Top 100+ European Restaurants 2015
1 Azurmendi
After debuting at number 19 - the highest new entry on our 2014 list - Eneko Atxa has accomplished what would appear to be the impossible and shot straight to the number 1 position. Fifteen kilometers east of Bilbao, Atxa's family, the leading producers of the popular local white wine Txakoli, built a 25-million-euro facility that includes not only a spectacular dining room offering views of the Basque countryside, but a complex series of gardens and greenhouses where Atxa raises as much of his own produce as he can. Though he worked in the kitchens of both Martín Berasategui and Andoni Aduriz, the subtle flavor profiles and nuanced nature of his cuisine demonstrate that the former seems to be having more of an influence on his current cuisine.
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Corredor del Txori Larrabetzu, Spain 34-944-558-866
2 Troisgros
As much of a culinary shrine as a fine-dining destination, this restaurant has been operated by the Troisgros family since 1957. Michel Troisgros practices a style of cooking known as cuisine acidulée. But regardless of whether you are pursuing one of his creations, or one of the house classic dishes that date from his father's reign as chef, or a bottle from one of the best and most fairly priced wine lists around, it is well worth making a special trip to this hotel/restaurant an hour east of Lyon.
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place de la Gare Roanne, France 04 77 67 72 72
3 L’Arpège
Ingredients of a quality so high they make your head feel like exploding are cooked with the greatest care and respect in this restaurant known for fostering the vegetable-oriented, minimalist cuisine movement. Alain Passard's kitchen is a laboratory for up-and-coming culinary talent L’Astrance’s Pascal Barbot, Faviken’s Magnus Nilsson and Mirazur’s Mauro Colagreco are but a few of the great chefs who have started their careers in Passard’s kitchen.
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84, rue de Varenne Paris, France 01 45 51 47 33
4 In de Wulf
Kobe Desramaults, one of the brightest lights in the world of cuisine, is committed to showing that the flavors and aromas of his native Flanders are as interesting as those of any other region on the continent. His restaurant, an hour south of Brussels, should not be missed by anyone who wants to follow the progress of a great young chef. The restaurant earned the number 1 position on the 2014 OAD Top 100 European list.
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1 Wulvestraat Heuvelland, Belgium 057.44.55.57
5 Quique Dacosta Restaurante
From dishes featuring culinary expressionism (the dish called Abstraction of the Sea will give you the sensation that you are walking along a beach) to modernist paellas (he creates a new one every year) and contemporary takes on traditional Spanish dishes, along with original creations like black truffle mocha - all are on offer here. Not only is everything terrific, you can spend an entire weekend at Quique Dacosta's restaurant without ordering the same type of food twice.
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urb. El Poblet - Noroeste Dénia, Spain 96 578 4179
6 Louis XV - Alain Ducasse
Local fish that has arrived in port that morning and vegetables that have been bathing in the Provençal sunshine until they are ready to be picked are just two of the reasons to visit Alain Ducasse's opulent dining room in Monte Carlo's Hôtel de Paris. The amazing bread and cheese carts, and a wine list that is packed with more cherries than a tart, are a few others.
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Place du Casino Monte-Carlo, Monaco 377 98 06 88 64
7 Diverxo
David Muñoz takes the artistic side of his craft seriously. We are being literal when we say that Muñoz presents his dishes by painting them on a canvas at your table. Even more compelling than the method Muñoz uses to convey his ideas are the ideas themselves: His cooking is a very unique combination of Spanish and Asian cuisines, prepared utilizing culinary techniques that range from the most traditional to the modern. Dishes like strawberries with kimchi, yogurt and baby squid or cocochas covered with pil-pil foie, fermented truffles jam, finger lime and horseradish were described as "so interesting" and containing "so much flavor." It's no wonder reviewers feel Muñoz "has avoided falling into the fusion trap" that would have plagued a less-talented chef who tried to do the same thing. A jump from 88 to number 7 makes him the rising star of our 2015 list.
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Calle del Pensamiento, 28 Madrid, Spain 915 70 07 66
8 Le Calandre
When Massimiliano Alajmo created dishes like risotto flavored with coffee and an espuma of mashed potatoes with squid-ink-flavored tapioca, he became the first Italian chef to successfully update traditional Italian dishes with modernist concepts. Since then he has added other classic entrées to his menu, like the house specialty: suckling pig in a spicy mustard sauce. His restaurant remains a must stop for anyone traveling along the axis from Milan to Venice.
