Although Alain Ducasse might be better known for his uber fine dining spots like Le Meurice or his newly-opened riverboat on the Seine, this bistro has been around since 1932. Once owned by Marthe Allard, and kept in the family for centuries, not much has changed about this charmingly quaint spot in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, since Ducasse’s takeover. You arrive in a corridor opposite a tiny, semi … Continue reading Allard, Paris
What is the logical next step for a chef and restaurateur who has dominated the culinary scene in, arguably, the most culinary destination in the world? A river boat, that’s what. Ducasse sur Seine sits on the famous Parisian river directly below the Eiffel Tower and is unlike any river boat restaurant you may have been on before. It’s powered 100% by electricity, the food, … Continue reading Ducasse sur Seine, Paris
I’ve been working front of house for nearly a year now. I’ve written about eating in restaurants for yonks but never before considered the difficulty involved in the day to day running of one. It’s been a steep and fascinating learning curve. Shortly after employing me, Oisín Rogers, general manager of the Guinea Grill, gave me Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table. In this book the … Continue reading Osteria Francescana, Modena
Le Meurice, part of the Dorchester Collection, is just a short walk from the Louvre museum in Paris. The hotel houses a two Michelin starred restaurant by Alain Ducasse in one of the most beautiful and opulent dining rooms I’ve ever encountered. It is simply stunning. It’s a jacket and ‘tie preferred’ kind of place yet it doesn’t feel stuffy; service is friendly and relaxed … Continue reading Le Meurice – Alain Ducasse, Paris
We’re in Amsterdam for a few days, staying at the new Soho House, which comes highly recommended. (You don’t need to be a member to stay there FY)I. A pleasant 20 minute stroll away is SUSHISAMBA. We start with a Smoked Plum Negroni and green bean tempura with black truffle aioli (£8) out on the terrace. We’re right by the canal watching the peddle boat … Continue reading SUSHISAMBA, Amsterdam
Harry’s Bar in Venice is most famous for two things; their Bellini cocktails and the astronomical prices of absolutely everything on the menu. It is however something of a Venetian institution – in 2001 it was declared a national landmark by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs. So, while in Venice for a few days we felt we had to give it a go. You … Continue reading Harry’s Bar, Venice
I should start by saying the food at Brooklyn Fare is very good, delicious in fact. Chef César Ramirez is inspired by Japanese cuisine and French technique; the result being a fairly long tasting menu of nibbles to a standard Michelin deemed as deserving 3 stars. Ingredients were top notch; perch, red snapper, sea urchin, trout roe, langoustine, grade 5 wagyu; all cooked to a … Continue reading Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York
A day trip to Paris is far less extravagant than you might think and it’s the perfect way to get your Parisian fix without spending a fortune on a hotel. With a small gang, we booked Alain Ducasses’s michelin starred bistro Benoit on rue Saint Martin. It’s as quintessentially French as you could hope for; brass rails, red velvet banquettes and wood panelled walls. And … Continue reading Benoit, Paris
There are two two Michelin starred restaurants in Vienna and as we couldn’t manage to bag a reservation at Steirereck in Stadtpark, we opted for Silvio Nickol at Palais Coburg. It’s a grand old hotel to say the least. The dining room was a dramatic space with an amethyst filled wall at one end being the main focal point. It was a bit like being … Continue reading Silvio Nickol at Palais Coburg, Vienna
Relae was the last of the Michelin starred restaurants we visited during our time in Copenhagen and it was based in the slightly rougher part of town – mind you, it’s worth bearing in mind I’m a total wimp! The restaurant had a totally relaxed feel about it; the wine and water were left for you to help yourself and there was also rather loud … Continue reading Relae, Copenhagen
Michelin starred Kokkeriet isn’t Copenhagen’s newest or trendiest restaurant, in fact very few of the locals we spoke to had heard of it (that might be because our pronunciation was wrong though). We didn’t let that deter us however and off we trolloped for dinner. The welcome from each member of staff was as warm as it gets; they exuded friendliness as soon as we … Continue reading Kokkeriet, Copenhagen
Verandah is an Indian restaurant based in Copenhagen which is co-owned by the Sethi family (of Trishna and Gymkhana fame) and a chap called Claus Meyer who’s the co-founder of Noma. To be honest, I was slightly relieved when I received an invitation to dine there during our holiday, as berries and leaves were starting to grow a little tiresome. The restaurant is based in … Continue reading Verandah, Copenhagen
As we didn’t have much time left during our visit to Copenhagen, we decided to pop into BROR simply for ‘snacks’ and not for dinner – they do love their snacks out there. It’s a restaurant popular with the locals as it serves simple, no fuss food and they use plenty of offal and off cuts meaning a visit doesn’t break the bank. It was … Continue reading BROR, Copenhagen
El Celler de Can Roca is a three Michelin starred restaurant in Girona Spain and in 2013 it was voted the best restaurant in the world. It’s run by three brothers; Joan the head chef, Jordi the pastry chef and Josep the head sommelier. We had to book eight months in advance to get a table and that was just for a weekday lunch – … Continue reading El Celler de Can Roca, Girona
