# The Fine Dining Journal > The Fine Dining Journal documents Michelin-star restaurants and fine dining, based on first-hand experience from over one hundred three-star visits. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About The Fine Dining Journal URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/about/ Last updated: 2025-12-17T18:10:20.000Z **The Fine Dining Journal is an independent publication focused on Michelin-star restaurants and high-level gastronomy.** It began with a simple intention. I wanted a place to document the restaurants I visit and to keep track of the meals that stood out. Over the years, friends and colleagues often asked where to eat or stay, and I noticed that I was repeating the same explanations many times. Creating a central place for these notes felt practical. The Fine Dining Journal focuses mainly on high-level gastronomy, especially three-Michelin-star restaurants, but not exclusively. It also includes experiences in hotels, ryokans and other places where hospitality and cuisine are inseparable. Some meals stand out for technical excellence, others for their setting, atmosphere or cultural context. The aim is not only to highlight the exceptional, but to understand what made an experience meaningful, memorable or simply revealing in some way. Every place I describe is based on my own visits, my own notes and my own sense of context shaped over many years of travel and eating. To date, this includes well over one hundred [visits to more than fifty different three-Michelin-star restaurants](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/). To give readers clearer orientation, I also include the [FDJ Score](https://thefinediningjournal.com/rating-system/). It is a calm, minimalist 5.0–10.0 scale that reflects flavor, product quality, craftsmanship, harmony, emotion and the overall experience. The score does not replace the narrative. It frames it, offering a single transparent reference point for the level of a meal. The FDJ Score is independent and personal. Michelin stars are mentioned only as a point of reference; the evaluation follows its own logic. The purpose is not to judge from a distance, but to describe what I experienced, what worked, and occasionally what did not, with clarity and context. The Fine Dining Journal is also a way to share recommendations independently, without the filters of external platforms or social media. It is simply an organised archive of places I have been to, what I ate there, and why it might matter to someone planning a trip or looking for a certain kind of dining experience. If you would like to know more about the person behind the journal, you can find a personal introduction here: [About William Herbert](https://thefinediningjournal.com/about-william-herbert/) ### Contact URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/contact/ Last updated: 2025-11-24T18:52:10.000Z For any questions regarding the site or its content, or for inquiries, invitations or collaborations, please feel free to get in touch. If you notice an error, would like to suggest a correction, or believe that a photograph or reference should be removed, you can reach me at: editor (at) thefinediningjournal (dot) com ### The Michelin Three-Star Restaurants I Have Visited URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:57:21.000Z A personal and continuously updated record of Michelin three-star restaurants experienced by *The Fine Dining Journal*, shaped through years of dining at the very summit of global haute cuisine. The year shown indicates the most recent visit. Last updated October 2026. --- ## **Austria** - [**Amador**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/) — Vienna — 2026 · 4× - [**Steirereck im Stadtpark**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/) — Vienna — 2026 · >12× --- ## **Denmark** - **Geranium** — Copenhagen — 2023 · 1× - **Noma** — Copenhagen — 2023 · 3× --- ## **France and Monaco** - [**Le Clos des Sens**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-clos-des-sens-review-annecy-nature-led-michelin-3-star-tasting-menu/) — Annecy-Le-Vieux — 2025 · 1× - [**La Villa Madie**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-villa-madie-review-cassis/) — Cassis — 2026 · 1× - [**La Table du Castellet**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-table-du-castellet-review/) — Castellet — 2026 · 1× - [**L’Oustau de Baumanière**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/) — Les Baux-de-Provence — 2026 · 2× - **Paul Bocuse** — Lyon — 2017 · 1× - [**Le Petit Nice**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/provence-and-the-cote-dazur-three-star-restaurants/) — Marseille — 2017 · 1× - [**Mirazur**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/) — Menton — 2026 · 1× - [**Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/) — Monaco — 2026 · 1× - [**Alléno Paris**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) — Paris — 2024 · 1× - [**Arpège**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) — Paris — 2025 · 2× - [**Epicure**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) — Paris — 2019 · 1× - [**Kei**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-kei-paris-review/) — Paris — 2026 · 1× - [**L’Ambroisie**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/lunch-lambroisie-paris-shintaro-awa/) — Paris — 2025 · 1× - [**Le Gabriel**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/) — Paris — 2025 · 1× - [**Pierre Gagnaire**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-pierre-gagnaire-paris-review-a-jazzlike-a-la-carte-near-the-arc-de-triomphe/) — Paris — 2025 · 1× - [**Plénitude**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/) — Paris — 2025 · 1× - [**La Vague d’Or**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/provence-and-the-cote-dazur-three-star-restaurants/) — Saint-Tropez — 2017 · 1× - **Pic** — Valence — 2017 · 1× --- ## **Germany** - [**Restaurant Bareiss**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-bareiss-review-baiersbronn/) — Baiersbronn — 2026 · 1× - [**Schwarzwaldstube**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/schwarzwaldstube-baiersbronn-review/) — Baiersbronn — 2026 · 1× - **Vendôme** — Bergisch Gladbach — 2019 · 2× - **Rutz** — Berlin — 2024 · 1× - [**Haerlin**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/) — Hamburg — 2026 · 3× - **The Table Kevin Fehling** — Hamburg — 2024 · 1× - **Atelier (3★ at first visit, now 2★)** — Munich — 2025 · 2× - [**Tohru**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/) — Munich — 2025 · 1× --- ## **Italy** - **Da Vittorio** — Brusaporto — 2024 · 1× - **Dal Pescatore** — Canneto sull’Oglio — 2016 · 1× - **Le Calandre** — Rubano — 2016 · 1× --- ## **Spain** - [**Casa Marcial**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/casa-marcial-review-2026-three-michelin-stars-asturias/) — Arriondas — 2026 · 1× - [**ABaC**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/abac-barcelona-review-2025-polished-service-reduced-ambition/) — Barcelona — 2025 · 4× - [**Cocina Hermanos Torres**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/) — Barcelona — 2025 · 5× - [**Disfrutar** ](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/)— Barcelona — 2023 · 1× - [**Lasarte**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/) — Barcelona — 2023 · 2× - **Atrio** — Cáceres — 2015 · 2× - **Noor** — Córdoba — 2021 · 1× - **Aponiente** — El Puerto de Santa María — 2026 · 20× (Aponiente Reviews: [2014–2025](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) · [2026](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/)) - **El Celler de Can Roca** — Girona — 2021 · 1× - **Azurmendi** — Larrabetzu — 2015 · 1× - **DiverXO** — Madrid — 2021 · 5× - **Dani García** — Marbella — 2019 · 1× - **Akelarre** — San Sebastián — 2022 · 3× - **Arzak** — San Sebastián — 2022 · 1× - **Martín Berasategui** — San Sebastián — 2017 · 1× - **Cenador de Amós** — Villaverde de Pontones — 2022 · 1× --- ## **Sweden** - **Frantzén** — Stockholm — 2015 · 2× --- ## **United Kingdom** - **Moor Hall** — Aughton — 2025 · 1× - **L’Enclume** — Cartmel — 2024 · 1× - **Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester** — London — 2024 · 1× - **Hélène Darroze at The Connaught** — London — 2014 · 1× - **Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library)** — London — 2022 · 1× --- ## **United States** - **Eleven Madison Park** — New York City — 2018 · 1× - **Jungsik** — New York City — 2024 · 1× - **Le Bernardin** — New York City — 2024 · 2× - **Masa** — New York City — 2024 · 2× - **Per Se** — New York City — 2018 · 1× ### Privacy Notice URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/privacy-notice/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T10:38:36.000Z *Last updated: October 2025* ## 1\. Introduction Welcome to **The Fine Dining Journal** (“we”, “our”, “us”). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This notice explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you visit [thefinediningjournal.com](https://thefinediningjournal.com/). By using this website, you agree to this Privacy Notice. ## 2\. Who We Are **The Fine Dining Journal** is an independent non-commercial online publication focused on fine dining, travel, and hospitality. For privacy inquiries, please contact: editor (at) thefinediningjournal (dot) com ## 3\. 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External Links and Embedded Media Our articles may contain links or embedded content from third-party websites such as restaurants, hotels, YouTube, or Instagram. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for more information. --- ## 9\. Updates This notice may be updated from time to time to reflect operational or legal changes. The latest version will always be available on this page. --- ## 10\. Contact For any privacy or data-related questions, please email: editor (at) thefinediningjournal (dot) com ### Michelin, Gault Millau, Falstaff, Repsol, OAD und 50 Best URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-gault-millau-falstaff-repsol-oad-und-50-best/ Last updated: 2025-11-23T23:01:33.000Z ## How the World’s Restaurant Guides Really Compare Restaurant guides tell different stories about excellence. Michelin measures craft and precision. Gault Millau looks for creativity and individuality. Falstaff represents a Central European wine culture rather than a classic restaurant rating. Repsol brings Spanish emotion and regional identity into its evaluations. OAD reflects the collective preferences of a global community of experienced diners. The World’s 50 Best presents a more editorialised and international perspective on where culinary trends are heading. Each system captures a different part of the dining world, and none of them is complete on its own. I have visited almost fifty different three [Michelin star restaurants](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/) and several hundred Michelin star dining rooms worldwide. Through these experiences I noticed how widely the interpretation of excellence varies, both across countries and across guides. No single rating system defines perfection. Every guide highlights a different dimension of gastronomy, shaped by culture, methodology and intention. ## [Michelin](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/) Michelin remains the most influential guide worldwide. Its stars are awarded anonymously by inspectors who focus almost entirely on the food itself. A star is not for ambience or service. It is a judgment on the precision of cooking, the quality of produce, the personality of the chef, the consistency across visits and the technical command of flavour. One star means good cooking worth a stop. Two stars signal excellent cuisine worth a detour. Three stars denote exceptional cuisine worth a special journey and remain the highest recognition in fine dining. Michelin works with a clear structure and a long tradition. This consistency is the main reason why chefs across the world still view the stars as the ultimate measure of culinary mastery. The limitations are also clear. Michelin can be conservative in some countries, slow to recognise new styles, and uneven in others. A three star in Japan does not always mean the same as a three star in Spain or France. But for a global benchmark of craft, Michelin still stands alone. ## Gault Millau Gault Millau originated in France and introduced a scoring system rather than stars. The guide works with points from zero to twenty, supported by the chef’s hats, the toques. Scores of nineteen or twenty are extremely rare. Most top restaurants fall between seventeen and eighteen and a half. Gault Millau rewards personality, creativity and originality. The cooking must have a clear voice and express the chef’s thinking rather than follow tradition too closely. This focus makes the guide interesting in countries where innovation is strong, such as Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux region. The weakness is that the scoring can feel subjective and varies across regions. A seventeen in one country may feel different from a seventeen elsewhere. But at its best the guide highlights chefs who think differently and cook with character. ## Falstaff Falstaff is a Central European phenomenon. It began as a wine magazine and expanded into restaurants, hotels and bars. Its scoring system is based on points, not unlike Gault Millau, but the methodology is less transparent. Many chefs appreciate the visibility Falstaff brings, especially in Austria and Germany, but it is not viewed as a strict culinary guide. It leans towards lifestyle and wine culture and can be generous with ratings. Still, Falstaff reflects a specific regional taste. It highlights restaurants that appeal to Austrian and German diners who value comfort, recognisable flavours and a certain generosity. For travellers it serves as a local barometer, but it should not be interpreted as a global standard. ## Repsol The Spanish Repsol Guide uses suns instead of stars or points. One, two or three suns represent the quality of the restaurant, with three suns being the highest. Repsol has strong cultural roots. It celebrates emotion, regional identity and the connection between cuisine and place. A meal in a Repsol restaurant should show intensity, personality and respect for local produce. Repsol is respected in Spain almost as much as Michelin. Restaurants such as Aponiente, Etxebarri, Atrio and Coque often hold both ratings, but the Repsol perspective is usually more emotional, values tradition and is less rigid. For travellers exploring Spain it adds an important local dimension that Michelin alone cannot capture. ## OAD OAD, or Opinionated About Dining, is a ranking system based on the collective input of a community of experienced diners. Its lists are shaped by the votes of people who travel widely for food and have a strong interest in high end gastronomy. The method is different from that of inspectors or critics. OAD reflects the tastes of a group rather than a single institution. Its strengths are diversity and trend awareness. OAD identifies restaurants that attract dedicated food travellers, often before traditional guides notice them. The weakness is the variability of its voting base. Preferences shift quickly, certain styles can be overrepresented and the lists can favour bold or extreme cooking. Yet OAD adds an important perspective. It represents what serious diners talk about and travel for, and it highlights restaurants that might otherwise remain under the radar. ## [The World’s 50 Best](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-explained/) The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is not a traditional guide but an international ranking compiled by industry figures, journalists and professionals. It mixes opinion, editorial judgment and cultural context. The result is a list that reflects global visibility and influence rather than strict culinary criteria. The strength of 50 Best lies in its reach. It highlights creative, ambitious restaurants that define contemporary gastronomy. It also encourages chefs to think globally and to express personality and identity. The criticism is that the list can be influenced by publicity, regional politics and trends. It is less a measure of pure technique and more a reflection of cultural impact. Still, 50 Best is important. It captures the international conversation about which restaurants shape the dining world and why. It shows where cuisine is heading and which chefs are pushing boundaries. ## Which Guide Matters Most There is no definitive answer. [Each guide serves a different purpose](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/). Michelin remains the global reference for technique and consistency. Gault Millau highlights creativity and personality. Falstaff offers a regional perspective shaped by Central European preferences. Repsol captures the emotional depth of Spanish cuisine. OAD reflects the tastes of a widely travelled dining community. The World’s 50 Best shows which restaurants define the current international narrative. For diners the most helpful approach is to understand the strengths and limitations of each system. A high score in one guide does not guarantee excellence in another. A restaurant that shines in Repsol may feel very different when viewed through Michelin’s strict lens. An OAD favourite may be more adventurous than a traditional three star dining room. A restaurant high on 50 Best may represent influence rather than classical mastery. What matters most is how the cooking aligns with what the guest is seeking. The guides provide orientation, not truth. Together they form a richer, more nuanced picture of the dining world than any one of them could offer alone. *For a concise, country-by-country overview, see* [**Restaurant Guides & Michelin Stars**.](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-guides-michelin-stars/) ### The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Explained URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-explained/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T17:34:37.000Z ## What the Ranking Measures, How It Works and Where It Fits in Global Gastronomy Few lists in the culinary world attract as much attention as The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Every year it creates headlines, elevates chefs to global visibility and shapes the conversation about contemporary dining. It is not a guide in the traditional sense. It is a ranking based on the opinions of industry figures, writers and professionals from around the world. The result reflects influence, personality and cultural presence more than strict technical evaluation. Understanding what 50 Best measures, how the voting system works and how it compares to Michelin is essential for anyone who travels for food. The ranking is both celebrated and criticised, often for the same reasons. It brings energy and international reach, yet it also mirrors the biases and preferences of the people who vote. In a landscape shaped by different ideas of excellence, 50 Best represents the most global and editorialised perspective. ## How the Voting System Works The ranking is decided by the World’s 50 Best Academy, a body of several hundred voters divided into geographic regions. Each region consists of a mix of chefs, restaurateurs, critics, writers and well-travelled diners. Members remain anonymous to the public, and the organisers rotate a portion of voters each year to keep the list dynamic. Each voter casts a number of votes for restaurants they have visited in the past 18 months. They do not use a scoring sheet or formal evaluation system. They simply choose the restaurants they consider the most impressive or impactful, based on their own criteria. There is no requirement to judge technique, ingredients or service separately. A restaurant with strong emotional resonance or cultural presence may receive votes even if it is not technically perfect. This makes the ranking fundamentally different from Michelin. It is not an inspector-driven assessment. It is a collective opinion, shaped by the experiences and preferences of the Academy. ## What the List Measures The World’s 50 Best Restaurants measures influence, personality and energy more than technical perfection. The list tends to favour restaurants that express a clear identity, push boundaries, define a moment in gastronomy, create a powerful emotional impact or attract international diners. A restaurant with a strong narrative or philosophy behind the cooking often performs well. These qualities explain why the ranking has highlighted restaurants such as Central, Noma, The Fat Duck, El Celler de Can Roca, [Disfrutar](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/) and Geranium. Each of these restaurants shaped the global conversation about food beyond the technical level alone. They shifted the way people think about terroir, creativity, sustainability or the role of emotion in fine dining. The ranking is therefore less about craftsmanship in the strict sense and more about contribution, originality and influence. It answers a different question from Michelin. Instead of “Where is the most precise cooking?” it asks “Where is something happening that matters?” ## Why the List Is Loved For many chefs and diners, 50 Best represents the modern, international side of gastronomy. It is a list that recognises ambition, ideas, evolution, cultural exchange and global visibility. Chefs often value it because it highlights restaurants outside traditional centres. Michelin remains conservative in some regions, but 50 Best has brought attention to cities such as Lima, Mexico City, Cape Town, Bangkok and Ljubljana long before guidebooks arrived. The ranking is also more accessible for younger chefs. It rewards innovation, personality and spirit. A restaurant does not need decades of consistency to appear. It needs relevance. For travellers, the list is a map of creative restaurants around the world. It points to places where chefs express identity strongly and where dining becomes part of a cultural movement rather than a technical exercise. ## Why It Is Criticised The strengths of the ranking are also its weaknesses. Because the voting is based on opinion, the list can reflect the biases of its voters. Some regions may be underrepresented. Trends can change quickly. A restaurant may move up or down dramatically from one year to the next without any real change in quality. The ranking is also influenced by visibility. Restaurants with strong international profiles, high media attention or active engagement with the global dining community may attract more votes. Smaller, more discreet restaurants – even at the highest culinary level – may be overlooked. Another criticism concerns the lack of formal evaluation. Without criteria, there is no guarantee of consistency. A voter may choose a restaurant for its emotional impact, another for its philosophy, another simply because it offers a memorable dining room. This subjectivity is part of the charm, but also part of the fragility of the system. ## How It Compares to Michelin The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Michelin Guide assess restaurants from fundamentally different perspectives. Michelin focuses almost entirely on the food: precision, balance, craft, produce and execution. It applies a structured approach, and a three-star rating carries a very specific meaning. In contrast, 50 Best recognises restaurants that shape the international dining landscape. A high position reflects influence, creativity and cultural relevance more than technical perfection. A restaurant may appear high on the 50 Best list while holding only one or two Michelin stars, or even none at all. Conversely, many excellent three-star restaurants never appear on the list because their style is more classical or less visible. The two systems complement each other when understood properly. Michelin identifies where the craft is at its highest. 50 Best shows where the energy and ideas are strongest. Together they offer a fuller view of contemporary gastronomy. ## What It Means for Travellers For travellers seeking depth, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants provides a sense of where the conversation is happening. It highlights restaurants that express identity and vision. It is particularly valuable in countries where Michelin is absent or limited. It also helps identify emerging chefs and new directions in gastronomy before traditional guides take notice. At the same time, the ranking should be read with perspective. A high position does not guarantee classical excellence. It does not replace Michelin. It simply answers a different question: which restaurants define the global dining narrative today? For someone who travels for food, the best approach is to see 50 Best as part of a broader landscape. It points to creative, ambitious restaurants worth seeking out, while Michelin provides assurance of craft and consistency. Together they offer the clearest understanding of what fine dining looks like around the world. ## Where the Ranking Fits Today The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is not a perfect system and never claims to be one. Its value lies in its ability to capture movement, identity and cultural presence. It shows where chefs are exploring ideas and where cuisine is evolving. It highlights ambition rather than adherence to tradition. In a world where excellence is interpreted through many lenses, the ranking offers a view of dining shaped by creativity, influence and global energy. It should not be read as a definitive list of the “best” restaurants. It is a perspective. But it is a perspective that has shaped the dining world for more than two decades and continues to influence how chefs think about their work and how travellers plan their journeys. *For a concise, country-by-country overview of restaurant guides, see* [**Restaurant Guides & Michelin Stars*.*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-guides-michelin-stars/) ### Michelin Stars Explained URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T17:34:54.000Z ## How the World’s Most Influential [Restaurant Guide](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-gault-millau-falstaff-repsol-oad-und-50-best/) Evaluates Excellence For more than a century, the Michelin Guide has shaped the global understanding of culinary excellence. Its stars have become the most recognised and coveted symbols in fine dining. While other systems highlight creativity, emotion or cultural influence, Michelin remains the reference for technical mastery, consistency and the craft of cooking. It is a guide defined by structure and discipline, and its influence extends far beyond France, where it originated. Understanding how Michelin evaluates restaurants, what the stars mean and why they differ across countries is essential for anyone interested in gastronomy. The system is often praised for its rigour and criticised for its opacity, but its core principles have remained remarkably stable: precision, respect for ingredients and the ability to express flavour through technique. ## A Brief History The Michelin Guide was created in 1900 by the Michelin brothers as a travel companion for motorists. It included road maps, repair shops and places to eat. The star system appeared in 1926, initially with a single star, then expanded to the current three-star hierarchy in 1931\. Over the decades, stars became a culinary currency, shaping careers, defining reputations and influencing the evolution of haute cuisine. Today the guide covers more than 40 countries, from Europe and North America to Asia and the Middle East. Despite its global reach, its fundamental approach has not changed: anonymous inspections, repeated visits and an emphasis on the plate above all else. ## How Michelin Evaluates Restaurants The Michelin Guide relies on full-time inspectors, trained to judge restaurants according to the same criteria across regions. They visit anonymously, pay their own bills, and return several times before awarding or removing stars. Although the exact methods remain confidential, Michelin consistently highlights five pillars: **1\. Quality of ingredients** The sourcing, seasonality and character of the produce. **2\. Mastery of cooking techniques** Precision in preparation, temperature control, texture and balance. **3\. Harmony and clarity of flavours** Flavours must be focused, coherent and intentional. **4\. Personality of the chef in the cuisine** The cooking should express identity, not merely technical ability. **5\. Consistency** Across dishes, across visits and across time. Stars are awarded solely for the food. Ambience, décor and service may influence comfort or the Bib Gourmand category, but they do not influence the star evaluations. ## What the Stars Mean **One Star** *A very good restaurant in its category.* This level recognises precise cooking, quality produce and focused flavours. Many one-star restaurants are modest in setting but technically assured. **Two Stars** *Excellent cooking, worth a detour.* Refinement, depth, coherence and elevated technique define this level. The kitchen shows mastery and a distinctive voice. **Three Stars** *Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.* The highest distinction. A three-star restaurant must demonstrate profound understanding of flavour, control across the entire menu, consistency across visits and a sense of completeness. Luxury is not required; clarity is. ## Why Michelin Is Respected Several factors explain Michelin’s enduring authority: **Consistency** The evaluation method is stable and recognisable. **Expertise** Inspectors are full-time professionals with culinary training. **Anonymity** Inspectors do not announce themselves and pay for their meals. **Longevity** A century of history lends credibility. **Clarity of focus** Stars are strictly about the food. ## Why Michelin Is Criticised Despite its strengths, Michelin is not without controversy: **Variation across countries** A three-star restaurant in Japan can feel different from one in France or Spain. **Conservatism** Michelin may be slow to embrace avant-garde or conceptual cooking. **Opacity** The guide rarely explains specific decisions. **Regional gaps** Some regions lack Michelin coverage entirely. **Pressure** The emotional toll on chefs is well documented. ## Why Stars Differ Across Countries Michelin applies the same criteria globally, but cultural context influences execution: - **Japan** emphasises purity, seasonality and technical precision. - **France** values classical foundations and depth of sauce work. - **Spain** rewards creativity and modern technique. - **Nordic countries** highlight restraint, purity and natural flavours. Differences reflect interpretation, not inconsistency. ## [Michelin vs Other Guides](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/) Michelin evaluates food through a technical lens. Other guides emphasise different dimensions: - **Gault Millau** focuses on creativity and personality. - **Repsol** celebrates emotion and regional identity. - **OAD** reflects the preferences of experienced diners. - [**World’s 50 Best**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-explained/) highlights influence and creativity rather than technique. - **Falstaff** mirrors Central European taste and wine culture. Michelin answers one question: **Where is the craft of cooking expressed at the highest level?** ## What Michelin Means for Travellers For travellers seeking precision and mastery, Michelin remains the clearest orientation system. A three-star restaurant promises technical excellence, but not necessarily innovation or emotional depth. It is one perspective among many, but a reliable one. ## Where Michelin Stands Today The Michelin Guide continues to expand geographically and stylistically, but its core remains unchanged. It recognises mastery, discipline and depth. In a world where gastronomy becomes more diverse, Michelin represents a structured, focused interpretation of excellence. It is not the only truth, but it is a truth that has endured for more than a century. At its best, a Michelin-starred meal shows what happens when technique and imagination come together: not spectacle, but clarity. *For a concise, country-by-country overview of restaurant guides, see* [**Restaurant Guides & Michelin Stars*.