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strada statale 11, località Sarmeola Rubano, Italy 04 9630 303
9 Noma
By combing the forests, fields, lakes and seas of his native Denmark for ingredients long forgotten by the country's population, and then applying techniques that were being practiced at the world's most progressive restaurants, René Redzepi created the culinary narrative that came to be known as the New Nordic cuisine. It created such a sensation that it is now being copied in restaurants all over the globe. In 2013 Renè decided it was time to reinvent his cuisine, and given the recent reports we are collecting from our reviewers, it wouldn't surprise us to see the restaurant climb to a higher position in 2016.
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Strandgade 93 Copenhagen, Denmark 3296 3297
10 Etxebarri
What do you do when you have never met an ingredient you didn't want to grill? Well, that's easy if you're Victor Arguinzoniz: You design and build a custom-made asador and grill everything from fish to steaks to vegetables to caviar over wood. Even the charcoal Arguinzoniz uses at this restaurant located on the back roads of the Basque country is made in house. A totally unique and original experience, and truly a must for those in search of exceptional products that are simply and perfectly cooked.
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barrio de Etxe Berri Axpe-Marzana, Spain 94 372 1211
11 Faviken
Every important art or craft contains a work that so embodies the philosophy behind it that it becomes the example everyone points to. When it comes to the combination of hard-core naturalism and science that defines the cooking of this era, Magnus Nilsson’s restaurant will be remembered as the definitive example. Set in the midst of the woods in central Sweden (the closest town is 30 minutes away by car), Fäviken does its best to recreate an era when survival meant living off the land. The setting is stark and remote, and Nilsson’s cuisine – like a magnificent langoustine plated with nothing but a dollop of burnt cream – is appropriately minimalist. The dining room seats only 17 people, and the arduous journey adds to the experience: When you finally arrive, you feel you have journeyed into the past.
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Faviken 216 Järpen, Sweden 46 647 40037
12 Vendôme
One of the most luxurious hotels in Germany, the Schloss Bensberg, a short drive from either Cologne or Düsseldorf, is where you can find the cooking of Joachim Wissler. Dishes like labskaus and cod with a herring vinaigrette and saddke of lamb with chorizo, ricotta gnocchi, avocado and octopus show why Wissler is known for his impeccable ingredients and flawless execution, and why many consider him the most intellectual of the new generation of German chefs.
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Kadettenstraße Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg, Germany 22 044-2194-1
13 Astrance
In a dining room that is open from Wednesday through Saturday and serves only eight meals a week to 28 lucky guests, Pascal Barbot and his small battery of chefs produce a cuisine that is crisp, minimalist, ingredient-intensive and totally unique to this restaurant. Just as happened with his own mentor, Alain Passard, a steady stream of talented young chefs, including Faviken's Magnus Nilsson and Yam'Tcha's Adeline Grattard, have cut their teeth in Barbot's kitchen.
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4, rue Beethoven Paris, France 01 40 50 84 40
14 La Marine
We dare anyone to name another chef who can cook fish like Alexandre Couillon. Scrambled eggs with sea urchin; monkfish paired with a magnificent spear of white asparagus and finished with a sauce of smoked eel and pear; local cod coated with a light sauce made with goat cheese and paired with zucchini and Charantes melon – these are just a few of the delicious dishes that emerge from Couillon’s kitchen. Céline Couillon runs the small dining room, and the terrific little list of local wines from the Vendée she has put together go perfectly with her husband’s cooking. The setting is idyllic: on the port in Noirmoutier-en-L’Ile, where, if you are lucky, you will get to watch local fishing boats arrive with something that might end up as your dinner.
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5 Rue Marie Lemonnier Noirmoutier, France 02 51 39 23 09
15 Dal Pescatore
Her daughter and grandson now do most of the cooking at this classic house in a remote part of Lombardy, but the majestic Nonna Bruna still visits the restaurant's kitchen on a daily basis to make sure the brodo that the tortellini is served in is perfect. We assure you that if you are lucky enough to sample her cooking, you will want her to adopt you.
