ABC Kitchen is  Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and restaurateur Phil Suarez green restaurant inside ABC Carpet & Home with a farm-to-table menu. Executive Chef Dan Kluger sources his Market Table daily from local farmers.  The restaurant  focuses to local, sustainable and organic seasonal produce and serves organic, local, pasture-raised meat, fish and dairy.  Handmade porcelain dinnerware are from local artisan Jan Burt, bread baskets crafted by the indigenous Mapuche people of Patagonia, wood tables handcrafted by local artisan Jim Denney.  

Jean-Georges Vongerichten brings his passion for fresh from the market and simple cooking to the reopening of The Mark Hotel.   The bar serves classic and signature cocktails. The food is excellent. Especially black truffle with fontina cheese Pizza and fresh linguine with clams are very tasty. Accompanying wine list is also very satisfactory. Try Chablis, William Fèvre and Sauvignon Blanc, Yealands 2009, Marlborough..

Perfect place for a comfortable and elegant dinner.

Make a reservation at Belvedere

The Belvedere is based around one of the oldest, most inherently romantic mansions in Mykonos Town, the Mansion Stoupa dating back to 1850. The hotel is located in the heart of Mykonos Town, at the height of Rohari hill, opposite the School of Fine Arts. It has the panoramic views over Chora’s irresistibly pretty plateau of whitewashed Cyclades houses.

Emulating the form of a Cycladic village, seven small buildings including the Mansion Stoupa, which make up both the hotel’s public areas and rooms and suites, are arranged around the asymmetrical swimming pool. The NYC architecture firm, the Rockwell Group designed the new format of both the hotel’s public spaces and the series of New Generation rooms.

Belvedere does  partnerships with world renowned chefs. The first venue to house a Nobu restaurant in Greece, Matsuihisa Mykonos showcases the culinary flair of renowned sushi chef, Nobu Matsuihisa. The talented Greek Australian chef, George Calombaris, has crafted a menu of 15 signature dishes for the exclusive 25 seat Modern Greek restaurant, the “Belvedere Club”.

Make a reservation at Belvedere

Maze by Gordon Ramsay is  located  inside One&Only Cape Town. The restaurant is best in local seafood, game and produce with flavours inspired by the many cultural influences in Cape Town.

A spectacular tri-level wall of glass and steel commands the entrance of Maze’s impressive Wine Loft. Fine vintages of Cape Pinotage or Shiraz are on offer alongside undiscovered South African gems, with particular emphasis given to both acclaimed and undiscovered South African vintages. Over 5,000 bottles, from prestigious older vintages of Cape classics to newer wineries in emerging terroirs, are showcased in a magnificent glass library, taking visitors on a tantalising journey through the Cape Winelands. With 80 labels available by the glass, tasting sessions are offered at the Chef’s Table, complemented by tapas-style dishes from the restaurant.

The best tables are the ones in the terrace overlooking to the small canal and Table Montain.

Opened by Mario Batali in 1998, Babbo has been one of the best Italian restaurants in the world and one of the best restaurants in New York.  Although Batali has expanded its restaurant kingdom, Babbo has always been his throne. Babbo is located steps from Washington Square Park, in the center Greenwich Village with a split-level dining room and a lively bar area.

The philosophy of Babbo is to use the best local ingredients as simply as possible and serve them with flourish and joy. The menu is a roster of Chef Mario Batali’s lusty creations, incorporating the best and freshest seasonal produce, Italian cheeses, meat, game and seafood, accented with fine Italian olive oils, traditional aceto balsamico.  The wine list is also one of the most extensive and intelligent collections in the city. If you are in the right season, try the eternal Osso Buco..

When Richard Rogers and his partners acquired the Thames Wharf site in 1987, Ruth Rogers was dismayed at the lack of lunch options available in the immediate area.  Knowing they both shared a passion for Italian cooking, Ruth approached her long-time friend Rose, and The River Café opened later that year.  The River Café, opened  in 1987 has become a very distinguished member of the London restaurant establishment, due to the phenomenal quality of its food, drink, service and overall style.   Both owners, being talented chefs have written 10 cookbooks together.

The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, which it has retained since 1998.

Located adjacent to the Thames, The River Café’’s menu, which changes twice daily, offers rustic Italian dishes based on the best seasonal ingredients available, complemented by a predominantly Italian wine list of almost 200 bins.

