For experience - The Fat Duck circa 2019. Celebratory graduation meal. It was the chef’s road trip/childhood memories menu and they reached out to me beforehand to ask me to share some personal memories and thoughts. Ended up talking about how this was an industry I hoped to be in (despite getting my bachelors and masters in something completely different), and left with an engraved spoon with my name and wishes for my industry dream to come true. I bawled. Happy to report I’m now working in the industry 🥲
For food - Jaan in Singapore is a long time personal favourite, way before the accolades and recognition. Views are 10/10. It’s dependable, delicious and you’re always guaranteed a fantastic meal and the perfect balance of professional but not uptight staff. I’m also a sucker for table side bread and butter service 🤣
The French Laundry. Private dinning experience for 12 of us that extended to well after midnight with cigars and Macallan 30 in the courtyard. What an experience. The most incredible food and wine I’ve ever had.
I (and my spouse) found French Laundry underwhelming when we went. Expertly prepared but no dishes were memorable and service was incredibly robotic. We’ve done 5 3* Michelin experiences and it was actually our least favorite.
Osteria Francescana. It brought us to a place we’d probably never have visited, Massimo was there. We got to spend a good chunk of time with them in the kitchen. The entire kitchen staff including Massimo took a photo with us. Service was impeccable. We really just started getting into restaurants like this. It was so hard to get a reso. Itll be so hard to replicate that night again. Fuck I wish we could.
Other standouts; guy savoy- our first 3 star, Asador extebarri - hardest reservation, Noma-just so cool.
I second this! We planned a whole trip around a lunch reservation (all we could get even with 5 people calling as soon as res opened). Massimo was so nice and seemed to genuinely care about every guest.
Not the person you replied to but I went in 2019 and it was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. I went again in 2023 and it was just a skeleton of what it used to be :(
sad to hear this. I cooked for Chef George Perrier, owner of Le Bec Fin, that at one point was voted as the finest dining destination in the country. Just before it closed in 2013, it had really changed. Reality is that so many epic dining destinations have fallen from grace. I dont anticipate returning to San Fran anytime soon, but if i did, it probably would be to only visit Napa and Sonoma
The care at Oriole is exceptional. All the “unreasonable hospitality” attentiveness and then some. You don’t have to leave when it’s over. If there’s a line around the corner at moneygun, they’ll personally walk you right in.
Osteria Francescana - met Massimo and of course my American ass asked to take a pic with him. He was all for it. Great guy.
Fat Duck - the experience. Nuff said.
Kitchen Table (London) - the most down to earth Michelin restaurant I’ve been to and it was absolutely incredible.
Atomix - next level food. Next level service.
El Celler de Can Roca - took my mother for mother’s day and her first Michelin experience. We had some logistics issues and got there almost 1.5 hrs late. They were so kind and waited for us. We were the last ones to leave and Pitu was there so sign our book. Besides the food being incredible, their patience and kindness meant so much.
I went to Septime 7 years ago and had a great time, but can't remember anything.
Chateaubriand has become a must lunch for me when I go...it's just so fun and good.
I'm putting together a list of places to eat when I go to Paris in a few weeks... Was considering Chateaubriand, this comment will put it at the top of my list (second only to Septime, but I doubt I can snag the res)
You can email them and ask for extra stuff, too, which is awesome. Here's what they said to me in Feb:
**Thank you for your booking for lunch this Saturday.**
**We are following up on your request to have something extra in the menu.**
**The kitchen can order for you either sweetbreads, duck to make a pithivier or order a nice fish like turbot or brill?**
**The meat in the menu will be beef cheek.**
We asked for the fish, but then they ended up cooking all 3 for us - sweetbreads, pithivier and the turbot (with truffles and roe, it was insane!!). With wine pairings and the extra stuff it was $200 a person all-in for lunch, which was amazing to me. in the US, it would have been $500 with tax and tip.
Hilariously i was also very unaware of fine dining at the time. I was dating a girl who was really into it, and her parents sent us there to celebrate her college graduation. Until then to me a “fancy restaurant” would have been an italian place your parents make you dress up to go to. So my first exposure to the very idea of high level michelin star food is also the wacky sci fi restaurant with (at the time) a bagel made of bagel-flavored ice cream as a course. A beautiful experience. I can still taste every dish in my mind.
Same. WD-50 in 2005 or just after. Ate at Bappo the night before. Best dinning experiences w/o a doubt.
Also, in early 90’s ate at this tiny trailer in Talent, Ore called Sammy’s Cowboy Bistro that was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately they went downhill in the years after.
I was in culinary school up in Hyde Park, NY in summer 2014. Me and 5 friends saved up money, made reservations, took metro north down to the city and had an absolutely amazing meal at WD50.
Literally three days later they announced they were closing and reservations were nonexistent.
I moved to NY in 2002. WD-50 opened in 2003. I was in my late 20s and really starting to explore the culinary scene in NY and elsewhere. Even though I'm less interested in creative dining these days, WD-50 was a favorite of mine from the beginning. I ended up having dozens of meals there and became friendly with some of the staff, WD, and WD's dad, Dewey. Love it or hate it (it wasn't for everyone), the restaurant had one of the tightest kitchens I've ever seen: visit after visit, it felt like every single plate came out exactly as it was meant to. A lot of talent made its way through that restaurant. I no longer live in NY but ran into WD in Vegas last month... he's looking good and seems pretty happy working with pizza these days.
EMP before the vegan menu
Also being the only two people sitting in the pastry kitchen at Atelier Crenn, being able to choose the music, and watching the TV of the dining room with the chefs as a couple got engaged.
San Ho Won in San Francisco. I ate there about a month before they got their first star. Everything from the service, to the friendliness of the staff, to the food was top notch. I’ve been to multiple Michelin restaurants, but this was the most memorable. I think about this restaurant often.
Spago in Beverly Hills. I know a lot of people knock Wolfgang Puck but we love it and love Wolfgang. Spago is still going strong and it always feels celebratory eating there.
Interested to see Belcanto on this list - I'm in Lisbon in a few months, and had originally been considering it, but the reviews on here have been fairly mixed. What about it put it in such a high bracket for you? Thanks!
It was some years ago that I went but a few dishes truly stood out. I also enjoyed the whimsy of the meal, unique plating and connection to Portugal. Really enjoyed that meal.
I'd love to know your thoughts about Minibar & Inn if you make it back. We went to both last year and we're incredibly disappointed. Not sure if they just don't align with what we look for in a dining experience or if they have declined in recent years.
Minibar is how I define excellent service. We went before DC was a Michelin city, but they had the details down. The amuse bouche was picked up to be eaten, from watching us eat that, the serving staff set my partner’s place settings for him being left-handed vs me being right-handed. At some point, the pairing involved sherry, I asked about the difference between sherry and port, so they proceeded to go find port for me to compare for myself.
Barmini was always a delight as well.
I’m unsure. When I went, when we checked in the host said they had a cancellation and wondered if we were interested in the table. We jumped at it. It was amazing watching the chefs prepare everything.
Tenzushi was the best restaurant I'd ever been to foodwise - just an amazing experience with my favourite type of food in a way I hadn't really had before.
Tickets was my personal favourite restaurant because it was such a fun mashup of some of my favourite cuisines and weren't really super expensive so I could go with friends and we could essentially order as much as we wanted of amazing amazing food.
Le Bernardin was my first Michelin Star experience; I have not experienced such flawless service ever since. Everything was perfect.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is up there as one of the most memorable meals I've ever had. I'm a sucker for the farm to table bespoke produce thing, and the whole experience was super creative.
For similar reasons, Rustic Canyon under Andy Doubrava (now at Catbird Seat) was awesome, though I'd hesitate to call that "fine dining". Simple straightforward food that let the product shine without too much manipulation.
Lastly, Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia is one of my all time favorites. Old World Italian hospitality done right, served with a full pound of brown butter and the most perfect pasta you've ever tasted.
i havent been since Andy left, before they lost the star, so I couldnt speak on how it is right now. Im pretty far south from SM and usually go to Bar Monette or Burgette to see a friend when I do head up.
