Be specific about heat, because it should enhance flavor, not overpower it. Chili peppers are supposed to bring depth, smokiness, even sweetness - not just fire. Chipotles in adobo, for example, contain smoky, sweet, and spicy notes that pair beautifully with red meat dishes or as a saucy base for slow cooker chicken tinga.
When you hear that a restaurant is hard to get into, it signals that there must be something worthy of drawing a crowd - and with all of the restaurants on this list, that is certainly the case. Whether it's food so creative you just can't find it anywhere else, cocktails and wine lists crafted to impress, stellar service, or celebrity sightings, these locations are hard to get a table at for a reason.
When it opened in 2011, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal quickly became one of the most talked-about menus in the capital. The dishes, inspired by historic British cuisine, included items such as the now-legendary Meat Fruit, a chicken liver and foie gras parfait moulded to look like fruit inside a mandarin jelly. These avant-garde recipes earned Blumenthal and the team at Dinner their first Michelin star in 2012, and a second followed in 2014.
Well, there are traditional dinner parties, where the host supplies the meal and the guests may or may not bring little presents sometimes food treats to be used at the discretion of the host. And then there are cooperative dinners, where each person brings part of the meal. This sounds more like a food fight. Rather than trying to please the host, the guest planned a hostile takeover.
Last month, I found myself sitting in what looked like the world's most boring strip mall restaurant. Beige walls, no signage except for a tiny brass plaque, and a parking lot filled with understated luxury cars. I'd been invited by a source who'd built three successful companies before turning forty. As we ate perfectly prepared Dover sole at 7 PM on a Tuesday, surrounded by other quietly powerful diners, something clicked. This wasn't about exclusivity or showing off. This was about something else entirely.
Chef Masa Ikuta brings serious classical training honed under Bruno Verjus at Table and Stephane Jego at L'Ami Jean to his own tasting menu restaurant in the 11th arrondissement. The cooking is confidently French-Japanese, moving from sardine churros with Cantabrian anchovy cream to veal brain tempura styled after shirako to a perfectly grilled lamb rack with smoky harissa.
Chanel, Christian Louboutin and Hermès are names that are synonymous with luxury, signifying elegance, craftmanship and prestige. These brands often use subtle, mysterious signals to communicate their status - things like minimalist designs or the red sole on a Louboutin shoe. Often termed "quiet luxury", this trend is also seen in the world of high-end dining. This approach to luxury branding is aimed at creating a desire in consumers to learn these signals.
For many, going out to a restaurant is a treat, so the last thing anyone wants is bad food. That really puts a downer on the whole experience. That's why we turned to Reddit to see what restaurant workers would never order. After all, they spend most days in the kitchen or serving customers, so they see and hear things behind the scenes that most of us don't.
Last month, I found myself at a friend's dinner table, surrounded by strangers. What started as polite small talk about the weather quickly evolved into a fascinating discussion about urban development, the role of art in society, and how different countries approach healthcare. Three hours flew by. Walking home that night, I realized something. The people who seemed most at ease weren't necessarily the ones with the most degrees or the fanciest job titles.
Visiting France is often associated with great food, beautiful cities, and a strong sense of style. But what many travelers discover quickly is that daily life in France is guided by a set of unwritten etiquette rules. These rules are not about being overly polite or friendly at all costs. They are about showing respect for others, for shared spaces, and for social boundaries.
Back in 2024, after a reporting trip for a whiskey magazine, I got tired of drinking. Perhaps it was the sluggishness I felt each morning, or maybe it was the podcast I'd heard while traveling, which shared the news that one or two glasses of red wine was not, as we had long been told, healthy. Whatever the reason, I tossed in the daily drinking towel after that trip, figuring that going forward, I might only have a drink or two every now and again.
Whether spooned delicately onto porcelain, presented on ice beneath candlelight, or passed around at an intimate dinner party, those glossy pearls have long been shorthand for celebration, indulgence, and impeccable taste. Caviar has always belonged to the world of heightened moments, from champagne-soaked soirées on the French Riviera to late-night tastings in Parisian salons. Yet despite its storied reputation, it's not reserved solely for five-star dining rooms and private members' clubs.
'In recent weeks, The Park has been subject to unexpected visits by camera-wielding influencers. This has taken us completely by surprise, probably because we do not spend a lick of time on TikTok. But some of our digitally-oriented team members have shared that The Park and its restrooms are trending.'
In Mayfair and looking for the perfect burger? May we point you in the direction of Dover Street Counter, one of our new favourite restaurants in London . We've just reviewed this slick new diner, which comes from the same team as The Dover, the New York-style Italian restaurant which opened in 2023, and which we loved so much that it made our list of the best restaurants in London .
Past a sign for a family waterpark, a door opens onto an homage to fin-de-siècle Paris. Chandeliers are reflected in gilt-edged mirrors; there is a chorus line of lobsters and yards of fromage. Every so often, a waiter in a dinner suit flambées a crepe Suzette with a shock of flames, like a big top fire-eater. This is fine dining as buffet.
Take, for example, in Mayfair, which costs £420 a head for its omakase offering (and yes, that is before drinks). Or how about Ikoyi at 180 Strand with its (very delicious) £380 Sushi Kanesaka tasting menu of 14-ish courses? But not every single Michelin star tasting menu will leave you destitute. We've collated a list of the top 10 most affordable Michelin star dinner tasting menus of at least four courses in London.
A little more than a year ago, after running a successful pop-up called Ha's Đặc Biệt, the chefs Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha opened Ha's Snack Bar, an itsy-bitsy restaurant on the Lower East Side. The Snack Bar, like the pop-up, served Vietnamese-inspired dishes that were clever, cheffy (and more than a bit French-inflected), and utterly cool without any sort of hauteur.
I studied hospitality in Switzerland and then came to New York to work under celebrity chefs, Daniel Boulud and François Payard, so I had experience in fine dining. When I decided to open the first Naya in 2008, that was more or less my comfort zone. A week after we launched, we got an amazing article in the New York Times and then we were packed for lunch and dinner. It definitely helped prevent us from shutting down after a few months.
The restaurant is a reincarnation of the original Automat that once stood a few roads over on Dover Street (in the very same site that now holds Martin Kuczmarski's wildly in-demand bar and restaurant, The Dover), and brought New York's brasserie-style diner concept to British shores. In-the-know Londoners loved it, lapping up the diner-esque menu and the Art Deco styling (patterned carpets and all).
Holidays can be notoriously challenging to manage dinner reservations, particularly at quality establishments that are high in demand. Valentine's Day is one such event that calls for a certain amount of finesse. While it might be tempting to skip off to one of the restaurant chains advertising Valentine's Day deals rather than one of the most romantic restaurants in the U.S., a bit of intentional planning can help you and your loved one enjoy a relaxed and romantic evening.
At first glance, you'll think it's a tourist trap. Le Petit Châtelet is right next to Shakespeare & Co. in the 5th arrondissement, but this restaurant is as authentic as they come. Located in a very old building, Le Petit Châtelet is small, cozy, and warm. And when we say warm, we mean it: there's a stone fireplace inside and they'll cook your meat right over the flames. The food is excellent, and the price point is reasonable for such good fare and location.
