The official thread of designer (high end) dining
- Thread starter Ekdrm2d1
- Start date
- Status
Hey, that wasn't "formal" attire!! False advertising bro.
Most expensive meal I have had was P.F. Chang's course for two. Came to like $60 for two people after tip and tax and everything.
I would love to try high end dining someplace, but $300-$400 can go a long way for me and I just can't justify spending that much money on one meal. Maybe in the future if I ever get a better paying job I can think about that... But not right now.
I do enjoy reading some of the stories you guys have so bring it on.
I would love to try high end dining someplace, but $300-$400 can go a long way for me and I just can't justify spending that much money on one meal. Maybe in the future if I ever get a better paying job I can think about that... But not right now.
I do enjoy reading some of the stories you guys have so bring it on.
H.Protagonist
[-_-]/
Oooo, do you have any pictures? Would love to see the venue.
Exactly. People see the price tag and think you're just spending $$$ on a steak, but it's soooo many other things that make up an experience.
Hey, now, for an internet forum, that was pretty formal. Everyone cleaned up real nice.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
No other photos from me - and I felt like a piece of junk for snapping that pic of the babby taco. I didn't want to mess with the atmosphere. Here's some photos of the venue in general though, Al Muntaha (not Nobu UAE though) where I spent that $3k.
Usually I wouldn't grab pics from their main site but honest to goodness, that's not a prettied up version - it was just like that. *melts* <3
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
At our last trip to French Laundry a couple months ago, our party of 10 ended up with a final bill around $5670.
I made a post about my first trip to FL a while back here.
This kind of food is incredibly labour-intensive to produce, which is where a lot of the cost comes from.
IAmtheFMan
Member
Looks familiar.
And just for the record the total was 1502 divided between 4 of us, with mine probably around 375 since I didn't get the pairings.
I have tickets to the next two Next dinners coming up (Steakhouse and Modern Chinese). Excited for it.
I want to go to a nice meal this weekend.
How would you suggest to your friend that there's a dress code? ha
My friend doesn't like dressing up. Flip flops and jeans type of gal
Guess we don't "have" to hit a classy joint. Yelp reviews said there's a very good Italian food place that's a mom and pop restaurant. Food is excellent, but it's normal priced and casual dining. Hmm?
How would you suggest to your friend that there's a dress code? ha
My friend doesn't like dressing up. Flip flops and jeans type of gal
Guess we don't "have" to hit a classy joint. Yelp reviews said there's a very good Italian food place that's a mom and pop restaurant. Food is excellent, but it's normal priced and casual dining. Hmm?
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Atelier Crenn in SF. Possibly my second favorite high end restaurant so far, after Le Bernardin.
This one was called A Walk in the Woods:
I was there last year, I normally don't like a lot of mushroom dishes but this one was fantastic. Really great place, though French Laundry is still tops for me.
Gonna hit La Toque next week for our wedding anniversary. Just a one star Michelin, but those can still be really good.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Where?
Eleven Madison Park.
Not worth the cost, left hungry, went to the original Shake Shack location across the way in the Park afterward.
The meal was certainly an experience, and the waitstaff was incredible, but the food was marginally better than restaurants serving similar cuisine at 1/5th the cost and the amount of food -- despite the number of courses -- was minuscule.
Not worth the cost, left hungry, went to the original Shake Shack location across the way in the Park afterward.
The meal was certainly an experience, and the waitstaff was incredible, but the food was marginally better than restaurants serving similar cuisine at 1/5th the cost and the amount of food -- despite the number of courses -- was minuscule.
Yes and no, It takes a lot of people to produce those dishes but no one in these kitchen is making 50k a year except the chefs. Most of those restaurants have super expensive alcool/dish/chairs/floor etc. It's everything that goes around the food that makes this expensive.
I really enjoyed Europea in Montreal when I celebrated my girlfriend's birthday.
They also have the honour of the best service I've ever received. It was a multi-tiered course; and upon knowing my girlfriend has a gluten allergy, they brought her a cute, custom made, gluten-free loaf of bread.
Their Lobster Cappuccino was fantastic.
And the dessert! A cotton candy tree, with tiny candies hanging like fruit. At its base were sugar coated marshmallow, macarons, and biscuits. Plus, a hazelnut chocolate on a stick covered in pop rocks. PLUS, a serving of white chocolate ship biscuits. PLUS, mini pina coladas. And to top it all off, their version of a pastry-free apple pie a la mode, with a caramel stick and edible gold.
I loved it.