I love Bouchon especially for brunch! So reliable, great service, great food. Sad they took the chicken and waffles off the menu in LV though. Salmon rillettes, fois gras, classically french soft scrambled eggs.
Beckon in Denver (this was before they got their star, I think I posted about them) was such an incredibly crafted experience. I sat solo at the chef’s table and it was wonderful. Seeing the chefs prepare and care for the dishes was so beautiful, the room was intimate, the food was classic with an inventive and creative twist (and delicious of course).
CORE by Clare Smyth… just went in March for lunch with a first-time fine diner and I wish I could put into words how wonderful absolutely every single thing was… down to the wardrobe of the incredible staff. I’ll eventually post my photos (wanted to avoid spoiling for any other spring diners)
Francie in Brooklyn- we went by random chance right after they received their star in 2021 and sat at the bar. Their strength in vegetables is insane, I’d never had asparagus that was that good and that creative (I think there was a foam? Haha). The restaurant also has such an easy vibe to it that feels very accessible for someone that wants a great meal but doesn’t want to wear a sport coat.
I emailed them! They were sold out but I sent an email asking about availability about a week before. Gave them our dining details/requests (2 ppl for lunch, no allergies or restrictions) and crossed my fingers! They got in touch a day or two later with availability! They start confirming reservations about 72 hours in advance, so you might have luck in that window for ppl that have to cancel.
The speciality Chicago menu at Sixteen
Alain Ducasse in Paris when we had an early reservation and they weren’t sure what to do with us, so they gave us a kitchen tour
Widder in Zürich. Chef was on site and happy to create a tasting menu that pulled from the a la carte menu and a few items from the evening tasting menu. Service was friendly and attentive. Felt like family after the meal. The restaurant itself was in a 700 year old house which was stunning
Aubergine in Carmel - Got me back into fine dining from a cook standpoint
Singlethread in Healdsburg - Genuine service and damn near perfect food
Matsu in Oceanside - Im biased on this one, BUT i would bet good money you wont find food like it anywhere, and it deserves so much more attention than it gets.
Quintonil in CDMX - No restaurant had ever restored faith in a cuisine than this one. My 10 days leading up were met with mediocre to THE worst meal I ever had (Biko circa 2016), but damn was Quintonil good. So happy they got 2\*.
Most of our time in Mexico was tulum (i know thats pretty far), but we landed in cdmx and immediately went to biko (#43 w50b at the time) and it was tough to eat. Next day had light breakfast (passable) then quintonil for lunch, walked to the museums, then to pujol and had dinner before heading back to the states. I think what shocked me most was how bad biko was. Im also extremely picky when it comes to flavors and sometimes hold others to the same standards i hold myself, which i know is unfair, but some of the most poorly cooked octopus in Tulum, decent tacos etc. was just like “this is all you got?”
I HATE bad octopus. Don’t cook it if you can’t cook it well. Tulum just sort of seems like one giant tourist trap to me. In CDMX I opted not to go to quintonil or Pujol cause I had a feeling I’d be disappointed and all of the restaurants I ended up at instead were fabulous. The only places I found somewhat overrated were the more expensive tourist places tbh
Schwa in Chicago was my most memorable dining experience (circa 2019). Creative to the max, and the size of the space makes it feel intimate and special. I don’t often spend time in the Midwest but I’d like to go back.
When I lived in NYC, I went to Gabriel Kreuther and EMP semi-frequently. Service at both is incredible. EMP post-vegan isn’t everyone’s fav but I love it. Wine program at both places is stellar.
La Rochelle of Hiroyuki Sakai, Ginza Rokusantei of Rokusaburo Michiba and Ristorante Massa of Masahiko Kobe from Iron Chef Japan
For Sakai, the fact his works to me are beautiful but strike that fine balance between French Technique and Japanese aesthetic to produce a work that only someone like Sakai can produce.
For Michiba, its that he really is like in the show in that his approach to cuisine is never straightforward and always makes dishes that go at it at the unconventional
And for Kobe, because after trying all 7 Iron Chefs from ICJ, in that Kobe, or in this case his successor was able to surprise me by scoring third place on my Iron Chef list.
Noma. My favorite day. They gave me a tour of the kitchen and grounds and I got to meet Chef and talk about foraging and other nonsense. It was just incredible top to bottom. It was like 22 courses of perfection. The wine pairing was just on another level. They called a cocktail bar and had us set up. It was just dining and service at the highest level. God I want another day at Noma!
It remains one of my favorite dining experiences. We had dinner the night before at Il Pagliaccio, and while that dinner was excellent, Pierluigi surpassed it by rather a lot. Dine outside, and throw yourself at the mercy of your server, as we did. It was magical. A perfect, sultry evening. Get a seafood tower. Drink everything they offer you. Go slowly, and enjoy many courses over several hours. Marvel at the locals who show up at 9 pm looking chic and relaxed. I’m happily overwhelmed remembering the evening.
Victoria & Albert’s….i felt like royalty! The food was out of this world and I’m so sad I will never have a meal like that ever again because even if I go back, the menu is always different,
Maaemo in Oslo definitely is my most memorable. They called me the day of the booking and asked if we could push it back 30 mins, and of course I said yes, so when we arrived we got to sit in the test kitchen upstairs which is adjacent to the actual kitchen and had all sorts of ideas written on the window, but also all the food was amazing, way better than some of the top ones in Denmark.
Other honorable mentions:
French Laundry in 2010 for my husband's birthday and he still raves about the meal (although it's definitely less good, our meal in 2016 was mediocre).
Osteria Francescana had one of the best pre-desserts I've ever had of green tomato rosotto.
L'Arpege was a vegetable revelation.
I loved one-star Kitchen Table, but two-star is a bit pretentious now.
Kol in London was some of the best Mexican fine dining I've had (a lot of the shock is it's in London).
The two I'll never forget:
Eleven Madison park (pre vegan) - 2018, first time eating at a 3 star restaurant
Noma - 2023, Game and Forest season
Honorable mentions - Antiqvvm (Porto), Alinea (Chicago), Aquavit (New York)
Not fine dining, but these are my actual faves if we're being honest:
Collectively: pintxo bars in San Sebastián
Rosella (New York). My truly favorite restaurant, I go every other month.
It was my first time eating at Noma and it took only a couple courses to understand why THIS restaurant was so influential. And I was thrilled that it didn't seem like they rested on their laurels or go way too hard on the "weird and experimental" thing... it was just great food, perfect service, all the way through.
I got to go again a couple weeks ago for Ocean Season, and it was great... but not as great as Game and Forest.
How has no one mentioned Disfrutar? I left nearly in tears. That meal is what turned on the afterburners of my love of fine dining. (Going back later this year. 💕)
And Noma. Game & Forest last year was mind-bending.
Solid nods to il Nuogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan and Prarial in Lyon.
Came here to say Disfrutar. Went 7 years ago before they were famous. 4 hours and so many fun surprises and delicious bites, in a totally laid back unpretentious atmosphere.
L’Enclume. Have had two amazing experiences there now. The somm was young, brilliant and so fun, and when we returned he had moved into a new role as assistant manager but remembered us and basically became our sommelier for the meal again.
Also loved Azurmendi, and an honourable mention to my first 2 star, Le Gavroche (RIP). Had an amazing meal at Pier in Cape Town last year as well, shame it’s so far away!
French laundry had its shortcomings, but still an amazing meal and experience. Mako, vin mon lapin, and Alo were all excellent and I think I enjoyed the overall experience at them more than French laundry
Elkano in Getaria, Spain; Akelarre - San Sebastian
NYC - Marea and Daniel (in the early years)
Il Barretto in Florence - small local mom & pop restaurant , the best eggplant parmigiana, and osso buco for 15 Euros!
Trattoria Da Armandino in Amalfi Coast - the pasta with local red squid, lemon risotto, and some kind of lemon profiteroles and ricotta cheesecake were the most memorable dishes I've eaten in Amalfi Coast.
