A Tasting At This Tokyo Crab Restaurant Costs Almost $2,000. Here's Why

Plate of expensive crab and dollar bills on table.

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Oftentimes, the most expensive restaurant menus are tasting menus, which can range anywhere from $75 to $500 or more, depending on the restaurant. However, that’s just the typical range in the United States. If you’re looking for a jaw-dropping tasting menu price, look no further than Ginza Kitafuku in Tokyo. Until 2025, it was the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. While the restaurant provides a variety of tasting menus, its most exclusive offering — the Echizen Crab “KIWAMI” Course — comes with a price tag starting at ¥300,000, or $1,976 (per exchange rates in October 2025).

The price is partly due to the strict qualifications and exclusivity of this type of crab. In 2021, only 67 snow crabs were certified Kiwami, making it one of the rarest edible crabs and the only crab fit to be served to Japan’s Imperial family. It’s only found off the coast of Echizen, just north of Kyoto. These snow crabs — also referred to as the “king of winter” because of their beautiful shape and color — are described as having a decadent flavor and texture that stays throughout the cooking process. Japan’s large fish market auctions are no joke: Echizen crabs can cost around $500 at auction on the first day of the season, but they’ve also been sold for as much as $7,000.

$2,000 buys you some of the rarest crab in the world

Ginza Kitafuku might be famous for its nearly $2,000 Echizen crab, but its other tasting menus are nowhere near the extravagance of the Kiwami course. The red king crab tasting menu starts at $283, while the king-size hair crab tasting menu starts at $262. According to Ginza Kitafuku’s menu, in addition to a full course of various crab dishes, each one features a savory amuse-bouche, hors d’oeuvre, traditionally pod-cooked rice with authentic miso soup, and desserts. Among other options, the Matsuba crab course is also available from November to March for $329 per person.

The exorbitant prices aren’t simply because of the exclusive food, although that’s a large part of it. Ginza Kitafuku serves the fresh live crab right in front of customers, prepared in all sorts of ways — sashimi, shabu-shabu (hot pot), grilled, and boiled. The restaurant’s setup is small, with only 16 seats in three cozy private rooms. Because of the intimate nature, each chef at Ginza Kitafuku is able to guide diners through the various courses.

While the sky-high $2,000 price tag makes indulging in Ginza Kitafuku’s most exclusive tasting menu cost-prohibitive, we can at least dream of the opportunity to try it one day. Tokyo is an affordable city for premium dining, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options in the U.S. as well. Discover a crab house in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay or another seafood hub such as San Francisco, Juneau, or New Orleans.