They also have the honour of the best service I've ever received. It was a multi-tiered course; and upon knowing my girlfriend has a gluten allergy, they brought her a cute, custom made, gluten-free loaf of bread.
Their Lobster Cappuccino was fantastic.
And the dessert! A cotton candy tree, with tiny candies hanging like fruit. At its base were sugar coated marshmallow, macarons, and biscuits. Plus, a hazelnut chocolate on a stick covered in pop rocks. PLUS, a serving of white chocolate ship biscuits. PLUS, mini pina coladas. And to top it all off, their version of a pastry-free apple pie a la mode, with a caramel stick and edible gold.
I loved it.
Dark Octave
Banned
I bet you went to McDonalds afterwards so you didn't go to bed starving, huh?Who spent $1,500 on a dinner?
King Crab: This was a multi-tiered course. We had a bowl that was brought out, which revealed a King crab panna cotta with a basil jelly underneath. This was then removed, to reveal a King crab salad, and finally this was removed revealing a King crab rich consomme. The last layer was really rich and creamy.
IAmtheFMan
Member
That was actually my post from when I went to Alinea. And that single course was in a tasting menu of 23 different courses.
So to answer your question, no. I was completely stuffed by the end.
Will you take me?
Edit: Like this? lol
More like this!
(hard to see the hanging candy and chocolates)
Top right: Prawn risotto.
Bottom left: a book with trapped smoke, when you open the cover, all this aromatic smoke is released and inside was a smoked salmon amuse-bouche.
Bottom right: Lobster Cappuccino... lol. It really was delicious.
Dark Octave
Banned
There's this high end fandu place I take my wife and friends every once in a while. They have little scraps of meat, veggies and deserts. My first time there I thought to myself, how in the world are these little pieces gonna fill me up? Somehow by the end of it, I could hardly eat another bite, every time.
Boombloxer
Member
Been to a couple of high class restaurants, but there are so many good ones still.
Los Angeles
Sona - Used to work there and had some incredible meals/wine. Wish it hadn't closed down.
Providence - Seafood dream. Whimsical with layer upon building layer of courses. Highly recommended.
Melisse - We did the Monocle GAF meet-up here. The meal was pretty refined and creative, but I feel like Melisse is just missing something spirit-wise. No regrets, though. Food gets a thumbs up.
Bazaar - Fun and crazy. It's more of an experience than about the food, though. Always super crowded.
Drago Central - Great pasta and really nice atmosphere. They had a really nice truffle risotto as special, and it was amazing, but don't recommend it on top of other stuff. Too much richness... -_-
Hatfields - High class food without the frump. Really like the place.
I've never been to Matsuhisa, but everyone seems to rave about it. Anyone have a personal experience there?
Las Vegas
Bouchon Bistro - They started this branch right after I'd already finished at Sona, but since Sona crew trained them, got a helluva dinner when I visited. Thought the food was pretty classy, but in a more homey sort of way than Providence or the like. Have heard they've gone a bit downhill since, though.
New York
Jean-Georges - Was invited along for my friend's graduation celebration and I was young, but damn, what a place. Where I learned to love frog legs...
Gramercy Tavern - It's been years, but I still remember them having the best slab of bacon I've ever eaten in my life.
Babbo Ristorante - I can't believe they let me into this place, but had an amazing time. Dreamy Italian food and wine.
Reaaaaallly want to try Per Se or Le Bernardin.If anyone else has some slightly more affordable but amazing NY experiences they'd recommend, I'm all ears!Nex! Calling Nex Superne!
One of the few things SF is good for.
Alexander's Wagyu Organic Beef = best steak ever. Well worth the $250.
IAmtheFMan
Member
We're hitting French Laundry in June. Making a trip out to Nappa.
Me and the girl actually have a bunch of dinners coming up; we're doing Next in Chicago for the next menu (Modern Chinese), French Laundry, and then we're travelling a bunch and I think we're going to shoot for Steirereck in Vienna.
I have my limits for how much I'm willing to spend on fine dining. I've eaten at Nobu, Budokan, and Colicchio and sons. Each bill was around $250 (without tip) which is my limit. Anything above that isn't worth it to me.
Loved all three of those places though.
Tell her?
Loved all three of those places though.
Tell her?
If you have it, spend it I'd say. Gotta treat yourself every once in a while.
NinjaMouse
Member
Sorry...I didn't keep the receipt, nor can I vouch for the authenticity of it. I know it gets much more expensive than that at Nobu, I just haven't been there yet to try it. :-(
RukusProvider
Banned
Got any contacts to get into TFL? I'm local and would like to go but don't want to have to perform satanic rituals to pull it off.
