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Frantzen in Stockholm - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 100. Frantzén originally started out as a collaboration between chef Björn Frantzén and his business partner and pastry chef Daniel Lindeberg in 2008, when they established restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm. The restaurant experienced early acclaim from Michelin, collecting a Michelin star the following year. Perhaps no surprise, because ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSweden - 16-06-2018
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Quintessence in Tokyo, Japan - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. Tokyo currently has twelve three-star restaurants, of which four have held this accolade since the first edition of the Michelin guide Tokyo was published in 2007 (2008 guide). One of these four is Quintessence, located in Tokyo's Shinagawa ward/district, a difficult but not impossible restaurant to book. When I was in Tokyo I stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel and this was one of the first ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Other - 07-06-2018
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Hide (Above) in London

Rating: 89. Picture this: you're a Russian multi-millionaire with a love for wine and food and you already own Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, which has quickly become one of the world's foremost merchants in fine wine. It has some 6,500 different wines in stock, including some very rare and very fine bottles, think Lafite and Pétrus vintages which go back to 1949 and 1945 respectively, and a larg...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 28-05-2018
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Rakuichi Soba in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan

Rating: 90. From the outside Rakuichi Soba is an unassuming restaurant. It doesn't have a large sign, it's housed in a traditional Japanese wooden house/chalet, which you can reach by a narrow wooden bridge. As an unsuspecting foreigner you'd probably walk past without even knowing it's there. But today, everybody knows it's there. The restaurant became famous after it appeared in the Ho...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Other - Niseko - 25-05-2018
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Cornerstone in Hackney Wick, London

Rating: 90. Hackney has become so hip by now, that it's hard to imagine that only a decade ago it was difficult to find a cabbie who would take you from central London to anywhere near Clapton Road aka "Murder Mile". A friend of mine was living on Ickburgh Road at the time, and when we would ask to be taken there, more often than not the cabbie would look at us with a combination of suspicion ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 22-05-2018
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Oaxen Krog in Stockholm, Sweden - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. In 1994 chef Magnus Ek, together with his wife Agneta Green, opened his first restaurant on an island in Stockholm's archipelago called Oaxen, naming the restaurant Oaxen Skärgårdskrog. Over time the restaurant gained popular and critical acclaim and it entered the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2006 at number 48 (Noma entering that same year at number 33) and manage...
Category: Restaurants - 15-05-2018
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Narisawa in Tokyo, Japan - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa (b. 1969) started his career at the early age of 19, training in the three Michelin starred kitchens of Frédy Girardet in Crissier (Switzerland), of Paul Bocuse in Lyon and Joël Robuchon in Paris, and at Antica Osteria del Ponto in Milan, also three Michelin starred at the time. After eight years in Europe, Narisawa returned to Japan in 1996 to open his o...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Other - Tokyo - 08-05-2018
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Restaurant David Toutain in Paris - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. Training with big name French chefs does set you up in the world of gastronomy and David Toutain (b.1981) trained with some of the very best, like Alain Passard, Pierre Gagnaire, Marc Veyrat, and Bernard Pacaud. Add to that two internships at Andoni Luis Aduriz' Mugaritz and Paul Liebrandt's Corton in New York City (now closed) and it will be of no surprise that when Toutain returned to ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 02-05-2018
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Quinsou in Paris - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 89. Quinsou has been on the Paris food scene since the end of 2016, but chef/owner Antonin Bonnet is not exactly a new kid in town and has already made a name for himself during his years (2012-2015) as head chef at Le Sergent Recruteur in Paris' 4th arrondissement (then 1 Michelin star, awarded within 5 months after opening). Before relocating to Paris in 2012, Antonin Bonnet was head chef at T...
Category: Restaurants - 20-04-2018
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Restaurant La Condesa in Paris

Rating: 90. La Condesa, a small 24-seat restaurant in Paris' 9th arrondissement, opened its doors in September 2017. Chef/owner is Mexican-bron Indra Carrillo, an Institut Paul Bocuse graduate, who has gained experience in some of the best kitchen's in the world, including Le Meurice (during the Yannick Alléno years), l'Astrance, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Noma in Copenhagen and Ginz...
Category: Restaurants - 19-04-2018
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Restaurant 212 in Amsterdam

Rating: 93. Last year, at the end of August, news broke that chefs Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot of restaurant Bord'eau (2 Michelin stars at the time), would leave Bord'eau by the end of the year to start their own kitchen counter restaurant in Amsterdam. Two weeks later, around my birthday, I had one final meal at Bordeau, a truly outstanding meal that was nothing short of three-st...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 02-03-2018
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De Kas in Amsterdam

Rating: 90. De Kas has been a steady fixture on the Amsterdam dining scene for many years. Any visitor of the Dutch capital with an interest in food will probably have De Kas on their restaurant list; during both my recent meals there, the dining room counted many nationalities. One of the main attractions of the restaurant is its unique location in a vintage greenhouse which dates bake to 1926, with a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 14-02-2018
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Le Pressoir d'Argent in Bordeaux - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Le Pressoir d'Argent is housed in the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel, located on the Place de la Comédie in the historic town centre of Bordeaux. Owner of the hotel is Michel Oyahon, who bought the property in 1999. At the time, the hotel had already been closed for renovations for years and several more years were spent on extensive redesign and refurbishments before the hotel ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Bordeaux - 13-02-2018
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Maison Troisgros in Ouches - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 89. Maison Troisgros ("Troisgros") is a 4th generation family-run hotel and restaurant, originally established in Roanne, France, but since early 2017 relocated to a rather spectacular new, 17-hectare "domaine" in Ouches. The first few glimpses of this new location in the Loire countryside were shown in the Chef's Table France's Troisgros episode, a Netflix series that wa...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 22-01-2018
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Restaurant Anglo in London

Rating: 90. Since the opening in April 2016, Anglo has been getting high praise from Britain's restaurant critics, including two 5-star reviews from Grace Dent (then Evening Standard) and the late A.A. Gill (The Sunday Times), within weeks of opening. Later that year Anglo picked up the Observer Food Monthly's "Best Newcomer" award. Anglo is located just off the lively Leather Lane...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - 21-01-2018
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Garopapilles in Bordeaux

Rating: 89. In 2012 Gaël Morand and Tanguy Laviale opened Garopapilles, a wine boutique cum 20-seat neo-bistro in Bordeaux. Morand is in charge of the wine, Laviale of the food. Tanguy Laviale started his chef career in Paris in the early 00's, where he attended Ferrandi culinary school. After graduation he worked in the kitchens of Christian LeSquer's Ledoyen (now run by Yannick Alleno), ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Bordeaux - 31-12-2017
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My 15 Best Dishes of 2017

I don't know about you, but my iPhone has over 37,000 photographs of food, 5 selfies, and around 500 photographs of people and dogs. These photographs were all taken between 2014 and 2017. So, on average I take 9,000 photographs of food per year and that is food in the broadest sense of the word. Ingredients such as meat and fish (dead or alive, I do enjoy taking photographs of cows and pigs...
Category: Restaurants - 28-12-2017
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Claude Bosi at Bibendum in London - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. During the pre-Brexit Mayfair property boom Claude Bosi decided to sell the lease for his two-star restaurant Hibiscus on Maddox Street when he was able to secure a good deal. And so Hibiscus closed its doors in October 2016 after 16 years, of which 9 years in London. In April 2017 Claude Bosi (b.1972 in Lyon) re-emerged with a new restaurant on 81 Fulham Road, better known as Michelin House. Mi...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 27-11-2017
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The Black Swan in Oldstead - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. The Black Swan is a handsome 16th century inn located in the tiny village in Olstead, North Yorkshire. The building was bought by local farmers Tom and Anne Banks in 2006 and together with their sons Tommy and James the couple turned the Black Swan into a successful pub/restaurant with rooms. From 2008 till 2013 the kitchen was run by chef Adam Jackson and in 2012 the Black Swan was awarded a M...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Oldstead - 18-11-2017
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Core by Clare Smyth in London

Rating: 92. Exceptional chefs don't just create great restaurants and great dishes; if they are worth their salt they also generate professional offspring, thereby building there own culinary family tree. In the UK obviously a giant Sequoia chef tree was planted by the Roux family, with chefs with renowned restaurants scattered around the country. Growing right next to it, and yes I believe he deser...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 08-11-2017
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The Man Behind the Curtain in Leeds - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 93. In August this year I tweeted "I don't think many people realise how exciting and mature the UK dining scene has become, both in and outside of the capital". I made this statement on the basis of recent, extensive visits to the UK and many other visits in the past, and I honestly feel that the UK dining scene has shifted up several gears, especially in the north of England. For gas...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Leeds - 01-11-2017
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Manoir Restaurant Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen, the Netherlands - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Note: In December Inter Scaldes was awarded a third Michelin star in the 2018 guide for the Netherlands The southwestern province of Zeeland is perhaps the foodiest province of the Netherlands, especially if you're into seafood. The province is one of the least densely populated provinces of the Netherlands, with around 380,000 inhabitants compared to e.g. 2.4 million in the neighbouri...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 15-10-2017
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Where The Light Gets In in Stockport

Rating: 81. Where The Light Gets In ("WTLGI") is a new restaurant in Stockport, which opened its doors in October 2016. Chef/owner is 34-year-old Sam Buckley, who has previously worked in the kitchens of celebrated chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Paul Kitching (at the then 1-star Juniper in Altrincham) and Simon Rogan (at l'Enclume). The 25-seat restaurant is housed in a former coffee warehouse,...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - 27-09-2017
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Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Winners of the prestigious Roux Scholarship competition in the UK are allowed to choose a three Michelin starred restaurant anywhere in the world for a three-month stage. When Sat Bains (b. 1971) won the competition in 1999 he picked Le Jardin des Sens, the then famous three-star restaurant in Montpellier, run by the Pourcel brothers. Working there at the same time was René Redzepi and they...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Nottingham - 25-09-2017
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Paul Ainsworth at No 6 in Padstow - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. When Paul Ainsworth opened No 6 in 2006, Padstow's key food attraction was Rick Stein's flagship seafood restaurant. Stein is still the doyen of Padstow, but in his wake Paul Ainsworth has built his own successful restaurant business. No 6 is still going strong, having held a Michelin star now for almost five years running, and recently it underwent an extensive refurbishment, inclu...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cornwall - 12-09-2017
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The Dining Room at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Whatley Manor in the southern Cotswolds was originally built as a farm house (and named Twatley Manor) in the 18th century as part of the farm estate Twatley farm. Since then, the manor changed hands several times, was renamed to its current name in the early 60s, and has been running as a hotel since 1987. Current owners of Whatley Manor are Alix Landolt and her son Christian, members of a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Malmesbury - 29-08-2017
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Gidleigh Park in Chagford - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 85. For years Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Devon, was the home of chef Michael Caines, who ran the kitchens from 1994 up to and including 2015. The restaurant has held two Michelin stars since 1999, making it one of the longest running two-star restaurants in the UK. At the end of 2015 it was announced that Michael Caines would be leaving the restaurant after 21 years, to pursue a new business adventu...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Devon - 26-08-2017
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The West House in Biddenden - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. "Chefs are the new rock stars" PR people and agents are telling us, and it is true that many famous chefs have become celebrities. I don't really know whether they found the spotlight or whether the spotlight found them, but most couldn't possibly be mistaken for a true rock star. Marco Pierre White would be the obvious exception of course and when you look at the Instagram fee...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Kent - 21-08-2017
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The Hand & Flowers in Marlow - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. When I visited The Hand & Flowers for the first time back in 2010, Tom Kerridge had just been on Great British Menu (series 5), winning the main course with his slow-cooked Aylesbury duck with duck fat chips and gravy. He prolonged the main course title the next year with a hog roast. Participating in Great British Menu brought Tom Kerridge instant fame, to which Michelin contributed by...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Buckinghamshire - 28-07-2017
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Salt by Paul Foster in Stratford-upon-Avon

Rating: 89. These days more and more restaurants are being financed by crowdfunding. One of the first to set the crowdfunding ball running in 2013 was The Clove Club in London's Shoreditch, which was partly funded by a £250,000 crowdfunding campaign. A particularly spectacular case was Thai restaurant Som Saa in 2015, who forked in £700,000 on Crowdcube in just four days, £150,000 above ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - 18-07-2017
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Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 88. Facebook showed me an "On this day" memory the other day. It was a photograph of my last visit to Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons ("Le Manoir") near Oxford, taken 7 years ago. Seven years, in which Britain experienced huge changes in the gastronomic landscape, certainly in London but also around the country. Things at Le Manoir haven't changed much. The location of t...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Great Milton - 14-07-2017
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The Wild Rabbit in Kingham - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 93. Note (02/10/17): Executive chef Tim Allen has left The Wild Rabbit in August 2017 and the restaurant's Michelin star was retracted in 2018 Michelin guide for Great Britain & Ireland Daylesford is one of the most famous farm shops in the UK and was without a doubt a pioneering shop when it was established in 2002 by Lady (Carole) Bamford, wife of Lord (Anthony) Bamford, chairman of JCB...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Kingham - 04-07-2017
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Restaurant Lafleur in Frankfurt - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. Germany currently has no fewer than 39 2-star restaurants and in the 2017 guide for Germany the city of Frankfurt was featured with two 2-star restaurants, Tiger-Gourmetrestaurant and Restaurant Lafleur, both part of the the Tiger Palmen Gruppe. Tiger-Gourmetrestaurant was awarded its second Michelin star in November 2013 (2014 guide). Executive chef at the time was Andreas Krolik (b.1974), who no...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Frankfurt - 04-06-2017
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Restaurant Schwarzenstein - Nils Henkel in Geisenheim, Germany

Rating: 95. Just last December, it was announced that Burg Schwarzenstein, a luxury hotel located in the Rheingau wine region in Germany, had brought chef Nils Henkel on board to run their gourmet restaurant. Nils Henkel used to be executive chef at Gourmetrestaurant Lerbach at the Schloss Lerbach hotel in Bergisch-Gladbach, but he kind of fell of my radar when Schloss Lerbach ("Lerbach") closed its...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Geisenheim - 10-05-2017
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Dos Pebrots in Barcelona

Rating: 89. Dos Pebrots (two peppers) is the second restaurant of chef Albert Raurich, well-known as the former Chef de Cuisine (2000-2007) at elBulli. Raurich opened his first restaurant Dos Palillos (two cocktail sticks), a Spanish-Asian tapas bar, in 2008, followed by the opening of Dos Palillos in Berlin in 2010 (now closed). Dos Pebrots opened its doors in September 2016, with chef Borja García Or...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Barcelona - 23-04-2017
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Restaurant Arles in Amsterdam

Rating: 85. Restaurant Arles ("Arles') is a neo-bistro situated in the De Pijp area in Amsterdam, and is owned by hospitality concept developer Ronald Huiskamp and Bob Hamersma, son of renowned Dutch wine writer Harold Hamersma. Huiskamp was recently also involved as concept developer/consultant in the (re)launch of The White Room at the Krasnapolsky Hotel (three-star chef Jacob Jan Boerma's se...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 06-04-2017
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Pure C in Zeeland, the Netherlands - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 93. When Pure C opened in 2010, it was the second restaurant of Dutch chef Sergio Herman, internationally acclaimed for his three Michelin starred restaurant Oud Sluis in Sluis. A lot has changed since then. In the summer of 2013 it was announced that Oud Sluis was to close its doors for good at the end of the year, Herman stating at the time "I've literally and figuratively reached my peak...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Cadzand - 01-04-2017
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Atelier in Munich - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Note: in November 2017 it was announced that Atelier was awarded 3 Michelin stars in the 2018 Michelin guide to Germany Atelier is the fine dining restaurant of Munich's luxury five-star Hotel Bayerischer Hof, recently making the news because of the high-profile 53rd Munich Security Conference that was held at the hotel. Executive chef of Atelier since 2014 is Jan Hartwig (b. 1982). Hartwig...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 26-03-2017
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Lasarte in Barcelona - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. In the latest edition of the Michelin guide for Spain and Portugal, Restaurante Lasarte ("Lasarte") in Barcelona was awarded three Michelin stars, taking the total number of three-star restaurants in Spain to nine. Lasarte, part of the Martin Berasategui restaurant group, opened its doors in 2006. Chef de Cuisine at Lasarte is Paolo Casagrande (b. 1979), who has worked together with Mari...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 21-03-2017
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Disfrutar in Barcelona - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 92. Molecular gastronomy has got a bad rep in recent years, mainly because a lot of people associate this type of cuisine with foams, gels and snow. Three important but often misunderstood technical innovations that sadly went from being ground-breaking and having a real purpose on the plate, to being overused and, even worse, often misused and ending up as an obligatory gimmick. Luckily there's s...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Barcelona - 13-03-2017
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Hedone in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 92. Let me start with a little introduction of Hedone - after all it's been more than four years since my last visit. Hedone is the restaurant of chef-patron Mikael Jonsson (b. 1966), who had previously had a successful career as a corporate lawyer in Sweden. In the years before opening his own restaurant he was well-known and respected for his foodblog Gastroville (2005-2011, now defunct)....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 02-02-2017
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Gustav in Frankfurt - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. When Gustav opened its doors early 2015, they were an instant hit with the German restaurant guides. Within a year after opening, they won a Michelin star, they entered the Gault Millau Deutschland guide with a 16 out of 20 rating, and Gault Millau named head chef Jochim Busch "Discovery of the Year". Gustav is the second restaurant of restaurateur couple Matthias Schieber and Milica Tra...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Frankfurt - 31-01-2017
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De Lindehof near Eindhoven - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. De Lindehof can be found just a few steps aways from Nuenen's reformed church, immortalised in paintings and drawings by Vincent van Gogh, most famously in his 1884 painting called "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen", returned to the Van Gogh museum in 2016 after it had been stolen 14 years before. De Lindehof was opened by chef/owner Soenil Bahadoer (b.1967) ...
Category: Restaurants - 25-01-2017
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Elystan Street in London

