While the super rich can blow crazy amounts of cash on dinner without a second thought, for most of us, a slap-up meal in a fancy restaurant is a luxurious treat reserved for a special occasion.
Sure, we might never be able to afford that kind of fine dining, but we can still marvel and gawp at the extravagance. Here’s a list of the most outrageously priced dishes we could find from around the world, starting from the least expensive to the absolutely obscene.
While most of us may never have the opportunity to sample any of the dishes on this list, we hope it will give you a little taste of the finer things in life. Personally, we’re happy to stick to an M&S meal deal.
1. Dragon Dog – £80
Dougie Dog, Vancouver, Canada
Starting us off with the (unbelievably) cheapest item on our list is Vancouver based Dougie Dog, and their decadent creation, the Dragon Dog.
No ordinary hotdog, this bratwurst is marinated with luxurious hundred-year-aged Louis XIII cognac. It’s then topped with tender Kobe beef strips, seared in truffle oil, along with some of the finest and freshest lobster Canada has to offer.
2. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Soup – £108
Kai Mayfair, London, England
This high-end soup is steeped in history, leading back to China’s Qing dynasty. The shark fin soup is a delicacy reserved for the wealthy upper classes in China, and it was no different once it arrived here on British soil; a bowl of this soup, also known as Buddha’s Temptation, would set you back over £100.
Along with shark fin, the soup contained quail eggs, abalone, scallops, chicken and pork, along with expensive, yet unappealing, sea cucumber.
Although a success when it was launched back in 2005, the soup is no longer on the menu due to concerns around cruelty and sustainability of shark fin meat.
3. 8oz Japanese Wagyu Rib eye steak – £150
Cut at 45 Park Lane, London, England
Japanese Wagyu, the same type of beef as the highly sought after Kobe beef, is possibly the most expensive beef on the UK market.
It’s got a rich, melt in the mouth consistency, which isn’t surprising due to the lengths farmers go to in the rearing process. From birth, the cows are fed by hand and are given special jackets to wear in the winter when it gets cold. They’re given names, rather than numbers, and receive stress releasing massages. Sounds like a pretty good life!
4. The Bacon Bling – £188
Tangberry’s Cafe, Cheltenham, England
The holy grail of all bacon sandwiches lies at Tangberry’s Cafe in Cheltenham. This is not your average breakfast roll; the aptly named Bacon Bling is dripping in decadence with truffles, saffron, gold dust and gold leaf adorning the rashers.
Though this undoubtedly delicious sandwich carries a ludicrous price tag, all the proceeds go directly SKRUM, a charity providing social education through rugby for children in Swaziland.
5. Caviar Omelette – £300
The Ritz, London, England
Can you imagine blowing £300 on breakfast? Believe it or not, there are customers at The Ritz, London’s famously elite hotel chain, who do just that.
To be fair, this opulent omelette does sound delicious since it’s loaded with 50g of Oscietra caviar, one of the most prized caviars in the world. But for those not into fish eggs, it might not be worth the price.
6. Slow Cooked ‘Caterpillar Fungus’ Soup with Wild Duck – £480
Royal China Club, Marylebone, London, England
Thankfully it’s not made it with actual caterpillars, but a rare wild herb that only grows in very high altitudes, which apparently resembles a caterpillar.
It’s possibly one of the most expensive soups on any menu in the UK, but at least it serves 4 people. Still, try finding three of your friends willing to split the bill on this starter.
7. Kobe beef and Maine Lobster Burger – £623
Burger Brasserie, Las Vegas, USA
With two prized ingredients in its title, Kobe beef and Maine lobster, this burger was never going to be cheap.
Burger Brasserie, located in the upmarket Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, serves up this extravagant creation alongside seared foie gras, pancetta, goat cheese and a 100 year aged balsamic vinegar.
To (almost) justify its hefty price tag, the restaurant also throws in a bottle of Rose Dom Perignon Champagne.
8. Golden Opulence Sundae – £800
Serendipity 3, New York, USA
This deluxe sundae is unlike anything you’ve seen, or tasted, before. Served in a Baccarat crystal bowl, which you’re allowed to take home as a souvenir of your splurge, the Golden Opulence Sundae is teeming with pricey ingredients.
The Tahitian vanilla ice cream is topped with 24 karat gold leaf (obviously), Parisian candied fruits, rare specialty chocolates and, weirdly enough, truffles and caviar.
It breaks the bank at a whopping $1,000 (£800), and that’s before you’ve tipped your waiter.
9. Westin Hotel Bagel – £800
The Westin Hotel, New York, USA
The most lavish bagel in the world can be found at New York’s Westin Hotel, at the completely unreasonable price of $1000 (£800).
Although obscenely expensive, we’re sure it’s delicious. It’s packed with finery, including white truffle cream cheese (who wouldn’t want to try that?!) goji berries and the obvious addition of gold leaf.
10. Florette Sea and Earth Salad – £810
Hempel Hotel, London, England
Forget Surf n’ Turf, that’s peasant food; Sea and Earth is the order of the day at the grand Hempel Hotel in London.
