehibition hit California. It was coordinated by CHEFS (Coalition for Humane & Ethical Farming Standards), hosted at Melisse in Santa Monica, and featured a 6 course dinner with wine pairings, each prepared by a different famed chef hailing from Northern or Southern California. $200/person, although that included a $100 donation to CHEFS.

The 2nd most expensive (arguably the most if you don't count donations) was our 10-course dinner at Ken Oringer's Clio Restaurant in Boston. We happened to mention that we were visiting from California and really missed foie gras... Chef did not disappoint! That dinner was $135/person, no wine or drinks. We have no regrets.


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