Can you put a price on a great meal?
For some at a recent charity event, the price to get in at Rao’s — a notoriously exclusive institution in New York City — was worth several thousand dollars.
At a charity auction hosted by the Columbus Citizens Foundation over the holiday weekend, a winning bid of around $8,000 was submitted for a reservation at the restaurant, according to a video circulating on Instagram.
While the price may be a bit of a shock, a separate auction for a four-person reservation at the restaurant sold for $10,000 in June.
Rao’s, located at 455 E 114th St., opened in 1896. The Italian restaurant been ranked as one of the hardest reservations to make in New York City, according to the New York Post.
The reason for the exclusivity is because each table in the restaurant is tied to a regular customer. The only way to get a seat is to be invited by someone with a table.