Why the negativity in some posts?
The FD represents the pinnacle of one profession. I would doubt that anyone would go there on a regular basis and that is not the point of the place. It is (apparently) to test you taste buds (and other sensory organs) and to have a very special eating experience. On the face of it the bill seems steep, but put into the context of paying for top professionals in other areas, is it that extreme? A top consultant charges £250 before you get your kit off, a lawyer similar when you pick up the phone and how much is a day with Jedi? Or is there something different about the food/dining that makes people feel uncomfortable about spending that sort of money?
I have never been to the FD, but when I compared the value there to how much I have spent in my LBS recently on bits and pieces with relatively low value add, I know where the real VFM lies!!!
If people want to brand themselves as plebs and give reverence to others simply because they chose to spend money on a meal out, then I think the problem lies more with the former than the latter.