Rating: 86. Last year London's Mayfair saw two veteran chefs leaving this very prestigious area: Phil Howard of the much-loved and celebrated The Square on Bruton Street, the longest running two Michelin-starred restaurant in London after Le Gavroche, and Claude Bosi of the equally loved and celebrated Hibiscus, also two Michelin stars, on Maddox Street. The Square is still open for business and ha...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 19-01-2017
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Bolenius in Amsterdam - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. You need to revisit and re-review this restaurant. That's what Xavier, my husband, suggested to me last September, when he returned from lunch with a business partner at Bolenius in Amsterdam. Apparently things had changed a lot since our last visits in 2012, when I found the experience at Bolenius underwhelming. Next thing you know, Bolenius was awarded a Michelin star in the ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 18-01-2017
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My 15 Best Dishes of 2016

For Fenno (2002 - 2016), the best dog in the world MY 15 BEST DISHES OF 2016   Let me start with a summary of my year in gastronomy.   January  My first restaurant meal of the year was on January the 1st, at 45 Jermyn St. (Fortnum & Mason) in London. A disappointing meal, especially the main course of Steak with Café de Paris butter, the latte...
Category: Restaurants - 30-12-2016
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Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills (New York)

Rating: 98. The term "farm to table" or the relatively new "farm to fork" has become a marketing term used for almost any restaurant with a vegetable patch or restaurants that buy local produce. I don't know exactly when this term was coined, although the New York Times already mentions a "farm to table plan" in a 1914 article. Marketing term aside, for me farm-to-table is ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - New York City - 15-12-2016
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StreetXO in London

Rating: 93. "Beware, all ye who enter here!": this was the last line of my 2014 review of David Muñoz' (b. 1980) three-star restaurant DiverXO in Madrid. Muñoz is one of the most innovative chefs of recent times, and dining at his funhouse restaurant doesn't leave anybody indifferent. Some experience shock, others experience awe, some experience love and others experience hat...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 22-11-2016
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Eleven Madison Park in New York City - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Where in Europe Michelin is often criticised (and sometimes rightfully so) for being too cautious or too conservative when awarding or taking away stars, the Michelin team in the United States are quite the opposite. In the US guides it's not uncommon for a restaurant to debute with two Michelin stars, or for a second star to be taken from a restaurant that had been promoted just 2 year...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 12-11-2016
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Auberge Jean & Marie in Amsterdam

Rating: 89. Auberge Jean & Marie is new restaurant and wine bar in Amsterdam by Jan Grijpeere (Jean) and Marije Bremer (Marie), which opened its doors in the lively "De Pijp" area in Amsterdam this summer. Before opening their own, partly crowdfunded, restaurant. Jan and Marije worked at Amsterdam hotspots like winebar Vyne, Bistrot Neuf and Guts & Glory. (courtesy of Jean & Mar...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 27-10-2016
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MIMI in New York City

Rating: 83. MIMI is a tiny, 27-seat bistro in New York City's Greenwich Village, opened in October 2015 by young restaurateurs Louis Levy (son of French novelist Marc Levy), Camille Deterre, and Daniel and Even Bennett. Behind the stove is 25-year-old Liz Johnson who's trained at Rene Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen en David Chang's Má Pêche in New York City, amongst others.&n...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - New York City - 28-09-2016
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Geranium in Copenhagen - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. When Geranium was awarded a third Michelin star on the 24th of February 2016, the restaurant made history as it became Denmark's first three-star restaurant ever. Geranium is run and co-owned by Rasmus Kofoed (executive chef) and Søren Ledet (restaurant manager/sommelier), who originally opened the restaurant in 2007 in Copenhagen's Kongens Have (the King's Garden). In 2008 the ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsDenmark - 25-09-2016
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The Beehive in White Waltham

Rating: 89. The word "gastropub" has been so overused that it has fallen out of favour in recent years, but it's a marvellous word to describe the concept of restaurant quality food served in a pub. In fact, isn't this unique British phenomenon, which has been around since the early 90s, the forerunner of "bistronomie'' restaurants. When the bistronomie movement reached its...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Berkshire - 05-09-2016
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Le Cinq in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi! Fine Dining is dead, long live Fine Dining. The past five years have been truly challenging for the fine dining industry. Faced with the new economic reality that gradually set in after the financial crisis of 2008, lots of restaurants have been tinkering about with a new-style fine dining concept. Numerous restaurants relaunched with more casual concepts, a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 27-07-2016
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The Waterside Inn in Bray - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 88. Britain's fine dining scene owes a lot to the Roux family or (dare I say) dynasty. For almost 50 years now, the Roux family have been a key contributor to gastronomy in Britain, first and foremost as patrons and chefs of two of the oldest and most distinguished Michelin starred restaurants in Britain. It all started in 1967, when brothers Albert and Michel Roux opened Le Gavroche in Lower Sloa...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsUK - 19-07-2016
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Frenchie Covent Garden in London

Rating: 89. "Frenchie" was initially a nickname given to chef Greg Marchand by Jamie Oliver when he was working at Oliver's Fifteen in London in the mid 00's, but in 2009 it was adopted as the name of Marchand's instantly popular and famous bistro on 5 Rue de Nil in Paris. Six years on there's Frenchie Bar à Vins, Frenchie To Go (a sandwich shop), and Frenchie Caviste (a win...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 12-07-2016
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l'Oustau de Baumanière in Lex-Baux-de-Provence, France (2 Michelin stars)

Rating: 94. Baumanière is a family-run hotel located in Les-Baux-de-Provence, set right in the middle of the Alpilles, a rocky mountain range in Provence. The hotel is well-known for its unique location, but it's famous for being the home of the illustrious restaurant l'Oustau de Baumanière ("l'Oustau"). The hotel and restaurant were founded in 1945 by Raymond Thuillier (...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Other - 21-06-2016
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Mirazur in Menton, France - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. When Mauro Colagreco (b.1976) opened his own restaurant back in 2006, the world of gastronomy was a different place altogether. El Bulli had just taken over the number 1 spot from The Fat Duck in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list; legendary French chefs Michel Bras and Marc Veyrat were still very much behind the pots in their restaurants, and things such as social media, food bloggers and...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Menton - 15-06-2016
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l'Ambroisie in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. I've gone astray. When it comes to choosing food at a restaurant I've always had a preference for tasting menus. Firstly because I'm greedy, but more importantly, it will usually give you the most intense and broad experience in a restaurant; in some cases you did make that special journey after all. It also has to do with value for money and in countries such as Spain, the Netherlan...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 12-06-2016
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Neige d'Ete in Paris - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 88. Pages, Neige d'Été and Nakatani: these are three of the seven new one-star restaurants in Paris, all are run by Japanese chefs, and all three are serving modern French/neo-bistro cuisine. Apart from the Michelin star these restaurants also have a minimalist, mainly white decor in common, with tablecloths by the way (are they making a comeback?!). Neige d'Été, ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 08-06-2016
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Epicure at Le Bristol (Eric Frechon) in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. The name Oetker is usually associated with baking products and ready-made pizzas, that go under the name Dr. Oetker, part of the Oetker Group, a 120-year-old family business in Germany. The founder of the Oetker Group was Dr. August Oetker (hence Dr. Oetker), a pharmacist from Bielefeld, Germany, who developed a baking powder in 1893 and started selling it commercially for domestic purposes.&...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 30-05-2016
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Victor's Fine Dining by Cristian Bau (Schloss Berg) in Germany - 3 Michelins stars

Chefs and tattoos go together like steak and Béarnaise. German chef Christian Bau (b. 1971) is well-known for his two forearm tattoos, both tattooed in 2005, when he was awarded three Michelin stars for his restaurant Schloss Berg (now known as Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau). One arm features the classic "trois étoiles", and the other arm also features three s...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 23-05-2016
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BAK restaurant in Amsterdam

Rating: 89. BAK is a pop-up turned brick-and-mortar restaurant located on the 3rd floor of the 'Het Veem' theatre, a former warehouse sitting on the banks of the river IJ in Amsterdam's 'Westelijk Havengebied' area. The restaurant is owned by three friends, Benny Blisto (chef), Alessandro da Fies (restaurant manager/sommelier) and Piet Sanders, and they have been operating from this perman...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 02-04-2016
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Cheval Blanc in Basel, Switzerland - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Switzerland's newest three-star restaurant Cheval Blanc is housed in the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, located on the banks of the river Rhine in Basel. Les Trois Rois has a long and rich history. The first documented record of the hotel, then an inn, dates back to 1681 and their most illustrious guest probably was Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. Over the centuries, the hotel has had many owners. In...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSwitzerland - 24-03-2016
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Restaurant Sinne in Amsterdam - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 89. Situated on the busy Ceintuurbaan in the "De Pijp" area, Restaurant Sinne ("Sinne") is one of Amsterdam's fourteen Michelin starred restaurants (4 two-stars and 10 one-stars), and is owned by chef Alexander Ioannou and his wife Suzanne Sluijter. The couple opened the restaurant in October 2013 and thirteen months later, in November 2014 (2015 guide), Sinne was awarded ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 16-03-2016
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Coque in Humanes de Madrid - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Restaurante Coque in Humanes de Madrid, some 18 miles south of Madrid, is a third-generation family restaurant, currently run by three brothers. Mario Sandoval is the executive chef, Diego Sandoval the restaurant manager, and Rafael Sandoval serves as sommelier. The restaurant is named after the Sandoval brothers' grandfather, who opened the establishment (then a cafe) in 1949. Mario Sand...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Madrid - 27-02-2016
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Kaagman & Kortekaas in Amsterdam

Rating: 86. In september 2015 chef Giel Kaagman and sommelier Bram Kortekaas opened their eponymous bistro-style restaurant bang in the middle of the centre of Amsterdam, near De Nieuwe Kerk. The duo has gained experience in renowned restaurants in Amsterdam. Most recently they both worked at French restaurant Bordewijk and before the opening of the restaurant, Bram Kortekaas worked briefly at Rotisserie...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 16-02-2016
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Alinea in Residence: Alinea Madrid

Rating: 92. Long ago, before the era of celebrity chefs and their restaurants, the only way to taste a famous chef's food, was to actually go to his restaurant and have a meal there. How things have changed. Nowadays you can go to exclusive "an evening with" events closer to your home. They tend to come at a price however - in Ferran Adria's case the privilege would have set you back a finan...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A.Spain - 11-02-2016
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Punto MX in Madrid, Spain - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. Pretty much everybody likes Mexican food. Generally speaking (ignoring the cheap and not so cheerful (chain) restaurants) Mexican cuisine is universally loved for its attractive ingredients and the tasty and hearty flavours. Taquerias and taco food trucks have become a cult hit in recent years and tacos are promising to be the New Ramen. The latest example of this trend, is perhaps the taco stand ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Madrid - 05-02-2016
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Restaurant Breda in Amsterdam

Rating: 91. Amsterdam is experiencing a restaurant boom. A couple of weeks ago Amsterdam's local newspaper Het Parool reported that the Amsterdam dining scene has grown by 27% in the past 5 years, and that the Dutch capital currently has now fewer than 4 new restaurant openings a week. As is inevitable with booms: There is the good and the bad, the great and the low and the just and the unjust (Al...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 22-01-2016
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The Dining Room at The Goring in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. In the latest edition of the Michelin guide for Great Britain & Ireland, The Dining Room at The Goring was awarded a Michelin star, the first star in the history of the hotel. The Goring Hotel was established by Otto Goring in 1910 and has been run by the Goring family ever since. The hotel is now managed by Jeremy Goring, the fourth generation. In 2011 The Goring became world-famous when th...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 13-01-2016
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Mr Porter in Amsterdam

Rating: 80. You can get good steaks in Amsterdam these days, but the Dutch capital had never had a proper American style steakhouse. So, I was very pleased to hear that the W Hotel in Amsterdam would be opening a steakhouse called Mr Porter, on the top floor of the hotel. And the use of the words "steakhouse" and "chophouse" on their website was very promising, although the self-chosen qua...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 07-01-2016
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De Librije in Zwolle, the Netherlands - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. After having occupyied Zwolle's former monastic library for 25 years, Jonnie and Thérèse Boer announced in September 2014, that they would be relocating their restaurant De Librije to the Librije Hotel, housed in the former city prison (they do know how to give old buildings a new lease of life). The restaurant reopened in January 2015 and is now situated in the hotel's spaci...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsThe Netherlands - 27-12-2015
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10 Best Dishes of 2015

Here are my 10 Best Dishes of 2015: 10. Turbot at Elkano in Getaria, Spain - May 2015     In April/May wild Atlantic turbot is at the peak of its season. The water is at the right temperature and the turbots can feed on an abundance of anchovies and other small fish. At Elkano the turbot's purity is savoured by grilling it whole and serving it with little more th...
Category: Restaurants - 14-12-2015
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Noble Rot Wine Bar & Restaurant in London

Rating: 89. The first time I heard of Noble Rot Magazine was in February 2015, when I was given a copy after lunch at The Clove Club in London. Noble Rot Magazine is a quarterly indie magazine founded by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew in 2013.  Andrew is senior buyer at London's Roberson Wine and is also studying to become a Master of Wine. Keeling previously worked in the music industry as head of A&am...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 09-12-2015
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The Fat Duck in Bray, England (2015 review)

Rating: 99. Domestic ducks are not migrating birds, unless you're the Fat One. The Fat Duck has just returned from a 6-month over-summering period in Melbourne, Australia. After the last lunch service on December the 21st in 2014, the Fat Duck in Bray closed and the entire restaurant, including almost all kitchen and waiting staff, moved to their temporary, adopted home at the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Durin...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsUK - 25-11-2015
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Choux in Amsterdam

Rating: 90. Choux is a new venture by chef Merijn van Berlo and sommelier Figo van Onna, who have previously opened Repéré and Foyer, two successful pop-up restaurants in Amsterdam, in 2014. The restaurant opened its doors in May 2015 and has its abode in the Spring House, located on the south bank of the IJ river in Amsterdam. Where in London a new restaurant would get all the critics in, in th...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 16-11-2015
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Obauer in Werfen, Austria

Rating: 83. Hotel-Restaurant Obauer in Werfen (some 35 miles from Salzburg) is an establishment with a considerable tradition and history. The current Obauer generation, Karl (b. 1953) and Rudi (b. 1961), took over the family business in 1979. In the 1980's both brothers did stints at internationally acclaimed restaurants, such as Au Crocodile and Léon de Lyon (Karl), as well as Troisgros, Au Croco...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Austria - Werfen - 28-10-2015
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My thoughts on the 2016 "Lekker 500" guide

Lekker is a Dutch magazine that annually publishes a Top 100 Best Restaurants list in their "Lekker 500" magazine. The 2016 edition of that list was unveiled this morning (here's the full list).  The magazine features 500 restaurants, but numbers 101 to 500 are not ranked, they're just mentioned. But honestly, who would care about the position of number 374? &n...
Category: Restaurants - 26-10-2015
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In De Wulf in Dranouter, Belgium (2015 review)

