With Christmas and New Year’s Eve behind us and nothing but cold and damp months ahead for awhile, we’re starting to get a bit depressed. Money is tight after a festive season blow-out and we’re desperately saving for our new spring wardrobe. But if you’re a bit better at planning your spending than we are, you might have a few extra quid to spend on a posh dinner out. Unsurprisingly, there are loads of places in the capital where you can blow your cash, but there are a few more interesting options to spend you money than just ordering dozens of bottles of expensive wine…

When Mayfairers are in the mood for Chinese food on a Friday night, there’s no way you’ll catch them at a takeaway. They all flock to Kai Mayfair, where the food is undoubtedly pricey but undoubtedly delicious as well. They’re famous for their Buddha Jumps Over The Wall soup, which costs £108. What makes it worth the price tag? (We can practically hear some of your jaws dropping open in shock.) The ingredients – abalone, Chinese mushrooms, sea cucumber, dried scallops, shark’s fin and gold – and the fact that it takes five days to prepare. It’s not so easy to get your hands on a shark fin, you know.

Meanwhile, La Caricatura, the famous pizzeria (also in Mayfair – no surprise there) that’s plastered in clever caricatures of celebrities, also has a pricey option on its menu. Whilst their regular pizzas aren’t too expensive, the Pizza La Caricatura costs £150. Yep, £150 for a pizza, albeit a pizza sprinkled with lobster and caviar. It’s meant to serve two people though, so in reality it comes out at a trim £75 a head. Hmm… yeah, still a bit much.

However, the winner of the obscenely expensive food prize undoubtedly goes to Vivat Bacchus for its £1,000 tasting menu. Not to be outdone by their £45,000 Christmas hamper, Vivat Bacchus stuffed the menu with the favourite foods of City boys and girls. Well, they can afford to have expensive tastes. There are seven courses, including all the usual price risers: caviar, Wagyu steak and foie gras, plus a glass of wine to match each one. Provided you have the cash to spare, anyone can order the menu – as long as the restaurant is given 48 hours notice so they can gather the ingredients. If anyone tries it out, let us know how it tastes, will you?

After all, there’s no better way to cheer us up than the thought of a posh dinner out. Even if it’s someone else having it.