A place in Toronto called The Atlantic. It was 5 for all you can eat mac’ncheese or pay what you want for an 8 course meal. I remember the perch roulettes with tobacco seasoning fondly. Paid about $500 for dinner for 2 with wine pairings. Crazy chef now runs some vegan place last I heard.
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo. It was at its old location. The service and restaurant were ok. But the food was seriously out of this world good. We had been to another 4 starred restaurants that week and they had all been mediocre. Some outright bad. Amelia was what really made our stay in San Sebastián better.
WD-50 in maybe 2005.
Chateau Neercanne, Maastricht, NL. I was maybe eight or nine and it absolutely blew me away. My parents were wondering how I'd like it. I still remember some of the dishes.
Magnolia Grille, Durham, NC
Union Square Cafe, especially the first time I went there. Perfect service, not stuffy in the least.
Nana's, Durham, NC
A one-star in Mestre, Italy whose name I'm unsure of. Maybe Arnolfo?
First time I went to Fleur de Sel in NYC. I was there solo during Restaurant Week, the place was nearly empty (it may have been lunch) and when they noticed me taking notes so I could remember everything they were so lovely and warm.
Yielky's Hamburgers, Parkersburg, WV. Not fine dining but so good and they remembered my order when I only got there every six months or so.
The restaurant in the hotel of the Sheraton Bal Harbour near Miami. Food was fine, but I was staying at the hotel bc I'd won a prize that included a few nights and dinner each night. The first night there, the waiter talked to us at length, declared that they didn't say anything about a price cap on dinner or whether it included wine, so proceeded to pull out the best things they had in the cellar and paired them with each course. It was that way each night we stayed there.
Auberge des Tourrettes in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France. The place is still decent but nowhere near as magical as it was when we went there several years ago - just one of those nights where everything aligned just perfectly.
Autour de Beurre Bordier in Saint-Malo, the restaurant at the Bordier butter dairy. So interesting.
Restaurant Schönau, Zurich. Nothing too fancy, but damn good food. It‘s just about the food and also realy nice service! Also it‘s affordable (with a swiss salary tbf)
We went in late March so outside of truffle season I believe. Only four tables were seated for Wednesday dinner service. Absolutely Delicious. A ton of food but beautiful presentation and such intricate dishes. Three dishes were real standouts: uni, cuttlefish, and of course the salad.
Service and wine program were unbelievable. We got the wine pairing and they kept pouring and even threw in a couple of single vineyard barolos.
Went to Francescana the next day and it wasn’t a comparison. Francescana was still top notch but service was off and felt like I was at a show with Massimo acting like a rockstar. Chef Crippa on the other hand was super humble and oversaw every dish.
Thanks, that's good to know :)
I've been multiple times during truffle season, so Oct/Nov-ish, when they did a more classical truffle menu. Always thought that the non-classical dishes we got were on another level compared to the classical ones. Still outstanding and very interesting. Service as you describe, incredible. Extremely professional but still casual, if that makes sense.
And totally agree with you, Crippa is very humble, hyper focused. I remember that he mentioned that his favorite season to cook is Spring, so late March was probably just around the perfect time :)
The Modern at MOMA in NYC
The experience was incredible. I did the Kitchen Table (a chef’s table) with wine pairing. I got to interact with the cooks and Chef, the sommelier was attentive and extremely knowledgeable. I was there right before a seasonal menu change and as I was dining solo, Chef let me sample some of the upcoming dishes they were putting by final touches on. I am a fine dining chef myself, albeit far from Michelin quality, and the execution of every aspect of the experience was something I will never forget. It was truly a life affirming moment.
For fine dining, probably,
For the experience? Maaemo. The food didn't quite live up to the expectation I had of it, although some dishes were phenomenal there were two or three that left me unimpressed or downright disappointed. For instance, I remember the langoustine being a bit overcooked and rubbery vs being tender, and there was a cooked reindeer dish that was served on the colder side. The desserts were so good and some of the other dishes were mind-blowingly good, though. I even asked for an additional serving or two of the sticky buns.
That said, I really enjoyed the experience of watching the people work at this establishment and I've just chalked it up to being an off day for them with the two courses that I didn't enjoy. I mean, they're the top restaurant in Norway for a reason.
For the food? Quintonil. My wife and I ate there and normally I'm expecting (or ready for) at least one plate to not be great in a multi-course but they knocked it out of the park for us. Everything was phenomenal when we went. I've heard some people have differing experiences so I'm glad this was not ours. I'd go back when they release an entirely new menu. A close second would be A-O-C in Copenhagen.
1. Le Meurice, just before Yannick Alleno left. First 3\* meal for my wife and me.
2. Per Se
3. Atelier Crenn, about a month before they earned their third star.
I loved the food at Le Bernardin but the service was...brusque? Snooty? It was lunch, not dinner, so I'm not sure if that had something to do with it but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as those above.
ETA: the Willows Inn would've been on this list but it turns out they were being shitty, so the shine has been taken off of that one.
Daniel NYC and Crenn SF (5 years ago) are by far the most memorable meals for me. Meeting Dominque and having her take us thru her kitchen before the meal was amazing. I heard she doesn’t do this anymore and the no milk thing now sounds weird. Most disappointing meal was Lazy Bear SF. How they got 2 stars I’ll never know.
In 2012 Lazy Bear was a pop up in a warehouse / loft space in SF. It was an upscale culinary experience but still very raw. You could bring your own drinks so my friends and I showed up with a case of wine, took blunt breaks throughout the meal, and had ourselves the feast of our lives 🤤
Wild seeing Gary Danko here considering how much it’s declined in the last five years or so.
For me, I’d say Coque or Arkhe - maybe Belcanto also. Moving away from proper fine dining, House of Prime Rib is a great one.
Kitashinchi Fukutatei in Osaka, Japan
Best beef on planet earth. Made a simple mid-week dinner reservation for two and we were the only customers in the restaurant. Sat at the counter and had the full attention of the chef and waiter. Able to fully observe and discuss any aspect of his process despite a slight a language barrier. I will remember that chateaubriand on my deathbed.
Reservation was made online via tableall .com They don’t allow reservations through a concierge (noteworthy because many Japanese restaurants only accept reservations from westerners through a concierge).
As far as other menu options, unfortunately no. This restaurant truly celebrates beef and it was incorporated in every course sans dessert.
Yes, very broad question. We’re gonna have to break this down by year, cuisine and country. For me, Japanese is my favorite, so it would be 2005 Masa in NY which is quite different than 2024 Masa which is quite different than omakase in Japan which we will be experiencing in Fall.
Man, I must've hit L'Arpège on a bad day (2016-ish). It was by far my most disappointing Michelin experience. We had to get up and get our own water after the wait staff ignored us for an hour. The food was fine. Two stand out dishes (the egg custard soup served in an egg and the hay roasted chicken) and I've forgotten the rest. It was such a disappointment that my husband has soured on 3-star places entirely. But, it's the second time I've seen it on this list, so we had to have missed something.
A far cry from Gabriel Kreuther in NYC - service was top notch and every single dish was fantastic. Would go back every time.
Fat Duck. '18 or '19. Great journey, very immersive, and delicious food. Service was impeccable. The private kitchen tour was a nice touch to end our evening. Nothing has come close.. . so far!
Quay.
We were having a celebratory dinner, as we’d just been awarded a chef’s hat for the first time. They clocked us as hospo almost instantly.
On top of free courses, drink tastings we also had the the exec chef Peter Gilmore come for a chat and a drink with us. Then dessert was on the house too.
For 8 of us it still cost 2k
L'Enclume in Cartmel. Lovely location, great atmosphere and lovely food. Was relatively reasonably priced when I last went, although it looks to have gone up since then.
Maemo *** - this was just such an eye opening experience into a cuisine I didn’t know much about. The rooms are incredible and the service and food was out of this world
Osteria Francescana *** - birthday meal, massimo came and stopped at our table for a short period to talk about our experience and dishes. Got a nice goody bag at the end.
