There are about 200 restaurant recommendations in it. All positive ones from over 35 cities on 5 continents. If I don’t like a restaurant, I prefer not to write about it. So, the restaurants in this blog are selected among many more visited. They include a wide range from street food to pizza shops to fine dining spots. The reasons behind each and every recommendation are given with tips about the place.
ARZAK (San Sebastian/ Spain)
Paquita Arzak established Arzak in the 1960s, eventually bringing her son Juan Mari Arzak on board to work in the kitchen. Now 70, Juan Mari runs the show today, along with his daughter. Arzak got its first Michelin star in 1974, its second in 1978 and the third in 1989, making it the first three-star restaurant in Spain. When Ferran Adria became famous 10 years ago, everybody lined up to criticize him for serving 30 to 40 portions. Juan Mari, however, called up Ferran and asked to see what he was doing. After observing Ferran’s work, Juan Mari said he had learned a lot from El Bulli’s master and duly invited him to come to San Sebastian. Soon, the two gastronomic titans became close friends, traveling to different places around the world together and trying different food. Their close friendship notwithstanding, they have different styles and tastes. Arzak has two gastronomical menus, both of which mainly have meat – perhaps too much meat – instead of fish. I managed to get half portions for each of the courses, which allowed me to try 10 portions that actually amounted to two starters, the main course, and a dessert. Now, normally, restaurants with three Michelin stars don’t allow you to mix and match like this, as they see it as beyond them, but Arzak isn’t so snooty as to not offer such an option to its diners.
It’s well-nigh impossible to find a seat at this Australian restaurant, which is among the cream of the crop near the top of the world’s top 50 list. In the end, we managed, although it wasn’t under the most ideal of circumstances: We had to be there at 6 p.m. – not my most preferred time – and out by 8:30 p.m. Attica has a set menu for all; the only possible alteration is to choose fish if you don’t eat meat. Nonetheless, we reckoned that it would be impossible to come all the way to Melbourne and not go to Attica.
Blue Hill is about 50 minutes out of town by cab in Stone Barns at a ranch that was, interestingly, built by Rockefeller. Here, they grow all kinds of organic vegetables and raise pigs, chicken and small cows. I don’t generally deign to eat eggs, but I definitely did here.Everything looks good, smells nice and tastes even better, probably because of the fodder they use. All the meals, apart from the fish, are prepared with the freshest of ingredients that are produced right on the farm. Blue Hill’s chef, Dan Barber, has been in charge of the kitchen since day one. You can enjoy a dinner at Blue Hill six days a week, while there is also an additional lunch service on Saturdays and Sundays. This being the United States, dinner begins as early as 5:30 p.m., so I recommend you make a reservation for as early in the evening as possible. More than that, try and go an hour early, because it’s a lot of fun to spend time both in the town and the farm. (And don’t be tardy about planning your trip to Blue Hill either: Reservations are a big problem at the restaurant, but if you send an email at least five or six weeks in advance and are flexible about time, you’ll get results.)
A spacious and calm place with 10-meter-high ceilings, Blue Hill can host 50 people. Thankfully, the tables are spread out from one another, allowing you to chat comfortably. Blue Hill also has a splendid wine menu, which has offerings from all over the world at a good price. At your typical fine restaurant, the wines are priced at a wholesale price multiplied by around four; at Blue Hill, however, they only multiply this price by two, even though it’s a top restaurant. More than that, you can order wines by the glass, giving you the opportunity to taste a different wine for every dish if you plan to try five or six different things. On top of that, all the waiters at Blue Hill are very knowledgeable about food and wine. And while most New York restaurants typically have a high circulation in terms of waiters, almost all of Blue Hill’s wait staff have been there since the first day.
An Alumnus from the Obama Administration
The restaurant’s chef, Dan Barber, also used to be on former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. In 2009, Barber was also selected as the best chef in New York by an independent jury, while Time also declared him one of the 100 most influential people that same year. Barber might be influential, but the farmers he sources his food from are even more influential – at least in terms for what makes it onto his menu. “I don’t decide what to cook that day, farmers do. I form my menus according to the products farmers pick and I shape personal menus in line with our guests’ requests.”