*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-guides-michelin-stars/) ### Restaurant Guides & Michelin Stars URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-guides-michelin-stars/ Last updated: 2025-11-23T23:01:04.000Z An overview of the world’s most influential systems for evaluating exceptional cuisine. ## Introduction Michelin remains the global reference for high-level dining, yet the world of gastronomy is shaped by a variety of national and international guides. Stars, points, forks, suns, hats, and rankings each reflect distinct culinary cultures and priorities. This page provides a clear and structured overview of the major restaurant guides around the world, their methodologies, and their relevance in specific countries. The perspective is grounded in extensive personal experience, including more than one hundred three-Michelin-star meals and several hundred starred visits worldwide. ## Major International Guides ### [Michelin Guide](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/) The most influential and widely recognised restaurant guide. **1 Star** – very good cooking **2 Stars** – excellent cooking, worth a detour **3 Stars** – exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey Michelin evaluates only the food: product quality, technique, flavour harmony, the personality of the chef, and consistency. [*See also: How Michelin Stars Compare to Other Guides*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/) ### Gault Millau A 20-point system, with 20 almost never awarded. Often more detailed and sometimes bolder in awarding high scores than Michelin. Strong in: Austria, Switzerland, France, Benelux, UAE. ### Repsol Guía Spain’s leading guide, awarding Soles (suns). Often identifies Spanish excellence earlier and more broadly than Michelin. Strong in: Spain and Portugal. ### Falstaff Originating in Austria, now international. Weighting: - 50% food - 20% wine - 20% service - 10% ambience This can produce high overall scores even when the kitchen is not at Michelin level. ### Gambero Rosso Italy’s central restaurant guide, awarding Forchette (forks). Highly respected for its understanding of regional Italian cuisine. ### [OAD – Opinionated About Dining](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-gault-millau-falstaff-repsol-oad-und-50-best/) A ranking derived from thousands of reviews by experienced diners. Often recognises innovative and modern kitchens earlier than Michelin. Strong in: Europe and the United States. ### [The World’s 50 Best Restaurants](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-explained/) A global ranking shaped by trends, visibility, and an international voting panel. Not directly comparable to Michelin in technical depth, but highly influential in global perception. ### Tabelog (Japan) Japan’s dominant restaurant rating platform, based on millions of user reviews. Extremely detailed and often more reflective of local opinion than Michelin. ## Relevant Guides by Country ### Austria - Michelin - Gault Millau - Falstaff ### Germany - Michelin - Gault Millau - Feinschmecker ### Switzerland - Michelin - Gault Millau ### France - Michelin - Gault Millau - Le Fooding ### Italy - Michelin - Gambero Rosso ### Spain & Portugal - Michelin - Repsol Guía ### Japan - Michelin - Tabelog ### United Kingdom - Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland - The Good Food Guide - Harden’s ### United States - Michelin Guide USA - James Beard Awards - OAD ### Dubai (United Arab Emirates) - Michelin Guide Dubai - Gault Millau UAE - What’s On Awards ### Sweden - Michelin - White Guide ### Australia - Good Food Guide (awarding Hats) - Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards - OAD ## Further Reading on The Fine Dining Journal Suggested articles: - How [Michelin Stars Compare to Other Guides](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-gault-millau-falstaff-repsol-oad-und-50-best/) - How the [World’s Restaurant Guides ](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/)Really Compare. - My visits to over 50 [three-Michelin-star restaurants ](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/) - [Aponiente](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/): Spain’s most singular three-star experience - [Le Clos des Sens](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-clos-des-sens-review-annecy-nature-led-michelin-3-star-tasting-menu/): herb-driven clarity in Annecy - Planning a three-star trip to Paris ## Conclusion Every guide measures excellence through its own cultural lens. Michelin remains the most important global benchmark, while systems such as Repsol, Gault Millau, Gambero Rosso, White Guide, and the Australian Hat system add crucial local context. Understanding how these guides operate provides a clearer view of the international fine dining landscape. This page serves as the central reference point for navigating restaurant guides worldwide and for exploring deeper analyses across The Fine Dining Journal. ### About the Author William Herbert URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/about-william-herbert/ Last updated: 2026-07-18T07:25:38.000Z ## A long-standing love for travel and food I have loved travelling and eating well for more than twenty-five years, and over time the meals became part of how I remember places. When I travel I am usually looking for a good meal, and it does not need to come from a famous kitchen. Sometimes it is very simple: a turbot grilled over charcoal outside a restaurant in a small Basque fishing village, or getting up at six in Hakodate for the sea urchin from the islands off Hokkaido that you only get in summer, or driving down to Zahara de los Atunes during the almadraba to eat tuna when it is at its best. It goes back a long way. I was maybe fourteen when an uncle who worked abroad came home from a trip to Lyon. A business partner had taken him to Paul Bocuse, and the way he described that dinner stayed with me for years. It was the first time I understood that French haute cuisine might be worth going out of my way for. ## An Austrian abroad with a global perspective I am Austrian, but I have lived abroad for a long time and my work is international. It still sends me around the world, and by now I have been to more than sixty countries. The places tend to blur after a while, but the meals stay clear. Over the years I have eaten at more than [fifty different three Michelin](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/) star restaurants, well over a hundred three star meals in all, plus hundreds more at one and two star level. I don't list these numbers to impress anyone. They are partly just a function of getting older, but they are also the reason I feel able to write the way I do, and they give the [FDJ Score](https://thefinediningjournal.com/rating-system/) something to measure against. I would not call myself an expert. I have just paid close attention, for a long time, to what makes a meal memorable. ## Why I started writing Friends and colleagues have asked me for restaurant and hotel recommendations for as long as I can remember. At some point it made sense to write these things down, partly so I would not forget them, and partly because a meal changes when you think about it afterwards. You eat more consciously the next time, and you notice more of what a chef is trying to do. Everything here comes from my own visits and my own notes. ## Context, not competition I don't believe in simple rankings. Cooking at this level is too varied for a table. The FDJ Score is a consistent point of reference rather than a league table, based on more than fifty visits to three star restaurants around the world, and it shows where a meal sits in ambition and execution. Honesty matters to me, and so does respect for the work behind every dish. ## Eating with others, and sometimes alone Most of the time I eat with friends or family, and those meals become shared memories. When I travel alone for work, I still look for the best table I can find and go on my own. Eating alone changes the experience. You notice more and follow the rhythm of a dining room more closely, and the food itself becomes clearer. ## Photography and discretion Every photograph on the site is mine. I like carrying a Leica M when I travel, but at the table I usually use an iPhone, which is quieter and less intrusive. I don't try to make the dishes look dramatic. I show them as they were. ## Writing under a quiet name I write as William Herbert because I prefer to keep this journal separate from my working life. A little distance makes the writing easier. I live in Europe and travel widely across it, but I go back to Asia whenever I can, especially Japan. The calm there and the care taken with food still shape how I look at dining everywhere else. ## Why I keep writing There is a reason behind this beyond habit. I used to go somewhere remarkable, eat, enjoy the evening, and then more or less let it go. At the three star level that felt like a waste. These restaurants are worth thinking about again after the evening is over, and writing about a visit is how I hold onto it and work out why it mattered. So I write a report after every visit. At some point, past my fortieth three star restaurant, I decided I wanted to visit all of them, every three star restaurant in the world. I don't know if I will manage it, and the list keeps changing. But I want to document the ones I reach. In a project like this the point is really the journey, not the finish. [The Fine Dining Journal](https://thefinediningjournal.com/) is a private, non-commercial site. I pay for my meals and book my own tables, and I come as an ordinary guest. Some of the meals I write about were elaborate and some very simple, but each one meant something at the time, and writing them down is how I understand why. *For an overview of my three-Michelin-star visits,* [*see this page*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/)*.* ### FDJ Rating System URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/rating-system/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T19:59:58.000Z The Fine Dining Journal evaluates restaurants using a 5.0–10.0 scale, in steps of 0.5. Scores reflect flavor, product quality, craftsmanship, harmony, emotion and the overall dining experience. Michelin star levels are given only as a reference point; the FDJ rating is independent and personal. ## 10.0 • Theoretical perfection A conceptual ideal of flawless cuisine and dining experience. Not awarded so far. ## 9.5 • International pinnacle Rare harmony, depth and precision. Multiple unforgettable dishes and a complete world-class experience. Represents the highest dining experiences I have had to date. ## 9.0 • World-class three-star level Profound flavor, technical mastery and emotional impact. A distinctive and confident culinary signature. ## 8.5 • Solid three-star level Excellent products, precise execution and a coherent, mature kitchen. Consistently outstanding. ## 8.0 • Entry to three-star territory High technical standard and excellent ingredients. Also used for very strong two-star restaurants approaching three stars, or for a weaker night in a genuine three-star that remains objectively exceptional. ## 7.5 • High two-star level Refined dishes, excellent product work and several highlights. Close to three stars or exceptional mastery in a single discipline. ## 7.0 • Solid two-star level Very good, precise cooking with clear flavors and high-quality ingredients. ## 6.5 • High one-star level Clean execution and well-structured dishes. Above everyday dining but not yet two-star refinement. ## 6.0 • Simple one-star level Good, solid cooking with correct technique and enjoyable flavors. ## 5.5 • Good, not starred Reliable, tasty and well-made, without fine-dining ambition. ## 5.0 • Simple good food Pleasant and correct but without depth, refinement or a defined culinary idea. ## Below 5.0 A restaurant I would not recommend and would not return to unless absolutely necessary. Establishments in this range will not be featured on this site. ### Notes on Scoring Cooking quality determines most of the score; service and hospitality complete it. A single extraordinary dish can lift a restaurant up to 7.5. More courses do not guarantee a higher rating. The setting counts as part of the experience. Lunch over the sea at Cassis, the terrace at Les Baux, the dining room at Le Gabriel in Paris: the room changes the meal, and I score the meal I ate. ### How to Get a Table at the Best Three Michelin Star Restaurants URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/how-to-get-a-table-at-three-michelin-star-restaurants/ Last updated: 2026-02-07T20:00:25.000Z Surprisingly, **most three Michelin star restaurants are fairly easy to book**. If you plan a bit ahead, even the very best three star restaurants can usually be reserved without much difficulty. The real challenge is limited to a relatively small group of restaurants — and not always because they are objectively better, but because they are **heavily hyped**. In other words, scarcity at the three-star level is often driven by demand, media attention, and narrative — not by the absolute level of cooking. This guide by The Fine Dining Journal explains **how to get a table at the best three Michelin star restaurants**, based on extensive first-hand experience. I have visited more than **50 different three Michelin star restaurants** and eaten **well over 100 times at this level**. The advice below reflects how reservations actually work in practice. --- ## Why Most Three Michelin Star Restaurants Are Easier Than You Think Three Michelin stars represent maturity and consistency. Most restaurants at this level operate with: - structured reservation systems - predictable booking windows - a balance between regular guests and international visitors If you: - book when reservations open - are flexible on dates and times - accept lunch instead of dinner you will succeed far more often than expected. The real difficulty concentrates on a **small, very visible subset** of globally hyped restaurants. --- ## Core Rules for Booking the Best Three Michelin Star Restaurants ### Plan Ahead (This Solves Most Problems) Most three star restaurants release tables: - 30, 60, or 90 days in advance - at a clearly defined local time Missing the release by minutes can matter. Missing it by weeks rarely does — if you plan ahead. ### Lunch Is the Single Most Effective Strategy If you are searching **how to get a table at three Michelin star restaurants**, lunch is the answer in many cases. - fewer regulars - less corporate dining - identical cuisine in most restaurants ### Flexibility Beats Status Flexibility in: - weekdays - party size - season is far more powerful than name-dropping or influence. ### Luxury Hotels Help — Discreetly Top-end hotels can assist, particularly in: - [Paris](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) - Italy - Spain - Copenhagen - Japan Concierges do not invent tables, but they often access **late releases and cancellations**. --- ## Restaurant-Specific Booking Reality ### Noma One of the few three star restaurants where difficulty is structural. **How to get a table at Noma** - reservations open only a few times per year - dining periods are seasonal and fixed - lunch is marginally easier than dinner - flexibility across weeks is essential --- ### Le Bernardin A classic with a rational and professional booking system. **How to get a table at Le Bernardin** - book exactly at release time - lunch availability is usually good - solo diners have strong chances - hotel concierges are effective --- ### [Plénitude](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/) A small dining room with intense demand. This is the most difficult restaurant in Paris to book. **How to get a table at Plénitude** - book around 6 months in advance - staying at Cheval Blanc Paris helps - lunch is noticeably easier - flexibility across dates is essential - persistence matters --- ### [Le Gabriel](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/) Demand fluctuates with season and awards. **How to get a table at Le Gabriel** - mid-week reservations are realistic - lunch is often overlooked - Paris luxury hotel concierges can help --- ### [Aponiente](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) Geography works strongly in your favor. **How to get a table at Aponiente** - plan the trip around the reservation - avoid Spanish holiday peaks - weekdays are usually accessible - long-term planning works well --- ### DiverXO One of the most hyped three star restaurants in Europe. **How to get a table at DiverXO** - tables sell out within seconds - be online before release time - lunch offers slightly better odds - cancellations happen, but require fast reaction --- ### El Celler de Can Roca Famously booked out, but transparent. **How to get a table at El Celler de Can Roca** - reservations open once per month - book immediately - lunch and weekdays improve odds - long-term calendar discipline is required --- ### Da Vittorio Relationship-driven rather than hype-driven. **How to get a table at Da Vittorio** - lunch is significantly easier - Italian weekdays help - stay at the hotel they operate - polite direct contact often works --- ### [Steirereck](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/) One of the most rational booking systems at three-star level. **How to get a table at Steirereck** - online reservations are reliable - lunch availability is strong - solo diners are welcome - cancellations appear regularly --- ### [Haerlin](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/) Internationally underrated, locally respected. **How to get a table at Haerlin** - book ahead for weekends - lunch is usually available - hotel connections help but are not required --- ## How to Get a Reservation at Top Three Michelin Star Restaurants in Japan Japan is different. For English-speaking visitors, reservations at top-end Japanese restaurants are often **far more difficult** than in Europe or the US — not because of demand alone, but because of language, culture, and reservation customs. If you are wondering **how to book Sukiyabashi Jiro**, **how to book Kanda**, **how to book Narisawa**, or **how to book Den in Tokyo**, you are not alone. These are among the most searched Japanese fine-dining reservations by international visitors, largely because the booking process is opaque, language barriers are real, and direct reservations are often restricted or unavailable to non-Japanese guests. In practice, securing a table at **Sukiyabashi Jiro**, **Kanda**, **Narisawa**, or **Den** usually requires either a trusted Japanese concierge service or the assistance of a top luxury hotel concierge — both of which understand local reservation etiquette and have established relationships. ### The Two Strategies That Actually Work in Japan #### 1\. Japanese Concierge Booking Services (Prepaid, High Fees) For many top restaurants, the most reliable method is using specialized Japanese concierge services. These usually require: - full prepayment - service fees that can be substantial Well-known services include: - Pocket Concierge - Omakase - TableAll These services work — but they are expensive and inflexible. #### 2\. Staying at a Top Luxury Hotel and Using the Concierge In Japan, hotel concierges still carry real weight, especially at: - Mandarin Oriental Tokyo - Aman Tokyo - The Peninsula Tokyo - Four Seasons Tokyo You must: - stay at the hotel - contact the concierge early - be flexible For many visitors, this is the most elegant solution. --- ## What Does Not Help - Instagram messages - PR emails - mentioning birthdays or anniversaries - name-dropping without an established relationship These approaches are largely ignored at this level. --- ## Final Thoughts: How to Get a Table at the Best Three Michelin Star Restaurants If you are searching **how to get a table at the best three Michelin star restaurants**, the reality is simpler than most guides suggest: - most three star restaurants are bookable - a small number are hyped and difficult - planning and flexibility beat privilege Three Michelin stars signal excellence — not inaccessibility. --- *All visits referenced are paid visits. No invitations. No paid placements.* ## Posts ### Schwarzwaldstube Baiersbronn Review: A German Three-Star Institution Rebuilt URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/schwarzwaldstube-baiersbronn-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:57:00.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## **Review** Baiersbronn is a small town deep in Germany’s Black Forest, roughly 90 minutes by car from Stuttgart Airport. For most travellers that would make it an unlikely destination. For anyone interested in fine dining, it is quite the opposite. Two three-Michelin-star restaurants, [Restaurant Bareiss](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-bareiss-review-baiersbronn/) and Schwarzwaldstube, sit only a few kilometres apart. We managed both on the same day. After a long lunch at Bareiss, we walked through the forest before arriving at Schwarzwaldstube at 8pm. Twelve hours containing two full three-star tasting menus sounds excessive even by my standards, but the comparison turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of the trip. ![view from room at Hotel Traube Tonbach](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Blick-Traube-Tonbach-1.jpeg) View from the room at Traube Tonbach Schwarzwaldstube belongs to the Traube Tonbach, the historic luxury hotel that began as an inn in 1789 and remains in the hands of the Finkbeiner family. We were staying in the hotel, which Michelin awards three Keys, its highest hotel distinction. That becomes a considerable advantage at the end of a four-hour dinner. The restaurant itself is one of the institutions of German gastronomy. Schwarzwaldstube opened in 1977, Harald Wohlfahrt became head chef in 1980, and in 1993 it received the three Michelin stars it would hold for decades. Wohlfahrt’s influence extends well beyond Baiersbronn. A generation of German chefs passed through this kitchen before leading important restaurants of their own. Torsten Michel represents continuity rather than a break with that history. He joined Schwarzwaldstube in 2004 and took over as head chef in 2017\. That continuity matters, particularly given what happened to the restaurant around him. ## **Location & Atmosphere** In January 2020, a fire completely destroyed the historic main building containing Schwarzwaldstube. The restaurant initially continued in a temporary building and regained its three Michelin stars there in 2021\. In 2022, the rebuilt main house opened on the original site. ![Exterior view of Schwarzwaldstube](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-exterior-1.jpeg) Restaurant exterior The new Schwarzwaldstube feels markedly more contemporary than the restaurant’s history might suggest. High ceilings, extensive glazing, warm wood and a restrained interior give the room a lighter, more modern character. Coming directly from Bareiss made that contrast particularly noticeable. The service followed a similar line. It remained highly professional but felt contemporary rather than ceremonially formal. Pacing was excellent throughout the almost four-hour dinner. There was never a sense of being hurried, but equally no period when the evening stalled. Chef sommelier Stéphane Gass, an Alsatian who has worked at Schwarzwaldstube since 1990, brought considerable personality to the wine service. During the evening he spoke unusually openly about the commercial side of building and maintaining a wine list. It was an interesting perspective. Great wine programmes are often discussed only in terms of vintages, producers and terroir, while the economic reality of buying, cellaring and selling these bottles is left politely out of view. Torsten Michel came to the table towards the end of the evening to greet us, a simple gesture but one that completed the sense of a restaurant still personally connected to its guests. ## **Culinary Style** The menu makes the restaurant’s heritage immediately clear. Michel cooks from a classical French foundation, but the plates do not feel trapped in the period when Schwarzwaldstube first became famous. We chose **Tasting Menu II**, the longer seven-course menu, priced at **€385**. There was also a shorter six-course menu at the same price using several more overt luxury ingredients, including Wagyu, as well as a vegetarian menu. A proper à la carte selection contains additional dishes not simply extracted from the tasting menus. That choice itself says something about the restaurant. Schwarzwaldstube still allows guests to dine in several different ways rather than treating one fixed procession as the only legitimate expression of the kitchen. ## **Menu / The Dishes** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Amuse-Bouche-1.jpeg) Amuse bouches A series of amuse-bouches opened the evening before the first formal course. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-salad-1.jpeg) Salad of rocket tips, venison and chanterelles The tasting menu began with a salad of **rocket tips, roasted saddle of local venison, braised shoulder, a small offal croûton, chanterelles and a truffle marinade with coarse mustard**. What made the dish work was not simply the quality of the venison but the construction around it. Leaves, meat, mushrooms and the small croûton brought different temperatures and textures into the same plate. It ate almost like a highly elaborate salad, but one with enough depth from the venison and offal to make it unmistakably a first course rather than an introduction. ![Langoustine at Schwarzwaldstube](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Langoustine-1.jpeg) Langoustine Next came a **large Norwegian langoustine on crisp macadamia couscous, vegetable croustillant with coriander and shellfish dipping sauce**. The langoustine was cooked exactly to the point where its texture remained firm but yielding. Fine strips of crisp vegetable added contrast without obscuring the shellfish. There was a coincidence here that would be almost impossible to arrange deliberately. We had eaten langoustine at Bareiss only hours earlier. Asked to choose which restaurant produced the better version, I could not. Both were superb. Rather than settling a competition between the two restaurants, the comparison demonstrated how high the level is in both kitchens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Salmon-1.jpeg) Salmon The **Faroese salmon** followed, **served with crisp skin over pulled salmon belly, braised lamb tail, spicy pepper chutney and a bouillon made from grilled salmon heads. A generous spoonful of caviar sat with it.** The salmon itself was excellent, the skin properly crisp against the richer flesh underneath. The combination with salmon belly and a broth based on grilled heads pushed the dish towards concentration rather than delicacy. This was not salmon treated as a neutral canvas. Michel wanted the entire plate to taste emphatically of the fish. ![Pigeon at Schwarzwaldstube](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Taube-1.jpeg) Alsatian pigeon The meat course was **grilled Alsatian pigeon breast with liquorice and cardamom, a small crisp köfte, carrots with oriental spices and pigeon jus scented with Arabica coffee and black lime**. The pigeon was notably tender. Around it, the seasoning moved well beyond traditional French garnish, particularly through the black lime, coffee and cardamom. Yet the structure of the plate remained fundamentally classical: properly cooked bird, garnish and a serious jus. That combination of a conservative framework with more contemporary seasoning is a useful shorthand for much of Michel’s cooking. ![cheese selection at Schwarzwaldstube](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Cheese-1.jpeg) Cheese selection from the trolley Then came one of the great rituals that Schwarzwaldstube has sensibly refused to abandon: the **cheese trolley from Maître Affineur Antony**. Rather than build one mixed plate, we asked for three separate selections, one each for cow, sheep and goat cheeses. It turned cheese into a small tasting within the tasting menu and gave the course a clarity that a crowded single plate often lacks. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Rum-Rosineneiscreme-1.jpeg) Rum and raisin ice cream dessert Dessert began with **rum and raisin ice cream, caramelised walnuts, cinnamon sablé, Bühler plums in spiced syrup and Zibärtle ganache**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Birnen-Wacholdersorbet-1.jpeg) Pear and juniper sorbet dessert The final dessert paired **pear and juniper sorbet with tamarillo compote, muscovado baba, tamarillo jus and muscovado crumble**. I remember the savoury sequence much more clearly than these two desserts, and it would be artificial to reconstruct detailed tasting impressions that have not stayed with me. What the menu descriptions do show is that the pastry section continued the restaurant’s preference for recognisable flavours built into relatively complex compositions. ## **Wine** We ordered bottles rather than taking a formal pairing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Schwarzwaldstube-Wines-1.jpeg) Wines of the evening We began with **Champagne Tarlant 2002 Prestige Millésime L’Étincelante**, an unusual mature grower Champagne made from 57% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir and 14% Meunier. At the restaurant we were told that our bottle had spent 21 years on its lees before disgorgement. Tarlant has released different disgorgements of the 2002 vintage, so the precise figure varies by release, but prolonged lees ageing is central to the character of this wine. A **2018 Keller Hubacker Riesling** followed, from one of Germany’s most sought-after Riesling producers. The most unconventional bottle was **L’Anglore Tavel 2017 from Eric Pfifferling**. Anyone expecting the pale colour and delicate profile associated with Provence rosé would be looking at the wrong model. Tavel can behave almost like a light red wine, and Pfifferling pushes that identity further. It had enough substance to work across several dishes rather than serving merely as an aperitif, which made it a particularly useful restaurant wine. For red we chose **Bernhard Huber 2018 Wildenstein Spätburgunder**. Wildenstein is a tiny VDP.Grosse Lage within the Bienenberg vineyard in Malterdingen, planted on weathered red shell limestone. Huber is one of the benchmark names for German Pinot Noir, and Wildenstein sits at the top of the estate’s hierarchy. It was an appropriate bottle for the pigeon and also a reminder that a German three-star meal does not require looking to Burgundy for every serious Pinot Noir. ## **Two Houses, One Classical Language** Eating at Bareiss and Schwarzwaldstube within the same twelve hours made comparison unavoidable, but ranking them against each other would miss the point. The new Schwarzwaldstube feels more modern. Part of that is the architecture forced upon it by the 2020 fire, part of it is the tone of service, and part comes from Michel’s use of ingredients and seasoning. Bareiss carries its traditions more visibly. Yet once the plates arrive, the distance between the two kitchens becomes smaller. Both are built on a classical European understanding of luxury dining: excellent products, exact cooking, sauces with real depth, formal menu progression, serious wine service and traditions such as the cheese trolley. Neither restaurant is trying to dismantle the idea of haute cuisine. Their personalities differ, but they speak much the same culinary language. That is also the first reservation about Schwarzwaldstube. Anyone travelling here expecting the rebuild to have produced a radically new culinary identity may be surprised. The room has changed more dramatically than the fundamentals of the cooking. The second limitation is connected to the first. At €385 before wine, this is a restaurant operating at the very top of the market, yet its pleasures are primarily those of refinement and execution rather than surprise. The best dishes were superb, particularly the langoustine, salmon and pigeon, but the menu did not need to prove its modernity through constant novelty. Depending on what you want from a three-star restaurant, that can be either reassuring or a constraint. For another German interpretation of contemporary French-based three-star cooking, my ⁠[Restaurant Haerlin review](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/) offers an interesting comparison. ⁠[Tohru in der Schreiberei in Munich](https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/) takes the classical foundation in a distinctly Japanese direction. ## **Verdict** Schwarzwaldstube delivered an outstanding dinner. The langoustine, salmon and pigeon were all firmly at three-star level, the wine programme has both depth and personality, and the almost four-hour service passed with remarkable ease. At the end of it, it was difficult to believe that we had eaten two substantial three-star tasting menus within twelve hours. Its principal limitation is also part of its identity. Despite the new building and more contemporary atmosphere, the cooking remains rooted in the same tradition of classical French haute cuisine as Bareiss. Guests looking primarily for experimentation may find other three-star restaurants more provocative. But I would not choose between the two Baiersbronn institutions. If you travel this far into the Black Forest for food, make time for both. Walk through the forest from one to the other if circumstances allow, and stay at Traube Tonbach afterwards. After seven courses, several bottles and almost four hours at the table, having only a short walk to bed is a luxury worth appreciating. --- **Location:** Baiersbronn, Black Forest, Germany **Chef:** Torsten Michel **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** October 2026 **Menu:** Tasting Menu II, seven courses, €385 **Disclosure:** Booked and paid for as a regular guest. ### Restaurant Bareiss: Classical Grande Cuisine in the Black Forest URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-bareiss-review-baiersbronn/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T18:59:36.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (World-Class Three-Star Level)** ## **Review** Baiersbronn is a small town deep in Germany’s Black Forest, but for anyone interested in serious restaurants it occupies an improbable position on the map. Two three-Michelin-star restaurants are located here: Restaurant Bareiss and the Schwarzwaldstube at Hotel Traube Tonbach. I came to Restaurant Bareiss for lunch with friends in October 2026 and chose Claus-Peter Lumpp’s full seven-course tasting menu, priced at €350\. A shorter lunch menu was available, but having travelled to Baiersbronn specifically to eat here, there was little reason to abbreviate the experience. That experience lasted around four and a half hours. It never felt long. This matters because Bareiss belongs to a type of restaurant that has become increasingly rare. The meal is generous rather than reduced, sauces matter, game arrives in two services, cheese comes from a trolley and the end of lunch seems capable of extending almost indefinitely through pâtisserie, chocolates and pralines. None of this feels designed to follow contemporary fine-dining fashion. After more than one hundred visits to three-star restaurants, that in itself has become unusual. Bareiss does not feel as if it is trying to revive the grand European restaurant. It simply never stopped being one. ## **Location & Atmosphere** Restaurant Bareiss sits inside Hotel Bareiss in Mitteltal, part of Baiersbronn, surrounded by the wooded hills of the northern Black Forest. The hotel itself holds three Michelin Keys, Michelin’s highest hotel distinction. The dining room reflects the wider character of the house. It is formal, comfortable and unmistakably classical, with white linen and a style of service that gives the meal a sense of occasion without turning it into ceremony for its own sake. More important was the warmth behind that formality. We felt genuinely welcome. Four and a half hours at a lunch table can expose weaknesses in pacing very quickly, yet the afternoon remained easy and entertaining throughout. The service also had personality. At one point one of the sommeliers told us how, when the restaurant was closed during the pandemic, members of the team had gone to work in a vineyard. It was the sort of conversation that makes an experienced dining room feel human rather than rehearsed. Then there were the trolleys. Cheese, pâtisserie, confiserie: Bareiss still embraces tableside abundance at a time when many restaurants have moved in the opposite direction. ## **Culinary Style** Claus-Peter Lumpp has led the kitchen at Restaurant Bareiss since March 1992\. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 1984, its second in 1985 and its third in 2007\. That third star has remained ever since. Michelin also presented Lumpp with its Mentor Chef Award in 2025. His cooking is grounded in classical French haute cuisine. Excellent ingredients are cooked accurately, but the defining feature is often what surrounds them: reductions, glazes and sauces with concentration and depth. There are international references. Garam masala appears with cauliflower, for example, and the opening sequence includes a vegetarian maki. Yet these elements never suggest a kitchen trying to reinvent itself according to the prevailing fashion. That separates Bareiss from many of Germany’s other three-star restaurants. [Haerlin in Hamburg](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/), for example, has evolved towards an increasingly refined modern expression of French cooking, while [Tohru in der Schreiberei](https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/) builds its identity from a dialogue between French and Japanese traditions. Bareiss seems less interested in evolution as a virtue in itself. ## **Menu / The Dishes** The meal opened with an **Apéro Étagère**, including a small onion tart and a vegetarian maki alongside two further bites that I no longer remember clearly. Rather than reconstructing them from a menu, I will leave the memory where it is. What remains more clearly is the impression of generosity from the outset. Cold and warm amuse-bouches followed. The warm course included a lobster raviolo, already pointing towards the style of cooking that would dominate lunch: classical technique and concentrated flavour rather than minimalism. ![Variation of Foie Gras at Restaurant Bareiss ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Fois-Gras-1.jpeg) Variation of Foie Gras ### **Variation of Foie Gras** *Fragolino grapes and black walnuts* The actual course was a variation of foie gras with Fragolino grapes and black walnuts. Three preparations arrived together: warm pan-fried foie gras, terrine and mousse. It was an unapologetically classical plate, rich in both conception and execution. The black walnuts gave it a more distinctive autumnal edge. Made from walnuts harvested while still green and preserved until they become dark, sweet, spiced and slightly tannic, they cut through some of the richness. The Fragolino grapes added fruit and freshness. Nothing about the dish attempted to disguise the nature of foie gras. Bareiss served it with conviction and allowed contrast to come from the accompaniments. ![Sautéed Langoustine at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Langousite-1.jpeg) Langoustine ### **Sautéed Langoustine** *Pumpkin, verbena and crustacean glaze* The sautéed langoustine came with pumpkin, verbena and a crustacean glaze. Langoustine is an ingredient that leaves very little margin for error. Its flesh contains highly active protein-breaking enzymes, and if the cooking is mishandled the texture can quickly turn soft and almost mushy rather than firm and succulent. Here the timing was exact. The langoustine retained that delicate, slightly translucent texture that makes Kaisergranat so appealing, while still having enough structure to carry the concentrated crustacean glaze. The crustacean glaze supplied the depth. This was one of several moments during lunch when the sauce was not merely an accompaniment but an essential part of the dish. ![Crispy Sea Bass at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Sea-Bass-1-1.jpeg) Sea Bass ### **Crispy Sea Bass** *Smoked corn, cassis and sour cream* Sea bass followed with smoked corn, cassis and sour cream. Again, the cooking of the main ingredient was excellent. The skin was properly crisp while the flesh remained moist. Smoked corn, cassis and sour cream could easily have pulled the dish in too many directions, but the supporting elements remained sufficiently controlled for the fish to stay at the centre. It was accomplished rather than startling, which also describes one of my reservations about the menu as a whole. The technical standard was extremely high, but not every plate left an equally strong individual memory. ![Cauliflower at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Cauliflower-1.jpeg) Cauliflower ### **Cauliflower** *Chickpea, date, cashew nuts and Garam Masala sauce* The cauliflower with chickpea, date, cashew nuts and Garam Masala sauce was the clearest departure from the French-classical line. After lunch Lumpp came to our table and stayed for some time. When we discussed this course, he said, with considerable amusement, that he finds cauliflower on its own rather boring and therefore believes it needs substantial seasoning. He certainly provided it. The Garam Masala sauce gave the course warmth and intensity, while chickpea, date and cashew pushed it towards an explicitly Indian flavour profile. In another menu it might have felt disconnected. Here its role was almost to interrupt the succession of classical luxury before the main course. ### **Venison from the Bareiss Hunt** The main course was **Reh aus der Bareiss-Jagd**, served in two stages. ![Roasted Saddle of Venison at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Venison-1.jpeg) Roasted Saddle of Venison #### **Roasted Saddle of Venison** *Maitake, celeriac and lemon thyme* First came roasted saddle of venison with maitake, celeriac and lemon thyme. The meat was beautifully cooked and the flavour of the venison remained the focus rather than disappearing beneath its garnishes. #### **Venison Medallion Poached in Red Wine** *Wild mushroom ragout and peach* A second plate followed: a venison medallion poached in red wine with wild mushroom ragout and peach. Serving game in two preparations feels almost anachronistically generous today, which is exactly why it worked here. This was a main course in the traditional sense, not merely the final savoury plate before dessert. It had weight and a sense of arrival. ![Cheese selection at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Cheese-Cart-1.jpeg) Cheese selection ### **Cheese Selection from the Trolley** Cheese was presented from a traditional Christofle trolley. The distinction is more important than it sounds. Instead of receiving three predetermined pieces arranged by the kitchen, we could look, discuss and choose. The trolley turns cheese back into a conversation between guest and dining room, one of several small rituals Bareiss has chosen not to discard. ![Mascarpone Mousse at Restaurant Bareiss](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Mascarpone-Moussse-1.jpeg) Mascarpone Mousse ### **Mascarpone Mousse** *Apple, sea buckthorn, Sternrenette-Hibiscus sauce and apple tart* Dessert combined mascarpone mousse, apple and sea buckthorn with Sternrenette apple and hibiscus sauce and an apple tart. After foie gras, langoustine, sea bass, spiced cauliflower, two preparations of venison and cheese, its fresher character was welcome. Apple and sea buckthorn brought enough acidity to pull the menu away from its earlier richness. Then came the friandises, although at Bareiss that description understates what happens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-desserts-1.jpeg) Pâtisserie trolley A pâtisserie trolley appeared with small cakes, tartlets and pastries. We also decided that being in the Black Forest and leaving without eating **Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte** would be unnecessarily disciplined, so we ordered a slice separately. It was not part of the tasting menu. Finally another trolley arrived with handmade chocolates and pralines. By then the restaurant had been feeding us for several hours. Bareiss still seemed prepared to continue. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/10/Bareiss-Wines-1.jpeg) ## **Wine** We drank three bottles over lunch rather than taking a formal wine pairing: **Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2007** **Weingut Wöhrle Teufelslochgasse Chardonnay GG 2023** **Weingut Heitlinger Wormsberg Pinot Noir GG 2010** The progression worked particularly well for this style of food. Blanc des Millénaires provided the opening maturity and depth, before the Baden Chardonnay moved naturally towards the richer seafood courses. The mature Heitlinger Pinot Noir was the most obvious match for the latter part of the menu. By the time the venison arrived, the 2010 had enough development to meet the mushrooms and red-wine-poached meat without overwhelming them. There was also something appropriate about ending a Black Forest lunch with mature Baden Spätburgunder. ## **When Being Old-Fashioned Becomes Distinctive** Restaurants often talk about having an identity. Bareiss demonstrates what that means when the identity has been built over decades rather than devised as a concept. Parts of the meal undoubtedly feel old-fashioned. Three preparations of foie gras, game in two services, substantial sauces and multiple trolleys do not represent the dominant direction of contemporary fine dining. Someone looking primarily for lightness, radical reduction or constant novelty may find parts of the experience dated. That is a genuine limitation, but also the central contradiction of Bareiss. I have eaten in enough three-star restaurants where modernity is expressed through smaller portions, more courses, fermented ingredients and increasingly abstract plating that the absence of those signals can itself feel refreshing. Bareiss does not need to demonstrate relevance every few minutes. The stronger comparison is with houses such as [Le Louis XV in Monaco](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/), another restaurant where classical luxury remains meaningful when technique and hospitality are strong enough to support it. The difference is geographical and cultural. Ducasse expresses Mediterranean grandeur in Monte Carlo; Lumpp’s version belongs unmistakably to a grand Black Forest hotel. Bareiss is therefore not compelling because it preserves the past unchanged. It is compelling because the old format still works. ## **Verdict** Restaurant Bareiss delivered a world-class three-star lunch. The cooking was consistently precise, the ingredients excellent and the hospitality unusually generous. The langoustine, the venison sequence and the depth of the sauces showed why Claus-Peter Lumpp has remained at this level for so long, while the four-and-a-half-hour service passed without feeling remotely laborious. The reservation is that the same traditionalism giving Bareiss its identity can occasionally make the food feel more accomplished than surprising. Some combinations and presentations belong unmistakably to an earlier vocabulary of haute cuisine, and not every course created the emotional impact of the strongest plates. For diners seeking relentless novelty, this may not be the obvious three-star restaurant to choose. For anyone interested in classical European grand dining, however, Restaurant Bareiss is absolutely worth the journey. It offers something increasingly difficult to find: not a nostalgic reconstruction of grande cuisine, but a restaurant that has simply continued practising it at an exceptionally high level. ## **A Walk to the Next Three-Star Dinner** After four and a half hours at the table, some exercise felt less like an option than a necessity. Rather than drive to our next destination, we left Hotel Bareiss on foot and walked through the forest towards Hotel Traube Tonbach. The route took us past the **Wanderhütte Sattelei**, Bareiss’s hiking hut above Mitteltal, before continuing through the forest towards the Tonbach valley. The walk took a little over an hour and proved to be an unusually pleasant way to bridge two meals. There cannot be many places where you can finish lunch at one three-Michelin-star restaurant, walk through the countryside for an hour and arrive at another. That is part of what makes Baiersbronn so unusual. These are not two restaurants in the same major city. They sit in neighbouring valleys in the Black Forest, close enough to reach each other on foot. We also had a reason not to take too long. At **8 p.m.**, our next reservation was waiting at the [**Schwarzwaldstube**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/schwarzwaldstube-baiersbronn-review/). After four and a half hours at Bareiss, another three-star dinner on the same day was perhaps not the most restrained piece of scheduling. The walk through the forest, at least, gave us a little time to prepare. --- **Location:** Baiersbronn-Mitteltal, Black Forest, Germany **Chef:** Claus-Peter Lumpp **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** October 2026 **Menu:** Seven-course Degustationsmenü, €350 **Disclosure:** Booked and paid for as a regular guest. ## ### Provence and the Côte d'Azur: Seven of the Eight Three-Star Restaurants URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/provence-and-the-cote-dazur-three-star-restaurants/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T14:46:40.000Z France and Monaco have thirty-one three-Michelin-star restaurants in the 2026 guide. Nine are in Paris. Eight are strung along a two-hundred-kilometre arc from the limestone of Les Baux to the Italian border at Menton: the second densest concentration in the country, and unlike Paris it is a coastline with a hinterland attached. I have eaten at seven: **La Vague d'Or** in Saint-Tropez, **Mirazur** in Menton, **La Villa Madie** in Cassis, **L'Oustau de Baumanière** in Les Baux, **Le Louis XV** in Monaco, **Le Petit Nice** in Marseille and **La Table du Castellet** in the Var. The eighth, AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, I have not. I have added one two-star house, La Chèvre d'Or in Èze, because on this coast it earns its place. Monaco is a sovereign state, published inside the French guide since the beginning, and it belongs here in every way except the passport. Les Baux and Le Castellet are inland. The arc is real; the label is a compromise. --- # La Vague d'Or, Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez **FDJ Score: 9.5/10 (International Pinnacle)** La Vague d'Or is the best restaurant on this coast, and for years it was my answer to a bigger question: whenever somebody asked me for the best three-star meal I had eaten anywhere, I named this house. Arnaud Donckele's cuisine is built on sauces: broths, emulsions and infusions that carry most of the flavour on the plate. The dish I still remember whole from September 2017 is seared langoustine with grapefruit, charred broccoletti, citrus basil, aloe vera, hassaku orange and an olive oil infused with grilled prawn heads. Three citrus registers, a bitter green, and fat carrying the taste of a part of the animal you never see on a plate. ![Amuse-bouche at La Vague d'Or](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/IMG_3263-2-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouche The setting is part of the meal. Dinner begins on the lawn in the garden of the Cheval Blanc, with the beach and the water in front of you, and moves indoors for the main part of the menu. Almost every restaurant on this list has a view; this is the only one that walks you through it first. ![Seared langoustine at La Vague d'Or](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/APC_1317-1-1.jpeg) Seared langoustine Donckele also runs [Plénitude](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/) in Paris, a separate restaurant with its own menu, and in season he still cooks in both houses himself, commuting weekly. I gave Plénitude the same 9.5 in 2025, my highest score anywhere. My Saint-Tropez visit is nine years old now, and I will revisit the number when I go back. **Why go.** The best food on the coast in its most beautiful setting. If you only do one of the eight, this is the one. # Mirazur, Menton **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (World-Class Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Mirazur Menton Review, 20th Anniversary Menu by Mauro Colagreco and Ferran Adrià*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/) ![View from Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Mirazur-1-1.jpeg) Mirazur sits above Menton at the Italian border, with a dining room that opens across the Mediterranean. It is currently the most interesting restaurant on this list. For the twentieth anniversary, Mauro Colagreco wrote the menu jointly with Ferran Adrià, and the two signatures sit side by side all evening: some plates come from Colagreco's gardens, others clearly from the elBulli tradition. At our dinner in April 2026 that meant a three-year-old beetroot with cream and caviar, peas served three ways, and whitebait arranged as if swimming away from a spoonful of caviar they had just hatched from. ![whitebait with caviar at Mirazur](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Whitebait-with-caviar-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Whitebait with caviar The welcome was the warmest of any house on this list. Before dinner we were taken into the kitchen, where Colagreco greeted us himself, and then into a small exhibition room where the team showed us six months of sketches on rethinking the guest experience. Diego Masciaga, after thirty years at the Waterside Inn, is currently shaping the service. The score stops at 9.0 because a menu built on two authors occasionally loses a plate to the concept. That is also the reason to go now rather than in five years. **Why go.** To see a chef reinventing his restaurant at the height of its reputation, with a menu that will not exist again. Book about four months ahead, and arrive in daylight for the view. # La Villa Madie, Cassis **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (World-Class Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Villa Madie Review, Three Michelin Stars Above the Water at Cassis*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-villa-madie-review-cassis/) ![View from La Villa Madie](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/IMG_7934-1.jpeg) View from La Villa Madie La Villa Madie serves the best single dish I have eaten this year. Lou esquinado: crab in a cold broth of its own shells, topped with an ice cream made from the meat in the head, which melts down through the broth and pulls the concentrated, faintly bitter depth of the animal into all that clarity, with warm crab-butter madeleines alongside. I would have ordered it twice. ![Crab dish at La Villa Madie](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Crab-La-Villa-Madie-2-1.jpeg) Crab with crab head ice cream at La Villa Madie The restaurant sits in a cove under the Cap Canaille, twenty minutes from Marseille, and the terrace looks over pine trees straight onto the water. Dimitri Droisneau, a Norman who trained under Bernard Pacaud at L'Ambroisie, took the third star in 2022\. His food is built from what lives in the water below the terrace, which is why the pigeon course was my one complaint of the lunch: autumn food at two in the afternoon in July. Six courses, €295. **Why go.** For the best cooking-with-a-view combination on the coast: the food is the equal of what is in front of it, which almost nowhere manages. Go at lunch in terrace season; on a dark evening you lose a real part of what you are paying for. # L'Oustau de Baumanière, Les Baux-de-Provence **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Solid Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: L'Oustau de Baumanière Review, Three Michelin Stars Beneath Les Baux-de-Provence*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/) ![L'Oustau de Baumanière](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Pool-1.jpeg) Baumanière is the classic French country restaurant in its purest surviving form: a Provençal hotel beneath the limestone of Les Baux, lunch by the pool, dinner on the terrace starting in golden hour. Glenn Viel holds the third star. The Flânerie menu is eight courses at €285, with a €120 wine pairing that is honest value at this level. The razor clams, bundled tight and standing in a rich maritime sauce, were the best dish of our dinner, and the crêpe soufflée with Grand Marnier has been served here for fifty years in memory of founder Raymond Thuilier. ![Razor clams at L'Oustau de Baumanière](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-Baumaniere-Racor-Clams-2-1.jpeg) Razor Clams, Their Toes in the Water This is also the one house here I can measure against itself. We first came in April 2014, without a reservation, with a seven-year-old and a three-year-old, and the kitchen cooked our daughter a proper meal. Twelve years later Viel came to the table and listened to the same daughter, now fifteen, tell him the razor clams were her favourite. He took the answer seriously. **Why go.** For the full country-house experience: stay several nights, eat lunch by the pool, dinner on the terrace. The most family-friendly three-star I know in France. # Le Louis XV, Alain Ducasse, Monaco **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Solid Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse in Monaco, Classical Grandeur at the Hôtel de Paris*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/) Le Louis XV is the palace hotel restaurant as the form was designed to be. It sits inside the Hôtel de Paris on the Place du Casino, with the grammar of a palace: polished stone, soft light, a jacket rule for men, and service that stays exact while the evening slowly relaxes. At our visit some of the windows onto the square were covered for the Grand Prix, so the room spent the whole evening turned inwards, and it lost nothing: the stone, the cellar and the pacing carry the meal on their own. ![Dining room at Louis XV in Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Louis-XV-interior-view-1.jpeg) Ducasse took the room in 1987 and had three stars within three years, a first for a hotel restaurant. The Agapé menu is €420, though this is a house where ordering à la carte makes real sense. The lamb from Quercy, cooked in the fireplace, was the best lamb anyone at our table had ever eaten, and the samphire and murex ravioli held land and sea together on one plate. The artichoke was firmer than I wanted; that was the whole complaint. ![Fried artichoke with caviar at Louis XV Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Artichoke-sea-anemone-and-caviar-1.jpeg) Fried artichoke with caviar **Why go.** For the clearest statement anyone makes of what Monaco means by luxury, and for that lamb. The most formal room on this list, and the one that depends least on a view. # Le Petit Nice, Marseille **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Solid Three-Star Level)** Le Petit Nice is one of the best fish restaurants I know anywhere. A white villa on the rock in a small cove below Marseille's Corniche Kennedy, with the water directly underneath, it has been in the Passédat family for three generations since 1917 and has held three stars since 2008\. Gérald Passédat's cooking chases a family memory: his aunt cooked fish in a domestic oven, his uncle was a fisherman, and he has said that what he is after is the taste of his grandmother's fish. ![Sea bream at Le Petit Nice in Marseille](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Le-Petite-Nice-1.jpeg) Daurade au jus de la tante Nia What I still measure other fish against is his daurade au jus de la tante Nia: sea bream caught at the exact point where the flesh stops being raw and has not begun to be cooked, a smaller window in this fish than in almost anything else. My visit was in September 2017, and the house has been stable for a long time; I will revisit the score when I go back and do not expect to move it far. **Why go.** Fish, on the rock, at the water. Marseille above the cove is a rough city; this is the reason to come anyway. # La Table du Castellet, Le Castellet **FDJ Score: 8.0/10 (Entry to Three-Star Territory)** [*Full review: La Table du Castellet Review, Fabien Ferré's Four-Course Lunch in the Var*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-table-du-castellet-review/) ![Dining room at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Table-du-Castellet-2-1.jpeg) La Table du Castellet belongs to the Hôtel & Spa du Castellet, set in a golf resort opposite the Paul Ricard circuit, inland in the Var. Fabien Ferré spent ten years as Christophe Bacquié's second here, then took the kitchen and went straight to three stars in March 2024, at thirty-five the youngest chef ever to do so. He buys his fish twenty minutes away at Sanary-sur-Mer, and the best plate of my lunch showed why: mackerel grilled to the second, skin striped and caramelised, under a cool almond and cucumber velouté, with fried shiso on top. ![Mackerel at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Mackerel-La-Table-du-Castellet-2-1.jpeg) Mackerel with almond velouté The four-course lunch is €230, the eight-course Symbiose €380; my score describes the lunch. Two objections. The cheese cellar is smaller than its reputation. And the house still feels like the hotel's restaurant rather than Ferré's own: the room is contemporary and comfortable, but it looks at a fairway, while Oustau and Villa Madie sit inside the landscapes that made them. Ferré cooks well enough that this should change. **Why go.** A very good lunch if you are already in the Var, at the friendliest price on this list. I would not cross Provence for it yet, and the word is yet. # The Exception: La Chèvre d'Or, Èze **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)** [*Full review: La Chèvre d'Or in Èze, the Golden Goat, the Riviera View, and Tom Meyer's New Chapter*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-chevre-dor-eze-tom-meyer-riviera-view/) ![View from La Chèvre d'Or in Eze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/View-from-LA-CH--VRE-D-OR-1.jpeg) La Chèvre d'Or holds two stars, and it is on this list for the view, which may be the finest from any dining room in France. Èze rises steeply off the coast between Nice and Monaco, a medieval village compressed into a cliff, and you climb through stone lanes to reach the restaurant. The redesigned dining room faces Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat across open water, and the Mediterranean sits in the room rather than behind it. ![red tuna with cucumber and kiwi at La Chèvre d'Or](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Red-Tuna-Cucumber--kiwi--shiso-1-1.jpeg) Red tuna with cucumber and kiwi Tom Meyer, thirty-two, took over from Arnaud Faye in 2024 and held the two stars. Lunch is six courses at €250\. The strongest plate was raw red tuna with cucumber and kiwi, cool and sharp with acidity, with grilled belly above it bringing smoke and fat down onto the raw fish. The cooking does not yet reach the level of the window, and Meyer knows it: we found him discussing the design of a new cheese trolley with the carpenter who was building it. The score will move. **Why go.** The view, which a photograph carries about a third of. Twenty minutes from Nice, and easy to combine with Monaco and Menton in one trip. --- ## What These Scores Are and Are Not I have put these houses in the order I would put them, and I want to be plain about what that order is worth. It is my taste. Most are single visits: one evening in a kitchen that cooks three hundred more of them a year, and a different Tuesday would have produced a different number. The gaps between 8.0 and 9.0 are smaller than the figures make them look, and nobody should choose between two of these restaurants over half a point. The frame of reference is fifty-eight three-star restaurants worldwide and more than a hundred visits, and it still comes down to one person at one table on one day. Read the sequence lightly. Read the reasons closely. One thing this coast did change. My rating page used to say that the setting has no bearing on the score. I wrote that rule and I believed it, until a lunch at Cassis in July 2026, and the [page now reads](https://thefinediningjournal.com/rating-system/) that the room changes the meal and I score the meal I ate. Some of these kitchens built their food out of what is on the other side of the glass, and you cannot subtract an ingredient. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How many Michelin three-star restaurants are there in Provence and the Côte d'Azur? Eight in the 2026 guide, counting Monaco. Mirazur in Menton, Le Louis XV in Monaco, La Vague d'Or in Saint-Tropez, Le Petit Nice and AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, La Villa Madie in Cassis, L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, and La Table du Castellet in the Var. France and Monaco have thirty-one in total, so roughly a quarter of them sit on this one stretch of coast. ### What is the best three-star restaurant on the French Riviera? On my scores, La Vague d'Or in Saint-Tropez at 9.5, followed by Mirazur in Menton and La Villa Madie in Cassis at 9.0\. For years La Vague d'Or was my answer to that question about anywhere in the world. Somebody else's week would order them differently. ### Which restaurants are near Nice, and can you combine several in one trip? Three are within an hour of Nice: Mirazur in Menton at roughly fifty minutes, Le Louis XV in Monaco at thirty, and two-star La Chèvre d'Or in Èze at twenty, sitting directly between them. That is one trip. Les Baux, Cassis and Le Castellet are the other, two and a half hours west and comfortable inside a single week; I did that in July 2026\. Saint-Tropez is on its own and combines with nothing. ### How much does a three-star meal in Provence cost? Between €230 and €420 for the menu, before wine, based on what I paid in 2026\. La Table du Castellet starts at €230 for four courses at lunch and runs to €380 for the eight-course Symbiose. L'Oustau de Baumanière is €285 for eight courses with a €120 pairing. La Villa Madie is €295 for six. La Chèvre d'Or, two stars, is €250 for six at lunch. Le Louis XV in Monaco is the top of the range at €420. ### How far in advance should you book Mirazur? Around four months. Mirazur releases reservations one month at a time, on a set Monday at 9am Central European Time, and the tables for a given month open roughly four months ahead. The dates are published on the restaurant's own site. Popular slots go the same morning, so put the release date in your calendar rather than the meal. But if you are flexible you can get also reservations at a shorter notice. ### Is there a dress code at these restaurants? At Le Louis XV in Monaco, yes: jackets are required for men, and the room enforces it. Everywhere else on this list the standard is smart, and nobody will stop you at the door for a good open-collared shirt. La Table du Castellet uses no tablecloths as house policy and is the most relaxed room of the eight. ### Which restaurant on the Côte d'Azur has the best view? La Chèvre d'Or in Èze, by some distance, and it is the reason to go there: the village is built into a cliff above the sea and the dining room faces Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Among the three-star houses, La Villa Madie at Cassis and Mirazur at Menton are the two where the view does most of the work. Le Louis XV has not much view at all and is still one of the great rooms in Europe. ### When is the best time of year to visit? Late spring and early autumn. Most of these restaurants are built around a terrace or a window, and half of what you are paying for disappears on a dark evening in November. May, June and September give you the light, the produce and a coast that is not yet at its August worst. Le Castellet is inland and bakes in high summer, so it is the one to book at either end of the season. --- *Nine three-star restaurants sit in one city with nothing outside the window to lean on. See* [*the eight of ten in Paris I have visited*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/)*, and the same scores applied where there is no sea. (Note: When this article was originally published, Paris had ten Michelin three-star restaurants. Following the release of the 2026 Michelin Guide, the city now has nine.).* ### La Table du Castellet Review: Fabien Ferré's Four-Course Lunch in the Var URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-table-du-castellet-review/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T12:45:29.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.0/10 (Entry to Three-Star Territory)** ## Review Half past twelve on a July day, over thirty degrees outside. We were driving from the Côte d'Azur to Marseille airport, and La Table du Castellet sits on that line. That is the reason I gave my wife. The real one was that I wanted to eat here, our third three-star meal that week. The restaurant belongs to the Hôtel & Spa du Castellet, set in the middle of a golf course opposite the Paul Ricard circuit. Michelin gives the hotel three Keys, its highest mark. We did not stay, so I cannot judge that. The public areas did not do much for me. Fabien Ferré has worked in this building for more than a decade, ten of those years as Christophe Bacquié's second. When Bacquié left, Ferré took the kitchen, and in March 2024 Michelin gave him three stars at once, at thirty-five: the youngest chef ever to hold them, and only the third house in thirty years to jump from nothing to three. He buys much of his fish twenty minutes away at the market in Sanary-sur-Mer. ## Location & Atmosphere At that temperature, eating indoors and air-conditioned was a mercy. The room is contemporary: pale wood, deep carpet, round tables, no tablecloths anywhere, which is house policy. A porcelain sea urchin sits on each table. Through the glass wall: the terrace under its white gazebo, an umbrella pine, the golf course, the Var hills, a swimming pool with loungers around it. Three quarters of the tables were taken. ![dining room at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) La Table du Castellet Service was good and engaged all afternoon. Ferré never appeared, and I never saw him. Earlier in the same week Glenn Viel had come out into the room at [L'Oustau de Baumanière](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/), and Dimitri Droisneau had done the same at [La Villa Madie](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-villa-madie-review-cassis/). Here the kitchen stayed a kitchen. And the room is a hotel room. Oustau and Villa Madie sit inside the landscapes that made them. This one sits behind glass and looks at a fairway. ## Culinary Style Mediterranean, split between fish and vegetables, with sauce carrying the argument. The fish is the subject of every plate; the sauce is what the kitchen is actually saying about it. ## Menu / The Dishes Two menus: Expression Végétale and Expression Marine, each available in four or six courses. The eight-course Symbiose at €380 puts the same dishes from both into one sequence. A lamb course can be added to any of them. I took Expression Marine in four courses at €230, and the Cheese Cellar Immersion at €45. My wife took the four-course Expression Végétale, which is only nominally vegetarian. Her broccoletti course, listed with a vegetal sauce and juniper, arrived with shellfish. The menu called them murex. They were goose barnacles. In July that vegetable menu is the more interesting of the two. ![Amuse-bouches at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/amouse-bouche-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouches Amuse-bouches first. A fresh crab and a sardine tartlet stayed with me. The rest has gone. ![Mackerel, almond velouté, fried shiso](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Mackerel-La-Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) Mackerel, almond velouté, fried shiso **Mackerel, almond velouté, fried shiso.** Grilled to the second, the skin striped and caramelised, the flesh only just set. The velouté was almond and cucumber: cool, faintly sweet, milky, sitting under a fish that pushes hard the other way. The shiso came out of the fryer as lacework and gave the plate its edge. The best thing I ate all afternoon. ![John Dory, braised tomato, chanterelles](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/John-Dory-La-Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) **John Dory, braised tomato, chanterelles.** Under a green herb crust, half a cherry tomato over it, mushrooms beneath, and a mound of round fleshy sour leaves, something in the sorrel family. The sauce was creamy and rounded; the leaves cut through it. ![Turbot, wild garlic, capers, lemon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Turbot-La-Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) Turbot, wild garlic, capers, lemon **Turbot, wild garlic, capers, lemon.