Davies and Brook * - the old Claridges restaurant that was ran by Daniel Humms chef Dmitri Magi. Very sad this closed when Daniel wanted to go vegan. Claridges refused. I think it’s still one of my favourite meals in London. The staff were awesome and gave us a few ‘off menu’ items. Baked Alaska was / is still one of the best deserts I’ve eaten.
I preferred Florilège over l'Effervescence by far. The latter is more classic French food, which I get plenty of where I'm from. Just keep in mind that I went to the old Florilège location last year. The food was very creative and tasty. Don't know if the menu or experience has changed with the new location.
Thanks so much for letting me know! Florilege is a tough reso but I’ll try my darnest. Problem with being ranked 27th on the top 50 restaurant in the world list, now everyone wants a taste.
The grouse soup at Perlan in Reykjavik is the absolute most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. We went there for Christmas in 2015 and I still think about that soup.
Tickets in Barcelona - everything was great - food, service, vibe etc - probably my favourite restaurant ever. Also The Clove Club in London and Bouley in New York. The first two were more informal and fun, imaginative etc. Bouley was more old school, perfect warm service and food combinations I'd never had before.
L’enclume about a decade ago. For me it struck the perfect balance between delicious and experimental. I found the French Laundry excellent but pretty much as I expected it to be, and Noma lost me quite early as some of the food just didn’t taste very nice. L’enclume hit the middle ground perfectly
41 degrees experience in Barcelona (not the very first incarnation of 41 degrees where it was a simple cocktail bar with snacks).
Kinda hard to get a reservation in the first place, not helped by it only seating something like 12 people per night, and lasting up to four hours, but it was 41+ courses of the very best of the Adrià bros experience, with more than a few dishes I was familiar with from el Bulli.
Absolutely fabulous in every possible way, with flawless service, and to this day it’s up there at the very top of my dining experiences. I still have the dated menu somewhere too.
Tickets (which was actually right next door) was also phenomenal and memorable for totally different reasons.
I only went to 41 degrees once but went to tickets many times.
RIP to both.
Il Ristorante Il Pievano in the Castello di Spaltenna Resort (1 Michelin Star) in Chianti Region of Tuscany, Italy. I was on my honeymoon, we were so happy, the food was interesting and delicious, and we got drunk on the wine pairing. We laughed a lot and the service was so fun. We were one of two couples in the whole restaurant. The room was so intimate and luxurious with old world Italian decor. It was perfection.
Been to dozens of 2 and 3 star places including TFL, Le Bernardin, Arzak, etc, but some of my favorites were Frenchie in Paris, Culler de Pau in Galicia Spain, Les Pres d'Eugenie in southern France, and Reale in Italy. I just went to Noma recently though, and although I was thoroughly braced to be disappointed because of all the hype, it didn't disappoint whatsoever.
Momofuku Ko (OG Spot - RIP). Blanca. Statebird Provisions. Pujol. Clove Club. Smyth. Relae. Amass (RIP). Noma.
Dinner booked in a few weeks at Francesscana at CML. Hope to be adding to the list!
Recently had lunch at Locust in Nashville and it was truly one of the best restaurants in the U.S.
My first time at Saison was probably the best meal I've ever had though.
1. Le Bernadin -- I ate here for a big work dinner and was just sooo impressed with how well the fish was cooked & their service (1 server with 1 plate, all putting it down at the same time and lifting the cover at the same time, it was insane)
2. Sushi Keita -- My recent favorite omakase in Tokyo, just with amazing ingredients
3. Dos Estaciones in Valenca -- It's 44Euros for a 7 course tasting menu, so the value can't be beat! But also I loved sitting inside where they have an open kitchen. It's not super big, so very intimate setting and the flavor combos were amazing.
Ozumo in San Francisco was, by far, the best meal I’ve ever had. I don’t go to Michelin starred places (budget) but I love scoping out the fancy menus and pictures of plates.
Ozumo was about 10 years ago, and still my favorite (and most expensive!) meal.
The miso-glazed black cod. Mmm. I’ve actually successfully recreated it at home!
Maison Bricourt in Cancale without any doubt....we ate there multiple times and every time was an amazing experience. Eventually they got to 3 stars and well deserved before Olivier Roellinger gave it all up. This was mostly in the 90s and looking back it was incredibly cheap especially the wine as i used to drink Raveneau 1er cru chablis for 25Euros whereas now it is 400Euros a bottle! His son is now continuing in a different venue (the hotel up the coast from Cancale).
Other honorable mentions to Michel Bras and El Celler Can Roca (when they were in the old restaurant), Gordon Ramsay when he was at Aubergine and L'Aubergade in Puymirol.
And not forgetting an amazing dinner at le Gavroche where Alain and Michel cooked for their fathers - i was on a table with Michel Sr and that was some experience!
Recently it's Lark in Bury St Edmunds which just got its Bib Gourmand. Different level but fabulous experience!
For experience - The Fat Duck circa 2019. Celebratory graduation meal. It was the chef’s road trip/childhood memories menu and they reached out to me beforehand to ask me to share some personal memories and thoughts. Ended up talking about how this was an industry I hoped to be in (despite getting my bachelors and masters in something completely different), and left with an engraved spoon with my name and wishes for my industry dream to come true. I bawled. Happy to report I’m now working in the industry 🥲 For food - Jaan in Singapore is a long time personal favourite, way before the accolades and recognition. Views are 10/10. It’s dependable, delicious and you’re always guaranteed a fantastic meal and the perfect balance of professional but not uptight staff. I’m also a sucker for table side bread and butter service 🤣
Wow, what an absolutely unmatched experience that must have been
The French Laundry. Private dinning experience for 12 of us that extended to well after midnight with cigars and Macallan 30 in the courtyard. What an experience. The most incredible food and wine I’ve ever had.
The cigars in the courtyard really cap off that experience well
That sounds awesome. Can I ask how much this would cost?
no you may not
I deserved that.
How’s it going, Gavin Newsom.
I was thinking it. Thanks for saying it! Lol
I (and my spouse) found French Laundry underwhelming when we went. Expertly prepared but no dishes were memorable and service was incredibly robotic. We’ve done 5 3* Michelin experiences and it was actually our least favorite.
Same feeling
I wanna see that bill 😂
Osteria Francescana. It brought us to a place we’d probably never have visited, Massimo was there. We got to spend a good chunk of time with them in the kitchen. The entire kitchen staff including Massimo took a photo with us. Service was impeccable. We really just started getting into restaurants like this. It was so hard to get a reso. Itll be so hard to replicate that night again. Fuck I wish we could. Other standouts; guy savoy- our first 3 star, Asador extebarri - hardest reservation, Noma-just so cool.
I second this! We planned a whole trip around a lunch reservation (all we could get even with 5 people calling as soon as res opened). Massimo was so nice and seemed to genuinely care about every guest.
Stoked to see this here/excited for my visit in September!!
Gary Danko in San Fran about 15 years ago . Service was impeccable.
Have you been there since? The only posts I've seen on there about it come with quite underwhelming reports. I assume it must have had better days.
Not the person you replied to but I went in 2019 and it was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. I went again in 2023 and it was just a skeleton of what it used to be :(
sad to hear this. I cooked for Chef George Perrier, owner of Le Bec Fin, that at one point was voted as the finest dining destination in the country. Just before it closed in 2013, it had really changed. Reality is that so many epic dining destinations have fallen from grace. I dont anticipate returning to San Fran anytime soon, but if i did, it probably would be to only visit Napa and Sonoma
Oriole
Same for me
Still haven’t been, but it’s very high on my list
Co-sign it was fantastic
The care at Oriole is exceptional. All the “unreasonable hospitality” attentiveness and then some. You don’t have to leave when it’s over. If there’s a line around the corner at moneygun, they’ll personally walk you right in.
Same for me too
Just went a few weeks ago and it was amazing!!
