Let's not even get into tasting menus, omakases and gold flakes.
The site Love Food did some digging into prices to come up with a list of the most expensive restaurants in every state. In this case, they bypassed gimmicky dishes and instead searched for the "priciest main course or tasting menu, and avoiding spots with just one very expensive dish."
For Texas, Love Food landed at two Dallas restaurants. The first is the only restaurant in North Texas with a Michelin star, the 10-seat omakase Tatsu, which isn't just "expensive" but also a culinary journey that could change the way you think about sushi and food and life (and expense accounts for that matter):
"For $185, diners enjoy an omakase experience, with a seasonal tasting menu consisting of one or two appetizers, 13-15 pieces of nigiri-style sushi, a hand roll, miso soup, and a dessert."
That price tag is before drinks, tax and an 18% automatic gratuity. Plan on $500 for dinner for two, as our restaurant critic Chris Wolfgang advises in his review, aptly titled "Tatsu and the Art of the Omakase." This small restaurant is near Deep Ellum in the historic Continental Gin Building. The affable chef Tatsu Sekiguchi learned his trade at his family's century-old restaurant in Hasuda City, Japan and highlights edomae style sushi.
Also on the list of most expensive restaurants is chef Danny Grant's Monarch, perched atop The National in downtown. A giant wood-fired hearth in the center of the restaurant is worthy of a trip downtown. The tasting menu is about $180 per person (for Spring 2025) and housemade pasta dishes start at $26 and go up to $74 for the whole Maine lobster spaghetti. But what really landed this spot on the list is the Butcher's Reserve section of the menu with six steaks that range from $65 to $220 for a 45-day dry-aged Tomahawk.
The Mayor of Speyside is Monarch's $85 cocktail made with Glenfiddich 18-year, Laird's Applejack, Fernet Vallet and smoke.
Tableside tiramisu is $35, but having a luxurious dessert made right in front of you is priceless, right? That's what we hear.
The Observer's offices are in downtown, so we've been once or twice for Monarch's Golden Hour (happy hour) menu, which includes some small bites, like $12 arancini di riso, a salumi and formaggion plate for $20, and there's a seafood tower for just $35. Plus wine and cocktails are $12 and $15, respectively. Plus the view from the bar is pretty great.