Rating: 94. His restaurant is at the top of its game, yet on Friday the 23rd of October chef Kobe Desramaults announced that he'll be closing In De Wulf in December 2016. This news does not mean that he is retiring however. Desramaults on his decision: "I'm 35 years old and for 12 years I given everything for my restaurant; now it's time for reflection". Kobe Desramaults was 23 y...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Dranouter - 25-10-2015
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Chez Bruce in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. What makes a London restaurant a culinary institution? How about having held a Michelin star since 1999? Or (equally impressively) having featured in the Harden's guide "Top Gastronomic Experience" top 10 for more than 10 years? Chez Bruce is owned by chef Bruce Poole and his business partner Nigel Platts-Martin, who opened the restaurant in 1995. Other London restaurants owned by Po...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 14-10-2015
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Portland in London

Rating: 88. In January 2015 restaurateurs Daniel Morgenthau (previously of 10 Greek Street) and Will Lander (co-owner of the Quality Chop House and son of food and wine power couple Nick Lander and Jancis Robinson) opened Portland on Great Portland Street in London's West End. Behind the stove of this 45-cover restaurant is Merlin Labron-Johnson, previously sous chef at Kobe Desramaults' In De Wulf in...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 12-10-2015
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Taberna do Mercado in London

Rating: 89. Ever since arriving on the London dining scene in 2006, when he opened gastropub Bacchus (now closed), Nuno Mendes (b.1973) has been one of the most talked about chefs in the British capital, with Chiltern Firehouse certainly creating über-buzz in the last 18 months. In 2010, two yearsafter Bacchus closed, Mendes opened Viajante in London's Bethnal Green (1 Michelin star, now cl...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 07-10-2015
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Simon Taxacher in Kirchberg, Austria

Rating: 92. What happens to stars awarded to a restaurant when Michelin discontinues a guide? Do they disappear immediately or they continue to hover over a restaurant like an illuminated drone? I guess a similar question could be asked about stars awarded in one-off special edition guides, like you see in Japan. Michelin no longer publishes a guide for Austria - the last edition of the Austrian guide wa...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Austria - Kirchberg - 25-09-2015
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Akelarre in San Sebastian, Spain - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. In 1976 the Spanish magazine "Club de Gourmets" organised a round table discussion for which they invited Paul Bocuse as a speaker among others. Attending this round table were Basque chefs Pedro Subijana (b.1948) who had just become Chef de Cuisine at Restaurante Akelarre ("Akelarre") in 1975, and Juan Mari Arzak of restaurant Arzak. Paul Bocuse's talk on "Nouvelle Cuisine" turned out to be so in...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 21-09-2015
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Kitty Fisher's in London

Rating: 90. The heydays of "turning tricks" in Mayfair's Shepherd Market are long gone, but the area is still associated with prostitutes and it is continues to be referred to as Mayfair's red-light district. If you type "Shepherd Market" in the Google search box, Google will suggest adding "prostitute", "opening hours" and "restaurant", three words th...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 25-08-2015
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The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, California - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. In many European countries with their long winegrowing traditions, the concept of "creating" a first growth is almost anathema. The Californian pioneering spirit is of course completely opposite and when Bill Harlan in 1985 purchased a property west of Oakville, where no grapevine had ever been grown, it took him less than two decades to propel the wines from "Harlan Estate" to...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 23-08-2015
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Bonhams Restaurant in London

Rating: 89. Food and art have always gone hand in hand and these days any self-respecting museum has a restaurant, or a café at least. Auction houses also have lots of art on display, albeit very temporarily, but until recently you were lucky to get a cup of tea or coffee there. London's major auction houses do have private dining rooms, but from personal experience I can confirm that the focus ten...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 16-08-2015
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Northcote Manor - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. Craig Bancroft, managing director of the Northcote Group, is not a person to rest on his laurels. For over thirty years now, he and chef/patron Nigel Haworth have kept Northcote Manor firmly on the Lancashire foodie map and with their latest 11-month renovation project, which was finalised in April last year, they're ready to add another thirty. Don't worry: the main house is still intact,...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Lancashire - 14-08-2015
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The Ivy in London

Rating: 87. In his book The Ivy, the restaurant and its recipes, A.A. Gill mentions that "a table at the Ivy is one of the most sought after pieces of furniture in London". Gill's book was published in 1997, and perhaps it's no longer THE hottest table in town, but longtime celebrity magnet The Ivy is still an undisputed icon on the London dining scene, and it will be of no surprise that The...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 14-08-2015
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Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 88. There is much ado about Asador Etxebarri. In the top 3 of most recommended restaurants in Spain in the Where Chefs Eat guide, it bests Mugaritz (3rd spot with 22 recommendations) and El Celler de Can Roca (2nd with 23 recommendations), with 24 recommendations. With this number, this grill restaurant outstrips popular places like Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Italy, Brett Graham'...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Atxondo - 01-08-2015
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Restaurante Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, Spain - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. With 14 years of three Michelin stars, Martín Berasategui's eponymous restaurant in Lasarte-Oria is the second longest running three-star restaurant in Spain, behind Arzak in San Sebastian, which has had held three Michelin stars since 1989. Apart from his flagship restaurant in the Basque Country, Martín Berasategui (b. 1960) has 10 other restaurants, including Lasarte in Barcel...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 30-07-2015
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L'Enclume in Cartmel, UK - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. About a year ago I had a truly dazzling meal at Simon Rogan's Fera at Claridge's in London. An exceptional experience that made go back there twice, but it also made me desperately want to go to Rogan's famed two Michelin starred restaurant up north in the Lake District: L'Enclume. And so here we are, a year later, at the mothership in Cartmel, because this where it all started bac...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cumbria - 14-07-2015
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The French Laundry in Yountville, California - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. If there is one restaurant that has become mythical over the years, it's Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Mythical because The French Laundry remains one of the toughest reservations in the world. It is at least, if you go at it the old fashioned way, and you just call them and try to book a table, without the help of a Black Amex or another concierge service. ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 09-07-2015
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Elkano in Getaria, Spain - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. Elkano is a family restaurant in Getaria, a fishing village on the Bay of Biscay some 15 miles west of San Sebastian. The history of the restaurant goes back as far as 1964, when Pedro Arregui opened a fish restaurant on the Calle Elkano Kalea in Getaria. Some two decades later restaurant Elkano relocated to its current premises on the Herrerieta Kalea. Over the years Elkano has become the first a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Getaria - 28-06-2015
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Mugaritz in Errenteria, Spain - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. When Andoni Luis Aduriz opened Mugaritz in Errenteria back in 1998, he was one of the first elBulli alumni to strike out on his own. A couple of years after dropping out of catering college in San Sebastian, Andoni Luis Aduriz (b.1971) went to work for Ferran Adria at the then internationally still relatively unknown elBulli in Roses, Catalonia. Aduriz stayed there for 2 years (1993-1994), a perio...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Errenteria - 22-06-2015
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Coi in San Francisco - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Daniel Patterson (b. 1969) is an East Coast boy who started working in kitchens in Massachusetts when he was 14 years old. In 1989 he dropped out of college and moved to San Francisco. For no particular reason, he says in his 2013 book "Coi" and it took him many years to learn to love the people and the place. In rural Sonoma, where he moved in 1991, he grew his knowledge of nature and p...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - San Francisco - 13-06-2015
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Bouchon in Yountville, California

Rating: 90. Did you know that America's largest veterans' home, housing some 1,000 veterans, is located in the small town of Yountville? I didn't. I guess most of us are much more familiar with Yountville as the home of the The French Laundry, Bouchon and Ad Hoc, all restaurants owned by gastronomic veteran Thomas Keller. After establishing the French Laundry in 1994, Keller opened his second Youn...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - Yountville - 10-06-2015
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Benu in San Francisco - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. After working for Thomas Keller at his restaurants The French Laundry and Per Se for almost a decade, Corey Lee struck out on his own in 2010 with Benu restaurant in San Francisco's SoMa district. Corey Lee had already earned his spurs as Chef de Cuisine at The French Laundry for 5 years, and he quickly climbed the Michelin ladder with his own restaurant. Benu debuted with two Michelin stars i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 26-05-2015
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Atelier Crenn in San Francisco - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. Dominique Crenn is the chef/owner of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Atelier Crenn opened its doors in January 2011 and that same year in October, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star (2012 guide). The second star followed the next year (2013 guide), making her the first female chef in the U.S. to receive 2 Michelin stars. Dominique Crenn is originally from Brittany (in the extreme west of F...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - San Francisco - 12-05-2015
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Manresa in Los Gatos (CA) - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Note: Manresa was awarded a 3rd Michelin star in the 2016 San Francisco & Bay Area Guide Under the watchful eye of chef/owner David Kinch, restaurant Manresa has held two Michelin stars since Michelin launched their first edition of the San Francisco & Bay Area guide in October 2006 (2007 guide). On his way to opening Manresa in Los Gatos in 2002, Kinch had taken a long and winding road...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: U.S.A.3 stars - 10-05-2015
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Saison in San Francisco - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Michelin awarded only five restaurants world-wide a third star last year, three of which are located in the United States: Grace in Chicago and Benu and Saison in San Francisco. The other two were La Bouitte in France and Makimura in Japan. Saison and Benu are San Francisco's first ever three-star restaurants. The story of Saison in San Francisco is short but fascinating. Basically the restaur...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 26-04-2015
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Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 100. Once a simple brasserie serving traditional Belgian food, Hof van Cleve is now widely recognised as one of Belgium's gastronomic greats. Chef-owner Peter Goossens (b. 1964) started his career at a Belgian catering college in Koksijde, after which he continued this training in Paris, working in a number of Michelin-starred kitchens, including the then two-starred Le Pré Catelan. When he ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsBelgium - 20-03-2015
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Central Park by Ron Blaauw in Voorburg (near The Hague)

Rating: 89. Central Park by Ron Blaauw ("Central Park") is a new, brasserie-style restaurant housed in a stately building on the the Vreugd and Rust estate in Voorburg (near The Hague), a space previously occupied by the illustrious and long-standing Michelin-starred restaurant Savelberg. The restaurant is run by first-time restaurateur Carsten Klint, and the menu is overseen by renowned Dutch Miche...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 15-03-2015
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Spring at Somerset House in London

Rating: 90. Spring is chef Skye Gyngell's highly-anticipated new restaurant and first solo-venture, which opened its doors in November 2014. The restaurant is located in Somerset House, an art and cultural centre situated at the south end of the Strand. Skye Gyngell (b. 1963) started her career in Sidney, moving to Europe to work alongside Anne Willan at the iconic French cookery school La Varenne in Pari...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 14-03-2015
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't Nonnetje in Harderwijk, the Netherlands - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 88. In the 2015 edition of the Michelin guide, the Netherlands gained two more two-star restaurants, 't Nonnetje in Harderwijk (some 44 miles from Amsterdam) and De Lindehof in Nuenen (near Eindhoven). 't Nonnetje ("The little nun") is located in the city centre of Harderwijk, one of the Netherlands' historic hanseatic cities. Since 1998, the owner and maître d'hô...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Harderwijk - 04-03-2015
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The Clove Club in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 92. In the last century the food that London's East End was mainly known for, was pie and mash and jellied eels, but it has transformed rapidly into one of the trendiest parts of culinary London. The East End, and Shoreditch in particular, has become the location of choice for London's new generation of chefs. In Shoreditch, in the space of a mile-and-a-half square, you will find the restauran...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 02-03-2015
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Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. London SW3 4HP, 68 Royal Hospital Road, is an address that has been associated with haute cuisine for almost four decades now. First it was the home of Pierre Koffmann's famed three-star restaurant La Tante Claire from 1977 till 1998, when Gordon Ramsay established his first solo restaurant here, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. The restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars within three years after...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsUK - 19-02-2015
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Vendôme in Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Joachim Wissler, Vendôme, and "New German Cuisine" are often mentioned in the same breath. The rise of German haute cuisine started as early as 1979, when Eckart Witzigmann's Munich restaurant Aubergine was Germany's first restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars, quickly followed by Heinz Winkler's Tantris in 1981, Herbert Schönberger's Der Goldene Pflug ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 17-02-2015
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Akrame in Paris - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. Established in 2011, Akrame in Paris' 16th arrondissement has quickly collected two Michelin stars. The first star was awarded shortly after the opening in tje 2012 guide and the second star followed in 2014 already. Akrame is the fine dining restaurant of executive chef Akrame Benallal (b. 1981), who also owns two bistro/barbeque restaurants in Paris called Atelier Vivanda, one of which is lo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 29-01-2015
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De Leest in Vaassen, the Netherlands - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. In 2013 De Leest was the fourth restaurant in Dutch history to be awarded three Michelin stars, the others being De Librije in Zwolle in 2004, Oud Sluis in Sluis in 2006 (now defunct) and Parkheuvel in Rotterdam in 2002 (now 2 stars, chef Cees Helder retired in 2006). Executive chef at De Leest is Jacob Jan Boerma (b. 1972) and maître d'hôtel / sommelier is his wife Kim Veldman. Be...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: The Netherlands3 stars - 19-01-2015
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The Square in London - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. Next year restaurant The Square in London will celebrate its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running two Michelin starred restaurant in London after Le Gavroche. Executive chef and co-owner since the beginning is Phil Howard (b. 1967), who had worked alongside Marco Pierre White at Harvey's and Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum before opening The Square in 1991. The Square was awarded its fi...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 11-01-2015
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Garance in Paris

Rating: 87. In 2012 l'Arpège alumni Guillaume Iskandar (chef) and Guillaume Muller (sommerlier/restaurant manager) opened Garance, a two-story restaurant in Paris' 7th arrondissement. On the ground floor there is a 4-seat kitchen counter and upstairs there is a small modern dining room and bar, which seats around 14 people. Garance is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. At lunch...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 07-01-2015
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Typing Room at the Town Hall Hotel in London

Rating: 89. Earlier this month, Harden's reported that in the past year no fewer than 148 new restaurants opened in London. In the press release of the 2015 London restaurant guide, Harden's named Typing Room as one of the 10 most notable newcomers. Typing room is the first solo-restaurant of chef Lee Westcott and is located at the Town Hall Hotel in East London, a space previously occupied by Nuno Me...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 24-12-2014
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RIJKS restaurant at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

Rating: 90. In April 2013 the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam finally reopened, following a lengthy and difficult renovation. During the 10-year renovation period the museum used the so-called Philips wing to display part of their world-famous collection. Right after the reopening of the Rijksmuseum, the wing was closed for refurbishment. In November 2014 the Philips wing reopened as an exhibition space of the Rijks...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 14-12-2014
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Les Crayères in Reims - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. Les Crayères was originally built in the early 1900s as a family home for the Marquess and Marchioness of Polignac, at the time the owners of the Pommery Champagne house. In the seventies the château was purchased by Xavier Gardinier of the Gardinier Group, who decided to convert the château into a small luxury hotel and restaurant. Renovations began in 1979, the same year that ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Reims - 07-12-2014
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Passage 53 in Paris - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. When Japanese chef and Astrance alumnus Shinichi Sato and Guillaume Guedj, a member of the famous Paris butcher family Desnoyer, had opened Passage 53 in 2009, Michelin was quick to award a first star (in the next, 2010 guide for France) and the following year the restaurant was awarded a second star. Passage 53 is a tiny restaurant located in Paris' famous Passage des Panoramas which opened i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 29-11-2014
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The Greenhouse in London - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. Among London's nine two-star restaurants, The Greenhouse in Mayfair is an establishment with a long and successful history. The restaurant first opened its doors in 1977 and through the years there have been many great chefs behind the stove, such as Brian Turner, Gary Rhodes, Paul Merrett, Bjorn van der Horst and Antonin Bonnet. Under the reign of Gary Rhodes the Greenhouse was awarded a Mich...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 23-11-2014
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Porte 12 in Paris