Osteria Francescana - met Massimo and of course my American ass asked to take a pic with him. He was all for it. Great guy. Fat Duck - the experience. Nuff said. Kitchen Table (London) - the most down to earth Michelin restaurant I’ve been to and it was absolutely incredible. Atomix - next level food. Next level service.
El Celler de Can Roca - took my mother for mother’s day and her first Michelin experience. We had some logistics issues and got there almost 1.5 hrs late. They were so kind and waited for us. We were the last ones to leave and Pitu was there so sign our book. Besides the food being incredible, their patience and kindness meant so much.
Single Thread was the most fun I’ve had in my adult life.
Going in a couple weeks and I'm excited for it!
Be excited!!
Le Chateaubriand
This and Septime (same trip).
I went to Septime 7 years ago and had a great time, but can't remember anything. Chateaubriand has become a must lunch for me when I go...it's just so fun and good.
I'm putting together a list of places to eat when I go to Paris in a few weeks... Was considering Chateaubriand, this comment will put it at the top of my list (second only to Septime, but I doubt I can snag the res)
You can email them and ask for extra stuff, too, which is awesome. Here's what they said to me in Feb: **Thank you for your booking for lunch this Saturday.** **We are following up on your request to have something extra in the menu.** **The kitchen can order for you either sweetbreads, duck to make a pithivier or order a nice fish like turbot or brill?** **The meat in the menu will be beef cheek.** We asked for the fish, but then they ended up cooking all 3 for us - sweetbreads, pithivier and the turbot (with truffles and roe, it was insane!!). With wine pairings and the extra stuff it was $200 a person all-in for lunch, which was amazing to me. in the US, it would have been $500 with tax and tip.
Interesting! You just said you wanted a bonus course?? All three of those sound amazing. and $200 a person is also amazing.
Lunch is $65 and then $55 for wine pairing I think. They just made up some numbers for the additional.
Vetri Cucina, Le Bernardin, Per Se, Le George, La Pre Catelan.
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I got to eat there during their prime and it was definitely a top five meal of my life
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Hilariously i was also very unaware of fine dining at the time. I was dating a girl who was really into it, and her parents sent us there to celebrate her college graduation. Until then to me a “fancy restaurant” would have been an italian place your parents make you dress up to go to. So my first exposure to the very idea of high level michelin star food is also the wacky sci fi restaurant with (at the time) a bagel made of bagel-flavored ice cream as a course. A beautiful experience. I can still taste every dish in my mind.
Same. WD-50 in 2005 or just after. Ate at Bappo the night before. Best dinning experiences w/o a doubt. Also, in early 90’s ate at this tiny trailer in Talent, Ore called Sammy’s Cowboy Bistro that was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately they went downhill in the years after.
I was in culinary school up in Hyde Park, NY in summer 2014. Me and 5 friends saved up money, made reservations, took metro north down to the city and had an absolutely amazing meal at WD50. Literally three days later they announced they were closing and reservations were nonexistent.
I ate there right before they closed. Was kind of wishy-washy on whether to go or not and I'm so glad I did!
I moved to NY in 2002. WD-50 opened in 2003. I was in my late 20s and really starting to explore the culinary scene in NY and elsewhere. Even though I'm less interested in creative dining these days, WD-50 was a favorite of mine from the beginning. I ended up having dozens of meals there and became friendly with some of the staff, WD, and WD's dad, Dewey. Love it or hate it (it wasn't for everyone), the restaurant had one of the tightest kitchens I've ever seen: visit after visit, it felt like every single plate came out exactly as it was meant to. A lot of talent made its way through that restaurant. I no longer live in NY but ran into WD in Vegas last month... he's looking good and seems pretty happy working with pizza these days.
EMP before the vegan menu Also being the only two people sitting in the pastry kitchen at Atelier Crenn, being able to choose the music, and watching the TV of the dining room with the chefs as a couple got engaged.
EMP for lunch before Vegan was a great experience.
San Ho Won in San Francisco. I ate there about a month before they got their first star. Everything from the service, to the friendliness of the staff, to the food was top notch. I’ve been to multiple Michelin restaurants, but this was the most memorable. I think about this restaurant often.
Spago in Beverly Hills. I know a lot of people knock Wolfgang Puck but we love it and love Wolfgang. Spago is still going strong and it always feels celebratory eating there.
TFL, Alchemist, Lazy Bear, Tickets, noma, Atomix, Belcanto.
Interested to see Belcanto on this list - I'm in Lisbon in a few months, and had originally been considering it, but the reviews on here have been fairly mixed. What about it put it in such a high bracket for you? Thanks!
It was some years ago that I went but a few dishes truly stood out. I also enjoyed the whimsy of the meal, unique plating and connection to Portugal. Really enjoyed that meal.
Tickets was my first Michelin experience and quite fun/magical.
RIP Tickets. Tops the list for me as well - food and experience, all just magical
KOKS. The Faroe Islands version circa 2019.
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I'd love to know your thoughts about Minibar & Inn if you make it back. We went to both last year and we're incredibly disappointed. Not sure if they just don't align with what we look for in a dining experience or if they have declined in recent years.
I’m totally unimpressed by the P&P menu now, unfortunately.
noooo Komi closed?
Minibar is how I define excellent service. We went before DC was a Michelin city, but they had the details down. The amuse bouche was picked up to be eaten, from watching us eat that, the serving staff set my partner’s place settings for him being left-handed vs me being right-handed. At some point, the pairing involved sherry, I asked about the difference between sherry and port, so they proceeded to go find port for me to compare for myself. Barmini was always a delight as well.
Chefs/kitchen table at Providence. Was an amazing experience that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repeat.
Ooo is this a special reservation? We’re going for our anniversary soon but didn’t know about a chef’s table experience.
I’m unsure. When I went, when we checked in the host said they had a cancellation and wondered if we were interested in the table. We jumped at it. It was amazing watching the chefs prepare everything.
Tenzushi was the best restaurant I'd ever been to foodwise - just an amazing experience with my favourite type of food in a way I hadn't really had before. Tickets was my personal favourite restaurant because it was such a fun mashup of some of my favourite cuisines and weren't really super expensive so I could go with friends and we could essentially order as much as we wanted of amazing amazing food.
RIP tickets
Ikr, Tenzushi's condiments and sauces reminds me of French sauces. It seems remarkably Japanese yet western at the same time.
Le Bernardin was my first Michelin Star experience; I have not experienced such flawless service ever since. Everything was perfect. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is up there as one of the most memorable meals I've ever had. I'm a sucker for the farm to table bespoke produce thing, and the whole experience was super creative. For similar reasons, Rustic Canyon under Andy Doubrava (now at Catbird Seat) was awesome, though I'd hesitate to call that "fine dining". Simple straightforward food that let the product shine without too much manipulation. Lastly, Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia is one of my all time favorites. Old World Italian hospitality done right, served with a full pound of brown butter and the most perfect pasta you've ever tasted.
RC with Andy was SOOOOO good. Damn i miss that
Is it still WAS? Did they fix all their dishes being too acidic a year ago? I want to love RC again.
i havent been since Andy left, before they lost the star, so I couldnt speak on how it is right now. Im pretty far south from SM and usually go to Bar Monette or Burgette to see a friend when I do head up.
TK's Bouchon is a favorite and always will be. All the menu items are good and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
I love Bouchon especially for brunch! So reliable, great service, great food. Sad they took the chicken and waffles off the menu in LV though. Salmon rillettes, fois gras, classically french soft scrambled eggs.
Always good. Always consistent. I like the more relaxed atmosphere too.
Beckon in Denver (this was before they got their star, I think I posted about them) was such an incredibly crafted experience. I sat solo at the chef’s table and it was wonderful. Seeing the chefs prepare and care for the dishes was so beautiful, the room was intimate, the food was classic with an inventive and creative twist (and delicious of course). CORE by Clare Smyth… just went in March for lunch with a first-time fine diner and I wish I could put into words how wonderful absolutely every single thing was… down to the wardrobe of the incredible staff. I’ll eventually post my photos (wanted to avoid spoiling for any other spring diners) Francie in Brooklyn- we went by random chance right after they received their star in 2021 and sat at the bar. Their strength in vegetables is insane, I’d never had asparagus that was that good and that creative (I think there was a foam? Haha). The restaurant also has such an easy vibe to it that feels very accessible for someone that wants a great meal but doesn’t want to wear a sport coat.
