10 Most Expensive Restaurants In The World

Fine dining at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world can come at a price. But what you get for those high price tags (which can often be accompanied by sticker shock) are outstanding dining experiences that can take you to a castle in Switzerland or to an underwater culinary experience in the Maldives. From Japan to Europe to the Big Apple, luxe dining menus are often designed tasting courses paired with wines, which substantially adds to the consumer's bottom line.

Click here to see the 10 Most Expensive Restaurants in the World (Slideshow)

Japanese restaurants all over the world often charge premium prices for lavish seafood experiences. Masa in New York City, for example, costs $450 per person before beverages, gratuity, or tax, all of which can easily take the bill up to roughly $600 per person for its tasting experience. And be sure not to cancel a reservation at Masa — that, too, will cost you (close to $200 per person). 

For a Japanese all-beef tour that costs a pretty penny, choose Aragawa in Tokyo. The menu, or lack thereof, highlights beef in all of its glory. But not just any beef — rather, the purebred Tajima cattle that are raised for more than 28 months in the Sanda region of Hyogo Prefecture.

Famed chef Alain Ducasse knows how to construct expensive menus over in Europe. Two of his restaurants, one in Paris and the other in the U.K., make The Daily Meal's list for quite lavish tasting menus. In his only U.K. outpost in The Dorchester, guests come from all over to sample the exquisite cuisine and one of its signature dishes, the fillet of halibut and Irish sea urchin with sautéed baby squid.

And it's not just the cuisine that adds to the overall cost of a bill; it's the ambience and atmosphere to boot. In the case of Ithaa in the picturesque Maldives, it's all about going under water in search of the perfect meal. Be sure to opt for the wine pairing here, which is all based upon a champagne theme.

Click through our slideshow to see the top 10 most expensive restaurants in the world, ranked with the most lavish dining locale at number one. The costs of the tasting menus are rough estimations and often include wine and beverage pairings and may fluctuate due to season.

Think there's a more expenseive restaurant that we missed? Let us know. Email our Travel Editor Elsa Säätelä at esaatela[a]thedailymeal.com.