Would you / have you ever spent £300 (or more) on a single meal? Was it worth it?

[workwoes123]

DH wants us to go for a once-in-a-lifetime meal. We’re in France, one of the top chefs in the world has several restaurants here. His flagship restaurant offer a menu which is €310, not including wine. So we’d be looking at around €700 at least for the two of us. For one meal. Even the children menu is €75.

I can appreciate good food, lovely surroundings, excellent service. But at that price? Even if we could afford it without blinking, I just don’t think I could justify it. Maybe I am being too tight though?

My husband used to do a fair bit of client entertainment as part of his job (about 15 years ago.) Since we are both foodies/chefs his employer would suggest maybe we could try places and see if they were good enough to take prospective clients there.

I don't remember exact prices but I do remember one very posh place being completely overrated, quite stuffy and the waiter looked down his nose at us. We all agreed we'd have much rather gone for pizza at our favourite Italian multiple time for the money we'd spent.

I have and wouldn't recommend it. A bit too fancy, too much food which made me feel uncomfortable and then regret at spending so much.

Personally, even if I had all the money in the world, I still would not choose to spend that amount of money on food, no matter how good the restaurant/chef was. Appreciate that people do though for the experience.

DH and I spent about £500 at L'Enclume in Cartmel last summer. That was for the tasting menu and three glasses of wine each. It was definitely worth it!

We do this every few months. It's definitely our thing and we've been doing it as a couple for nearly twenty years.

Other than Dinner in Knightsbridge (which felt like HB's attempt to fleece the Russians) we've never been disappointed. These meals are so much more than an opportunity to fill your stomach, they should be an adventure and something you remember forever. The last one we went to was like a geography / science / history lesson and others are more like theatre. If you consider them as a day out the cost becomes more reasonable.

This year we started taking DS, but we pick the restaurant very carefully, so he can understand and appreciate it. We don't buy him the wine either

DH and I have and it was worth it (for us) and we would again if we had the money. But great food and restaurants is one of our things and something we are very happy to spend money on.

A lot of the top restaurants are nudging that sort of money now if you do the tasting menu, plus wine 'flight', plus service.

We’ve been to a few places in the uk with Michelin stars and it’s a completely different eating experience than a normal restaurant. Its incredible how you are treated. The staff are so attentive. That said we went to san sebastian recently and there are loads of michelin star restaurants and the prices are soooo much cheaper than the uk but the experience is the same if not better as its not as poncy.

No, but I am not a foodie.
DH is a bit of a foodie, but too tight to spend that much.
I would rather spend the money elsewhere, but if eating out is your thing, go for it.

If you came on here saying you really wanted to and it would be a dream come true and you'd go without a weekend away / holiday to do it, then I'd say go for it. But it sounds like you don't even want to go all that much, which means if you go you'll be looking for reasons why it was a mistake, and if you don't like the food or the wine or whatever there's every chance you'll regret it (and perhaps even be a bit resentful)

€310 per person sounds a lot excluding excluding wine. You'll surely be adding another €200/€250 for paired wine

If you can afford it and want the experience go for it. I'd be having a good look at the menu first

In our youff we went to nice places all the time. We don't drink so that helps the overall cost. Typically would pay £200-225 for 2 ppl. Would def not shell out 750 for a meal.

@PosiePerkinPootleFlump

Yes I have. Not with kids in tow though! I love cooking and love eating amazing food. Yes it is a lot to spend on one meal, but I know a fair few people who spend £30-40 on takeaway a week but would never spend that on one meal.... I'd much rather never have take away and save up for an amazing meal instead.

That's exactly how I feel. We never have takeaways. Maybe once a year. But we go to a good restaurant a few times a year. I know loads of people who think that's extravagant, yet will eat takeaways twice a week.

I haven't, because I can think of many other things to do with that amount of money that I would enjoy more.

But if I were rich I would spend that much on a meal occasionally. I once went to a wedding reception at an excellent restaurant which cost £500 a head. It was very pleasant and not at all what I'd expected.

I have before and would again but then I really enjoy food and it’s easily affordable.

I couldn’t. I don’t think the pleasure factor would be any greater than if I’d spent a normal amount on a meal. We’ve been asked to go to meals like this with friends for special occasions and we’ve always said no. Depends what floats your boat I guess but to me the pay off isn’t worth it. I can’t really talk/think about a meal in the same way I could the theatre for example.

I would like to try it once to see if it really is that amazing or if it is all about the presentation.

I used to go to quite a lot of fairly expensive restaurants when entertaining clients and they weren't all that. Just the presentation was different.

Any vegetarians on this thread may be interested in visiting L’Arpege in Paris. Worth every penny and quite possibly the most amazing restaurant I have ever visited.

Yes I have. Around that kind of price point and it’s not something we do often but also not “once in a lifetime” either. Maybe once every 5 years or so.

I remember some meals so well. They were just such happy occasions and meant so much to us. I know some people do it far more frequently but I wouldn’t want to and not be able to remember them so well.

I wouldn't even if I could afford to do it with out thinking about the money. Food just isn't worth that to me. I also don't think I'd particularly enjoy the kind of food you'd get at somewhere that charges that much anyway.

I have. Yes, it was worth it. It's entertainment though, new experiences. Exploring food. Those moments when you taste something and go "Ohhhhhh! This is AMAZING!" And you wonder how those pieces of food combine to make that incredible mouthful. You get that throughout a tasting menu. I don't experience that very often when going out to eat.

A question - are tasting menus filling? I know that they are several courses but are they typically several decent sized courses or 7 amuse bouche sized courses?

I have a big appetite and always worry about paying ~£200 to leave half hungry.

@Worldgonecrazy

Any vegetarians on this thread may be interested in visiting L’Arpege in Paris. Worth every penny and quite possibly the most amazing restaurant I have ever visited.

I'd also recommend Mana in Manchester (1 Michelin star). DH really enjoyed the vegetarian tasting menu.

And yes, you do feel full despite many of the courses only being a mouthful.

Went to a local restaurant last year which has since got a Michelin star, was £170 including the wine pairing. It was such an experience, incredible food that I would never have tried otherwise, and the sommelier was so enthusiastic and lovely. Definitely worth it for the experience although obviously not a regular thing! If you can afford it, go for it!

We've done this a handful of times. One the night after we got engaged (DH was going to propose, but the hypothetical question about marriage turned real question happened the night before). One stunning meal a year later on our honeymoon.

It was pre-kids and nearly 20 years ago when I had more disposable income. I'm glad we did, the food was perfect (though I agree with the poster about diminishing returns - I've had great food in nice hotels etc for less - though still £100+ before wine).

I would do it again, but would have to choose to spend the money on food for two rather than save towards a family-holiday-of-magnificence (probably Disney Florida type of thing). Or specialist private speech therapy for DD2 who's one assessment away from being diagnosed with a rare-ish language processing disorder. We have savings gently building towards something but it's half a 'rainy-day' fund with everything going on. I wouldn't take from it for a meal at the moment.

If you have the money to spare - and still have spare money after for everything you need, then I'd go for it.

We’ve done it a few times - if you can afford it and are comfortable doing so it’s amazing and worth it, if you’re going to be wincing about it for weeks afterwards then it’s not worth it.