World's Most Expensive Food and Drink

The Rich Look for New Ways to Indulge Themselves

Jun 18, 2009

Extravagance is not dead everywhere as the mega-wealthy search out new experiences only they can afford.

The dinner at Bangkok’s Dome Restaurant in the Lebua Hotel has been billed as the most expensive in the world. Held in February 2007, the meal carried a price tag of $30,000 per person, not including taxes and tip.

The 10-course feast assembled by six of the world’s most celebrated chefs attracted 15 high-flyers from the business worlds of Asia and the United States. Although ABC News reported that “Ten would-be Japanese diners cancelled after a New Year’s Eve bombing in Bangkok killed three people.”

Good Meals Should Start with an Aperitif

Something to relax the temperament and prepare the palate comes in the form of a before-dinner drink.

Tokyo’s Ritz-Carlton has just the perfect cocktail for those with money to burn – the $18,000 martini. It’s an ordinary mix of gin and vermouth, but in addition to an olive or twist of lemon this drink comes with a one carat diamond. There’s also a personal rendition of the song “Diamonds are Forever,” to go along with the drink.

Some people don’t care for hard liquor so perhaps a little bubbly will stimulate the taste buds. As reported by winefeeds-wordpress.com bottles of 1907 Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Champagne are going for $250,000 a pop. The wine was on its way to Czar Nicholas II of Russia when the ship carrying it was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Gulf of Finland in 1917. A couple of thousand bottles were salvaged in 1998 and are now on the market.

High-End Restaurants Doing Well

According to entertainmentjournal.com in an article entitled “World’s Most Expensive Meals – Gourmet Gluttony!” (June 18, 2009), the well-heeled are tripping over themselves trying to get reservations at some of the globe's priciest eateries.

“The body language of people eagerly waiting to get inside these expensive restaurants says ‘money doesn’t matter tonight,’ even if they know they are going to be spending above $500 per head.”

For those with really, really deep pockets there’s the Ludovic XIII pizza at “Agropoli in the south of Italy.” This is not garden variety with double cheese and pepperoni. The Ludovic XIII is pretty special: “The crust,” writes Entertainment Journal, “is topped with lobster, tuna caviar, and a pouring of Louis XIII Martin cognac.” And, all this comes at the mouth-watering price of £6,700 (about $12,400 CAD). The article doesn’t mention size, but at that price it ought to be calibrated in football fields.

Forbes Lists Expensive Eateries

At Forbes Magazine they cater to the needs of CEOs with generous expense accounts. Writer Pascale Le Draoulec listed the places where such a person could get a decent meal (November 14, 2007):

And, for Dessert

Back at Entertainment Journal they say that “Stephen Bruce, owner of Serendipity 3 in New York, has set a world record for the most expensive dessert.”

The “Frozen Haute Chocolate” has won Bruce a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The dish “costs $25,000 and contains a blend of 28 different cocoas, including 14 of the most expensive and exotic from around the globe. This dessert also comes with 23-karat gold (five grams) and is served in an edible gold-lined goblet. The base of the goblet is circled with an 18-karat gold bracelet with one carat of white diamonds.”

This confection is topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with more gold, with a side of La Madeline au Truffle. The spoon provided is decorated with gold and diamonds and can be taken home.

Diners can stare lovingly at this memento as they wait for the credit card statement to come in.

The copyright of the article World's Most Expensive Food and Drink in Gourmet Food is owned by Rupert Taylor. Permission to republish World's Most Expensive Food and Drink in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.