Most expensive meal you've ever had?

[disneysteve]

On various threads about restaurants, tipping or other dining out topics, comments have been made like, "I can't imagine ever spending that much on a meal." So I'm curious - what is the most you have ever paid for a meal out? I would include just regular restaurant meals, not, for example, a meal you had as part of a wedding reception or some other banquet setting. I would also include a meal even if you weren't actually the one who paid the bill, like if someone treated you for some reason like a birthday or other special occasion.

As I've mentioned before, my wife and I have had the pleasure of dining at Le Bec Fin (lebecfin.com) in Philadelphia several times. They serve a prix fixe dinner. Currently, the price is $150 per person, though we haven't been there recently. I think it was probably $125 or $135 the last time we were there. Of course, that did not include tax or tip which would bring it up to about $160/person - $320 for the two of us. And that doesn't include drinks, of course. Fortunately, each time we dined there, someone else was paying, which made the experience even better.

[SnoopyCool]

Ummm... $50? I think it was IHOP...LOL!

[shinobu]

The most expensive meal I've had was a couple weeks ago. We went to a fancy steakhouse restaurant and it was about $70. It was for 2 people. Something we don't do but once in a blue moon.

[markusk]

Disneysteve: when I lived in the Philly area I always wanted to check out Le Bec Fin ("beccy fin's"). I was invited for a "drug dinner" there one time (paid for by the pharma drug reps) but couldn't go due to a family obligation

I did get to go to Morimoto's in Philadelphia twice (of Iron Chef fame). The first time was with a large group (paid for by a pharma drug rep) in one of the private rooms. What can I say. It was a feast for the taste buds. Amazing flavors. Had my first Kobe beef and Foie gras during that multicourse meal. After the last entre, Morimoto himself came into our room to thank us for coming...he got a stand O' from our group. He was like a rock star!

2nd time I went to Morimotos, it was with my wife. Paid about $250 (not including tip) for a multicourse sushi meal with a glass of wine. This was several years ago. I heard Morimoto is now back in NYC.

[kork13]

With some good friends in Atlanta, I went to a Brazilian steakhouse. I believe it was about $50/plate, or something along those lines... my friend's father paid for my meal (greatly appreciated -- wow), so I'm not totally positive. Otherwise, the most I've personally spent on a meal is about $35, I think. Clearly, I have some exquisite tastes....

[myrdale]

The Appalachian Grill here in town is the most expensive place I've personally paid to eat. Dinner will run around $35 a person. When I took my parents there to eat, the bill was just shy of $95 for the 3 of us.

Dean Morgan's, another restraunt in town, is probably the most expensive. I have only eatten there once with work. I never saw the bill, but let me put it like this, they had a dress code. I am guessing +$50-$90 a person.

[wincrasher]

The most expensive meal I ever had was Feb '08 - I was at the Marriott Marquis revolving restaurant in Times Square in Manhatttan. It was fixed price, $152 per person plus tax and tip. Wine was included for each course. It was OK. I didn't care for the pate. I know, there are a million better places to go in NYC. The view was nice though.

The most expensive tab I've ever had was at home - it was over $400, but we fed 6 people.

[Broken Arrow]

Most expensive so far is probably going to this nice sushi restaurant and ordering too much sushi. It was great, but turned out to be about $50 per person. Normal tab is more like $30 per person.

We have a great Brazilian steakhouse here (there are 3, but I've only gone to one), but that one is "only" $33 per person before tip.

At least once in my lifetime, I would like to sample Kobe steak (or Wagyu of some kind), foie gra, and-- I don't know if this will ever happen but-- Iranian caviar.

[wincrasher]

Foie gra is gross. I just don't see the appeal.

Generally I don't get "delicacies". People want to pay all this money for something supposedly the best, but generally turn out to be disappointing.

I'd bet if I laid out 10 types of caviar, you probably couldn't tell the cheapest from the supposed best.

Pen & Teller did one of their "Bull****" episodes on fancy foods. They made crap from tin cans into fancy meals and served them in a fancy setting and embellished the descriptions - people fell for it - supposed gourmet connisours - thought it was delicious! Hillarious.

[illinigamer]

The most expensive meal I ever had was at Le Cirque in Las Vegas which was about $150 per person with tax and tip. I rarely spend anywhere even remotely close to this eating out. I think lobster and truffles are the most overrated foods on earth.

[Caoineag]

Most I have paid is $100-120 per person (there was 2 of us). Usually because special occasions result in lots of food and beverage over a decent length of time. If I am paying that much though, I want everything to be delicious. I have been to a couple of places that could cook the perfect steak but bombed on the sides. I don't tend to go back. My preferred special occasion budget is now $100-120 for 2 people. Tend to get better value in that range.

[EEinNJ]

It's not hard to spend 100 bucks pp at a nice restaurant in Phila or NYC, especially for sushi, such as at Buddokan or the Red Eye Grill.
Most expensive I can remember was 600 for 4 of us in Santa Fe, but that was with a wine connoisseur.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Foie gra is gross. I just don't see the appeal.

