20 restaurants across the world that every gentleman needs to visit
Words: India Gladstone
The world is filled with incredible, weird and wonderful restaurants; places that will take you above and beyond your wildest dreams and expectations and places that you’ll never have even believed existed. And we’re not just talking about the food and drink that you’ll bare witness to in some of the world’s best restaurants – we’re talking about the experience as a whole and everything from the interior of the restaurant to the way that the staff speak to you. Going to one of the best restaurants in the world is a process that requires investment in all forms, from money to time, and everything in between. This was no easy feat, but we’ve managed to whittle this list down to 20 – so take your pick, gentlemen, and be sure to visit as many of these as you can in your lifetime.
Noma, Copenhagen
(Photo: Laura Lajh Prijatel)
What: This isn’t the world’s most sought-after restaurant for nothing. Noma, a restaurant with a 6-month waiting list, has fast become the number 1 on any foodie’s bucket list. With one of the world’s best chefs, René Redzepi, at the helm, the food is guaranteed not to disappoint.
Style of food: Traditional and seasonal Scandinavian.
Where: Strandgade 93, DK-1401 Copenhagen K
For more information, visit Noma here.
El Celler de Can Roca, Girona
What: El Celler de Can Roca is run hugely successfully by 3 brothers, Joan, Jordi and Josef Roca, as the pastry chef, food engineer and sommelier, respectively. The food here is always unique and imaginative, combining incredible flavours and a traditional Spanish flair to create food that you’ll never taste anywhere else. And all of this in a traditional Catalan setting…
Style of food: Modern Spanish.
Where: Calle Can Sunyer 48, 17007 Girona
For more information, visit El Celler de Can Roca here.
Azurmendi, Biscay
What: If you’re into experimental food, you need to visit Azurmendi because we can guarantee that it won’t be like anything you’ve ever tasted before. The secret is in the technology, and head chef Eneko Atxa uses a unique technique to alter the texture of the food – by applying ultrasound.
Style of food: Modern, cutting-edge Basque.
Where: Corredor del Txorierri Salida 25, Larrabetzu, Bizkaia
For more information, visit Azurmendi here.
Robuchon au Dome, Macau
If you ever happen to find yourself in Macau unsure of where to eat, this is where you go. Not only does Robuchon au Dome have 3 Michelin stars but it’s also on the 43rd floor, which means both the views and food are totally out of this world.
Style of food: Luxurious, fine dining with a traditional Chinese edge.
Where: 43/F, Grand Lisboa, Macau
The Fat Radish, New York
Where: While we wouldn’t always recommend that you make it an ambition to visit the most talked-about restaurants of the year just because they are fashionable, we can safely recommend that you visit The Fat Radish. This restaurant was set up by 2 long-time friends with a mutual passion for food and decor, who started out by delivering food to offices for catered events and ended up with this incredible establishment that is now one of the most sought-after restaurants in the whole of New York City.
Style of food: Seasonal, farm-to-table dishes.
Where: 17 Orchard St, NYC, 10002
Osteria Francescana, Modena
(Photo: The Insatiable Palate)
What: You can’t go wrong with traditional Italian food eaten in the heart of a traditional and medieval town in the centre of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Head chef Massimo Bottura is famed for his unique twist on traditional Italian dishes and focuses on creating food that he is sure diners will have never tasted before.
Style of food: Traditional Italian, with a twist.
Where: Via Stella 22, 41121 Modena
D.O.M, São Paulo
What: When a restaurant has been named at the San Pellegrino awards as the World’s 9th Best Restaurant, and when that same place has 2 Michelin Stars, you know it’s worth a visit. Traditional Brazilian food doesn’t get much of a foot inside the culinary world, but head chef Alex Atala has been instrumental in pushing those boundaries and creating unique, original and delicious food.
Style of food: Contemporary Brazilian.
Where: Rua Barão de Capanema, 549, São Paulo.
Le Caprice, London
What: The Ivy Group is undoubtedly home to some of the best clubs and restaurants in London, namely The Ivy, Scott’s, Annabel’s and J. Sheekey, and Le Caprice is no exception to the rule. Set just off Piccadilly and behind The Ritz, Le Caprice is an establishment full of class, glamour and incredible food.
Style of food: Traditional and seasonal, with a focus on seafood.
