Man Eats At 28 NYC Michelin-Starred Restaurants In One Day — Here's The Fortune He Spent

For most people, dining at a restaurant with a Michelin star (the highest honor a culinary establishment can earn) is a special occasion, something that you do once a year — or even once in a lifetime. Not so for Joshua Fyksen, a Vegas-based sommelier who in 2025 broke the Guinness World Record for dining at the most Michelin-starred restaurants in 24 hours. 

Fyksen flew to New York to claim the title — managing to eat at 28 establishments on May 9 and 10 of last year. His record-breaking indulgence cost $976.97 for food (not including tips). Assuming a 20% tip for each place, that would add $195.39. He also raked up $474.37 in costs moving between restaurants, Fyksen told Guinness World Records. In total, that would be $1,646.73 just for food and transportation. With flights and hotel, the food enthusiast must have spent over $2,000.

According to People, Fyksen had to carefully coordinate his eating spree. Of course, multi-course meals were out of the question, so he ordered à la carte whenever possible. He also called some establishments that only offered set menus to see if they could make an exception for him. Some obliged, making it easier for him to break the record. In 2025, New York had a total of 74 Michelin-starred restaurants, meaning that Fyksen ate at 37.8% of the city's restaurants that boast the honor in a single day.

This isn't the first time Joshua Fyksen has broken the world record for eating at the most Michelin restaurants in 24 hours. He earned the title in 2023 after visiting 22 restaurants in New York City. However, he soon lost the record to two Indian foodies, who dined at 25 celebrated restaurants in 2024. It seems like Fyksen wasn't happy to let go of his title, which is why he dished out thousands of dollars to reclaim bragging rights.

For the dining world, the record raises interesting questions. The entire point of a Michelin-level meal is to enjoy a culinary experience that is unique. It isn't meant to be something that you binge on like a bag of Cheetos. Then there's the ethical dilemma of eating for the sake of eating rather than for nourishment or hunger. Even if you choose small plates, 28 meals are much more than any human needs in a day. Is competing for food with volume rather than quality something we should be applauding? The answer isn't clear-cut, but the question could open up an interesting dialogue in the industry.

In the meantime, Fyksen will continue to enjoy his record until someone else decides to one-up him. When this happens, we're sure the foodie won't take the defeat lying down and will once again plan an indulgent getaway to hold onto his title.