Marcus Wareing has recounted the infamous day in July 2001 when six investment bankers spent more than £44,000 on a meal at the Michelin-starred London restaurant Petrus, a bill that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive of all time. The celebrity chef, then chef-patron, was in the kitchen when the group arrived to celebrate a successful bonds deal. The entire bill was for high-end wines, as the restaurant waived the £400 food charge. The final total came to £44,007, plus an undisclosed four-figure tip, equivalent to £85,355.59 in 2026 money.
Cash-Rich Era and a Legendary Order
Wareing, 56, told The Go-To Food Podcast that the era was defined by wealth: "It was the Noughties, the Tony Blair years - cash-rich, cigars, smoking, Cognac - the liqueur trolley might as well have been water, the way it was getting drunk." He added: "It was the time of the banking world and the time everyone was doing really well and cash was king. It was unbelievable."
The sommelier first alerted Wareing to a customer at the bar who had booked dinner and was examining the wine list, specifically the Petrus wines, which were named after the Bordeaux estate. The diners, from a major bank that had made 2,000 people unemployed a month earlier, ordered precisely: three bottles of Petrus from the 1940s, a 1900 Chateau d'Yquem, and seven beers to start.
Fear of a Run and a 45-Minute Bill
Wareing called business partner Chris Hutcheson, who advised: "Yes, do it, but do one thing - make sure that nobody leaves the restaurant until they've paid the bill." Wareing positioned chefs near the front door in case the diners attempted to leave without paying. The bill, broken down across multiple credit cards, took 45 minutes to process. It eventually went through, costing £7,334.50 per head.
The wine list included a 1982 Montrachet at £1,400, a 1945 Petrus at £11,600, a 1946 Petrus at £9,400, a 1947 Petrus at £12,300, and a 1900 Chateau d'Yquem at £9,200, with water, champagne, fruit juice, and beers adding £102.
Aftermath and Legacy
Following the story's global spread, Barclays confirmed that five of the six bankers no longer worked for the bank; one kept his job as he had just joined and was not held responsible. The diners threatened to sue Gordon Ramsay, who denied releasing the information. Barclays insisted the meal was privately paid for. Wareing noted that the incident put the restaurant on the map, leading to a surge in Petrus sales, and that the chateau's owner, Monsieur Moueix, had given permission for the restaurant to use the name, a suggestion originally made by Ramsay.
