Serendipity3 Offers A $1,000 Ice Cream Sundae Overflowing With Gold

Inside Manhattan's Serendipity3, one ice cream sundae will have you opening not only your mouth but also your pocketbook. Clocking in at $1,000 per order, this dessert comes in a crystal goblet that you can take home as a souvenir to remember the time you shelled out a thousand bucks to satisfy your sweet tooth. Complete with an edible gold leaf on top, this dessert shows no restraint in trying to avoid earning a reputation as an expensive food that isn't worth the splurge. It's an effort that has earned the sundae a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records.

"We won a Guinness World Record for our 'Golden Opulence Sundae' in 2004, making it known as the 'Most Expensive Sundae in the World,'" Serendipity3's Creative Director and Chef Joe Calderone explained to Tasting Table. "It is such a treat and is so decadent!" 

Serendipity3 created the Golden Opulence Sundae for Serendipity's 50th golden anniversary and the sundae has remained a mainstay on the menu ever since. Layers of 23-carat gold, creamy Tahitian vanilla ice cream made with beans from Madagascar, truffles, caramelized fruits, chocolate sauce, and sweet caviar made with Grand Marnier and passionfruit create a visual feast long before any of the elements touch the lips of the diner splurging on the order. 

If such a luxurious line-up of expensive ingredients worth the cost fails to offer enough unique sweetness for eager palates, Serendipity3's ice cream sundae also includes Venezuelan chocolates and a delicate sugar flower coated in gold. To underline the luxuriousness of the ornate presentation, you get to enjoy the dessert sundae with an 18-carat golden spoon. While you have to return the spoon, your memory of eating off a golden spoon is yours to keep.

Before dipping into this extravagant ice cream, however, you will need to plan your fantasy culinary moment at least two days in advance. Serendipity3 has to fly many of the ingredients in to prepare the dessert, so walk-in demands for the opulent order are a no-go. While most of us will never have the disposable income to consider such an order, you can find a handful of influencers and foodies posting photos of their golden experiences online.