Midtown Hotel Serves $1,500 Ice Cream Sundae

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — An ice cream sundae is usually a simple treat. Just take a few scoops of ice cream, throw in some toppings and top it off with some sort of fudge or syrup. The Baccarat Hotel's $1,500 take on the summer treat is most definitely not simple.

The West 53rd Street hotel began serving the lavish dessert — named the "Bear Extraordinaire" — in July and will continue to dish out $1,500 sundaes through Labor Day, a hotel spokesperson said. The dish is served up in the Baccarat Hotel's restaurant between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily.

So what goes into a $1,500 sundae? The "Bear Extraordinaire" starts off with homemade vanilla ice cream, which is then coated in a white chocolate shell that has been hand-painted with colored cocoa butter. The ice cream sits atop a black truffle crumble and the dessert is topped by a hibiscus champagne sauce, citrus meringue and fondant butterflies.

And, of course, the dish includes edible gold and silver accents.

The whole thing comes presented in a porcelain and crystal dish in the shape of a bear that diners can take home as a keepsake. Cheapskates can also opt to have the sundae presented in a normal bowl for the low, low price of $300.

Photos courtesy Baccarat Hotel