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atreides4242 t1_ixcqvti wrote

What is the average cost of a meal at one of these restaurants?

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Metalytiq OP t1_ixctr80 wrote

That would be an interesting data element for us to factor in. Thanks for the idea!

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Greedy-Knowledge6043 t1_ixd1g2o wrote

Never dined at one, but last I checked it's roughly $200-$300 per head. Could be significantly more depending on the place.

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sveme t1_ixd7tzh wrote

The Tantris in Munich, which is a world-famous 2-star restaurant, has an offer with eight dishes costing 325€ per person (without wine). If you want to get the wine as well, that's another 185€.

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InsuranceToTheRescue t1_ixd4u7k wrote

I will never have the money for it, but it's been on my bucket list to have dinner at a 3 starred restaurant. Closest I've got is going to a Ruth's Chris Steak House. Sure it's on the fancier side, but it's still a chain.

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iamamuttonhead t1_ixdeu8n wrote

The "fancy" part is not nearly as important as the "food" part. You likely could go to a restaurant with more interesting food for less money than you spent at Ruth's Chris Steak House.

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DeadFyre t1_ixdw15t wrote

Speaking as someone who's been to a few Michelin star places, as well as more that aspire to be, while they're definitely an extravagant exerise, you on no account need to visit one of these venues for great food. The places which get michelin stars are as much about presentation and service as it is about the food. Make no mistake, the food is good, even great, but you can get great food for less.

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AndyVale t1_ixf4n6w wrote

Their official criteria are:

  • Quality of ingredients
  • Mastery of flavours & techniques
  • The personality of the chef in their cuisine
  • Value for money**
  • Consistency between visits

But yeah, the service and 'experience' are generally at a high level even if they don't directly impact those criteria.

**How can you have value for money when it's so expensive?

A few months back Clare Smyth (Head Chef at Core, a 3* restaurant in London) was on Desert Island Discs, where the topic of fine dining prices was raised.

She is asked about the price of fine dining (£195+ tasting menu at Core). Does she have any qualms about the cost during a cost of living crisis?

Here answer, paraphrased, was "No. We have seats for 54 paying customers, who will be served by 57 members of staff. And those staff are the absolute top of their game. Also, the ingredients we use are the finest too and we pay a fair price for them. It's actually quite good value for money, you would pay double that for a similar experience in Paris."

Now, someone may still sit there and think "not value for me", and that's fine. But when you start exploring all the little things that make a place like that tick you do see how a lot more is needed to keep it going.

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LucasPisaCielo t1_ixeqclu wrote

How would you recommend to find such places?

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AndyVale t1_ixf41cn wrote

Okay, if we're talking sit-down restaurants more than fast food joints I usually do a mix of the following:

  • Travel books (I get one of those little guide books for most major cities I plan to visit)
  • Food blogs, just Google some local ones
  • Searching Instagram hashtags
  • TripAdvisor

If I'm seeing a place getting good reviews on all the above, and it sounds up my street, then I'd give it a go.

I'd also say that the Michelin Guide does have cheaper options than 3*

A 1* meal may still be the best meal you've had in your life, made by some outstanding chefs. Unlikely to be CHEAP, but in my experience they're cheaper than 3* ones. For example, the tasting menu at the 1* I went to this evening was about £140, while the one at the 2* place I nearly went to comes to about £320.

They also have non-starred restaurants in the Michelin guide too. Again, these are usually still very good. They tend to be a tad less extravagant, the experience might not be as polished, but I've rarely been let down. For clarity, I've been to a couple over the last few days and the price has come to about £50-90 a head, easily could have done them for less too.

They also have the 'Bib Gourmand' rating, which specifically means you can get a meal for a cheaper price (the threshold varies by area, and it may still be more expensive than a casual chain).

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LucasPisaCielo t1_ixfmef4 wrote

Thank you for all this information. I've found out the travel books sometimes are outdated, but it's a great place to start. I'm going to use your other tips.

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AndyVale t1_ixgkw6a wrote

They can definitely get dated quickly in the restaurant scene. The same as Tripadvisor needs a bit of understanding to really get what you're looking for, the Michelin Guide can be late to the game, and a blog may be one person's individual taste.

But if something's hitting the right notes across a mix of them, you're likely going to be in the right ballpark.

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klaasvaak1214 t1_ixffi2q wrote

I went to a 1 star Michelin restaurant and ordered "Codfish filet au gratin in a soft cream sauce". What I got was a piece of cod in a bowl of milk and cornflakes. Similar to movies that are highly rated by the most discerning critics; they can be great for all people, but are sometimes mostly loved by critics seeking whatever criteria are popular in the communities of critics.

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SailSignificant5812 t1_ixe595q wrote

I would do it on a vacation in a poorer country if possible. Was in one 1 star in Poland and it was really not that expensive I think 50 Euro pp.

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----___--___---- t1_ixfftz5 wrote

Anything from 150€ to 400€ is possible, though 200€ to 250€ is probably the most common price range.

Usually you can pay around 70% of what the food costs extra, to also get selected beverages served with your food (I just grabbed the 70% out of my ass, but it feels right).

If you want a whole bottle of wine or something like that, it can get very expensive very fast.

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BronChalton t1_ixei4jf wrote

I've been to 1 3-starred restaurant. Alinea, in Chicago. Cost me a bit over $400, including gratuity.

It was amazing. The food was delicious, but when I describe it to people I try to paint it more as an experience than a meal. Compared the cost to going to Disneyland rather than eating at a restaurant.

If I had the money I would love to do it again in a few years.

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AndyVale t1_ixf7r8m wrote

Yeah, I sometimes get people saying you could buy 100 Big Macs or whatever for that price when discussing fine dining restaurants, and I don't dispute it.

Sure, if that's your thing then go for it.

But one or two people with minimal training could probably make and serve those Big Macs in brown paper bags in an hour or two. They'll be made with cheap ingredients, they'll be the same as the ones you could buy a few miles further down the road, and they'll do their job of giving you tasty calories with minimal fuss just fine.

A 9-course tasting menu at a 3* place will be designed by one of the best foodie visionaries on the planet, made by a team of highly trained chefs, using the best quality ingredients, creatively presented, expertly paired with independently produced drinks, served with a flourish by the most charming staff in the game, and all in a gorgeous/cool/iconic/historic setting.

As you say, it's a full experience.

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DeadFyre t1_ixdvdzf wrote

For a two-star restaurant, you're looking at an average of $250 per diner for the tasting menu, for a three-star restaurant, $350 per diner for the tasting menu. Beverages are usually separate, with wine pairings, you can definitely get north of $500 per diner.

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mart1t1 t1_ixfvo8c wrote

It’s important to remember that prices changes heavily depending on the country you’re in. I found 2 star star michelin restaurant in France cheaper than the Norton

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Salty-Article3888 t1_ixe6bdv wrote

$85-500. You can get a good starred meal for $125 pretty consistently. The really crazy places are $300-500. But it’s also not a ripoff at the legit places. Food cost is around 25-30%

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Arioxel_ t1_ixgm30b wrote

At least 150$ per head. Few are cheaper, some are way more expensive.

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