Destination restaurants worth traveling across the world for
By Chris Dwyer, CNN
(CNN) — Some meals begin long before the first plate is served. They may start on a mountain road climbing through a remote valley, on board a ferry crossing an unfamiliar sea, or with a flight taken largely because a remarkable table waits at the other end.
Around the world, certain restaurants have become destinations in their own right as landscapes, culture, people and ingredients converge to create a dining experience inseparable from its setting.
Here are nine destination restaurants well worth building a trip around.
Vermejo, New Mexico
Getting to Vermejo, a luxury resort created in the former home of CNN’s late founder Ted Turner and located on his vast private reserve in New Mexico, entails an effort. Short of arriving by private aircraft, the only way to reach it is by car from Albuquerque or Denver. Though both journeys take close to four hours, they pass through some of the most scenic landscapes in the American Southwest before pulling up to the century-old property.
The natural setting at Vermejo is what makes it spectacular. The resort is set in 780 square miles of pristine wilderness — more than 650 times the size of Central Park, though completely empty. That epic space is perfect for al fresco dining: campfire breakfasts and elegant lakeside meals; picnics and fish fries.
Bison sliders, cornbread, salads from Vermejo’s own greenhouse, trout landed just minutes before being cooked and decadent homemade potato chips are all on the menu.
And after a day spent hiking, fishing, or bison-spotting, there are few better ways to end dinner than by toasting s’mores under starlit skies.
Puna, Nekajui, Costa Rica
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, sits on Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo, a true natural wonderland where countless monkeys, sloths and iguanas are some of the reminders that a country the size of West Virginia is home to 10% of the entire planet’s biodiversity.
The resort is also home to no fewer than eight dining destinations and, while some offer Italian or Japanese cuisine, it’s the Latin American flavors at Puna that entice most thanks to acclaimed chef Diego Muñoz and his signature menus.
Given the location, sustainability is especially important, so hyperlocal produce ensures a connection to the destination, with every sauce, condiment and bakery item made from scratch. On the menu, a ceviche of roasted shrimp comes with a heady leche de tigre — “tiger’s milk”—– a citrus and spice marinade. Entrees include risotto made with charred baby corn, while desserts celebrate local fruit.
Marias, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
It’s a three-hour drive from Milan — or rocking up on your yacht in the local marina is another option — but whichever way you get there, Forte dei Marmi, is one of Italy’s most exclusive summer enclaves, a chic coastal destination in Tuscany beloved by families who return year after year.
Other long-time visitors include restaurateurs Jason and Irha Atherton, the powerhouse couple behind some of the UK’s and Dubai’s most acclaimed and awarded places to eat. They have now brought their signature culinary hospitality to a 36-suite boutique hotel, Principessa Forte dei Marmi, in the form of a sleek poolside restaurant, Marias.
With the shimmering waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea just meters away, it’s no surprise that fish and shellfish are the stars of the menu. Sourced daily from the market in nearby Livorno, they are prepared simply but with exquisite taste. Sweet langoustines are cooked over wood, and served with confit garlic and lemon, while strands of handcrafted linguine entwine local clams.
Bonheur by Matt Abé, London, England
It’s almost unheard of for a restaurant to be awarded two Michelin stars barely three months after opening, but this remarkable feat explains why Bonheur by Matt Abé is one of London’s most talked-about — and therefore hardest to book — restaurants.
Australian chef-patron Matt Abé brings an impressive resumé, including a notable stint at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. His first solo venture is located in London’s Mayfair in a building that is a destination itself as the former home of legendary restaurant Le Gavroche, beloved by notables including Charlie Chaplin and Queen Elizabeth II.
Today diners can choose from tasting menus or to eat à la carte, but one almost non-negotiable dish is Abé’s take on a quiche Lorraine, featuring smoked pork belly and Gruyère. Largely British produce is used across the exquisite menus, including beef from the Lake District of northwestern England and fish from Cornwall. English wines are also on offer.
La Grande Table Marocaine, Casablanca, Morocco
Thanks to the iconic 1942 movie of the same name, few destinations are as romantically renowned as Casablanca — even if it was entirely shot in Hollywood. Morocco’s largest city sits on the Atlantic coast, panoramic views of which can be experienced from La Grande Table Marocaine on the 23rd floor of the Royal Mansour, a luxurious hotel located in the Art Deco district of the city’s Sidi Belyout neighborhood.
As the name suggests, Royal Mansour is owned by Moroccan royalty, in this case King Mohammed VI. The level of service lives up to the regal connection.
The restaurant’s exquisite interiors feature lamps, rugs, mosaics and metalwork that reflect the finest local craftsmanship, while the country’s top produce also appears on the menu, from local oysters to fragrant saffron and argan oil. Traditional Moroccan cuisine is famed for its slow-cooked tagine stews and one renowned version features free-range chicken, preserved lemon and olives.
Joy, Fouquet’s, Paris, France
Some destinations are specifically sought out for culinary authenticity. For anyone craving classic French dishes — like ruby-red beef tartare, a perfect cheese soufflé or a dreamily decadent onion soup — Brasserie Fouquet’s in Paris absolutely hits the spot.
Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s is one of France’s most famous hospitality and culinary dynasties and its location on the Champs-Élysées dates back to 1899. It’s been recognized as a French historic monument since 1990.
For diners seeking a different French approach — possibly with slightly fewer calories — Fouquet’s offers another restaurant, Joy, led by chef Claudia Rivera. Her light, contemporary cuisine focuses on the seasons in dishes such as green vegetables with herb yogurt and cashew nuts, or sea bass with tomato, basil and lemon.
Yong Fu, Shanghai, China
Ningbo cuisine may not be that well known outside China, but the northeastern province’s seafood-focused dishes are loved across the country for their obsession with freshness.
In Shanghai, Ningbo specialists Yong Fu also serve up extraordinary views of the Huangpu River and towering skyline from their 56th-floor location, immersing local and international diners in the city’s famous energy in the process.
Dishes are exquisitely and artistically plated, notably squid with pickled pepper or crab saturated in Shaoxing wine. Seasonal specials are also big draws, such as plump and sweet Ninghai clams in the spring or hairy crabs in the fall — which are way more delicate and appealing than they may sound.
Kontrast, Oslo, Norway
The Norwegian capital saw an increase in international visitors this summer, some seeking “coolcations” away from the heat elsewhere in Europe, others inspired by the Viking rowing of the country’s soccer fans at the World Cup. But the city’s fine dining scene is another great reason to head north, especially at the two Michelin-starred restaurant Kontrast.
Multi-course tasting menus by chef Mikael Svensson may include an oyster served in an entirely edible shell with sour cream and pickled rhubarb, or different textures of zucchini with dill, tomato and Norwegian cheese.
The restaurant’s stellar modern Nordic cuisine, using hyper-seasonal and organic local ingredients, regularly wins plaudits. As does its deep commitment to sustainability and zero-waste.
Argiano, Chianti, Italy
Driving through the cypress-covered rolling hills of Chianti in Italy, it’s difficult not to hum the theme to “Gladiator.” Picture-perfect views are everywhere, as are ancient castles that once belonged to 16th-century nobles.
Among them is Argiano, a Renaissance jewel of a building dating from 1580 which houses one of the country’s finest wineries, an extraordinary private collection of art and a restaurant that defines romance like few others.
Tables are set in a gently shaded courtyard that overlooks those extraordinary landscapes. Beef tartare with hazelnuts, tagliolini pasta with asparagus or zucchini stuffed with ricotta and lemon are just three of the plates that celebrate local produce to brilliant effect. Famed wine vintages from grapes grown just meters away ensure dining here lives long in the memory.
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