When is too much too much? Do we have a ceiling for what we are going to pay when we eat and drink out?
Much has been made recently of the astronomical prices paid for meals in Cape Town over the festive season: On Friday a city morning newspaper reported that a Camps Bay restaurant charged an Irish couple R6 000 for two fish platters; while Panama Jack's at the V&A Waterfront charged R2 230 for two abalone dishes and a crayfish dish. Then a Sunday paper informed readers that a diner was charged R770 at the same restaurant for a 1kg portion of abalone.
I was still smarting from the high price I had paid for a glass of wine when I read the above and thought perhaps I needed to put things into perspective.
After all R29.50 and R32.50 may not sound astronomical for a glass of white and red wine respectively at a popular Waterfront eatery in light of the above.
But the wines in question were touted as house wines by the waitress - albeit from the highly respected Jordan Winery in Stellenbosch.
Kathy Jordan of Jordan Winery said she felt the prices were market related and commented that there were restaurants in Cape Town that charged R40 for a glass of Jordan Chardonnay and she did know of some restaurants that marked up their Cabernet Sauvignon to R1 000 a bottle.
Rejean Vlietman of Den Anker, where we quaffed our wine, admitted that the waitress was at fault in not presenting a wine list as there are several wines by the glass that come in at under R20 a glass.
"However, compared to other restaurants, I am satisfied that what we are doing is very acceptable.
"As wine prices go up we have to put up our prices too," she said.
But if you think R30 for a glass of wine is steep, think again: newly opened Balthazar wine bar and restaurant, also at the Waterfront, charges R400 a glass for the limited release Vergelegen's CWG Schaapenberg Auction Reserve wine that gets four and a half stars in the latest John Platter wine guide. If you want a bottle, you'll have to fork out R1 200.
"Do people actually order it?" I asked.
"Yes, we are sold out," said Des Pearce, who works in beverages and storage at Balthazar.
At the other end of the scale, Balthazar offers Slanghoek Vinay, a white blend for R24 a glass, R30 for a medium entry level glass of white wine and R200 will procure you a glass of 2001 Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - a bottle comes in at R600.
But there are venues at the Waterfront where pleasure out of a bottle does not come with such astonishing price tags.
If you venture into the Cape Town Fish Market you'll pay R10.50 for a large glass of Robertson Chardonnay or walk to Greenmarket Square and savour a glass of house white or red (from Laborie Estate) for R15.