When you're searching for a fine-dining experience in a new city, the first place you might look is the Michelin Guide, which dishes out its prestigious stars to some of the world's most exceptional restaurants. The guidebook's top-rated picks – two- and three-star restaurants – are often once-in-a-lifetime experiences that can cost hundreds per person. Lucky for you, a new study from Chef's Pencil has just identified the least expensive cities to dine out at a top-rated Michelin restaurant.
The platform, which is a culinary resource that collects recipes and advice from chefs, analyzed 450 restaurants around the globe that have earned two or three stars from the Michelin Guide. They pulled prices for the top tasting menu at each, finding that on average, a two- or three-star meal will cost you $276 per person.
Armed with this data, Chef's Pencil was able to deduce that Bangkok is the most affordable city for indulging in top-tier Michelin-starred meals, with the average tasting menu at a two-starred restaurant costing $173. It is worth noting here that Bangkok doesn't currently have any three-starred restaurants, which certainly helps its affordability ranking. The No. 2 spot goes to Lyon, which also has the highest concentration of restaurants in France (win-win!). Take a look at the full list and average menu prices below:
The most affordable cities for a top-rated Michelin meal
1. Bangkok: $173
2. Lyon: $203
3. Seoul: $213
4. Rotterdam: $216
5. Barcelona: $224
6. Vienna: $225
7. Madrid: $228
8. Taipei: $232
9. Hamburg: $240
10. Macao: $248
Now, if you are looking to splash out and blow a paycheck at dinner, you might be wondering about the most expensive cities for a top-rated Michelin meal. The study found that Copenhagen – home to three-star restaurants Noma and Geranium – is the best place to ball out, with the average tasting menu priced at $448 per person. Second and third places go to Shanghai and Kyoto, respectively. Below, the full ranking for your dining wish list.
The most expensive cities for a top-rated Michelin meal
1. Copenhagen: $448
2. Shanghai: $406
3. Kyoto: $401
4. Singapore: $364
5. Paris: $358
6. Stockholm: $335
7. Hong Kong: $324
8. Amsterdam: $320
9. New York: $309
10. Milan: $309
Looking for more affordable fine dining? This map highlights the cheapest Michelin-starred meals around the world.