CANLIS (Seattle/USA)
Blue Acre might be the place for seafood, but Canlis is Seattle’s best restaurant, hands down – in fact, it might even be one of the United States’ five best restaurants. Michelin doesn’t yet have any ratings for Seattle, but when it expands there, I’m fairly certain Canlis will be getting three stars. Likewise, Canlis isn’t on the list of the world’s 50 best restaurants, which is a shame because it should be in the top 10. Canlis opened 52 years ago in a large villa constructed by an architect with vision. It also knows a thing or two about retaining its staff; our waitress, for instance, told us she had been working at Canlis for 33 years. At Canlis, you create your four-plate tasting menu, which you can enjoy alongside some wine from the restaurant’s well-stocked and reasonably-priced cellar. And if you’re at a loss for what to order, the sommelier is a master of his craft. Canlis’ bread and butter service is also excellent, but alas, it doesn’t have a lunch service. Unsurprisingly, it’s also difficult to find a reservation. So when you’re planning your trip to Seattle, make a reservation early, preferably for an earlier hour, as that will allow you to see the view of the city by both day and night. Canlis is open every night except Sundays.
DINNER (London/England)
Heston Blumenthal launched Dinner By Heston inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London. The system at Dinner by Heston is different than that of the Fat Duck, as Blumenthal continues to serve a 17-course menu at his first location. For Dinner By Heston, it appears that he has employed his own right-hand person, Ashley Palmer, as executive chef. About 10-12 chefs cook in a tiny glass room that resembles an aquarium; it might make the cooks feel like they’re in a fishbowl, but it allows you to watch your food being prepared. Another great thing is that all of the dishes here are drawn from the cuisine of Medieval England.
The menu includes the history of the dish, as well as further elaborate information about how it was cooked. Dinner By Heston has a simpler menu compared to the Fat Duck, but the beauty of this place is that it is open every single day, including Sundays. What’s more, it has a great view of Hyde Park.
DISFRUTAR (Barcelona/Spain)
Disfrutar is a restaurant belonging to three young, former employees of El Bulli: Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch. The trio earned their first Michelin star in no time at all, but arrogance is nowhere to be seen when you take a look at the restaurant. Disfrutar has three different menus with 12, 18 and 25 courses. More than that, the staff can all rapidly shift gears from meat to fish. There are options to dine at either the table or at the bar, but I’m one of those who prefers the latter so that I’m able to watch as the meals are prepared and even chat with the chefs at times. I generally find the bar section quite interactive and fun, but, of course, it depends on the restaurant.
In my opinion, Disfrutar reflects the Ferran Adria School better than any of its rivals. Unsurprisingly, Disfrutar is always full, so I’d advise you to make a reservation ahead of time – even a couple of months ahead of time. Nevertheless, you might have luck if you try and book for lunchtime. Disfrutar separates the evening service into two sessions. The first service begins at around 7 p.m., while the second commences at around 9.30 p.m. But given that this is night-owl Spain, the second service typically draws more people – meaning that if you’re more of an early bird, you might not have that many problems booking reservations for 7 p.m
EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA (Girona/Spain)
A place with three Michelin stars, Can Roca is located about an hour northeast of Barcelona in beautiful Girona. Can Roca serves up the classic fare. It’s also a fraternal affair: Joan Roca is the chef, Joseph Roca is the sommelier, and Jordi Roca, the youngest brother, is the pastry chef. The restaurant, which has a capacity for about 60 or 70 people, is in a very nice and modern building with pleasing architecture.
They have an option for an à la carte menu, but I would suggest trying the 12-portion menu, which is accompanied by very suitable and affordable wine. It’s probably best to go there for lunch – a meal there is a five-and-a-half-hour event (I, for one, went for lunch at 1 p.m. and only managed to leave at 6:30 p.m.), so that’s something to consider if you don’t want to finish dinner after midnight and then wonder how you’re ever going to get to sleep.
LE BERNARDIN (New York/USA)
One of the first places that come to mind when you say food and New York is Le Bernardin. Gilbert and Mathilde Le Coze opened the famous fish restaurant first in Paris in 1972 before raising the curtain on the second branch in New York 14 years later. Gilbert, who was also the chef, passed away shortly after the opening, giving way to Eric Ripert, one of his associates. Although the cuisine is French in origin, it is quite Americanized today.
In my opinion, Le Bernardin is the best fish restaurant in New York – everyone should eat there at least once. If you go there for lunch, you can have a beautiful fish menu in a very comfortable environment for a lower price than usual. Normally, I don’t like the service of three-Michelin- star restaurants because of their attitude, but Le Bernardin is one such restaurant with three Michelin stars that has great service. Try to make reservations a week in advance. However, you may walk in to eat at the bar section, which has a more limited but great menu.
