# What is the most you've spent at a restaurant on one visit?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 1, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626 "2008-11-01T20:16:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/1 "2008-11-01T20:16:31Z")
That came out of your own wallet/bank account (as opposed to a company’s).
Mine is probably going to be a lot lower than most here (as I don’t usually eat out at “lavish” places–and I usually dine alone) but I once spent around 120 dollars at a bistro place (for myself and a friend).
It was the lobster that did it.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/2 "2008-11-01T20:19:46Z")
I went to a restraunt with my Brother and his wife. Towards the end I offered to pay the bill, which was beteen £80 and £90 (which at the time would translate to about $150-$170)
I don’t eat out much.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/3 "2008-11-01T20:21:24Z")
Business planning dinner during a convention set me back about $500 one time. Thank God for expense accounts.
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### Author:  [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/4 "2008-11-01T20:25:19Z")
We spent about $250 on the two of us on a tasting menu at a very yummy local restaurant once.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/5 "2008-11-01T20:37:13Z")
We don’t typically do “lavish” dining out. But we are fans of Colonial Williamsburg, and dinner for five at a (nice) Williamsburg steak and seafood joint ran us about $200.00, including tip. I should point out, though, that three of the five of us were ordering off the children’s menu.
That same vacation, lunch for five at one of the colonial taverns (The King’s Arms, the most upscale one) ran us $140.00, including tip.
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### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/6 "2008-11-01T20:49:25Z")
To celebrate an anniversary, I took the in-laws out to dinner in 1990. There were nine of us, and it set me back about 550 Dutch guilders (about 350 US dollars)
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/7 "2008-11-01T20:57:10Z")
I’m a cheapskate, but every other trip to Vegas we splurge. The most expensive meal so far was dinner at Olives (Bellagio), which, with wine, set me back about $300. Mesa Grill last year only ran $250. Both tabs include tip, which was +/- 25% at both. (We had _very_ good service.)
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### Author:  [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/8 "2008-11-01T21:00:52Z")
Who: Me and a date
Where: Osaka, a fancy restaurant at the top of a skyscraper
What: Pizza and wine
How much: Around $200
Result: Not even a kiss
I wasn’t _trying_ to buy affection, but the lack of it combined with the overpriced meal made me feel like I got played. It’s a long story.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/9 "2008-11-01T21:13:34Z")
I dropped a couple of hundred euros on a nice meal for two on the Piazza San Marco in Venice. This was back when the euro was worth maybe $1.30, so call it $260 US.
It included wine with dinner and Sambucca on the Piazza while we listened to the orchestra. It was more the ambience and the experience than the food quality, but absolutely worth it.
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### Author:  [@CAT\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CAT_1)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/10 "2008-11-01T21:27:37Z")
Wow, I guess I am cheaper than I thought. And I thought I was bad.
The hubby and I have spent about $60 with tip a few times in our life.
That is pretty high for the middle of Wisconsin, and the type of places we go to, however.
The typical dinner for two(steak) is around $35 for us.
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### Author:  [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/11 "2008-11-01T21:38:16Z")
$330 CDN, for my birthday dinner for two a couple of years ago at arguably the fanciest Japanese place in Vancouver. It was really fucking good. A very nice bottle of nigori sake, and some appetizers and dessert and such.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/12 "2008-11-01T21:45:02Z")
> [@CAT\_1](#):
>
> Wow, I guess I am cheaper than I thought. And I thought I was bad.
>
> The hubby and I have spent about $60 with tip a few times in our life.
> That is pretty high for the middle of Wisconsin, and the type of places we go to, however.
> The typical dinner for two(steak) is around $35 for us.
Yeah, ditto all that for me (except the hubby part). I think I may have spent about $70 one time at The Cheesecake Factory. But a typical dinner out usually isn’t more than $35-40.
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### Author:  [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/13 "2008-11-01T21:45:59Z")
Last year between 3 of us we spent $90, most of which was alcohol. We left a $30 tip on top of that because the waiter was cute.
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### Author:  [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/14 "2008-11-01T21:46:56Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#):
>
> That came out of your own wallet/bank account (as opposed to a company’s).
>
> Mine is probably going to be a lot lower than most here (as I don’t usually eat out at “lavish” places–and I usually dine alone) but I once spent around 120 dollars at a bistro place (for myself and a friend).
>
> It was the lobster that did it.
500 sterling.
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### Author:  [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/15 "2008-11-01T21:52:34Z")
6 of us went out to eat in Vegas at the Top of the World. Put us back about $1100 total.
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### Author:  [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/16 "2008-11-01T21:55:33Z")
For my 21st birthday, my father went all out at a new, very good place in downtown. For five of us, including wine and a three course meal, came out to around $600.
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/17 "2008-11-01T22:00:49Z")
6 people at dinner at Delmonacos in Vegas bill was a bit over 2k. We went wine and scotch crazy and it was worth every single penny.
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### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/18 "2008-11-01T22:08:04Z")
> [@capybara](#):
>
> $330 CDN, for my birthday dinner for two a couple of years ago at arguably the fanciest Japanese place in Vancouver. It was really fucking good. A very nice bottle of nigori sake, and some appetizers and dessert and such.
What were you doing paying for your own birthday dinner, though? 😕
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### Author:  [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/19 "2008-11-01T22:09:30Z")
French Laundry a few years ago. 5 people total, tasting menu, and we shared 2 or 3 bottles of wine. Total was just about $1500, or $300 each. It was worth it.
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### Author:  [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/20 "2008-11-01T22:13:23Z")
for special occasions I’ve spent between $300-$500 a number of times. This usually includes some significant amount of wine, champagne, scotches, etc… as well as an amazing meal.
Depends a lot on the number of people in your party. Mine was typically 4 or less.
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