Calculating tasting menu costs trips up even experienced chefs. You're not just pricing one dish—you're costing multiple small courses that work together as one experience. Each component needs individual calculation, then you factor in portion adjustments and service complexity.
What makes tasting menus different?
A tasting menu isn't one dish—it's a complete experience built from multiple small courses. Each course carries its own cost, but they combine into a single selling price.
💡 Example 5-course menu:
Selling price: €65.00 incl. VAT (€59.63 excl. VAT)
- Amuse: €1.80
- Starter: €3.20
- Intermezzo: €2.40
- Main course: €8.50
- Dessert: €2.10
Total cost price: €18.00 = 30.2% food cost
Flight combinations: wine and bites
Wine flights pair small bites with different wines. You'll calculate both food costs and wine pour costs here.
⚠️ Note:
Alcoholic beverages carry 21% VAT while food gets 9% VAT. Calculate these separately, then combine for your total cost price.
Calculate each component separately
Start by breaking down every part of your tasting menu. List all ingredients per course—garnishes, sauces, decoration included.
- Weigh or measure exactly what you use per person
- Factor in trim loss with fresh products
- Don't skip 'invisible' costs like oil, butter, salt
- Add packaging costs if offering takeaway
💡 Example wine flight calculation:
3 glasses of wine + 3 bites for €28.00
- Wine (3x 0.1L): €4.50 (21% VAT)
- Bite 1: €1.20 (9% VAT)
- Bite 2: €1.80 (9% VAT)
- Bite 3: €1.40 (9% VAT)
Total: €8.90 cost price on €28.00 sales
Combined cost: 31.8%
Portion size is crucial
Tasting menus use smaller portions than à la carte dishes. That main course with 200 grams of meat? It drops to 80 grams in a tasting format.
- Adjust recipes for smaller portions
- Ensure proportions stay correct (not everything scales down equally)
- Garnishes often maintain the same size
- Sauces get used relatively more per gram of protein
Include combination effects
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've learned that flight combinations create hidden costs you won't see with individual sales:
- Timing: All courses must be ready simultaneously
- Staff: More explanation and service per table
- Mise-en-place: Extended prep time
- Waste: One failed component means redoing everything
⚠️ Note:
Build in 10-15% extra cost for tasting menu complexity. Timing and coordination demand additional time and money.
Analyze profitability per course
Not every course needs equal profitability. Often the main course becomes your 'winner' while other courses balance with lower margins.
💡 Typical distribution 5-course menu:
- Amuse: 40-50% cost price (loss leader)
- Starter/intermezzo: 25-35%
- Main course: 28-32% (the winner)
- Dessert: 20-30% (often cheap ingredients)
Average: 30-35% total food cost
Seasons and price adjustments
Tasting menus work perfectly for seasonal products. Adjust your menu as ingredients fluctuate in price, but keep selling prices stable.
- Swap expensive ingredients for seasonal alternatives
- Maintain a 2-3% buffer in cost price for price swings
- Update calculations monthly
- Communicate changes clearly to guests
How do you calculate the cost price of a tasting menu? (step by step)
Split the menu into components
Make a list of each course or part of your flight. Write down exactly which ingredients and quantities you use per person, including garnishes and sauces.
Calculate the cost price per component
Work out the total ingredient costs for each course. Watch out for trim loss, don't forget oil or butter, and calculate wine with the correct VAT (21% for alcohol, 9% for food).
Add everything up and add complexity costs
Sum all component costs and add 10-15% for the extra complexity of timing and coordination. Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT for your total food cost percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your wine flight pairings over 30 days to spot which combinations generate the highest profit per table. Often the second wine in a 3-glass flight drives the best margins since guests are more relaxed about price by then.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to calculate VAT separately for wine and food in a flight?
Yes, alcohol carries 21% VAT while food gets 9% VAT. Calculate both parts separately and combine the cost prices. Use the total selling price excluding VAT for your food cost percentage.
How often should I update my tasting menu cost price?
Monthly at minimum, or immediately if any main ingredient jumps more than 20% in price. Tasting menus react more sensitively to price fluctuations since you're using many different ingredients.
Can I use different margins per course?
Absolutely, and it's smart strategy. Your main course might run 28-32% food cost while an amuse could hit 40-50%. Focus on the menu's overall profitability, not individual course margins.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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