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Località Runate Canneto Sull'Oglio, Italy 02 7231 4640
16 Bras
People in search of the chef who constructed the bridge between nouvelle cuisine and molecular gastronomy need to look no further than Michel Bras. Michel is now semi-retired, and his son Sébastien is in charge of a kitchen that serves the best of the Aubrac region in a dining room located in an amazing modern building with fantastic views.
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route de l'Aubrac Laguiole, France 05 65 51 18 20
17 Osteria Francescana
Though Modena is small and provincial compared to the other important cities in Emilia-Romagna, like Bologna and Parma, it has many treasures. Among them are balsamic vinegar, Lambrusco wine, the luxury car makers Ferrari and Lamborghini, and Massimo Boturra's modern Italian restaurant, which features a number of classic dishes like five ages of Parmigiano-Reggiano in different temperatures and textures, and a croccantino of foie gras with caramelized almonds and hazelnuts and extra-old Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena.
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via Stella 22 Modena, Italy 05 9210 118
18 De Librije
Featuring both traditional and modern cooking, a great wine list, reasonable pricing, and a room filled with diners from all over the world and all aspects of society, Jonnie and Thérèse Boer's restaurant has become the culinary center of northern Holland, serving dishes like monkfish with fermented cabbage juice and Mangalitza bacon and pigeon, kohlrabi and hazelnut.De Librije recently moved its location to the space that formerly housed Boer's more casual restaurant, Librije's Suzie.
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Broerenkerkplein 13 Zwolle, Netherlands 038 344 7581
19 Régis et Jacques Marcon
People say the best time to visit this modern hotel/restaurant located just north of the Ardèche is at the height of the mushroom season, when you can enjoy the all-mushroom tasting menu that Regis Marcon and his son Jacques offer their guests in all its glory like a mushroom tea flavored with tansy flowers served with ravioli stuffed with Burgundy truffle.The wine list is likewise glorious and features cherries from producers like Raveneau and Dujac.
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Larsiallas St. Bonnet-le-Froid, France 04 71 59 93 72
20 Sant Pau
Many of our reviewers say that a wonderful way to spend a day is to take a trip to Carme Ruscalleda's seaside restaurant, a mere 90 minutes from Barcelona by train, for her delicious contemporary Catalan cooking that features dishes like miso and foie c
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Nou 10 Sant Pol de Mar, Spain 93 760 0662
21 Hertog Jan
It's been an amazing year for Gert de Mangeleer, who moved his restaurant from a house on the outskirts of Bruges to an amazing new facility, replete with gardens and greenhouses, southwest of the city. Gert De Mangeleerrestaurant still offers up features an edgy, modern, molecular-influenced cooking served with energy, passion and creativity. Sommelier Joachim Boudens, who excels at unusual pairings, adds an extra dimension to the experience by offering some of the best wine service in Belgium
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Torhoutse Steenweg 479 B Sint-Michiels, Belgium 0 50 67 34 46
22 La Vie
Thomas Bühner's cuisine is modern, surprising and elaborate, and one of the best examples of the New German school, which applies German values and precision to the creation of dishes. The setting—a beautiful villa in the heart of the old town of Osnabrück, where the Westphalia Peace Treaty was signed—is as much a treasure as Bühner's wonderful food.
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Krahnstr. 1 Osnabrück, Germany 54 133-1150
23 Sa.Qua.Na
Honfleur, a village filled with shops that cater to the hordes of tourists who descend on it every weekend, seems an unlikely location for a fine dining restaurant. Alexandre Bourdas thought otherwise, and his restaurant sits less than 30 meters from the entrance to the old city. A disciple of Michel Bras (Alexandre ran the kitchen at Bras’ restaurant in Tokyo from 2002 to 2005,) he shows evidence of his mentor’s hand, as well as the Asian influence he picked up during his time there, in dishes like monkfish poached with lime, lovage and coriander leaves and served in a coconut broth with combava oil. Not surprisingly, reviewers call his cuisine “zen on a platter,” while describing the “light, nuanced, and exciting” cooking as “a refreshing breath of French air.”
