Top 10 biggest bar bills

Some mornings it can be painful to wake up, open your wallet and remember that you spent far more than you intended to during that night out. Even worse is if you find the credit card slips, which show even more spending.

But for the pubs and clubs where the money is spent, big spenders are something to be celebrated. Indeed after one punter spent £40,000 during a night out at Raffles Bar in London, a spokesperson for the bar said: “They don’t happen often but when they do, it’s great”

For these rich and/or famous people splashing out big probably doesn’t hurt as much as it would for many of us, and they have enjoyed spending large amounts of money.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest bar bills that have been amassed and the people behind them.

10 – Election celebration

In the days following the 2010 UK general election many in the country watched on slightly nonplussed as the political parties scrambled to find a solution to the constitutional confusion caused by the vote.

But for one group of investment bankers the confusion was cleared thanks to a huge win at the bookmakers, after successfully betting on the outcome of the election. The group is said to have correctly guessed the result to within one seat. A source told the Evening Standard: “They had made a small fortune on the outcome of the election, correctly guessing the results in constituencies over quite a large spread.”

To celebrate the six men headed to Merah nightclub and ordered its most expensive bottle of Champagne, which proved to be a £36,000 Methuselah of vintage Cristal. This was followed by a Jeroboam of Cristal and a another Methuselah of Dom Pérignon. The final bill, which included a £8,000 service charge came to £60,000.

9 – Impressing celebrities

Being an A-list Hollywood celebrity can bring lots of perks, but who would have thought being treated to US$100,000 bottles of Champagne would be one of them? But that is exactly what happened to Zac Efron during a night out in Chicago, back in 2011.

Efron was enjoying a night at the city’s Board Room nightclub, when he was spotted by the son of a Russian billionaire. The starstruck Russian wanted to impress the actor, so he sent over a Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac Champagne.

The 15-litre bottle carried a $100,00 price tag, but the Russian did not stop there. He shelled out a further $12,500 on his own table, which included two magnums of Grey Goose, two magnums of Dom Pérignon, four bottles of Cristal and three magnums of Laurent-Perrier Brut Rosé. The final $135,000 bill included more than $20,000 in service charge.

8 – Millionaire splash-out

A Saudi millionaire paid US$136,000 for a six-litre bottle of Champagne in Dubai in April 2012. The man bought the Methuselah of Louis Roederer Cristal for him and his friends. The vintage bottle is believed to be one of three available worldwide. There are, apparently, two other bottles for sale at nightclubs in New York and London. It is reported that the Cristal bottle was from the 1990 vintage originally intended for the Millenium celebrations.

The manager of the club refused to reveal anymore of the evening’s bill, saying only that it was “very high” and included a “luxurious dinner”. It was confirmed that the Dubai club bought the Champagne at Christie’s auction house in London at a cost of around US$93,000.

7 – Ice hockey celebration

In June 2011 US ice hockey team the Boston Bruins, won the sport’s premier tournament in the US, the Stanley Cup. It was the first time since 1972 that the team had lifted the iconic trophy, so it was perhaps not a surprise that the team went out to celebrate in style.

Six of the players, with a suitably large entourage, headed for the MGM Grand in Mashantucket, Connecticut and racked up a $156,679 bar bill.

The bill included one bottle of Bacardi, a bottle of Ciroc and 136 Bud Lights, but the big hitter came with a 30-litre Midas bottle of Armand de Brignac, which set the players back $100,000. One of the players was captured on camera drinking the Champagne out of the Stanley Cup, while another knocked back the drink straight from the huge bottle.

6 – Dubai spender

Dubai might not be a place where you would expect to find big drinkers, but in January 2012 one man enjoyed a big night to celebrate his birthday and the New Year.

Partying at the Cavalli Club in Dubai the mystery man ran up a £70,000 bill for a night out with friends. The group were clearly fans of Cristal Champagne as the bill included one six-litre bottle of Cristal plus 13 other bottles of the Champagne. The guests also enjoyed a further two three-litre bottles of Cristal, seven bottles of Luxor Champagne, a three-litre bottle of Cavalli Vodka and four bottles of Chivas Regal 12-year-old Whisky.

5 – Basketball pays

US basketball star LeBron James reportedly earns over $17m a year playing for the Miami Heat, so a $170,000 is not a huge hit. In fact it works out at the equivalent of just under four days pay. The big bill came after a night out at the XS Nightclub in Las Vegas and a copy of what was claimed to be his bill was leaked onto the US website Brobible.com.

James bought 33 bottles of Cristal, six bottles of Patrón Tequila and a magnum of Grey Goose vodka. A further six-litre bottle of Cristal and one of Dom Pérignon were also ordered along with 12 bottles of Bud Light. The $170,000 bill included nearly $13,000 of tax.

4 – Big win celebration

Dexter Koh, who describes himself as a talent agent, celebrity photographer and a PR and media personality, celebrated a “six-figure win” at a casino with a huge nightout at London’s Aura nightclub.

Koh’s £120,000 bill was Champagne heavy and featured two Methuselahs, one of Cristal and one of Armand de Brignac Champagne, plus a further three bottles, four magnums and three Jeroboams of Armand de Brignac.

He also ordered a Jeroboam of Cristal, which is a three litre bottle and a Salmanazar of Pommery Cuvée Louise, the nine litre bottle is the equivalent of one case in a bottle and cost Koh over £5,000.

The big spender mixed things up a bit with 11 bottles and two magnums of Ace of Spades rosé. The epic night out was rounded off with a bottle of Cîroc Ultra premium vodka.

3 – New Year’s Eve splurge

US rapper Jay-Z is reported to have paid a $250,000 bar bill while partying with friends last New Year’s eve. The hip-hop star shouted the night out for his friends at a Coldplay concert in New York on Monday night.

The concert took place at the Barclays Centre, which is home to the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, which Jay-Z part owns. According to The Sun, Jay-Z hired a private lounge, known as “The Vault”, for the concert. The room was decorated especially for the concert and featured one wall covered with bottles of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold Champagne.

The rapper is also reported to have had a 30-litre Midas bottle of Armand de Brignac delivered to the party, which needed two men to carry it.

2 – The other Don Johnson

US millionaire gambler Don Johnson (that’s what we mean by the other one), celebrated a night out in London and amassed a huge £170,000 bar bill.

Having started the night with a relatively low-key magnum of Dom Pérignon, Johnson soon added a magnum of Grey Goose vodka, with some Red Bull.

Johnson, who was in town visiting his rock star friend Jon Bon Jovi then splashed out £25,000 on an Methuselah of Armand de Brignac.

The six-litre bottle merely served to whet Johnson’s appetite for Armand de Brignac has he then went all out and splashed out a mammoth £120,000 on a 30-litre Midas bottle of the Champagne. Johnson’s lifestyle manager, Sophie Raibin from Raibin Productions, said the gambler is not even a big fan of bubbles. She told the Daily Mail: “He doesn’t like to drink Champagne. He’s not acquired the taste, he prefers to drink vodka.”

1 – Big city spender

The record for the highest bill ever paid in a club was set in April last year by a young financier, who splashed out £200,000 on drinks on a night out in Liverpool.

Alex Hope, 23, was another who enjoyed a Midas bottle of Armand de Brignac during his expensive night. Hope added a further £80,000 to his bill as he bought other Champagnes, vodka, beer and mixers for guests including Manchester City footballers Joe Hart and Adam Johnson and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen at the PlayGround nightclub at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel.

Hope also ordered a further 40 75cl bottles of the Champagne, which he handed out to single women in the club. The day after the party, Hope boasted on his website: “Just opened the world’s largest Ace of Spades bottle at the PlayGround. Great night! Miami Next!”