Write down an evening budget first
Choose the amount you are comfortable spending for the whole party. Include food, drinks, mandatory charges, tax, any extra gratuity you choose, and travel. Then compare restaurants against that limit.
Use this worksheet with the prices and terms for your actual date. Leave an unknown amount blank until you can verify it; a missing service charge is not the same as a zero charge.
| Item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Food | Selected menu price × guest count |
| Drinks and extras | Each guest's choice, plus any supplements |
| Mandatory charges | Published rate and the items it applies to |
| Tax | Amount shown at checkout or confirmed by the restaurant |
| Optional spending | Extra gratuity, transport and parking |
| Already paid | Deposit or prepayment credited against the meal |
Worked menu and drink subtotals for two
Kasama lists a $325 dinner menu, a $195 beverage pairing and a $95 non-alcoholic pairing per person. Kasama: menus and service formats.
- Two menus without pairings: 2 × $325 = $650.
- Two menus with two non-alcoholic pairings: $650 + $190 = $840.
- Two menus with one of each pairing: $650 + $95 + $195 = $940.
- Two menus with two beverage pairings: $650 + $390 = $1,040.
These are food-and-pairing subtotals, excluding tax, any service charge, tips, extras and transport. The difference between the two matching pairing choices is $200 for the party. See the Kasama guide for booking details.
Smyth lists its Smyth Menu at $420 and its Chef's Menu at $550 per person. Two menus therefore cost $840 or $1,100 before drinks, tax and other additions. For visits from November 5, 2026, the restaurant announces a single extended Chef's Menu. Check the price for your date. Smyth: menus and November booking change; Smyth guide.
Separate service charges from optional gratuity
Do not apply one restaurant's policy to every dinner. Ever publishes a 20% service charge and says extra gratuity is discretionary. Ever: booking, access and service-charge FAQ.
As an arithmetic example, a $700 subtotal subject to a 20% charge becomes $840 before tax. That is an illustration, not a restaurant quote. Verify which items the charge covers and whether it is already included in the displayed amount before adding it again.
Likewise, count a deposit credited to dinner once in the total cost. Record it separately when calculating how much remains to pay. A reservation hold or cancellation exposure belongs in your planning notes, even if it is not an additional meal charge.
Make the expensive choices before arrival
Agree on drinks and supplements before you sit down. Each diner may want a different beverage option. Ask what is available and whether a pairing is optional rather than assuming every booking includes it.
Compare the Alinea and Oriole guides if you are weighing different rooms or seating formats. Decide what the setting is worth to your group, then use the price for that setting in the budget.
If the completed total is uncomfortable, change the format or shortlist before paying. The occasion guide can help you decide what matters most; the reservation guide covers the commitment you make at checkout.
Sources and updates
This is a researched planning guide, not a firsthand review. Recommendations and arithmetic are ours. Prices and policies were checked on September 8, 2026; confirm the terms for your date before paying.
- Kasama: menus and service formats
- Smyth: menus and November booking change
- Ever: booking, access and service-charge FAQ
Found a change? Send a correction with the source and the detail that needs updating.