The Tasting Room is the  fine dining restaurant at Le Quartier Francais. Margot Jansen, the executive chef uses seasonal local ingredients, so visitors can expect to see Wildebeest, Franschhoek Trout or Ganzvlei Vastrap Cheddar on the menu. The restaurant is among the top 50 best restaurants in the world and has been selected the best in Middle East Africa.

Course after course of exquisitely presented culinary delights showcase chef Margot Janse and her team’s award-winning talent. Try the 8 course tasting menu with the matching wine list. It is  haven on earth.

Located in the space formerly occupied by La Côte Basque, Benoit echoes Alain Ducasse’s original Benoit in Paris. Benoit offers classic French bistro cuisine. The early-20th-century décor of Benoit in Paris was recreated within the four walls of Benoit in New York.  Everything from the tiling to the wood paneling, the red velvet banquettes to the copper ware, the engraved panes of glass to the marble pedestals, the lamps and huge mirrors to the old posters adorning the walls echoes the feeling of the original Benoit. A lovely outdoor seating will be available during the warmer months.

Alain Ducasse and executive chef Pierre Schaedelin have composed the menu that respects tradition and technique, with dishes drawn from Benoit’s repertoire of 50 to 100 year old recipes.  The cuisine is full of generous flavors, colors, and textures, highlighting the freshest of seasonal ingredients.  Benoit offers lunch and dinner, featuring a large variety of à la carte dishes from appetizers to desserts as well as a daily listing of “Semainier” specials and several dishes inspired by Pierre Schaedelin’s Alsatian roots. Try the signature dishes Sirloin Steak aux Poivres or Steak Tartar…

Adour is the new successful New York restaurant of Alain Ducasse. The success lies behind the approachability and humility of the menu and service, compared other Alain Ducasse Michelin star restaurants.  The menu created by the Executive Chef Joel Dennis and Wine Director Thomas Combescot where dishes and wine-paring balance one another. The 88 seating restaurant and bar is designed by David Rockwell inspired by wine. He used wine bottles, burgundy and chardonnay tones in this elegant room inside the legendary St. Regis hotel.

Adour has an extensive wine list and accompanying tasting menu and is very affordable compared other high end Ducasse restaurants.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar is Chef Daniel Boulud’s lowdown downtown place on Bowery,  where the French brasserie meets the American tavern. Come for the 14 varieties of house-made sausages from the Merguez to the Anglaise. There’s also seasonal Lyonnais inspired cooking alongside mouthwatering burgers and towering shellfish platters. Wash them down with great craft beers (22 on tap) and affordable table wines.

The interiors take their cue from the Bowery’s history as New York’s industrial restaurant supply neighborhood. Floor to ceiling shelving stocked with the restaurant’s own tools, tableware and dry goods overlook a partially open kitchen. In the bar, the writing is – quite literally – on the wall. Boulud’s favorite culinary quotes fill the mirrors, providing food for thought to accompany a menu of bar bites. Also great for brunches.

Jean Georges offers in his impressive Shanghai restaurant a very light French cuisine, using mainly local grown produce and the freshest of seafood. It has a wine cellar over 5000 bottles, including a fine selection of wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace..Eric Johnson is the Chef at partner at JG Shanghai and he does an excellent job with the menu..

Located on the fourth floor of Three on The Bund building the 1500 sq meter space has impressive views of Bund and Pudong, a huge open kitchen, a bar and lounge area, a wine cellar apart from the main dining room.

Designed by Michael Graves, the restaurants style is mixture of grandeur old Shanghai and romantic French seaport with a balanced combination of natural light and dark paneled wood, surrounded by cobalt blue and deep wine reds.

The world acclaimed master chef Daniel Boulud offering in Beijing French Fine dining in two story central building of the former American Embassy compound, built in the late 1900’s and next to Tiananmen Square. Creating a band new culinary style through the fusion of classic French preparation methods and Chinese ingredients, each dish will provide guests with a sensational dining experience.

Maison Boulud covers 700 sq meters across two levels. Designed by the famous Parisian firm Gilles & Boissier, the first floor accommodates a fine dining area and the sexy red bar and a separate lounge for less formal dining. The second floor features three separate dining rooms of different sizes for a more exclusive dining experience.

