The Most Expensive Restaurant Tasting Menus In Every State

Since first appearing on restaurant menus in the 1960s, tasting menus — multi-dish, multi-course menus offered at set prices — have taken over the fine-dining world. Similar to Japanese omakase, where customers defer to the chef's expertise in selecting dishes, the tasting menu experience requires diners to surrender to the unknown for an evening, put themselves in the chef's capable hands, and embark on a journey. The result is often unforgettable; a culinary tour-de-force of inventive platings, visionary dishes, and unique concepts.

But the price tag is usually just as unforgettable as well. Due to factors like the time and effort required to prepare the meals and the exceptional or obscure ingredients involved, tasting menus are usually an expensive dining experience. And that's just for the food. Most tasting menus also come with an add-on wine or beverage pairing, which further drives up the price. Factor in taxes, tips, and extras, and that initial fixed price can quickly balloon.

From as little as $75 to over $500, tasting menus at restaurants across the U.S. cover all sorts of price ranges. Some are Michelin-starred destination restaurants worth planning entire trips around, while others are hidden gems. If you want to try the best that each state has to offer (or really impress your dining partner), these restaurants are where you can find the most expensive tasting menus in all 50 states. Most of these prices are just for the food menu, mind you, so don't forget to budget for tips, taxes, and drinks. Since rates can vary as restaurants alter menus, prices are also subject to change.

Inspired by his French heritage, chef Jacob M. Stull reimagines French dishes with local and seasonal Alabama ingredients like grits, molasses, and Jonah crab at his tasting menu restaurant Rêve in Birmingham. The 10-course experience is priced at $150 per person, not including gratuity or taxes. Starting out as a pop-up in downtown Birmingham, it's been such a hit that the concept is currently transitioning to its own brick-and-mortar space, slated to reopen in 2025.

It's safe to say that Alaska doesn't have a massive reputation as a fine dining destination; most people make the long trek north to see rare wildlife or marvel at natural phenomena like the Northern Lights. But the state's bountiful supply of fresh seafood, high-quality game, and seasonal fruits mean you can still find plenty of locally sourced and inspired meals.

At the four-star Alyeska Resort near Anchorage, the Seven Glaciers restaurant serves a six-course, $139 per-person tasting menu highlighting the flavors of the Last Frontier. Seasonally-driven dishes feature ingredients like king crab and salmon from Alaskan fisheries, farmers, and food producers, paired with wines from the 400-bottle, Wine Enthusiast-lauded cellar. It's also worth a visit for the views; massive panoramic windows frame breathtaking vistas of the Chugach Mountains and the Turnagain Arm waterway. It's not uncommon to spot whales in the Turnagain Arm, so you could get the complete package of wild nature and fine dining in one incredible meal.

True to its name, Cafe Monarch in Old Town Scottsdale has created a dining experience fit for a king, decking out its dining rooms in chandeliers and golden decor to look like Versailles, while delivering exceptional meals and service to its patrons from Court of Master Sommeliers-trained staff. Menu offerings and dishes change seasonally, and both à la carte and tasting menus are available. With the eight-course chef's tasting menu, enjoy coveted dishes like Japanese A5 wagyu beef and racks of lamb from New Zealand. You have the option to pair this $290 per-person extravaganza with a $235 wine pairing, or go all in with the Grand Cru wine pairing for an extra $1,500.

Voted the best restaurant in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on Tripadvisor, Le Stick Nouveau's affordable tasting menus and warm, welcoming setting make it a popular spot for Alabamans to celebrate special occasions. Usually consisting of six courses, the restaurant's European tasting menus change every month or so to incorporate new ingredients or to be in theme with holidays like New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day. Because of the frequent changes, the price varies as well, ranging from $99 to $147 per person.

This three-starred Michelin restaurant in Yountville, California, is one of the most coveted and exalted dining experiences in the United States, meaning it's also one of the most expensive. Serving two tasting menus each day — a chef's tasting menu and a vegetarian-friendly version — prices start at $425 per person, and it's worth splashing out for wine pairings from the restaurant's 16,000-bottle wine cellar. Although the dishes change day-to-day, you can usually find chef Thomas Keller's signature creation, Oysters and Pearls, at the top of the menu.

As Colorado's main dining hub, Denver has plenty of high-priced tasting menus to try. But if you're looking for the most expensive tasting menu in Colorado, there is only one place to go: Beckon. This Michelin-starred restaurant features seasonally-shifting tasting menus, with quarterly menu changes to reflect the time of year, and a price tag in the $195 per-person range.