** It arrives first in a cast-iron pot, buried in a nest of smouldering rosemary, lavender, olive branches and immortelle, and the smoke reaches you before the plate does. Then it comes back cooked: the fillet grilled over Japanese binchotan, and beside it a few pieces of fin muscle, the engawa. That is where the dish lives. The engawa was far softer and tasted more of the fish than the fillet did. The wild garlic came as raw leaves, hard work with a knife. ![Cheese Cellar at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Cheese-cellar-La-Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) "Cheese Cellar" **Cheese Cellar Immersion, €45.** You are walked into a refrigerated pantry off the dining room and invited to choose. Slate walls, oak counter, loaves and boxed Époisses on a shelf, a small digital thermostat glowing on the cabinet front. I took a Bleu d'Auvergne, a Comté, and three others I have lost by now. The Michelin guide says “it is arguably worth a trip here just for the cheese cellar”. It is a larder, and my daughter pointed that out before I did. A very good larder: the selection is broad and every piece was in condition. But the word cellar is doing a lot of lifting, and no one drives to the Var for a fridge. Then cherries in a cherry juice reduction with cherry sorbet, and the dessert proper. ![Apricot dessert at La Table du Castellet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Apricot-La-Table-du-Castellet-1.jpeg) Apricot **Apricot.** Grilled until the skin blistered black, in saffron apricot juice, with almonds, a puffed crumble, apricot ice cream in a bowl alongside, and crème chantilly. Char against cold cream. The other high point, and the course I would order again tomorrow. Warm brioche and more chantilly closed the meal. ## Wine It was lunch and I was driving to Marseille. So: one glass as an apéritif, a Capelude Les Colbres, Côtes de Provence Blanc 2023, then water for two and a half hours. The house pours a pairing at €140 for four glasses and €250 for eight, and I can tell you nothing whatsoever about it. That is a real gap in this review, and it is what eating here on the way to an airport costs you. ## What Four Courses Can Tell You Four courses report honestly on product, technique and sauce. On all three this kitchen is where the stars say it is, and the mackerel alone would carry that. Reach is what they leave out: where a kitchen peaks, what it does with eight plates instead of four. The house sells that at €380 and calls it Symbiose. I bought the cheapest way in, on a driving day, at the end of a holiday. So the 8.0 describes the lunch I ate and stays silent about the rest. Every house should be able to show you something in four courses. This one did. It just never showed me the top. ## Verdict Technically the lunch was flawless: every fish cooked to the point it should have been, every sauce doing its job, and two courses, the mackerel and the apricot, still with me weeks later. In scope and complexity it sat at the lower end of the three-star band, and I have eaten in that band often enough to place it there. The objections are small and they accumulate: the cheese cellar is a larder that Michelin oversold, the raw wild garlic beside the turbot was tough enough to notice, and at €230 before cheese and before wine, small things count. The larger objection resists itemising. The house has no face. It is a hotel restaurant, an exceptionally good one, and it stops there. Haerlin in Hamburg is a hotel restaurant too, and it has a character you could describe to someone over the phone. So do Aponiente, Casa Marcial, Villa Madie, L'Oustau. Ferré cooks well enough that this ought to be his restaurant. For now it is the hotel's. So: drive out here for the six-course Expression Marine or for Symbiose, and book a room so you can drink the pairing. Then pick your month. This is the hinterland, a long way from any sea breeze, and in high summer it bakes. Early or late summer gets you Expression Végétale near its best and a temperature you can sit outside in. If you want the whole thing, room and view and cooking together, go to Baumanière or Villa Madie. Le Castellet gives you a kitchen. Come for that and it delivers. --- **Location:** Hôtel & Spa du Castellet, Le Castellet, Provence, France **Chef:** Fabien Ferré **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** July 2026, lunch **Menu:** Expression Marine, four courses, €230, plus Cheese €45 **Disclosure:** Booked and paid for as a regular guest --- Best restaurant in Provence: *Earlier in the same week, seventy minutes up the road, I ate at* [*L'Oustau de Baumanière*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/)*: the same region, the same star count, and a dining room built out of the ground it stands on.* *And three days after Les Baux, on the water at Cassis,* [*La Villa Madie*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-villa-madie-review-cassis/)*: the third Provençal three-star of that week, and the one where the landscape does the most work.* ### La Villa Madie Review: Three Michelin Stars Above the Water at Cassis URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-villa-madie-review-cassis/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T19:05:02.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (World-Class Three-Star Level)** ### Review I had not heard of La Villa Madie. Twenty minutes along the coast from Marseille, three stars, and until I sat down with a map of southern France it did not exist for me. We were planning a family week down there, Les Baux first and then the coast, so I did what I always do and read the red guide along the route. Cassis sat on the line. I booked months ahead on three stars and nothing else. Two days earlier we had eaten at [L'Oustau de Baumanière](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/), seventy minutes up the road, a house I have known since 2014. Dimitri Droisneau is a Norman who runs the place with his wife Marielle. Le Bristol, La Tour d'Argent, Lucas Carton, then L'Ambroisie under Bernard Pacaud, which is the address that shows on the plate. Second star in 2014, third on 22 March 2022\. He gives few interviews. A July lunchtime, thirty degrees. We sat down at half past twelve and got up at quarter past three. ### Location & Atmosphere The restaurant sits in the Anse de Corton, a cove under the Cap Canaille. From the terrace you look over the pines at a Mediterranean that photographs badly, because nobody believes the colour. A wind off the water made the thirty degrees irrelevant. There is a dining room inside, pale wood and curves, and I can tell you nothing about it, because at half past twelve on the ninth of July nobody sensible was sitting in it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/La-Villa-Madie-view-1.jpeg) View at La Villa Madie The floor was a young team, quick and keen, and they moved six acts at a speed nobody at the table had to think about. At the end of the meal Dimitri Droisneau came out of his kitchen, went round the tables and thanked us for coming. That is old-school French haute cuisine, and it is going out of fashion: the chef in the room at the close of service, treating your visit as something he owes an answer to. Glenn Viel had done the same at L'Oustau three days earlier, taking my daughter's verdict on the razor clams seriously while he was at it. ### Culinary Style Droisneau's fixed point is the water twenty metres below the terrace. His signature is "Mon écosystème", the morning's catch assembled on a plate. The other is "Lou Carambou", a carabinero prawn with an ice cream made from the prawn heads. That ice cream idea comes back later, on the crab. The card is written in Provençal, and it reads like affectation until you look up from it at the cove. ### Menu / The Dishes We took L'Espassado Cap Canaille, six acts, €295\. The whole table took the same menu. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Mullet-wih-sea-urchin-La-Villa-Madie-1.jpeg) Red mullet with sea urchin foam A run of amuse-bouches first, long enough that plenty of houses would have sold them as a course. One was the meal's first real event. Red mullet, sliced and laid along a cracker so thin it was barely there, the sea urchin alongside in its own dish, as a foam, with a spoon. You pick the bread up in your fingers, spoon the urchin over the fish yourself, and eat it in one. Two things happen. The bread reaches you dry, so it shatters. And you decide how much urchin goes on, which three-star kitchens rarely hand over. The urchin has that flat briny weight and the mullet holds up under it. **Lou esquinado.** Crab, immersed in a cold broth of its own shells with the herbs of the Janots, and an ice cream made from the meat in the head. Madeleines of crab butter alongside. The broth was clear, the herbs sat raw on top, and then the ice cream melted down through it and carried the concentrated, faintly bitter depth of the head into the clarity of the broth. The madeleines did the opposite job, warm and rich. It is the carabinero ice cream from the card, moved onto a crab, and I have had enough bad savoury ice cream to sit down suspicious of it. This is the only way I know to get that much head flavour onto a cold plate. Thirty degrees outside, and I would have eaten it twice. ![Sea bass under an iodine foam](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Seabass-La-Villa-Madie--1--1.jpeg) Sea bass under an iodine foam **Lou dreligni.** Sea bass under an iodine foam scented with combava, and an oyster from Pascal Migliore, named on the card as a friend of the house. The bass still had structure under the fork. The foam was salt and lime leaf. The leaf greens carried more iodine than the oyster did, which I had not run into before. ![John Dory, grilled and lacquered with tomato](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/San-Pierre-La-Villa-Madie-1.jpeg) John Dory, grilled and lacquered with tomato **Lou Saint-Pierre.** John Dory, grilled and lacquered with tomato, with girolles and local courgettes. I remember the lacquer, dark and savoury against the skin. Beyond that the detail has gone. I wrote three words about it at the time and all three were praise, which tells you I was eating and not writing. ![Pigeon breast, massaged with sweet spices, with sakura cherry. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Pigeon-La-Villa-Madie-1.jpeg) Pigeon breast, massaged with sweet spices, with sakura cherry. **Lou pijoun.** Pigeon breast, massaged with sweet spices, with sakura cherry. The cherry ran through the dish and dominated it, in season and used like it, with blackberry and raspberry around the edges. One cherry arrived warm and stuffed, set beside the breast like a small separate course. The meat was even and pink from edge to edge, and the fruit came in sharp under the spice. ![Madagascan vanilla with praliné](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Vanilla-La-Villa-Madie-1.jpeg) Madagascan vanilla with praliné Two desserts. Madagascan vanilla with praliné, revived with rum from Maison Ferroni, cold and gone in a minute. ![honey from the calanques with saffron from Roquevaire, lifted with grapefruit](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Pampelmouse-La-Villa-Madie-1.jpeg) Honey from the calanques with saffron from Roquevaire, lifted with grapefruit Then honey from the calanques with saffron from Roquevaire, lifted with grapefruit to keep it off the ground. Mignardises after. A brioche at the door, baked in the house, handed over as a leaving present. It came with us down the coast. ### Wine I was driving and this was lunch, so there is little to report. One glass. Synthèse, a Cassis 2022 bottled with the Clos d'Albizzi for the house. It held its own against the crab and again against the bass. There is a serious list and a chef sommelier, David Piquet, with a reputation, and on a menu like this the pairing is the part I did not get to. ### Cooking Toward the Water The urchin foam, the cold crab broth, the iodine sitting on a leaf, the oyster from a man they name on the card: each one pointed out of the window at the water I was looking at while I ate. That is the through-line of the meal, the setting turned into an ingredient. Droisneau has spent a decade building his food out of what sits twenty metres below the terrace. Then the pigeon. It was the one course on the ninth of July that turned away from the water, and it was cooked with everything the kitchen has: the even breast, the cherry in season, the warm stuffed fruit alongside. On a terrace at thirty degrees, over the sea, at two in the afternoon, it arrived like a plate from a different restaurant in a different month. Very good autumn food, landing in July, on a terrace, at two in the afternoon. Six acts in a house built on the sea, and act four goes inland for a bird. A menu of that length is built to carry a meat course, and Droisneau gives it one. I understand why the pigeon is there. But I sat with a cherry in my mouth and the water twenty metres below me, wondering what six fish courses would have done on that terrace, in that heat. ### Verdict Sensationally cooked. The crab is a candidate for the best single course of my year, and I ate it in a house that did not exist for me until I opened a map. Droisneau has a signature and the nerve to keep it narrow. The nine is about the cooking. Two things keep it there. The pigeon, a very good dish that did not belong on a summer terrace over the water, a matter of editing rather than technique. And the house sells the same six acts at the same €295 into a Tuesday night in November, when half of what makes them work is the daylight and the sea outside the glass. The booking page says nothing about it, and I got my Thursday in July by luck. Go at lunch, in the season when the terrace is open, and get the fish and the water in front of you at the same time. On a dark November evening you pay the full €295 for a component that never arrives. If you are driving, the menu is six courses and, sensibly, one glass. And if that kitchen ever puts a straight fish menu on the terrace in July, I will book it on purpose. --- **Location:** Cassis, France **Chef:** Dimitri Droisneau **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** July 2026 **Menu:** L'Espassado Cap Canaille, six courses, €295 **Disclosure:** Booked and paid for as a regular guest. --- *Three days before Cassis and seventy minutes up the road, I ate at* [*L'Oustau de Baumanière*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/)*: the same region, the same star count, and a very different relationship between a kitchen and its landscape.* *For three-star cooking with no landscape to lean on, see my* [*three-star restaurants in Paris*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/)*.* ### L’Oustau de Baumanière Review: Three Michelin Stars Beneath Les Baux-de-Provence URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/loustau-de-baumaniere-review-les-baux-de-provence/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T19:05:45.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Solid Three-Star Level)** ## Review Some restaurants stay with you because of one dish. Others you remember as a whole atmosphere, bound up with the weather and whatever else was happening that day. My first meal at L'Oustau de Baumanière was the second kind. April 2014, a rainy afternoon, no reservation, two Michelin stars at the time. We came as a family, our son seven, our daughter three. I've always brought our kids to serious restaurants, not because I expect them to behave like adults, but because they learn by being there. L'Oustau didn't hesitate. The staff cooked a meal for our three-year-old with the same care as everything else coming out of the kitchen. Nobody was humouring her. What stuck was a dining room built on the classical grammar of French hospitality, composed, serious without being stiff. Twelve years later we came back, this time staying for three nights at Baumanière rather than a single dinner. The restaurant's Michelin history is eventful: opened in 1945, three stars by 1954, lost them in 1990, regained the third under Glenn Viel on 27 January 2020, and still holds it in the 2026 guide. I wanted to see what had survived, and what hadn't. ## Location & Atmosphere Baumanière sits beneath the pale limestone of Les Baux-de-Provence, rock, cypress, dry scrub. Nothing that needs dressing up. Lunch by the pool gave the first real sense of the kitchen: simple dishes, cooked with three-star precision, served without ceremony in the sun. Dinner was on the terrace, starting during golden hour while the rocks above still held the day's heat. By the second half of the meal, the landscape had gone dark. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/IMG_7816-1.jpeg) Service was precise without being rigid. Plates arrived on schedule, but nobody felt watched. The concentration you'd expect at this level, without the tension. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character We took the shorter tasting menu, Flânerie, entre tradition et création, eight courses, €285, wine pairing €120\. Reasonable by the standards of contemporary three-star dining, Paris especially, though not cheap. Glenn Viel's cooking sits between inheritance and invention. Classical sauces hold the structure; around them he plays with form, temperature and presentation. ## Menu / The Dishes The opening ran under the theme of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-Baumaniere-Amuse-Bouche-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouche Squid, a clam, a few other small bites building a marine register through shifting textures. Restrained, more introduction than performance. ![Crab wrapped in raw beef](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Crab-1.jpeg) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea An amuse-bouche of crab wrapped in raw beef followed, with oyster leaf, crab mayonnaise and a cold crab consommé. Unexpected on paper, it worked on the plate, sea and land combined not for novelty but to show flavours you don’t usually connect. ![Razor Clams](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-Baumaniere-Racor-Clams-1.jpeg) Razor Clams Razor Clams, Their Toes in the Water opened the meal properly: clams bundled tight, served with tweezers as if just gathered from the shoreline. Their "feet" sat not in water but in a rich, maritime sauce. Genuinely wonderful, clean and precise, the kind of course that doesn't turn rubbery under all that presentation. My daughter called it her favourite of the night, immediately. ![Tuna belly](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Tuna-1.jpeg) Tuna Tone on Tone Tuna Tone on Tone followed: tuna belly, crisp sourdough pearls, cecina, a concentrated beef sauce. The cecina brought salt and age against the tuna's richness; the beef sauce pulled the fish closer to a meat course than anyone would expect. Strong, controlled, confident. ![modern interpretation of a bouillabaisse](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Boullabaise-1.jpeg) There Are Bouillabaisses and There Is Ours There Are Bouillabaisses and There Is Ours took carabinero prawn and monkfish, pressed into a terrine with fennel and a bouillabaisse sauce. Not bouillabaisse as anyone knows it, but the same underlying logic: maximum flavour from the sea, held together by spice and stock. ![pigeon on a place](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Pigeon-1.jpeg) An Inner Pigeon The pigeon, An Inner Pigeon, came in two forms: breast, tender and precise, and a compact cylinder of leg meat, more rustic and concentrated. I've lost the detail of the sauce by now, but the dish itself was complete and assured. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Cheese-Cart-1.jpeg) Cheese Cheese came from the trolley, a small return to the more classical L'Oustau of 2014\. Before dessert, everyone got a different pre-dessert, cucumber, rhubarb, a loosening gesture ahead of the full dessert menu. ![crêpe soufflée with Grand Marnier sauce](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/07/Oustau-de-Baumaniere-Crepe-Souffle-1.jpeg) Crêpe soufflée with Grand Marnier sauce I chose the crêpe soufflée with Grand Marnier sauce, a Baumanière classic made in memory of founder Raymond Thuilier - served since 50 years. Light, orange-scented, unapologetically classical. After everything before it, the directness was a relief. ## A Quiet Exchange Jean-André Charial, the proprietor, came to say hello towards the end of the evening, Glenn Viel just after. The chef's dining-room visit can easily become a ritual gesture. This one wasn't. Viel wanted to know what we'd liked, and when my daughter said the razor clams, he took her answer seriously rather than treating it as something cute to wave off. A small moment. But it closed a gap between the kitchen and the table that's easy to leave open. And it echoed 2014: the same child, once welcomed with a meal made just for her, now heard out as someone with her own opinion. ## Wine The €120 pairing moved across France with real geographic logic: a Crocci from Domaine Zuria in Bonifacio for a Corsican, mineral note; the 2022 Tavel from Pfifferling's L'Anglore and Château Simone Blanc from the small Palette appellation near Aix; and, for red, the 2022 Équinoxe Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Equis, Maxime Graillot's Syrah from the northern Rhône, savoury enough to sit beside the pigeon without overpowering it. No prestige labels. The coherence was the point, salinity, herbs, restraint, at a reasonable total cost. ## Verdict Coming back after twelve years is a strange exercise, memory keeps atmosphere better than detail, and it flatters the past. But the essentials held up: the 2014 L'Oustau was a two-star restaurant that took two young children seriously, not just tolerated them. That hasn't changed. What has changed is the cooking. More contemporary, more playful with form, more willing to build ideas around its ingredients, but without losing the classical backbone, the sauces, the cheese trolley, the crêpe soufflée untouched by any of it. The razor clams, the tuna, the reworked bouillabaisse show a kitchen that keeps moving without needing to prove it. The terrace did real work too, not just scenery: watching the rocks above Les Baux go dark over dinner tied the whole meal to something outside the plate. But the setting alone doesn't explain the evening. The cooking, the service and the landscape lined up. L'Oustau suits diners who want the foundations of grand French cuisine without wanting them frozen. What stayed with me longest wasn't the third star or eighty years of history. It was a three-year-old, once welcomed with a meal made just for her, coming back twelve years later to tell the chef her favourite dish, and finding that he actually listened. --- **Location:** Les Baux-de-Provence, France **Chef:** Glenn Viel **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** July 2026 *For a different expression of French haute cuisine, explore my reviews of* [*Paris restaurants,*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) *where classical technique meets a more urban, often more experimental rhythm.* ### Casa Marcial Review: A Three-Michelin-Star Dinner in the Hills of Asturias URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/casa-marcial-review-2026-three-michelin-stars-asturias/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T19:06:00.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.5/10 (Three-Star Level, upper range)** ## Review A dinner at Casa Marcial starts long before the first plate, usually with a drive. The restaurant sits in the Asturian hills near Arriondas, well outside the usual circuits of urban fine dining. Asturias Airport is around 100 kilometres away, and the final stretch narrows into country roads, past scattered houses, wet greenery, and slopes rising on either side. You do not pass Casa Marcial on the way to somewhere else. You set out for it. The distance does something useful. It slows you down, and it puts the achievement of Esther and Nacho Manzano into relief: their family restaurant took its third Michelin star in the 2025 Spain guide and holds it again in 2026\. When we visited in June 2026, it was still the most recent Spanish house to reach that level, since the 2026 guide promoted no new three-star restaurants. We stayed at Narbasu, the family's hotel 14 kilometres away. It is a historic country house with its own rooms and a very good restaurant, almost a prologue to the Manzano world before the main event. Lunch there was Asturian in the fullest sense: fabada, croquettes, wild chicken. The croquettes in particular stayed with me. As it turned out, we would meet them again that evening. ## Location & Atmosphere Casa Marcial stands more or less alone on a narrow rural road. The house is more than 130 years old and has been renovated with notable restraint. It hasn't been turned into a museum of rustic charm, and it hasn't been gutted in the name of design either; instead it has been made calm, usable, and quietly contemporary. Our table faced a large window. Early on there was only landscape: slopes, fields, the dark edge of Asturias beyond the glass. Then the evening arranged itself around the house. Mist began to drift through the view, less a backdrop than a presence, softening the hills until the dining room felt suspended somewhere between shelter and weather. The restaurant never pushes this, but the connection to the land outside is clearly deliberate: Casa Marcial doesn't simply cook Asturias, it listens to it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Casa-Marcial-view-1.jpeg) The room had the assurance of a mature three-star without the stiffness that sometimes comes with it. Service was excellent throughout, and the sommelier in particular gave the evening its precision. He was knowledgeable and well-timed, present when an explanation helped and gone again afterwards. ## Culinary Style We chose the Nordeste menu, named for the northeastern wind. The menu describes that wind as something that clears everything in its path, strongest in the places the kitchen loves most. The kitchen then treats it almost as an ingredient: a force that dries fish, roe, and cured meats before carrying them into broths, sauces, and other preparations. In less disciplined hands the conceit would stay decorative. Here it works as structure. The menu runs from sea to mountain, from the Vega and the orchard, along rivers and streams, up toward the summit of Mount Pienzu, where the rugged coast and the Picos de Europa can be seen together. Its section titles read like weathered notes: tradition, purity, cliff, pasture, river, spring, humidity, ferns, fresh water, fat, silkiness, salt, smoke, cider, milk, home, childhood. There is little conventional luxury here. The cooking is built around place, technique, and family memory, and around the tension between rustic origin and serious refinement. It has real depth, but rarely asks to be admired for its effort; dishes tend to look simple at first, then reveal how much has been folded into the gesture. ## Menu / The Dishes The meal opened with the creamy ham croquette "Casa Marcial," a family recipe and one of the house signatures. We had eaten the same croquette at lunch at Narbasu and immediately ordered a second portion. It returned here with the same quiet force: fragile outside, almost liquid within, deeply savoury without weight. More than any biography could, it explains what a family restaurant is. ![Fried corn with scrambled eggs and creamy ham croquette Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/croquette-1.jpeg) Fried corn with scrambled eggs and creamy ham croquette I was served together with fried corn with scrambled egg, blue cheese, and onion, a dish that Nacho Manzano was already cooking, we were told, at the age of fourteen. You can taste that origin. The corn brings sweetness and warmth, the egg softens everything around it, the blue cheese cuts back with Asturian sharpness, and the onion ties it together with its own sweetness. Sentimental it is not; this is memory rendered exactly. ![Cantabrian seafood stone](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Cantabrian-sea-stone.jpeg) Cantabrian seafood stone The Cantabrian seafood stone arrived with grilled shrimp, percebes, oyster, and warty venus clam. The percebes were extraordinary, with that rare concentration of cold Atlantic water, iodine, resistance, and sweetness. They tasted less like an ingredient than a message sent straight from rock and tide. A celery curd with seaweed, cucumber, and sheep-sorrel granita changed the register: cooler, greener, almost a corrective after the shellfish, the granita lending acidity and lift while the seaweed kept everything tethered to the coast. ![Leaves and shoots with curd cheese, mint, and tomato](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Leaves-and-shots-with-curd-1.jpeg) Leaves and shoots with curd cheese, mint, and tomato Leaves and shoots with curd cheese, mint, and tomato carried that freshness further, the orchard turning up as substance rather than as garnish. ![Grilled peas with hake kokotxas in pil pil and mushrooms](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Hake-1.jpeg) Grilled peas with hake kokotxas in pil pil and mushrooms Tear peas with hake kokotxas in pil pil and mushroom showed a different side of the kitchen. At the base sat guisantes lágrima, small, fresh, and crisp enough to burst as you bite them. Over them came the kokotxas, the gelatinous cut from beneath the hake's chin, cooked slowly in olive oil and garlic until they release the gelatin that emulsifies into pil pil, a glossy sauce built from the fish itself. Raw mushroom on top, and more worked in below, cut the richness. A small composition, but it carried the logic of the whole menu: land and sea folded into a single thought. ![Trout with the aroma of its habitat Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/trout-1.jpeg) Trout with the aroma of its habitat The trout with the aroma of its habitat, spring juice, and yeast was, for me, one of the evening's most intelligent dishes. Rather than isolating the fish, the kitchen rebuilt the place around it: water, vegetation, fermentation, freshness, a faint shadow of the riverbank. Delicate, but never fragile. ![Bonito with Iberian ointment Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Bonito-1.jpeg) Bonito with Iberian ointment Bonito with Iberian ointment, salt, and vegetable flan brought more density: the fish firm and clear, the Iberian fat adding warmth, the flan softening the whole so it never turned too forceful. ![Squid with black bean mole and its ink at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/squid-ink-mole-1.jpeg) Squid with black bean mole and its ink The squid with black bean mole and its ink was among the strongest things we ate. A small squid came first, almost on its own; then the mole followed, with cubes of squid folded in. The sauce reportedly carries more than thirty ingredients, and it tasted like it: dark, smoky, marine, earthy, concentrated without ever becoming confused. It recalled the idea of a Spanish black rice without imitating it, which made the pairing with Dassai 23 sake genuinely clever. The sake supplied the rice note the plate implied, aromatically and texturally rather than literally, and gave the composition a frame it would otherwise have lacked. ![White bean stew with limpets at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/bean-stew-with-limpets-1.jpeg) White bean stew with limpets A white bean stew with limpets was one of the most distinctive plates of the night. Beans and shellfish are both humble, in different ways, and together they turned unexpectedly precise, the firm, saline resistance of the limpets set against the softness of the stew. Asturian, without tipping into folklore. ![Kale juice with pork, chard stems, and razor clams at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/razor-clams-and-kale-juice-1.jpeg) Kale juice with pork, chard stems, and razor clams Kale juice with pork, chard stems, and razor clams kept that conversation going between garden, animal fat, and sea, with the razor clams sweet and snapping and the greens bitter and mineral. ![Steamed red mullet, nasturtium flower and roasted carrot at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/red-mullet-1.jpeg) Steamed red mullet, nasturtium flower and roasted carrot Steamed red mullet with nasturtium flower and roasted carrot was gentler but no less considered: red mullet can dominate a plate with its particular intensity, and here the steam and the carrot's roasted sweetness reined it in while the nasturtium added a peppery, floral lift. ![Roast beef with pine nuts at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/road-beef-1.jpeg) Roast beef, pine nuts, butter marinade and pine oil The roast beef with pine nuts, butter marinade, and pine oil was the most straightforwardly pleasurable course. The pine wasn't there for decoration. It gave resin, warmth, and a forested aroma around the meat, placing it firmly in the mountain stretch of the menu. ![Stewed "Pitu" with pasta filled with its giblets at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/rooster-1.jpeg) Stewed "Pitu" with pasta filled with its giblets Then the stewed "Pitu" in the style of the chef's mother, with Asturian escanda pasta filled with its giblets. This was sensational. Pitu de Caleya, the traditional Asturian free-range chicken, isn't prized for bland tenderness but for flavour, structure, and the memory of rural cooking; here it was stewed until butter-soft yet kept its character, the spelt pasta and giblets deepening it without weighing it down. Refined, with the maternal centre the title promises left intact. ![Butter ice cream with cider vinegar at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/butter-ice-cream-1.jpeg) Butter icecrem with cider vinegar The desserts began with butter ice cream, cider vinegar, and croissant, the dairy richness given a clean edge by the vinegar. ![Tartlet with meadowsweet and cereal skin with fresh cream at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Medowseet-Tartlet-1.jpeg) Tartlet with meadowsweet and cereal skin with fresh cream A meadowsweet tartlet followed, delicate and aromatic. It was served together with cereal skin with fresh cream, which pulled the palate back toward milk, grain, and childhood texture. ![Cream, kefir tofe, goat yogurt and oxalis ice cream at Casa Marcial.