One of the best ways for foodies to truly experience the world's best restaurants is by ordering a multi-course tasting menu.
But these carefully crafted and elaborate meals can easily cost upwards of $150 a head, not including wine, tax, or gratuity.
And that's a modest estimate. Most of the 26 restaurants on this list blow that cost out of the water, with prices ranging from $200 to over $600 per person.
These are the 25 most expensive tasting menus we could find, but if you know of another, tell us in the comments!
NOTE: We calculated the cost of a meal for two people, and included the price of a wine pairing where applicable. Unless otherwise indicated, the listed cost does not include gratuity or tax. Foreign prices were converted at today's conversion rates.
23. (TIE) The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.
$450 for two people; 9-10 courses (wine pairing additional $225 per person)
And you thought bespoke was just for clothes. The Restaurant at Meadowood caters to every guest's individual preferences so that the tasting menu perfectly reflects your tastes.
And even though the dishes may vary from night to night (or customer to customer), they are all guaranteed to be presented and cooked by chef Christopher Kostow and his team with impeccable attention to detail.
23. (TIE) Minibar by José Andrés, Washington, DC
$450 for two people; 25+ courses (wine pairings range from $75-$200 per person)
With over 20 courses, one might think the tasting menu at José Andrés's Minibar could get boring. But dishes like sweet BBQ eel cocooned in peppery cotton candy or "dragon's breath" frozen popcorn that causes steam to come out of the diner's mouth keeps things different and exciting.
And the finale dessert is worth waiting for — coconut milk ice cream, frozen peanut powder, and lemongrass-tamarind gelee.
23. (TIE) Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn, N.Y.
$450 for two people; 20+ courses
No jeans, sneakers, flip-flops, shorts, or short sleeved shirts are permitted at Brooklyn Fare, Brooklyn's only three Michelin-starred restaurant.
But the 18-seat space is worth the dress code with its 20+ elaborate, bite-sized courses of fresh seafood made and garnished right in front of you by Chef Cesar Ramirez and his team.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider