While Michelin-starred meals can cost as little as $1.50 a plate, most restaurants that have won prestigious awards charge much higher fees.
Many cost $300 to $400 for a meal, but some demand even more.
To find the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants, cooking website Chef’s Pencil researched dinner tasting menus at more than 450 restaurants around the world, according to its website.
Top 10
According to Chef’s Pencil, 10 most expensive restaurants * received a Michelin star – or be directed by a chef who has – We:
1. Sublimation, Ibiza, Spain – $1,740
2. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China – $1,422
3. Kitcho Arashiyama Honten, Kyoto, Japan – $910
4. Azabu Kadowaki, Tokyo, Japan – $825
5. Masa, New York City, USA – $800
6. (Tie) Joel Robuchon, Tokyo, Japan – $637
6. (Tie) Kikunoi Honten, Kyoto, Japan – $637
6. (Ties) Gion Maruyama, Kyoto, Japan – $637
9. Savoy guy, Paris, France – $615
10. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy – $580
* Per person, usually excluding beverages and service charges.
Japan is the only country to appear more than once on this list, and its restaurants – located in Kyoto and Tokyo – make up half of the 10 spots. It’s worth noting, however, that Tokyo-based Joel Robuchon, which comes in at number 6 on the list, serves French fare.
The only US restaurant to make the top 10, Masa, is also a Japanese restaurant.
Japan is home to the highest number of Michelin restaurants per capita in the world, with Tokyo having more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, by Chef’s Pencil.
Why Japanese restaurants can be so expensive
Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who is known by millions as the star of the cooking TV shows “Iron Chef” and “American Iron Chef”, said there are reasons why many Japanese restaurants are so expensive.
“Japanese restaurants source seasonal fish from all over the world, which increases the cost of the ingredients,” he said. “There are also appropriate transportation and storage costs for these ingredients, as fresh seafood has a short shelf life.”
Chef Masaharu Morimoto has 15 restaurants around the world, from Tokyo to New York City.
Dave Kotinsky | Getty Images Entertainment | beautiful pictures
Morimoto says the “skills that a chef has – precision and artistry in preparing and serving dishes” are other factors.
Japanese restaurants can be quite small, with diners receiving individual attention from the chef.
“Restaurants with limited seating often strive to provide an intimate and meaningful dining experience for their guests,” said Mr. Morimoto. “Many notable sushi restaurants have up to eight seats – no servers or additional staff.”
A chef prepares sushi at a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan.
BEHROUZ MEHRI | AFP | beautiful pictures
Many meals at high-end Japanese restaurants are served omakase-style, where chefs choose what to serve. That allows the chefs to prepare “an adventure like no other” for “an unforgettable multi-course dining experience with the freshest fish and many other special ingredients reserved.” for this truly unique meal,” Morimoto said.
Most expensive meal by country
Despite dominating the list of the most expensive restaurants, overall Japan may not be the most expensive country for those looking for a top Michelin star experience.
ONE Chef’s Pencil’s own analysis published in September analyzed the prices of the most expensive tasting menus at two- and three-Michelin-starred restaurants.
Japan is fourth on that list.
Denmark is home to Noma, the world’s No. 1 restaurant by 2021, according to the world’s 50 best restaurants.
THIBAULT SAVARY | AFP | beautiful pictures
Denmark is the most expensive country to dine in at a top Michelin-starred restaurant, with tasting menus averaging $404 per person. Restaurants in Singapore average $364 and in Sweden $327.
According to the report, the average cost to dine at a two or three Michelin star restaurant in Japan is $322.
A meal for $1,740?
While Japanese restaurants are usually simple, the most expensive restaurant on Chef Pencil’s list of restaurants is just the opposite.
Located on the Spanish island of Ibiza, Sublimotion is the world’s first “food show”, says founder Eduardo Gonzales.
Part of a 20-course meal at Ibiza’s Sublimotion restaurant.
Courtesy of Sublimotion
Its most expensive tasting menu costs $1,740 per person for a 20-course meal. Seating 12 at a time, the restaurant uses virtual reality and special effects to add sound and light elements to the meal, he added.
In addition to the chefs, a team of engineers, magicians, screenwriters and composers have worked together “for over 10 years with the aim of maximizing the pleasure of sitting at the table,” Gonzales said. .
The restaurant opened in 2014, and is run by Michelin-starred Chef Paco Roncero, although it has yet to receive a single star.