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/cream-with-kefir-toffee-1.jpeg) Cream, kefir tofu, goat yogurt, and oxalis ice cream Cream with kefir toffee, goat yogurt, and a kefir-and-oxalis ice cream brought lactic depth and acidity. ![Baked apple, cider mother cream and apple ice cream at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/baked-apple-1.jpeg) Baked apple, cider mother cream and apple ice cream The most Asturian of the desserts was the baked apple with cider mother cream, apple ice cream, and cider press, where cider was treated as culture rather than as a flavouring. ![Crispy corn Fayuela at Casa Marcial](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/06/Fayuela--1--1.jpeg) Crispy corn Fayuela The meal closed on crispy corn "Fayuela" with salt and a honey gummy. Corn, salt, honey. After a menu this long and intricate, the simplicity felt almost like a return to where it began. ## Wine We took the wine pairing at 130 euro alongside the 270-euro menu. It leaned heavily Spanish without being confined to Spain, and it held the length of the evening together with unusual coherence. It opened with a traditional-method sparkling cider from Emilio Martínez, exactly the right beginning. Asturian in spirit, precise enough to belong at this level, and a preview of the role cider would play throughout the meal. The L'Assemblatge 2003, 2014, 2015 from Mestres was outstanding, mature and complex, giving breadth without overwhelming the food, the seriousness of long-aged sparkling wine carried by a clear Spanish identity. A Domaine Cottenceau Montagny 1er Cru La Moullière brought a note of Burgundy, fresh and controlled, bridging the more saline, green, and lactic moments of the menu. The Dassai 23 alongside the squid and black bean mole was the most memorable pairing of the night, completing the dish by suggestion rather than by matching its intensity, its polished rice character echoing black rice with no rice on the plate. Later, the 2022 Macán Clásico gave the meal a different kind of gravity. A Tempranillo from the Benjamín de Rothschild and Vega Sicilia project in Rioja, Macán Clásico is conceived as the more immediate, fruit-driven and delicate expression alongside Macán itself, oak-aged for structure while keeping freshness and fruit at its core. It suited the room: Spanish, polished, unshowy, with enough backbone for the meat courses and without breaking the line of the meal. ## Verdict Casa Marcial was one of the finest three Michelin star dinners I have eaten anywhere in the world. What stayed with me afterwards wasn't a single dish, though several were exceptional. It was the consistency of thought from one end of the menu to the other. The evening held together, from the first croquette to the last honey gummy, and every course seemed to know where it came from, why it belonged there, and how far it could be refined before it lost its origin. There is something almost improbable about a restaurant of this calibre developing in a place this remote. And yet, having eaten there, the remoteness stops looking like an obstacle and starts looking like a precondition of its truth. Casa Marcial could not be this restaurant anywhere else. The road, the hillside, the old house, the mist at the glass, the cider, the shellfish, the beans, the Pitu, the family memory: all of it is part of the meal. It is not a convenient restaurant. You have to travel for it, plan around it, and accept that the experience belongs to Asturias rather than to your schedule. But for any diner who treats gastronomy as culture, landscape, and emotional memory, it offers a rare completeness. For my own notes, I place the evening at 9.5, not as a mathematical verdict but as a clear marker of how exceptional it felt. Casa Marcial is world-class not in spite of its isolation, but because it has worked out how to turn isolation into identity. --- Location: Arriondas, Asturias, Spain Chef: Esther and Nacho Manzano Michelin rating: ★★★ Michelin Visited: June 2026 *For another outstanding Spanish restaurant in a completely different region, read my* [*2026 Aponiente review*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/)*.* ### Aponiente 2026 Review: Ángel León’s Tide Mill Reaches Further Into the Marshes URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T20:57:25.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.5/10 (Three-Star Level, upper range)** ## Review My visit to Aponiente at the end of April 2026 was my nineteenth meal at the restaurant. I first came here in 2014, when it still held one Michelin star, and have returned every year since. For the longer arc of that development, I have written separately about those first eighteen visits: [Aponiente Ángel León’s Three-Star Marine Revolution](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/). This latest dinner felt like a clear step forward. Aponiente has changed several times over the years: from its smaller restaurant in the centre of El Puerto de Santa María, to the old tide mill, and later with the addition of the pavilion at the entrance. Each move brought the restaurant closer to the landscape that defines Ángel León’s cooking. In 2026, that relationship became more immediate. Part of the meal is now served in the marshes themselves. Walkways lead through the salt marsh, opening onto platforms above the water, with tables and a kitchen set directly into the estero landscape. Fish and seafood are taken from the surrounding waters and served in the open air, as the sun sets, the sky changes colour, and the moon rises over the marshes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-marshes-1-1.jpeg) It is not scenery added to the meal. It is the meal finding its proper stage. The marsh is no longer only subject, pantry, metaphor, or landscape. It has become dining room. ## Location & Atmosphere We stayed at Hotel Duques de Medinaceli, an eighteenth-century palace once home to the Terry family, the sherry dynasty behind Bodegas Terry in El Puerto de Santa María. Its quiet gardens give the building a sheltered, almost private atmosphere. From there, Aponiente is only a short walk away. The restaurant occupies an old tide mill on the Guadalete river, a building whose history matters because it never feels like a neutral container for luxury. The tide mill gives the evening a particular weight: stone, water, and the memory of work before gastronomy enters the room. The evening began outside the mill with a welcome drink in the pavilion, before moving into the marshlands for the first sequence of dishes. Narrow walkways led through the landscape to platforms above the water, where tables had been placed with unusual care. A kitchen station stood close enough to the estero to make the relationship between product and place almost immediate. ![outdoors at Aponiente restaurant in El Puerto de Santa Maria](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Outdoor-1.jpeg) There was a sense of choreography, but also of exposure. The light, the wind, the vegetation, the sound of the marsh, and the gestures of the team moving between stations all became part of the meal. As the sun went down, the temperature changed almost imperceptibly at first, then more clearly. The warmth of the day withdrew from the marsh, and the air became cooler, cleaner, more saline. The sky moved through dramatic colours, from gold and copper into deeper shades of rose, violet, and blue. Then the moon rose, the light softened, and the platforms above the water seemed to become more isolated from the world around them. Nothing felt forced. The drama came from the setting itself. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/outdoor-kitchen-at-aponiente-1.jpeg) Aponiente has always been strong in storytelling, yet this outdoor sequence gives the story a physical setting. When the team speaks about the marshes, the esteros, the fish, and the Japanese method of killing and handling fish, the explanation becomes more than information. It becomes context. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Ángel León remains one of the rare chefs whose work is both radically inventive and deeply local. Aponiente is a three Michelin star restaurant in El Puerto de Santa María, and León’s work is defined by a long commitment to the ocean as both pantry and responsibility. What makes the restaurant exceptional is that it operates at a world-class level without ever becoming detached from its place. There is technique, certainly, and sometimes very advanced technique. But the meal never becomes a demonstration of novelty. It remains rooted in Cádiz, in the Sherry triangle, in the salt marshes, in the esteros, and in the working culture of fishermen, biologists, cooks, and producers. Aponiente could not exist in this form anywhere else. Its ambition is international, but its language is profoundly local. This 2026 menu (400 €) made that grounding more visible than ever before. The outdoor sequence did not simply precede the meal. It changed the way the rest of the dinner was understood. One saw more clearly why Aponiente has spent so many years investigating marine plants, plankton, fish offal, shellfish, algae, and overlooked species. The cooking is not only about extracting flavour from the sea. It is about expanding the idea of what marine cuisine can be. Seeing the esteros, walking above the water, hearing how the fish live there and how they are killed with precision, then tasting them moments later, gave the meal a rare coherence. Aponiente does not ask the diner merely to admire technique. It asks the diner to understand a landscape. The result was, for me, probably the best visit so far. ## Menu / The Dishes ### Salt Marsh The first sequence, titled **Salt Marsh**, was served outside in carefully prepared areas within the marshland. ![Aponiente grey mullet roe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Fish-Roe-1.jpeg) Grey mullet roe It began with **grey mullet roe** or bottarga, served in two expressions: one lightly cured and pure, the other cured in sherry wine. The gesture was concise, almost austere. The flavour moved between salinity, density, and a faint oxidative echo from the wine cure. ![Aponiente Halophytes and sea urchin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Halophytes-and-sea-urchin-1.jpeg) Halophytes and sea urchin **Halophytes and sea urchin** followed in a form that felt like a frozen sandwich, set with liquid nitrogen. It was cold, immediate, and intensely marine. The sea urchin gave sweetness and iodine, while the halophytes brought a green saltiness that seemed to belong entirely to the place. ![Aponiente fried camarones](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Camarones-Plankton-1.jpeg) fried camarones The **shrimp and sea lettuce** were camarones, fried and coated with plankton. They had the pleasure of something crisp and direct, yet with the darker, greener register that plankton brings to Aponiente’s cooking. These were served like as a snack on the side. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Blue-Crab-with-fish-lard-1.jpeg) The **blue crab with fish lard** was one of the most meaningful dishes in the sequence. Blue crab, *Callinectes sapidus*, is an invasive species that has become a growing concern in parts of European and Mediterranean waters. One response has been culinary: encouraging its capture and use in kitchens as a way of reducing pressure on native ecosystems. At Aponiente, this was not presented as a lecture. It was simply delicious: crab meat mixed with fish lard on bread. Rich, saline, soft, and almost rustic in construction, it carried the logic of eating as a form of attention. ![Aponiente almeja fina](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Almeja-fina-1.jpeg) almeja finally with marinera sauce Then came **almeja fina with marinera sauce**. The clam was raw, clean, and beautifully held by the marinera sauce. It was one of those moments where the simplicity of the preparation made the quality of the product more exposed, and more convincing. ![Aponiente oyster water with sour clover](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Oyster-Dish-1.jpeg) oyster water with sour clover The **oyster with olives and salt marsh flowers** arrived in two movements. First came the oyster water with sour clover, bright and vegetal. ![Oyster with green sauce at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Oyster-1.jpeg) Oyster Then the oyster itself, in a green sauce made from salt marsh flowers. It was not a dish about oyster luxury in the conventional sense. It was about the oyster returned to its botanical and saline surroundings. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/outdoor-preparation-at-aponiente-1.jpeg) The **estero sea bream** was particularly important to the narrative of the evening. The fish, around three years old, had been caught alive and killed using the Japanese method known as **ikejime**, a technique designed to preserve texture, flavour, and ageing potential through a quick and precise kill. The esteros of Cádiz are traditional salt marsh ponds where species such as sea bream and sea bass can be raised in close relation to the surrounding marsh ecology. Water, algae, small crustaceans, and the rhythm of the landscape all shape the character of the fish. ![sea bream sashimi at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Sea-Bream-Sashimi-at-Aponiente-1.jpeg) sea bream sashimi Served as sashimi, the sea bream was not showy. It was firm, clear, and precise. The story of its life and death made the dish more meaningful, but only because the eating itself justified the attention. ![sea bass with Manzanilla vinaigrette Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Estero-Sea-Bass-Aponiente-1.jpeg) sea bass with Manzanilla vinaigrette The **sea bass with Manzanilla vinaigrette and charcoal** was one of the best dishes of the evening. The estero sea bass had a skin of remarkable crispness, almost brittle, while the flesh beneath was cooked exactly to the point. The charcoal gave depth without heaviness. The Manzanilla vinaigrette lifted everything with acidity, salt, and the faintly coastal character of sherry country. It was a complete dish: technically sharp, regionally exact, and emotionally satisfying. ![shrimp in a cold stew served alive at Aponiente in El Puerto](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/camarones-aponiente-1.jpeg) shrimps in cold stew - served alive Then came **shrimps in cold stew**. The camarones (glass shrimp) were served alive, still moving in the bowl. The taste was precise and almost transparent: cold, immediate, and without the density that cooking brings. But the experience was not only about taste. Eating something still living is a different act from eating something dead, and the dish made no effort to hide that fact. It was one of the most challenging moments of the meal, not because the flavour was difficult, but because the freshness was so literal. Aponiente seemed to suggest, without saying it directly, that the discomfort itself was part of the information: about what freshness means, and about what we usually prefer not to consider. ![moray eel with adobo at aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/moray-eel-with-adobo-aponiente-1.jpeg) crispy moray eel skin with adobo The final outdoor bite was **moray eel with adobo**. Only the crispy skin was served. Moray eel has a dangerous, almost primitive image, a snake-like fish with a powerful bite, yet here it appeared as texture and memory: crisp skin, adobo, acidity, spice, and the Andalusian language of preservation. At this point we were invited to move inside, back into the tide mill. ### Salty Cuisine ![sea green beans and fine herbes at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/sea-green-beans-aponiente-1.jpeg) sea green beans and fine herbes The indoor section, titled **Salty Cuisine**, began with **sea green beans and fines herbes**. Sea plants were served with a green sauce of marshland herbs. After the outdoor sequence, this dish felt like a continuation rather than a reset. The flavours remained vegetal, saline, and low to the ground. ![monkfish liver with peas at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/monkfish-liver-and-peas-1.jpeg) monkfish liver with carob and peas The **monkfish liver with carob** was outstanding. It had the temperature and texture of a cold foie gras, but with the unmistakable marine depth of monkfish liver. Tear peas brought delicacy and sweetness. The carob added a darker note, almost roasted, giving structure to what could otherwise have been too rich. It was a beautiful combination. ![marine cabbage with fish jowl at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/fish-jowl-at-aponiente-1.jpeg) marine cabbage with fish jowl **Marine cabbage with fish jowl** followed, centred on tuna jowl from around the head of the fish. The dish had a generous, almost primal quality. Fish jowl is one of those cuts where gelatin, fat, and muscle meet. Here, it carried depth without losing clarity. ![squid with vanilla and pumpkin at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/squid-aponiente-1.jpeg) squid with vanilla and pumpkin The **squid with vanilla and pumpkin** used raw potera squid. The pairing of squid and vanilla could easily have become mannered, but it did not. The pumpkin softened the structure, while the squid kept the dish cool and precise. ![baby squid at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/squid-at-aponiente-1.jpeg) baby squid The **baby squid with black ink sauce** was lightly cooked by pouring hot oil over it. It was served with a black ink sauce that had something of a mole in its density and aromatic darkness. The dish stayed in the mouth for a long time, not through weight, but through resonance. ![Almadraba tendons with spices at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Almadraba-tendons-1.jpeg) Almadraba tendons with spices The **Almadraba tendons with spices** continued the restaurant’s long interest in the complete language of tuna. The Almadraba tradition is one of the defining marine cultures of this coast, and Aponiente has often found ways to treat tuna beyond the obvious luxury cuts. Here the tendons were served in an aromatic yellow sauce, with spice giving warmth and direction. ### Sweet Cuisine The sweet part of the menu did not abandon the sea. It rarely does at Aponiente. ![fish roe flan with apple and fennel at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/flan-1.jpeg) fish roe flan with apple and fennel The **fish roe flan with apple and fennel** played with custard texture and marine salinity. Apple and fennel gave freshness, but the roe kept the dish from becoming conventionally sweet. ![lemon with living salt at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/lemon-with-living-salt-1.jpeg) lemon with living salt **Lemon with living salt** was more theatrical. A liquid was poured over cured lemon, causing it to solidify and become warm. The sensation mattered as much as the flavour: temperature changing at the table, citrus sharpened by salt, the boundary between dessert and experiment held just long enough. ![seaweed tarte satin at Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/alge-tarte-tatin-1.jpeg) seaweed tarte tatin The **seaweed tarte tatin** was one of the cleverest sweet ideas of the menu. It recalled an apple tart, but used seaweed in place of dough. The result was not a gimmick, but a precise extension of the Aponiente vocabulary. Sweetness, caramelisation, iodine, and structure met in a way that felt entirely logical here and probably nowhere else. The meal closed with **Bazaar, a tribute to Morocco**, a petite four sequence with Moroccan inspiration. Given Cádiz’s position, the gesture made cultural sense. It widened the horizon without leaving the south. ## Wine We were offered a choice between an international (350 €) and a local (220 €) wine pairing. We chose the local pairing, which felt the more meaningful option at Aponiente, given its place within the Sherry triangle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Salamero-wine-1.jpeg) The pairing stayed close to Cádiz and Jerez. It was built less around familiar luxury than around salinity, flor, oxidation, chalk, and Atlantic tension. Wines such as **Salamero** from Viñedos y Bodega El Piraña and **Corta y Raspa** from Mayetería Sanluqueña suited the outdoor marsh sequence particularly well, echoing the exposed, saline character of the first dishes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/05/Aponiente-Maestro-Sierra-1.jpeg) Later, the pairing moved through more explicitly Jerez-driven bottles, including **Maestro Sierra**, **Bodegas del Río Manzanilla**, and **Valdespino Viña Macharnudo Alto 2023**, a barrel-fermented Palomino from one of the region’s great vineyard names. These wines had the structure needed for iodine, smoke, fish skin, liver, and darker marine sauces. The sweet ending continued locally with **Ximénez-Spínola 2021 Vino de Uva Soleada**, selected especially for Aponiente. The local pairing was also an interesting way to explore the current wine culture of the Sherry region beyond the most familiar categories. Alongside Manzanilla and more oxidative styles, it included lesser-known local bottles and non-fortified Palomino wines, a category that has become increasingly important in and around Jerez. In the context of Aponiente, these wines felt especially relevant: close to the landscape, shaped by salinity and albariza, and able to speak to the food without forcing themselves into the foreground. ## Verdict Aponiente is one of the most innovative restaurants in the world, but what impressed me most on this nineteenth visit was not innovation alone. It was coherence. The restaurant has developed visibly over the years. It has moved from brilliance to confidence, from discovery to deeper articulation. In 2026, with part of the dinner now served outdoors in the marshes, that development feels especially clear. The new format is spectacular, but its value is not spectacle. It makes the meal more meaningful because it brings the diner closer to the ecological and cultural world from which the cooking emerges. This is destination dining in the fullest sense. It is worth a special trip not only because the cooking is technically exceptional, but because it could not be easily transferred elsewhere. Aponiente feels world class and, at the same time, unmistakably grounded in El Puerto de Santa María. There are moments that may challenge some diners: live shrimp, fish liver, tendons, marine plants, moray eel skin. But these are not provocations for their own sake. They are part of a serious culinary language, one built from the sea and from the less familiar edges of appetite. This has long been part of Ángel León’s mission: to show how much edible life remains overlooked in and around the oceans, and how many unused marine resources can become meaningful food when approached with knowledge, discipline, and respect. After nineteen visits, I do not feel that Aponiente has become predictable. Quite the opposite. It has become more legible, more rooted, and more courageous. The best restaurants do not simply improve by adding refinement. They improve by clarifying why they exist. With its 2026 season, Aponiente seems to know this with unusual force. • **Location:** El Puerto de Santa María, Spain • **Chef:** Ángel León • **Michelin rating:** ★★★ • **Visited:** April 2026 *For another restaurant where storytelling, landscape, and cuisine become inseparable, read my review of* [*Mirazur*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/)*.* **Update (July 2026):** I returned for my **20th visit** and a second meal this season; the cuisine was every bit as outstanding as before, although this time, due to the weather, we dined entirely indoors - noting that Aponiente’s outdoor experience adds a truly magical dimension to an already exceptional restaurant. ### Mirazur Menton Review: 20th Anniversary Menu by Mauro Colagreco and Ferran Adrià URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T19:06:33.000Z # **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (World-class Three-Star Level)** ## **Review** Mirazur had been on my mind for years, not out of urgency but out of a quiet, persistent curiosity. Its third Michelin star, awarded in 2019, and its position at the top of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in the same year had long since settled into the collective consciousness of fine dining. What drew me now was something more specific. For its twentieth anniversary, Mauro Colagreco had conceived a commemorative menu in collaboration with Ferran Adrià. That alone would have justified the journey. Yet there was also the sense that Mirazur was entering a new phase, not consolidating its past but actively rethinking its future. I arrived with a group of good friends, all attentive diners, aware that this would not be a retrospective evening but something more unsettled, perhaps even experimental. 20 Years Mirazur was the reason for the trip, but not its entirety. We extended the journey along the coast, adding a dinner at [Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/) and a lunch at [La Chèvre d’Or](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-chevre-dor-eze-tom-meyer-riviera-view/). Each offered a different perspective on the region, yet it was Mirazur that set the direction, shaping the anticipation that carried through the days that surrounded it. ## **Location & Atmosphere** We reached Menton while there was still light. This mattered. The restaurant’s name reveals itself only in daylight, when the view opens across the Mediterranean in a way that feels almost deliberate, as if framed rather than found. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Mirazur-1.jpeg) Mirazur view from dining room Inside, the room felt composed, almost quiet, but the welcome immediately set a different tone. We were told this would be a special evening, and it did not feel rehearsed. There was a genuine sense of being expected. Before taking our table, we were invited into the kitchen, where Mauro Colagreco greeted us personally. A few words were exchanged, informal and direct. It was a small moment, but it established a connection early on. Before we continued an olive sphere was served, delicate in structure, releasing a liquid olive essence in a single bite, finished with a light spray of gin and tonic. The dish traces back to Adrià’s work at elBulli, where spherification became one of the defining techniques of contemporary cuisine. Here, it appeared almost as a reference point, quietly placed within the flow of the evening. From there, we walked through the garden into a modest exhibition space. Over the previous six months, the team had been working on a project to rethink the experience at Mirazur. We understood this had been developed with input from Ferran Adrià, with the intention not to stand still, but to keep the restaurant evolving. ![A large wall chart outlining the guest experience journey at a restaurant, showing stages from reservation to dining with detailed process diagrams.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Behind-the-scenes-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Part of the internal work presented during the visit, mapping the guest journey as Mirazur reconsiders the structure of the dining experience. What stood out was the openness. They showed us sketches, charts, and conceptual work. Not a polished narrative, but the thinking behind it. It is rare to see this level of transparency in a restaurant of this stature. During the evening, Diego Masciaga was highly present in the dining room. Having spent three decades as General Manager at Waterside Inn, he is widely regarded as one of the leading figures in front of house. His presence was calm but precise, shaping the flow of the meal without drawing attention to it. In conversation, it became clear that he is not permanently based here, but involved in a specific project. His involvement suggests that Mirazur is actively working on its next phase rather than relying on its past. We also learned that the restaurant is expanding to include guest rooms, allowing visitors to remain within its orbit beyond the meal. It feels like a natural progression. Not a hotel in the traditional sense, but an extension of the experience. ## **Culinary Style or Distinctive Character** Colagreco’s cuisine has always resisted easy classification. It draws from the Mediterranean, certainly, but also from a more abstract understanding of seasonality, often guided by lunar cycles. This anniversary menu was conceived jointly by Mauro Colagreco and Ferran Adrià, and that dual authorship was clearly perceptible throughout the meal. Certain dishes felt closely aligned with Colagreco’s natural, garden-driven sensibility, while others carried Adrià’s more conceptual, almost abstract approach. Rather than blending into a single unified style, the menu allowed these perspectives to stand alongside each other. The contrast was intentional. At times, even pronounced. It created a quiet tension, not something to be resolved, but something the meal moved through and explored. There was also a notable shift toward narrative structure. The menu moved through themes rather than courses. Flowers, nature, Japan, the Mediterranean, citrus, celebration. Each chapter carried its own internal logic. ## **Menu / The Dishes** The opening sequence, *Flowers*, set a tone that was both delicate and slightly disorienting. A sip of Laurent-Perrier rosé was served within an actual rose. It was fragrant, almost intimate. ![A chef preparing a solid génépi cocktail at a table decorated with moss, herbs, and flowers, arranged like a small garden, in a bright dining room with a sea view.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Preparing-Solid-genepi-Cocktail-Mirazur-1.jpeg) The solid génépi cocktail A solid génépi cocktail followed, frozen and precise, accompanied by a flower that blurred the boundary between garnish and ingredient. The salted meringue and white caviar from Rova introduced contrast, while the ephemeral violet dissolved almost as soon as it was perceived. *Ode to Nature* grounded the experience. ![asaparagus and flowers salad at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Asparagus-Salad-1.jpeg) Asparagus Salad The asparagus salad, composed of raw spears, garden leaves, and flowers, was deceptively simple. It tasted of immediacy. The beetroot with caviar, however, was something else entirely. ![Beetroot and caviar at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Beetroot-and-caviar-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Beetroot and caviar A three-year-old beetroot, slow-grown and deeply concentrated, served with cream and caviar. The texture was dense yet yielding, the sweetness profound but controlled. It remains one of the most complete expressions of beetroot I have encountered. ![Peas and kiwi at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Peas-and-Kiwi-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Peas and kiwi Peas appeared three times. First with kiwi, an unexpected pairing that worked through shared acidity. Then with vanilla, presented in a form that invited direct interaction. The peas were aligned along a vanilla pod and eaten almost like corn, releasing a gentle, aromatic perfume. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Finally, they returned in a warmer expression, a grilled pod filled with tender tear peas, their sweetness deepened by the light char. ![artichoke tarte at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Artichoke-Tarte-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Artichoke tarte An artichoke tarte concluded the section with quiet confidence. The *Japan* chapter shifted tone. ![Whitebait and caviar at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Whitebait-with-caviar-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Whitebait and caviar Poutine with caviar reinterpreted the familiar through precision. Whitebait arranged with caviar, accompanied by a delicate cracker. ![Quisquillas at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Quisquillas-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Quisquillas The quisquillas, served raw, were remarkable in their sweetness and texture, almost creamy, while the head was fried separately to a crisp, adding a contrasting depth and intensity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Nanakusa-so-sekku-Mirazur-1.jpeg) **Nanakusa-no-sekku* Shiokara and squid fossil introduced fermentation and depth. Then came *Nanakusa-no-sekku*, presented as a single leaf topped with delicate herbs, served on folded origami. The reference to the Japanese tradition of the seven herbs of early spring was subtle but clear, a moment of lightness and renewal within the menu. It prepared the palate before the sequence culminated in a sea urchin ravioli that balanced richness with clarity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Sea-Urchin-Ravioli-Mirazur-1-1.jpeg) Sea urchin ravioli A brief moment stayed with me here. Diego Masciaga was frequently at the table, guiding the experience with a quiet presence. At one point, he began to explain how certain dishes traced back to Mauro Colagreco, while others reflected the thinking of Ferran Adrià. It was not presented as a contrast, but as a way of reading the menu. That small insight shifted the perspective. The meal became easier to follow, its structure more apparent, without losing its sense of discovery. The *Mediterranean* sequence returned to a more familiar landscape, though interpreted with precision. ![Pigeon with sea cucumber Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Pigeon-and-Sea-Cucumber-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Pigeon with sea cucumber Foie gras was served as a course on its own, followed by a pine chawanmushi, and then pigeon paired with sea cucumber. ![bone marrow with caviar at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Bone-Marrow-with-Caviar-Mirazur--1--1.jpeg) Bone marrow with caviar Tuétano, bone marrow topped with caviar, followed, extending the dialogue between land and sea in a way that felt considered rather than provocative. ![Eucalyptus spaghetti at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Eucalyptus-Spaghetti-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Eucalyptus spaghetti The eucalyptus spaghetti introduced an aromatic dimension that lingered gently. Being only a few meters from the Italian border, a pasta dish here feels almost essential, a quiet nod to the geography that shapes the restaurant’s identity. Dessert moved into *Citrus*, a natural conclusion in Menton. ![Naranjo en Flor at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Naranjo-en-Flur-Mirazur-1.jpeg) Naranjo en Flor A tray of sweets served in real seashells felt playful without excess. *Naranjo en Flor* and the yuzu cloud were light, almost dissolving, carrying acidity into sweetness. ![desserts as sea shell tray at Mirazur Menton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Sea-Shell-tray-Mirazur-1-1.jpeg) Desserts as sea shell tray The final *Celebration* brought the evening to a quiet close. Chocolates were followed by a birthday cake, marking the twentieth anniversary without ceremony, but with a sense of completion that felt both simple and precise. ## **Wine** The wine selection was generous and thoughtfully paced. One of my friends, a deeply knowledgeable wine expert, worked with the sommelier to curate the selection for the evening, shaping a progression that felt both personal and precise. Two Champagnes from Ulysse Collin opened the evening. *Les Maillons* and *Les Pierrières*, blanc de noir and blanc de blancs, respectively, offered contrast in structure and minerality. An Austrian Grüner Veltliner from Nikolaihof brought clarity and tension, particularly alongside the vegetable-driven dishes. From Rioja, Bodega Lanzaga’s *Las Beatas* showed elegance and restraint. A rare wine of smooth depth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Gaja-Costa-Russi-1.jpeg) The highlight, however, was Gaja’s *Costa Russi 1997*. Mature, composed, and deeply expressive. The tannins had softened into silk, the fruit resolved into something more contemplative. It did not demand attention. It held it. We ended with a Marc de Bourgogne from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. A digestif of remarkable purity, carrying the essence of its origin into a long, measured finish. ## **Verdict** Mirazur at twenty is not a restaurant looking backward. It feels, in the most considered sense, carefully constructed. Every element of the evening appeared deliberate, shaped and placed with intention rather than left to chance. What made the experience compelling was not the food alone, but what it suggested. The involvement of Ferran Adrià and Diego Masciaga points to a restaurant that is not settling into its position, but preparing its next phase. There is a sense of movement and reinvention. The question is no longer whether Mirazur deserves its place. That has been established. What remains is where it chooses to go from here. Based on this evening, it is a direction worth following. Returning in a year feels less like a plan than a natural continuation. • **Location:** Menton, France • **Chef:** Mauro Colagreco • **Michelin rating:** ★★★ • **Visited:** April 2026 *A different expression of this ongoing pursuit can be found at* [*Clos des Sens*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-clos-des-sens-review-annecy-nature-led-michelin-3-star-tasting-menu/)*, where the relationship between nature, place, and cuisine is explored with a more introspective, alpine clarity.