Where: Arlington Street, London SW1A
Tantris, Munich
(Photo: Christoph A. Hellhake)
What: Tantris, for those who don’t know, comes from the Indian Buddhist culture and means ‘perfection’. And this is signified in Tantris through both the incredible and unique food that it creates and the amazing space the restaurant occupies. Hans Haas, the head chef, has worked hard to ensure that the most unique food is created with incredible culinary taste, all with his unique signature.
Style of food: A refreshing and unique take on German food.
Where: Johann-Fichte-Straße 7, 80805 München, Germany.
Château Marmont, Los Angeles
What: Yes, Château Marmont is traditionally known as a hotel, which it is, but the restaurant is definitely a worth a visit. This is one of the most well-known and glamorous establishments in the whole of Los Angeles – and that’s saying something. An incredible terrace, breathtaking views around Los Angeles and the world-famous Sunset Boulevard, and some of the best food in the city, are just some of the experiences you’ll take away from the place.
Style of food: Traditional American – in the best kind of way.
Where: 8221 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm
What: Restaurant Frantzén is the perfect example of modern Scandinavian cuisine – with a fully-fledged Asian twist. The tasting menu has 14 courses, all completely different and unique to one another, and is guaranteed to offer you a taste of something that you’ve never experienced before.
Style of food: Modern Scandinavian
Where: Lilla Nygatan 21, 111 28 Stockholm
Geranium, Copenhagen
(Photo: Claes Bech-Poulsen)
What: The location inside the Common Gardens of Copenhagen is indicative of the natural, refined taste of the food produced inside the restaurant. Geranium focuses on enlivening the senses through the food that it offers, and on creating an enriching and restorative experience for every customer that comes through the door.
Style of food: Seasonal, vibrant and experimental food.
Where: Per Henrik Lings Allé 4, 8. DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Bouley, New York
What: An incredible, sophisticated restaurant in the centre of New York that focuses on creating extravagant, delicious dishes of purity and freshness. The whole menu is centred on seasonal dishes that you won’t find anywhere else.
Style of food: As seasonal and fresh as they come.
Where: 163 Duane St, NYC
The Test Kitchen, Cape Town
What: The Test Kitchen’s head chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, may hail from England but he has spent much of his adult life travelling the world, which is indicative of the exotic and unique dishes that he creates at The Test Kitchen. Fusion cuisine is the name of the game here, and his dishes are intricate, complicated and bold – not to mention delicious.
Style of food: Multi-national and exotic.
Where: Shop 104A, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Ekstedt, Stockholm
(Photo: PA Jorgenssen)
What: Ekstedt is all about returning to the routes of cooking and using pure, natural ingredients without a gas cooker or electric oven in sight and just using heat, soot and ash. It’s a way of cooking that far too few restaurants use these days, and one that creates the most delicious and tasteful food that one can eat.
Style of food: Fresh and seasonal.
Where: Humlegårdsgatan 17, 114 46 Stockholm
O Ya, Boston
(Photo: Gentl and Hyers)
What: No list like this would be complete without an incredible sushi restaurant, and O Ya is exactly that. This isn’t traditional sushi as you know it, this is a modern take on the much-loved cuisine that will taste unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
Style of food: Modern Japanese.
Where: 9 East St, Boston, MA 02111, Boston (New Yorkers, also visit: 120 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016)
Fäviken, Sweden
What: This is perhaps the most isolated restaurant in the world, making it also one of the most sought-after and imaginative. Set in the middle of nowhere, inside an 18th-century barn on a 24,000-acre hunting estate, Fäviken aims to create dishes that are worth the wait, and that are indicative of and inspired by the distance travelled and the surrounding areas.
Style of food: Rustic Scandinavian.
Where: Fäviken 216, 830 05 Järpen
Buddakan, New York
(Photo: loveinspirecreate.com)
What: Buddakan is potentially the most stylish restaurant in the whole of New York and undeniably sought after by anyone in the know. Dimly lit, with an heavy air of glamour and thumping music in the background, Buddakan is the place to start (or end) an incredible night in New York.
Style of food: Modern Asian.
Where: 75 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Ithaa, The Maldives
What: This insane underwater restaurant is about as imaginative and exotic as they come. This establishment sits 16 foot underneath the sea and is the world’s first completely glass dining space, giving diners 180-degree views of the ocean and some of the freshest and most delicious seafood in the world.
Style of food: Fresh seafood.
Where: Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives
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