What is the most you'd pay for dinner out?

[OmahaBlueDog]

Someone I know was telling me about spending $300 for dinner for two out at Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

Maybe it's me, but I can't do it -- neither can Mrs. OBD. I think the most we've blown on dinner for two, with drinks & tip, is somewhere in the $125-150 neighborhood. And that's a once-a-decade thing.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Once spent about $150 in Rancho Mirage

but it was a gift certificate

[onehandle]

2. For our tenth anniversary we went to Victoria and Albert's in The Grand Floridian Resort.

One of only three five diamond rated restaurants in Florida, but the one restaurant to hold it consistently for the longest.

Five hundred bucks, but we got 20% off.

Was it worth it? I was skeptical.

But, it was worth every penny.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa/victoria-and-alberts

Sample menu:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa/victoria-and-alberts/menus

[NYC_SKP]

3. On business, I'm pretty sure I've broken the $200 mark for two on several occasions.

It's usually the cocktails and/or the wine that kills it.

However, price doesn't always mean quality- not in the lease.

Great meals come in all prices!

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. 15 years ago when I was working and it was a special anniversary -

dinner for 2 with tip for about 220.00 - best restaurant around.

We don't - and can't eat like that any more (prix fixe multicourse meal) - so these days, most I would pay for dinner out would be 80.00, and only rarely. Over the years, we've found most restaurants serve portions that are much too large, use too much salt, etc. And we love to cook. so a nice meal at home trumps anything out!

if we do go out (fixed income now, so rare), it is lunch - our favorite Indian, or Cal-Mex, or Middle Eastern, or Pub spots - lunch for 2 for 30.00 max including tip!

[kentauros]

21. I agree about the gigantic portions.

However, what little I know of those 5-star restaurants, is that the portions are small, mostly because a "meal" ranges over many courses (I've known chefs that worked in such places.)

Expect to be in the restaurant at least an hour, and forget doggy bags

[NRaleighLiberal]

22. Absolutely - the special meal was six courses and lasted more than two hours!

Quite delicious, but that many courses of even small portions of very rich food are a thing of the past for us!

[kentauros]

23. I've never had the opportunity,

whether for monetary reasons, or not having a full suit (as is often required in such places.) It does sound like something to try once anyway

There are some 5-star restaurants in Houston where I probably wouldn't have to dress in a tux/black-tie suit, but with no one here (at the moment) to dine out with, I haven't gone.

Then again, my girlfriend will probably have me do that kind of cooking at home next month

[Sekhmets Daughter]

5. The late BF

would spend that much on a bottle of wine... I thought it was nuts myself, but he enjoyed it.

[Turbineguy]

6. For four....

$650 at Mortons. It was good but it was expensive. I'll take my Wife out for a $100 tab. Last month I took 9 people out to dinner for about $175. It was good and fun too.

[In_The_Wind]

7. just for the two of us

(before the ponzie) $125 to $160 a few times a year. Usually $75 twice a month.

now zero.

[OriginalGeek]

8. For special occasions

we'll go to the $150 neighborhood. We love Del Frisco's and have been there half a dozen times over the last 5 or 6 years. We can get to 150 pretty easy there - especially if I get into their scotch supply (they have a good one).

We got it up to 300 for 3 people at Bern's Steak House in Tampa and yes, it was worth it. We went with our friends who were celebrating their anniversary and we want to go again but yeah, that one is harder to justify.

That Victoria and Albert's mentioned up-thread is on our wish-list.


For us, it's not just about the food. It's nice to be treated like you're somebody every once in a while. Bern's and Del Frisco's go out of their way to do that. We went one time to a Morton's and, even with a coupon, still dropped $120 plus tip and we didn't like it at all. Maybe they treat non-coupon users better but we were largely ignored, the steaks were not very good and the whole experience sucked.

Another place we loved was Emeril's in Orlando. Great food and they treat you nice.

This kind of spending really only happens 2 or 3 times a year though.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. I did Emerils in Orlando and I have to agree -- worth it

.. but I was on an expense account, so I wasn't paying.

Everyone I've met loves V & As at WDW.

I'm glad you liked Berns. I've heard reviews on that split about straight down the middle. Many complain it's "for the old folks."

[OriginalGeek]

14. Old folks?

lol I guess I am getting closer to that all the time but I still go to death metal concerts on a regular basis.

But I LOVE getting dressed up and going out someplace nice and getting treated like I belong there. Bern's does that. They actually have a dress code but they must not enforce it too harshly. I wore a coat and tie but our visit there coincided with Gasparilla so half the other patrons were dressed like pirates. It was a blast!

[fizzgig]

9. i think we hit the $150 mark on our last anniversary

first fancy dress up dinner we'd ever done by ourselves and it is not something that is likely to happen again any time soon.

but damn, it was worth it.

[Inkfreak]

10. The Melting Pot. $113.15

A fondue place, my wife & I went. It was a 3 course meal & frankly I wasn't impressed. My wife loved it tho. I hated that I had to cook my food at the table. That's the highest off the top of my head atm. Not a lot I suppose by some standards, but it was for me.

[RILib]

12. $20. Maybe for a major anniversary, $40.

[Mr.Bill]

13. I couldn't stand it if it was more than $100 for the two of us.

The wife and I are both excellent cooks, and I've been to few restaurants that I enjoy more than what we can do for ourselves at home. We live in a small town and ther's not many good places around here anyway.

[struggle4progress]

15. I doubt if I've ever spent more than $30

[progressoid]

16. Well, the Olive Garden has a complete three course Italian meal for $12.50

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. I hear the one in Manhattan is a great place to go

[Tobin S.]

18. The most I've paid for dinner for two is $70.

And we had a $25 gift certificate so we kind of splurged a little. That included a filet mignon and four of the biggest deep fried shrimp I've ever seen for each of us. I mean those shrimp were like fish filets. We also had dessert.

But that's here in Richmond, Indiana. The most expensive meal you can buy here at the finest restaurant for one person is about $50.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Depends on how wealthy (or not) you are, and where you live. It's all relative.

If I were in New York....I had one meal there once, paid by someone else...I don't care much about how something is cooked, since I prefer natural flavors and simple foods, for the most part. But that was without a doubt the best meal in my life. I think it cost about $60 for me alone, with a beverage and tax, not counting the tip.

That was New York. Times Square. Expensive area. It's unnecessary to pay a ton of $ to get excellent food and service and ambience.

I would pay the $60 now, for that same meal. I wouldn't pay more, because a meal out is not something I care that much about.

I rarely eat out. Waste of money, and you don't have control over how something is made, the ingredients, the type of pans they use (aluminum is bad for you).

[Nikia]

20. Around $100 for 2

Where we live in Wisconsin it would be difficult to pay much more than that anyway.

[MadrasT]

24. Never more than $100 for 2 people

Including tip

There is just no way

And that would be an extravagance

Food just is not worth that much money to me

My late ex husband felt the same way

I have been to plenty of really expensive places on business on someone else's dime (over $600 for 4 people) and I just can't comprehend why people would pay that much for something to eat

I have way better things to do with my money