“A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry.”
Ecclesiastes 8:15

Financial markets may be rocky and bankers’ bonuses down - but for the diner with cash to burn a London restaurant has launched the city’s most expensive fixed-price seven course menu at 1,000 pounds ($2000) a head. Aiming at bankers, lawyers and other denizens of London’s rich financial district known as the “City” who did receive a bonus this year, restaurant Vivat Bacchus says the menu is actually a reasonable price.

It includes a vodka and seven glasses of wine including a 1963 port and a glass of Chateau Lafite Rothchild normally costing 700 pounds a bottle.

“It’s good value for money,” restaurant co-owner Naleen Strauss told Reuters. “People like to spoil themselves at bonus time. Everything is beautiful. It’s a bit decadent. You couldn’t have it every day or you would die of a heart attack.”

Reminds me of the four Barclay’s bankers who a year or two ago achieved notoriety by spending £50,000 on a single expense account meal (actually on the wine - the food was comped). These guys aren’t smart - they’re just thugs who are part of the financial insider group that systematically robs savers, investors and corporations with misleading advice, undisclosed fees, self-dealing and all the myriad of tricks and cheats that allow them to prosper. The WSJ revealed today that the FBI has opened criminal investigations of 14 (un-named) companies relating to the securitization of subprime mortgage loans. (SEC? Hallooo? Anyone there?).

C’mon. We need to see these folks marched off to jail by the platoon. (Program traders! Fall in! Ten-shun! Right dress! Eyes front! Left turn! Quick march!). There is nothing that they do that merits these indecent levels of compensation. Booty, really. Not that kind of booty. Booty as in pirates. Pieces of eight, etc. That kind.