Rating: 90. In September 2014, Porte 12 opened its doors on 12 Rue des Messageries in the 10th arrondissement in Paris, a space for many years occupied by Café Panique. Porte 12 is backed by Singapore chef André Chiang (Restaurant André, number 6 in the 2014 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list) and the kitchen is overseen by his former sous-chef Vincent Crépel (30), who has also wo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 12-11-2014
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l'Assiette Champenoise in Reims - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. When l'Assiette Champenoise was awarded a third Michelin star in February 2014, it had been more than 10 years since the Champagne area had had a three-star restaurant. The last one had been Les Crayères (now two stars) during the reign of Gérard Boyer, until his retirement in 2003. l'Assiette Champenoise is a family run hotel and restaurant in Reims, France. Executive chef i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 10-11-2014
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Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen (Zealand) - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. Manoir Restaurant Inter Scaldes ("Inter Scaldes") is currently the longest-running restaurant in the Netherlands to hold two Michelin stars. The second star was awarded in 1984, when the restaurant was under the reign of the previous owners, Maartje (chef) and Kees (maître d'hôtel) Boudeling, making Maartje the first Dutch female chef to be awarded two Michelin stars. Sin...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 04-11-2014
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Le Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. The Paris high-end dining scene has been quite tumultuous lately, including some big-name chef swaps. It all started in January 2013, when Yannick Alléno announced that he was leaving Le Meurice after ten years of service. A couple of months later, Le Meurice appointed Alain Ducasse (and his right-hand man Christophe Saintagne) as Alléno's successor. Ducasse and Saintagne had som...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 31-10-2014
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Bord'eau in Amsterdam - 2 Michelin stars (2014 review)

Rating: 94. Note: Chefs Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot have left Bord'eau to start their own restaurant called 212, see my review here.  You were quick to pick up on this one. What do you mean? Well, the restaurant had been open for less than a year when you wrote in your October 2012 review: "Surely a Michelin star in next year's guide is a matter of course". True. And,...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 20-10-2014
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De Kromme Watergang in Hoofdplaat, Zealand Flanders - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. De Kromme Watergang is a restaurant owned by husband and wife team Edwin and Blanche Vincke in Hoofdplaat in Zealand-Flanders. The couple established the restaurant, housed in a former nursery school, in 1993. De Kromme Watergang received its first Michelin star in 2005, a second star followed in 2011 (2012 guide). These days, the province of Zealand shows an attractive Michelin-starred landscape,...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 10-10-2014
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Hertog Jan in Zedelgem (near Bruges) - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Hertog Jan is a restaurant co-owned by chef Gert de Mangeleer (b. 1977) and maitre d'hôtel / sommelier Joachim Boudens. The duo met when they were working at Danny Horseele's then two Michelin-starred restaurant 't Molentje in Zeebrugge. Later on they moved on to Hertog Jan and in 2005 they took over the restaurant together. Michelin awarded Hertog Jan its first star in 2007, the...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsBelgium - 01-10-2014
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De Karmeliet in Bruges - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Belgium currently counts 3 three-star restaurants: De Karmeliet in Bruges, Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem and Hertog Jan in Zedelgem (near Bruges). De Karmeliet has held this honour since 1996, making it the longest running three-star restaurant in Belgium at present. Chef-patron is Geert Van Hecke (b. 1956), who started the restaurant, with his wife Mireille, in 1983 on the corner of the Jeruzalems...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsBelgium - 28-09-2014
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Midsummer House in Cambridge - 2 Michelin stars (2014 review)

Rating: 95. The 10.44 train from King's Cross station in London will take you to Cambridge in 46 minutes, and after a brisk walk to the Midsummer Common you are just in time for lunch at Midsummer House, the restaurant of chef/owner Daniel Clifford, located on the banks of the river Cam. I had had a fantastic meal at Midsummer House in July 2012 (see review), so I was very interested to see how things are evo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cambridge - 21-09-2014
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Sea Grill in Brussels - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Sea Grill is a two Michelin starred restaurant situated on the ground floor of the Radisson Blu hotel in Brussels. Chef and owner of the restaurant is Yves Mattagne (b. 1963), who has been at the helm of the kitchen since 1990. Mattagne received his training at the Hilton Hotel in Brussels and later on in Gatwick, at the Michelin starred l'Orangeraie in Zaventem (now defunct) and he did an 8-month...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Brussels - 17-09-2014
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Comme Chez Soi in Brussels - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 90. In the early nineties the Belgian capital boasted no fewer than 3 restaurants with three Michelin-stars. They were Bruneau, Romeyer and Comme Chez Soi. Furthermore, Brussels was the home of 4 two-star restaurants and 18 one-star restaurants. Things have changed much since then: chefs retired or moved on to other ventures, and sometimes the restaurants simply closed. The numbers dwindled and in the...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Brussels - 12-09-2014
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Restaurant Bon-Bon in Brussels - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. In 2011 chef Christophe Hardiquest moved his restaurant from the Brussels municipality of Uccle to the leafy and wealthy municipality of Woluwe Saint-Pierre. Bon-Bon was awarded a second star in November 2013 (2014 guide), ten years after the restaurant had got its first star. Christophe Hardiquest has trained at some of Brussels' most iconic restaurants, such as Sea Grill and Villa Lorraine (...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Brussels - 03-09-2014
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Perceel in Capelle aan den IJssel, near Rotterdam - 1 Michelin star (2014 review)

Rating: 92. In my last review of Perceel (April 2012), I concluded that this establishment was one to follow over the coming years and that is precisely what I've been trying to do. I have been back twice since, the first time in January 2013 (see slideshow) and most recently in July 2014. During my last meal I noticed subtle changes, significant enough to warrant a new review. Perceel is open for l...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 29-08-2014
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The Ledbury in London - 2 Michelin stars (slideshow)

Rating: 94. The Ledbury is the kind of restaurant that I like to visit at least one or twice a year to see what they are up to. My last visit to Brett Graham's restaurant had been in January 2013, so a revisit was long overdue. A few things things have changed since my last visit. The restaurant has taken James Petrie on board as head of development and Darren McHugh as restaurant manager. James Petrie ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 17-08-2014
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Aan de Poel in Amstelveen, the Netherlands - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Picture this: a brilliant waterside location with lovely views, a welcoming outdoor terrace, an equally good ambience indoors, 2 Michelin stars, and only 13 miles from the city centre of Amsterdam. Who can say no to that? Well I certainly can't, and in the last few years I have said yes to Aan de Poel many times. Aan de Poel is a restaurant owned by Stefan van Sprang (executive chef) and Robbe...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amstelveen - 16-08-2014
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Le Moissonnier in Cologne, Germany - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 90. The German city of Cologne currently has one two-star restaurant; it is Le Moissonnier in the Krefelder Strasse, styled like a French brasserie. The restaurant was originally established as an actual brasserie in 1987 by Vincent and Liliane Moissonnier, who still own the restaurant. Shortly after the opening Eric Menchon took on the role of head chef and more than 25 years later he is still in cha...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Cologne - 14-08-2014
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FG in Rotterdam - 2 Michelin stars (slideshow)

Rating: 93. In November 2013 FG restaurant in Rotterdam (previously named Ivy) was awarded a second Michelin star.  In my opinion this second star was well-deserved since chef Francois Geurds (former sous-chef at The Fat Duck) and his team had consistently been cooking at this level for a number of years already (see my 2011 and 2012 reviews). On Saturday 17 May 2014 I had a delightful lunch at FG. This ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 05-08-2014
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Fäviken Magasinet in Järpen, Sweden

Rating: 96. "I often feel as though things take place of their own accord, and that the only thing I do is fine-tune a process that was already happening anyway (...)", Magnus Nilsson (b. 1983) writes in the Introduction to his book "Fäviken" (Phaidon, 2012). Here is a modest but a solid claim from the man who is executive chef at restaurant Fäviken Magasinet near Järpen in the middle of Sweden. When...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Jarpen - 03-08-2014
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Rivea at the Bulgari Hotel in London (Alain Ducasse)

Rating: 87. Rivea is a casual "small plates" dining concept launched by Alain Ducasse in Saint Tropez last year. It has had a London outpost since May 2014 and Ducasse is planning to open a third branch at the Delano Las Vegas hotel by the end of this year. Rivea London is housed in the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge and at the helm of the kitchen is Damien Leroux, who has worked at Ducasse restaura...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 26-07-2014
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Lyle's in Shoreditch, London

Rating: 88. Lyle's is chef James Lowe's much anticipated solo-restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Tea Building in Shoreditch. The Tea building was originally built as a warehouse and distribution centre for the Lipton Tea Company, but is now home to shops, galleries, offices and Shoreditch House, a boutique hotel which occupies the top three floors of the building. And Lyle's of course....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 26-07-2014
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Sergi Arola in Madrid - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. Spanish celebrity chef and restaurateur Sergi Arola's eponymous restaurant is located in the Chamberi district in Madrid. Sergi Arola (b. 1968) received his training in the 90s from iconic three-star chefs Pierre Gagnaire and Ferran Adria, among others. In 1997 he became executive chef at La Broche restaurant in Madrid. The restaurant won its first Michelin star the next year and a second star...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Madrid - 11-07-2014
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Santceloni in Madrid - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 90. Restaurant Santceloni at the Hesperia Hotel in Madrid was originally established by the late, Catalan three-star chef Santi Santamaria. Head chef since the opening in 2001 has been Santi Santamaria protogé Oscar Velasco. After attending the Segovia School of Hospitality, Velasco started his training at Benjamin Urdiain's iconic Zalacain in Madrid (Spain's first three-star restaurant...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Madrid - 07-07-2014
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Fera at Claridge's by Simon Rogan

Rating: 99. Note: Fera was awarded a Michelin star in the 2015 guide to Great Britain & Ireland. In February 2013, it was announced that Gordon Ramsay's contract to run the restaurant at Claridge's in Mayfair would not be renewed. Thomas Kochs, the hotel's general manager said: "We feel the time has come (...) for a new dining direction for Claridge's (...)." It wasn't unt...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 06-07-2014
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Amador in Mannheim, Germany - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Note: Amador closed in May 2015. Chef Juan Amador is planning to open a new venture in the near future. My first meal at Amador was 6 years ago in 2008. Obviously I don't remember all the details of that multi-course meal, but one dish is forever imprinted on my mind. It was Juan Amador's interpretation of 'Strammer Max' (a traditional German ham and fried egg sandwich), where t...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 24-06-2014
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London House (Gordon Ramsay) in Battersea, London

Rating: 87. London House in Battersea is Gordon Ramsay's latest restaurant (and cocktail lounge) in the British capital, which opened in February 2014. Behind the stove is chef Anna Haugh-Kelly, who previously worked at Pied à Terre and The Square in London, among others. With this new addition, Gordon Ramsay's restaurant empire now counts 27 restaurants, with outposts in London (12), the Unite...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 20-06-2014
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Restaurant Bareiss in Baiersbronn, Germany - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. While The Fat Duck in Britain and elBulli in Spain were taking centre stage in the international gastronomic world in the mid 2000's, quietly the gastronomic equivalent of a "Wirtschaftswunder" was taking place in Germany. This "Wunder" started in 2004 (2005 guide) when Michelin appointed Joachim Wissler's Vendôme in Bergisch-Gladbach as Germany's sixth three-...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 13-06-2014
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Restaurant Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn, Germany - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. If there is a place in Germany that can lay claim to being the high altar of German gastronomy, it must be restaurant Schwarzwaldstube in hotel Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn (Black Forest). Under the aegis of Harald Wohlfahrt (b. 1955) since 1980, it has held three Michelin stars without interruption since 1992. After Eckart Witzigmann, Herbert Schönberner, Heinz Winkler and Jean-Claude Bourg...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 09-06-2014
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Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain, as a three Michelin star restaurant. When Chef/patron Juan Mari Arzak was awarded the third star in 1989, he was the second Spanish chef to receive this honour. Arzak was originally established as a tavern by Juan Mari's grandparents in 1897. Juan Mari has been in charge of the kitchen since 1967 and he was one of the found...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 21-05-2014
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Launceston Place, London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 93. Note: Chef Tim Allen left Launceston Place in August 2015. Launceston Place in South Kensington is part of the D & D Restaurant group, who own over 25 restaurants and bars scattered around London. Since February 2012 the head chef has been Tim Allen, who trained with British chefs Martin Burge (at two-star The Dining Room at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury) and John Burton Race, first at two-st...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 18-05-2014
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DiverXO in Madrid, Spain - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Everybody loves to predict a winner. With new three-star restaurants you often see that the third star has already been predicted by many, but occasionally there will be a new three-star restaurant that seems to have dropped straight from the sky - like a meteorite. In those cases, the restaurant wasn't on anyone's three-star radar, apart perhaps from the local foodies or the occasional lu...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 13-05-2014
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Librije's Zusje at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Amsterdam

Rating: 94. The Herengracht in Amsterdam is probably the city's most expensive postal code. It is its Mayfair, its Upper Eastside, its 1st arrondissement, if you will. Of all the canals in Amsterdam (a Unesco World Heritage site since 2010), the Herengracht is the most prestigious. It was named in 1612 after the "Heeren Regeerders van de Stad Amsterdam" (the governors of the city of Amsterdam) a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 06-05-2014
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Les Prés d'Eugénie - Michel Guérard

Rating: 98. These days no awards ceremony (and they are plentiful) seems to be complete without a 'Lifetime Achievement Award'. Among the still active grandfathers, godfathers of French cuisine, the famous Paul Bocuse (86) is no doubt the doyen, but the name of legendary French chef Michel Guérard (81) seems surprisingly overlooked. Guérard is a man who has devoted his life to his profes...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 02-05-2014
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Marcus at The Berkeley Hotel in London

Rating: 93. "My number one priority is ending the stuffiness”. With those words Marcus Wareing announced in January this year that he would be temporarily closing his eponymous two-star restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel in London for refurbishment and that the restaurant would relaunch as the less formal 'Marcus'. Three months and £1.4 million later, the restaurant has shed its old Pet...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 25-04-2014
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Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, Spain - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 100. One of the nice things of having your own website is that there is no chief-editor whose job it is to limit the number of words of your article. If there was one and if I would be forced to pick four dishes to give an impression of the marathon meal at three-star restaurant Azurmendi described below, it would be 'Bloody Mar' - a swig of the sea, 'Duck Royal a l'Orange' - modern...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsSpain - 16-04-2014
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Ekstedt in Stockholm - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. "No electric cookers, no gas burners; just heat, soot, ash, smoke and fire". It was that statement on the "About Us" section on their website, what drew me to Ekstedt. The exterior and interior suggest a modern Stockholm restaurant but the cooking techniques in the kitchen are quite the opposite. At Ekstedt all the food is cooked on a cast iron stove, over an open fire pit, in ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Stockholm - 28-03-2014
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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Restaurants and their signature dishes, there are many examples. Famous ones are Paul Bocuse's 'Soupe aux truffes noires V.G.E.', Frederic Anton's 'La Pomme', Thomas Keller's 'Oysters and Pearls', Massimo Bottura's 'Oops, I dropped the lemon tart', Gordon Ramsay's 'Lobster Ravioli', Pascal Barbot's 'Tarte au foie gras, c...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 21-03-2014
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Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam - 2 Michelin stars (2014 review)

Rating: 92. With its location on the 23rd floor of the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, Ciel Bleu still takes the lead when it comes to bright lights, big city views over Amsterdam. But where Ciel Bleu used to be the only two-star restaurant in the Dutch capital for years, Amsterdam now boasts three two-star restaurants, the newcomers in this category being Bord'eau at the l'Europe Hotel and &samhoud pla...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 20-03-2014
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Le Petit Bistro at The Grand in Amsterdam - perhaps not?!