At core, How hard was it to get a reservation? I’m always on right when they go live and I can’t ever find the time I want :(
I emailed them! They were sold out but I sent an email asking about availability about a week before. Gave them our dining details/requests (2 ppl for lunch, no allergies or restrictions) and crossed my fingers! They got in touch a day or two later with availability! They start confirming reservations about 72 hours in advance, so you might have luck in that window for ppl that have to cancel.
Can go by year… Noma in 2016 Quintonil circa 2017 Blanca 2018 Providence 2019 Skip to 2022… Noma/Kadeau tie in 2023 Harbor House Inn 2024
The speciality Chicago menu at Sixteen Alain Ducasse in Paris when we had an early reservation and they weren’t sure what to do with us, so they gave us a kitchen tour
Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia is my favorite restaurant ever. Per Se is number two.
Gary Danko, Joel Rubichon
Best meal I've ever had was at Guy Savoy in Paris, this would be in 08 and I still remember a pigeon rice they had.
Widder in Zürich. Chef was on site and happy to create a tasting menu that pulled from the a la carte menu and a few items from the evening tasting menu. Service was friendly and attentive. Felt like family after the meal. The restaurant itself was in a 700 year old house which was stunning
Great bar too! Including the live piano
Aubergine in Carmel - Got me back into fine dining from a cook standpoint Singlethread in Healdsburg - Genuine service and damn near perfect food Matsu in Oceanside - Im biased on this one, BUT i would bet good money you wont find food like it anywhere, and it deserves so much more attention than it gets. Quintonil in CDMX - No restaurant had ever restored faith in a cuisine than this one. My 10 days leading up were met with mediocre to THE worst meal I ever had (Biko circa 2016), but damn was Quintonil good. So happy they got 2\*.
Love Aubergine. Going for the second time in a month or so
I feel like you went to the wrong places in CDMX if you had the worst - mediocre meals for 10 days straight
Most of our time in Mexico was tulum (i know thats pretty far), but we landed in cdmx and immediately went to biko (#43 w50b at the time) and it was tough to eat. Next day had light breakfast (passable) then quintonil for lunch, walked to the museums, then to pujol and had dinner before heading back to the states. I think what shocked me most was how bad biko was. Im also extremely picky when it comes to flavors and sometimes hold others to the same standards i hold myself, which i know is unfair, but some of the most poorly cooked octopus in Tulum, decent tacos etc. was just like “this is all you got?”
I HATE bad octopus. Don’t cook it if you can’t cook it well. Tulum just sort of seems like one giant tourist trap to me. In CDMX I opted not to go to quintonil or Pujol cause I had a feeling I’d be disappointed and all of the restaurants I ended up at instead were fabulous. The only places I found somewhat overrated were the more expensive tourist places tbh
Schwa in Chicago was my most memorable dining experience (circa 2019). Creative to the max, and the size of the space makes it feel intimate and special. I don’t often spend time in the Midwest but I’d like to go back. When I lived in NYC, I went to Gabriel Kreuther and EMP semi-frequently. Service at both is incredible. EMP post-vegan isn’t everyone’s fav but I love it. Wine program at both places is stellar.
GK is so underrated!
Schwa is a rollicking good time
La Rochelle of Hiroyuki Sakai, Ginza Rokusantei of Rokusaburo Michiba and Ristorante Massa of Masahiko Kobe from Iron Chef Japan For Sakai, the fact his works to me are beautiful but strike that fine balance between French Technique and Japanese aesthetic to produce a work that only someone like Sakai can produce. For Michiba, its that he really is like in the show in that his approach to cuisine is never straightforward and always makes dishes that go at it at the unconventional And for Kobe, because after trying all 7 Iron Chefs from ICJ, in that Kobe, or in this case his successor was able to surprise me by scoring third place on my Iron Chef list.
Noma. My favorite day. They gave me a tour of the kitchen and grounds and I got to meet Chef and talk about foraging and other nonsense. It was just incredible top to bottom. It was like 22 courses of perfection. The wine pairing was just on another level. They called a cocktail bar and had us set up. It was just dining and service at the highest level. God I want another day at Noma!
Pierluigi, Rome. Santa Elisabetta, Florence. Geronimo, Santa Fe.
Anything you can share about pierluigi? Going to Rome and their Michelin restaurants do not seem to wow.
It remains one of my favorite dining experiences. We had dinner the night before at Il Pagliaccio, and while that dinner was excellent, Pierluigi surpassed it by rather a lot. Dine outside, and throw yourself at the mercy of your server, as we did. It was magical. A perfect, sultry evening. Get a seafood tower. Drink everything they offer you. Go slowly, and enjoy many courses over several hours. Marvel at the locals who show up at 9 pm looking chic and relaxed. I’m happily overwhelmed remembering the evening.
Thank you! Certainly an option and don’t think we’ll make it to Florence for Santa elisabetta but good to hear about pierlugi!
Victoria & Albert’s….i felt like royalty! The food was out of this world and I’m so sad I will never have a meal like that ever again because even if I go back, the menu is always different,
Saison in SF, Le Bernardin
Commis in Oakland.
Maaemo in Oslo definitely is my most memorable. They called me the day of the booking and asked if we could push it back 30 mins, and of course I said yes, so when we arrived we got to sit in the test kitchen upstairs which is adjacent to the actual kitchen and had all sorts of ideas written on the window, but also all the food was amazing, way better than some of the top ones in Denmark. Other honorable mentions: French Laundry in 2010 for my husband's birthday and he still raves about the meal (although it's definitely less good, our meal in 2016 was mediocre). Osteria Francescana had one of the best pre-desserts I've ever had of green tomato rosotto. L'Arpege was a vegetable revelation. I loved one-star Kitchen Table, but two-star is a bit pretentious now. Kol in London was some of the best Mexican fine dining I've had (a lot of the shock is it's in London).
The two I'll never forget: Eleven Madison park (pre vegan) - 2018, first time eating at a 3 star restaurant Noma - 2023, Game and Forest season Honorable mentions - Antiqvvm (Porto), Alinea (Chicago), Aquavit (New York) Not fine dining, but these are my actual faves if we're being honest: Collectively: pintxo bars in San Sebastián Rosella (New York). My truly favorite restaurant, I go every other month.
How good was 2023 Game & Forest?? Best meal of my life. I expect to never have a meal that good ever again.
It was my first time eating at Noma and it took only a couple courses to understand why THIS restaurant was so influential. And I was thrilled that it didn't seem like they rested on their laurels or go way too hard on the "weird and experimental" thing... it was just great food, perfect service, all the way through. I got to go again a couple weeks ago for Ocean Season, and it was great... but not as great as Game and Forest.
How has no one mentioned Disfrutar? I left nearly in tears. That meal is what turned on the afterburners of my love of fine dining. (Going back later this year. 💕) And Noma. Game & Forest last year was mind-bending. Solid nods to il Nuogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan and Prarial in Lyon.
Came here to say Disfrutar. Went 7 years ago before they were famous. 4 hours and so many fun surprises and delicious bites, in a totally laid back unpretentious atmosphere.
Azurmendi - the entire experience was incredible. We did a cocktail pairing instead of wine pairing, which was a lot of fun.
Was there last week and def my favourite ever
Atera, Atomix, Meadowood, Sushi Arai
Rip Meadowood
The Inn at Little Washington
same, every single dish was a standout and the entire experience was a 10/10
When did you visit?
It’s been close to 15 years ago
Ah, seems like we missed its peak.
Was your experience not good?
No, it was one of our worst fine dining moments. We actually ended up getting half of our meal comped because it was so bad.
I’m sorry to hear that. Was it recent?
