I'll assume you mean the San Francisco Bay area...and ANY restaurant. The fewer words you put in a question, the more ambiguous the answer can only be. I was formerly a corporate concierge in Washington, DC and I once booked a restaurant in San Fran for one client who flew out there just to take a prospective client to lunch. I do not remember the restaurant, and it was in about 1994.

But if necessary, I could also have you in a great one overlooking Repulse *Bay* in Hong Kong...

And expensive food is not always the best food, if that's what you're looking for. There are Italian restaurants scattered throughout a residential area, in what's known as "The Hill." here in St. Louis. Some of the tiniest ones are incredibly reasonably priced and the food would knock your socks off. I'm a total foodie, and being a concierge I was often invited to be a guest at some of the best restaurants in DC. But I was a guest of the restaurant; I wasn't paying. On my tab, totally different places, food just as good or better.

So every time someone asked me to recommend a restaurant, I asked "Do you want the most expensive food or do you want the best food?" For example, the best Thai is 4912 Thai (their address on Wisconsin Avenue NW in the Tenleytown neighborhood of DC provides the "4912" in their name). But for a couple of bests in DC, you have to go slightly outside DC..maybe2-5 miles.... the best Deli in DC is not Krupin's in Tenleytown. It's Parkway in Silver Spring, MD The best Greek is at Ambrosia in Rockville, MD (Uncle George's in Bethesda, MD gets an honorable mention. Parkway and Ambrosia are also in strip malls and both have lines out the door on any night of the week.. I have eaten at all of them many, many times. of times each.

But we'll stick to California. I have something available now that I did not then: The Internet, where everyone (including myself) has an opinion on everything.

Made Man says this is it, but it doesn't back it up with any price info::
" 10 Most Expensive Restaurants in San Francisco

Curious about the 10 most expensive restaurants in San Francisco? Here are the most expensive ones we've found. Based on average cost per person, these restaurants are sure to either make diners broke or serve the best food.

1. Range Restaurant: Range serves great appetizers and food. The seating is very cramped but the food is amazing. Reservations recommended. Very healthy food that is well worth the price. Great wines. Range is the most expensive restaurant in San Francisco. "

Read their whole list in the link in sources.

A 2008 Forbes Article lists San Francisco as having the fourth most expensive restaurant tabs in the country.

Here's what they say about San Francisco 's French Laundry:

"Obviously, most people don't go to a fancy restaurant and order the least expensive item on the menu, so guest tabs would most likely be much higher than our math suggests. Some restaurants, like Masa and San Francisco's French Laundry, have set, prix-fixe menus. They were included if their prix-fixe was higher than the guest check average would be at a la carte restaurants in their region--and league. "

But when one looks at the list of those top 100 restaurants--it's a slideshow, it says this:
" French Laundry, San Francisco/Bay Area

It'll cost you $240 plus tax just for the privilege of taking a seat at a French Laundry table (service is included), but at least you get to "own" that cush chair for several hours. The nine-course tasting menu here (a vegetarian version is available) is a serious investment of time: Only dedicated food lovers need apply.

For more information, visit www.frenchlaundry.com."

I don't know if I ever went to Au Pied Du Cochon in DC, but I can tell you that it's true--I've been to France a couple of times and we have a good French restaurant here in St. Louis, Cafe Provencal, where Ive had dinner many times--and I'm not a concierge anymore. Any way you slice it, from here to L'Oulette (pictured) or any restaurant in Paris, expect to spend a lot of time at a French restaurant.

The dinner menu on Cafe Provencal's website list each course's a la carte prices but I believe they have a prix fixe 5-plat (course) menu, and I don't think it's more than $50/per person, excluding drinks. That Choucroute Garni ($18) is just a lot of really good meat and the Agneau a la Provencal ($19)--lamb shank braised in red wine--is to die for.

Did I mention it's in a strip mall, too? But they're busy enough to need reservations.

But if you want to spend some green in San Francisco, go to FRENCH LAUNDRY.