This decadent yet healthy salad includes high-end ingredients such as lobster, grated white and black truffles, beluga caviar and a 30 year aged balsamic vinegar. It sounds delicious, but personally, at £810, we’d like more calories for our cash.
11. Coq au Vin – £1,000
Coq d’Argent, London, England
In 2013, London’s stylish Coq d’Argent restaurant launched their ludicrously pricey Coq au vin, and in turn, pulled off the perfect publicity stunt.
The chicken itself was prized meat, large enough to feed four people, and marinated for a full day in Domaine Trapet Le Chambertin Grand Cru 2009.
The dish was also served up with a bottle of the same wine, presumably to help wash away thoughts of the impending bill. Thankfully, all of the proceeds went to a charity of the customer’s choice.
12. Kobe Beef Isiyaki – £1,000
Sushisamba, London, England
London’s Sushisamba specialises in not one, but three varieties of cuisine…Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian, and apparently manages to pull off all three to an exceptional standard.
From the Japanese selections, the most outrageously expense is, of course, Kobe beef. This particular dish is served ‘ishiyaki’ style, which means it’s carved into wafer-thin slices. It’s then served to your table where you cook it yourself on a hot stone. Just be careful not to overcook it, it’d be a terrible waste of £1,000.
13. The Glamburger – £1,100
Honky Tonk, London, England
The Glamburger, Honky Tonk’s 2014 creation, is made with the most decadently luxurious and expensive ingredients known to man. We’re talking 220g of fine Japanese Kobe beef, accompanied by Canadian Lobster, New Zealand Venison and truffle brie.
The brioche bun is actually covered in real, edible gold and the toppings include things like Beluga caviar and Iranian saffron.
This obscenely priced burger hit the headlines when it was first debuted, and worked wonders for Honky Tonk’s PR campaign.
14. The Cronut – £1,500
Dum Dum Donutterie, London, England
A delicious hybrid of both donut and croissant, the “cronut” has been appearing on bakery menus around the world for some time now. But this is no ordinary cronut. The chef at Dum Dum Donutterie in London created a work of art, infusing saffron, gold vanilla beans and Amedei Porcelana chocolate to create black and white dough.
Once baked, it’s then smothered in Cristal rosé champagne caviar, the obligatory gold flakes and of course, more chocolate. As delectable as it sounds, you’d have to question whether it’s worth the £1,500 price tag.
15. The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata – £1,600
Norma’s, New York, USA
The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata doesn’t actually cost a zillion dollars, just a meagre $2,000 (around £1,603). The thing that makes this glorified omelette so outrageously priced is, as you may have guessed, caviar. And not just any caviar, but 10 ounces of highly sought after Sevurga caviar. There’s also an entire lobster, decadent double cream, chives, and luxury Yukon gold potatoes.
If spending over 1.5k on breakfast seems a little extreme to you, there’s also a smaller portion available with just 1 ounce of caviar for $200. Bargain.
16. White Truffle and Gold Pizza – £1,940
Margo’s, Malta
The Mediterranean island of Malta is home to many culinary delicacies, but luckily most of them are more affordable than the White Truffle and Gold Pizza. As the name suggests, it’s stacked with expensive delicacies. Alongside the high-end ingredients, there’s also the more familiar mozzarella and marinara sauce you’d expect.
The menu introduces the pizza with the caption “This is not just a pizza; this is a sign from God telling us how great She is”. Well ok then.
This was once the world’s most expensive pizza, but it has, (shockingly) been outdone several times over. Keep reading for some even more eye-watering price tags.
17. Samundari Khazana Curry – £2,000
Bombay Brasserie, London, England
In 2009, Brassierie’s head chef Prahlad Hedge, inspired by his mother’s recipe, decided to create what could be the most expensive curry in the world. He came up with the idea to commemorate the DVD launch of Slumdog Millionaire.
Samundari Khazana translates to “Seafood Treasure”, which makes sense since the dish features ingredients such as lobster, Devonshire crab, and sea snails. Its trimmings include real gold leaf and rare white truffle.
18. 24K* Pizza – £2,165
Industry Kitchen, New York, USA
This astronomically priced pizza is so exclusive that you have to order it two days in advance. And it’s no surprise, given that its chief ingredients are platinum Ossetre caviar, foie gras, white and black truffles and, as the name suggests, 24 carat gold leaves to garnish.
Luckily, it’s big enough to share with a friend… preferably a rich one who won’t mind footing the bill.
19. Pizza Royale 007 – £3,370
Bella Napoli, Glasgow, Scotland
12 inches of absolute opulence, the Pizza Royale 007 is smothered with some of the most expensive ingredients known to man. There are venison medallions, caviar marinated in Dom Perignon champagne, lobster marinated in cognac, wild Scottish smoked salmon, and 30 years aged balsamic vinegar. And of course, not forgetting a generous dusting of 24 karat gold flakes.
The pizza is the creation of Domenico Crolla, who dreamed up his masterpiece to raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation. The pizza was auctioned off to the very charitable and presumably very wealthy Italian lawyer Maurizio Morelli. At the time, it broke records as the most expensive pizza ever sold. But someone has since taken Crolla’s crown for flogging luxury slices..as you’ll find out further down our list.