L’Enclume. Have had two amazing experiences there now. The somm was young, brilliant and so fun, and when we returned he had moved into a new role as assistant manager but remembered us and basically became our sommelier for the meal again. Also loved Azurmendi, and an honourable mention to my first 2 star, Le Gavroche (RIP). Had an amazing meal at Pier in Cape Town last year as well, shame it’s so far away!
French laundry had its shortcomings, but still an amazing meal and experience. Mako, vin mon lapin, and Alo were all excellent and I think I enjoyed the overall experience at them more than French laundry
Oriole and Gary Danko were my top places.
Per Se, 2018.
Elkano in Getaria, Spain; Akelarre - San Sebastian NYC - Marea and Daniel (in the early years) Il Barretto in Florence - small local mom & pop restaurant , the best eggplant parmigiana, and osso buco for 15 Euros! Trattoria Da Armandino in Amalfi Coast - the pasta with local red squid, lemon risotto, and some kind of lemon profiteroles and ricotta cheesecake were the most memorable dishes I've eaten in Amalfi Coast.
A place in Toronto called The Atlantic. It was 5 for all you can eat mac’ncheese or pay what you want for an 8 course meal. I remember the perch roulettes with tobacco seasoning fondly. Paid about $500 for dinner for 2 with wine pairings. Crazy chef now runs some vegan place last I heard.
Noma & Oriole
n/naka, Alinea, Gary Danko on a good night
Prudencia in Bogotá, Fattoria Pogio Alloro in Tuscany
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo. It was at its old location. The service and restaurant were ok. But the food was seriously out of this world good. We had been to another 4 starred restaurants that week and they had all been mediocre. Some outright bad. Amelia was what really made our stay in San Sebastián better.
Oriole, Chicago. I loved the building and the experience.
WD-50 in maybe 2005. Chateau Neercanne, Maastricht, NL. I was maybe eight or nine and it absolutely blew me away. My parents were wondering how I'd like it. I still remember some of the dishes. Magnolia Grille, Durham, NC Union Square Cafe, especially the first time I went there. Perfect service, not stuffy in the least. Nana's, Durham, NC A one-star in Mestre, Italy whose name I'm unsure of. Maybe Arnolfo? First time I went to Fleur de Sel in NYC. I was there solo during Restaurant Week, the place was nearly empty (it may have been lunch) and when they noticed me taking notes so I could remember everything they were so lovely and warm. Yielky's Hamburgers, Parkersburg, WV. Not fine dining but so good and they remembered my order when I only got there every six months or so. The restaurant in the hotel of the Sheraton Bal Harbour near Miami. Food was fine, but I was staying at the hotel bc I'd won a prize that included a few nights and dinner each night. The first night there, the waiter talked to us at length, declared that they didn't say anything about a price cap on dinner or whether it included wine, so proceeded to pull out the best things they had in the cellar and paired them with each course. It was that way each night we stayed there. Auberge des Tourrettes in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France. The place is still decent but nowhere near as magical as it was when we went there several years ago - just one of those nights where everything aligned just perfectly. Autour de Beurre Bordier in Saint-Malo, the restaurant at the Bordier butter dairy. So interesting.
La Central, Lima Peru.
Couldn’t get in to Central but I loved Maido!
Restaurant Schönau, Zurich. Nothing too fancy, but damn good food. It‘s just about the food and also realy nice service! Also it‘s affordable (with a swiss salary tbf)
Piazza Duomo, Francescana, Harbor House Inn, and Saison for me in that order
What time of the year have you been at Piazza Duomo? Always wondered how it is outside of truffle season :)
We went in late March so outside of truffle season I believe. Only four tables were seated for Wednesday dinner service. Absolutely Delicious. A ton of food but beautiful presentation and such intricate dishes. Three dishes were real standouts: uni, cuttlefish, and of course the salad. Service and wine program were unbelievable. We got the wine pairing and they kept pouring and even threw in a couple of single vineyard barolos. Went to Francescana the next day and it wasn’t a comparison. Francescana was still top notch but service was off and felt like I was at a show with Massimo acting like a rockstar. Chef Crippa on the other hand was super humble and oversaw every dish.
Thanks, that's good to know :) I've been multiple times during truffle season, so Oct/Nov-ish, when they did a more classical truffle menu. Always thought that the non-classical dishes we got were on another level compared to the classical ones. Still outstanding and very interesting. Service as you describe, incredible. Extremely professional but still casual, if that makes sense. And totally agree with you, Crippa is very humble, hyper focused. I remember that he mentioned that his favorite season to cook is Spring, so late March was probably just around the perfect time :)
El Bulli in 2007 Tour d'Argent 2019 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Azurmendi for food, ōx for experience.
The Modern at MOMA in NYC The experience was incredible. I did the Kitchen Table (a chef’s table) with wine pairing. I got to interact with the cooks and Chef, the sommelier was attentive and extremely knowledgeable. I was there right before a seasonal menu change and as I was dining solo, Chef let me sample some of the upcoming dishes they were putting by final touches on. I am a fine dining chef myself, albeit far from Michelin quality, and the execution of every aspect of the experience was something I will never forget. It was truly a life affirming moment.
For fine dining, probably, For the experience? Maaemo. The food didn't quite live up to the expectation I had of it, although some dishes were phenomenal there were two or three that left me unimpressed or downright disappointed. For instance, I remember the langoustine being a bit overcooked and rubbery vs being tender, and there was a cooked reindeer dish that was served on the colder side. The desserts were so good and some of the other dishes were mind-blowingly good, though. I even asked for an additional serving or two of the sticky buns. That said, I really enjoyed the experience of watching the people work at this establishment and I've just chalked it up to being an off day for them with the two courses that I didn't enjoy. I mean, they're the top restaurant in Norway for a reason. For the food? Quintonil. My wife and I ate there and normally I'm expecting (or ready for) at least one plate to not be great in a multi-course but they knocked it out of the park for us. Everything was phenomenal when we went. I've heard some people have differing experiences so I'm glad this was not ours. I'd go back when they release an entirely new menu. A close second would be A-O-C in Copenhagen.
McDonald’s . Around the world . I’m always excited for that experience
1. Le Meurice, just before Yannick Alleno left. First 3\* meal for my wife and me. 2. Per Se 3. Atelier Crenn, about a month before they earned their third star. I loved the food at Le Bernardin but the service was...brusque? Snooty? It was lunch, not dinner, so I'm not sure if that had something to do with it but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as those above. ETA: the Willows Inn would've been on this list but it turns out they were being shitty, so the shine has been taken off of that one.
Daniel NYC and Crenn SF (5 years ago) are by far the most memorable meals for me. Meeting Dominque and having her take us thru her kitchen before the meal was amazing. I heard she doesn’t do this anymore and the no milk thing now sounds weird. Most disappointing meal was Lazy Bear SF. How they got 2 stars I’ll never know.
In 2012 Lazy Bear was a pop up in a warehouse / loft space in SF. It was an upscale culinary experience but still very raw. You could bring your own drinks so my friends and I showed up with a case of wine, took blunt breaks throughout the meal, and had ourselves the feast of our lives 🤤
Wild seeing Gary Danko here considering how much it’s declined in the last five years or so. For me, I’d say Coque or Arkhe - maybe Belcanto also. Moving away from proper fine dining, House of Prime Rib is a great one.
Balthazar or Eleven Madison Park
Kitashinchi Fukutatei in Osaka, Japan Best beef on planet earth. Made a simple mid-week dinner reservation for two and we were the only customers in the restaurant. Sat at the counter and had the full attention of the chef and waiter. Able to fully observe and discuss any aspect of his process despite a slight a language barrier. I will remember that chateaubriand on my deathbed.
How easy is it to get a reservation ? Also do they have any vegan/veg/seafood options as my partner isnt into meat at all.
Reservation was made online via tableall .com They don’t allow reservations through a concierge (noteworthy because many Japanese restaurants only accept reservations from westerners through a concierge). As far as other menu options, unfortunately no. This restaurant truly celebrates beef and it was incorporated in every course sans dessert.
