Last Updated July 2026
Fine dining at the very top of the market isn't really about a single expensive dish. It's an entire experience: tasting menus that run a dozen-plus courses, wine pairings that cost as much as a plane ticket, and reservations that can take months to land. Here's a look at ten of the most expensive restaurants in the country, what they charge, where they're located, and what they're known for.
Prices below are approximate and change frequently based on season, tier, and add-ons like wine pairings. Always check directly with the restaurant before booking.
Quick Comparison
| Restaurant | City | Cuisine | Price Per Person | Signature Dish/Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masa | New York, NY | Sushi/Omakase | $750 to $950 | Hinoki counter omakase |
| Caviar Russe | New York, NY | New American | $195 to $975 | 11-course Grand Tasting with caviar |
| Vespertine | Los Angeles, CA | Avant-garde | $745 | 20-course theatrical tasting menu |
| Atelier Crenn | San Francisco, CA | French | $475+ | Poetic, nature-inspired tasting menu |
| Joël Robuchon | Las Vegas, NV | French | $525 | Caviar-topped lobster, 10 courses |
| Providence | Los Angeles, CA | Seafood | $375 to $495+ | Seasonal seafood tasting menu |
| Alinea | Chicago, IL | Modernist American | $365 to $495 | Edible helium balloon dessert |
| French Laundry | Yountville, CA | French/American | $425+ | 9-course chef's tasting menu |
| Per Se | New York, NY | French/American | $355 to $425 | Nine-course tasting with Central Park views |
| Saison | San Francisco, CA | New American | $398 | 20+ course discovery menu |
1. Masa (New York, NY)
Chef Masa Takayama's Manhattan sushi restaurant has only 26 seats and no printed menu. Everything is omakase, meaning the chef decides what you eat course by course based on the best ingredients available that day. The Hinoki Counter Experience runs around $950 per person, not including drinks or tax, while a slightly more affordable Omakase option in the main dining room runs around $750. It has been called one of the premier dining experiences in the world by Travel + Leisure.
2. Caviar Russe (New York, NY)
Located above Madison Avenue, Caviar Russe leans heavily into its namesake ingredient. Diners can choose a three-course meal for around $195, a six-course Chef's Choice Tasting starting at $595, or the full 11-course Grand Tasting Menu at $975, which includes a tour of the restaurant's caviar service.
3. Vespertine (Los Angeles, CA)
Vespertine is built around theater as much as food. Dinner starts at $745 per person, which includes a required beverage pairing on top of the base tasting menu price. The 20-course menu is served in a striking architectural space, and the presentation is designed to feel unlike a typical restaurant meal from the moment you walk in.
4. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, CA)
Chef Dominique Crenn, the first woman in the US to earn three Michelin stars, runs this poetic, nature-driven tasting menu restaurant on the San Francisco Bay. A tasting menu runs $475 and up, and a full dinner for two with wine pairings can approach $1,000. Dishes have included live scallops, osetra caviar, turbot, and Japanese wagyu.
5. Joël Robuchon (Las Vegas, NV)
Housed inside the MGM Grand, this is the American outpost of the legendary French chef's namesake restaurant. The 10-course tasting menu runs around $525 per person and includes dishes like caviar-topped lobster with cauliflower puree, salmon confit, and braised beef cheeks with red miso.
6. Providence (Los Angeles, CA)
A Michelin-starred seafood specialist, Providence draws on California's coastal bounty for a menu built around fresh fish and shellfish. The classic menu runs $375, while the tasting menu starts at $495 and climbs higher with add-ons like A5 wagyu supplements.
7. Alinea (Chicago, IL)
Chef Grant Achatz's modernist Chicago restaurant is famous for turning meals into performances, from edible helium balloons to dishes plated directly on the table. Alinea offers three formats: the Salon (around $365 per person), the Gallery (around $435), and the Kitchen Table (around $495), with wine pairings priced separately.
8. French Laundry (Yountville, CA)
Chef Thomas Keller's original flagship, set in California's Napa Valley, has been a fixture of American fine dining since 1978. The nine-course tasting menu runs $425 and up, and the restaurant occasionally hosts a monthly black truffle and caviar dinner priced around $1,200 per person.
9. Per Se (New York, NY)
Also from Thomas Keller, Per Se is the New York counterpart to French Laundry, overlooking Central Park from the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. Guests choose between a nine-course chef's tasting menu and a nine-course vegetable tasting menu, both in the $355 to $425 range.
10. Saison (San Francisco, CA)
Saison holds two Michelin stars and centers its dining room around an open kitchen, so guests can watch dishes being prepared throughout the meal. The discovery menu runs about $398 and covers 20-plus courses, with ingredients like sea urchin, caviar, and duck liver toffee.
What Actually Drives the Price
A few factors separate these restaurants from a typical high-end dinner:
- Tasting-menu-only formats. Most of these restaurants don't offer à la carte pricing. You're paying for the entire multi-course experience, whether you love every dish or not.
- Rare and labor-intensive ingredients. Caviar, wagyu, truffles, and live seafood cost significantly more to source than standard restaurant ingredients, and menus built around them price accordingly.
- Extremely limited seating. Masa seats only 26 people. Vespertine and Alinea's Kitchen Table are similarly small. Limited capacity means each seat has to cover more of the restaurant's overhead.
- Wine pairings. Many of these menus quote a base price that doesn't include the wine pairing, which can add $150 to $400 or more per person on top of the meal itself.
- Reputation and reservations demand. Restaurants like Masa and Alinea have reservations booked out months in advance, and that scarcity itself supports premium pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive restaurant in the United States?
Masa in New York City is generally considered the most expensive, with its Hinoki Counter omakase experience running around $950 per person before drinks, tax, or tip.
Do these prices include drinks and tip?
No. Most of the prices listed are for the food-only tasting menu. Wine pairings, other beverages, tax, and gratuity are typically added on top and can substantially increase the total bill.
Are reservations hard to get at these restaurants?
Yes. Most of these restaurants require reservations weeks or months in advance, and several use prepaid ticketing systems that charge your card at the time of booking rather than at the meal.
Why don't these restaurants offer à la carte menus?
Tasting-menu-only formats let the kitchen control pacing, portion sizes, and ingredient sourcing precisely, and they let the restaurant set a single, predictable price point per seat rather than tracking individual dish costs.
Prices and menu formats change frequently at this level of dining. Confirm current pricing directly with each restaurant before booking.
