This Is The Most Expensive Restaurant You'll Find In California

For most of us, suffering sticker shock when we get the bill is an unpleasant finish to a restaurant meal. But diners with the big bucks can indulge their epicurean whims at high-end restaurants around the globe. 

At one time, El Bulli in Spain was known as the world's best restaurant, and its $300 prix fixe menu was one of the priciest. Today, that seems run-of-the-mill for a Michelin-starred chef's tasting menu, but one restaurant in California has emerged as the most expensive, even beating out Thomas Keller's iconic The French Laundry and Dominique Crenn's Atelier Crenn. 

Tucked into a side street off Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, you'll find Somni, a gorgeously designed 14-seat restaurant that showcases chef Aitor Zabala's exquisite Spanish cuisine. Since Somni was recently awarded a third Michelin star — a first for a Los Angeles restaurant — scoring a reservation is like "The Hunger Games." There is a single seating, and, over two-and-a-half hours, Zabala prepares 25 courses in front of guests. Like all chefs' tasting menus, it's prix fixe, and at Somni, the food alone is $495 per person — substantially more expensive than The French Laundry ($425) and Atelier Crenn ($395-$405). This second reiteration of Somni (the first closed during the pandemic) opened in November 2024, and as of February 2025, the restaurant was requiring diners to purchase a non-alcoholic pairing at $150 or a wine pairing at $225, bringing the total to a whopping $645 or $720 per person before taxes and gratuity.

The Somni Experience, as the restaurant calls it, offers different wine pairings that range from $820-$1,595 per person, all of which must be partially prepaid ($500 per person), and does not include gratuity and taxes. Unless you're Jeff Bezos (who tried and failed to get in without a reservation), a meal at Somni isn't exactly the ideal place for a date night. 

Zabala hails from Barcelona and was closely associated with twice-Michelin-starred José Andrés, and it's obvious that his imaginative cuisine is overpriced. But in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he blames his sky-high prix fixe on rising food costs, staff salaries, rent increases, and tariffs. 

The French Laundry in Napa, California, was one of the restaurants that Anthony Bourdain practically worshipped, and it's never been a cheap night out. The base per-person charge runs from $425-$600, depending on where you choose to be seated. Interestingly, there's no wine pairing, and if you choose to have one, the sommelier will create one, which can add up. But you can save money by following a neat trick for pairing wine at The French Laundry so you won't faint when you get the bill. 

In 2024, Atelier Crenn was named the most expensive restaurant in California, but since then, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant and chef seemed to have lowered prices for 2025. Atelier Crenn does have a pricey wine pairing, plus a 20% service charge and a 3% San Francisco-mandated tax, yet it's still not as expensive as Somni.