International travel right now is chaotic, worsened by the new strain of the virus causing countries to impose new restrictions and shut out visitors. So if you’re lucky enough to be on vacation outside of the country you’re domiciled in, then it follows that you should have the time of your life as safely as possible which can, among other things, include experiencing new dishes at the most delectable Michelin-starred restaurants globally.
Wondering where you can go for a truly enjoyable dining experience that transcends the food? Here is the 2021 list of the most extravagant, and of course most expensive restaurants with the Michelin mark offering some of the highest-priced full tasting menus in the world
1. Sublimation, Ibiza Spain: Top tasting menu: USD $1,740 per head (1500 Euros)
To call Sublimotion “just a restaurant” is to call the Roman Colosseum “just a set of pillars”. For the bank-busting price of US$1,740 per head (the most expensive restaurant in the world), Sublimotion offers its diners something truly unexpected. Thanks to hybrid reality, a Cyber-chef cooks in front of each diner, giving them the opportunity to eat a delicious meal within a virtual world.
While Sublimotion hasn’t yet received any Michelin stars, the restaurant’s Head Chef and one of its founders – Paco Roncero – has two Michelin stars under his belt.
2. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China: Top tasting menu: USD $1,422 per head (8,888 CNY)
Similar to Sublimotion, Ultraviolet blends gastronomy and visual technology, giving Shanghai diners a Western menu filled with the occasional Asian flair. Each table is surrounded by walls of moving pictures as they delight on perplexingly inspired small plates such as foie gras cigarettes and moon cakes baked with traditional French ingredients.
The restaurant aims to live up to its hefty price point by leaving its customers’ senses overwhelmed with an onslaught of tastes, smells, sights and other epicurean delights.
3. Kitcho Arashiyama Honten Kyoto, Japan: Top tasting menu: USD $910 per head (100,000 Yen)
Kitcho Arashiyama Honten, located in Kyoto, eschews the high tech flair for a stunning traditional ambience, giving its diners the finest of Japanese food and architecture. Each of its seven dining rooms has views of a meticulously maintained Japanese garden, while the menu leans heavily on its fresh seasonal ingredients, ranging from wild radishes to ise-ebi lobster.
4. Azabu Kadowaki Tokyo, Japan: Top tasting menu: USD $825 per head (90,750 Yen)
Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo elevates traditional Japanese cooking through the use of modern gastronomical techniques and international ingredients.
Guests sit at a six-person hinoki wood counter to watch the chef cook their meal on an open charcoal grill, while they take in the smells of freshly cooked luxurious ingredients such as white truffles and controversial shark fins. World-class head chef Toshiya Kadowaki ensures his customers the finest experience by serving each meal in intricately crafted Japanese pottery with beautifully painted designs.
5. Masa, New York City, USA: Top tasting menu: USD $800 per head
The first entry from North America, Masa represents the finest (and most expensive) Japanese cuisine in New York City.
Head chef Masayoshi Takayama grew up working at his family’s fish market in Japan and brings his passion for fresh seafood all the way to the Big Apple, where he delivers New Yorkers exquisite sushi creations on dishware designed by the chef himself.
6. (Tie) Joël Robuchon Tokyo, Japan; Kikunoi Honten Kyoto, Japan, and, Gion Maruyama Kyoto, Japan: Top tasting menu: USD $637 per head (70,000 Yen)
Joël Robuchon may be in Tokyo, but the décor is unapologetically French. The building uses a château design, standing out magnificently against the surrounding architecture of Japanese castles. Patrons dine like kings in Versailles, amidst crystal chandeliers, enjoying dishes that meld fine European cooking with subtle Japanese elements.
Kikunoi Honten blends fine Western ingredients like foie gras with Japanese delicacies. Head chef Yoshihiro Murata once worked aboard a fishing boat, where he learned the art of selecting the perfect seafood to guarantee his customers the freshest fare. The restaurant serves as a museum of Japanese culture, set dazzlingly inside a garden amidst an ancient temple.
Gion Maruyama, on the other hand, sets itself apart through its commitment to highlighting natural flavours and ingredients. Its seasonally shifting menu gives visitors more than enough reasons to return, serving bamboo shoots and pregnant grouper in spring, hamo pike in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn, and snow crabs and pufferfish in the winter months.
9. Guy Savoy Paris, France: Top tasting menu: USD $615 per head (530 Euro)
Guy Savoy in Paris is a sight for the eyes thanks to its colourful dishes and the contemporary fine art that adorns the walls of its six rooms. Dollops of foam and spring flowers catch the eye, giving diners a refined experience on the Seine river.
10. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy: Top tasting menu: USD $580 per head (500 Euro)
As the first Italian restaurant on the list, Piazza Duomo combines French flourishes with Italian flavours. The restaurant operates its own “biodynamic” garden, ensuring its leafy greens and vegetables only travel a short distance before landing on the plate. Located in the Piedmont region, Piazza Duomo sets the standard for local cuisine, for which it serves as an advocate in the world of Italian cooking.
Source: Chef’s Pencil