* *For another restaurant where storytelling, landscape, and cuisine become inseparable, read my review of* [*Aponiente 2026*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/)*.* ### Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse in Monaco: Classical Grandeur at the Hôtel de Paris URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T15:17:49.000Z # **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review The journey began with another reservation. We were travelling to Menton for the twentieth anniversary of [Mirazur](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/), four friends at the table, all serious gourmets in the best sense of the word. Since the Côte d’Azur rewards appetite with unusual density, we added two further meals to the itinerary: dinner at Le Louis XV in Monaco and lunch at [La Chèvre d’Or in Èze](https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-chevre-dor-eze-tom-meyer-riviera-view/). Le Louis XV is not simply another Alain Ducasse restaurant. It is the house from which much of his international language of luxury became legible. Ducasse took over the restaurant at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in 1987, and within three years it had received three Michelin stars, a historic achievement for a hotel restaurant. I had known Ducasse’s cooking before, most clearly from Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London, but also from his more pastoral addresses, including Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle and La Bastide de Moustiers. What fascinates me is that the Ducasse style remains unmistakable across such different categories of restaurant. It is not a fixed vocabulary of dishes, but a way of thinking: clarity before decoration, product before technique, Mediterranean memory even when the setting is urban, luxurious, or deliberately rustic. The cooking often appears simple, but it is never casual. It trusts the ingredient, then surrounds it with just enough structure to make its character more precise. ## Location & Atmosphere Le Louis XV sits inside the Hôtel de Paris, on the Place du Casino, in a version of Monaco that seems almost too complete to be real. The hotel has the grammar of a palace: polished stone, controlled movement, soft light, the faint choreography of guests who know how to arrive. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Hotel-de-Paris-Monaco-1.jpeg) Hôtel de Paris Monaco On entering the restaurant, I was recognised immediately. It was a small moment, but not a minor one. At this level, service is not only about correctness. It is about memory, anticipation, and the ability to make formality feel personal without dissolving it. The room itself is a grand restaurant in the classical sense. There is a jacket requirement, and at the beginning the atmosphere carried a certain stiffness. Not unpleasantly so, but noticeably. One sits a little straighter. Voices are lower. The first gestures are measured. After the first bottle of Champagne, the room softened. The service remained exact, but the evening began to breathe. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Ducasse’s style has often been described through the language of product, but that alone is too simple. Many chefs claim devotion to produce. Ducasse builds an entire moral architecture around it. At Le Louis XV, this means the Mediterranean not as a postcard, but as a discipline. Fish from nearby waters, vegetables from Provence, citrus, herbs, shellfish, olive oil, bitter notes, saline accents. The kitchen does not try to impress through force. It impresses through confidence. The sauces are not merely decorative. The vegetables are not secondary. The luxury is present, of course, but it is usually absorbed into balance rather than displayed for its own sake. This is also why the restaurant still feels old school in the best possible way. It believes in the dining room as a complete organism: kitchen, cellar, service, tableware, pacing, silence, and ceremony. Nothing is casual, yet the best moments are not theatrical. They are exact. ## Menu / The Dishes We chose the Agapé tasting menu at €420, although Le Louis XV also offers an extensive à la carte selection. This is very much a restaurant where ordering à la carte can make sense. The room, the cellar, and the style of cooking all support the pleasure of choosing one’s own rhythm. ![Amuse-bouches at Louis XV Ducasse Hotel de Paris Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Amuse-bouche-Louis-XV-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouches The meal opened with amuse-bouches. ![Red tuna with raspberries at Louis XV Alain Ducasse Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Red-Tuna-and-Rasberry-Louis-XV-1.jpeg) Red tuna with raspberries Next was a pre-starter of raw red tuna with raspberries. The combination was excellent. The fruit did not push the fish into sweetness. Instead, it brought acidity, a small aromatic lift, and a clean contrast to the density of the tuna. ![Red mullet starter at Louis XV Alain Ducasse restaurant Hotel de Paris Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Red-Mullet-Louis-XV-1.jpeg) Red mullet The first listed course was citrus, hazelnut, and red mullet: citrus and hazelnut with combava oil, red mullet from the coast served almost natural and charred. The fish was largely raw, only lightly touched by flame. It was a fine Ducasse construction: minimal intervention, but not minimal thought. The citrus sharpened the flesh, the hazelnut added warmth, and the combava gave the dish a fragrant, almost green brightness. ![Artichoke, sea anemone and caviar at Louis XV Ducasse Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Artichoke-sea-anemone-and-caviar-1.jpeg) Artichoke, sea anemone and caviar Then came artichoke, sea anemone, and caviar: Provençal artichoke “alla giudea”, Olivier Bardoux sea anemone, burrata, and caviar. It was an interesting and ambitious combination, moving between bitterness, iodine, cream, and salinity. For my taste, the artichoke was a little too firm. Still, the dish had intelligence. It asked the palate to move between the vegetable and the marine rather than simply admire the caviar. ![John Dory at Louis XV Ducasse at Hotel de Paris Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/John-Dory-with-white-asparagus-Louis-XV-1-1.jpeg) John Dory with white asparagus The white asparagus with bergamot and John Dory was the first truly exceptional dish of the evening. Barely cooked white asparagus, bergamot, Mediterranean John Dory confit, and a “pil pil” made from the head. The fish was sensational: precise, moist, and deeply flavoured without heaviness. The bergamot gave the dish lift, while the pil pil brought a quiet intensity from the bones and head. It was refined, but not fragile. A small human moment stayed with me here. The service had by then lost its initial stiffness without losing its form. Plates arrived with the soft confidence of people who know the room completely. There was no need to explain too much. A glance, a pause, a slight adjustment of the glass. In such restaurants, hospitality is often revealed not by grand gestures, but by the absence of friction. ![The best lamb in the world at Louis XV Alain Ducasse Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/The-best-lamb-in-the-world--Louis-XV-1.jpeg) The best lamb in the world The main savoury course was green pea, murex, and lamb: green pea bulgur, samphire and murex ravioli, lamb from Quercy cooked in the fireplace. The murex appeared within the ravioli, bringing a discreet marine depth rather than standing apart as a separate element. This detail mattered. It allowed the dish to move between the sweetness of pea, the saline edge of samphire, and the extraordinary depth of the lamb without becoming fragmented. The table was unanimous. It was the best lamb we had ever eaten. That is a large statement, and one I do not make lightly. The meat had extraordinary depth, but also tenderness and restraint. The fireplace cooking gave it aroma without turning it rustic. The ravioli added a quiet maritime undertone, a reminder of Ducasse’s Mediterranean grammar, while the green pea kept the dish lucid and fresh. It was a composition of land and sea, but not in the fashionable sense. It felt older, more instinctive, more assured. ![Cheese cart at Louis XV Alain Ducasse](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/cheese-trolley-1.jpeg) Cheese cart Cheese followed from the cart, a pleasure that belongs naturally to this kind of restaurant. The cart has its own rhythm, its own small theatre, and here it felt less like abundance than continuity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Rum-for-the-Baba-Ducasse-Louis-XV-1-1.jpeg) Rum for the rum baba Dessert was the classic rum baba with vanilla, orange peel, and half-whipped Chantilly. In another restaurant, such a dessert might feel nostalgic. Here it felt correct. The baba was not an intellectual ending, but a generous one: saturated, fragrant, and carried by cream rather than sugar alone. It closed the menu with warmth. ## Wine We chose to order bottles rather than opting for a pairing. For example, the evening opened with Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru VP, a Champagne of notable depth and persistence, well suited to both the cuisine and the setting. Later, we moved to Domaine Labet from the Jura, Le Champs Rouge Chardonnay. These give a sense of the direction of the wine choices throughout the meal. ![Champagne at Hôtel de Paris Monaco](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Champagne-Egly-Ouriet-1.jpeg) Egly-Ouriet ChampagneGran What can be said is that Le Louis XV is a restaurant where wine matters profoundly. The Hôtel de Paris is known for one of the great hotel cellars, and the sense of vinous depth is present even when one engages with it selectively rather than encyclopaedically. ## Verdict Le Louis XV is a great restaurant, but not because it tries to appear contemporary at every turn. Its strength lies elsewhere. It understands ceremony. It understands produce. It understands that luxury, when handled properly, is not noise but concentration. There were small reservations. The opening atmosphere was somewhat formal, and the artichoke course was firmer than I would have preferred. But these are details within an evening of very high command. The best dishes, especially the John Dory and the lamb, had the quiet authority that separates technical excellence from true gastronomic memory. Ducasse in Monaco is a classical restaurant of the old school, in the very best sense. It is not a place for diners seeking informality or surprise as an end in itself. It is for those who still believe in the grand restaurant as a complete cultural form, where architecture, service, wine, product, and time are brought into alignment. By the end of the evening, what remained was not spectacle, but composure. • **Location:** Monaco • **Chef:** Alain Ducasse, with Emmanuel Pilon • **Michelin rating**: ★★★ • **Visited:** April 2026 ### La Chèvre d’Or in Èze: The Golden Goat, the Riviera View, and Tom Meyer’s New Chapter URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/la-chevre-dor-eze-tom-meyer-riviera-view/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T15:20:30.000Z **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)** ## Review La Chèvre d’Or was not the original reason for our journey to the Côte d’Azur. I had come with three friends to visit [Mirazur in Menton](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/), where Mauro Colagreco was marking the restaurant’s twentieth anniversary with a special menu. We decided to extend the trip into a small Riviera sequence and also include a dinner at [Le Louis XV](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-monaco-review/), Alain Ducasse’s grand institution at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, followed the next day by lunch at La Chèvre d’Or in Èze. It is a restaurant that carries a particular mythology. Set between Nice and Monaco, above the Mediterranean, La Chèvre d’Or is known as much for its view as for its cooking. The name itself, the golden goat, has always suggested something slightly unreal, perched between legend, luxury, and landscape. Since 2024, the kitchens have been led by Tom Meyer, who took over from Arnaud Faye and has maintained the restaurant’s two Michelin stars. The achievement matters. In a house this visible, continuity is never neutral. It must be earned quietly, service after service. ## Location & Atmosphere Arrival at La Chèvre d’Or is already part of the experience. Èze rises steeply from the coast, its stone lanes compressed into the medieval village above the sea. There are restaurants where the dining room begins at the table. Here, it begins with the ascent. The history of the place is carefully layered. The château was purchased in 1953 by hotelier Robert Wolf, who transformed it into a restaurant; the story of La Chèvre d’Or, according to the hotel’s own history, truly began in 1956\. Rather than calling it simply a founding member of Relais & Châteaux, it is more accurate to describe it as one of the early addresses associated with La Route du Bonheur, the route that preceded and shaped the spirit of Relais & Châteaux. Then one climbs the stairs toward the restaurant and enters another atmosphere entirely. The dining room has recently been redesigned, and it no longer leans on old Riviera grandeur alone. It feels contemporary, soft, and composed, with pale beige tones, a quiet carpet underfoot, and large windows that refuse to let the interior become the main subject. ![table with a view at La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/View-from-LA-CH--VRE-D-OR-1.jpeg) Table with a view at La Chèvre d’Or Èze The view remains almost impossible to ignore. We were given what must be one of the best tables in the room, facing the sea and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. From there, the Mediterranean does not appear as a background but as a presence. The light shifts slowly. Boats become small white marks. Conversation lowers itself naturally. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Tom Meyer (32) is young for such a house, but the cooking does not try to prove youth through noise. His menu, at least at lunch, moves in a lighter Mediterranean register: seasonal, precise, and often green in tone. There is a noticeable desire to bring the restaurant closer to the landscape outside the window rather than to preserve it as a formal monument. The redesign of the dining room seems to follow the same thought. It softens the room around the cuisine. Nothing feels aggressively staged. The luxury is there, but it has been absorbed into texture, spacing, and silence. Later, during a visit to the kitchen, we met Meyer briefly. It was a small but revealing moment. The atmosphere behind the dining room felt calm and relatively relaxed, not theatrically tense. That matters. In restaurants at this level, one often senses whether precision is created through fear or through concentration. Here, at least from that brief glimpse, the room behind the room seemed to breathe. There is considerable potential in this new chapter. The restaurant already holds its two stars, and Meyer has maintained them. The more interesting question is how clearly he can define La Chèvre d’Or for the next decade. ## Menu / The Dishes The six-course lunch menu was priced at €250\. It unfolded as a light, seasonal Mediterranean meal, never heavy, never overburdened by the view, and at its best when acidity, herbs, and marine flavours were allowed to remain lucid. ![Amuse-bouche at La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/amuse-bouche-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouche at La Chèvre d’Or Èze Before the formal menu began, a sequence of amuse-bouches arrived. ![Crab cake at La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/amouse-bouche-crab-1.jpeg) Crab cake Among them, the crab cake stood out. It had the kind of immediate pleasure that can be difficult to achieve in a gastronomic opening: crispness, warmth, sweetness, and just enough structure to prepare the appetite without exhausting it. ![Green asparagus with basil, and gorgonzola](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Green-asparagus-Rose-from-Grasse--basil--gorgonzola-1.jpeg) Green asparagus with basil, and gorgonzola The first course, green asparagus with rose from Grasse, basil, and gorgonzola, was one of the most convincing dishes of the meal. It was green in the fullest sense: fresh, light, vegetal, and aromatic, with the rose handled delicately enough not to become cosmetic. The gorgonzola brought a soft lactic depth, giving the asparagus a little shadow without pulling the dish away from spring. ![Red tuna with cucumber, kiwi, and shiso La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Red-Tuna-Cucumber--kiwi--shiso-1.jpeg) Red tuna with cucumber, kiwi, and shiso The red tuna with cucumber, kiwi, and shiso was the most striking composition. Raw red tuna formed the centre, clean and cool, while cucumber and kiwi added freshness and a fine, almost electric acidity. Above it came grilled tuna belly, richer and warmer, bringing smoke, fat, and contrast. It was a dish of temperature and texture as much as flavour, and it showed Meyer’s ability to build complexity without heaviness. ![Oyster No. 3 with green pea, lovage, and champagne](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Oyster-No.-3-Green-pea--lovage--champagne-1.jpeg) Oyster No. 3 with green pea, lovage, and champagne Oyster No. 3 with green pea, lovage, and champagne continued the spring logic. The oyster was grilled, which changed its character from bracing and saline to something rounder, warmer, and more yielding. Green pea gave sweetness, lovage added its celery-like aromatic edge, and champagne brought a discreet lift. It was a beautiful spring dish, confident in its restraint. ![Royal sea bream with nasturtium, radish, and beurre noisette at La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Royal-Sea-Bream-1-1.jpeg) Royal sea bream with nasturtium, radish, and beurre noisette Royal sea bream with nasturtium, radish, and beurre noisette was more technical than emotional. The fish was cooked precisely, still slightly translucent at the centre, with the kind of control one expects at this level. Nasturtium and radish brought pepper and freshness, while the beurre noisette added warmth and a nutty finish. It was exact and well made, though less memorable than the preceding courses. ![Quail with kombu seaweed, dried apricot, and Macvin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/Quail-Kombu-seaweed--dried-apricot--macvin-1.jpeg) Quail with kombu seaweed, dried apricot, and Macvin The quail with kombu seaweed, dried apricot, and Macvin moved the meal into deeper territory. Here the flavours became more intense, more autumnal in feeling despite the spring structure of the menu. Kombu brought umami, the dried apricot a darkened sweetness, and the Macvin a vinous, slightly oxidative resonance. It was a strong dish, compact and expressive. ![Cheese trolley at La Chèvre d’Or Èze](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/cheese-trolley-chevre-dOr-1.jpeg) Cheese trolley We added cheese from the trolley, a decision that felt right in such a classical house. A cheese trolley has a way of slowing the rhythm of a meal. It asks for conversation, for small decisions, for an appetite that is no longer purely hungry but curious. ![Citrus from the garden with spring herbs and meringue](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/04/-Citrus-from-our-garden-Spring-herbs--meringue-1.jpeg) Citrus from the garden with spring herbs and meringue Dessert returned to brightness: citrus from the garden with spring herbs and meringue. It was fresh, clean, and sharply drawn, with enough sweetness from the meringue to soften the citrus without muting it. After the quail and cheese, this was exactly the kind of ending the menu needed. Not grand, but clear. ## Wine The wine sequence had its own quiet logic, since we stayed entirely within Chardonnay, though in three very different expressions. We began with Champagne Dhondt-Grellet, Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut. As a pure Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, it gave the meal a precise opening: chalk, citrus, tension, and fine bitterness. It worked particularly well with the first bites and the early green tones of the menu, where freshness mattered more than weight. The 2015 Montagny from Maison Leroy shifted the register. Montagny, from the Côte Chalonnaise, often shows Chardonnay in a slightly less ostentatious but deeply satisfying Burgundian form. In this context, and especially with the asparagus and oyster, it offered breadth without becoming too rich. The maturity of the vintage gave it a calmer, more settled expression. The Ladoix Chardonnay 2019 brought another face of Burgundy: more Côte de Beaune in character, with a firmer structure and a little more presence. It suited the sea bream and quail better than the earlier wines, not because it overwhelmed them, but because it had enough depth to follow the menu as it moved away from pure freshness. Drinking three expressions of Chardonnay across one lunch was more interesting than a broader pairing might have been. It allowed small differences to become visible: Champagne as line and energy, Montagny as maturity and quiet generosity, Ladoix as structure and depth. The grape remained the same, but the meal showed how place, method, and age can alter its voice completely. ## Verdict La Chèvre d’Or remains one of the great dining rooms of the Riviera, but under Tom Meyer it does not feel trapped by its own legend. A restaurant with this view could easily let the landscape do too much of the work. Here, the view is still spectacular, but the cooking earns attention on its own terms. The strongest dishes were those most closely connected to season and place: the asparagus, the tuna, the oyster, and the citrus dessert. The sea bream was precise, if less memorable, while the quail suggested a deeper, more intense side of Meyer’s kitchen. What felt most convincing was the clarity of his vision. La Chèvre d’Or does not give the impression of a young chef merely occupying a historic room. The recent redesign has softened the old formality and brought the restaurant closer to his cuisine. Even a small detail, such as Meyer discussing the design of the cheese trolley with the carpenter, revealed a chef thinking beyond the plate: about movement, service, material, and memory. There is clarity here, and considerable promise. The golden goat still looks out over the Riviera, but the restaurant no longer feels held in place by its legend. Meyer has maintained its two Michelin stars and begun to shape the house around his own idea of Mediterranean cuisine. This is a place to watch. The meal lingered as a feeling of precision and calm: pale light, green flavours, a confident kitchen, Chardonnay in three shades, and the sea below Èze holding everything in place. • **Location:** Èze, France • **Chef:** Tom Meyer • **Michelin rating**: ★★ • **Visited:** April 2026 ### Restaurant KEI Paris Review: French Cuisine with Japanese Precision URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-kei-paris-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-22T13:11:10.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review I booked Kei for an 8pm dinner during a Paris trip with my wife and daughter. We have spent time in Japan as a family, and that history shaped my anticipation in a quiet way. Not as a search for familiarity, but as a question. What happens when a Japanese chef reaches the most guarded summit of French dining, and does it without turning his origin into a theme. Kei Kobayashi, from Nagano, has become a symbol of that possibility. And he is no longer alone. Paris now counts two Japanese chefs at the helm of three-star kitchens, a small but telling shift in a city that rarely changes its peaks quickly, and one that invites comparison with my [recent meal at L’Ambroisie](https://thefinediningjournal.com/lunch-lambroisie-paris-shintaro-awa/). At Kei, the language remains French, but the precision feels learned elsewhere. ## Location & Atmosphere Kei is discreet from the street. You could walk past without understanding what is happening inside. When we arrived, the door was still closed. A small group of guests had formed outside, the particular silence of people who know they are early, and prefer not to look eager. I noticed that many of the diners seemed to come from East Asia, which made sense. Kobayashi is not only famous in Paris. In parts of Asia he carries a different kind of weight, as someone who entered French gastronomy from the outside and ended up at its highest level. Inside, we were seated in the main room. The space feels polished and controlled, built around reflection and light, rather than grandeur. It is not the open-armed luxury of the palace hotels. Compared with Epicure, Le Gabriel, or Plénitude, Kei is more concentrated, less theatrical, and in some ways more honest. There is nowhere for the evening to hide. The room holds you close, and the food has to do the work. That closeness also changes the mood. The dining room is serious, but not tense. It asks for attention without demanding reverence. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Kei’s cooking is French in structure and Japanese in posture. You can find Japanese ingredients, wagyu, shiso, yuzu. You can sense Japanese technique in the way temperatures are managed, in the cleanliness of textures, in the refusal to overstate. But the cuisine is not Japanese. It remains French, creative and modern, built on sauces, progression, and the careful logic of a menu that moves by degrees rather than jolts. The precision is the point. Not precision as perfectionism, but as a form of respect. Respect for product, for timing, for the diner’s palate. ## Menu / The Dishes The restaurant offers only one seven-course menu, in four versions that differ by ingredients and price. The entry-level *Dégustation* menu at €280 felt unusually fair for three-star Paris. The most expensive version, *Gran Horizon*, costs €560, which is now close to the city’s three-star norm. The higher tiers bring the familiar luxury signals, caviar, black truffle, lobster, wagyu. In the more modest version, pigeon becomes the principal meat course. I chose *Gran Horizon*, partly out of curiosity and partly because I wanted to understand the restaurant at its fullest volume. The amuse-bouches arrived as a sequence of short, intelligent statements. A red shiso granita that cooled the palate without flattening it. A smoked yoghurt tart topped with Spanish sardine and red onion, where smoke stayed elegant and the sardine’s salt felt clean. A green shiso tempura paired with confit tomatoes and avocado, crispness and softness placed carefully against each other. Then a gougère filled with Comté and ichimi chilli, French comfort given a precise edge. ![Kai Restaurant Paris Green shiso tempura, tomatoes confit and avocado](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-Green-shiso-tempura--tomatoes-confit-and-avocado-1.jpeg) Green shiso tempura, tomatoes confit and avocado An extra bite followed, a macaroon with black truffle. It could have been a flourish. Instead it tasted like the kitchen’s confidence in restraint, the truffle used for depth rather than dominance. The first course was a Gillardeau oyster with daikon radish, seaweed jelly, yuzu sorbet, and Kristal caviar. It was built on cold, salinity, and the clean friction between textures. The oyster’s weight, the daikon’s snap, the seaweed’s quiet iodine, and the yuzu’s brightness held together without forcing harmony. It felt exact. ![Kei Paris - Gillardeau oyster with daikon radish, seaweed jelly, yuzu sorbet, and Kristal caviar](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-Gillardeau-Oyster-daikon-radish-seaweed-jelly-yuzu-sorbet-and-caviar-Kristal-1.jpeg) Gillardeau oyster with daikon radish, seaweed jelly, yuzu sorbet, and Kristal caviar Another supplement followed, a maki made with fried rice, red tuna tartare, Kristal caviar, and nori. Here the Japanese reference was more explicit, but it still did not feel like an identity performance. It was simply delicious, and tightly composed. ![Kei Paris - The maki with fried rice, red tuna tartare, caviar Kristal, nori seaweed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-The-maki-with-fried-rice--red-tuna-tartare--caviar-Kristal--nori-seaweed-1.jpeg) The maki with fried rice, red tuna tartare, caviar Kristal, nori seaweed. Then came the dish that seems to have become one of Kei’s signatures, and I understood why. “The vegetable garden” arrives with the apparent simplicity of a salad, but it is not a salad in intent. Scottish smoked salmon sits beneath arugula cream, lemon mousse, tomato vinaigrette, and black olive crumble. It was shockingly aromatic. The flavours did not blur. They unfolded in layers, bright, bitter, creamy, salty, with a kind of freshness that felt engineered rather than accidental. Gnocchi with parmesan cream, bellota ham, and black truffle followed, and the menu turned toward winter. This was a perfect stage for winter truffle, warm, fat-driven, and quiet enough to let aroma rise slowly. The dish did not try to modernise comfort. It simply refined it. ![Kei Restaurant Paris - Gnocchis with parmesan cream, bellota ham and Black truffle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-Gnocchis-with-parmesan-cream--bellota-ham-and-Black-truffle-1.jpeg) Gnocchis with parmesan cream, bellota ham and Black truffle. The blue lobster was the evening’s first moment of disbelief. Served with grilled enoki, lemon and walnut condiment, and a cognac-laced lobster sauce, it was cooked with a precision that is hard to describe without sounding theatrical. The texture was exactly right, firm but yielding, the sauce amplifying sweetness rather than masking it. It may be the best lobster I have ever eaten. ![Kei Restaurant Paris - Blue lobster, grilled enokis, lemon and walnut condiment, lobster sauce with](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-Blue-lobster-1.jpeg) Blue lobster, grilled enokis, lemon and walnut condiment, lobster sauce with Wagyu from Gunma arrived next, grilled and served with a piece of its fat lacquered with soy sauce, with horseradish, watercress, and an old-fashioned mustard condiment. Alongside it, wagyu tartare with yukke seasoning and puffed rice, plus a salad with fried onions and sour dressing. It was again an exercise in control. Richness was present, but it never became heavy. Even in Japan, I have not often eaten beef that felt so composed, so calmly confident. ![Kei Restaurant Paris - Wagyu grilled from Gunma at the barbecue, served with a piece of its fat, lacquered with soy sauce, horseradish, watercress, and old-fashioned mustard condiment. Wagyu tartare, yukke seasoning, puffed rice. Salad, fried onions and sour dressing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-Wagyu-grilled-from-Gunma-at-the-barbecue-1.jpeg) Wagyu grilled from Gunma at the barbecue There was a human ease to the evening that mattered just as much as the cooking. Service was highly professional and genuinely welcoming, but the room still felt relaxed. That balance is rare in three-star dining, where warmth can slide into performance, and formality can harden into distance. Here, the tone stayed steady, attentive without tension. As a family, we felt we could breathe. Dessert began with citrus, a smoothie and a granita lifted by puffed sugar. It cleansed the palate without turning cleansing into austerity. ![Kei Restaurant Paris - Citrus smoothie with puffed sugar. Citrus granita.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei---citrus-dessert-1.jpeg) Citrus smoothie with puffed sugar. Citrus granita. The final dessert was a creamy Guanaja chocolate tart with black truffle, a pairing that can easily become vulgar if pushed too hard. Here it was measured and seamless. The truffle did not announce itself. It lingered in the background like a darker register, making the chocolate feel deeper rather than louder. ![Kei Restaurant Paris - The creamy Guanaja chocolate tart with black truffle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-The-creamy-Guanaja-chocolate-tart-with-black-truffle-1.jpeg) The creamy Guanaja chocolate tart with black truffle. Petite fours closed the meal with a lighter touch, pina colada frozen marshmallow and a caramel tartelette. Small sweetness, clean finish. ## Wine I did not take a pairing. Instead, I drank various glasses over the course of the menu, which suited the meal’s shifting register and kept the evening feeling light on its feet. I began with a superb Champagne, De Sousa “Caudalies,” Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. It set a clear, mineral tone with a quiet, vinous depth. With the early marine courses it stayed precise, bringing a gentle line of salt and citrus and a long, chalky finish. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/De-Sousa-Champagne-1.jpeg) Later, I moved into Burgundy, including a glass of 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru from Domaine Rapet, a wine with the kind of firm, chalky structure and measured power that makes sense at this level. It held its line against richness rather than competing with it, and it brought a calm gravity to the middle of the meal. ## Verdict Kei is compelling because it refuses the obvious narrative. It is not Japanese cuisine transplanted into Paris, and it is not French classicism worn like a costume by an outsider. It is French cooking, modern and creative, made with Japanese discipline. The ingredients are luxurious when you choose the higher menu, but luxury is not the restaurant’s true argument. Control is. Compared with the palace hotels, Kei feels more concentrated and more exposed. That exposure becomes its strength. The room is close. The service is calm and precise. The dishes arrive with purpose, and the evening progresses without noise. I left with the feeling that the restaurant’s greatest achievement is not its status, but its sincerity, expressed through precision, and through the quiet confidence to let each course speak clearly. - **Location:** Paris, France - **Chef:** Kei Kobayashi - **Michelin rating:** ★★★ - **Visited:** February 2026 *For a broader comparison of how Kei stands among Paris’s highest level of dining, see my* [*overview of the eight Michelin three-star restaurants in Paris*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) *I have visited.