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The cost of dining out has risen by 4.2% since March of last year, according to the most recent consumer price index data. Whether you’re grabbing burgers at a fast-food joint or indulging in a luxury meal at one of the world’s top restaurants, you can expect to pay more than ever.
If you’re just tossing burgers on the grill, you can save money by eating at home. You can probably cook a better and healthier meal, too, splurging on grass-fed beef and high-quality fixings.
But is it worth trying to recreate some of the gourmet dishes from the world’s finest restaurants — especially when you consider the price of the ingredients, any special equipment you might need and your time?
We broke it down for you, comparing popular meals at top restaurants worldwide with what it might cost to cook those same dishes at home, assuming you can find the premium ingredients.
Guy Savoy, Paris
Guy Savoy in Paris has six dining rooms, all offering a private option for guests. The restaurant has a set menu that includes appetizers, lobster with coral and more. This menu starts at $696 per person, before drinks, as previously reported by GOBankingRates.
Let’s break down some of the menu items to see how much they would cost at home.
- Raw/cooked lobster with coral, with a carrot-lobster crisp: $44 per 1.25 lb. lobster at LobsterAnywhere.com, $2 for fresh organic carrots at Sprouts Farmers Market via Instacart. Total: $46.
- Roasted red mullet ‘swimming in the sea’, mullet jus, simmered vegetables: $45 for 2 – 3 lbs. of mullet at Citarella.com, Broccoli medley from Target, $2.59. Total: $48.
- Steamed John Dory with John Dory mousseline and lightly grilled green beans: $45 for 2 to 3 lbs. of John Dory fish from Citarella.com, fresh organic green beans, $3.77 from Walmart. Total: $49.
- Artichoke soup with black truffle: $109 for 1.12 oz. of black winter truffles from France, heavy cream, $4.39 at Target, Native Forest Artichoke Hearts, $9 for 9.9 oz. on Amazon. Total: $122.
Time to Prepare
Preparing all these dishes would require multiple stove burners and a bit of time. According to one recipe at Cookpad.com, you would need about five minutes to prepare the red mullet and another 25 to 30 minutes for roasting.
A recipe for steamed dory fish indicated 15 minutes of prep time and another 15 minutes for cooking.
Bottom line: The ingredient list above doesn’t include spices, seasonings and staples you might need to prepare the dishes. Assuming you have the skills of a master chef, and an hour or more to spend in the kitchen, you could enjoy this Guy Savoy collection for roughly half the price you’d spend at the restaurant.
Bavette’s Steakhouse and Bar
Let’s take it down a notch and explore fine dining, Vegas-style, at Bavette’s Steakhouse and Bar. Ranked one of America’s most expensive steakhouses by TheDailyMeal, hors d’oeuvre, salad and steak will run you around $130.
That is, if you don’t choose the pricey 20-ounce bone-in ribeye for $100 — or the 32-ounce, 42-day dry-aged porterhouse for $189. Smaller appetites might enjoy the 6 oz. filet mignon for $56.
How much would a good steak dinner cost at home?
Omaha steaks offers four 6 oz. filet mignon cuts for $84, which is $21 per steak, already bringing the cost of this meal down to half the price you’d pay at Bavette’s for the steak.
Let’s choose that steakhouse-staple of maple bacon as an appetizer. A recipe at TheSpruceEats listed just three ingredients: bacon, brown sugar, and maple syrup. We found thick cut smoked hickory bacon for $9 for 24 oz. at Walmart, brown sugar for $3 — if you spring for the national Domino brand instead of Great Value — and Maple Grove Farms Organic maple syrup for $7. Of course, these quantities feed more than one person for a total of just $19.
Finally, let’s add a salad made with organic mixed greens to the menu, which you can find at Walmart for $5.
Time to Prepare
The heavy lifting comes from that maple bacon appetizer, which can take roughly 40 minutes between prep time and baking. Cooking a steak should take 7 to 10 minutes for medium rare to medium. Add another five minutes to wash and plate the salad, and you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour.
Will it taste the same as a high-end steakhouse? That’s up to the cook. Having the right equipment helps. Some say steaks cook best in a cast iron skillet, like this one from Lodge. If you don’t have one, you could add another $20 to the cost of the meal to invest in this trending cookware. Alternatively, steak cooked on a quality barbecue grill is also considered desirable.
Even so, you’d spend $129 for four people — the average price of dinner for one at Bavette’s.
Bottom Line on Fine Dining at Home Versus Dining Out
Whether you’re choosing exotic foreign fare or a steakhouse dinner, eating at home still costs less than dining out. However, when you visit some of these top restaurants, you’re paying as much for the experience as the food. Only you can decide if it’s worth it — and if you can afford to fit a high-end dinner into your budget.
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