Ask George: What’s the most expensive restaurant in St. Louis? Riley J., St. Louis
A touchy question, as there is a certain stigma attached to being “the most expensive” anything, restaurants included. The answer depends on a lot of things, but first a parameter needs to be set.
I think it’s fair to base the answer on the price of the average entrée, but even that gets tricky as some entrees are priced a la carte while others are not. There’s also the question of value per dollar, but that’s a different argument.
In general , due to the high price of premium beef cuts, steakhouses tend to have the highest price points--Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris, The Tenderloin Room, Mike Shannon’s, Fleming's, Al’s, Prime 1000, etc.—all have steak entrees priced in the 30’s, 40’s and above. And although I have not put pen to paper, the newest steakhouse in town—801 Chophouse—may be at the top of the price ladder. That said, the almost universal comment about 801 addresses the value issue: “It was expensive but well worth it.” (It should also be noted that 801 has a less expensive Happy Hour menu and an affordable three courses for $33 prix fixe deal on Sunday nights.)
Several of the city’s notable and traditional Italian restaurants make our unofficial list as well, including Dominic’s, Giovanni’s, Kemoll’s, and Tony’s. All are considered special occasion restaurants, places where dressing up is more common than dressing down. (One aside: Tony's was long regarded as the most expensive restaurant in town. Justifiably, so. Nowadays, it's my contention that while other high-end restaurants are catching up price-wise, Tony's prices have not gone up significantly, making it a relative bargain, especially considering the table side service that--in my mind, anyway--is a major part of the experience.)
If tastes veer more toward modern Italian, Cielo at The Four Seasons has a new chef (born in Turin, came to StL from Venice) whose innovation is evident on his new menu.
Several other restaurants make our list: while Niche and Elaia both offer expensive tasting menus ($100 pp), both offer lesser versions, as well as a la carte entrée options. Sidney Street Café is worth the splurge, as is Annie Gunn’s, and Stone Soup Cottage in Cottleville is worth the drive, the months-long wait, and the $90 pp price tag.
It’s no secret that one’s choice of wine can up the final bill considerably. All of the above restaurants have excellent wine lists, and cost usually accompanies excellence.
All that said, there are still gourmet bargains around town: Citizen Kane’s serves an excellent quality steak dinner for $37, Giovanni’s Kitchen offers up the same Giovanni’s / Il Bel Lago quality fare at far less cost, and The Grill at The Ritz Carlton recently introduced a new menu with reasonable price points (for a Ritz), justifying a visit to the swanky Lobby Lounge.