* ### The Eight of Ten Three-Star Restaurants in Paris I Have Visited URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/ Last updated: 2026-05-02T08:07:03.000Z *A complete, first-hand comparison across the city’s highest-rated dining rooms.* > **Update February 2026:** With my recent visit to Kei, I have now dined at eight of the ten current Michelin three-star restaurants in Paris. Paris has ten three-Michelin-star restaurants, one of the highest concentrations of top-rated dining rooms in any city. Over the past years, I have visited eight of them, most of them in 2025 and 2026: **Plénitude**, **Le Gabriel**, **Pierre Gagnaire**, **L’Ambroisie**, **Arpège**, **Alléno Paris, KEI** and **Epicure**. Each represents a distinct interpretation of haute cuisine, and the differences are often more striking than the shared three-star status suggests. This article is not a ranking. It is a comparative overview based on first-hand meals, designed to help readers understand what distinguishes these restaurants, what kind of experience each offers, and how to choose the right one for a specific purpose. Having[ visited 53 three-Michelin-star restaurants](https://thefinediningjournal.com/about-william-herbert/) around the world, I approach these eight Paris dining rooms with a clear frame of reference; the contrasts in style, structure and philosophy are unusually pronounced. Detailed reviews are linked throughout. # Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris **FDJ Score: 9.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Plénitude Paris Review – Cheval Blanc & Arnaud Donckele*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/) Plénitude is, to me, one of the very best restaurants in France and one of the most complete three-star experiences anywhere. The cuisine rests on Arnaud Donckele’s celebrated “sauce logic”: reductions, broths and emulsions that give each dish structural clarity and emotional depth. But beyond this philosophy, what defines Plénitude most strongly is its **absolute precision**. Every plate feels calibrated to the millimetre. Temperatures, textures and seasoning arrive with perfect control; there is no improvisation, no drift, not a single moment out of place. It is haute cuisine pushed to the point of *controlled perfection*. ![Gambero, radicchio, akazu – for Crème ‘Corail d’Hespéride’” at Plénitude, centred around Donckele’s refined citrus-shell sauce.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Gambero-Plenitude-3-1.jpeg) **Gambero, radicchio, akazu – for Crème ‘Corail d’Hespéride’”. A dish built around Donckele’s precise citrus-shell sauce, emblematic of Plénitude’s sauce logic.* Even after more than fifty three-star meals worldwide, Plénitude stands out for its coherence and its emotional exactness. The dining room is generously spaced and exceptionally comfortable. Service is warm, articulate and flawlessly paced. The aesthetic is quietly luxurious rather than theatrical. Reservations remain difficult: expect around six months on the waitlist, with occasional same-day cancellations. It was the most anticipated meal of my Paris trip, and ultimately the one that defined it. Modern, French, deeply refined – Plénitude sits near the summit of contemporary gastronomy. # Le Gabriel – La Réserve Paris **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Le Gabriel – The City’s Most Palatial Three-Star Lunch*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/) Le Gabriel may offer the most luxurious dining room in Paris: palatial décor, soft daylight, polished service and the unmistakable atmosphere of La Réserve’s townhouse elegance. For lunch, the four-course menu at €148 is exceptional value for a three-star restaurant, and arguably the best-priced ultra-luxury lunch in the city. ![Hen farm chicken, Hokkaido squash, white truffle from Alba at Le Gabriel, Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Farm-Chicken-Le-Gabriel-Lunch-Paris-3.jpeg) Hen farm chicken, Hokkaido squash, white truffle from Alba The cuisine is classical in structure yet modern in execution. The wild sea bass aged for ten days was remarkable for its texture and aromatic resonance. The Lime-Stone carrot showed how technique can elevate a simple product without distorting its character. A demi-glace accompanying the poultry course was one of the most polished sauces I tasted in Paris. For anyone seeking a shorter meal in a grand setting — especially at lunch — Le Gabriel is the ideal choice. It combines refinement, value and a sense of occasion that few restaurants achieve simultaneously. # Pierre Gagnaire – Rue Balzac **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire – A Jazz-like A-la-Carte Near the Arc de Triomphe*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-pierre-gagnaire-paris-review-a-jazzlike-a-la-carte-near-the-arc-de-triomphe/) No other restaurant in Paris resembles Pierre Gagnaire. His cuisine is emotional, improvisational and deeply personal. A single course may unfold across several plates, each exploring an idea through different textures, temperatures or ingredients. It is gastronomic jazz: controlled, expressive and full of movement. ![enison with autumn vegetables and a concentrated game jus, presented in Pierre Gagnaire’s signature multi-plate style.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pierre-Gagnaire-Venison-2-1.jpeg) Roasted venison with autumn vegetables and a concentrated game jus, presented in Gagnaire’s signature multi-plate format - precise, expressive, quietly dramatic. The restaurant sits discreetly inside the Hotel Balzac, though it operates independently. We were seated at the best table in the dining room; service is warm, slightly theatrical, and perfectly attuned to the rhythm of the meal. The a-la-carte offering is the true speciality here, and the seasonal compositions — especially game and truffle menus — show Gagnaire’s style at its most articulate. This is the restaurant for diners seeking creativity rather than classical structure, a meal that lingers in the memory long after the final plate. # KEI - Rue Coq Héron **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Restaurant KEI Paris - French Cuisine with Japanese Precision*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-kei-paris-review/) Kei is one of the most concentrated three-star dining rooms in Paris. The address is discreet and the main room feels polished rather than grand, a counterpoint to the palace-hotel theatre where luxury is often expressed through scale. Service is highly professional yet genuinely welcoming, and despite the seriousness of the room, the evening can feel relaxed, even as a family. ![The vegetables garden, Scottish smoked salmon, arugula cream, lemon mousse, tomato vinaigrette and black olive crumble.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Kei-The-vegetables-garden-5-1.jpeg) The vegetables garden, Scottish smoked salmon, arugula cream, lemon mousse, tomato vinaigrette and black Kei Kobayashi, born in Nagano, was the first Japanese chef to earn three Michelin stars in France, and the cooking carries the clarity of that milestone. There is one seven-course menu (no à la carte), offered in four versions: the same structure and pacing, but with progressively more luxurious ingredients. With an entry price of €280, Kei remains one of the most accessible three-star restaurants in Paris, even while the top tiers lean into caviar, black truffle, lobster, and Japanese wagyu - the finest Wagyu or in fact any beef I have encountered in my three-star journey so far. # L’Ambroisie – Place des Vosges **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** [*Full review: Lunch at L’Ambroisie – Shintaro Awa’s Classical Precision*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/lunch-lambroisie-paris-shintaro-awa/) L’Ambroisie is the classical reference point for French haute cuisine. Located on the Place des Vosges, the dining room is quiet, elegant and traditional. The cooking follows a logic of purity and restraint: a focus on perfect product, exact timing and the great classical sauces. L’Ambroisie serves **only à la carte**, and the dishes are priced accordingly - typically between €110 and €190 per course. It is therefore particularly well suited for diners who do not want a long dégustation menu but still wish to experience three-star cooking at the highest classical level. ![Line-caught sea bass with caviar at L’Ambroisie, presented in Shintaro Awa’s classical French style.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Ambroisie-Seabass-1.jpeg) Line-caught sea bass with caviar, executed with L’Ambroisie’s trademark exactness. Signature dishes such as the *Feuillantine de langoustines*, the turbot with beurre blanc and caviar, or the chocolate tart are executed so precisely that they feel definitive. Prices are high, but the quality, technique and sense of tradition make L’Ambroisie a cornerstone of Parisian fine dining. # Arpège – Alain Passard **FDJ Score: 8.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** I visited Arpège twice, in 2024 and 2025\. Among the three-star restaurants in Paris it stands entirely on its own. Since summer 2025 the menu has returned to a fully vegetarian format. This changes the arc of the meal but not its essence: the kitchen focuses on the flavour and seasonality of vegetables, exploring textures and temperatures with remarkable sensitivity. ![Beetroot and herb salad with a light dairy emulsion — one of Passard’s precise, garden-driven compositions. at Arpege Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Arpege-Beetroot-1.jpeg) Beetroot and herb salad with a light dairy emulsion - one of Passard’s precise, garden-driven compositions. The flagship tasting menu, *Cuisine choisie*, currently costs €420\. It evolves daily depending on what arrives from Passard’s gardens: two in Normandy (Bois Giroult and La Ferme du Bec-Hellouin) and one just outside Paris. The result is a menu that never repeats itself in detail. Autumn might bring marquetry of root vegetables, violet cauliflower, wild rocket and rutabaga; winter shifts toward celeriac, leeks and preserved citrus; spring introduces herbs, young greens and the first spinach. Each plate reflects the day’s harvest rather than a fixed recipe. ![Root vegetables with citrus and young herbs — a delicate, season-led plate from Arpège, Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Arpege-Salad-1.jpeg) Root vegetables with citrus and young herbs. The ambience is noticeably less luxurious than the other Paris three-stars. If one seeks a palatial environment, Arpège may feel restrained. But at **lunch** the room transforms: brighter, lighter, more cheerful - and perfectly suited to Passard’s cuisine. **My recommendation is to visit at lunchtime.** It is when the restaurant feels most alive, and when the dishes seem to resonate most naturally with the room. On both visits Alain Passard was present in the dining room - warm, enthusiastic and visibly passionate about his work. When I once asked him which season he considers the most beautiful for Arpège, he did not hesitate: **“May.”** Asparagus, young green beans, the first herbs - in his view, this is when the garden speaks with the clearest, brightest voice. The answer felt characteristic of Arpège: not tied to complexity or technique, but to the quiet emotion of a product at its peak. The cooking is compelling. You leave thinking about how good vegetables can taste, how a single product can carry an entire plate, and why seasonality becomes emotional when treated with sincerity. Arpège is the restaurant that makes you want to return in another season simply to see how the garden has changed. # Alléno Paris – Pavillon Ledoyen **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** Alléno Paris combines one of the most beautiful locations in the city with Yannick Alléno’s highly technical, product-driven cuisine. The dining room in Pavillon Ledoyen has an almost museum-like grace, flooded with light and surrounded by the gardens off the Champs-Élysées. ![Poularde pochée with a yeast-butter sauce and nutmeg macaroni at Alleno Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Alenno-Poulard-1.jpeg) Poularde pochée with a yeast-butter sauce and nutmeg macaroni The menu during my visit in 2024 included dishes such as: - Primeur seasonal ballad - Sturgeon “Nonette” as a brioche with farmhouse cream and smoked bacon - Scrambled sea scallops “Lulu” with black truffle coulis - Saint-Pierre cooked with smoked eel and sorrel fondue - Poularde pochée with a yeast-butter sauce and nutmeg macaroni - Citrus desserts with crunchy olive tiles - Roasted walnut extraction with apple and Calvados - Cocoa-shell flavoured iced meringue beneath a vinegar veil It was a very good meal, with the *poularde pochée* still vivid in my memory. The sauces were rich but controlled, and the use of black truffles was generous and well-balanced. Alléno Paris is a technically exact, beautifully staged three-star experience. # Epicure – Le Bristol Paris I last visited Epicure in 2019, but the memory remains exceptionally strong. Inside the noble Hôtel Le Bristol, the restaurant offers one of the most classically luxurious settings among the Paris three-stars, with service that is formal yet warm and delivered with the quiet confidence of a grand hotel team. One of the standout dishes was Frechon’s signature foie-gras ravioli with black truffle and a lightly foamed poultry consommé - a plate that has long been part of Epicure’s identity and captures the timeless elegance that defines the restaurant. ![Foie-gras ravioli with black truffle — one of Éric Frechon’s longstanding Epicure classics.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Epicure-ravioli.jpeg) Foie-gras ravioli with black truffle - one of Éric Frechon’s longstanding Epicure classics. The cuisine is refined, elegant and rooted in the classical French tradition. Flavours are clear, textures precise and the pacing of the menu exceptionally smooth. Epicure delivers consistency and polish at the highest level — ideal for diners who appreciate traditional luxury without the need for modernist interpretation. # Which Restaurant Fits Which Purpose? **Plénitude** – perhaps the best restaurant in France today; modern, precise and emotionally exact. **L’Ambroisie** – the classical reference; ideal for a-la-carte dining and lovers of traditional French haute cuisine. **Le Gabriel** – the most palatial dining room and the best value three-star lunch in Paris. **Pierre Gagnaire** – for creativity and emotional improvisation; a virtuoso. **Arpège** – fully vegetarian since 2025; ideal at lunch; an entirely different kind of three-star experience. **Alléno Paris** – technical, structured, generous with product; a beautiful location. **Epicure** – classical hotel luxury with refined, elegant cooking. **Kei –** the first Japanese chef to earn three stars in France; restrained, seasonal and quietly exact; one tasting menu in four variations, making it one of the most accessible three-star experiences in Paris. # FAQs – Practical Advice for Booking Paris’s Three-Star Restaurants ### How many three-star restaurants are there in Paris? Ten as of 2025\. I have visited seven of them. ### Which three-star restaurant is the hardest to book? Plénitude - expect around six months of waiting, with occasional same-day cancellations. ### What is the best three-star lunch in Paris? Le Gabriel at La Réserve. Palatial setting, exceptional value, perfect for a shorter midday meal. ### What is the most classical three-star restaurant in Paris? L’Ambroisie, especially for a-la-carte dining. ### What is the most creative and improvisational? Pierre Gagnaire. ### Which three-star restaurant offers the most luxurious setting? Le Gabriel, followed by Epicure at Le Bristol. ### Which one is best for a unique, non-classical experience? Arpège - fully vegetarian, driven by seasonality, ideal at lunch. ### Which restaurant is the best overall? Plénitude - the most complete and precise expression of modern French haute cuisine. [How to get a table at the best three Michelin star restaurants](https://thefinediningjournal.com/how-to-get-a-table-at-three-michelin-star-restaurants/) – booking strategies that actually work. *This article is part of* [*The Fine Dining Journal*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/about/)*, a personal record of Michelin-star dining based on first-hand experience.* ### Mraz & Sohn Review: What it’s like to eat at Vienna’s most difficult to book restaurant URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/mraz-sohn-vienna-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-07T13:31:56.000Z **FDJ Score: 6.5/10 (High One-Star Level)** ## Review I first went to Mraz & Sohn more than twenty years ago, when the kitchen was run by Markus Mraz alongside his father, whose wine pairings were poured with a generous hand. It has been a regular stop for me ever since, a place I revisit to follow its evolution rather than to look back. Today the stove is largely in the hands of Lukas Mraz, the mood is younger and looser, and the booking remains more difficult than ever. ## Location & Atmosphere The restaurant sits on Wallensteinstraße in Brigittenau, a lived-in 20th district between Danube and Danube Canal, where tram bells, apartment blocks, and small shops share the street. We arrived at 18:50 for a 19:00 reservation and waited outside until the door opened precisely on time. A faint, sweet note in the evening air set a playful tone that would echo later on a cheeky line printed on the menu. Inside, we were placed in the open-kitchen room, close enough to feel the heat and hear the quiet choreography of the pass. A market trolley of the night’s key ingredients rolled by before the first bite, part briefing, part theater. At the entrance a sign reads "Wiener Schnitzi immer aus" (always out of stock), and everyone smiles. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Entrance-2-1.jpeg) Note at the entrance (Wiener schnitzel still out of stock) ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Markus Mraz has inherited a storied house and steered it toward wit, agility, and an unbuttoned mood. Across the major guides the restaurant sits reliably in Vienna’s top tier, often within the city’s top four. The official tally is [two Michelin stars](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/); the unofficial tone is mischievous and light on ceremony. ## Menu / The Dishes The tasting menu is priced at €188,88\. Snacks set the rhythm: Sika Wild Pho, kale potsticker, kimchi börek with black truffle, shrimp cocktail, beet gyoza, and pikeperch sarma. Small, quick, and clean, they read like a tour of pantry ideas rather than a parade of garnishes. ![Close-up of a golden, flaky börek filled with kimchi, finished with thin shavings of black truffle.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Boerek-1.jpeg) Kimchi börek topped with shaved black truffle The Kräuterseitling Augsburger was the evening’s most persuasive joke. Augsburger is a mild, lightly smoked sausage; here a king oyster mushroom was seasoned and grilled until it mimicked the sausage’s gentle snap and savory warmth, giving you the memory of meat without the weight. ![Char-grilled king oyster mushroom styled like an Augsburger sausage, sliced with browned edges and herb seasoning.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Review-Mushroom-Augsburger-1.jpeg) Kräuterseitling “Augsburger” - a king oyster mushroom grilled and seasoned to echo the classic sausage. Sika appeared twice more. First, grilled, showing the species’ lean, mineral clarity. ![Two-part ceramic plate with a pink-centered slice of grilled sika deer in brown sauce topped with a green leaf on the left, and charred cabbage with a light creamy dressing on the right.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Review-Grilled-Sika-Venison-1.jpeg) Grilled sika with rich jus and a side of charred cabbage. Then as a curry goulash, a comforting bowl reframed with spice and brightness. For context, sika is Cervus nippon, the small East Asian deer you might meet in Nara; same species, different landscape. ![Blue ceramic tray holding a small bowl of sika venison curry, a round toasted bun.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Review-Sika-Gulasch-Curry-1.jpeg) Sika goulash curry Cheese arrived as a tidy “hybrid,” then desserts refreshed rather than cloyed: Ayran kakigori to cool and salt, Crêpe Yuzette for citrus lift, and a final topinambur cacao busserl with an earthy sweetness. ![Folded crêpe in citrusy yuzu-orange sauce beside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/02/Mraz-Vienna-Review-Crepe-Suzette-1.jpeg) Crêpe Yuzette with vanilla ice cream. ## Wine The restaurant offers wine pairing for €99.99\. We opted for a bottle and by the glass. We drank a 2018 Chablis Premier Cru from Thomas Pico, its cool stone and measured weight suiting the grilled game. Mid-service my glass was topped from another table’s bottle. The mistake was seen but not addressed until a gentle joke later prompted a complimentary glass of wine. Minor, but not the standard the room otherwise keeps. ## Verdict Mraz & Sohn is fun. Among Vienna’s top addresses, it is the most relaxed: come as you are, feel at ease, and let the kitchen nudge you toward pleasure rather than reverence. The cooking is very good, clever, and humane, though it does not chase the microscopic precision or relentless innovation of the most exacting two or three star houses. Presentation follows that spirit, sometimes looser and less polished than one might expect at two stars. That may be precisely why it is so hard to book. The mood is singular, the experience welcoming, and the restaurant lands on many shortlists for the right reasons. --- **Location:** Vienna, Austria **Chef:** Lukas Mraz **Michelin rating:** ★★ **Visited:** January 2026 **How to book Mraz & Sohn** \- Online reservation is almost always via the waitlist. Your best chance is to join for mid-week dates on less popular days and times. ### Shiki Omakase Vienna Review: Authentic Sushi Omakase in the Heart of Vienna URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/shiki-omakase-vienna-review/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T07:48:22.000Z **FDJ Score: 6.0/10 (One-Star Level)** ## Review Shiki has long been a familiar name in Vienna’s Japanese dining landscape. Founded and operated by Joji Hattori, the restaurant built its reputation on a polished, cosmopolitan interpretation of Japanese cuisine, one that appealed equally to business diners and an audience curious about contemporary Japan. With the opening of Shiki Omakase in December 2025, Hattori takes a more focused step. The ambition is clear and unambiguous: to bring an authentic sushi omakase experience to Vienna, one that moves closer to Japanese tradition than the main restaurant ever intended. Strictly speaking, the menu is not limited to sushi alone. It follows the logic of a sushi kaiseki, allowing space for cooked and seasonal dishes that frame the nigiri rather than overwhelm it. ## Omakase and the Nature of Sushi High-level sushi omakase differs fundamentally from everyday sushi. The sequence is paced by the chef, each piece formed and served at the precise moment it should be eaten. Temperature, texture, and balance are transient. Nigiri waits for no one. The nori, especially, is crucial. It must be crisp, aromatic, and alive with seaweed perfume. Once it softens, the experience collapses. This is sushi that demands attention and immediacy, rewarding the diner who eats instinctively rather than cautiously. > Omakase, which in its Japanese sense implies a chef-led menu shaped and served in real time, can also inspire more structured tasting menus; a distinctly Spanish interpretation is explored in my review of [Smoked Room Madrid](https://thefinediningjournal.com/smoked-room-madrid-review/). ## Location & Atmosphere The experience begins in the Shiki Boutique, located roughly one hundred meters from the main restaurant. The space is filled with refined Japanese objects: porcelain, yukata, knives. The atmosphere feels quietly assured, the kind of shop one might encounter in Kyoto without second thought. The transition from retail to dining is gentle. A greeting, a seat, an offered aperitif. I choose a glass of Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2017\. The acidity and restraint suit the anticipation. Once all guests have arrived, we are invited into the adjoining room. The sushi counter seats eight. Wood, light, and proportion are carefully judged. It is an intimate setting without theatricality. ![Sushi Counter Shiki Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Counter-Shiki-Omakase-Vienna-2-1.jpeg) Sushi Counter Shiki Omakase ## Culinary Style and Structure I visit on a Saturday lunch and opt for the extended Akasaka menu at 348 euros. The intention of the kitchen is pedagogical as much as culinary. The two chefs speak openly, explain techniques, origins, and decisions. This openness defines the character of the meal as much as the food itself. The structure follows classical Japanese sequencing, moving from light and vegetal to rich and marine, before resolving in sweetness. ## Menu / The Dishes The meal opens with sakizuke. Snow peas in dashi are clean and calming. Toasted nori, gently crisped over binchotan charcoal, arrives topped with toro tartare and natto. The contrast between warmth, fat, and fermentation is immediate and satisfying. Otsukuri follows. Bluefin toro, lightly smoked bonito, and sea bream are sliced with precision, though the selection feels conservative rather than expansive. ![Plate with sashimi at Shiki Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Sashimi-Shiki-Omakase-Vienna-1.jpeg) Otsukuri (Sashimi) As part of the extended menu, a toro tartare with caviar appears under mukouzuke. It is generous and indulgent, more Western in instinct, but well executed. ![Toro Tatar with Caviar at Shiki Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Toro-Tatar-with-Kaviar-Shiki-1.jpeg) Toro Tatar with Caviar Sunomono brings relief. Tomato and artichoke, lightly pickled, reset the palate. ![Tomato and Artichoke at Sushi Omakase](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Sunomono-Shiki-Omakase-1.jpeg) Sunomono - Tomato and Artichoke The mushimono course is restrained. Steamed sea bass, moist and gently seasoned. A highlight arrives with the chawanmushi. The custard is infused with dashi and enriched with engawa, the prized fin muscle of turbot. Silken, savory, and quietly luxurious, this is one of the most convincing expressions of Japanese technique in the meal. ![Chawanmushi - Egg custard at Shiki Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Chawanmushi-Shiki-Omakase-Vienna-1.jpeg) Chawanmushi - Egg custard The first sushi sequence follows. Nigiri of halibut, sea bream, and a delicately poached oyster are served in measured rhythm. One toro nigiri is briefly touched to binchotan charcoal, just enough to perfume its surface with smoke while leaving the interior intact. From the grill, yakimono brings A5 wagyu, replacing pork in the standard menu. Rich, tender, and cleanly grilled, though arguably peripheral in a sushi-focused experience. ![Ingredients Sushi Course Sushi Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Sushi-ingrediences-Shiki-Omakase-1.jpeg) Ingredients for Sushi course The second sushi sequence is more playful. Unagi, marinated Japanese aubergine, salmon roe, and finally a hand roll filled with toro tartare and finished generously with caviar. The hand roll, eaten immediately, restores focus on texture and timing. ![Unagi (eel) Nigiri Shiki Omakase](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Unagi-Nigiri-Shiki-Omakase-1.jpeg) Unagi (eel) Nigiri A clear fish soup closes the savory courses. Dessert remains understated. Mochi with matcha and chocolate filling, followed by lime sorbet with pine nuts. Clean, cooling, and mercifully brief. ![Lime Sorbet at Shiki Omakase Vienna](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2026/01/Lime-Sorbet-Shiki-Omakase-1.jpeg) Lime Sorbet ## **Context and Comparison** My expectations are shaped by extensive experience with sushi omakase, in Japan and beyond. Recent visits include counters in Sapporo and Tokyo, as well as international references in New York, London, Madrid, and Marbella. Against this backdrop, the lunch at Shiki Omakase stretches unusually long. Nearly four hours pass. The conversation is engaging, the atmosphere warm, but for a lunch service this duration feels excessive. Typically, such meals resolve within ninety minutes to two and a half hours. This is likely a symptom of a new opening rather than a permanent flaw. ## Verdict Taken as a whole, Shiki Omakase is an ambitious and sincere attempt to bring authentic Japanese omakase into a Viennese context. Within that effort, there are two clear points of criticism. The fish selection lacks both breadth and, at times, the depth of quality encountered at leading counters in Japan or Spain. This is not entirely surprising. In a landlocked city like Vienna, the consistent sourcing of truly exceptional fish remains a structural challenge. The rice, the quiet foundation of nigiri, also leaves room for further refinement. What compensates is the visible enthusiasm of the chefs. Their pleasure in the craft is evident, and it lends the room a sense of generosity that cannot be trained. More importantly, the flavours themselves feel authentic, closely aligned with what one encounters at contemporary counters in Japan. This is a team still calibrating its voice, but already speaking a language that is recognisably and convincingly Japanese. Two menus are offered. Ginza at 298 Euro, or 198 at lunch, and Akasaka at 448 Euro, or 348 at lunch. The differences are tangible but not decisive. In truth, the standard menu likely delivers nearly the same pleasure. For Vienna, this is an important opening. Shiki Omakase offers a genuine encounter with Japanese omakase culture, grounded in respect rather than spectacle. With time, sourcing, and refinement, it has the potential to grow into something quietly significant. --- **Location:** Vienna, Austria **Chef:** Alois Traint and Ruben Gorcea **Michelin rating:** None **Visited:** January 2026 *Readers interested in a more classical expression of Japanese cuisine may also want to read my* [*review of The Tawaraya*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-tawaraya-kyoto/)*, Kyoto.* ### Cañabota, Seville: The Sea over Fire, Nothing Else URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/canabota-seville-michelin-star-seafood-review/ Last updated: 2025-12-08T22:10:11.000Z **FDJ Score: 6.0/10 (One-Star Level)** ## Review December is a wonderful time to visit Seville. At night the city glows with Christmas lights; *belenes*, elaborate **nativity scenes**, appear in windows and church courtyards, and chestnut vendors scent the streets with smoke. Days are sunny and mild, and the orange trees along the avenues hang heavy with fruit. Seville is my favourite city in Spain. The historical weight is visible and tangible: the wealth that flowed through colonial trade, the traces of Al-Andalus, and the long arc of the Reconquista. It remains a city of light, ritual, and public life. What it has not become, at least not yet, is a city dense with Michelin-level restaurants. For years Abantal stood alone. My last visit there was some time ago and, while consistent, it never quite thrilled. The everyday food culture still rules: tapas, jamón, croquetas, rabo de toro, and the occasional creative gastro bar that appears and disappears. This makes Cañabota stand out all the more. It is, in my view, among the [best fish and seafood restaurants in Spain](https://thefinediningjournal.com/my-favorite-fish-restaurants-in-spain/), and it holds a Michelin star. ## Why Seville has so few stars The explanation seems practical rather than dramatic. Seville’s heartbeat is informal: bars, counters, short menus, quick turnover. That model is not naturally aligned with tasting-menu formats, deep wine programs, or the investment in teams and space that Michelin-oriented restaurants require. Meanwhile, Andalusia as a region has climbed decisively over the last ten years, with houses now at the very top and several strong two-star kitchens. Seville will likely follow, but the culture that makes the city so appealing also slows the shift toward formal dining rooms. ## Location & Atmosphere Cañabota is minimalistic, modern, and spare. You sit at the bar facing the kitchen or at one of the high tables. A glass case at the entrance shows the day’s fish and shellfish. The room is bright, the pace measured. The grill sets the rhythm. The fire is the center. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character The concept is absolute: only fish and seafood. No meat. Almost no vegetables or side dishes. Three ways to eat: a larger surprise menu described as an “omakase” at 150 euros, shaped after a short conversation at the table; a smaller menu at 120 euros with an amuse-bouche, three starters from the carte, a grilled fish as main course, and dessert; or you choose fish and shellfish from the counter for the grill. The kitchen works over open fire and charcoal, which is unusual for Andalusia where most seafood is cooked on the plancha. Cañabota is closer in spirit to the great Basque fish restaurants, where clarity, fire and product meet on equal terms. Occasionally rarities appear, including angulas, or baby eels. The European eel is critically endangered; catching baby eels worsens the problem. Best to abstain. ## Menu / The Dishes We chose the smaller menu, which proved right for the evening. Amuse-bouche: a trio of a Gilda reworked with swordfish, a sardine on a cracker, and a small cup of mushroom consommé. Clean, tight, and to the point. ![Three-part amuse on a wooden tray—sardine-topped cracker, skewer with swordfish Gilda, and a small glass of dark mushroom broth.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Sevilla-Amouse-Bouche-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouche trio: sardine on cracker, swordfish Gilda, and mushroom consommé ## Starters A poached oyster à la meunière with good temperature control; ![Two poached oysters under a light beurre meunière foam in a shallow yellow sauce.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Sevilla-Oysters-1.jpeg) Poached oyster à la meunière an excellent cod liver “salad” built on an ice cream of the liver itself, essentially foie gras from the sea, rich but finishing clean; ![Three pink quenelles of cod liver ice cream garnished with crumbs, herbs, and crisp bits in a shallow creamy sauce.