Sky-High Prices Dominate the Restaurant Scene

LONDON, Sept. 14, 2007 — -- London exceeds expectations in many areas: history, architecture, business and prices. Moscow beats London as the world's most expensive city overall, with a coffee in Moscow's Red Square setting you back $6.40.

But in terms of eating out, London has the highest prices.

The Zagat restaurant guide published its findings this week. Extensive surveys in 45 cities found that London's restaurants are the world's most expensive.

England's capital city has seen a 2.9 percent increase since last year with the average cost of a three-course meal, including tax, service and a tip reaching $79.44.

Last year, Tokyo's restaurants were ranked as the world's most expensive, but the Japanese capital has now been overtaken by London and Paris. Eating in the city famed for the Eiffel Tower comes in second in terms of cost, with the average dinner bill coming to $72.

Prices across the Atlantic are renowned for being lower than in Europe; diners in America's most expensive city, New York, pay on average $39 for an evening meal, half the price of London.

In the upper echelons of restaurants, London prices have gone up 6.1 percent since last year, with customers parting with an average of $178.63 for an up-market evening meal.

If these prices haven't burned a hole in your pocket, or offended your sensibilities, then jump on the Eurostar to Paris, where the average bill for fine dining is even higher than London's, at $205.41.

The general astonishment over how expensive the London scene has become was voiced to ABC News by Tim Zagat, CEO of his namesake firm. Zagat told ABC News: "I was somewhat surprised to discover that London is the priciest city for eating out. However, looking back, the Zagat surveys show that gradual inflation has caused an inching up of prices."

Time Out's London food editor, Guy Dimond, echoed Zagat's view, telling ABC News that the rise in cost is a reflection of an improvement in the quality of the food. Dimond added that expensive food prices are a straightforward reflection of the fact that London is a costly city.