20. Fleur Burger 5000 – £4,010
Fleur, Las Vegas, USA
Inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, you can try the eye wateringly expensive Fleur Burger 5000, a $5000 (£4,010) burger thought to be the most expensive patty in the world.
Prime cuts of ground Wagyu beef are seared in rich nut butter then topped with decadent slices of prime foie gras. Piled on top are sautéed rare black truffles, all served up in a brioche bun.
As exquisite as this sounds, the main event and the real reason for the extortionate price tag is the accompanying bottle of 1995 Petrus, which can go for more than $5,000 in high-end restaurants. Some may say it’s a pretty good deal.
21. Louis XIII Pizza – £7,470
Renato Viola, Salerno, Italy
Here we have it, the most expensive pizza on our list, and up until now, the world.
The Louis XIII Pizza is as regal in nature as it is in name. Created by Renato Viola for only a select few of people, it’s a labour of love. The dough takes a whopping 72 hours to rise to perfection, before being left to rest in preparation for its extravagant toppings.
There’s the obligatory caviar, in fact, three different types: Oscietra Royal Prestige, Kaspia Oscietra Royal Classic, and Kaspia Beluga. As you can imagine, none of these come cheap. Then there’s high-end lobster all the way from Norway, mozzarella di bufala and 6 other types of fine European cheese.
To wash it down, it’s served with a bottle Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1995 and a glass of Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII.
22. The Fortress Stilt Fisherman’s Indulgence – £11,630
The Fortress Resort and Spa, Sri Lanka
As we approach the crazy money end of our list, making the earlier contenders look almost affordable, it’s time for something sweet.
The Fortress Stilt Fisherman’s Indulgence will set you back a staggering £11,630. The desert comprises Italian cassata infused with Irish Cream, a pomegranate and mango compote and a champagne sabayon base. There’s a handcrafted chocolate figurine of a stilt fisherman, and at the end of his rod you’ll find an 80 carat aquamarine stone. At least you’ve got something to take home and remind of you of that time you blew your life savings on a pudding.
23. The Frozen Haute Chocolate – £20,000
Serendipity 3, New York, USA
When you think about what you could buy with a spare £20,000, the first thing that springs to mind is probably not hot chocolate. But amazingly (alarmingly) there really are people who will drop this kind of cash on dessert.
Served up in New York’s Serendipity 3, this frozen pudding comprises a mixture of rare and expensive cocoas, which are then infused with five grams of 24 carat gold. It’s topped with whipped cream, even more, 24 carat gold and finished off with La Madeline au Truffe, which according to Forbe’s magazine is the most expensive chocolate in the world.
And of course, a desert-like this couldn’t be served up in just a regular mug or bowl, oh no. Instead, it’s presented to the super-rich diner in a golden goblet, with a solid gold crown, all adorned with real diamonds. They are then handed a solid gold spoon to eat it with.
As the list goes on we can’t help but wonder…with so many people starving in the world, how do these diners sleep at night?
24. The Frida Taco – £20,000
Grand Velas Los Cabos Resort, Mexico
Drink a little too much tequila at the Grand Velas Los Cabos Resort in Mexico and you could end up accidentally ordering financial ruin, in the form of The Frida Taco- the world’s most expensive taco.
At £20,000 a pop, this taco is teeming with exquisite and opulent ingredients, such as Kobe beef, black truffle brie and Almas Beluga caviar. The salsa alone could send you into crippling debt, with rare sun-dried Morita chili peppers, Ley 925 ultra-premium añejo tequila and luxurious civet coffee on the list of ingredients.
If you’re feeling extra flush, why not push the boat out and treat your date to a whole bottle of hand-crafted white gold and pure platinum Ley.925 Pasión Azteca Ultra Premium Añejo. For a staggering $150K, or the price of a small house, it’d be the dinner of a lifetime.
25. Almas – £20,000
The Caviar House & Prunier, London, England
I bet you didn’t expect our penultimate dish on this list to be served from a can, but that’s exactly what you’ll get at the Caviar House & Prunier in London. But of course, that can is made from solid 24 carat gold and filled with one of the finest, and rarest, caviars in the world.
Almas, or beluga albino caviar to use its full name, comes from the eggs of rare albino sturgeon fish which can live up to 100 years. They’re only found in the less polluted waters of the southern Caspian Sea off the Iranian coast.
If that price tag is a little too hefty of the wallet, then there’s a smaller portion for a more reasonable yet still extravagant £1,000
26. Pudding At The Lindeth Howe – £22,000
The Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, The Lake District, England
Topping off our list and claiming the spot for the most expensive dessert (and dish for that matter) in the world is Pudding At The Lindeth Howe.
Chef Marc Guibert created this Faberge egg-shaped masterpiece from four varieties of exclusive Belgian chocolate, Sicilian orange zest, fine single malt Scotch whiskey and of course, caviar. Layers of champagne jelly separate the chocolate shell, which is dusted in pure gold powder and leaf. The cherry on top is replaced by a 2 carat diamond.
Due to its outrageous price tag, so far no one has come forward to try this exorbitant desert, meaning it’s yet to find its place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Any takers?