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22 place Hamelin Honfleur, France 33-2 31 89 40 80
24 El Celler de Can Roca
Joan Roca wrote the book on the culinary method known as sous vide, but since the restaurant moved to its gorgeous new headquarters, a somewhat more classical approach has crept into his cooking with dishes like sole with five flavors (olive oil, fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nuts and green olives). The pastries and wine cellar, handled by brothers Josep and Jordi, are so good that on their own they are a reason to visit the restaurant.
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carret. Taialà 40 Girona, Spain 97 222 2157
25 Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire's cooking reveals a level of virtuosity and athleticism that few chefs can match. Order an item with the simple title Porc and you might be served more than a dozen dishes, each using pork as the main ingredient but each prepared in a unique style. Homard might include preparations of lobster with noodles, in a salad, with truffles, lobster consommé ... we can go on and on.
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6, rue Balzac Paris, France 01 58 36 12 50
26 L’Air du Temps
After moving his restaurant to a a new facility in Liernu, which includes five hotel rooms, Sang Hoon Degeimbre is a happy man. The Soft-spoken and amiable, Sang-HoonDegeimbre is known for serving a cuisine that features interesting and carefully thought-out ingredient pairings. Likewise, the wine carte, which includes a superb list of Champagnes and Alsatian, German and Austrian offerings, allows for some intricate beverage pairings with the food.
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Chaussée de Louvain 18 Liernu, Belgium 081.81.30.48
27 Schwarzwaldstube
The restaurant’s name translates to “house in the Black Forest.” Those fortunate enough to have ventured into the heart of the forest in order to sample Harald Wohlfahrt’s German take on haute cuisine will understand why a long line of talented young chefs began their careers in the kitchen of his wonderful restaurant. It is located in a luxurious hotel and spa, and those who have spent the day working on their physiques often opt for Wolfhart’s 10-course vegetarian tasting menu.
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Tonbachstrasse 237 Baiersbronn-Tonbach, Germany 74 424-9260-4
28 Restaurant Frantzén
Björn Frantzén’s restaurant breaks with the minimalist tradition one associates with the New Nordic cooking. Having learned his trade while working with Alain Passard at L’Arpège and then with Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance, Frantzén offers dishes – monkfish served with miso-perfumed Jerusalem artichokes, fried mushrooms and almost burnt cream or charcoaled-grilled veal tartare served with sour cream, parsley soup, bone marrow and Osetra caviar – that are considerably more elaborate than what other Nordic chefs are serving. One reviewer described it as “really top-quality produce and delicious creative dishes: a must go for any food-loving individual traveling in Scandinavia,” while another lauded the “casual elegance” of the place, claiming it was “one of my top three meals of the year.”
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Lilla Nygatan 21 Stockholm, Sweden 46 (0)8 20 85 80
29 Michel Guérard
Reviewers say this kitchen, overseen by octogenarian Michel Guérard, a founder of the nouvelle cuisine movement and the inventor of the belt-tightening cuisine minceur, can still cook with the best of them. May we suggest that you pay his hotel/spa a visit while you still have an opportunity to experience his “spare, simple and highly terroir-driven” cuisine?
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Place de l’Impératrice Eugénie les Bains, France 05 58 05 06 07
30 Schloss Berg
Trained in Harald Wohlfahrt's kitchen and one of the more classically inclined of the new generation of modern German chefs, Christian Bau and his wife, Yildiz, are the hosts at this 24-seat restaurant in the southern part of Mosel, one of the best places in Germany to experience ingredient-driven Neue Deutsche Küche, like langoustines wrapped in spinach, with a langoustine tartare, dashi broth and asparagus.
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Schlossstr. 27-29 Perl-Nennig, Germany 68 66-7911-8
31 Guy Savoy
Though he has now branched out beyond Paris and opened a restaurant in Las Vegas, on most nights you will find Guy Savoy, the youngest of the chefs who made their mark during the nouvelle cuisine era, in the kitchen of this long-established Parisian temple of haute cuisine. Savoy's approach to French cuisine is mainly classical, but various contemporary ideas have snuck into his cooking.