Rating: 83. The week of 10 - 16 March 2014 was a remarkable week in gastronomy. Michelin published the Main Cities of Europe guide 2014 and announced the future publication of a new Nordic guide. Michael Ellis commented on Noma and the third star (so far not forthcoming) and in the Anglo-Saxon world there was a lot of discussion about the web of interdependency weaved by bloggers, journalists, restaurants and...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 16-03-2014
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Matbaren in Stockholm - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90.   Matbaren is the second, bistro-style restaurant of Bocuse d'Or gold medalist Mathias Dahlgren. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of Stockholm's Grand Hôtel and shares an entrance with Dahlgren's two-star fine dining restaurant Matsalen. Matbaren has held a Michelin star since 2008. On the menu are small plates, some more substantial than others, which yo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Stockholm - 10-03-2014
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Frantzén in Stockholm (2014 review)

Rating: 98. Since my maiden visit to Frantzén in December 2012, chef Björn Frantzén has built himself a small empire on the block between Lilla Nygatan and Mälartorget in the old town of Stockholm. The flagship restaurant has been joined by the following siblings: gastropub The Flying Elk, cocktail bar The Corner Club and wine bar Gaston (all opened in March 2013), and the latest famil...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Stockholm - 08-03-2014
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Dom Beisl in Vienna - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 82. What does it take to get a Michelin star? People often ask me. In recent years Michelin has lifted the veil of secrecy around the awarding process slightly, but most of it is still a mystery to us all. The quality of the food is all that matters, Michelin states explicitly and the verdict from Mount Michelympus is supposed to be as impartial as that of Lady Justice herself. In reality, the judges ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Austria - Vienna - 25-02-2014
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Daalder in Amsterdam

Rating: 90. Note: Chefs Guillaume de Beer and Freek van Noortwijk left Daalder in December 2015 and have opened their own restaurant called Breda in Amsterdam. You can find my review of Restaurant Breda here. Restaurant Daalder is located in a former jazz café on the corner of the Lindengracht and the Eerste Goudsebloemdwarsstraat in in the historic Jordaan area of Amsterdam. But if you look at the ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 22-02-2014
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Steirereck in Vienna - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 92. Steirereck is a second generation restaurant located on the banks of the river Wien in Vienna's Stadtpark in a former 'milk pump room'. Heinz Reitbauer senior and his wife Margarethe opened Steirereck on the corner of the Rasumofskygasse and the Weissgerberlände in Vienna in 1970. In 1996 the Reitbauer family established Wirtshaus Steirereck Pogusch, a restaurant, country inn and ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Austria - Vienna - 18-02-2014
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Silvio Nickol in Vienna - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. Palais Coburg is a suite-only hotel in the heart of Vienna, originally built in 1840-1845 as the residence of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who was related to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Various members of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family lived in the palace until 1994. In 1997 Palais Coburg was purchased by the POK Pühringer Piravatstiftung, a private foundation establis...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Austria - Vienna - 12-02-2014
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Restaurant Fred in Rotterdam - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. With the release of the 2014 Michelin guide, the Netherlands gained 3 new two-star restaurants, Restaurant Fred and FG (previously Ivy), both in Rotterdam and Bord'eau in Amsterdam. The Netherlands have 19 two-star restaurants in total. Fred Mustert's eponymous restaurant opened its doors in 2008 and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2010. Before opening his own restaurant Fred Muster...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 05-02-2014
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Villa Merton in Frankfurt - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 87. Note: Villa Merton relaunched in 2015 with a new menu and a new chef, André Grossfeld. In the 2016 guide for Germany Villa Merton was awarded 1 Michelin star Restaurant Villa Merton is housed in a neo-Baroque villa, located in the diplomatic district of Frankfurt. The villa is also the home of the 'Union International Club', a international service club. The villa was originally ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Frankfurt - 27-01-2014
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Brasserie Chavot in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 89. In 2009 French chef Eric Chavot surprised the London dining scene with the sudden announcement he would be leaving his position as head chef of The Capital Restaurant at the Capital Hotel. Chavot had been the head chef of the two-star restaurant for almost 10 years. Initially he wanted to take some time off to travel, but not long after his departure he became consulting c...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: LondonUK - 25-01-2014
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Restaurant Story in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. The tale of Restaurant Story starts in October 2011 when the London Borough of Southwark grants planning permission for the demolition of a former public toilet block on Tooley Street and to rebuild it as a restaurant. The month after, chef Tom Sellers (b. 1987) announces a 2-day pop-up event called 'Foreword' where people can preview the food of his upcoming restaurant. Some 18 months and...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 16-01-2014
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Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. The first time I heard of Italian chef Massimo Bottura was in 2006, when he appeared in Heston Blumenthal's "In Search For Perfection" series. In that particular episode, Heston was on a mission to create the perfect Spag Bol. After some research in Bologna, Heston ended up at in the test kitchen of the then two-star restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, were Massimo Bottura...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Italy3 stars - 13-01-2014
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Le Clos du Cèdre in Beaune, France - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 82. Note: In 2016 guide for France Le Clos du Cèdre has lost its Michelin star Restaurant Le Clos du Cèdre is housed in the charming, 5-star Hostellerie Le Cèdre hotel in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy. The hotel only recently got its 5-star rating and the recently added 5th star, which is proudly displayed on the facade of the hotel, still needs to get the patina th...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Other - 08-01-2014
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Chapeau in Bloemendaal, the Netherlands - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Bloemendaal is a small to medium-sized, rather posh town, some 15 miles west of Amsterdam and close to the North Sea coastline. In the middle of the town centre you will find restaurant Chapeau, which is housed in an elegant "town villa" as they are called in the Netherlands, which used to serve as a hotel. Chapeau opened its doors in 1996 and is run by Ronald Voogel and h...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - 07-01-2014
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Restaurant Nathan Outlaw - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Nathan Outlaw's eponymous fine dining restaurant in Rock, Cornwall, has become a true destination restaurant, attracting foodies from far and near. I last visited the restaurant in June 2011 and a lot has happened since. Ever since seafood chef Nathan Outlaw was awarded a second Michelin star in January 2011 he has been on a roller coaster. First there was a book deal: his first book...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cornwall - 05-01-2014
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The 15 Best Dishes of 2013 according to Elizabeth Auerbach aka ElizabethOnFood (as featured on Eater)

As featured on www.eater.com: "The average person spends six years and 10 months of a lifetime eating, the statistics say. Since I started ElizabethOnFood.com in 2010, I have at least added a couple of months to that number and I have to admit that in 2013 I spent an inordinate amount of time in (Michelin starred) restaurants. This year has been exceptional; I have eaten my...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Other - 31-12-2013
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The Fat Duck Christmas Lunch 2013

At The Fat Duck, operation "Christmas Lunch 2013" was a very serious and passionate affair. The Fat Duck is of course world famous for its carefully designed, elaborate and entertaining, 12-course tasting menu, and they wanted the Christmas lunch menu 2013 to be at least its equal and perhaps even to surpass it. Hence, preparations for this year's Christ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsUK - 15-12-2013
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Lima, London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. Ají limo pepper, Algarrobo tree syrup, Cancha corn, Chia seeds, Paiche, Tiger's milk, Kiwicha, Maca; these are just few characteristic Peruvian ingredients. Most of us are unaccustomed with these ingredients - at least I am. Authentic Peruvian restaurants used to be hard to come by in Europe, but things are changing rapidly and London is leading the way. Last year at least three Pe...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 03-12-2013
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Schloss Schauenstein in Furstenau, Switzerland (3 Michelin stars)

Rating: 100. Schloss Schauenstein, located in the Domleschg valley in the canton of Graubünden (Grisons) in Switzerland, is the name of the alpine castle which houses Andreas Caminada's eponymous 3-star restaurant. The castle, which was first mentioned in official documents back in 1257, also houses six luxury hotel rooms. Schauenstein is about a 90 minute drive from Zürich Airport and some 15 mi...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Switzerland3 stars - 01-12-2013
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La Cote Saint Jacques in Joigny, France (3 Michelin stars)

Rating: 96. La Côte Saint Jacques is a third generation family restaurant, located on the banks of the Yonne river in Joigny, Burgundy and it has been a Relais & Chateaux member since 1977. The building in which the restaurant is located also houses 32 rooms and suites, a boutique and a spa. The restaurant was originally established as an inn in 1945 by Marie Lorain, current chef-patron Jean Michel ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 24-11-2013
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Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 in Padstow - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. It has become hard to imagine that Padstow was once just a fishing village on the North coast of Cornwall. Thanks to high-profile chefs like Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth, Padstow has become one of the top foodie destinations in the UK. Together, Stein and Ainsworth have six eating houses scattered around the village. Paul Ainsworth has two: his Michelin starred restaurant...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cornwall - 14-11-2013
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Berners Tavern at the Edition Hotel

Rating: 88. After a refurbishment of almost 3 years, the old Berners Hotel on 10 Berners Street in London's West End, reopened late September as the London Edition Hotel. Edition is a luxury hotel brand, created by entrepreneur Ian Shrager and the Marriott hotel group. In the 1970s and 1980s Ian Shrager and his business partner Steve Rubbel were widely known as the founders and owners of legendary New Yor...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 10-11-2013
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Meet Germany's 11 three-star chefs

Currently Germany has 11 three-star restaurants, spread around the country. Not all of these are household names in the international, particularly the English speaking, dining scene. I thought it would be worthwhile to give you a brief introduction to these eleven men.     View all three-star restaurants in Germany in a larger map     (copy...
Category: Restaurants,Michelin - Subcategory Germany - 09-11-2013
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Reinstoff in Berlin - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 90. Electrical equipment giant AEG used to have many factories in and around Berlin, in which they manufactured varied products such as motors, light bulbs, generators and turbines. AEG's light bulb production took place in a factory in the Schlegelstrasse, located in the Berlin Mitte district. The factory complex was redeveloped at the beginning of this century and appropriately re...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Berlin - 05-11-2013
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Astrance in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. Sometimes when you look at Twitter, you would think Paris only has two three-star restaurants: Alain Passard's l'Arpège and Pascal Barbot's Astrance. Paris has 10 three-star restaurants in total, but l'Arpège and Astrance seem to be at the top of many wish lists; Astrance surely was on mine. In my experience l'Arpège is not that difficult to ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: France3 stars - 27-10-2013
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Le Sergent Recruteur, Paris - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. Note: Chef Antonin Bonnet left Le Sergent Recruteur in May 2015 The first thing you notice when you enter Le Sergent Recruteur is the beautiful contemporary interior, designed by the Spanish designer Jaime Hayon. A restaurant design that won him the 2013 Wallpaper Magazine 'Best Fixer-Upper' award. Le Sergent Recruteur opened in October 2012 and just five months later the restaurant w...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 20-10-2013
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Gidleigh Park in Devon - 2 Michelin stars (2013 review)

Rating: 92. Back in 1999, when Gidleigh park was awarded its second Michelin star, England only had 4 other two-star restaurants outside of London. They were l'Ortolan in Reading (currently down to one star), Lettonie in Bath (now defunct), Winteringham Fields in Winteringham (currently without stars) and obviously Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (the only other survivor). Michael ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Devon - 16-10-2013
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&samhoud places, Amsterdam - 2 Michelin stars (2013 review)

Rating: 97. "Every opening I deal with wants to have a catchy name. There are three rules. Make sure it is not rude, people can spell it, and it is not in an obscure language." So says Maureen Mills, London restaurant PR person extraordinaire. Seems reasonable. And then they decide to call it &samhoud places. What? I know, don't ask. They? They are Salem Samhoud and Moshi...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 07-10-2013
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Umu in Mayfair, London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. When Umu restaurant opened its doors in 2004 in Mayfair it was the first Kyoto kaiseki restaurant in Britain. The restaurant is part of the MARC group, that also owns The Greenhouse in Mayfair, Cassis bistro in Knightsbridge and Morton's Club, a private members' club in Mayfair. Within a year after its opening Umu was awarded a Michelin star (2005 guide). Executive chef of Umu is Yoshin...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 06-10-2013
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Restaurant Überfahrt in Rottach-Egern, Germany - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Note: Restaurant Überfahrt was awarded a third Michelin star in 2014 Michelin guide Germany. Restaurant Überfahrt in Rottach-Egern is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. The restaurant is housed in Seehotel Überfahrt on the shores of the Tegernsee, a beautiful lake situated some 50 kilometers south of Munich. The hotel is part of the German Althoff Group, a group that&nb...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 28-09-2013
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Le Pré Catelan, Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. With a surface area of approximately 3,266 square miles, the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement in Paris is one of the largest public parcs in Europe. The famous Roland Garros tennis court is located on the edge of the 'bois'. Right in the middle, in the Pré Catelan gardens, is a rather splendid pavillion, dating back to the time of Napoleon III, in whic...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 19-09-2013
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Essigbrätlein in Nuremberg, Germany - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 79. Restaurant Essigbrätlein in Nuremberg in Bavaria is housed in a building (Weinmarkt 3) that represents almost 500 years of gastronomic history. In 1550 the establishment was already referred to as "des Senzenwirts am Weinmarkt Eckbehausung" and as "Fässla" in 1596 in the city's annals. The designation "Essigbrätlein" is first mentione...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Other - 16-09-2013
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De Jonkman in Bruges - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. The beautiful, medieval market town of Bruges was the cultural capital of Europe in 2002, but it can also lay claim to being one of the culinary capitals of Belgium. In the Michelin guide 2013 it sports no fewer than two 3-star restaurants, two 2-star establishments, five places with 1 star and seven Bib Gourmands. Quite impressive for a relatively small city with some 117,000 inhabitants. On...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Bruges - 09-09-2013
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Bridges at Sofitel The Grand in Amsterdam

Rating: 86. Bridges is the restaurant of one of the most prestigious hotels in Amsterdam, Sofitel The Grand on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal right in the city centre. The location of the hotel is steeped in history. Until Amsterdam became a protestant city in 1578, the Saint Cecilia convent was established here. For more than two centuries after this "Alteration of Amsterdam", the building, kn...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 25-08-2013
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The Curlew in Bodiam - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 89. The owners of The Curlew, husband and wife Mark and Sara Colley, have turned this former coaching inn into an attractive restaurant not far from Bodiam Castle, a 14th century medieval castle owned by The National Trust. The restaurant opened in 2009 with Neil McCue at the helm of the kitchen. In 2011 the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. Neil McCue left The Curlew in September 2012...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - East Sussex - 23-08-2013
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L'Autre Pied, London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. L'Autre Pied is the second restaurant of restaurateur David Moore, who opened his first London restaurant Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia in 1991. Both restaurants are closely linked. l'Autre Pied opened its doors in 2007 with co-owner Marcus Eaves behind the stove and under his reign the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2009. In 2011 Marcus Eaves became head chef at Pied à...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 22-08-2013
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Jean-François Piège, Paris - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Note: Jean-François Piège has left Thoumieux and will open his own restaurant in Paris called 'Le Grand Restaurant' in September 2015. What do Christophe Saintagne, Jocelyn Herland and Franck Cerruti have in common, apart from the fact that you may not know who they are? If you do know there names, you will also know the answer to my question: they are three three-starred ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 15-08-2013
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L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Saint Germain, Paris - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. Very few chefs become a global brand in their own right. Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay come to mind. So does Joël Robuchon (b. 1945). One of the emperors of international gastronomy, he presides over a realm, studded with Michelin stars, that currently consists of establishments in nine cities: Paris, London, Las Vegas, Monaco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei and Singapore...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 09-08-2013
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't Zilte in Antwerp - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. It would be stating the obvious to say that the Belgians, both in Flanders and in Wallonia, are Burgundian people. Food and drink are very important, even essential, aspects of life here. Historically they are Burgundian too however; in the 15th century, large parts of what is today the Kingdom of Belgium became part of the Duchy of Burgundy. After the death of Charles le Téméra...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Antwerp - 07-08-2013
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In De Wulf in Dranouter, Belgium - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 93. Dranouter in Belgium is a small village with some 700 inhabitants in the fields of Flanders, just southwest of Ypres at less than 1 mile from the French border. It would perhaps be slightly uncharitable to say that it is in the middle of nowhere, but it is certainly a peaceful place. It is peaceful now; almost a century ago it was in Flanders Fields, just a few miles behind the fron...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Dranouter - 02-08-2013
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Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer in Berlin - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. Lorenz Adlon (1849-1921) was a powerhouse in the restaurant and hotel scene of the imperial Berlin of Wilhelm II. One might perhaps say that he was the César Ritz of Germany. He was born in Mainz and started his career as a restaurateur in 1877 in the “Raimundigarten” in Mainz. In the 1880’s he moved to Berlin, where he acquired a number of restaurants, the most famous of ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Berlin - 12-07-2013
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Social Eating House, Poland Street, London

Rating: 90. Note: In the Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2014 guide Social Eating House was awarded a Michelin star. In the last two years, Jason Atherton has quickly built a small culinary empire. The current tally is 3 restaurants in Singapore, 2 in Shanghai, 1 in Hong Kong and 3 in London. The three in London are Michelin starred Pollen Street Social, opened in April 2011, Little Social (opene...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 08-07-2013
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Tim Raue in Berlin - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 91. On the 19th of June 2013, US-president Barack Obama had dinner in Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin with "Bundeskanzler" Angela Merkel and a few dozen guests. The four courses were cooked by Berlin chef Tim Raue. Overall, it was quite a traditional ("bodenständig") menu: white asparagus, cod, Königsberger Klopse (veal meatball) and Bienenstich (bee sting...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Berlin - 06-07-2013
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l'Arpège in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. It needs no saying that Alain Passard is one of the greatest, active French chefs. If there is such a thing as a "Big Five" in French gastronomy, Passard certainly belongs in it, together perhaps with the likes of Alain Ducasse and Pierre Gagnaire, Michel Troisgros and Guy Savoy? He was widely regarded as the best rôtisseur in France (and, by consequence, in French eyes a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 02-07-2013
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Süllberg - Seven Seas in Hamburg (2 Michelin stars)

