What is the most you have paid for dinner?

[FDE]

Our top three, dinner for two:

L'Arpege, Paris - 960 Euro (disappointing meal)

Marc Veyrat, Annecy - 910 Euro

Alain Ducasse, Paris - 800 Euro

Each time, we spent about 200 Euro on wine.

[maher]

i was part of a group that paid almost $850 a head at Per Se in  new york, but it was partially the fault of 3 no shows that the restaurant charged for anyway since we had booked up the private room. i thought that was totally unreasonable since we spend over $4000 on food and wine for the seven who did make it, and we still had to pay almost $1200 extra to cover the no shows.

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Was there any American legal reason not to just pay the $4,000 and tell them to pursue the no-shows-ers for the $1,200? What would they have done, refused to serve you the $4,000 meal and lost this?

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I'm guessing, if it's anything like the places in London that charge no-show fees, that they pre-authorised their credit cards so if they'd all had left whoever's card it was would have been stung for $2000.

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thats pretty much it, they ahd the credit card preauthorized. we still expected them to be more reasonable once we had spent quite a bit on wine, but it was not to be. when the final invoice showed up they still charged the no shows.

frankly thats bit one of my primary disappointments in the Thomas Keller restaurants, it seems to me that they are entirely too focused on the commercial aspect and the upsell, to the detriment of their service.

[Scott]

i was part of a group that paid almost $850 a head at Per Se in  new york, but it was partially the fault of 3 no shows that the restaurant charged for anyway since we had booked up the private room. i thought that was totally unreasonable since we spend over $4000 on food and wine for the seven who did make it, and we still had to pay almost $1200 extra to cover the no shows.

←

Was there any American legal reason not to just pay the $4,000 and tell them to pursue the no-shows-ers for the $1,200? What would they have done, refused to serve you the $4,000 meal and lost this?

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I'm guessing, if it's anything like the places in London that charge no-show fees, that they pre-authorised their credit cards so if they'd all had left whoever's card it was would have been stung for $2000.

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that's nothing like London. the credit card companies refuse to authorise such charges in the UK. a challenge to the relevant card company will do the trick nicely.

[Duncan]

I've been lucky enough to have been taken to restaurants that didn't have any prices for the lady- so apart from a sneak peak (which often showed in the high hundreds) I didn't have to worry about it.

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When we went to Le Meurice a few years back they were doing that, except in our case they accidentally gave Judy the one with the prices (and then quickly switched them round when they realised). It was also memorable as the only restaurant I've ever been to with special handbag stands so you don't have to sully your bag on the carpet.

[JudyB]

I've been lucky enough to have been taken to restaurants that didn't have any prices for the lady- so apart from a sneak peak (which often showed in the high hundreds) I didn't have to worry about it.

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When we went to Le Meurice a few years back they were doing that, except in our case they accidentally gave Judy the one with the prices (and then quickly switched them round when they realised). It was also memorable as the only restaurant I've ever been to with special handbag stands so you don't have to sully your bag on the carpet.

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From memory I think that we caused this by confusing them. Although they brought the French menus to the tables initially, they thought that we were English and we were asked if we would prefer an English menu. When we said that we were happy with the French version I think that this threw a spanner in the works and I got the menu with prices...

Edited August 10, 2008 by JudyB (log)

[Paul Reynard]

I've been lucky enough to have been taken to restaurants that didn't have any prices for the lady- so apart from a sneak peak (which often showed in the high hundreds) I didn't have to worry about it.

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When we went to Le Meurice a few years back they were doing that, except in our case they accidentally gave Judy the one with the prices (and then quickly switched them round when they realised). It was also memorable as the only restaurant I've ever been to with special handbag stands so you don't have to sully your bag on the carpet.

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The Greenhouse also have little handbag stands now. Glad I'm not the only one who suffers this problem Duncan...

[chrisp]

i was part of a group that paid almost $850 a head at Per Se in  new york, but it was partially the fault of 3 no shows that the restaurant charged for anyway since we had booked up the private room. i thought that was totally unreasonable since we spend over $4000 on food and wine for the seven who did make it, and we still had to pay almost $1200 extra to cover the no shows.

←

Was there any American legal reason not to just pay the $4,000 and tell them to pursue the no-shows-ers for the $1,200? What would they have done, refused to serve you the $4,000 meal and lost this?

←

I'm guessing, if it's anything like the places in London that charge no-show fees, that they pre-authorised their credit cards so if they'd all had left whoever's card it was would have been stung for $2000.

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that's nothing like London. the credit card companies refuse to authorise such charges in the UK. a challenge to the relevant card company will do the trick nicely.

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Do you mean they don't charge for no-shows, or they don't pre-authorise in the same way?

[Scott]

i was part of a group that paid almost $850 a head at Per Se in  new york, but it was partially the fault of 3 no shows that the restaurant charged for anyway since we had booked up the private room. i thought that was totally unreasonable since we spend over $4000 on food and wine for the seven who did make it, and we still had to pay almost $1200 extra to cover the no shows.

←

Was there any American legal reason not to just pay the $4,000 and tell them to pursue the no-shows-ers for the $1,200? What would they have done, refused to serve you the $4,000 meal and lost this?

←

I'm guessing, if it's anything like the places in London that charge no-show fees, that they pre-authorised their credit cards so if they'd all had left whoever's card it was would have been stung for $2000.

←

that's nothing like London. the credit card companies refuse to authorise such charges in the UK. a challenge to the relevant card company will do the trick nicely.

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Do you mean they don't charge for no-shows, or they don't pre-authorise in the same way?

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it means if you ring up your card company and challenge it, they will not honour the charge with the restaurant. they are very legally dubious, and commercially sensitive.

[chrisnorth]

Taillevent has handbag stands too!

Edited August 12, 2008 by chrisnorth (log)

[Infrasonic]

No shows is a bit of a sensitive issue , in that it really can mess up the economics of a high end restaurant in a major city. I know of owners who have had parties of twenty not turn up on a Saturday.

Having said that...

No doubt someone will correct me but I'm pretty certain that you could refuse to pay for the no shows (in the UK at least) at the time and ask the restaurant to pursue it through the courts if they believe they have the legal mandate to do it. I think it's a civil matter rather than criminal. It may be something that is covered by the OFT unfair terms and conditions legislation. If the restaurant puts it through on your card number as customer not present afterwards they are on a very sticky wicket.

Personally, if I have made the booking in my name I always make a point of telling my fellow diners upfront that if they are avoidably late or don't show at all, I won't ever ask them again...