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18, rue Troyon Paris, France +33 (0)1 43 80 40 61
32 Maaemo
The trend among many of the top Scandinavian chefs is to serve a cuisine that has an edge to it. But Oslo’s Esben Holmboe Bang has taken a different course, utilizing “the right blend of modernism and classicism,” and the result is “a more refined version of Scandinavian cuisine.” A case in point is ’Bang’s signature dish, an emulsion of oyster from Bømlo topped with a disk of blue mussel gel and a mussel and dill sauce, which combines the Scandinavian palate, the subtle elegance one associates with a chef like Joan Roca and the precise and exact cooking that someone like Heston Blumenthal is known for. A second way the restaurant has set itself apart from its peers is that it is one of the few top restaurants in the region that has not succumbed to the natural wine craze, and sommelier Pontus Dahlstrøm’s cellar is filled with tasty examples of classic French bottlings.
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Schweigaards gate 15 Oslo, Norway 919 94 805
33 Arzak
Mixing brand-new creations with dishes that date back to her father's tenure as chef, the effervescent Elena Arzak has maintained her family's legacy while bringing this classic Basque house into the twenty-first century with dishes like asparagus in colors and egg with earthquake. The wine cellar is an absolute delight for oenophiles who love vintage Rioja.
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alto de Miracruz 21 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain 94 327 8465
34 Piazza Duomo
Despite the fact that his restaurant is located in the white truffle capital of the world, Enrico Crippa’s cuisine is not reliant on the tuber. Rather, Crippa focuses on the lush vegetation of the region. A case in point is his signature salad, titled 21, 31, 41 because depending on the season, it contains somewhere between 21 and 41 different types of vegetables. Enrico lightly dresses the greens with some tuna dashi, then piles them into a dish one might otherwise use to serve an ice cream sundae. When you are done, you wash it down by drinking the dashi that has dripped down from the leaves into a small cup. Even the more traditional-styled dishes have a modern twist to them, like Crippa’s take on ravioli in a Bolognese sauce in which the “pasta” is made of pressed and dried tomatoes.
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Vicolo dell’arco, 1 Alba, Italy 17 3366 167
35 L’Ambroisie
Getting on in years and in the process of turning over his pots and pans to his son Mathieu, Bernard Pacaud is known for being a fanatic about ingredients and a perfectionist in the kitchen. Serious diners continue to flock to this restaurant in Paris's Place des Vosge in order to enjoy some of the most precise traditional French cooking in the world.
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9, pl des Vosges Paris, France 01 42 78 51 45
36 Geranium
When it comes to restaurants that feature the New Nordic cuisine, Noma gets most of the press. But many of our reviewers say the cooking at Bocuse D'Or winner Rasmus Kofoed's restaurant, which features dishes like razor clams with edible shells and the and the Herbgarden with cured lamb broth, can hold its own against any place in the region and should be a mandatory stop on any trip to the city.
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Per Henriks Lings Allé 4, 8. Copenhagen, Denmark +45 69960020
37 Maison Pic
Though petite and demure, Anne-Sophie Pic is known for cooking that is strong and assertive, perhaps because she follows in the footsteps of four generations of the Pic family, famous for some of the most robust cooking in France. But note that in Sophie's hands, Maison Pic has developed a distinctly feminine and modern edge. One of the best lists of Rhone wines you ever will lay eyes on means you will drink as well as you will eat.
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285 Avenue Victor Hugo Valence, France +33 4 75 44 15 32
38 Tickets
Tickets is a modern-day tapas bar where the kitchen has been split into stations specializing in a specific aspect of the meal. The experience does not seem all that unusual until you realize the cannelloni is made from avocado and stuffed with a crab and mayonnaise salad, the razor clams are served with refried sauce and lemon air, and the confit potatoes come with Iberian-cured ham and pork rib juice. Reviewers love the place, offering comments like “excellent food and pure entertainment ” “innovative and delicious” and “downright fun and exciting.” If you can’t decide what to eat, just order the Waiter’s Choice Tapas, a casual version of a tasting menu.
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41 Avenue Parallel Barcelona, Spain
39 Flocons de Sel
Located in the heart of the French Alps, Emmanuel Renaut’s kitchen focuses on the lush products that come from the region. Renaut is equally comfortable working with ingredients that come from the earth and those from a local body of water; the result is a menu that includes dishes like turnip and red cabbage dumplings in a vegetable and horseradish broth, as well as pike and monkfish from Lake Geneva, served with a crunchy biscuit and onion jus. Given the location in the Haute-Savoie, it is not surprising to hear reviewers rave about a “superlative cheese cart filled with beautiful local cheeses.” There was also praise for the setting; the décor in the bright dining room was described as “a modernized Alpine style without too much kitsch.”
