American woman traumatized by ‘worst Michelin star restaurant in the world’ where diners refuse to pay for $800 ‘belly button lip gloss’ meal
An American restaurant was left traumatized by the ‘worst Michelin star restaurant in the world’ where the bill was over $800 and she ate ‘lip gloss’ and a ‘navel’.
Chloe Jade Meltzer shared a viral review of her meal at Mugaritz in San Sebastián, Spain, saying some customers were so shocked by the food that they refused to pay and the police had to be called.
Mugaritz has two Michelin stars and aims to ‘weave a story of stories, gestures and emotions around the table’ with 23 courses of mixed savory and sweet dishes.
But Meltzer said the meal was so bad she even felt sick thinking about it. She said on TikTok: ‘The flavors were just bad, some of the products were tasty, but it felt like this was almost a social experiment.’
In her videos, a fellow customer could be seen loudly arguing with the staff as Meltzer said they refused to pay for the meal and the police had to be called.
Chloe Jade Meltzer shared a viral review of her meal at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain, saying some customers were so shocked by the food that they refused to pay and the police had to be called
One of the dishes was a creation of kefir and almond oil in the shape of a ‘belly button’ from which you have to ‘suck strange juice’
Meltzer shared clips of her meal on TikTok, saying: “I honestly can’t believe how bad this restaurant was, it’s a two Michelin star restaurant so it just doesn’t make sense.”
Meltzer described the first of the 23 dishes as like eating “lip gloss” while scooping a thick mass of fish from the tub.
Next was a “sea rash” that Meltzer said was “literally like a soggy cigar.”
Then came a creation of kefir and almond oil in the shape of a ‘belly button’ from which you have to ‘suck strange juice’.
For the remainder of the meal, dishes alternated between sweet and savory, including “aged bucatini” and blue cheese which Meltzer said “made me feel sick afterwards.”
Then came what Meltzer said she thought was a napkin draped over BBQ sauce, and then a churro, which turned out to be a piece of unseasoned plantain.
When the bill came at the end of the meal — $897 for three people — Meltzer said she was shocked.
She said: ‘They give you a warning at the beginning that you won’t like all the dishes… and okay, that’s fine… but for everything to be downright disgusting doesn’t make any sense.
“I really don’t understand how this restaurant operates. It’s the worst restaurant I’ve ever been to in my life.”
Mugaritz has two Michelin stars and aims to ‘weave a story of stories, gestures and emotions around the table’ with 23 courses of mixed savory and sweet dishes
While Meltzer chose to pay the bill and go home, she filmed other guests loudly arguing with the host and refusing to pay until the police were called.
She said: ‘Someone literally got called by the police and almost got arrested because he wouldn’t pay for the restaurant, it was that bad.’
Prices for the tasting menu at Mugaritz start at €253 without drinks.
The Michelin Guide describes it as ‘much more than a restaurant that offers gourmets a completely different dining experience’.
It adds: ‘Here, everything is truly questioned, hence the focus on both individual and overall taste, to the extent that, in the words of the chef, “the experience here is both playful and gastronomic”.
‘Dishes do not follow a classical order and constantly strive to transcend boundaries, both in terms of taste and the flow of the one tasting menu.’