This tide-to-table restaurant in the Whaler's Inn in Mystic beats out other popular Connecticut tasting menu spots like Olea and The Essex with its $110 per-person tasting menu. Sourcing ingredients from local fishermen, farmers, and food purveyors, the New England-influenced five-course menu often features seafood, with an add-on wine pairing for $68. Everyone in your party needs to participate to order the tasting menu, so it's great for a special occasion.

The First State's priciest tasting menu will be a hit with carnivores, as it focuses on one thing: steak. At Bardea Steak, a renowned steak house in Wilmington, the $180 Butcher's Feast features a steak tasting of some of the finest cuts from the most sought-after breeds around the world, from Japanese A5 wagyu to Aberdeen Angus. A comprehensive wine and beverage list offers ample hearty reds and smooth whiskies to wash it all down.

The Happiest Place on Earth is also home to Florida's most elite tasting menu experience: Victoria & Albert's. With only one seating per evening, this elegant eatery is one of the most coveted dining reservations at Disney, especially for the Chef's Table tasting menu. There are two options to choose between, starting at $295 per person, with wine pairings from $155 and zero-proof pairings from $115.

Atlanta is one of the South's best food cities, with tons of choices for high-end dining. Costing $260 a pop for its 14 to 16 course Southern-inspired tasting menu from chef Joey Ward, Georgia Boy takes home the gold for Georgia's most expensive tasting menu restaurant. The speakeasy-esque eatery hidden down a hallway inside Ward's Southern Belle restaurant is one of Atlanta's most buzzed-about culinary experiences, lasting nearly three hours.

While you can certainly find Western-style tasting menus in Hawaii, omakase is the way to go thanks to the Aloha State's abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Sushi Sho in Honolulu reigns supreme, charging $350 per person for the full omakase experience in its teeny 10-seat dining room. Here, Edo-Mae-style preparation techniques come together with Hawaii's exceptional seafood, along with chef-selected sake pairings to complement the dishes.

When visiting the Gem State, you can enjoy a sophisticated evening out at Candle in the Woods in the northern part of the state near Coeur d'Alene. The $195 per-person tasting menu consists of between 12 to 14 small dishes, with options like amuse-bouche steak s'mores, savory mushroom beignets, and steak with red wine sauce. But the menu changes every two weeks, so there's always something new to try.

Featured on shows like Netflix's "Chef's Table" and winner of some of the restaurant world's highest honors, including three Michelin Stars, chef Grant Achatz's Alinea is one of the top tasting menu restaurants in the United States. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, dining at this New American establishment promises an immersive, multi-sensory experience like no other, with unique dishes like edible balloons. But it's also one of America's most expensive tasting menus, starting at $495 per person.

Named one of 2024's best restaurants by OpenTable, Vida is an upscale, Modern American eatery in Indianapolis. Offering both a prix fixe menu and a chef's tasting menu, the seven-course tasting menu costs $135 per person. Dishes include smoked lamb ravioli, wagyu ribeye, and scallops in coconut curry. Wine pairings up the price to $215 with the standard offerings or $315 for special reserve selections.

The best seat in the house at this refined, Modern American restaurant in Des Moines is at the chef's table, a small alcove set off the kitchen where guests get to watch their food being prepared while also enjoying a multi-course, seasonal tasting menu. With enough space for only four to six people, it's truly a treat. The Chef's Table Experience starts at $250 per person and comes with add-on wine pairings.

The most expensive tasting menu in the Sunflower State can be found at this quaint farm-to-table farmhouse restaurant in the Kansas countryside. Whether you choose the cozily decorated dining room or dine outdoors among walnut trees strung with fairy lights, sit down to a six-to-eight-course, $125 tasting menu featuring locally grown or foraged seasonal ingredients. The entire meal lasts between three to four hours and comes with add-on wine pairings for $40 per person.

This stylish restaurant in Old Louisville showcases its love for seasonal ingredients and passion for Southern hospitality with its five-course tasting menu, which will set diners back $125 not including wine pairings. Produce comes from the restaurant's own greenhouse, local food producers, and ethically-run farms, with the menu frequently changing to reflect what's fresh and in-season.

Home to New Orleans, frequently heralded as one of the best food cities in the nation, Louisiana is a fine-dining hot spot. Out of many elevated tasting menu restaurants around the Crescent City, Dakar NOLA — a modern Senegalese eatery that brings together chef Serigne Mbaye's Senegalese roots with Louisiana seafood and produce — snags the top spot with its $150, seven-course tasting menu. Like other West African cuisines, Senegalese cuisine is known for its heavy use of spices, and popular ingredients include fish (since it borders the Atlantic), rice, and peanuts.

