‘A week’s wage gone’: Ramsay slammed over eye-watering price of Australian pop-up restaurant
A well-known restaurateur is bringing his British cooking down under, but it doesn’t come without a hefty price tag for its patrons.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who is known for his daring insults, has received a taste of his own medicine from fed up Australians following the announcement of his almost $800 a ticket Sydney restaurant.
The British restaurateur announced on Tuesday he was bringing three Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to fine dining venue Aria for three nights from May 8 to May 10.
The one-off dining experience curated by Ramsay alongside Aria founder and chef Matt Moran, will feature a seven-course menu which will “showcase the cookery of Matt Abé,” the restaurant’s chef patron.
“The seven-course meal will feature signature Restaurant Gordon Ramsay dishes that will replace British produce with ingredients from some of Australia’s leading producers,” a statement on the event reads.
The menu will feature a combination of dishes dating back to 1998 up to today by Abé and will include signature Restaurant Gordon Ramsay dishes including shellfish ravioli and pecan praline dessert.
But foodies after a taste of the mouth-watering cuisine need to be prepared to dig into their savings with tickets valued at $495 per person plus an additional $295 for those interested in a “premium wine pairing”.
“Honestly this year we celebrate 25 years (of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay) and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate … than with a pop up … inside the stunning restaurant Aria,” Ramsay said in an Instagram reel following the announcement.
“Really looking forward to getting back to the kitchen where it all started for me 20 years ago,” Abé added.
The news excited hundreds of Australian food-lovers, with many yearning for the April 13 ticket-release date so they could cash in on the experience.
“Huge news! What an exciting time for the restaurant world, can‘t wait!” vegan chef Elijah Attard commented alongside a flame emoji.
“This is INCREDIBLE we love dining at Aria Restaurant,” one woman said.
Meanwhile among dozens of love-heart, clapping and praise emojis, many fans were asking whether they’d see Ramsay in person.
But for others, the excitement was short-lived upon the realisation the experience came with a costly price-tag.
One smart-witted fan even crunched the numbers to discover that with a wine pairing, couples could be forced to fork out almost $1600.
“I was fully down for it til (sic) I saw the $500 wtf,” one person posted to Facebook.
“That would be a week’s wage gone,” another said.
A third added: “$495 a head, rather take four people and go out somewhere else for a nice dinner.”
It’s understood the tickets were priced from $495 due to the high-end restaurant journeying internationally for the first time and also due to the celebrity chef masterminds behind the menu, the Daily Mail reports.
In a post to Instagram, Moran said he couldn’t be more excited to host Ramsey for the exclusive three-night event which is adjacent to the iconic Sydney Opera House.
“I’ve known Gordon for over 25 years, and it’s an absolute honour to host Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Aria,” he said.
“It’s a homecoming for chef patron Matt Abé, who spent five years cooking with me in Aria’s kitchen before moving to London and becoming the first and only 3-star Australian chef.
“These three nights will be a real highlight in the 23 years of Aria; I can‘t wait!”
News.com.au has contacted Aria for comment.