Fly to America to save on dinner with Gordon

It can be cheaper to fly to New York to eat at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant than to go to his place in London.

A meal at the TV chef's new establishment in the Big Apple costs less than half the price of an almost identical one at his Chelsea eatery.

Champagne is up to three times more expensive here than it is there, despite the fact it travels further from France.

With return flights to New York at £129 and the pound at its strongest against the dollar for a decade, it can make more financial sense to fly to the £5million Manhattan eatery than to head for a night out in Chelsea.

An à la carte three-course meal in London costs £85, with a 'prestige' menu at £110. A very similar menu at the New York eatery, which opened in November, will set you back £40 for the à la carte and £60 for the top menu.

Meanwhile, a bottle of non-vintage Ruinart Blancs de Blancs in the Big Apple is £40 but in London costs £80.

Metro restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin said rent, produce and building costs were cheaper in the US.

But she added: 'Americans are willing to pay a lot but, if they do, they'll still demand their money's worth. We are more likely not to make a fuss.'