The World's Most Expensive Restaurants

A new list from Zagat Survey calls London the most expensive city in the world in which to eat. But it has lots of company

The world has no shortage of big-ticket restaurants, and even if you've never set foot in one, you likely could rattle off those cities with the highest concentration of them: London, Tokyo, Paris, Vancouver—yes, Vancouver. Average per-person tabs in British Columbia's largest city might run $39, paltry compared with those in Osaka, Kobe, or Kyoto, where restaurant meals cost an average of $65, according to Zagat Survey. But the Canadian city rivals New York ($39) for the title of priciest dining capital in North America. And meals in Montreal cost an average of $1.71 more than in Los Angeles. Surprised? Click on for a look at some of the poshest eateries in the cities ranked by Zagat as the most expensive in the world to dine. All prices are per person.

Dining Prices Fit for a Queen

London's restaurants have become the most expensive in the world, outdoing Tokyo and Paris—and blowing past New York and L.A.

London has laid claim to the world's most expensive sandwich—Japanese Wagyu beef on sourdough for $172 at Selfridges—and the costliest single-ticket subway fare ($8), so perhaps it comes as no surprise that the British capital has now overtaken Tokyo as the world's most expensive city for dining out.

According to Zagat Survey, the revered guidebook publisher that ranks restaurants in 79 cities around the world based on diners' input, the average price of an evening meal in London has risen nearly 3% in the past year, topping $78 per person. Just behind the front-runner are Tokyo and Paris, where a meal will set you back $73 and $72, respectively.

"I always thought of Tokyo as being more expensive than anything in Europe," says Tim Zagat, publisher of the guides. Indeed, the Japanese capital ranked No. 1 last year, followed by London. And Tokyo still lays claim to one dubious distinction: The average price per person at its 20 most expensive restaurants handily outpaces London's, clocking in at an eye-popping $215, vs. $177 in the British capital. Paris' 20 most expensive restaurants fall in the middle, with an average tab of $205.

What about other European capitals, such as Rome, Stockholm, and notoriously expensive Moscow, which boasts the world's highest cost of living, according to Mercer Consulting (MMC)? Other than for London and Paris, Zagat does not calculate numerical averages for meal prices. Instead, it classifies restaurants on a four-point scale: inexpensive, moderate, expensive, and very expensive. By these rankings, London and Paris aren't the only places where you can drop serious cash for a good meal.

The Political Elite

By comparison, dining out in the U.S. seems cheap. New York averages more than $39 per person, up nearly $2 from last year, followed by Palm Beach ($38.56), Las Vegas, ($38.38) and the San Francisco Bay Area ($37.07).

Apparently, the political elite fork over $1.40 more per meal on average in the nation's capital than A-listers in Tinseltown: Washington ($34.69) sits proudly at No. 6 in the U.S. between Fort Lauderdale ($34.85) and Miami ($34.41). Chicago ($33.75) and Dallas ($33.36) come next in line, while Los Angeles rounds out the top 10 with an average tab of $33.29, some 10 cents less than the national average.

Americans thinking of crossing the northern border for a bargain might think twice. The average cost of a meal in Vancouver ($39) is just 3 cents less than the going rate in all of Long Island, and diners shell out more in Montreal ($35) than they do in Miami.

Zagat determines the rankings by asking restaurant-goers to estimate how much they pay for a meal with one drink. For the London figures, more than 5,300 Londoners shared their experiences of 705,000 restaurant meals they had in the past year at 1,119 establishments. The survey found that Londoners eat out on average 2.5 times per week, less often than residents of Tokyo (3.6), Paris (2.9), and New York (3.4).


London
Gordon Ramsay



The $224 seven-course dinner is the most expensive meal in town—and that's before factoring in drinks and the 12.5% gratuity. Samplings include roasted foie gras with white asparagus, pan-fried scallops with octopus and parmesan sauce, and roasted duck breast with rutabaga and honey. To cut costs, opt for the $173 three-course dinner, or, better yet, the $82 lunch.


Tokyo
Beige



Alain Ducasse's glamorous outpost on the top floor of the Chanel building in Tokyo's ritzy Ginza neighborhood serves up French cuisine with seasonal Japanese ingredients. Go to town with the $259 cep and matsutake mushroom menu, or be prudent and opt for the three- and four-course dinners—priced at $147 and $190, respectively. At the meal's end, diners receive chocolates in the shape of Chanel buttons.