Rating: 85. Süllberg Seven Seas is the flagship restaurant of the Karlheinz Hauser group, which consists of a hotel and a number of restaurants on the Süllberg in Blankenese just north of Hamburg, and a catering and consulting company. After having finished his training, Karlheinz Hauser (b. 1967) started working at the Königshof restaurant in Munich in 1988. From 1989 until...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Hamburg - 19-06-2013
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Restaurant Haerlin in Hamburg - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg is one of the most prominent traditional grand hotels in Germany. It is one of only nine hotels in Germany to receive the highest rating of five red houses in the Michelin 2013 guide and enjoys a magnificent location on the Binnenalster. The history of the Vier Jahreszeiten started on 24 February 1897 when Friedrich Haerlin purchased an 11-room&n...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Hamburg - 17-06-2013
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Aqua in Wolfsburg - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Its location is somewhat unusual to say the least: Volkswagen Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany. Autostadt is a 70 acre theme park right next to the Volkswagen factory and it attracts over 2 million visitors a year. Eight pavilions represent the brands under the umbrella of the Volkswagen AG, such as Audi, Seat, Porsche, Lamborghini and obviously Volkswagen itself. You can also p...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 14-06-2013
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Guy Savoy in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. Guy Savoy (1953) is not a child prodigy. His rise to culinary fame has been gradual and he was almost fifty years old when Michelin bestowed on him the honour of a third star. After training at Le Lion d'Or in Genève, Troisgros in Roanne, Lasserre in Paris and L'Oasis in La Napoule, he opened his eponymous restaurant in the Rue Duret in Paris in 1980. Here, he received his first sta...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 09-06-2013
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La Belle Epoque in Travemünde - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Note: Chef Kevin Fehling has left La Belle Epoque and will open his own restaurant called The Table in Hamburg in August 2015. It may well have been a Gillardeau oyster with Eisbein (ham hock), served with parsley, sauerkraut and horseradish that got restaurant La Belle Epoque in Travemünde its third star in the 2013 Michelin guide for Germany. Chief-editor Ralf Flinkenflügel said abo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 05-06-2013
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The Ritz restaurant, London

Rating: 90. Bistronomy restaurants, bistros and brasseries and their seeming simplicity or even austerity are clearly in sync with the new economic reality we are experiencing and consequently they are hugely popular. The economic uncertainties which we are presented with however, also make us hearken back to long-established traditions and comforts of old, also in the field of gastronomy....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 20-05-2013
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Bubbledogs' Kitchen Table in Fitzrovia, London

Rating: 92. Note: Bubbledogs Kitchen Table was awarded a Michelin star in the 2015 guide to Great Britain & Ireland. Last summer James Knappett (head chef) and Sandia Chang (restaurant manager/sommelier) opened their restaurant Bubbledogs on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London. Bubbledogs has a concept that is unique in London: gourmet hotdogs served with grower champagnes. The dogs and champagne combo...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 17-05-2013
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Kaspar's Seafood Bar and Grill at The Savoy Hotel in London

Rating: 85. The Savoy. Let me start by saying that I love everything Savoy. The grand entrance with head doorman Tony Cortegaca, the lavishly decorated Thames foyer, the iconic American bar, the glamorous and extravagant Beaufort bar, the tea, the chocolates, the blue lift, the red lift, the hotel's illustrious history. No, there is nothing I dislike about the Savoy. Well, there was one thing ac...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 15-05-2013
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Hibiscus (Claude Bosi) in Mayfair, London - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Since October 2007, Hibiscus in Maddox Street in Mayfair has been the London restaurant of the Lyon-born, Michelin-starred chef Claude (b. 1972) and Claire Bosi. Claude Bosi started his training at the famous brasserie Léon de Lyon and then went on to work for a number of famous French chefs, among whom Michel Rostang, Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse. In 1997 he mov...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 13-05-2013
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Vendôme in Bergisch-Gladbach - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. When you look at German two and three-star restaurants, it's safe to say that the majority of them are housed in hotels. Vendôme restaurant is located in the very grand and stately Schloss Bensberg in Bergisch-Gladbach. The Schloss was originally built as a 'Rhenish Versailles' for Elector Palatine Johann Wihelm II's second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de'Medici. Unfortuna...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 25-04-2013
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Ron Gastrobar in Amsterdam

Rating: 89. At the end of March 2013, two-star chef Ron Blaauw took the Dutch culinary world by surprise, when he announced he would be closing his two-star restaurant in the Dutch capital for a small refurbishment and relaunch it as Ron Gastrobar. The aim is to give diners a more relaxed, informal and affordable dining experience. Within a couple of days the restaurant was transformed and on Thursday 4 ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 23-04-2013
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Amarone in Rotterdam - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 85. Amarone restaurant is located in a bustling Rotterdam high street called De Meent. Head chef and owner of the restaurant is Gert Blom. Before opening his restaurant in 2006, Gert Blom trained in the kitchens of well-known Dutch (Michelin starred) restaurants, such as La Rive at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam (during the two-star reign of chef Robert Kranenborg), Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk, De Zweth...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 22-04-2013
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Gourmet restaurant Lerbach (Nils Henkel) - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 97. Note: Gourmet restaurant Lerbach closed in December 2014. The history of the gourmet restaurant at Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch-Gladbach is closely linked to the history of the hotel itself. There has been a country house at this location since the middle ages, that has served as a residence for many wealthy German families among which the legendary Siemens family. In 1992 the country house...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Germany - Bergisch-Gladbach - 20-04-2013
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De Treeswijkhoeve - 2 Michelin stars near Eindhoven

Rating: 92. In spite of the economic difficulties the country (and all of Europe) is experiencing, the Netherlands continue to do well with Michelin. The two three-star restaurants (De Librije and Oud Sluis) are well worthy of their accolade and the number of two-starred restaurants (18) is impressive, when you consider that Belgium (where, unlike in the Netherlands, fine dining is an essential part...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 14-04-2013
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Victor's Gourmet-Restaurant Schloss Berg - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. Perl-Nennig is not close to anywhere. Some might say it is close to Trier, Luxembourg or even Strasbourg but in reality it is not. The village of Perl is located on the German bank of the Luxembourg Moselle and it has very little to say for itself. Perl-Nennig boasts the customary remains of a Roman villa with floor mosaics and the ruins of some or other Schloss (strictly for rubble-lovers...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 27-03-2013
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Trishna in Marylebone - one Michelin star

Rating: 88. In October 2012 Trishna in Marylebone, London was awarded a Michelin star. The restaurant, opened in 2008, is the sister restaurant of the world-renowned Trishna in Mumbai. Trishna is run by brother and sister team Karam (head chef) and Sunaina (front of house/sommelier) Sethi. Karam Sethi started his career at the Maurya Sheraton School of Hotel Management in New Delhi and has sinc...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 26-03-2013
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Waldhotel Sonnora in Wittlich - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Germany currently has no fewer than 10 restaurants with three Michelin stars. Recently there's been much talk about "the rise of German cuisine" but those who are in this conversation seem to forget that German gastronomy has been world-class for decades and that Germany is a foodie destination that has been overlooked for many years. With 27 three-star restaurants, France is cl...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Germany3 stars - 22-03-2013
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SushiSamba at the Heron Tower in London

Rating: 89. SushiSamba is the brainchild of Shimon Bokovza, Danielle Billera and Matthew Johnson, founders of Samba Brands Management (SBM). In 1999 they introduced the SushiSamba concept in New York City and since then they have openened SushiSamba restaurants in Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas and a second restaurant in New York City. The latter became world-famous when it featured in a Sex and City episode. Reme...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 09-03-2013
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De Librije - 3 Michelin stars (2013 review)

Rating: 100. In 2013 husband and wife team Jonnie and Thérèse Boer celebrate their 20 years at De Librije restaurant in Zwolle. These 20 years have been quite a journey, a journey that has taken them to the very pinnacle of haute cuisine in the Netherlands and arguably in Europe. The year after Jonnie and Thérèse Boer had taken over De Librije, the restaurant was...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsThe Netherlands - 04-03-2013
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The Ledbury - 2 Michelin stars (2013 review)

Rating: 94. Even though he keeps a low profile, Brett Graham has become one of London's most celebrated chefs and The Ledbury keeps making waves in the international dining scene. The Michelin guide, often criticised for being 'dated' or 'out of touch' was among the first to recognise Brett Graham's talent and awarded him a Michelin star within a year afte...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 22-02-2013
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Bo London by Alvin Leung

Rating: 86. Note: Bo London closed in March 2014. It needs no saying that European culture and in particular the luxury goods that Europe produces, hold significant interest for many people from the Orient. Even a fleeting visit to one of Chanel's stores in London will prove this point conclusively. The Japanese and (in particular) Chinese interest in the finest wines of Bordeaux has proved a...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 14-02-2013
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Dabbous in London - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. "London's hottest ticket" (Guardian), "One of the hardest reservations to land in the city" (New York Times), "London's hottest spot" (Wall Street Journal) and to top it off a Michelin star in October 2012, only months after the the January 2012 opening. Yes, Dabbous started off to much critical acclaim, in fact it was the most talked about restauran...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 08-02-2013
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The Hinds Head in Bray

Rating: 89. In October 2012 Heston Blumenthal's pub The Hinds Head was awarded a Michelin star in the 2013 Great Britain & Ireland guide, taking the number of Michelin stars in the village of Bray to 7 (The Fat Duck and Michel Roux's The Waterside inn each have 3 Michelin stars). The village of Bray has around 4,600 inhabitants and with its 7 Michelin stars Bray has confirmed i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Bray-on-Thames - 29-01-2013
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Matsalen by Mathias Dahlgren in Stockholm - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. In 1997 Mathias Dahlgren won the gold medal in the Bocuse d'Or championship, making him the first Swedish chef to win this competition and the second Scandinavian chef to do so. At the time Mathias Dahlgren was head-chef and owner of the one-star Bon Lloc restaurant in Stockholm. In 2007, two years after he had closed Bon Lloc, Dahlgren opened two new restaurants in one of Stockholm's...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Stockholm - 25-01-2013
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The Fat Duck Christmas Lunch 2012

From the Fat Duck Christmas menu: The chefs prepared for me ..... 12 children chewing, 11 candles glowing, 10 eggs-a-scrambling, 9 grapes-a-baubling, 8 apples pressing, 7 partridges pearing, 6 turbot tanning, 5 gold, frankincense and myrrh, 4 snails porridging, 3 lollies licking, 2 pine cones poached ..... and a Heston on a Christmas tree. Last month, The Fat Duck in Bray announed that for th...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: UK3 stars - 19-12-2012
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Chrysan in London

Rating: 89. Note: Chrysan has closed in March 2013. In 2012, the Hakkasan Group expanded their empire with new restaurant openings in Europe, the US and the Middle East. The group opened three new Hakkasan restaurants in Qatar, San Francisco and New York, the latter already being awarded a Michelin star in the 2013 Michelin New York City guide. This autumn, London saw the opening of two new restaurants in ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 13-12-2012
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La Réunion des Chefs

In November 2012 Pierre Koffmann celebrated the 35th anniversary of the opening of his legendary three-star restaurant La Tante Claire in London. Pierre Koffmann was the third chef in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars. To celebrate this and three and half decades of culinary legacy, Pierre Koffmann had organised two special 'Le Réunion des Chefs' dinners at his cur...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: GeneralUK - 10-12-2012
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Moments at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona (2 Michelin stars)

Rating: 88. In the past decade, the Mandarin Oriental hotel group has become well-known for building alliances with a number of great chefs around the globe, such as Heston Blumenthal (Dinner in London), Thierry Marx (Sur Mesure in Paris), Richard Ekkebus (Amber in Hong Kong) and Daniel Boulud (Bar Boulud in London). In 2009 the Mandarin Oriental group opened restaurant Moments in their hotel in Bar...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Barcelona - 08-12-2012
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Medlar in Chelsea, London (one Michelin star)

Rating: 90. In October 2012, Michelin awarded 8 London restaurants the coveted Michelin star in their 2013 Great Britain & Ireland guide. The winners were Dabbous, Hedone, Tom Aikens, Launceston Place, Alyn Williams, Trishna, St John and Medlar. Medlar is the brainchild of head chef Joe Mercer Nairne and his business partner and restaurant manager David O'Connor. Before opening their Chelsea rest...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 08-12-2012
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Restaurant Frantzén - two Michelin stars in Stockholm

Rating: 97. Note: In May 2013 restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg was renamed to Restaurant Frantzén One of the most popular videos on my website is the 'Three Dishes' video about three new Frantzén/Lindeberg dishes, created after the refurbishment of the restaurant in the summer of 2012. Scandinavian food is hot and restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg in Stockholm is even hotter....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Sweden - Stockholm - 05-12-2012
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Lasarte, two Michelin stars in Barcelona

Rating: 90. Lasarte is the two-star Catalunya outpost of the renowned Basque chef Martin Berasategui at the Condes Hotel in Barcelona. The restaurant is named after the Basque town near San Sebastian where Berasategui's three-star restaurant is located. Lasarte opened its doors in January 2006 and that same year the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star. A second star followed in 2009. Head ch...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Barcelona - 29-11-2012
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FG Restaurant (previously Ivy), Rotterdam - 2012 review

Rating: 93. Note: In June 2013 Restaurant Ivy changed its name to FG Restaurant. In February 2009, former sous-chef of The Fat Duck François Geurds opened his own restaurant in Rotterdam. He called it Ivy. Nine months later a Michelin star was born. François Geurds has trained in some of the top Michelin starred kitchens in Netherlands and before his sojourn at the Fat Duck, Franç...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - 27-11-2012
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Massana in Girona, Catalunya - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 92. It's a holiday. It's the Costa Brava. Lloret de Mar, Blanes, L'Estartit. The annual anaesthesia of twelve days of clubbing, drinking, sunshine and other pleasures which I will not deal with in detail. Girona Costa Brava Airport is where you land before you are whisked off by bus to the beaches and the dreary tower flats that double as hotels. A certain carrier seemingly charg...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Spain - Girona - 20-11-2012
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El Celler de Can Roca - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. Is there life without a water bath? For most modern top chefs, the answer would probably be a resounding "No". Sous vide cooking has become totally "de rigueur" in the last decade and in the hands of a competent chef the results of cooking food in the Roner (the state-of-the-art water bath with moving water and exact temperature control) are usually quite wonderful. The Ro...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Spain3 stars - 08-11-2012
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Bord'eau restaurant at Hotel de l'Europe in Amsterdam

Rating: 91. As we all know, Alfred Hitchcock was renowned for his cameo appearances in the films he directed. In his 1940 film "Foreign Correspondent", the Hotel de l'Europe in Amsterdam was used as a location and early on in the movie Hitchcock can be seen walking past the hotel, reading a newspaper. In a(nother) famous scene in the film, the (partially defective) lights on ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 20-10-2012
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Bolenius in Amsterdam

Rating: 86. In 2010 Luc Kusters (head chef) and Xavier Giessen (maitre d'hotel and sommelier) opened Bolenius restaurant in Amsterdam. The restaurant is located in the business district called "Zuidas". They have their own vegetable garden which is literally situated among the office buildings. These days it's certainly not uncommon for a restaurant to be located in a bus...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 14-10-2012
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Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen, the Netherlands - two Michelin stars

Rating: 94. Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen is one of the grandest and most renowned Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands. The restaurant is housed in a stunning thatched country house, set in beautiful grounds. Also on the grounds is the 'Manoir', with its 12 elegant bedrooms and suites. The village of Kruiningen is situated on the Zuid-Beveland peninsula in the low-lying province of Z...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - 13-10-2012
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Auberge de l'Ill, three Michelin stars in Illhaeusern

Rating: 96. Some Michelin-starred restaurants in France are true family businesses. Auberge de l'Il in the charming village of Illhaeusern is one of them. It is a 4th generation restaurant that has been run by the Haeberlin family for 130 years. The restaurant was established as a country inn called l'Arbre Vert in 1882 by the current patron Marc Haeberlin's great-grandparents. The original i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 08-10-2012
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Duck & Waffle; Fortieth Floor Fabulousity

Rating: 87. When it comes to restaurant openings, London is a tough place to keep up with. Just like every year dozens of new restaurants have opened or will open their doors in London this year, making the London dining scene probably the most dynamic in the world. Two restaurant openings that caught my eye in August were SushiSamba and Duck & Waffle, located at both the top floors of...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 19-09-2012
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&samhoud places in Amsterdam

