What excuse is there really for such overpriced restaurants?

What I understand is that for a restuarant to run a profit it needs to charge three times the cost of the actual raw material that is used to make the menu you eat.

Given that in a high class restuarant there will be a lot of waste and the quality of the basic ingreidents is significantly better.

The need to store wine and pay for quality staff all adds up to a significant cost.

I live in Paris and most one start michelin restuarants run at a loss. They normally are attached to Hotels and are used as a way of enticing guests to the Hotel.

Anyway, as a true gastronome and amateur chef I also cook at home and a 4 course meal for 6 people costs me 150 Euros without wine so 25 Euros per a head. WHich means that in a restuarant this will add up to a bill of 75 Euros per a head. Plus wine!! Wel the skies the limit.

Eggthenoodle makes a great point. I also live in Paris, and can only agree with his answer.

In addition a lot of these restaurant have a lot more people on their staff which means increased costs. The great chefs do a lot of research which is another cost. There is a restaurant in Barcelona which is only open six months out of the year as the chef and owner does food research the rest of the time.

Those prices are ridiculous. If you look at it from the restaurant's point of view, they are there to make money. From the customer's point of view, there really is not any valid excuse for the outrageous prices.

there is no excuse. its just to make money. and people think expensive means better quality and thats mostly not true. its a win win situation for the restaurant

Simple...so a certian class of people will attend without having lower income people around them. Sad world we live in.

atmosphere. People are paying for a more enjoyable dining experience. If the meal was cheaper it might as well be at Denny's.