To this day, my 2015 dinner at Saison Restaurant was still the most I’ve ever spent on a meal. It was an incredible experience, but the cost had deterred me from revisiting. Fast forward to last month, and I was pinching myself, because I got a sneak peek of their new $58 bar prix fixe experience. Yes, you are reading that right, $58 to dine at a two-Michelin star restaurant. This does not include drinks, and I would call this more of a snack rather than a full meal. But you receive the same starting canapés that they serve in their full tasting menu, along with a brioche bread miso course, tea, and dessert.
There’s also the option to add supplements including their iconic sea urchin grilled sourdough toast. The uni toast alone is about the cost of the snack menu, and with other supplements and drinks your tab can easily add up, but the flexibility of having a lower starting point is incredible. The bar experience is only available Tuesday-Thursday, and word has gotten out, so reservations are sparse, but looks like they do release rolling daily reservations three months out.
If you go in with the expectation of snacking, you will have a great experience. The kitchen, led by Executive Chef Richard Lee, put out phenomenal small bites. My friend and I also had a great time sitting at the bar and chatting with Peter and team. Wonderful service all around.
Here is what came with the $58 menu in September:
Tuna, watermelon, sansho pepper.
Duck liver, stroopwafel, huckleberry.
Brioche, bread miso.
And here were the supplements and drinks that we added on:
Menus from that day, including the full tasting menu to compare:
