Salt Bae's Patrons Left Cold, With No Gold

Once again, chef Nusret Gökçe, otherwise known as Salt Bae, has made headlines not for his culinary prowess but his restaurants' eccentricities. The Guardian reports that the salt-sprinkling celebrity has shut off heat to one of his most expensive establishments, Nusr-Et steakhouse in London, and made some notable changes to the menu.

Salt Bae has a number of restaurant locations worldwide; his Nusr-Et steakhouses can be found in major cities from Miami to Dubai. In London, Nusr-Et charges more than $800 for a wagyu striploin and around the same price for a tomahawk steak. The restaurant reportedly earned a pre-tax profit of over $4.15 million in 2022 and made $17.2 million in sales that year.

This earned the restaurant's owners dividends of $3.5 million, per The Guardian. However, Dream International, the parent company of the restaurant group, recently disputed these figures to Business Insider via email. The company told BI that the owners have not received dividends since 2021 when the steakhouse first opened, and that "all earnings of the restaurant are reinvested in the business."

When the London steakhouse first opened, its menu featured a gold leaf steak that cost $1,825. Since then, Salt Bae's restaurant has made efforts to "cut costs and save energy," which seems to have come in the form of axing expensive items from the menu. The golden steak is no longer available, nor are many of the other gold-plated items previously offered at Nusr-Et. "The only gold-covered item now on the menu, once glittering with gilded meat, is a £50 pistachio baklava," The Guardian notes.

Dream International also confirmed to Business Insider that it shut off central heat to the restaurant after closing and during peak hours; although The Guardian initially noted this was in an effort to reduce costs, the company clarified it's primarily to reduce the restaurant's carbon footprint and that the establishment is "committed to operational efficiency."

As for the loss of gold food, "We never hesitate to eliminate any [menu items] that do not reach our rigorous standards and return with those that deliver the quality, tenderness, and flavour we demand," a spokesperson for the restaurant group told Business Insider.

Despite the many controversies surrounding Salt Bae, his empire continues. In October, the eccentric chef shared plans to reach 40 restaurant locations by 2025. To achieve this, he plans to update the current flagship locations, outfitting them with dance areas and lounges for entertainment. This suggests the chef is as interested in putting on a show as he is in charging eye-popping prices.

Many people aren't thrilled by his personal behavior or his business ethics. But if you nevertheless want to see the shenanigans play out in person, we recommend bringing a sweater.