If you're a lobster lover, the White Barn Inn Restaurant in Kennebunk, Maine, has the tasting menu for you, and it also happens to be the most expensive one in the state. Featuring different lobster preparations, from surf and turf and lobster tagliatelle to lobster and caviar, this crustacean-focused feast has a price tag of $265 per person. There's also a more affordable, $175 eight-course blind tasting menu as well if you'd like something a bit less lobster-centric.

If you're after a more traditional tasting menu experience where the chef curates the entire meal for you, Maryland's most expensive option is Puerto 511 in Baltimore. For $75 per person, taste your way through a six-course menu of Peruvian dishes like ceviche, lamb chops, and anticucho meat skewers. For a prix fixe meal, Charleston offers a six-course feast priced at $179 per person or $293 with wine pairings.

From lobster rolls to clam chowder, Boston is famous for its food scene, so it stands to reason you'll find the Bay State's most expensive dining spots here. For omakase, O Ya takes the top spot with its 20-course, $295 tasting menu. But the James Beard Award-nominated French and Vietnamese eatery Nightshade Noodle Bar is another top contender, with a 21-course, $275 tasting menu and an even more lavish 30-course, $395 spread.

You never know what to expect when heading to Frame, an innovative concept restaurant in Hazel Park, Michigan. Instead of the traditional restaurant model of one chef and one menu, Frame hosts rotating chef residencies and pop-ups, allowing fresh talent to come in and serve one-of-a-kind feasts. The diversity of tasting menus also means diverse prices, with rates ranging from $75 to $125 depending on Frame's current residency. There are more expensive prix fixe menus around Michigan, like the 17-course prix fixe dinner at Kalamazoo's Henderson Castle Hotel for $199, but Frame best fits the tasting menu model.

Part of the elite Relais & Châteaux restaurant and hotel collection, Demi is one of Minneapolis' hottest dining destinations. Serving two different tasting menus, Demi's WC Whitney takes the cake for Minnesota's most expensive tasting menu at $175. Available only on Friday and Saturday nights, it consists of 11 courses, served and enjoyed at the chef's counter dining area. There's also a smaller, seven-course menu priced at $125.

A 2024 finalist for the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award, Ocean Spring's Vestige has been making waves in the Mississippi dining scene. But surprisingly, it's one of the most affordably-priced tasting menus on this list, coming in at around $99 per person for its market-driven tasting menu. Helmed by husband-wife chef team Alex Perry and Kumi Omori, the two bring together their respective backgrounds from the Gulf Coast and Japan for an array of seafood-focused dishes.

Located in Saint Louis, Missouri's most expensive tasting menu restaurant puts a unique spin on the concept with its rated menus. Serving a seven-course, $165 per-person tasting menu made with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, diners get to rate each course, adding a fun, interactive element to the experience while also providing feedback to the team. The menus change monthly, allowing both the kitchen staff and guests to constantly try something new.

You'll find Montana's most expensive tasting menu at Triple Creek Ranch, an all-inclusive, adults-only resort in Darby. Showcasing the wild flavors of Big Sky Country as well as prized fish and meat products from around the world, the five-course tasting menu at the Chef's Table costs $250 per person, with a $150 wine pairing option.

Two Omaha restaurants are in a neck-to-neck race for the title of priciest tasting menu in Nebraska. In first place is New American spot V. Mertz with its $85, five-course tasting menu featuring dishes like koji-cured ribeye and fried and grilled calamari. Serving seasonal, New European fare like Petrale sole and gnocchi, Au Courant's tasting menu clocks in at $80, but since the six-course tasting menu changes weekly, the price can go up to challenge V. Mertz's front-runner status.

Of course, the second-most expensive restaurant on this list would be in big-spending, big-living Las Vegas. From Sin City's famous buffets to massive tasting menus, Vegas likes to eat big. Located at the MGM Grand, Joël Robuchon is a three-Michelin-star restaurant by renowned French chef Joël Robuchon. The 10- to 12-course tasting menu (officially called a Degustation Menu in French) goes big on flavor, presentation, and price, starting at $525 a person.

Dover-based restaurant Stages expresses the flavors of New Hampshire's great outdoors through elevated Progressive New England cuisine. The tasting menu experience consists of eight to 10 courses and is priced at $175 per person with an optional $85 wine pairing. Dishes change frequently based on seasonality, and Stages is committed to sourcing as many of its ingredients as possible from nearby.

