Figure of the month: 1000

When pop singers Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Selena Gomez or Hollywood actresses such as Emma Stone and Katie Holmes feel like an ice cream sundae of the more luxurious kind, they are drawn to Serendipity 3 in New York, where the Golden Opulence Sundae is probably the most expensive à la carte ice cream sundae in the world at around $1000. Selena Gomez was so enthusiastic about the restaurant that she became co-owner in 2020.

All that glitters is indeed gold here

The Golden Opulence Sundae consists of three scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with vanilla from Madagascar, completely covered in 23-carat gold leaf. The sundae is garnished with chocolate syrup made from one of the most expensive types of chocolate in the world, Amedei Porcelana, and studded with pieces of rare Chauo chocolate. All this is then embellished with candied fruits from Paris, gold-covered almonds, marzipan cherries and chocolate truffles. It is served with a small bowl of exclusive dessert caviar. The restaurant's popular desserts even became the focus of a Hollywood romantic comedy starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in 2001, in which the two main characters meet and fall in love over dessert. The film is – of course – titled "Serendipity".

A hot spot for celebrities since the opening of the restaurant

The Serendipity 3 restaurant has been around for almost 70 years – celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly enjoyed dining there in the 1950s, as did Andy Warhol and Cher in the 1960s. They couldn't enjoy the $1,000 sundae back then, though – it's only been on the menu since 2005. The "Golden Opulence Sundae" eventually secured an entry in the Guinness Book of Records in 2007.