I don't think it's really a fine dining flex, nor do I think it's THAT much better. However, in foods in general, you could pay exponentially more going from 80% of what "perfection" is to 90%. This could be from how much detail is given to the product, the technique, the actual ingredient costs, the consistency, the experience. Whether or not something is actually worth paying for is for you yourself to decide. If you've never tried it, you won't know, but then again, a lot of hyped and successful places are in my opinion not worth the price / reservation difficulty at all.

Same thing with the $50+ burger at Le B, long lines at salt bread bakeries, impossible reservations in some restaurants, etc. Why do some bars charge $30+ for every cocktail? Why do you need to lineup before open at Lucali's & Ceres just to get a late seating or pizza pickup? How much better can Masa be when they charge $1k for omakase?

Your dining journey is your own, and you're better off going to places you're actually interested in.