Much like its culinary powerhouse neighbors Philadelphia and New York City, New Jersey has plenty of fine dining spots. Elements in Princeton takes the cake with its $199 chef's tasting menu, where modernist preparation and presentation meet with fresh, seasonal ingredients in inventive dishes and courses. There's also a five-course tasting menu priced at a more economical $129. Wine pairings are available at $79 for the five-course menu and $119 for the chef's tasting menu.

New Mexico's fine dining scene is mainly centered on the arts and culture hub of Santa Fe, where you'll find the majority of the state's most luxurious culinary experiences. Sazón has been a Santa Fe staple since 1991, serving contemporary, sophisticated takes on Mexican cuisine. The daily $150 degustación tasting menu is the best way to taste chef Fernando Olea's vision, with courses changing seasonally and optional pairings with wines, tequila, and mezcal.

From Eleven Madison Park to Atomix, New York's namesake city is home to many of America's finest and most expensive restaurants. It's also home to the most expensive restaurant tasting menu on this list: Masa. A high-end Japanese and omakase restaurant with three Michelin stars, the Masa omakase experience is second to none on nearly every level, but especially price-wise. Expect to pay a very pretty penny at an eye-watering $750 per person, not including beverages or tax. If money's no object, the Hinoki Counter Experience is even more intimate and expensive at $950.

From Asheville to Charlotte, North Carolina has plenty of fine dining hubs. Its most expensive tasting menu is found in the Charlotte area at Counter-, which offers several different concepts. The size ranges from five to 10 courses or higher, and tasting menu themes and offerings change by season or with the inspiration of the moment. Previous examples include an exploration of Nordic cuisine or a pork-themed tasting menu centered around this meaty fixture of North Carolina cuisine. Prices start at $95 for the shorter tasting menus and can go up to $215 for the longer experiences, but rates vary depending on the specifics.

One of the most affordably-priced fine dining tasting menus on this list can be found at Mezzaluna, an upscale American cuisine restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota. The $77 tasting menu is more prix fixe-style, offering four courses with dish options like beef tartare, salmon, and duck breast with an add-on wine pairing for $108. Many ingredients come locally sourced to showcase the flavors and bounty of the Peace Garden State. If you don't have a big appetite or are on a budget, try the three-course menu for $66 with a $93 wine pairing. After dinner, pop into the underground Drawing Room speakeasy for a nightcap.

Located in Columbus, Ohio, Agni is a global restaurant featuring tasting menus that reflect the heritage, travels, cultures, and memories of chef Avishar Barua and the Agni team. Go from Thailand to Türkiye to Oaxaca and beyond as you eat your way from dish to dish, on a globe-trotting journey priced at $145 a person. Eagle-eyed diners may also recognize chef Avishar from "Top Chef."

If you find yourself in need of a fancy night out in the Sooner State, Oklahoma City's Grey Sweater is the place to go. Its 10-course, globally-inspired $187 tasting menu is the priciest in the state, but worth every penny. Chef Andrew Black's work has earned him a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, and a semi-finalist nod for Outstanding Chef.

It may come as a surprise, but Oregon's most expensive restaurant tasting menu isn't in Portland. It's actually in Ashland, a city in the southern part of the state that's famous for its arts and culture scene. Drawing inspiration from Northwest and Japanese cuisines, MÄS serves what it calls "Cascadian cuisine," sourcing ingredients from the surrounding Cascadia bioregion. The tasting menu costs $250 and has caught the eye of the New York Times, the James Beard Awards, and more.

With its chef's counter and dining room experiences, Italian restaurant Ambra elevates the warmth and hospitality of Italian home cooking to a fine dining setting. This intimate, 16-seat restaurant in Philadelphia's Queen Village neighborhood offers two ways to try its modern Italian fare: dining at the kitchen counter to get a front-row seat to the culinary action for $225 a pop, or eating in the communal dining room for $175 per person. A wine pairing is available for an additional $125.

If you're going out for dinner in the Ocean State, an ocean view is a must. Situated next to the lovely Cliff Walk in Newport, Cara at The Chanler Hotel boasts lovely seaside views from its dining room. The view is so nice, Cara has been called one of the most beautiful restaurants in America. But Cara has more than just an ocean view; it also has Rhode Island's priciest tasting menu. The eight-course experience costs $230 per person and features European-style fare made with fresh New England ingredients.

