Credit: www.chefspencil.com

Chef’s Pencil, an international food magazine researching food trends, industry news and guides, has reported that Luxembourg ranked fifteenth in cost worldwide, and amongst the least expensive offers for Michelin dining in Europe.

Launched 124 years ago, the Michelin Guide remains the world’s most prestigious restaurant rating system. It has substantially increased its geographic coverage over the past few years, now featuring 3,500+ Michelin-starred restaurants in over 40 countries and territories.

According to Chef’s Pencil, the median global cost of the priciest tasting menu is $179 (€167) per person, excluding drinks, government charges and tips. Additionally, each additional star adds $100 (€93) to the price, with one-starred restaurants averaging $165 (€155), two-starred at $256 (€240), and three-starred at $356 (€334).

The most expensive tasting menu costs on average €150 in Luxembourg, on par with the Netherlands, Ireland and France, but substantially more affordable than Germany, Austria or Denmark.

The most expensive countries include Denmark (€295), Hong Kong SAR (€248), Iceland (€233), Singapore (€224) and the United States (€211). Vietnam (€121), Brazil (€122), Malta (€123), China and Greece offer more affordable dining options. 

The priciest cities for fine dining are Copenhagen (€416), Monaco (€240), Hong Kong (€247), San Francisco (€244) and Dubai (€241). Conversely, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Sao Paulo, and Taichung were found to be the most affordable. 

The Chef’s Pencil staff also offered advice on how to eat more affordably at Michelin restaurants. Lunch menus are substantially cheaper than dinners (though not all restaurants offer a lunch service). There may be discounts available mid-week rather than at the weekend, they added. Some restaurants offer an a la carte menu with more affordable dishes. The vegetarian menu (when available) is also less expensive. Drinking in moderation will also reduce the bill, as drinks can be especially pricy at Michelin-starred establishments, the research team added.

The research for this report was conducted between 20 March and 19 April 2024.