Paris
Le Pre Catalan



Dishes start at $85, and desserts at $43, at this lavish restaurant in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the western edge of Paris. For $255 including tax and service, diners can enjoy a seven-course meal including prawn ravioli in olive oil broth, veal paired with cinnamon-scented celery purée, and coffee with zabaglione and whipped ganache. Le Pré Catalan offers a five-course bargain during summer for $199 a pop.


Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto
Misoguigawa



"French food: It can be eaten with chopsticks," declares the Web site of this understated restaurant in a former teahouse in central Kyoto that has been serving French fare kaiseki style since 1981. The eight-course seasonal menu costs $162 with tax. Recent dishes have included mushroom consommé served inside a flaky pastry, vegetable and prawn mille-feuille, and filet of Wagyu beef. A more luxurious version costs $270 with tax and must be ordered at least five days in advance.


New York
Masa



Sushi-philes don't just flock here for a meal, they come for an experience. The restaurant advises diners to dress comfortably and to allot three hours for chef Masa Takayama's multicourse extravaganzas. The mood is so mellow and the food so divine that by the time the bill comes, you may be feeling too Zen to notice the $350 tab. For a real treat, splurge on a $400 carafe of rare Kikuhime sake or a $1,500 bottle of 1995 Château Margaux Bordeaux.


Vancouver
C



The $130 10-course tasting menu at this fish lover's paradise includes tuna tartare, smoked salmon, lavender-cured halibut, crab risotto, crispy trout, and, for die-hard carnivores, beef tenderloin. Tack on $70 for wine pairings, or choose the six-course version for $98. The decor includes two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows and a boulder from a local quarry that serves as the reception desk.


Palm Beach, Fla.
L'Escalier



This opulent restaurant at The Breakers hotel is the most chichi dining establishment in Palm Beach. The $95, "Sea and Mountain" five-course tasting menu includes fire-roasted baby octopus, rare blue fin tuna, and crispy striped bass. Tack on another $65 if you spring for the sommelier's wine pairing.


Las Vegas
Joel Robuchon



French chef extraordinaire Joël Robuchon opened his only two outposts in the U.S. in 2005 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. If you win big, why not shell out $360 at his eponymous restaurant for a 16-course tasting menu including sea urchin, coffee-flavored potato purée, and grilled Kobe beef? The $225 six-course menu includes veal chops, sea bass, and celeriac custard topped with truffle cream.


San Francisco Bay Area
The French Laundry



This Napa Valley culinary institution accepts reservations two months in advance, but it's well worth the wait according to the venerated Michelin Guide, which awarded the place three stars. Diners choose between the chef's nine-course tasting menu and a vegetarian version—both at $240 including gratuity—that change on a daily basis. Recent dishes include New Zealand venison with pomegranate kernels and French toast with hazelnut butter.


Montreal
Toque!



This lighthearted eatery in Old Montreal presents the best of Québecois ingredients: duck foie gras, meats, vegetables, and seafood. Try the roasted guinea fowl ($44), leg of suckling pig ($41), and the warm foie gras "à la Toqué!" ($26), or shell out $92 (or $147 with wine) for the seven-course seasonal menu. The presentations often outshine the bejeweled diners


Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Darrel & Oliver's Cafe Maxx



This restaurant was the first in Broward County to boast an open kitchen when it opened in 1984. But fish fans and meat lovers don't flock here for the decor. Try the balsamic glazed 12-ounce veal chop ($46) with horseradish roasted potatoes, spinach, and roma tomatoes, braised veal osso buco ($46) with saffron aroncinis and rosemary pecorino, and the Chilean sea bass ($40) with golden beet saffron puree, baby carrots, toasted orzo, and crispy leeks. Chef Oliver Saucy also teaches cooking classes here every month.


Washington, D.C.
Le Paradou



Chef Yannick Cam loves to cook fish and seafood at this French eatery, and diners can't seem to get enough of the roasted Maine lobster with ginger and grapefruit zest ($39). The tasting menus—$120 for six courses, $150 for nine, and $230 for the white truffle menu—change almost nightly depending on the season and Cam's whim. The $32 prix fixe lunch is practically a steal.


Miami
The Forge Restaurant



The Forge is known for its steaks, and the 33-ounce "Kobe Style Wagyu Tomahawk Cowboy Steak" may be worth every penny of the $98 diners fork over for it. The five dining rooms boast artwork and antiques dating as far back as the 17th century, and the 20-foot ceilings of the main salon support a crystal chandelier the size of a sports car. The wine cellar contains 300,000 vintages, including a 1792 Madeira and an 1822 Château Lafite Rothschild; the latter is valued at $150,000.