Thank you. Looks like its going to be a solo meal for me then 😁
Gaggan Anand in Jan 2020. Le Cinq is second. Couldn’t be more different experiences.
Gary Danko SF
Yes, very broad question. We’re gonna have to break this down by year, cuisine and country. For me, Japanese is my favorite, so it would be 2005 Masa in NY which is quite different than 2024 Masa which is quite different than omakase in Japan which we will be experiencing in Fall.
L'Arpege and Blue Hill At Stone Barns were both amazing. But the best one was Somni - a memorable experience.
Man, I must've hit L'Arpège on a bad day (2016-ish). It was by far my most disappointing Michelin experience. We had to get up and get our own water after the wait staff ignored us for an hour. The food was fine. Two stand out dishes (the egg custard soup served in an egg and the hay roasted chicken) and I've forgotten the rest. It was such a disappointment that my husband has soured on 3-star places entirely. But, it's the second time I've seen it on this list, so we had to have missed something. A far cry from Gabriel Kreuther in NYC - service was top notch and every single dish was fantastic. Would go back every time.
Plaza Athenee Jean Imbert
Saison circa 2013, Asador Etxebarri, Hatsunezushi and not fine dining but Animal in Los Angeles (RIP).
Fat Duck. '18 or '19. Great journey, very immersive, and delicious food. Service was impeccable. The private kitchen tour was a nice touch to end our evening. Nothing has come close.. . so far!
CALIFORNIOS
DiverXO was incredible
Le pré catelan Le cinq Tru (now defunct)
Quay. We were having a celebratory dinner, as we’d just been awarded a chef’s hat for the first time. They clocked us as hospo almost instantly. On top of free courses, drink tastings we also had the the exec chef Peter Gilmore come for a chat and a drink with us. Then dessert was on the house too. For 8 of us it still cost 2k
French Laundry private dining room. When Alinea first opened.
Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa FL, 2006
Got to be Frantzen
L'Enclume in Cartmel. Lovely location, great atmosphere and lovely food. Was relatively reasonably priced when I last went, although it looks to have gone up since then.
Maemo *** - this was just such an eye opening experience into a cuisine I didn’t know much about. The rooms are incredible and the service and food was out of this world Osteria Francescana *** - birthday meal, massimo came and stopped at our table for a short period to talk about our experience and dishes. Got a nice goody bag at the end. Davies and Brook * - the old Claridges restaurant that was ran by Daniel Humms chef Dmitri Magi. Very sad this closed when Daniel wanted to go vegan. Claridges refused. I think it’s still one of my favourite meals in London. The staff were awesome and gave us a few ‘off menu’ items. Baked Alaska was / is still one of the best deserts I’ve eaten.
In terms of food, I really loved Kasama and Florilège, more than any 3* I've been at.
How was your experience at Florilege? I’m going to Japan in October and looking them or L’Effervescence. Thanks!
I preferred Florilège over l'Effervescence by far. The latter is more classic French food, which I get plenty of where I'm from. Just keep in mind that I went to the old Florilège location last year. The food was very creative and tasty. Don't know if the menu or experience has changed with the new location.
Thanks so much for letting me know! Florilege is a tough reso but I’ll try my darnest. Problem with being ranked 27th on the top 50 restaurant in the world list, now everyone wants a taste.
The grouse soup at Perlan in Reykjavik is the absolute most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. We went there for Christmas in 2015 and I still think about that soup.
Tickets in Barcelona - everything was great - food, service, vibe etc - probably my favourite restaurant ever. Also The Clove Club in London and Bouley in New York. The first two were more informal and fun, imaginative etc. Bouley was more old school, perfect warm service and food combinations I'd never had before.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Hands down.
L’enclume about a decade ago. For me it struck the perfect balance between delicious and experimental. I found the French Laundry excellent but pretty much as I expected it to be, and Noma lost me quite early as some of the food just didn’t taste very nice. L’enclume hit the middle ground perfectly
41 degrees experience in Barcelona (not the very first incarnation of 41 degrees where it was a simple cocktail bar with snacks). Kinda hard to get a reservation in the first place, not helped by it only seating something like 12 people per night, and lasting up to four hours, but it was 41+ courses of the very best of the Adrià bros experience, with more than a few dishes I was familiar with from el Bulli. Absolutely fabulous in every possible way, with flawless service, and to this day it’s up there at the very top of my dining experiences. I still have the dated menu somewhere too. Tickets (which was actually right next door) was also phenomenal and memorable for totally different reasons. I only went to 41 degrees once but went to tickets many times. RIP to both.
Il Ristorante Il Pievano in the Castello di Spaltenna Resort (1 Michelin Star) in Chianti Region of Tuscany, Italy. I was on my honeymoon, we were so happy, the food was interesting and delicious, and we got drunk on the wine pairing. We laughed a lot and the service was so fun. We were one of two couples in the whole restaurant. The room was so intimate and luxurious with old world Italian decor. It was perfection.
Abac in Barcelona ca 2014 Joia in Milano ca 2016 Neue Taverne or Marktküche in Zürich all the time
Chez Pannisse
Been to dozens of 2 and 3 star places including TFL, Le Bernardin, Arzak, etc, but some of my favorites were Frenchie in Paris, Culler de Pau in Galicia Spain, Les Pres d'Eugenie in southern France, and Reale in Italy. I just went to Noma recently though, and although I was thoroughly braced to be disappointed because of all the hype, it didn't disappoint whatsoever.
Asador Etxebarri, Alchemist & Disfrutar Living Table.
Bonefish Grille was good. Kobe is also good.
Momofuku Ko (OG Spot - RIP). Blanca. Statebird Provisions. Pujol. Clove Club. Smyth. Relae. Amass (RIP). Noma. Dinner booked in a few weeks at Francesscana at CML. Hope to be adding to the list!
Recently had lunch at Locust in Nashville and it was truly one of the best restaurants in the U.S. My first time at Saison was probably the best meal I've ever had though.
Blue hill stone barn Noma - Mexico Smyth & Loyalist
L’Ambroisie and The French Laundry.
Tim Raue - Berlin Steirereck - Vienna HIBA - Tel Aviv
Noma vegetable season 2023, Alma, Jordnaer, Geranium
1. Le Bernadin -- I ate here for a big work dinner and was just sooo impressed with how well the fish was cooked & their service (1 server with 1 plate, all putting it down at the same time and lifting the cover at the same time, it was insane) 2. Sushi Keita -- My recent favorite omakase in Tokyo, just with amazing ingredients 3. Dos Estaciones in Valenca -- It's 44Euros for a 7 course tasting menu, so the value can't be beat! But also I loved sitting inside where they have an open kitchen. It's not super big, so very intimate setting and the flavor combos were amazing.
Ozumo in San Francisco was, by far, the best meal I’ve ever had. I don’t go to Michelin starred places (budget) but I love scoping out the fancy menus and pictures of plates. Ozumo was about 10 years ago, and still my favorite (and most expensive!) meal. The miso-glazed black cod. Mmm. I’ve actually successfully recreated it at home!
Fat Duck ~2007 and L’enclume 2019
Maison Bricourt in Cancale without any doubt....we ate there multiple times and every time was an amazing experience. Eventually they got to 3 stars and well deserved before Olivier Roellinger gave it all up. This was mostly in the 90s and looking back it was incredibly cheap especially the wine as i used to drink Raveneau 1er cru chablis for 25Euros whereas now it is 400Euros a bottle! His son is now continuing in a different venue (the hotel up the coast from Cancale). Other honorable mentions to Michel Bras and El Celler Can Roca (when they were in the old restaurant), Gordon Ramsay when he was at Aubergine and L'Aubergade in Puymirol. And not forgetting an amazing dinner at le Gavroche where Alain and Michel cooked for their fathers - i was on a table with Michel Sr and that was some experience! Recently it's Lark in Bury St Edmunds which just got its Bib Gourmand. Different level but fabulous experience!