The final stop of this gastronomique journey took me to Lasarte where Paolo Casagrande upholds the 3* standard set by Martín Berasategui. I substituted the risotto listed below for a beet and caviar risotto, and remarked to Chef Paolo, "Does Mauro Colagreco know about this?" Chef Colagreco being the one who spread beet + caviar around the world. A menu to take home was not presented at the end of the meal, and service was exceptionally formal. Although the surroundings were

What an absolute pleasure to be back at Cocina Hermanos Torres to see the brothers' creativity and technique on full display. When I first visited in 2024, the restaurant made a lasting impression and I couldn't wait to return. On this visit, there was a business meeting in a PDR complete with spreadsheets and charts on a large monitor. After finishing, they adjourned for lunch with flowing wine and chef demonstrations at their table. I have but one question. Are they hiring

:) Disfrutar features a choice of menus entitled "Classic," showcasing greatest hits, and "Festival," relying heavily on a menu-of-the-moment approach. Upon my return visit, when I was seated and presented with a piece of paper that read "SPECIAL MENU," I knew great care had been taken to ensure an extraordinary experience. The meal exceeded even that expectation. Combined with my virst visit and this visit, Disfrutar has earned the number one spot on my world rankings , the

Who knew celebrity TV Chef Jordi Cruz is shy? This, it's explained, is a reason why he doesn't regularly work the tables at his 3* dining room ABaC . This was my fourth visit, and I hadn't met Cruz on my previous three. Since he has played a large part in my appreciation of gastronomy, I politely insisted that if he was in residence I could say a quick hello. Cruz, going back more than a decade, has set a standard for me in creativity, use of ingredients and storytelling. Mor

Having a thoughtful conversation with Elena Arzak about replating silver flatware from her restaurant wasn't on my bingo card. But here we were, in her eponymous restaurant, where she tells-it-like-it-is and holds court to welcome guests, many of whom are old friends. I like Chef Arzak. The day began with a comprehensive tour of the "home" from lab to wine cellar. I appreciated this extra touch as it was delightful, insightful, and did not need to be as extensive as it was.

I always wanted to be a Bond villain. Driving up through the winding roads outside San Sebastian to reach Akelarre , you can't help but think that. Stepping out on the terrace to a panoramic view of the sea made it feel like my hidden lair. Finding out I was the only guest booked in for lunch and that the entire restaurant was there to serve me felt..... a little strange. Getting the best table in the house on this occasion was no problem. After a kitchen tour and chat lunch

Azurmendi held the distinction of being the first stop on this tour of seven 3* meals in one week throughout Spain. It set a very high bar. What a delight it was to talk with Chef Eneko Atxa about his passion and projects. You can truly see his point-of-view and intentions on the plate. Due to a very late-arriving business party of 17, I had the restaurant to myself for most of the meal which allowed a free-flow conversation of ideas and information download from the marvelo

"On a scale of one-to-10, how hungry are you?" "I flew 24 hours to have this dinner." "Understood." So it began. I had first met Dave Pynt in Abu Dhabi where he cooked a camel chop the size of a baby with gremolata and bone marrow bread. My second encounter was in London at what I've described HERE as the best collab meal I've ever had. When I saw him a few nights later at the 50 Best ceremony, he pointedly asked, "When are you coming to Singapore? What are you waiting for?"

I first met Chef Julien Royer of 3* Odette in 2022 at a 50 Best collaboration in Abu Dhabi. The meal was a stellar example of deeply rooted French cooking with familiar, modern Asian touches. When I saw Chef again at 50 Best in London, later that year, I was urged to stop dreaming about visiting Odette, and actually pay it a visit in peson. Fast forward, and I'm finally seated in this temple of Royer's deeply-personal cuisine. The dining room has undergone a refurb for Odett

It's been an arms race in the UAE for restaurant recognition with 50 Best moving in before the tire guide muscled its way to the pole position. This was my fourth trip to the always wonderful UAE, but first since stars had been awarded. Erth , a 1* Abu Dhabi, is a true representative of refined Emerati cuisine served in the Qasr Al Hosn cultural complex. Do yourself a favour and spend some time either before or after your meal admiring the exhibits. There's even a Ducasse coo

