To go to an extremely expensive restaurant

[Fantaorage]

My adult DC and I both have big birthdays coming up and are foodies. We're not wealthy by any means, and we're far from posh / sophisticated / dressy up. I'm wondering whether to blow around £500 on a meal for 2 in a local 2 Star Michelin restaurant. We eat out reasonably often, but I don't think I've ever spent more than £40 per person before, and I usually spend half that. Neither of us are keen on wine, so we'd probably just go for water and not increase the bill that way. The £500 would just be food and tip for 2 people, with a sampling menu. I'm wondering how many of you have done that and whether you think it would be worth the cost for a once in a lifetime meal at a top restaurant, or whether we're likely to feel self-conscious among posher fellow diners and obsequious waiters, and to regret spending so much money!

You should definitely do it. I understand the hesitation about spending a lot of money on a treat for yourself (and DC). But think about it like this- if, God forbid, something happened to you or your DC, would either of you be thinking ‘I’m glad we didn’t spend that money on a wonderful treat together’? I very much doubt it, you’d more likely be kicking yourself that you didn’t. Enjoy!

I went for the taster menus. That way you get to try several different dishes (in smallish portions), including dessert (and maybe wine but I’m not much of a drinker so don’t remember).

Edit: Actually called Tasting Menu

DH and I went to a Michelin-starred restaurant that had just got its second star for our fifteenth wedding anniversary - it was amazing, so worth it.

The food really was another level - I doubt we'll taste anything so good again, really worth it as a special occasion.

We're not posh - I was wearing a jumper from TK Maxx and black jeans from Sainsbury 😅

I'd rather have one fabulous memorable meal a year than several mediocre/ satisfactory meals.

Whereas others love a cheap deal every weekend.

Here's another "go for it" vote.

Hi my colleague ate at a Grodon Ramsey for lunch a few years back.
A tasty meal but he stopped at the next Maccy D for a burger as the lunch portions were SO small he was still hungry.

Partner and I stopped buying presents for each other for Christmas and Birthdays as we would rather do this.

I’ve been to many expensive (and M*) restaurants and honestly the only dish I have ever raved about cost 12€ at an ordinary place in Italy. It was insanely good! But I still think a trip to a fancy restaurant is worth it for the experience of trying very high level fine dining once in your lifetime.

Do it!!!!

Do it. For my partners 50th birthday we went to a restaurant I needed to book a year in advance. We could have gone abroad for a week for what the meal, wine and one nights room cost, but it was absolutely amazing and worth every penny. It's not like we do it every year (we'll probably never do it again!).

I'd definitely second the lunch menu option. It's really fun to have a long leisurely lunch

We did this, L’Enclume in the Lake District on honeymoon. 16 course tasting with a few soft drinks/beers. Amazing experience, really special memory and got to meet the chefs too!

I love a tasting menu! But I have also enjoyed lunch menus with limited choices. I have never regretted a very expensive meal out. I have regretted many mid priced meals at chain restaurants that felt cheap mind you.

I’ve been to L’ortolan. Think it may have closed down now. Can’t remember what I ate or thought about it though as it must have been about 25 year’s ago (I’m sure it must have been before my eldest was born). I like the taster menus as I prefer to eat little bits of everything.

I went for a very lovely New Year’s Eve 4 course job complete with 3 paired excellent glasses of wine in Stockholm - definitely Michelin standard for £115 each - so to me that seems drastic- I’ve been to a few posh Michelin tasting menus type things and I’m a bit meh about them - lovely experience but was always pretty hungry afterwards- so I would pick carefully - I’ve often found some of the best places we’re not Michelin but were swanky places, just at the much higher end of ‘normal ‘ prices - and get 3 decent courses-

my favourite is a funky one in Amsterdam where it’s a 50 euro set with 3 ample courses and a couple of amuse bouches , tiny place, about 12 tables

A friend took me to Tommy Banks’ Black Swan in Oldstead and it was UNBELIEVABLE. Have a look at some menus and see which feel more like you. It’s a great thing to do!

Go for it... if you like the type of food they produce.

