NYC is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world. From Michelin-starred French cuisine to unique blends of Japanese and European flavors, the city is a dream destination for anyone obsessed with fine dining.
Restaurants in New York City started in the early 19th century. These establishments were called “eating houses” and they mostly served businessmen on the hunt for a quick bite before getting back to work. But as you might expect, “eating houses” slowly morphed into modern restaurants.
By the mid 19th century, entrepreneurs noticed the lucrative opportunity to open restaurants that would target NYC’s wealthiest citizens. The first of these entrepreneurs were John and Peter Delmonico. The duo opened a French pastry shop in 1827 that evolved into a fine dining restaurant by 1831, triggering a wave of high-end eateries across the city. Today, the Delmonico’s restaurant is widely considered a ground-breaking establishment that popularized French cuisine in America and fundamentally changed the idea of dining in New York.
In modern-day NYC, fine dining is easy to find — but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. These are the top eight most expensive restaurants in New York City.
- L’Appart
- Jean-Georges
- Daniel
- Momofuku Ko
- Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare
- Le Bernardin
- Per Se
- Masa
Cuisine: French
Awards: One Michelin star
Interesting Fact: This restaurant is designed “to resemble a Parisian apartment”
photo source: guide.michelin.com
L’Appart offers a tasting menu for $230 per person. Tasting menus are meals consisting of several small dishes, typically designed so diners can enjoy a wide variety of the chef’s creations. At L’Appart, those creations include a new selection of dishes each month. These dishes vary depending on the season, but you can expect expensive ingredients like lobster and wagyu beef.
L’Appart offers luxurious French cuisine, but a big part of the draw is the restaurant’s unique design. According to Michelin, the restaurant’s dining room resembles an apartment in Paris. The resulting dining experience feels like “attending a dinner party.” L’Appart calls this experience “intimate” and says lead chef Nico Abello and his sous chef are “your hosts.”
Did you know?
This restaurant offers “pre-dessert” in the form of a French lemon tart.
Cuisine: French
Awards: Two Michelin stars
Interesting Fact: This restaurant attracts high-profile diners, including American politicians
photo source: jean-georges.com
Expensive restaurants have long been a hotspot for high-profile diners, and Jean-Georges in New York City is no exception. The luxury eatery offers French cuisine that appeals to wealthy and powerful people including President Donald Trump and Senator Mitt Romney, both of whom were seen eating dinner here in 2016.
So high-profile people eat here, but what does Jean-Georges actually serve? The menu might change depending on the season, but you’ll typically find unique dishes with expensive ingredients. For example, one selection includes sautéed frog legs while another offers “Warm Glazed Potatoes with Caviar, Tapioca and Herbs.”
Unlike some expensive restaurants on this list, Jean-Georges offers accommodation for vegetarian guests. The Vegetable Menu will cost you $188 and includes parsnip soup.
Did you know?
Jean-Georges is only open for dinner.
Cuisine: European
Awards: Ranked in Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World of 2018
Interesting Fact: Diners can use this entire restaurant for special events such as weddings
photo source: ny.eater.com
Known simply as Daniel, this elite restaurant offers European cuisine and a tasting menu costing $275. The food is crafted under the supervision of Executive Chef Eddy LeRoux, Chef de Cuisine Joshua Capone, and Executive Pastry Shaun Velez. The restaurant as a whole was created by Daniel Boulud, a French chef who grew up in the small town of Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu.
Like other expensive restaurants, Daniel’s menu varies depending on a lot of factors. However, some selections include the Black Truffle Dinner, which focuses on the expensive black truffle throughout dishes like salad, soufflé, and “open ravioli.”
Did you know?
Daniel received a James Beard Award for “Outstanding Service” in 2009.