Legendary La Tour d'Argent in Paris is known worldwide for its duck. Mine was overcooked. When you serve more than a million ducks, I guess that has to happen. But what I'd rather talk about was a point of confusion. The first drop off after snacks consisted of tomato soup. Bread was being passed around the dining room and I didn't receive any. I found that odd and off putting. Except it wasn't the first course at all. It was an amuse, to be followed by..... another tomato "

What a pleasure to be back at my usual table in my favourtie lunch spot in the world. Guy Savoy , who you can actually find in his restaurants, has not only been banging out hits for decades, but constantly reinvents and reinterprets key seasonal ingredients. It's worth the journey just to see what he'll do with a summer tomato this year. I am always looked after, astutely, by Gregory, who has never refused a request, and has always adapted a menu to my liking. The dishes, do

When I got out of my rideshare, throngs of young women started to scream. The reception wasn't meant for me, but for the K Pop star who was in residence for Fashion Week at Le Bristol. Unfortunately, this was the highlight of the evening. Due to a scheduling snafu by another restaurant, my 200th * restaurant reverted to Epicure which I chose for several reasons: The 100th anniversary of Hotel Le Bristol, a recent change in chef to Arnaud Faye, and a previous meal at The Lane

Nordic Japanese? Sign me up. I had been intrigued with any restaurant in Sweden that features a truffle okonomiyaki (although not served at this visit) and puts a bottle of Hibiki on its home page. What followed was a beautiful meal in an absolutely stunning location. Many restaurants shuffle you from room-to-room between snacks, the main event and sweets. This former home at Norrlandsgatan 24, now Nour , is the elegant, relaxed "private club" setting where you want to spend

I may not be able to see in to the future, but I've got a solid track record at identifying restaurants that are undervalued in the * department, and will some day be promoted (Steirereck in Vienna, AbAC in Barcelona, Humble Chicken in London to name a few). As mentioned in my last post, I happened to dine at my highest rated 1* restaurants back-to-back, the first being Frog by Adam Handling in London, the other being Adam/Albin in Stockholm, and I'm pleased to say both are

I had heard rumblings about Cornus being new on the scene, and I was frankly surprised at how good the food was being put out in such a large space, and also quite a value for the ingredients and technique involved. Having opted for the six course menu, you're never wrong in starting me off with a canapé that has shaved cheese to wake up the pallet. The pea and ham velouté: silky and porky in flavour. The trotter perfectly crispy, destined to be broken up amongst the coup, an

I may not be able to see in to the future, but I've got a solid track record at identifying restaurants that are undervalued in the * department, and will some day be promoted (Steirereck in Vienna, AbAC in Barcelona, Humble Chicken in London to name a few). I happened to dine at my highest rated 1* restaurants back-to-back, the first being Frog by Adam Handling in London, the other being Adam/Albin in Stockholm, and I'm pleased to say both are clearly worthy of a second sta

If you can't get in to Agora downstairs, Oma is quite the delight with superb flavours in a high-volume kitchen. Book the chef's counter and strap in as you watch mission control expedite more than 1,000 plates in a service. If you took a shot of uzo every time the kitchen recognized an allergy, you'd be drunk before your first taste arrived. This Greek one * is all the rage. The slutty spanakopita is the spinach dip you always wanted but never had. All the spreads are worth

Plates received a lot of buzz after earning one * as a vegan restaurant. The counter is a limited space that looks in to the kitchen, past the bar space. Unfortunately, this experience had some pitfalls, from disjointed service to an overcomplicated main. Luckily, I was at the early service because the late turn wouldn't be receiving the laminated bread course due to some technical snafu. Back to the main, of, carmalised lions maine. The processing of the mushroom, with two s

I bought a tie for five quid at Amazon. Having recently moved, and sold or donated the majority of my haberdashery, I found myself without the mandatory tie to go with my jacket for the 250th * meal at the Ritz in London. Promoted to two stars in 2025, the same year as Humble Chicken , this was the perfect time to check out, and pour over, what brought this legendary establishment to that level. The maitre d'hotel asked how I had heard about the restaurant, and I cheekily rep