Rating: 94. In January 2012 (Israel born) Dutch two-star chef Moshik Roth and entrepreneur Salem Samhoud announced that they would be opening a new restaurant with an up-scale dining concept called '&samhoud places' in the newly developed 'Oosterdokseiland' in Amsterdam later this year. After seven months and a € 700,000 investment &samhoud places has recently opened its doors....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 18-09-2012
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Hedone in Chiswick, London - Hautes Ingredients

Rating: 92. In many ways, Swedish-born Mikael Jonsson (45 years old) is not your average chef and Hedone in Chiswick, London, is not your average restaurant. Jonsson had been obsessed with food and ingredients since his youth and did some basic training as a chef before food allergies caused him to change careers and become a lawyer. His passion (he calls it an obsession) for produce and produce quality never...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 12-09-2012
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Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 91. Later this month Jason Atherton will open a new venture in Singapore called Snaxs, a restaurant/snack bar serving gourmet junk (sic) food. This is already his third business in Singapore, the other two being a tapas bar called Esquina and Pollen, a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. Jason Atherton also has a restaurant in Shanghai called Table No 1. Fortunately his fi...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 04-09-2012
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Michel Roux jr's Le Gavroche - two Michelin stars

Rating: 92. In the British fine-dining scene restaurant Le Gavroche is not just any other Michelin-starred restaurant. Albert and Michel Roux sr. opened Le Gavroche in Lower Sloane Street in Chelsea in 1967. They were not the first Frenchmen to run a restaurant in London of course. Auguste Escoffier for example presided over the kitchens at the Savoy from 1890 until 1898 and from 1932 until 1976 ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 03-09-2012
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Scott's of Mayfair - 20 Mount Street W1K 2HE

Rating: 88. The first time I read about Scott's of Mayfair was in 2007 in Olive Magazine. The restaurant had just re-opened after an extensive refurbishment. In the 'What the Critics said' item in the March 2007 issue, Fay Maschler (Evening Standard), Marina O'Loughlin (Metro) and Terry Durack (The Independent) were all raving about the place. Later that month I had lunch at Scot...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 30-08-2012
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Maison Pic, three Michelin stars in Valence

Rating: 96. Just like the iconic three-star restaurants Georges Blanc, Maison Troisgros and Paul Bocuse do in their respective communes, Maison Pic prominently takes its time-honoured place in the town of Valence. Maison Pic is a family run hotel and restaurant and Anne-Sophie Pic is already the fourth generation of this family to be the executive chef at the restaurant. Anne-Sophie's great-gran...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 29-08-2012
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Ron Blaauw in Amsterdam: relocated and revisited

Rating: 94. Note: In April 2013 Ron Blaauw relaunched his restaurant as Ron Gastrobar, see my review here My last visit to Ron Blaauw restaurant had been on 21 February 2011. The lunch I had there was the last service at the old venue in Ouderkerk a/d Amstel (a delightful little village just a stone's throw from Amsterdam) before the restaurant moved to Amsterdam proper. It was in Ouderk...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 22-08-2012
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Alimentum in Cambridge

Rating: 88. Until January of this year, London used to have this wonderful place where young and talented chefs could present themselves to the discerning palates of the capital: Nuno Mendes' The Loft Project. If I understand correctly however, The Loft Project is only temporarily out of business. The venue (the loft) has been sold and the people behind the The Loft Project are in negotiations for a new v...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cambridge - 16-08-2012
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Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk

Rating: 90. Note: Chef Paul Foster left Tuddenham Mill in February 2014. After extensive restoration and refurbishment, Tuddenham Mill in Tuddenham re-opened in 2007 and was immediately picked-up by travel magazines and guides and rightfully so; Suffolk was in desperate need of a rural retreat. Tuddenham Mill is a converted water mill that dates back to the 12th century, located between the market towns of...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Suffolk - 15-08-2012
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Midsummer House in Cambridge - two Michelin stars

Rating: 93. For most of us, 2012 is perhaps above all the year of the London Olympics which were such a great success for team GB. And then there are Epke Zonderland, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and the Dutch women's hockey team! But 2012 is turning into quite a successful year for Daniel Clifford too, the chef/patron of Midsummer House in Cambridge. Earlier this year Daniel competed on Great British Me...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cambridge - 13-08-2012
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The Sportsman in Seasalter - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 90. What a wonderful idea, a pub where you can have really good food. How nice to have a place where you can have a fine meal without having to dress-up like a million dollar trooper (super duper). You just walk up to the bar, order your food and drink and repair to your table for a wonderful relaxed lunch or dinner. In the early nineties they invented a name for such a place - the Gastropub - and the...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Kent - 09-08-2012
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Maison Troisgros in Roanne, 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 99. A few days before my visit to Maison Troisgros I read an interview with Giles Coren (the London Times' food critic) in the UK newspaper Metro. Coren was interviewed about his new book "How to Eat Out". One of the questions of the interviewer was: "What are three great myths about eating out?" Giles Coren answered as follows: "1. That the waiters spit in ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 24-07-2012
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Georges Blanc in Vonnas - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 95. Georges Blanc is a family restaurant in the pretty village of Vonnas, that has held three Michelin stars since 1981. The restaurant started out as an inn in 1872 and after three generations of female chefs, Georges Blanc is the first male chef to be at the helm of the Blancs' kitchens. Georges Blanc took over from his mother Paulette in 1968. Under the reign of Georges Blanc's legendary gr...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 22-07-2012
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Flocons de Sel - France's new three-star restaurant

Rating: 98. France currently has 26 three-star restaurants. The latest addition to the list (in the 2012 guide) was Emmanuel Renaut's Flocons de Sel in Mégève in the French Alps. Emmanuel Renaut has trained in some of the best kitchens in Europe. After some time at Le Crillon in Paris he started working for the world-famous three-star chef Marc Veyrat at his restaurant Auberge de l'Erida...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 16-07-2012
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Pierre Gagnaire in Paris - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 100. With restaurants in Paris, London, Dubai, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Moscow, Hong Kong and Seoel, Pierre Gagnaire's cuisine is present all around the world but obviously he's still most famous for his eponymous restaurant in Paris. His success story didn't start in Paris however. It was in Saint-Étienne that Pierre Gagnaire was awarded three Michelin stars in 1993. A few years ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 14-07-2012
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La Tour d'Argent - 15 quai de la Tournelle, Paris

Rating: 90. La Tour d'Argent is obviously most famous for its 'Caneton Tour d'Argent' or Pressed Duck. I don't know if it's on the '101 foods to try before you die' list but if it's not, it definitely should be. After the duck is roasted, the breasts and legs are removed and then the carcass is placed in a duck press to extract the juices and blood, which are then u...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory France - Paris - 05-07-2012
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Alain Ducasse at The Plaza Athenée - the Midas touch

Rating: 89. Alain Ducasse is a living legend. He is the only chef ever to have had three Michelin stars at three different restaurants in three different cities - at the same time. He achieved this unique accolade for the first time in 2005 when the then Alain Ducasse at the (Jumeirah) Essex House in New York was awarded three stars in the first Michelin guide for New York. After this restaurant had...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: France3 stars - 01-07-2012
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Epicure by Eric Frechon at Le Bristol - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 98. During his presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy counted Epicure restaurant (Epicure) at Hotel Le Bristol in Paris among his favourite haunts. Conveniently, the hotel is just a stone's throw away from the Elysee palace in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in the 8th arrondisement. Le Bristol is part of the Oetker hotel collection and the hotel and restaurant have re-emerged not long ago after an ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: France3 stars - 28-06-2012
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Paul Bocuse - La Grande Cuisine

Rating: 96. The Bocuses had been chefs in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or since 1765 when Georges Bocuse sent his son Paul to be apprenticed at Claude Maret's Restaurant de la Soierie in Lyon in 1942. After the war, Paul continued his training at La Mère Brazier (*** at the time since 1933), La Pyramide and Lucas Carton. In 1959 he took the reigns at the family's restaurant, then named l'Au...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsFrance - 17-06-2012
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Tunes restaurant at the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam

Rating: 88. Note: Tunes closed in 2014 and relaunched as Taiko by Schilo with Asian-inspired cuisine In December 2011 a new luxury and trendy hotel opened its doors in Amsterdam: the Conservatorium Hotel. The hotel is located bang in the middle of Amsterdam's Museumplein and the stunning 19th century building that houses the hotel, designed by the Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel, originally served as a ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 25-05-2012
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De Leest restaurant in Vaassen - 2 Michelin stars

Rating: 93. "De Leest" in Vaassen is a restaurant run by husband and wife team Jacob Jan Boerma and Kim Veldman. After having trained at several Dutch Michelin starred restaurants, the couple opened De Leest in 2002 and in that same year the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star (2003 guide). A second star followed in 2006 (2007 guide). De Leest is located in Vaassen, a town on the fringes ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 24-05-2012
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Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road - 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. Gordon Ramsay owns restaurants in the UK, Ireland, USA, Japan, France and Italy. Just this week the latest addition to his restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Steak, opened in Las Vegas and two new restaurants in Qatar are scheduled to open later this month. A new Los Angeles restaurant called The Fat Cow is set to open this summer. In 2007 and 2009 Gordon Ramsay was awarded no less than 12 Micheli...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: UK3 stars - 14-05-2012
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Galvin La Chapelle - a French restaurant in the City of London

Rating: 92. What's a chefs' chef? It is someone whose food other chefs really like to eat and this year's AA Chefs' Chef of the Year (2011-2012) award went to Chris and Jeff Galvin. Over the past couple of years the Galvin brothers have built something of culinary empire in London. Both Chris and Jeff trained with some of the biggest names in the industry both in Britain and France. They ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 09-05-2012
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l'Arnsbourg, 3 Michelin stars

Rating: 96. Note: Chef Jean-Georges Klein has left l'Arnsbourgh in 2014 and is set to open a new restaurant at Villa René Lalique in Alsace in September 2015. Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey, that is Michelin's description of a three-star restaurant. Where some three-star restaurants are bang in the middle of a city, a lot of them aren't. In some cases a speci...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: France3 stars - 06-05-2012
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Perceel restaurant - 1 Michelin star in Rotterdam

Rating: 91. Don't get me wrong: I love great restaurants and I love great chefs and I often find myself in awe at the history of long-established restaurants and the reputation and skill of legendary chefs. In fact I'm going on a culinary pilgrimage later this month to the likes of Ducasse, Gagnaire, Blanc, Troisgros, Bocuse and Haeberlin. However, nothing beats the excitement of going to new restaura...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 06-05-2012
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Hakkasan Mayfair

Rating: 90. After opening their first restaurant (Hakkasan Hanway Place) in London in 2001, the Hakkasan restaurant group has opened restaurants all over the world: Miami, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Mumbai and the latest addition to their collection was a New York City restaurant earlier this month. Hakkasan's second restaurant in London, Hakkasan Mayfair opened its doors in November 2010....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 24-04-2012
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Hawksmoor - Veni Vidi Vici

Rating: 89. "It was an inauspicious start. A few days after signing a twenty-year lease on a failing Turkish restaurant at the wrong end of a traffic-clogged street in East London, a bank loan we desperately needed fell through. On the same day we discovered that the site didn't actually have planning permission to be a restaurant". This is a quote from the cookbook Hawksmoor at Home, but there...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 24-04-2012
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Beluga restaurant (**) in Maastricht - a singular experience?

Rating: 87. Beluga in Maastricht is one of the Netherlands' 16 two-star restaurants. Patron-cuisinier of Beluga is Hans van Wolde. Hans van Wolde trained in a number of Dutch restaurants before opening Beluga in 1997. The restaurant was awarded its first star in 1998 and a second star followed in 2005. Beluga also has an outstanding 19.5 rating (equal to three-star De Librije and second only ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Maastricht - 18-04-2012
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Alyn Williams at the Westbury

Rating: 90. No other city has more new restaurant openings than London, but the one that recently caught my eye was Alyn Williams' at the Westbury. Alyn Williams is a chef with an excellent pedigree. Before opening his own restaurant in November 2011, Alyn Williams was the head chef at Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley and before that at Petrus (both two Michelin stars). Prior to his stin...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 16-04-2012
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Corrigan's Mayfair

Rating: 89. The first time I heard of Richard Corrigan was during the first season of Great British Menu in 2006. Richard Corrigan was one of the Irish contestants and he was very successful: His smoked salmon with Irish soda bread starter was served at the Queen's 80th Birthday banquet. I wanted to find out about his food for myself and that same year I had dinner at Corrigan's Michelin starred ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 15-04-2012
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Tom Aikens in Chelsea

Rating: 85. Note: Tom Aikens closed his Chelsea restaurant in January 2014. I first visited Tom Aikens eponymous Chelsea restaurant in 2009. At the time Tom Aikens had been mentioned in the Michelin guide as a 'rising star' for two stars for two successive years. The restaurant had opened in 2003 and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2004. Before opening his own restaurant Tom A...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 11-04-2012
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Oud Sluis - High Art in Zeeland Flanders

Rating: 100. Note: In June 2013 it was announced that Sergio Herman will close Oud Sluis permanently in December 2013. Oud Sluis is a third generation restaurant in the market town of Sluis in Zeeland Flanders, which is located in the Netherlands very close to the border with Belgium. Sergio Herman took over the restaurant from his father Ronnie in 1991. Sergio Herman obviously trained in his fath...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsThe Netherlands - 18-03-2012
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Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem - three Michelin stars in Belgium

Rating: 96. Peter Goossens, the patron-cuisinier at Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, is often referred to as one of the godfathers of modern Belgian cuisine and he is one of Belgium's most respected chefs. After his education at a Belgian catering college Peter Goossens spent several years in France were he trained in e.g. the Paris kitchens of Le Pré Catalan and Robuchon. When he ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: Belgium3 stars - 07-03-2012
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Nuance restaurant in Duffel (near Antwerp)

Rating: 95. Flemish chef Thierry Theys has been taking Belgium by storm. After having trained at Ducasse in Monaco and at Hans van Wolde's two-star Beluga restaurant in Maastricht, Thierry and his partner Sofie Willemarck opened Nuance restaurant in Duffel (some 20 minutes from Antwerp) in 2008. The next year the restaurant was already awarded its first Michelin star and the second star fol...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Belgium - Other - 03-03-2012
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Restaurant De Zwethheul (**) in Schipluiden (near Rotterdam)

Rating: 92. In the Netherlands there are three important restaurant guides. Obviously there's the Michelin guide, there's the Gault Millau guide and last but not least there's the 'Lekker' guide ('Lekker' is Dutch for delicious), a guide that I have been buying for over twenty years now (yes, I do buy other guides than Michelin...). The guide is always released in November and...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 13-02-2012
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Rocksalt in Folkestone

Rating: 88. When I travel to UK by car I always use the Eurotunnel. It is by far the most efficient and quick way to get to the UK from the continent. Travelling by Eurotunnel also means arrival in and departure from Folkestone. And Folkestone happens to be the town were Mark Sargeant, former right-hand man of Gordon Ramsay, opened his own restaurant called Rocksalt last summer. ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Kent - 07-02-2012
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Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham

Rating: 92. Did you know Nottingham is only a good two hours away from London? Nottingham is also the place where British chef Sat Bains and his lovely wife Amanda run Sat Bains restaurant and rooms, a restaurant that was awarded its second Michelin star in 2011 and that has eight beautifully appointed rooms. After winning the Roux Scholarship in 1999, Sat Bains worked at the then three-starred Le Jardin des ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Nottingham - 28-01-2012
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Quo Vadis - service not included?

Rating: 83. The first time I heard of Jeremy Lee was many years ago when a London friend of mine took me to the Blueprint Café for lunch. I visited that restaurant a number of times afterwards, but not in recent years. Jeremy Lee was the head-chef of the Blueprint Café from 1995 until 2011. The second time I heard of mr. Lee was in the 2007 Great British Menu series. Jeremy Lee represented Scotl...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 24-01-2012
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The Royal Oak in Paley Street

Rating: 90. The Royal Oak is a Michelin starred, 17th century pub in the hamlet of Paley Street in Berkshire, some 30 miles west of London. The name refers to the oak tree in Boscobel wood in which Charles II hid to escape Cromwell's troops after the battle of Worcester in 1651. The pub was opened in 2001 by Sir Michael Parkinson and his son Nick. In January 2007 Dominic Chapman became the head-...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Berkshire - 15-01-2012
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The Fat Duck

Rating: 100. Two people, two phones. Hubby and I were both calling the reservation line of The Fat Duck and that's how I got a reservation for the Fat Duck's last service of 2011 on Sunday December the 18th. Yes, even after all those years people still frantically call the Fat Duck on the day when reservation lines open for bookings two months in advance. I really wanted to book a table ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsUK - 13-01-2012
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The Hand & Flowers, a two Michelin starred pub in Marlow - worth a detour?