Cuisine: Japanese
Awards: Two Michelin stars and three stars from the New York Times
Interesting Fact: This restaurant offers sea urchin with fermented chickpea paste
photo source: nytimes.com
This fine-dining Japanese restaurant earned two Michelin stars and a three-star review from the New York Times. The cuisine is curated by Sean Gray, the restaurant’s executive chef. The resulting tasting menu cycles through about 10 courses, so it’s hard to say exactly what you’ll get for that $280 price tag. However, one reviewer mentioned enjoying a dish of sea urchin with fermented chickpea paste. Otherwise, guests are told that this restaurant offers food “strongly guided by the Japanese kaiseki tradition, as well as seasonality.” The restaurant also notes that “the breadth of cuisine available in the melting pot of New York City” impacts the menu.
Did you know?
According to this restaurant, the word Ko means “child of.”
Cuisine: Japanese and French-inspired
Awards: The Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator
Interesting Fact: Diners have to pay a $200 deposit when they make a reservation at this restaurant
photo source: nymag.com
Want to eat here? You’ll have to drop $200 per person when you make a reservation — yes, $200. That deposit goes toward your final bill of about $395 per person (although that final price can climb way higher depending on your meal selection).
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare offers a pretty unique menu. The food is inspired by Japanese and French traditions, but the actual dishes change depending on what’s in season. The restaurant notes that many dishes include seafood, so people with seafood allergies cannot be accommodated.
Did you know?
This restaurant received an Excellent rating from New York Magazine.
Cuisine: Seafood
Awards: James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant Design
Interesting Fact: This restaurant started in 1972 in Paris
photo source: le-bernardin.com
Le Bernardin got its start as a restaurant in Paris in 1972. Over the years, the establishment made its way to the U.S. where it became the third-most-expensive restaurant in New York City.
Although prices and estimates vary, get ready to spend about $440 for a single meal at this luxury eatery. That price will get you a variety of seafood dishes and wine. That’s pretty unique for tasting menus at expensive restaurants — you typically have to pay extra for wine, so maybe this isn’t such a bad deal…
Did you know?
Like other high-end restaurants, Le Bernardin has won quite a few awards over the years. In 2012, the restaurant won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant Design, but it’s also won plenty in honor of its excellent food.
Cuisine: French
Awards: Three Michelin stars
Interesting Fact: This restaurants wine list is 2,000 bottles long
photo source: thomaskeller.com
This three-Michelin-star restaurant offers an impressive wine list and indulgent French cuisine. The eatery opened under the direction of Chef Thomas Keller, an award-winning chef from America.
Per Se offers high-end food — and the prices reflect that. According to one estimate, a single meal at this expensive eatery will cost you nearly $300. Add wine and extras like truffles or caviar and you can more than double that price.
Unlike some expensive restaurants, Per Se offers a new tasting menu each day. According to the restaurant, “No single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal.”
Did you know?
Thomas Keller is the first and only American-born chef to earn multiple three-star ratings from Michelin.
Cuisine: Japanese
Awards: Three Michelin stars
Interesting Fact: This restaurant stopped accepting tips in 2016
photo source: masanyc.com
Masa is the most expensive restaurant in New York City.
Masa is the three-Michelin-star restaurant of Chef Masayoshi Takayama. The eatery is easily the most expensive luxury dining experience in NYC, costing an estimated $595 per meal. Amazingly, that price tag only covers the tasting menu — if you want any additions like drinks or extra dishes, be ready to spend over $1,000 per dinner guest.
This award-winning restaurant is known for serving luxurious Japanese cuisine. Interestingly, Chef Masayoshi Takayama incorporated his Japanese heritage in the restaurant’s tip policy. “Gratuities are not expected or accepted at Masa,” says the restaurant’s website, “Reflecting the Japanese custom, exceptional hospitality is an integral part of the Masa dining experience and is provided to every guest.”
Although Masa is known for serving sushi, the restaurant’s menu is a little mysterious — you’ll have to make a reservation to discover all Masa has to offer. However, reports point to an exclusive selection of dishes, all of which use the world’s finest ingredients. Chef Masayoshi Takayama serves his creations on plates designed by himself to match the food’s visual appeal.
Did you know?
Chef Masayoshi Takayama apprenticed under sushi master Suhiyama Toshiaki at the famous Ginza Sushi-ko in Tokyo.
