No.10 Vendôme

                           Vendôme

                                    BERGISCH GLADBACH, GERMANY

Germanic ingredients and traditions come to the fore at Wissler's establishment, often in a highly technical, avant-garde manner

Despite borrowing its name from the town in central France, Vendôme doesn’t serve 

French food. Far from it, in fact. Joachim Wissler’s restaurant is a proponent of neue 

Deutsche küche, a doctrine that sees German restaurants break away from Gallic 

influence. Germanic ingredients and traditions come to the fore, often in a highly 

technical, avant-garde way. Meals here tend to be epic, with the largest menu 

containing around 25 courses, so come hungry.

  

     On the pass

• Joachim Wissler

Style of food

• Modern German

Standout dish

• Venison with pine-needle jelly and celery cream
• Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg
  Kadettenstrasse, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach
  +49 2204 42 1941
• schlossbensberg.com

No.9 Steirereck

                           Steirereck

                                                  VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Sensational dishes that play with Austria’s rich culinary history

Breaking into the top 10 for the first time this year, Steirereck chef-owner Heinz 

Reitbauer’s cooking is finally getting the attention it merits. Reitbauer’s dishes pillage 

his family’s Styrian roots for inspiration and unearth rare ingredients from the land 

and via Steirereck’s collection of cookbooks. The menu is shaped around a 

commitment to its produce, with much sourced from Reitbauer’s own farm and from a 

co-operative he has formed with farmers

     On the pass

• Heinz Reitbauer

Style of food

• Neo-Austrian with historical bent

Standout dish

• Sensational dishes that play with Austria’s rich culinary history
• Am Heuemarkt 2A / im Stadtpark
  A-1030 Vienna
  +43 713 31 68
• steirereck.at/restaurant

No. 8 Arzak

                                Arzak

                                                 SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN

An iconic Basque eatery that refuses to stand still

This family-run San Sebastián restaurant has living legend of Basque cuisine Juan 

Mari Arzak at the helm, alongside daughter Elena Arzak Espina, the World’s Best 

Female Chef in 2012. The pair tease out the best from local ingredients and food 

culture by reworking ideas using modern techniques. While rooted in its location and 

loyal to local bounty, team Arzak isn’t afraid to look further afield for flavours, as its 

spectacular herb, spice and ingredients room attests..

     On the pass

• Juan Mari Arzak
• Elena Arzak Espina

Style of food

• Cutting-edge Basque

Standout dish

• Lobster in a crisp potato shell with a cobaiba sauce and red pepper sphere
• Avenida Alcalde José Elosegui 273
  20015 San Sebastián
  +34 943 27 84 65
• www.arzak.es

No.7 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

               Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

                                LONDON, UK

British culinary history mined to impressive – and delicious – effect

Conceived by the legendary British chef and his increasingly influential right-hand 

man Ashley Palmer-Watts, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal mines historical British 

recipes from as far back as the 14th century and reworks them using contemporary 

cooking techniques. What really makes a lasting impact, however, are the big flavour 

hits. Dinner is not about delicate combinations or table theatrics, but gutsy dishes that 

will remain at the forefront of your memory bank for years to come.

     On the pass 

• Ashley Palmer-Watts

Style of food

• Historical British food revived and reworked

Standout dish

• Frumenty (c.1390) Grilled octopus, smoked sea broth, pickled dulse & lovage
• Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
  66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
  +44 207 201 3833
• dinnerbyheston.com

No.6 D.O.M.

                              D.O.M.

                                                   SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

Ground-breaking restaurant that champions the Amazon’s enormous larder

Part chef, part historian, part botanist, Alex Atala champions Brazil’s traditional 

ingredients and dishes. Familiar European fine dining fare gets a look-in at D.O.M.

 but often in supporting roles to the likes of cambuca fruit, manioc root and tucupi 

juice. Atala explores and exploits the country’s rich source of ingredients – 

particularly the Amazon rainforest – and D.O.M. has been named The Best Restaurant 

in South America for four years in a row

                                                                        On the pass 

•                                                                 Alex Atala (above)
•                                                        Geovane Carneiro (Head chef)

                                                    Style of food

•                                                    Contemporary Brazilian/Amazonian

                                                  Standout dish

•                                            Fresh heart of palm with scallops and coral sauce
•                                                         Rua Barão de Capanema 549
                                                             São Paulo 01411 011
                                                               +55 11 3088 0761

No.5 Eleven Madison Park

                    Eleven Madison Park

                                                     NEW YORK, USA

Card tricks at the table, but the real magic is in the food

Chef Daniel Humm and general manager Will Guidara’s sleek Art Deco restaurant offers a 

masterclass in surprise. From the mysterious string-tied box that kicks off proceedings to the 

waiter affixing a meat grinder to the table midway through the meal, little can be anticipated.

 What diners can rely on, however, is a dining experience that is as delightful as it is engaging, 

with the use of peerless ingredients and top-class cooking, such as a clam dish that comes in 

two stages.

• On the pass
• Daniel Humm (above)
• James Kent (Chef de cuisine)

Style of food

• Modern French with a New York twist

Standout dish

• Surf clam with morcilla sausage and celery root clam bake with whelk, Parker House roll and chowder
• 11 Madison Avenue
  New York 10010
  +1 212 889 0905
• elevenmadisonpark.com

No. 4 Mugaritz

                            Mugaritz

                                             SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN                           

Cooking and the conceptual combine for an experience like no other

At Mugaritz diners are treated to a multiple-course tasting menu of intricate yet small 

dishes developed through a creative process and an attention to detail that borders 

on the obsessive. Chef-patron Andoni Luis Aduriz aims to play with guests and reflect 

on the different ways a restaurant can have an impact, rather than just filling people up 

and sending them on their way. From that point of view there is no other place like 

Mugaritz in the world.

                                                                                      

                                                                                                                          On the pass                        

                                                                                                                   Andoni Luis Aduriz            

                                                                                                                       Style of Food                           

                                                                                                           Techno-emotional Spanish      

                                                                                                                     Standout dish                    

                                                                                               Chocolate cake, cold almond cream

                                                                                                                  and cocoa bubbles 

                                                                                             Otzazulueta Baserria, Altura Aldea 20

                                                                                                          20100 Errenteria, Gipuzkoa         

                                                                                                                      +34 943 52 24 55               

                                                                                                                          mugaritz.com