21-Course Tasting Menu Explosion
Ultra-long tasting menus — some running 21 courses or more — are becoming a hallmark of luxury dining, with chefs pushing the limits of creativity and diners' attention spans. This escalation reflects both culinary ambition and a growing market for experiential dining, but also raises questions about accessibility and true value.
The modern tasting menu, or *menu dégustation*, gained prominence with the French nouvelle cuisine movement in the 1970s. Chefs were inspired by the much older Japanese tradition of kaiseki, a multi-course meal emphasizing seasonality and artistic presentation that dates back to the 16th century. For chefs, the format is a way to control the entire dining narrative, showcasing their full range of skills and telling a story through a progression of dishes. Operationally, it allows kitchens to streamline purchasing, reduce food waste, and increase the average spend per customer. While a 21-course menu is lengthy, some establishments have pushed the concept to its limits. Spain's legendary elBulli was famous for its 30-to-35 course meals, and Chicago's Alinea has offered menus with up to 30 courses. One of the most extreme examples was a 24-hour event in London that featured 200 courses. These elaborate meals carry significant price tags, with some of the world's most exclusive restaurants charging hundreds or even thousands of dollars. At SubliMotion in Ibiza, a 20-course menu combined with art and technology costs around 1500 euros. However, a backlash against these marathon meals has been growing. Critics and even some chefs argue that long tasting menus can be tyrannical, creating diner fatigue and removing customer choice. Some have described feeling like a "hostage" to the chef's vision, with the experience becoming monotonous over several hours. In response to this fatigue, some fine-dining restaurants are beginning to shorten their tasting menus or reintroduce à la carte options. This hybrid approach attempts to find a middle ground, offering a curated experience without the multi-hour commitment of a 20-plus course meal.