Rating: 85. Eighteen months, three visits. I first visited Tom Kerridge's The Hand & Flowers in July 2010. My husband and I had lunch there on probably the hottest day in England in 2010 and a lovely lunch it was too. A short impression of this lunch can be found here. Since this impression was not a proper review I wanted go back and not just for a review but for some lovely ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Buckinghamshire - 03-01-2012
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Hertog Jan in Bruges - Belgium's new three star restaurant

Rating: 98. It was only last November that Hertog Jan restaurant in Sint-Michiels near Bruges was awarded a third Michelin star, the first restaurant in Belgium to gain a third star since Peter Goossens' Hof van Cleve in 2005. Head-chef of Hertog Jan is 33 year old Gert de Mangeleer, which makes this young Flemish chef one of the youngest three-star chefs in Europe. During his training at restaura...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsBelgium - 02-01-2012
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La Vie in Osnabruck - Germany's new three-star restaurant

Rating: 95. "German Food Far Beyond the Bratwurst", that was the title of my article on German cuisine last year. An article about how German cuisine has rapidly evolved in the last few decades. I wrote that article at the time because there still is a lot of misconception when it comes to German fine dining. Only recently more and more foreigners have started discovering Germany and it...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsGermany - 10-12-2011
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A weekend with Albert and Michel Roux

The Roux family hardly needs an introduction but I'll give a short one anyway. In 1967 two brothers, Michel and Albert Roux opened Le Gavroche in Lower Sloan Street in London, a restaurant that revolutionised London's dining scene. Le Gavroche was awarded its first star in Britain's first Michelin guide in 1974. The second star followed in 1977 and in 1982 Le Gavroche was the first restaura...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Scotland - 25-11-2011
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Noma - Cuisine, Creativity or Cult?

Rating: 91. "At Noma, we wish to offer our personal rendition of Nordic gourmet cuisine with an innovative gastronomic take on traditional cooking methods, fine Nordic produce and the legacy of our shared food heritage. Moreover, we regard it as a personal challenge to help bring about a revival of Nordic cuisine and let its distinctive flavours and particular regional character brighten up the world.&qu...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory Denmark - Copenhagen - 09-10-2011
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De Librije, three Michelin stars in Zwolle, the Netherlands

Rating: 99. This month Jonnie Boer, executive chef and owner of De Librije restaurant in Zwolle, the Netherlands, celebrated his silver jubilee at De Librije. Jonnie Boer started working at De Librije in 1986. In 1990 he was joined by his wife Thérèse, who has been the sommelier and Maître d' at the restaurant since. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer's journey at...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsThe Netherlands - 26-09-2011
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Roganic - a two year Marylebone pop-up

Rating: 90. Note: Simon Rogan's London pop-up Roganic closed in June 2013. Every now and then a new restaurant opening in London causes a big stir on Twitter and in 2011 there have been quite a few of these. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal started off the buzz at the end of January, Jason Atherton's Pollen Street Social in April and Marcus Wareing's The Gilbert Scott in May followed it through...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 19-09-2011
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The New York City series - IV: Thomas Keller's Per Se

Rating: 97. In a few weeks time Europe will have its first taste of the legendary American chef Thomas Keller when he and 14 of his staff will be in London for "The French Laundry at Harrods' 10 day pop-up. Even at a price of £250 a head for lunch or dinner the booking lines were swamped when they opened on September 1st. It must have been the only time ever that one co...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: U.S.A.3 stars - 17-09-2011
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The New York City series - III: Jean Georges

Rating: 98. This month's cover story in Wine Spectator Magazine is 'French Cuisine, American Style'. The story is about French chefs who have made their mark in the US or as Wine Spectator puts it "who have made America more delicious". Much to my surprise one name is conspicuously absent in the line-up: Jean Georges Vongerichten. His last name may sound German but he i...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: U.S.A.3 stars - 08-09-2011
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The New York City series - II: David Chang's Momofuku Ko

Rating: 94. How on earth did you get in, someone asked. I guess I was just lucky. Momofuku Ko ('Ko') only accepts online reservations not more than 6 days in advance. The restaurant only has 12 seats. Ko does two seatings at dinner but that still leaves you with just 24 seats to book per night which isn't much anywhere - let alone in NYC. To make an online reservation you ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory U.S.A. - New York City - 07-09-2011
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The New York City series - I: Daniel by Daniel Boulud

Rating: 97. The first time I encountered Daniel Boulud's cooking was in March 2010 during the Rheingau Wein & Gourmet Festival in Germany, an annual two-week food and wine festival with an impressive line-up of German and international chefs. At the 2010 festival Daniel Boulud cooked a stunning 5-course dinner and after dinner I was fortunate enough to meet this charming man. 2010 was also the year wh...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategories: 3 starsU.S.A. - 05-09-2011
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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - brasserie soul food

Rating: 91. Originally I had made a reservation at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal on 10 February 2011 but due to personal circumstances I unfortunately had to cancel. It was really hard work to get a new reservation, as the place is always fully booked. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is still the hottest ticket in town. Reservations for Dinner cannot be made more than 2 months in advance, so each time whe...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 17-08-2011
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The Ledbury, two Michelin stars in Notting Hill

Rating: 93. The Ledbury was first brought to my attention a few years ago by Linden Wilkie of The Fine Wine Experience. From time to time The Ledbury hosts TFWE events and I noticed that Linden (famous for being a great wine connoisseur but not half-bad as a gourmet either) spoke very highly of this restaurant. In fact he asked, rhetorically, why it hadn't been awarded a second star yet. Well, in 2010 Mic...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 11-08-2011
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Helene Darroze at the Connaught - What Went Wrong?

Rating: 87. The last time I had visited Hélène Darroze was in November 2009. At that time I hadn't started my website yet but I do remember having a wonderful meal at this beautiful restaurant at the Connaught Hotel in London. In January of this year Hélène Darroze at the Connaught received a second Michelin star. Hélène Darroze's other restaurant is in Paris ...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 04-08-2011
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Ciel Bleu restaurant at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam

Rating: 92. The Okura Hotel in Amsterdam is a wonderful foodie destination. Over the years I have had many great lunches and dinners at their (ground floor) Japanese restaurant Yamazato (one Michelin star), one of 5 restaurants at the Okura hotel. A little while ago I had lunch at their more informal restaurant "Serre" which opened earlier this year. Serre restaurant serves simple but eleg...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 26-07-2011
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Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 restaurant in Padstow

Rating: 90. During my previous visits to Cornwall in 2008 and 2009 I tried to get a table at Paul Ainsworth's No. 6 restaurant in Padstow but failed miserably. So as soon as the plans to go to Cornwall this year were final, I tried to booked a table for dinner at Paul Ainsworth's and fortunately this time I was successful. Paul was one of the contestants in this year's  Great Br...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cornwall - 12-06-2011
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John Campbell at Coworth Park

Rating: 91. The Dorchester collection is a collection of world renowned hotels such as The Dorchester in London, Le Meurice in Paris and the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles. The latest addition to the collection is Coworth Park near Ascot. The hotel opened in September 2010 and at the same time  the Dorchester Collection added John Campbell  to their already impressive list of chefs (Alain Du...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Berkshire - 09-06-2011
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Nathan Outlaw - New Classics in Cornwall

Rating: 93. Since January 2011 Britain has got two new two-star restaurants, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught in London and Nathan Outlaw at the St. Enodoc Hotel in Rock, Cornwall - Cornwall's first two-star restaurant ever. Nathan Outlaw was first awarded a Michelin star in the 2004 guide at age 25 at the then restaurant The Black Pig in Rock and this star stayed with him on h...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Cornwall - 03-06-2011
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Gidleigh Park - a simply wonderful lunch

Rating: 92. It was not coincidence that I visited Gidleigh Park yesterday. I have been on holiday in Cornwall and Devon is not that far away, so I couldn't leave the country without stopping by at Michael Caines's Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Devon. Gidleigh Park is one of Britain's most celebrated restaurants and throughout the years the restaurant and Michael Caines have collected numerous awards....
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Devon - 29-05-2011
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The Gilbert Scott - an English brasserie

Rating: 89. On 5 May 2011 the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel re-opened after many years of restoration and 138 years after the hotel, originally named Midland Grand Hotel, first opened.  5 May was also the day of the opening of the hotel's restaurant The Gilbert Scott, Marcus Wareing's new venture. The St. Pancras Hotel is a landmark building in London and many people are very pleased that it is no l...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 12-05-2011
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Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley - a virtuoso performance

Rating: 94. In March 2010 BBC2 broadcast the documentary "Michelin Stars, The Madness of Perfection". In this documentary food writer and critic William Sitwell investigated the world of Michelin and interviewed British Michelin starred chefs. For this documentary he spent a day with Marcus Wareing to get a glimpse of the life of this two Michelin star chef, which gave a fascinat...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 11-05-2011
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Parkheuvel restaurant - two Michelin stars in Rotterdam

Rating: 93. Parkheuvel restaurant in Rotterdam is a culinary icon in the Netherlands; in 2002 it was the first restaurant in the Netherlands to be awarded three Michelin stars. The head chef and owner at the time, Cees Helder, retired in 2006 and the restaurant passed to Erik van Loo. In the year before his move to Parkheuvel, Erik van Loo had been awarded a second Michelin star at restaurant De Zwethheu...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 03-05-2011
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FG Restaurant (previously Ivy) in Rotterdam - 1 Michelin star

Rating: 92. Note: In June 2013 Restaurant Ivy changed its name to FG Restaurant. This story starts in 2005, when my husband and I were having lunch at the Fat Duck in Bray-on-Thames to celebrate our 10th anniversary. A member of staff told us that a Dutch chef was working in their kitchens as Heston's sous-chef but we weren't introduced at the time. Only in February 2009 wh...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Rotterdam - 27-03-2011
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Ron Blaauw restaurant - two Michelin stars in Amsterdam

Rating: 92. Note: In April 2013 Ron Blaauw relaunched his restaurant as Ron Gastrobar, see my review here A few weeks ago head-chef Ron Blaauw of the two Michelin starred Ron Blaauw restaurant in Ouderkerk a/d Amstel announced that the restaurant will be moving to Amsterdam shortly. With this move Amsterdam will get a desperately needed second two-star restaurant. This news made me decide I just had t...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Amsterdam - 21-02-2011
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Martin Wishart in Leith (Edinburgh)

Rating: 92. When I was planning our culinary Christmas tour of the UK, I immediately knew that one of the stops would have to be Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a beautiful place and I don't get to visit it as often as I would like. One of the city's main culinary attractions is Martin Wishart's restaurant in Leith. Leith is a district of Edinburgh. From a personal perspectiv...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Edinburgh - 09-01-2011
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Northcote Manor

Rating: 91. Northcote Manor is a 19th century manor house located in the beautiful Ribble Valley in Lancashire. The first time I visited this luxury retreat was 6 years ago during my first tour in the UK, not that it was part of the tour by the way, although it should've been, I ended up there by accident. During the tour my husband and I stayed in Lincoln and the next stop after Lincoln would b...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Lancashire - 02-01-2011
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't Brouwerskolkje

Rating: 93. Note: 't Brouwerskolkje closed in April 2012. Moshik Roth has opened a new restaurant in Amsterdam called '&samhoud places', which restaurant was awarded 2 Michelin stars in 2013 Michelin guide for the Netherlands. You can find my review of &samhoud places here. At the moment the Netherlands have 13 two-star restaurants. One of them is 't Brouwerskolkje in Overveen. The...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory The Netherlands - Other - 19-12-2010
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Sunday lunch at Koffmann's

Rating: 90. My first Michelin Guide was that of Europe's Main Cities 2000. In 2000 I was just starting to discover the world of Michelin starred restaurants. It was also around that time that I started visiting London more frequently. As soon as you start eating in Michelin starred restaurants you start hearing the names of the culinary legends. In some cases you hear the names of chefs that are fort...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - London - 19-10-2010
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German food, far beyond the Bratwurst!

This September one of the main themes on my blog will be German food and wine, starting with this post. German food has been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. I've been travelling to Germany ever since I was a child. Throughout the years I have spent many weekends and holidays in Germany. With every trip I learnt more about German cuisine and still there is so much to explore...
Category: Restaurants,Travel - Subcategories: GeneralGermany - 04-09-2010
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and then there was Tom Kerridge....

I've been watching Great British Menu (GBM) since the first series in 2006. Because of this programme I really got to now more about British food and British chefs and of course about Jennie Bond. I really like GBM and it is great to see how many food traditions there are in the UK and how many talented chefs they have on the island. If it wasn't for GBM I would...
Category: Restaurants - Subcategory UK - Buckinghamshire - 19-07-2010
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My Restaurants
London


StreetXO (2016)
Hedone (2012/2016)
Kitty Fisher's (2015/2016)
Taberna do Mercado (2015/2016)
The Clove Club (2015/2016)
Bonhams Restaurant (2015)
Noble Rot (2015/2016)
Frenchie Covent Garden (2016)
Elystan Street (2016)
Park Chinois (2016)
Luca (2016)
Holborn Dining Room (2016)
Kiln (2016)
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My Restaurants
UK


The Fat Duck (05/11/12/13/15/16)
The Beehive, White Waltham (2016)
Andre Garrett at Cliveden (2016)
l'Enclume, Cartmel (2015)
Midsummer House (2012/2014)
Hind's Head (2011/2012/2016)
Northcote Manor (2010/2015)
The Royal Oak (2011/2012/2016)
The Curlew, Bodiam (2013)
Nathan Outlaw (2011/2013)
Paul Ainsworth at No 6 (2011/2013)
Gidleigh Park (2008/2011/2013)
The Sportsman (2012)
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My Restaurants
Netherlands


Pure C, Cadzand (2017)
De Lindehof, Nuenen (2015/2017)
Arles, Amsterdam (2017)
Breda, Amsterdam (2016/2017)
Auberge Jean & Marie, Amsterdam (16/17)
Zarzo, Eindhoven (2017)
Tribeca, Heeze (2016)
Bord'eau, Amsterdam (12/13/14/15/16)
De Leest, Vaassen (08/12/14/16)
De Librije (07/09/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17)
Moon, Amsterdam (2017)
Librije's Zusje, Amsterdam (2014/2015/2016)
Aan de Poel, Amstelveen (11/13/14/15/16/17)
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My Restaurants
Germany


Atelier, Munich (2017)
Gustav, Frankfurt (2016)
Lafleur, Frankfurt (2016)
Villa Rotschild, Konigstein im Taunus (2016)
Geisels Werneckhof, Munich (2017)
Esszimmer, Munich (2017)
Gut Larchenhof, Pulheim (2016)
La Vie, Osnabruck (2011/2016)
Schwarzenstein, Geissenheim (2017)
Schloss Berg (2010/2013/2016)
Aqua (2013/2016)
Schanz, Piesport (2016)
Becker's, Trier (2016)
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My Restaurants
Other


El Celler de Can Roca, Girona (2012/2017)
Dos Palillos, Barcelona (2017)
Lasarte, Barcelona (2012/2017)
Eleven Madison Park, NYC (2016)
The Jane, Antwerp (2016/2017)
Hoja Santa, Barcelona (2017)
Blue Hill at Stone Barns (2016)
Espai Kru, Barcelona (2017)
Disfrutar, Barcelona (2017)
Dos Pebrots, Barcelona (2017)
MIMI, NYC
Le Bernardin, NYC (2016)
Geranium, Copenhagen (2016)
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My Restaurants
France


Le Cinq, Paris (2016)
l'Ambroisie, Paris (2016)
Mirazur, Menton (2016)
Neige d'Ete, Paris (2016)
l'Oustau de Baumaneire, France (2016)
Maison Bras, France (2016)
Hexagone, Paris (2016)
Le Vague d'Or, St Tropez (2016)
Champeaux, Paris (2016)
Le Petit Nice, Marseille (2016)
Regis et Jacques Marcon (2016)
Ledoyen (2014)
l'Assiette Champenoise (2014)
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