I've always believed in hedonism as an art form. If I’m going to taste life, it has to be with all the senses: the silk sheets, the glowing skyline, the richest flavors. I moved from Moscow to Georgia (yes, the peach-scented, humid Georgia) then to Turkey, then to Amsterdam and Lisbon — not because someone told me to, but because I wanted to: for the food, the people, the sunrises that no paycheck can buy.
Here are a few of the most splurge-worthy restaurants I’ve been worshipping lately, because why settle for cheap thrills when you can dine among stars?
HŌSEKI at Bulgari Resort — the omakase experience for just AED ~2,250 per person. Minimalist, exclusive, every bite elevated. (Sotheby's International Realty)
At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa — eating under the world’s tallest ceilings, with a skyline I paid attention to more than taxes. (Wikipedia)
The Farm, Al Barari — organic indulgence. Because sometimes the most luxurious thing is eating something clean, green, and unapologetically expensive. (Quintessentially)
Fifty Seconds by Martín Berasategui — 120 meters above Lisbon, scallops, caviar, views that make your phone stop buffering just to admire. (Luxury Travel Blogger - Carmen Edelson)
Alma — two Michelin stars, monkfish & lobster rice, and a refinement so sharp it’s basically haute couture for your tongue. (Eating Europe)
Belcanto, Loco, Eleven — each one a whisper of grandeur, a tasting menu to dress up your soul.
Luxury dishes? Think wagyu so buttery you can use flavors instead of perfume, truffles that cost more than a first-class plane seat, desserts so intricate they seem impossible, and seafood so fresh you can taste the ocean’s regret.
Here’s what I want you to know: I don’t care about the paycheck. This — the travel, the indulgence, the late-night flights + quiet hotels + loud cats napping in sunrooms — this is my business and my rules. If I want foie gras in Lisbon, I will have foie gras. If I want room service at 3 AM in Dubai with gold leaf on my dessert, I will demand it.
Hedonism isn’t a vice; it’s the standard. And I’m only just getting started.,