Eat, pay, love: Strip club among Michelin-starred list of most expensive restaurants in the U.S.
Last updated at 12:07 PM on 12th August 2011
But that is exactly what's happening at the Penthouse Executive Club restaurant in New York, which ranks among a Michelin-starred list of the most expensive eateries in the U.S.
Dining at Robert's Steakhouse, where ladies offer lap dances with a the five star meal, costs the average patron $516, according to Bundle.com.
Fine dining? A dancer at Robert's Steakhouse in the Penthouse Executive Club in New York joins patrons for their meal
The online financial census bureau offered an infographic this week on the 25 most expensive restaurants in the country, and it was no surprise Michelen-starred Per Se and Daniel in New York made the list, coming in at second and ninth, respectively.
But among the rankings Robert's stands out at number 12 - the only fine dining establishment where strippers are also on the menu.
Joe Erickson, Head of Operations, told MailOnline: 'Girls come over to say hello, to have dinner or chat, or to make arrangements for table-side dances later in the evening.'
A New York strip steak at the restaurant will cost patrons $53, but it is the alcohol that can drastically raise the tab. Champagne costs between $200 to $750 for a regular bottle. Wine, from $65 to $1,000. A bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac: $3,200.
Sizzling: A dancer straddles the stage at the Penthouse Executive Club. Restaurant patrons can dine on the edge of an atrium to look down on the first-floor strip shows
Rave reviews: The restaurant has won praise from food critics at The New York Times and Vogue for its flavourful aged steaks
And that is not counting tip, tax or lap dances, which can cost $20 per song.
'We're not cheap. We are not for the financially faint of heart,' Mr Erickson said. Although he noted patrons can dine for far less, if they pass on the racy entertainment.
Ladies can be seen throughout the restaurant dressed in low-cut tops and lingerie, rolling their hips on platforms at the corners of an atrium, which looks down onto the first floor stage.
The room looks more like a nightclub than a stuffy fine dining establishment, lit with warm shades of blues and pinks. But white cloths line the tables.
Perhaps surprisingly, the restaurant has won praise from food critics at The New York Times and Vogue for its flavourful aged steaks.
Frank Bruni at the New York Times called his medium-rare porterhouse steak and onion rings a 'possibly perfect meal'.
Pricey: Dining at Robert's Steakhouse costs the average patron $516, according to online census bureau Bundle.com
'You can see how nicely charred it is on the outside, how soft and red within,' Mr Bruni wrote. 'It takes an impressive steak to draw a photographer's attention away from the scene and onto the cuisine. This one succeeded.'
Jeffrey Steingarten of Vogue Magazine proclaimed the porterhouse 'The best steak dinner in town' and the New York Daily News said the restaurant had 'Incredible food and service'.
Perhaps because that is because its managers take the cuisine so seriously.
Mr Erickson explained: 'We have our own dry ageing facility on the property. It really enhances the flavour of the meat.
'Of course we're inside of a gentleman's club that's beautifully appointed,' he added.
'The place is beautiful, the portions that you get are really top notch, the entertainers that are here are a group of lovely ladies that can make the dining experience that much nicer.
'After someone finishes their meal they can have a really great time,' Mr Erickson said.
Editors at Bundle.com determined the ranking by examining spending data from the average check sizes based on millions of transactions done in restaurants across the country.
Still, the prices at Robert's are paltry compared to number one-ranked The French Laundry in Yountville, California, Per Se in New York and Michael Mina in San Fransisco, where checks run an average of $957, $883 and $844, respectively.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024973/Strip-club-Roberts-Steakhouse-list-expensive-restaurants-US.html#ixzz1Uoo01NO7
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