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74 rue St-François Megève, France 04 50 21 49 99
40 Tim Raue
Located within earshot of the infamous Checkpoint Charlie, Tim Raue has taken a different path than the one chosen by his fellow German chefs, “having crafted a cuisine that incorporates ingredients and cooking styles from China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand.” Fortunately, Raue has not forgotten his European roots, and dishes like sea bass with truffle from Alba and Thai water spinach and miso marinated guinea fowl with eggplant and Japanese mustard are successful because “Raue’s light hand allows the ingredients to shine.” One reviewer exclaimed, “It was my favorite meal in Germany,” and many others agreed, including one of our more humorous reviewers, who told us, “It’s the perfect restaurant for those who are visiting Germany and who have gotten tired of having day after day of exquisite meals that are influenced by French and German cooking.” The cuisine is a perfect match for the long list of German Rieslings that are on offer’.
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72 Behrenstrasse Berlin, Germany 30-3011-17333
41 Pure C
Those who are longing to enjoy Sergio Herman’s cooking should book a table at this restaurant in Cadzand, a short drive away from the now-shuttered Oud Sluis. Herman has installed Syrco Bakker in the kitchen, where he does a terrific job of continuing Herman’s legacy in dishes like gambas served cooked and in a tartare, sea eel from Oosterschelde wrapped in nori and served in a green sauce, and some exceptional filets of North Sea sole poached in butter. An additional bonus is a lovely setting on the third floor of a hotel that overlooks the North Sea.
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Blvd de Wielingen 49 Strandhotel Cadzand, Netherlands
42 Elkano
For more than 40 years, legions of foodies have traveled to this Basque fishing village located 30 minutes west of San Sebastian in order to enjoy local specialties like hake, kokotses, baby eels and, especially, majestic specimens of turbot that the Arregui family happily grill over wood on an asador by the side of their restaurant. With his passing in 2014 at the age of 73, Pedro Arregui has handed off the spatula to his son Aitor.
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Calle Herrerieta, 2 Getaria, Spain 94 314 0614
43 Relae
Do not be fooled by the casual appearance of Christian Puglisi’s restaurant. Though it gives the impression of being merely a bistro, some of the most refined cooking in Copenhagen is happening here. While the menu is small – there is a four-course traditional menu plus a four-course vegetarian menu – it still manages to read like an advertisement for the New Nordic cuisine. On a typical day, the kitchen might offer dishes like potato purée with buttermilk and olives; fermented carrots with elderflower and sesame; or pork from Hindsholm (Puglisi claims it is the best in Denmark), which he serves with Jerusalem artichokes. Reviewers speak of “modern cooking techniques that are respectful of nature” and “Nordic cooking at its simplest and grandest.” The wine list is short, but the staff has gone to great lengths to organize some terrific pairings.
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Jægersborggade 41 Copenhagen, Denmark +45 36 96 66 09
44 Hof van Cleve
Peter Goossens had none other than Joël Robuchon as a mentor, and the time Goossens spent in the Robuchon kitchen is clearly evident at this restaurant that combines contemporary French and Flemish cooking in dishes like veal with mushrooms, tarragon gravy, lightly fried potato cubes and Moroccan spices. The wine list is a good match for the splendid cooking, and the lovely views over the fields of Flanders add to the experience.
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Riemegemstraat 1 Kruishoutem, Belgium 0 93 83 58 48
45 Daniel Berlin
While few people have heard of this wonderful restaurant located in an area people refer to as “the Tuscany of Sweden,” those who have visited will tell you that, along with Fäviken’s Magnus Nillson, Daniel Berlin is one of the country’s most inventive young chefs. Like many of his peers, Berlin is a forager, one whose skills could rival those of any other chef in the region. But rather than implementing the minimalist, edgy style of cooking the region is popular for, Berlin’s approach is more poetic and lyrical. Diners should also not be fooled by the Swedish address as it’s an easy drive from Copenhagen, a mere 90 minutes away. It is a definitely a family affair, as both ’Berlin’s parents play an integral role at the restaurant, and Berlin himself will drive you back to your hotel after dinner.
