I think this is so dependent on locale; here (NYC), we can go out for some pretty good Hong Kong style Chinese, bring our own wine, and spend about $25 per person. But there doesn't seem to be much middle ground any more; that is, a good, slightly more fancy meal, one in which the wine is not brought from home, has inched (or footed) up into the $100 per person range.
But back to your original post; my favorite dining (out) style is one in which the chef/cooks know what the hell they're doing, use good ingredients, and don't muck up my food too much. With halfway decent service.
It's a rather broad category.
And back to the "I can do it better at home" trope. Well sure, but then I'd have to shop, cook, clean, etc. etc.