Want to see how well it compares to Paris 3* places.
The only other 3* place being meadowwood is quite weak on our last visit. Maybe it was just the summer menu which sucked. No bread service...
Cancelled on me. All of a sudden a friend that I've never heard has a birthday the night of. She might be making this up, an excuse to get out of the dinner. Money saved I guess,
for now.
JJDinomite
Banned
Yall are rich
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Don't overdo it.
I've had LOTS of problems bringing people along for higher-end dining out. Not just dress code, which is easy enough to resolve, but peoples' expectations of you completely change.
How so? Do you mean that suddenly they think you have money and their feelings change a bit?
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Not exactly, it's more of a...some people if they don't ever do this, they get hit with HUGE sticker shock at the beginning then by the end they don't care. I guess that's kind of human nature, but that shit adds up. People who would usually be happy to split the bill at a normal night out at any chain restaurant then all of a sudden feel that $50 on a little tiny piece of food that isn't part of the meal all of a sudden ain't shit.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
I can appreciate fine dining, but I'm honestly not sure my sensory abilities actually scale to appreciate something 30 times more expensive than the most expensive meals I've ever had.
To put it another way, I have my doubts that a human mouth can enjoy a $1500 meal 30 times more than a $50 meal. I guess if you have the money you might as well do it to say you've done it. I do realize there's pleasure in the experience outside of what is strictly derived from tasting the food.
To put it another way, I have my doubts that a human mouth can enjoy a $1500 meal 30 times more than a $50 meal. I guess if you have the money you might as well do it to say you've done it. I do realize there's pleasure in the experience outside of what is strictly derived from tasting the food.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I like the analogy of music versus live concerts. You could just spend a couple bucks to listen to music at home, maybe get a DVD of a concert, and be perfectly fine enjoying it that way. Others will find it worth it spending hundreds of dollars to get front row seats at a huge concert venue.
Also, $1500 is super pricey, most high end fine dining restaurants I've been at don't come anywhere near that per-person unless you go crazy with wine pairings.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
That's because you're paying for the atmosphere, yeah, exactly.
I think at a certain point it just becomes "money". My upper limit is about $200 per person not including tip. Anything more than that goes into diminishing returns territory.
But even at that $200, I know I'm getting a waiter that's extremely knowledgeable, a very quiet, nice atmosphere. Staff that is there to treat you well rather than just feed you then toss you out. And, of course, good food made with ingredients that wouldn't be used everywhere else. Every once in a while it's worth spending the extra dough to experience such a thing. It also helps to choose a place based on curiosity. Maybe try a style of cooking you haven't had before and stay away from the familiar. For instance, I wouldn't pay a lot of money for italian food. I'd be forced to compare.
But once you just think about it as paying 50 times more for food you're just gonna poop out later then yea it doesn't seem all that worth it. You have to think about the experience as a whole.
NinjaMouse
Member
This explains fine dining very well. It's why people like to buy clothes at Bergdorf and Goodman (or a designer label's store, proper) instead of sifting through the bins at Marshall's or something. Not only are you getting expensive clothes, but you're getting a different tier of service, which leads to an overall different experience. I don't think it often has to do with flaunting anything, but it's an experience that one see's value in. I know people paying $200+ for a Kanye West concert that complain about $45 for a steak in NYC. "But it's JUST a steak, you can get that anytime, anywhere" "Well, it's just a dude screaming into a microphone over a tape of his own music...you can enjoy it better at home and actually hear what he's saying for $12 on iTunes."
marimorimo
Member
The best meals I've eaten range from about $50 to $200.
- Mostly Japanese wagyu beef. $100-$200 for the meats only usually gets you amazing cuts (if you're in Japan)
- fancy French restaurants at historic hotels, $250
Beyond $200, I doubt the quality/taste would differ significantly. (Not including wine/alcohol as that's what usually drives the price up).
- Mostly Japanese wagyu beef. $100-$200 for the meats only usually gets you amazing cuts (if you're in Japan)
- fancy French restaurants at historic hotels, $250
Beyond $200, I doubt the quality/taste would differ significantly. (Not including wine/alcohol as that's what usually drives the price up).
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Actually I have, yes. It has really good atmosphere, you're gonna have a great experience. Food isn't perfect but that's a high standard, you'll likely love it!
Darren870
Member
Last time I was in NYC I went to Jungsik which was very nice. Food was amazing. Bill was probably about $600, but it was the wine and cocktails that brought it there.
Haven't had a 5 course + tasting menu in a while, there is one in Melbourne I am eying now though.
- Status