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Diligensvägen 21, 273 92 Tranås Skåne Tranås, Sweden +46 (0)417-31000
46 Mugaritz
Duck broth turned into honey, lumps of charcoal that were once vegetables, egg yolks frozen and then broken into pieces: No other chef has created a cuisine as cerebral as that of Andoni Aduriz. Visiting his restaurant, a twenty minute drive from San Sebastian, is almost a guarantee you will experience at least one culinary technique you have never encountered before.
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Aldura Aldea 20-Otzazulueta Baserria Errenteria, Spain 94 351 8343
47 Uliassi
While Mauro Uliassi’s restaurant is popular with Italian gourmands, is it less well known among the larger community of international diners. The problem stems in part from having a more famous neighbor up the street, one that offers food in a style more in keeping with what the press likes to cover, making it easy to overlook Mauro’s wonderful restaurant. But those who are in search of the highest-quality specimens of fish and seafood, prepared in an elegant, precise and contemporary way, should know that Uliassi is worth going out of your way for. Mauro’s sister Catia runs the dining room, as well as managing a terrific wine list. Reviewers talk about “the ultimate fish cuisine,” claiming that “the combination of wonderful local ingredients” using “a multitude of cooking techniques” will result in diners achieving a “rare level of happiness.”
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banchina di Levante 6 Senigallia, Italy 07 1654 63
48 Passage 53
Passion comes in many forms. For Shinichi Sato, it meant being so moved by a meal at Astrance that he went back to the kitchen afterward and asked Pascal Barbot for a job. After doing a two-year stint at the restaurant, Sato left the safe confines of the 16th arrondissement for Spain, accepting a job at Adoni Aduriz’s kitchen at Mugaritz. Enter old friend Guillaume Geudj, who invited Sato to be the chef at a place he was opening in one of the oldest arcades in Paris. Now the two operate this award-winning, 20- seat restaurant that is so tiny the kitchen is located on the second floor. As expected, reviewers rave about “cuisine and service that are exceptional” and a tasting menu that is “all hits and no misses.” The interior, recently renovated, is an exercise in white; except for the black chairs, almost everything else in the restaurant, including the art on the walls, is white.
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53 Passage des Panoramas Paris, France +33 1 42 33 04 35
49 La Grenouillère
Among the group of chefs who practice the hard-core version of naturalism that is in vogue these days, Alexandre Gauthier might be the edgiest of them all. After inheriting a successful family restaurant, he added a gorgeous modern dining room, while changing the cuisine from traditional French to what one diner described as “experimental dishes using fabulous products.” An example of the style of cooking Alexandre favors is the way he prepares a lobster tail: He cooks the plumpest Breton lobster tail you have ever seen and buries it within a pile of juniper berry branches, then, using a blowtorch, sets the entire bundle on fire. The fire has subsided by the time the dish arrives tableside, but the slight taste of smoke permeates the lobster. It gets even better when the server instructs you to eat the tail with your fingers. No wonder one reviewer described the experience as being “as sauvage as it gets.”
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Auberge de la Grenouilliere La Madelaine-sur-Montreuil, France 33-3 21 06 07 22
50 Aqua
The town of Wolfsburg, an hour west of Berlin by hi-speed train, is dominated by the Volkswagen Stadt. The Volkswagen company has ponied up money for all types of things, ranging from a top notch soccer stadium to a wonderfully appointed Ritz-Carlton Hotel (designed by Andre Putnam) that hosts a restaurant that houses this wonderful restaurant Given the unusual setting (the dining room faces a museum with cars on display), [Sven] Elverfeld has also taken a diverse approach so that his cuisine appeals to a varied clientele. So it is not uncommon for you dinner to range from original takes on German dishes (like his playful simmered corned beef from Müritz lamb, Frankfurt-style green sauce, potato and egg), to more internationally styled dishes like Pigeon from the Vendée with Périgord truffle, spinach, bacon, mushrooms and pigeon essence.
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Stadtbrücke Wolfsburg, Germany 53 616-0709-1