The world's most expensive restaurants and what they cost

We reveal some of the priciest places to eat around the world and why dining at them costs so much.

These culinary hotspots will delight your taste buds and empty your wallet. Here's why. The prices quoted don't include drinks or service.

Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland

Nestled in the Swiss Alps, inside an 18th-century castle, six-course tasting menu will set you back around £180 per person but your taste buds will thank you. The dishes include goose liver with zesty goat’s cheese, and ice cream gazpacho.

The French Laundry, California

This stone cottage might not look like much, but if you want to eat here, it’ll take you at least two months to get a booking and you’ll need deep pockets. The reason? The food is so good – chef and food critic Anthony Bourdain called it the best restaurant ever. While the menu changes seasonally, no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the chef’s tasting menu which will set you back $310 (£214). The latest menu includes Alaskan King crab, scallops and lamb.

Solo Per Due, Italy

The world’s smallest restaurant is also one of the priciest. Solo Per Due means “just for two” and that’s exactly who they cater for. Arriving at the eatery, housed in a 19th-century building, guests stroll down a candlelight driveway, sip an aperitif in the garden before settling in front of the fire place for an Italian menu. It costs £193 per person but with no fellow diners, and just the tinkle of a bell to summon your waiter, we reckon it might just be worth it.

Next, Chicago

This place is so special you have to buy a ticket to even get in! Each year chef esteemed Grant Achatz creates new menus taking diners on a culinary tour. The 2016 menus include: “The Alps”, delivering tasty comfort food; the “Tour of South America”, merging South American foods with Asian influences; and “October 28th, 1996”, which pays homage to Achatz’s time at the French Laundry. Ticket prices can cost up to £200 per person.

Eleven Madison Park, New York

Located in the heart of buzzing New York, this restaurant (pictured above) offers a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. But you’d better be prepared to pay for it. Eleven Madison Park’s tasting menu consists of eight to 10 courses for $295 (£204) per guest. The excitement here lies in the unknown, as guests don’t see a menu. Instead they have a conversation about allergies and food preferences with their waiter who then reports back to the kitchen and the chefs tailor the menu just for you.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London

With 23 restaurants in seven countries and 20 Michelin Stars to his name it’s hard to pick which of chef Alain Ducasse’s eateries are the best, but this one is certainly at the top – and it has the price tag to match! The contemporary French restaurant offers a seven-course seasonal tasting menu for £240 per person for dinner. The current “Black Truffle” menu features dishes like seared duck foie gras with Jerusalem artichoke.

Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York

They say good things come in small packages and Brooklyn’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant Chef’s Table certainly proves that. Tucked away at the back of a supermarket, there’s space for just 18 people, who get a front row seat to see acclaimed chef Cesar Ramirez at work. The 15-plus course tasting menu, inspired by Japanese cuisine and French techniques, changes daily and will set you back $306 (£211) per person.

Quay, Sydney

Located in stunning Sydney harbour, this restaurant is a feast for the eyes and taste buds. The eight to nine-course tasting menu complete with premium wine pairings is just £214, which is a bargain compared to some of the other eateries on this list. Some of the dishes you can expect are raw, smoked Wagyu, slow-cooked abalone, roast duck and their famous Snow Egg for dessert.

The Fat Duck, Bray

The Willy Wonka of the cooking world, Heston Blumenthal, recently reopened his famous restaurant after a six-month closure and a £2.5 million renovation. Located in the village of Bray in Berkshire, Blumenthal’s revamped menu features meals influenced by his favourite childhood memories. But they don’t come cheap. 'Tickets' for the four-hour multi-sensory dining experience will set you back £255.

Hôtel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland

This three Michelin-starred restaurant is helmed by husband and wife chefs Benoît and Brigitte Violier. Their decadent French-inspired 11-course menu will set diners back $385 (£266). Dishes, which are presented like works of art, include roast saddle of suckling lamb, a pistou of langoustines and purple sea urchin with a champagne jus.

The Araki, London

Located in the swanky London suburb of Mayfair,  The Araki is where one of the world’s few three Michelin star sushi chefs, Mitsuhiro Araki, can be found. The eatery’s fit out is sleek and simple, allowing the focus to be on the food. With only one menu on offer, guests will need to cough up £300 per person for Araki’s “Omakase” sushi menu. It includes grilled yellowtail and steamed abalone and of course there’s the addition of luxury ingredients like caviar and truffle.

Le Meurice, Paris

With crystal chandeliers and hand-painted ceilings, this Parisian restaurant, another of Alain Ducasse’s creations, positively oozes opulence. And the five-course collection menu lives up to its decadent surroundings. For £294 apiece, patrons can indulge in three main dishes, such as sea bream, caviar and beetroots or poultry, celery and black truffle, along with a selection of cheese and chocolate.

Joël Robuchon, Nevada

You’ll want to win big at the casino to be able to afford a meal at this three Michelin Star eatery located at the MGM hotel in Las Vegas. Here a 16-course degustation menu will set you back around $445 (£308) per person and that doesn’t include your tax, tip or any wine. It offers premium ingredients such as truffles, caviar, lobster and even sea urchin.

Kitcho, Kyoto, Japan

Here you’ll indulge in kaiseki, a traditional, elaborate, multi-course Japanese dinner. But to partake in this age-old experience you’ll need to part with around 54,000 yen (£325). Created by third-generation chef Kunio Tokuoka, you’ll dine on local delicacies like stewed beef tongue and squid and bloody clam sashimi in your own private tatami room.

Masa, New York

Located in Manhattan, Masa holds the title of America’s most expensive restaurant. Specialising in Japanese cuisine, the three Michelin Star eatery recently made headlines when it ditched tipping and hiked up its prices. Now dinner for two will set you back a whopping $650 (£450) per person – that’s more than a MacBook. For your money you’ll get the likes of white truffle ice-cream and ohmi beef.

Ultraviolet, Shanghai

There are two very special features about this restaurant. Firstly there are only 10 seats; second, no one actually knows where the restaurant is. Located somewhere in Shanghai, guests are told to meet at head chef Paul Pairet’s other restaurant before being driven to the top-secret location. The eatery does away with lavish furnishings and instead focuses on the 20-course Avant Garde menu which changes often. A dinner and drink pairing costs around £530.

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