# 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:** 3
### Author:  [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/41 "2008-11-02T04:11:15Z")
Not me, but my brother spent $6,500 in Japan at a business dinner. eta: for 5 people.
Someone mentioned the John Hancock building. I was in Chicago last weekend and spent an hour and a half trapped in an elevator, aiming to have The World Famous Brunch. By the time the Chicago Fire Department rescued me and my 16 elevator-mates, the Brunch was over. And not only that, we had one hell of a time not paying for our parking.
Oh, well, maybe next time.
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### Author:  [@Camelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camelot)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/42 "2008-11-02T04:15:17Z")
I spent about $450 for my SO’s birthday dinner this year, in NYC. There were four of us dining.
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### Author:  [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/43 "2008-11-02T04:24:14Z")
The Boy and I dropped a little over $300 for Valentine’s Day dinner at Sen5es restaurant a couple of years ago - that paid for the 9 course tasting menu, a glass of wine each, and cappuccinos to go with dessert.
Best. Meal. EVER.
We’ll usually do a $200+ meal once or twice a year, usually for a special occasion like our anniversary or if we want to splurge while on vacation… I wouldn’t be surprised if we break the $300 barrier at some point, but we’ll save that for a very very special occasion. 🙂
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### Author:  [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/44 "2008-11-02T08:12:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> Does paying a civil judgement after accidentally breaking a twelve-foot aquarium leading to a major electrical fire count?
That’s a story I wouldn’t mind hearing…
:eek:
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### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/45 "2008-11-02T12:23:43Z")
$1674 for four at Moto in Chicago.
Happy as hell it wasn’t _my_ credit card, but it was worth every bite - starting with a pre-dinner drink called “pancakes and bacon”.
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/46 "2008-11-02T22:25:32Z")
I think the most would have had to have been $250 US for 2 at The Tower in Ediburgh, Scotland. And I think it would have been the conversion rate that made it so expensive.
The Capital Grille in the Chrystler Building is tied for $250 for 2.
$150 for the GF and me is pretty standard. We like eating out a lot.
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### Author:  [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/47 "2008-11-03T00:28:47Z")
Probably $330 for 6 when we took my husband’s family and my sister out to dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant.
My husband and I are not much for eating out at expensive places, especially since it seems like Australia is overpriced compared to the rest of the world - a tasting menu at one of the best restaurants in Melbourne costs $300-700 a head. We mainly eat at hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants and go to $30 a head places for special anniversary meals.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/48 "2008-11-03T13:37:20Z")
In Kobe, Japan, we had Kobe beef at a fixed price menu for (roughly) $300 per person … before alcohol. The first thing they brought out was an _amuse_, a piece of cucumber with some chopped tomato around it, and I was ready to throw a fit at spending that kind of money for such a nothing. Turns out, they didn’t want anything to interfere with the taste of the beef itself, which was indeed fan-fuckin-tastic.
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### Author:  [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/49 "2008-11-03T14:15:01Z")
Last year on my birthday, I spent about $1150 (CDN) for dinner for 4 at Colborne Lane in Toronto. [Here’s a description of what we ate](http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/496055).
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/50 "2008-11-03T14:21:06Z")
I would guess around $200. My husband doesn’t show me the bill anymore because I start getting tense after about $80. I do like to go to the nice places, though…
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### Author:  [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/51 "2008-11-03T14:50:18Z")
I take my family (4) plus my MIL & FIL, my dad and step-mom, grandmother and an aunt or two out every year for a dinner to celebrate Chinese New Years. If I remember right, our bill this year was around $300 including the tip. We order 4-5 appetizers, and a half a dozen main dishes.
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/52 "2008-11-03T18:27:30Z")
$150 including tip for two at a small French seafood place. My husband did the tasting menu, which included sea anenome linguini of all things, but I’m not a big fan of seafood so I just got the pork dish. It’s really boring to watch someone eat the tasting menu. Next time we do something that fancy, I’ll ask him not to do the tasting menu if I’m not interested in it.
It’s a lot more than we usually spend on dinner but it was very, very good and a wonderful experience to have.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/53 "2008-11-03T18:48:11Z")
$608.84, for 15 of us for my 40th. Tip ~25%, some drinks included but not a huge number.
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### Author:  [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/54 "2008-11-03T21:01:24Z")
For 3 dudes at a steak house, $643 with tip.
Several times I’ve spent well over $100 a person for meals and drinks on special occasions. The drinks add up, which leads to more spending. A vicious circle, but delicious, to be sure. 🙂
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/55 "2008-11-03T21:20:04Z")
For those of you who frequent high-end restaurants, do you mind a la carte\*? Emeril’s (the one I mentioned) doesn’t do a la carte, your meal comes with sides. Ruth’s Chris and some others charge extra for sides. I’m sorry, but if I’m spending $45 for a steak, you better damn well drop a baked potato on the plate too.
To me, a restaurant meal comes with sides, maybe a soup or salad before and a veggie on the side. Maybe I’m just too gauche for words, but I don’t see the charm in ordering a la carte, especially at high-end restaurants. It seems cheap to me, on the part of the restaurant.
\*I think I’m using the term right. I’m referring to those restaurants that charge you for the meat, then charge you another fee for a baked potato and \*another \*fee if you want veggies or a salad.
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/56 "2008-11-03T21:29:46Z")
**Ivylass** , at the highest end restaurants I’ve been to (e.g., Chez Panisse, Charle Trotter’s, Turtle Creek Inn), unless you are doing a tasting menu, every entree will come with “sides.” That is, the chef will have designed an overall plate of food that might include 3 or 4 dishes that make up an inviting whole. Each one will be different, though.
My most expensive meal was probably a recreation of Babette’s feast, including comparable wines, at Zola’s in San Francisco back when the movie first came out. I have no idea how much it cost all of us (there were 6 in the party) but I have no doubt that I’ve never eaten a more costly meal.
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### Author:  [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/57 "2008-11-03T21:35:24Z")
My parents took me out to celebrate my college graduation. We ate at a restaurant on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh that overlooked the city. It was really gorgeous. There were five of us there, and the bill came to about $250. My dad tipped the server $50 on top of that.
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### Author:  [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/58 "2008-11-03T21:37:02Z")
> [@Iggins](#):
>
> For 3 dudes at a steak house, $643 with tip.
I’m a huge steak fan. Can I ask what restaurant this was so I can check out the website?
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### Author:  [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/59 "2008-11-03T21:47:03Z")
I went to [Tetsuya](http://www.tetsuyas.com/index.html)’s with my fella for a special occasion - we got out (including tip) for $510. IT was an amazing dining experience, but we wouldn’t (and can’t financially!!) make it a habit.
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-youve-spent-at-a-restaurant-on-one-visit/470626/60 "2008-11-03T21:48:58Z")
Eight years ago, after getting one fantastic bonus, I took a bunch of my family and some of their friends (my mom was in town with 3 people from her bridge group) to a local Italian Restaurant and told everybody to order whatever they wanted.
We kept the wine coming.
There were a total of 13 of us total.
The bill came to $345 and I paid out $425 with the tip. It was one of the best times I ever had at a restaurant.
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