It is best to choose the Chef’s tasting menu accompanied by the Sommelier’s great wine selection for each dish.

Österreicher im MAK is the new interpretation of Viennese ‘Gasthaus’.. It is inside Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and run by the star chef Helmut Österreicher since 2006. With modern architecture from “Eichinger oder Knechtl” who tastefully divided this fascinating space into a taproom(bar), a large dining room and the extra room (the glass-pavilion in the garden).

There are two menus, one of traditional dishes and one of what Helmut Österreicher calls “newly interpreted” Viennese cuisine.  Large beef goulash with bread dumpling,  Wiener Schnitzel, Zwiebelrostbraten (Viennese onion roast with sauté potatoes) are among the traditional dishes whereas Ribbon noodles with mustard, vinegar, cucumber and trout caviar, Crispy pike-perch served on curry onion and herb sauce are among the modern ones..
With its fascinating spacious space and great food Österreicher im MAK is a must visit restaurant in Vienna

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, New York is different than its original Paris spot..It is inside the Four Seasons hotel and  has not only a twenty-seat bar but also individual tables for 30 people.

We prefer again the bar counter because the tables contradict with the soul of the L”Atelier.. L’Atelier’s signature counter seating give you the opportunity to concentrate only to this magnificent  food, see how small “tasting portion” dishes prepared and served. L’Atelier features essentially the same food as the Paris original which is perfect : Joel Robuchon’s creamy and much beloved Pommes Puree Truffee, or truffled mashed potatoes, are featured along with his famed La Caille Farcie de Foie Gras et Caramelisee, free-range quail stuffed with foie gras. Also appearing on the menu, L’Agneau en Caree Dore it lafleur de Thym, delicate roasted rack of lamb perfumed with thyme, and a spicy Steak Tartare served with crispy hand-cut fries. The wine list is extensive, impressive and international with a focus on France… This is a perfect place for power lunches..

photos courtesy of Joel Robuchon and Ozlem Avcioglu

Among all Joël Robuchon restaurants we like L’Atelier most, because it offers haute cuisine around a circular bar overlooking to an open kitchen with 36 seats. This allows you to follow the service, to watch the preparation of the dishes, and to compose your own meal according to your appetite, as the menu offers all the great classics to taste in small, tapas-style portions. The interior design has been created in such a fashion, leaving the focus solely on the food . The décor consist of the basic ingredients of Robuchon’s kitchen, with large glass jars accentuating the raw colors of fruits and vegetables.

The tasting menu is the best choice since the intensely flavored recipes work better in smaller portions. (A portion of sea urchin intricately fixed in lobster gelée, foie gras–stuffed quail,  slices of Kobe beef,  truffled mashed potatoes are some of the dishes) They all are heavenly tasty. A large choice of carefully selected very good wines are also available by the glass..

L’Atelier is very innovative and it is best to go there by yourself or as a couple to enjoy only the food…Also due to the way the restaurant is set out, it is not advisable to go with a party larger than four.
The only problem you will face is that tables can only be booked for 6:30 p.m. If you choose to dine later, odds are you’ll wind up waiting for an hour or more in the next bar..But it is worth the wait..

Alain Ducasse Restaurant at the Plaza Athénée, the famous chef created the  ‘Place of Excellence’ not only with food but with one of the worlds best wine list, service, and decoration..The restaurant is run by Christophe Moret who offers  contemporary French cuisine with a strong emphasis on authenticity in order to reveal the hidden flavors of the ingredients.The excellent wine list is created by Gérard Margeon, Chef Sommelier of all his establishments, together with Laurent Roucayrol, Sommelier of the Alain Ducasse Restaurant at the Plaza Athénée. They have compiled a thoroughly modern wine list that is easy to read and, they hope, is as objective as it is suggestive, grouping together the very quintessence of France’s vineyards in 1001 labels.

The tasting menu which consist of the seasonal dishes comes with very interesting wine paring according to the wines you like..The designer Patrick Jouin gave to the restaurant the appropriate illustration, creating a look and style that reflects both magic and poetry. The chandeliers have exploded into stardust, into a cloud of 10,000 dangling, illuminated crystal pendants…Eating at Alain Ducasse is not only about food, it is like being on a stage with a lot of actors performing excellent service around you..A reel once of a lifetime experience..