MIRAZUR (Nice/France)
France saves some of its best for last: Mirazur, the world’s best restaurant, is located in Menton, the last town on the Riviera before you hit Italy. Heading up the restaurant is an Argentine chef, Mauro Colagreco, who cooks very French dishes. If you want ironed cotton tablecloth like me, they’ll immediately bring one to you.
If you don’t, you can eat at a wooden table as if you’re at a casual place. And naturally, given its location on the Riviera, it has an unreal view. Mirazur will be in our next edition too, but without a ranking number next to it, as now it is included in the “best of the best” list. It serves two menus; I suggest the longer menu coupled with a good cellar-temperature red “Bourgogne” from the extraordinary wine list. The sommelier is highly qualified to be able to assist you in finding a gem.
NOMA (Copenhagen/Denmark)
Noma came back to the list at the number two position at its new location after two years of absence from the scene during the construction. World's Best Restaurants 2023 9 Rene Redzepi gets most of his ingredients from Denmark, only procuring some of his fish from further afield, like Greenland and Iceland. Noma still has just two Michelin stars, but it perhaps deserves a third one soon. I guess it will rise up to the number one position in 50 best lists again in 2020, as it was there when it was in its old location.
Located in a stone building, Noma boasts high ceilings and a fair degree of comfort. I had long wished to visit Noma in its new place again but constantly failed to find a chance to book. But thanks to the intervention of a common friend, I was able to make a reservation for a Saturday night. And let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier to fly there for a day. It is not as moderately priced as it was in the previous location; if you accompany your meal with wine pairing too, you might have to part with 500 euros for the whole affair per person.
OSTERIA FRANCESCANA (Modena/Italy)
A place with three Michelin stars for many years, Osteria Francescana in Modena finally earned its rightful place as the best restaurant in the world in 2016 and in 2018 and is now in the “best of the best” list forever. The restaurant’s capacity, however, is as small as its reputation is big. The Osteria has one dining room for 10 people, as well as another one for 20 people – ultimately meaning it’s difficult to find a place at one of the individual tables.
If you do snag a place at this paragon of modern Italian cuisine, may I suggest you try the gastronomical menu? But if you’re pressed for time, try three or four dishes. The dishes are served in small, non-fusion portions. Francescana goes for the minimal in its decoration with plain colorful walls. The restaurant is located in an alley, which can cause problems, especially as the area is closed to traffic on the weekends, meaning you might need to stretch your legs a bit if you’re arriving by car on Saturday or Sunday.
PIAZZA DUOMO (Alba/Italy)
Listed as high as the 15th best restaurant of 2017, Piazza Duomo is not only Alba’s most famous restaurant, but it is also one of the most expensive restaurants in Italy.
Alba is a paradise of truffles. White truffles, which are more valuable than black truffles, are the star of the region. For this reason, I’d recommend you visit Alba in the fall when white truffles are in season.
Piazza Duomo is open throughout the year, but if you go to the restaurant sometime between October and December, you’ll get the chance to taste the unique white truffle. A place with three Michelin stars, Piazza Duomo, is located on the second floor of a building right in front of the city’s main church. They have an à la carte menu, but I recommend the tasting menu.
PUJOL (Mexico City)
Pujol is my most favorite Mexican restaurant in the world because I love Mexican street food, and Pujol serves real street food in the healthiest and refined way with a twist, perfect service, and a great wine list. It has a very relaxing restaurant setting with a lovely bar in the garden.
I enjoy it more there than some of the restaurants in the top ten. Very difficult to reserve it is, with two set menus; vegetarian and pescatarian. Next time I’m in Mexico City, I’ll reserve two days in a row to enjoy both menus.
STEIRERECK (Vienna/Austria)
Located inside a city park in Vienna, Steirereck is, the world’s 10th best restaurant. The couple that runs the place doesn’t open on weekends, so you’ll need to make reservations in advance. Steirereck offers a great view of the surrounding park thanks to its floor-to-ceiling windows, making you feel like you’re eating in the center of a garden full of beautiful flowers and trees. Steirereck has a tasting menu that you can order for either lunch or dinner. The restaurant can prepare the menu, one of which is fish-based and the other meat- based, depending on your preferences.
One useful thing about Steirereck is that they bring cards written in both English and German explaining the dishes – it’s a great idea given that many waiters outside the United States have less than fluent English. And to enhance the experience, they provide a small stand on the table so that you can read as you eat. You can even take the card with you if you’re interested in saving the recipe…