I've been to a few "expensive" restauants, and all have been amazing, but not all have felt worth it. That has nothing to do with the quality of their food, but entirely to do with how much I personally can appreciate that food.

E.g. a few years ago I went to two quite expensive Japanese restaurants. One was your small individual tasting style menu, where we tried loads of small dishes. It was all delicious, but not really my style of eating, and while delicious I ended up just thinking that I could have had 4 of one, and none of another 3 and been much more happy...

The other Japanese restaurant was teppanyaki style, and while very expansive, is still one of the most glorious eating experiences I've ever had. The chef was amazing, the whole experience was exciting, and every dish was plentiful and delicious, especially the steak - which was the best I've eaten.

Anyway, my point is that posh and expensive restaurants are very varied and they aren't all perfect "for you" just because of the price, so if you are going to spend a lot for a treat, just make sure the type of meal is the type that will leave you satisfied and feeling justified in your spend.

We are not wealthy or posh, but we have been fortunate to have had dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road restaurant. Absolutely amazing experience.
We also celebrate our wedding anniversaries at “posh” or Michelin starred restaurants. Yes it’s expensive but we work hard & have a savings pot to cover the cost.
I actually prefer to order from the à la carte menu as I often feel the tasting menu is just what’s not popular on the main menu (the final straw for me was being served a rubbery pigs ear for a starter 🤢).
Lunch is a good option to keep costs down & if you don’t want wine, a cocktail is a great alternative.

This was the lovely one we like in Amsterdam if anyone goes there - run by a lovely Irish lady called susie - great service too , all feels very personal, they stand and tell you (in a non pretentious friendly way ) about the dishes , totally cater to any ‘dietary variances’ etc - obviously most trip advisor reviwers loved it as much as me .

https://share.google/EQn8cFe7JbNLljRJo

Aww just do it OP, you know you want to. Come back and tell us what you had 😁

Yep go for it! We've done a few over the years and never had a bad experience.

Not sure whereabouts you are but all the following I can highly recommend:

Mana - Manchester
The Hand and Flowers in Marlow (Tom Kerridge's pub),
The Hinds Head in Bray (Heston Blumental)
Forest Side - Lake District
L'Enclume - Cartmel / Lake District
Moor Hall - Aughton

(Edited as I've read that you already know where you're going as it's local to you. But I can vouch for the above too!)

Yes! It’s once in a lifetime and you will remember the experience so it’s worth the cost!

I'm very tempted now. We actually have the choice of two 2 star Michelin restaurants within a reasonable distance of us. Both are obviously highly recommended by Michelin. Both have fantastic reviews online, though one is slightly ahead of the other. One offers classical French cuisine (sounds delicious and I know I like French cuisine). The other sounds more experimental, with dishes invented by the fantastic chef, but all the reviews say that the food is amazing. I'm sure we'd enjoy it, but arguably we might enjoy the classical French one more as the food would taste more familiar. On the other hand, trying something new and unique is exciting. We'd probably go for the tasting menus, to sample as many different dishes as we can, but we should probably consider a la carte too, with each of us picking different dishes. A la carte would be less expensive. I'd say that one restaurant is likely to have a better ambiance than the other, but I think the food has to be the big priority.

Why are people suggesting that you can’t go to Michelin starred restaurants if you went to comprehensive school????

Do it. If nothing else, it's a memory - sure, the money might be handy spent elsewhere, but this will probably be something you remember for many years to come.

My other half splurged on a night at The Hand and Flowers for my birthday one year, and it was spectacular. Astonishingly, the bill actually came to less than £200 for three courses each and drinks, but I have to say...I've never eaten anything quite that good, and the atmosphere was a lot less...Michelin...than I expected (and it's a lot more autistic-friendly than most, which I appreciated - no standing on ceremony, quiet-but-not-dead atmosphere and no bright lights).

If anyone ever gets a chance to go there, I'd highly recommend it.

DH and I have been to a few starred places over the years and we love a tasting menu so I'd definitely say go for it!
I'd go for the more experimental option personally, I'd find it more interesting to try different combinations