8 Most Expensive Restaurants in the World

Alain Ducasse’s London concept is situated inside The Dorchester in London. The chef’s tasting menu, created by executive chef Jocelyn Herland, consists of seven seasonal courses that include dishes like crayfish velouté and fillet of halibut, Irish sea urchin, and sautéed baby squid. The seasonal tasting menu costs $289 and the current tasting menu runs at about $193 without beverages or wine pairings.

This three-Michelin-star restaurant is run by husband-and-wife team Benoît and Brigitte Violier and has a rich history of showcasing legendary chefs in the region for more than 40 years. Some signature dishes on menus past have included "Scarlet" tomato, pulp, and pip consommé with Imperial Ossetra caviar, and "Salers" beef grilled with wild pepper, cristallines de charlotte and young fresh salad leaves. The chef’s tasting experience will cost roughly $318 per person but there are also less expensive menu options available.

Ithaa restaurant in the Maldives is located 5 meters (about 16 1/2 feet) below the surface and has 180-degree views of the vibrant coral gardens. The cuisine has a European slant, and is constructed into a six-course tasting menu paired with champagnes. The menu offers items like Malossol Imperial caviar with sour cream and potato blinis, and yellowtail king fish with saffron champagne risotto and beurre blanc foam. The all-inclusive six-course option will cost around $320 per person (plus a 10 percent service charge and 8 percent tax per person), but the restaurant does offer a slightly less expensive four-course lunch tasting menu that costs $125 per person.

For the high-end diner who loves a truly exquisite place, Aragawa in Tokyo is not to be missed. The restaurant highlights purebred Tajima cattle that are raised for more than 28 months in the Sanda region of Hyogo Prefecture, where only animals who meet specific criteria are selected for designation as Sanda beef, according to the restaurant. The prices are astronomical here, and a meal can cost up to $370 per person for the ultimate beef experience.

Maison Pic is a legendary French restaurant in Valence, France, that boasts three Michelin stars. Today, chef Anne-Sophie Pic is crafting the food and menus just as her father, Jacques Pic, did before her, and her grandfather, André Pic, before that. (All three Pics achieved three Michelin stars during their tenure.) For the most decadent experience at the restaurant, guests can choose the Collection Pic menu, which costs roughly $445 per person. Anne-Sophie is known for putting her own twist on classic menu dishes that have been served going back to the 1930s.

Located in the Time Warner Center in the heart of New York City, Masa is one of the most luxe dining experiences you can have in the Big Apple. Run by chef Masa Takayama, who was born in Tochigi, Japan, the three-Michelin-star restaurant only offers a tasting menu. It costs close to $450 per person before beverages, gratuity, or tax, for the ultimate Japanese experience. To even cancel a reservation could cost you $200 per person.

Famed chef Alain Ducasse makes our top 10 list twice this year. At Le Meurice in Paris, he knows how to put together a costly menu. His collection menu at Le Meurice costs a cool $509 U.S. (€380) per person for dinner, and his lunch menu will cost you $174 (€130), and those prices are before beverages, tax, and tip. While the food is outstanding, the ambience is arguably just as fantastic, as it was inspired by the Salon de la Paix at the Château de Versailles.

One of the priciest dining experiences in Japan is at Kitcho, a beautifully designed restaurant run by award-winning chef Kunio Tokuoka. The chef believes every dish that is served to his customers is a work of art and represents the sights and smells of Japanese culture. A meal at this high-end establishment will run close to $600 per person, but it's worth every penny, according to the chef.

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