If you're looking for the most expensive tasting menu in South Carolina, look no further than Charleston. Frequently named one of the best food cities in the nation, with a renowned culinary festival, there are tons of top-price options around town. An omakase-inspired spot, Raw Lab serves raw or chilled seafood dishes, from oysters and caviar to fish. Pricing varies depending on the day of the week, with the highest-priced tier on Saturday at $275 for food and drinks.

Located in downtown Sioux Falls, Harvester Kitchen is South Dakota's stand-out tasting menu experience. Choose from three multi-course meal options, including a plant-based one, with the seven-course HK Signature Menu as its crowning glory. Harvester Kitchen was also recognized by Wine Spectator with an Award of Excellence in 2024, so it's worth opting for the wine pairings. The tasting menus start at $99 per person. Wine pairing prices vary as well based on the current menu but start in the $95 range.

Nashville is Tennessee's foodie hub and home to many of the state's top restaurants, so naturally, it's also the home of the Volunteer State's priciest tasting menu. A chef-incubator concept in Midtown Nashville, The Catbird Seat serves its multi-course, New American tasting menus at a U-shaped counter that wraps around the cooking and prep area, allowing for an immersive dining experience. Pricing for the imaginative 18-course spreads varies but usually falls in the $185 per person range.

It's more than just the stars at night that are big in the Lone Star State. Texas has a big appetite, and with some of America's top food cities like Houston and Austin, that also means plenty of restaurants with big, big price tags. But it's March, the Houston-based Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, that emerges triumphant from the pack with its $245 per-person tasting menu. For this high price, you get a nine-course tasting menu exploring Mediterranean ingredients and gastronomy. Opting for the beverage pairing adds an extra $170 to the bill.

A James Beard Award semi-finalist, this Salt Lake City restaurant serves New American fare in an edgy, converted factory space. It offers a five-course tasting menu for $85 and a seven-course tasting for $115. Dishes feature local ingredients like mushrooms, as well as housemade pasta. The tasting menu experience also starts with bread made in-house at the restaurant's own bakery, Table X Bread. A vegetarian-friendly version of the menu is available, and additional wine pairings cost $40 for the five-course menu and $50 for the seven-course.

Set on six picturesque acres of forests and fields near Woodstock, Vermont, the Lincoln Inn & Restaurant at the Covered Bridge is part fine dining destination restaurant and part charming inn for overnight stays. The seven-course tasting menu uses ingredients from the property's garden and nearby farms, resulting in fresh, seasonal dishes grounded in Vermont terroir. The food menu costs $145 with an optional wine pairing menu priced at $100.

Dining at the Inn at Little Washington is actually a big deal; this Victorian-styled inn and restaurant boasts three Michelin Stars, an honor it first received in 2019 and has held onto since. Chef Patrick O'Connell has crafted two decadent tasting menus, but the Good Earth menu reigns supreme with its $388 price tag. Spanning seven courses, the dishes reflect French and American ingredients and techniques. Add on the $250 wine pairing and you're looking at an expensive but illustrious meal.

The Evergreen State's most expensive tasting menu can be found at the Herbfarm, a charming farm-to-table restaurant in the Woodinville area outside Seattle. The nine-course, Pacific Northwest cuisine-focused tasting menu features seasonal produce grown in the restaurant's farm and garden and comes with a price tag of $325. That includes beverage pairings, though, which frequently highlight Washington-grown wines for a true "what grows together, goes together" feast.

Dining at Hillbrook Inn, a charming bed and breakfast in the West Virginia countryside, you get to taste the state's most expensive tasting menu with a heaping helping of history on the side. This idyllic property sits on land once owned by George Washington and now welcomes guests for romantic getaways and four-star dining. Along with à la carte options, the restaurant's main attraction is the $125 tasting menu, which offers six courses. Wine pairings cost an additional $85.

With the Midwest being one of America's agricultural powerhouses, it stands to reason there would be some stellar farm-to-table dining options coming out of the region. One great example is the two-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee Birch, whose $86 tasting menu claims top spot for Wisconsin's priciest experience of its kind. The seven-course menu features seasonal ingredients from Birch's partnering farms and food purveyors, accompanied by wines from a collection highlighting small producers for an additional $66.

The most expensive tasting menu in the Equality State can be found at one of its most elite properties, the five-star Brush Creek Ranch. Along with outdoor activities like horseback riding and indulgent spa sessions, the resort's dining program centers around the Cheyenne Club, which has been a legendary Wyoming social hub since the 1800s. The star of the show is the $170 per-person farm-to-table tasting menu, featuring stand-out dishes like the resort's renowned wagyu beef, miso black cod, and dry-aged duck breast.