Generally I don't get "delicacies". People want to pay all this money for something supposedly the best, but generally turn out to be disappointing.

I'd bet if I laid out 10 types of caviar, you probably couldn't tell the cheapest from the supposed best.

Pen & Teller did one of their "Bull****" episodes on fancy foods. They made crap from tin cans into fancy meals and served them in a fancy setting and embellished the descriptions - people fell for it - supposed gourmet connisours - thought it was delicious! Hillarious.

If that's true, then you've just saved me a bunch of money.

[MonkeyMama]

Probably $100 (total for 2), and that was quite a meal at a fancy restaurant.

I think the thing for us, is there are plenty of little holes in the wall that serve EXCELLENT food where we live. I don't really see the point to spend a lot on a meal out. We hit nicer places once in a while, but you go into those places with such high expectations, it's hard to come away happy. (We are rarely impressed).

Sushi can add up, but we have some great little affordable sushi buffets.

[GREENBACK]

I spent about $130 or so on a birthday dinner for two at a Red Lobster a few years back. It included probably four Gin and Tonics which was probably as expensive as the food...lol.

I normally try to keep the bill under $75 and $50 is better. I don't think I've ever eaten at a really fine dining place.

[melinuxfool]

Originally Posted by GREENBACK

I normally try to keep the bill under $75 and $50 is better. I don't think I've ever eaten at a really fine dining place.

As I mentioned in another thread, here in Maine, such "fine" dining places don't even exist!

The most I've ever spent was a high $20 for a prime rib, and that was a special occasion at a tourist trap. That also included a Coke.

I enjoy the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants more than fancy stuff anyway. I agree with a previous poster "Gourmet" is overrated. Give me a half-pound burger with some fries or onion rings any day!

Being from Maine, I know how I like my seafood. I can go to a good local seafood restaurant and get a plate piled high with shrimp, clams, scallops, and haddock for around $16. There are hardly any chain seafood restaurants left in the area. Why? Because the quality of the food was no comparison to the little "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants, that and they were more expensive to boot. Incidentally, I would consider that $16 to be an expensive meal.

A darn good thing my taste buds prefer cheaper food!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by MonkeyMama

I think the thing for us, is there are plenty of little holes in the wall that serve EXCELLENT food where we live. I don't really see the point to spend a lot on a meal out. We hit nicer places once in a while, but you go into those places with such high expectations, it's hard to come away happy.

I think the problem is that restaurants can be so inconsistent and price doesn't assure top quality food or service. There are lots of over-rated expensive places and also lots of under-rated cheaper places. The key is to find the ones worth the price (or worth more than the price).

Even though my most expensive meal was about $160, I would not list that as my all time best meal. That would be the Chef's Table at a place called Nunzio's in Collingswood, NJ. I'm not positive but I think that goes for $85, so about $110 with tax and tip.

[Cassandra]

The most expensive meal I ever had was after my high school graduation at the best steak house in my town. There was 8 or 9 of us and the bill (after tip and tax) came to around $1200.

But the meal was worth every penny. My parents and I had been there once before, a couple years before that, and the staff at that time were the same people working there the second time we went. Our server even recognized us. The service was absolutely amazing and the food was even better.

Originally Posted by wincrasher

I'd bet if I laid out 10 types of caviar, you probably couldn't tell the cheapest from the supposed best.

Pen & Teller did one of their "Bull****" episodes on fancy foods. They made crap from tin cans into fancy meals and served them in a fancy setting and embellished the descriptions - people fell for it - supposed gourmet connisours - thought it was delicious! Hillarious.

It is funny you should mention that. "America's Test Kitchen" did an episode where the tested various steaks- from the really cheap one at your grocery to some that you order online and cost over $140. They found that the best was midrange in price- around $40. It was really interesting.

[boosami]

I've paid some major cheddar for business dinners with clients... About 5 years ago I hosted ~10 clients at a "good bye" dinner for an associate leaving our team. It was at a famous steakhouse in Colorado, and the food bill was about $1,500. The wine bill was another $2,000! After tip and all it was well over $4k--that's more than $400 per plate! And that doesn't count after dinner activities (bar tab, club, etc.) but those were dwarfed in comparison. That is my most expensive night in recent memory, probably ever.

The most expensive personal meal I've paid for (well me + date) is probably in the $600 range for the total after tip. Just did a birthday meal for my girl and that was cheaper than expected beacuse a lot was comped, only about ~$300 total. Same thing happened on Valentine's Day--meal was less than $150 but with about a 100% tip. Keep in mind it's not uncommon for me to eat a $200+ meal for two about once a week.

Hasty post! Time to grab some lunch. It will be less than $100 though

[feh]

I'm not positive, but I'd guess my max is about $75 per plate.

A few years ago my wife and I went to Vegas with another couple. This isn't our style at all, but the other couple wanted to hit a couple nicer restaurants. We went to two pricey places - one of them was Emeril's (I can't remember the other).

They were good meals, but nothing memorable. I assume the elevated price was due to the name on the restaurant, and not the quality or care in preparation of the food.