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Cod-Liver-Salad-1.jpeg) Cod liver “salad” as ice cream and blue lobster presented with restraint to let the sweetness read. ![Close-up of a lobster course topped with beige sabayon and green powder, set in brown shellfish sauce inside a textured white bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Sevilla-Blue-Lobster-1.jpeg) Blue lobster with shellfish sabayon, seaweed powder, and a quenelle in rich crustacean jus Main course: bocinegro (sea bream), grilled on the bone. The skin crisped properly, the flesh moist and elastic. Confit red peppers on the side added sweetness and smoke. Nothing more was needed. ![Rectangular fillet of grilled sea bream with crisp skin, parsley-speckled sauce, and roasted red peppers on a white plate.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Sevilla-Bocinegro-1.jpeg) Grilled bocinegro sea bream with stewed red peppers and parsley jus Dessert: pumpkin flan with milk ice cream made from Payoyo goat’s milk. Simple and correctly set. The wine list is concise but well chosen, with good options by the glass. The red from Priorat paired surprisingly well with the grilled fish. ## Verdict Cañabota is a focused restaurant with clear intent. The starters were all strong, the cod liver course stood out, and the grilled sea bream was the high point. If you want variety beyond the sea, this is not your place. If you value product, heat, and judgment, it is the best reservation in Seville. And it is my favorite. --- **Location:** Seville, Spain **Chef:** Marcos Damián Nieto **Michelin rating:** ★ **Visited:** December 2025 *For a truly world-class and completely different interpretation of fish and seafood close to Seville, see my* [*review of Aponiente*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/)*.* ### Smoked Room Madrid Review: Dani García’s Fire Omakase URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/smoked-room-madrid-review/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T18:24:09.000Z **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)** ## Review I arrived with high expectations and a quiet sense of good fortune to have the chance to sit at Smoked Room Madrid at last. A fire omakase by Dani García with two Michelin stars, hidden in plain sight inside Leña Madrid yet firmly part of his world. I wanted to see how the promise of smoke would carry a meal from first scent to last bite. ## **Location & Atmosphere** It sits below street level in the Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid. You enter through the same street entrance as Leña Madrid, then it slips into its own small cocoon. I remember this address from years ago, an outstanding dinner at Sanceloni when it held two stars. It was one of Madrid’s best restaurants. Unfortunately, it closed a few years ago. Inside, the room is dark with small, focused pools of light. Black surfaces and clean lines give it the feel of an evening restaurant rather than a grand dining room, more like a discreet club with low voices, the soft thrum of the extraction and the glow of embers. Guests can sit at the communal counter, which is ideal for solo diners and couples, or at two tables for slightly larger groups. We were four, so we had one of the private tables. It felt almost like a small private dining room, although from there we could not watch the cooks at work. Service is precise but low-key, which suits the atmosphere. ## **Culinary Style or Distinctive Character** Smoked Room calls itself Fire Omakase. The word omakase feels a little zeitgeist, a bit of marketing. The meal itself thinks in Spanish. Andalusia runs through the pantry and the warmth of seasoning, a thread you also find in Marbella in my [Skina Marbella review](https://thefinediningjournal.com/skina-marbella-review-2025-michelin-3-stars-candidate-tasting-menus-and-prices/). There are Japanese touches in technique and product names, but this isn’t a Japanese restaurant at all. It reads as modern Spanish cooking after El Bulli, with smoke as a quiet through line rather than a trick It also sits inside Dani García’s larger story. He is one of the few (with the right commercial partners) to turn serious talent into a wide, well-run group. His three-star restaurant in Marbella arrived quickly and, by his choice, closed soon after. I still remember a dinner there: in the kitchen, mid menu, he handed me a hamburger himself. Outrageous, a little subversive. A friendly wink that said, among all this craft, here is a bite of the real thing. Of the more than 50 three-star restaurants I have visited, this was the only one where a hamburger appeared as part of the tasting menu. Smoked Room Madrid is a private chamber within Leña. The idea now lives in Smoked Room Dubai as well. As far as I know, these are the only Leña locations with a dedicated Smoked Room. The rest of the Leña family, starting with Leña Marbella, keeps the grill-house rhythm. Here, the fire moves slower. More deliberate. The heat is made to think. ## **Menu / The Dishes** *Smoked Room Fire Omakase, November 2025.* Smoke threads the menu like a bass line. Present, restrained, shaping the edges of flavor rather than painting them black. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Smoked-Room-Madrid-Table-1-1.jpeg) **Brioche and white truffle butter** At the table, thin discs of white truffle sat under inverted wine glasses. The room picked up a light forest note. Our waitress whisked the butter with the truffle right in front of us. After mixing it was soft and creamy, fully scented. Warm, fine-crumbed brioche arrived next. The glasses, now lightly perfumed with truffle, were lifted and filled with Riesling. Not a gimmick. The pairing made sense, especially if you know how mature Riesling can echo truffle. ![A thin slice of white truffle held under an inverted wine glass on a dark wooden coaster at Smoked Room Madrid, capturing its aroma before service.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Truffle-Wine-Glass-1.jpeg) Thin slices of white truffle held under an inverted wine glass, concentrating the aroma before the tableside preparation. **Shrimp from Motril and noisette butter** Quisquillas de Motril, served raw, had that almost custard texture that only perfect crustaceans carry. The nuttiness of the butter curved around their sweetness without swallowing it. ![Shrimp from Motril and noisette butter Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/quisquilla-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Shrimp from Motril and noisette butter **Smoked hamachi, roasted tomato essence and yuzu** A clean slice. Smoke as a veil. The tomato essence gave warmth and depth, yuzu a quick lift. The balance felt architectural. ![Smoked hamachi, roasted tomato essence and yuzu - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Hamachi-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Smoked hamachi, roasted tomato essence and yuzu **Smoked sturgeon, nitro tomato, N25 caviar and horseradish** Dense, meaty sturgeon, gentle smoke. A cold rush from the tomato and caviar, then the fine heat of horseradish snapping the line taut again. ![Smoked sturgeon, nitro tomato, N25 caviar and horseradish - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Black-Tomato-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Smoked sturgeon, nitro tomato, N25 caviar and horseradish **Sweet corn chawanmushi, roasted leek, king crab and smoked sea urchin** One of the best dishes. A silken custard with sweet-corn clarity. King crab for muscle and salinity. Fresh sea urchin placed on top, lightly smoked so the iodine and cream moved together. It tasted inevitable. ![Sweet corn chawanmushi, roasted leek, king crab and smoked sea urchin, Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Sea-Urchin-Crab-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Sweet corn chawanmushi, roasted leek, king crab and smoked sea urchin **Aburi mackerel and dashi tomato** The fish was pressed and warmed just to the point. Tomato again, but this time a dashi-soaked murmur. A small, right-sized pause. ![Aburi mackerel and dashi tomato - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Mackarel-Dashi-Tomato-Smoked-Room-DG-Madrid-1.jpeg) Aburi mackerel and dashi tomato **Charbroiled clams in Tosazu beurre blanc and fresh wasabi** Concha fina, large and firm, the kind of clam that keeps its snap even under direct heat. The Tosazu beurre blanc bridged vinegar and butter with ease. Fresh wasabi from Spanish cultivation felt precise rather than loud, cleaning the finish without erasing the shellfish’s iodine, though it did not have quite the flavor detail I know from Japan. ![Charbroiled clams in Tosazu beurre blanc and fresh wasabi - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Concha-Fina-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Charbroiled clams in Tosazu beurre blanc and fresh wasabi **Grilled sea cucumber, tripe jus and gochujang** Espardenyes, this rare Catalan delicacy, handled with real restraint. In Catalonia cooks grill the inner muscle of the sea cucumber quickly, letting it move from soft to springy, almost like a clean and lightly sautéed piece of tripe from the sea. In much of Chinese cooking the method is very different because the dried outer skin of the sea cucumber is rehydrated and slowly braised until gelatinous and ready to take on dense sauces. Here the kitchen follows the Catalan logic with speed, smoke and a firm bounce. The tripe jus brought the dish into Madrid territory and acted as a refined reference to *callos a la madrileña*, the city’s classic stew of beef tripe, chorizo and morcilla. Reduced and concentrated, it gave the espardenyes a familiar depth without adding any weight. With a small touch of gochujang the plate felt like a contemporary interpretation of callos where land and sea connect through flavour instead of form. One of the best dishes of the night, even if the visual look does not do it justice. ![Grilled sea cucumber, tripe jus and gochujang - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Espardenyes-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Grilled sea cucumber, tripe jus and gochujang **Grilled lobster with rooster stew plin and yellow chilli pepper sauce** A surprising pairing that worked. The lobster was clean and sweet. The plin, filled with a rooster stew, brought an autumnal depth. Yellow chile sketched citrus and heat on top. ![Grilled lobster with rooster stew plin and yellow chilli pepper sauce - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Lobster-with-rooster-stew-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Grilled lobster with rooster stew plin and yellow chilli pepper sauce **Itamemono lobster, shio-koji, maitake and fingerlime** A second reading of the lobster, this time savory and oxidative from the wok. Maitake for woodland chew, fingerlime for bright pop. The head followed, rich and sticky, an elegant nod to thrift and flavor. ![Itamemono lobster, shio-koji, maitake and fingerlime - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Lobster-head-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Itamemono lobster, shio-koji, maitake and fingerlime **Tuna cheek, pig tail jus and smoked N25 caviar** A powerful plate. The cheek cooked to that point where the fibers loosen but still hold. Pig tail jus brought glossy density, the smoked caviar echoed the room’s central idea. You start to notice a pattern in the menu where seafood is paired with sauces drawn from land animals, and this dish makes the contrast especially clear. ![Tuna cheek, pig tail jus and smoked N25 caviar - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Tuna-cheek-N25-caviar-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1-1.jpeg) Tuna cheek, pig tail jus and smoked N25 caviar **Charcoal aged duck with red miso and whiskey** Another deep chord. The duck showed concentration from the charcoal treatment without bitterness. Red miso and a thread of whiskey pushed it toward a smoky sweetness, almost like long-braised beef in intensity, yet still duck in aroma. The only drawback was the meat itself, which lacked the flavour and texture you would expect from dry-aging and felt slightly disappointing. ![Charcoal aged duck with red miso and whiskey - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Aged-Duck-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Charcoal aged duck with red miso and whiskey **Grilled tear peas and vanilla** A beautiful hinge between savory and sweet. Guisantes lágrima from Maresme, briefly warmed, tasting of chlorophyll and morning. The vanilla ice cream was young and fresh, and the peas made it taste clearer, not heavier. A small marvel. ![Guisantes lágrima from Maresme and vanilla ice cream - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Guisantes-l--grima-from-Maresme-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Guisantes lágrima from Maresme and vanilla ice cream **Charcoal pumpkin and mandarin sorbet** Roasted pumpkin with toasted pumpkin seeds and a small quenelle of mandarin sorbet. It looked simple, but the mix worked well: warm, sweet pumpkin, a bit of crunch from the seeds and a clean citrus note from the sorbet that kept it from feeling heavy. ![Charcoal pumpkin and mandarin sorbet - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pumpkin-and-Mandarin-Sorbet-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Charcoal pumpkin and mandarin sorbet **Chocolate, miso and smoke** A final, measured step. Bitter, saline, and gently smoky. Nothing to prove, just a clean landing. ![Chocolate, miso and smoke - Smoked Room Madrid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Chocolate-Miso-Smoked-Room-Madrid-1.jpeg) Chocolate, miso and smoke ## **Verdict** Smoked Room Madrid is a grown up evening restaurant: low light, focused service, a menu that rewards attention. Spanish at heart, not Japanese, even if a few techniques and terms lean that way. Product leads the line: espardenyes (sea cucumber) cooked fast over fire, concha fina clams with Tosazu beurre blanc, lobster in two precise versions, N25 caviar used sparingly, guisantes lágrima as a clean bridge into dessert. The sea cucumber with tripe jus is a smart Spanish reference, swapping classic tripe ideas for a maritime version. Smoke ties it all together without shouting. At moments I thought of Doubek in Vienna, another fire led kitchen, similarly disciplined, but with a different rhythm and culture. Here the pacing is calmer and the seasoning more Andalusian. Within the Dani García group, including Leña Madrid, Leña Marbella and Smoked Room Dubai, this feels like the quiet heart. Fire is slower and the intent clearer. If something lagged, it was the meat. The charcoal aged duck was good but below the seafood highs. A small note in an otherwise strong meal. I will return. --- **Location:** Madrid, Spain **Chef:** Dani García **Michelin rating:** ★★ **Visited:** November 2025 *For a radically different take on Andalusian, seafood-first cooking, read my* [*Aponiente by Ángel León review*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/)*.* . ### Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris: A Clear, Sauce-Led Masterclass URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T19:06:25.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review I had a trip planned with three friends. Two months before our Paris tour of three-star restaurants, with planned stops at [Le Gabriel (La Réserve Paris)](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/) and [Pierre Gagnaire](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-pierre-gagnaire-paris-review-a-jazzlike-a-la-carte-near-the-arc-de-triomphe/), we put our names on Plénitude’s waitlist. It was the only table we could not reserve, and the next available seating was six months away. The call came at 12:00 for that same evening. By the end of service we knew we had caught something special. I had eaten Donckele’s cooking once before, at La Vague d’Or in Saint-Tropez on a summer evening in 2017\. That meal set a benchmark and has stayed with me as one of the best of my life. Plénitude is not Saint-Tropez transplanted to Paris; it is its own, urban expression, clearly conceived to be the city’s top restaurant. The precision is the same, now scaled and tightened. ## Location & Atmosphere Plénitude sits inside Cheval Blanc Paris and the hotel signals LVMH-level polish from the door. The room is modern, calm and bright. ![Lobby at Cheval Blanc Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Cheval-Blanc-Lobby-1.jpeg) Cheval Blanc Paris Round white tables, sculptural white centerpieces and generous spacing. Mustard-olive armchairs with soft backs are genuinely comfortable. A geometric carpet defines the central area and keeps sound low. Along the window, the Seine runs in full view; at our four-top the river felt part of the table. Candlelight, warm spots and well-judged ceiling fixtures create steady, glare-free light. ![Table at Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/TAble-at-Plenitude-2-1.jpeg) Table at Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris Background music plays quietly, unusual at this level in France, but here it works. Service is smooth and alert. Uniforms are light and elegant; the women wear taupe skirts with white blouses. We sat at 19:50 and left at 00:20\. The pacing was exact. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Donckele is a saucier first. The Symphonie menu builds six courses around six sauces. Each plate is composed to serve the sauce, not the other way round. Temperatures are strict, acidity finely tuned, bitterness used with intention. Classical technique, applied with clarity. ## Menu / The Dishes **Amuse-bouches** A strong start and already about sauces: memorable oysters with a bright dressing; small tartelettes of raw shrimp with caviar. Excellent bread and deep-yellow Normandy butter. ![Amuse-bouches at Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Amouse-Bouche-Plenitude-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouches **Gambero, radicchio, akazu - for Crème “Corail d’Hespéride”** Perfect product, cleanly presented. The crème binds crab consommé with citrus basil and lemongrass, sharpened by umeboshi and akazu black rice vinegar, lifted with lemon zest, yuzu and a touch of Timut pepper. Radicchio adds measured bitterness. Temperature was spot on. ![Gambero, radicchio, akazu - for Crème “Corail d’Hespéride” Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Gambero-Plenitude-2-1.jpeg) Gambero, radicchio, akazu - for Crème “Corail d’Hespéride” **Blue fish, leek, marigold - for Velours “Eden”** Mackerel, only slightly cooked. A velvet-textured sauce built from sardine escabeche stock, bonito and Lambrusco vinegars, olive oil, lemon juice and egg yolk. Mexican tarragon, fennel and Callas mustard add aniseed and warmth. Clear, long finish. ![Blue fish, leek, marigold - for Velours “Eden”, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Blue-Fish-Plenitude-1.jpeg) Blue fish, leek, marigold - for Velours “Eden” **Market gardener’s partition - for Vierge “Patidou”** A precise, worked salad. The sauce draws on patidou squash essence and Chardonnay with shallot, a touch of Cognac, chestnut honey, Meaux mustard and Jerez vinegar. Infused rosemary and Bouteillan olive oil round it out. Black truffle supports rather than dominates. Lovage and nutmeg give the herbal line. ![Market gardener’s partition - for Vierge “Patidou”, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Gardener-Plenitude-1.jpeg) Market gardener’s partition - for Vierge “Patidou” **Scallop, fennel, caviar - for Beurre monté “Perce-pierre”** A large scallop, barely set, glossed with a sea-herb beurre monté. Caviar reads as salinity and texture; fennel brings coolness. One of the best scallops I have eaten in a restaurant. ![Scallop, fennel, caviar - for Beurre monté “Perce-pierre”, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Scallop-Plenitude-1.jpeg) Scallop, fennel, caviar - for Beurre monté “Perce-pierre” *Kitchen interlude* After the scallop we were invited to the kitchen, seated at the chef’s table and served a small sorbet as a reset. Arnaud Donckele greeted us briefly. The brigade is large, the kitchen spacious and the focus absolute. Movements are quiet and exact; sauces are mounted like a drill. **It is clear there is no improvisation here; it is about absolute perfection and control.** Then back to the table. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Kitchen-Plenitude-1.jpeg) **Poultry, giblets, herbettes - for Salmigondis “Astérion”** A coherent plate of bird and offal, handled with care. The salmigondis ties the elements into one deep, herb-led flavor. Nothing heavy, no noise. ![Poultry, giblets, herbettes - for Salmigondis “Astérion”, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris — Arnaud Donckele](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Poultry-main-course-Plenitude-1-1.jpeg) Poultry, giblets, herbettes - for Salmigondis “Astérion” **Cheese** Cheese is chosen in a dedicated room and served before dessert. Temperatures and cuts are right, and service is unhurried. For four people we were served fifteen different cheeses. ![Cheese at Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Cheese-room-Plenitude-1.jpeg) **Satined composition, six citrus, five sweet-peppery herbs, milky cream For Sauce pectinée et condimentée “Esquisse d’endocarpe”** Citrus in multiple forms with a pectin-set sauce that gives a smooth line. Herbs sweeten and lightly pepper the finish. Clean and refreshing. ## Wine We ordered bottles and tasted them side by side rather than in sequence. It made the evening open and comparative. - Champagne BD’3CC, Bourgeois-Diaz Extra-Brut: biodynamic, chalky and saline - Diplômate d’Empire 2021: a clear Corsican white with citrus, fennel frond and maritime salt - Anjou Blanc 2020, Grandes Rogeries: serious Chenin, quince and chamomile, firm acidity - Assyrtiko de Louros 2019, Hatzidakis: concentrated, volcanic, very long - Madiran Cuvée Prestige 1988, Château Montus: a standout. Mature Tannat now silky, notes of black tea, leather, dried plum and graphite. Calm, perfectly resolved ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Wines-Plenitude--1--1.jpeg) ## Verdict This was my [52nd three-Michelin-star dining room](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/), and Plénitude belongs in the very top tier. The room is quietly opulent, the service exact and warm, and the cuisine delivers a sauce-driven clarity that almost no kitchen matches. We left so convinced that we immediately asked for a return date; the first table for four was six months away. Did we walk out thinking we had just eaten at the best restaurant in the world? In that moment, yes. With distance, I doubt such a singular title exists. The summit is a landscape, not a podium. What I can say is simple and certain: Among my 52 three-star meals, Plénitude stands on the summit. And I would wait six months to return without a second thought. ## Details - Location: Paris, France - Chef: Arnaud Donckele - Michelin rating: ★★★ - Visited: November 2025 - Menu: Symphonie, 495 EUR *For a complete overview of how all seven Paris three-star restaurants compare, see* [*my detailed Paris three-star guide.*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/) ## FAQ: Plénitude, Cheval Blanc Paris ### How do I make a reservation at Plénitude Paris? Contact the [restaurant via the official website’s ](https://www.chevalblanc.com/fr/maison/paris/restaurants-et-bars/plenitude/?ref=thefinediningjournal.com)contact details. At the time of our visit (November 2025), the wait for a table was about six months, with occasional same day openings via the waitlist. ### What is the price of the tasting menu at Plénitude? The Symphonie tasting menu was €495 during our visit in November 2025. ### Where is Plénitude located? Plénitude is inside Cheval Blanc Paris, overlooking the Seine in the 1st arrondissement. ### Who is the chef at Plénitude? Arnaud Donckele, a Michelin three star chef known for a sauce led cuisine. ### Is it Plénitude or Plenitude/Plentitude/Plentidue/Plenitute? The correct spelling is **Plénitude** at Cheval Blanc Paris. Many search for “Plenitude Paris restaurant,” “Plentitude Paris,” “Plentidue,” or “Plenitute,” which all refer to the same restaurant. ### Lunch at L’Ambroisie, Paris: Classical Haute Cuisine Under Shintaro Awa URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/lunch-lambroisie-paris-shintaro-awa/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T19:44:59.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review In Paris to meet friends for a string of three-star dinners, I used my early arrival to slip into L’Ambroisie for lunch. On Place des Vosges, it remains among the most classical and traditional expressions of French haute cuisine, and one of the very few three-star houses to serve only à la carte. ## Location & Atmosphere The townhouse dining room holds its light close. Thick carpet, polished wood, a hush that encourages attention. A corner table offered a discreet vantage point on a service that is exacting and notably stiff, more ceremony than chat. ![Dining room at Three-Star-Restaurant L'Ambroisie Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/LAmbroisie-Dining-Room-1.jpeg) Dining room at L'Ambroisie ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character The kitchen is now led by Shintaro Awa, a Japanese chef whose precision feels wholly in character for this address. The transition has been managed to preserve the house style, with continuity rather than reinvention: clearly drawn flavours, poised sauces, no ornament. ## Menu / The Dishes Amuse-bouches arrived with excellent bread and a dish of deep yellow Normandy butter, lactic and faintly hazelnut, the sort that perfumes the table before it softens. A small frog’s leg and a warm oyster set the register: classical, precise, unshowy. The gesture echoed a similar opening bite I noted at [my Le Gabriel review](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Normandie-Butter-1.jpeg) **Feuillantine de langoustines aux graines de sésame, sauce au curry (€145)** The signature. A wafer-thin sesame tuile gives a dry, glassy snap; beneath it, the langoustine is perfectly just-set, that narrow window between translucence and chalk. The curry is aromatic rather than hot, framing sweetness without blurring the line. It is legendary because it resolves three assertive elements into harmony, and because langoustine is a notoriously difficult crustacean to get right. **Turbot meunière au poivre Kampot, ravioles de tartuffon (€155)** Turbot meunière demands restraint; here the beurre noisette was clean and lifted, Kampot pepper warming rather than stinging. The small ravioli carried a clear truffle note that deepened the sauce without tipping it into heaviness. ![Turbot meunière at L'Ambroisie](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/turbot-lambroisie-1.jpeg) Turbot meunière **Fromages frais et affinés (€45)** Competent service, but the selection felt narrower than expected at this level. ![Cheese selection at L'Ambroisie Restaurant Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/cheese-lambroisie-2-1.jpeg) Cheese selection **Tarte fine sablée au cacao amer, crème glacée à la vanille Bourbon (€48)** A slender, bitter-edged tart with crisp sablé and cool Bourbon vanilla, finishing clean and dry. A palate reset rather than a flourish. ![Chocolate taste at L'Ambroisie Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/choclate-tarte-lambroisie-2-1.jpeg) Chocolate tarte ## Verdict Consider what you receive: absolute precision and a living archive of haute cuisine. Consider also the price: extremely expensive for lunch, even by Paris standards. The experience reads like time travel in its codes, yet the cooking is not dusty; it is lucid. Service is formal to the point of stiffness. I left fascinated, keen to return and explore more of the canon. For a midday meal when attention is sharp and the afternoon unhurried, it fits perfectly. --- • Location: Paris, France • Chef: Shintaro Awa • Michelin rating: ★★★ • Visited: November 2025 *For a contemporary, sauce-driven counterpoint to L’Ambroisie, see our review of* [*Plénitude at Cheval Blanc Paris*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/)*.* *For a complete overview of how all seven Paris three-star restaurants compare, see* [*my detailed Paris three-star guide*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/)*.* . ### Le Gabriel at La Réserve Paris Review: The City’s Most Palatial Three Star Lunch URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-gabriel-at-la-reserve-paris-review-the-citys-most-palatial-three-star-lunch/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T19:46:34.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review I came with friends for lunch, the kind that steadies a day rather than interrupts it. The night before we had eaten at [Pierre Gagnaire](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-pierre-gagnaire-paris-review-a-jazzlike-a-la-carte-near-the-arc-de-triomphe/), a very different expression of Parisian haute cuisine that I described in a separate review. At noon, Le Gabriel offered focus. The four course *Escale* menu at 148 € felt like a precise lens on a three star kitchen. ## Location & Atmosphere The right entry is an aperitif in the library at La Réserve. The room hushes the city, all wood, books and soft light. From there the dining room opens like a small palace. High ceilings, polished surfaces, a carpet that swallows sound. We were seated at a center table in clean midday light. Service moved around us with discreet confidence, never hurried, never corrective. Formal in presentation, kind in gesture. ![Library at La Reserve Hotel Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Library-La-Reserve-Paris-1.jpeg) Library at La Reserve ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Jérôme Banctel cooks with classical French discipline shaped by Brittany and honed in the great Parisian houses. His plates privilege balance, seasoning and texture over theatrics. The cooking thinks clearly. It aims for intensity without weight. ## Menu / The Dishes Amuse bouches set the tone. A frog leg, perfectly judged, delivered a crisp edge and a clean, pond-sweet depth that announced both precision and restraint. ![Frog leg at Le Gabriel La Reserve Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Frog-Leg-Le-Gabriel-Paris-1-1.jpeg) Perfect fried frog leg Bread arrived with a generous curl of Normandy butter, a vivid yellow that comes from beta carotene in the pasture grasses eaten by the cows. Good cream, careful maturation and the season do the rest. The first course, “sand carrot, fermented ginger,” showed how the kitchen extracts flavor through technique rather than adornment. The carrot was braised in limestone water, which tightens sweetness and keeps the fiber supple, then filled with a fine carrot farce. Fermented ginger added warmth without noise. A wonderful warm brioche accompanied the dish, soft and delicately aromatic, making the composition feel complete without adding weight. ![Sand carrot, fermented ginger at Le Gabriel Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Carrott-Le-Gabriel-Paris-2-1.jpeg) Sand carrot, fermented ginger Line caught wild sea bass followed, aged ten days. The aging concentrated aroma and gave the flesh a taut, almost silken resilience. The skin was glass crisp. Paimpol beans and a discreet note of sour seaweed kept the dish saline and lithe, like a clear line drawn across the palate. ![Line-caught sea bass, Paimpol beans, sour seaweed at Le Gabriel Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Sea-Bass-Lunch-Le-Gabriel-Paris-2-1.jpeg) Line-caught sea bass, Paimpol beans, sour seaweed Hen farm chicken arrived with a superb demi glace, dark, glossy, and held just shy of reduction’s heaviness. Hokkaido squash supplied gentle sweetness. Alba white truffle was shaved with restraint, fragrant rather than dominant. ![Hen farm chicken, Hokkaido squash, white truffle from Alba at Le Gabriel Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Farm-Chicken-Le-Gabriel-Lunch-Paris-2-1.jpeg) Hen farm chicken, Hokkaido squash, white truffle from Alba Dessert kept the register high and fresh. Kiwi poached in limestone water with shiso and a green Chartreuse zabaglione tasted of herb and citrus, a cool finish that sent us back into daylight with clarity rather than sugar fatigue. ![Kiwi in limestone, shiso, green Chartreuse zabaglione at Le Gabriel Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Kiwi-Le-Gabriel-2-1.jpeg) Kiwi in limestone, shiso, green Chartreuse zabaglione *A server paused to explain the ten day maturation of the sea bass and the limestone technique used for the carrot and the kiwi. The voice was quiet, the explanation exact. In that moment the room’s confidence came into focus.* Petits fours closed the arc with the same precision as the whole menu. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Petite-Fours-Le-Gabriel-2-1.jpeg) Since we were dining at [Plénitude](https://thefinediningjournal.com/plenitude-paris-review-cheval-blanc-arnaud-donckele/) in the evening, the small lunch menu here proved ideal: focused, precise, and light enough not to weigh on the night ahead. ## Service Service is exemplary. Professional, friendly and exact. Temperatures are correct, plates land and leave in sync, and nothing needs correction. It is as polished as the room suggests. ## Verdict For lunch in Paris, this feels like the benchmark. A palatial setting that breathes, service at the highest level, and cooking that is precise, French and complete. At 148 € for four courses, the value is almost implausible. It is the table I would choose to show a friend what Parisian three star lunch can be. --- - Location: Paris, France - Chef: Jérôme Banctel - Michelin rating: ★★★ - Visited: November 2025 *For an equally formal, yet considerably pricier lunch, see my* [*review of L’Ambroisie*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/lunch-lambroisie-paris-shintaro-awa/) *and its classical precision.* *For a complete overview of how all seven Paris three-star restaurants compare, see* [*my detailed Paris three-star guide*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/)*.* ### Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire Paris Review: A Jazzlike A La Carte Near the Arc de Triomphe URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-pierre-gagnaire-paris-review-a-jazzlike-a-la-carte-near-the-arc-de-triomphe/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T18:26:48.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review We visited Pierre Gagnaire on a rainy November evening in 2025 and went in with quiet curiosity. Three Michelin stars in Paris is a category of itself. We were four people at the table, but the room created the feeling of a much more intimate evening. Early on, the kitchen suggested we avoid the set menus if we wanted to get closest to Gagnaire’s actual voice. That advice was right. ## Location and Atmosphere The restaurant is located on Rue Balzac, only a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe. It sits inside the Hotel Balzac, although it is not officially part of the hotel, and the entrance is almost hidden. A small logo in the shape of a table marks the door. If you don’t know where you’re going, you will walk past it. ![Lobby at Hotel Balzac Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Hotel-Balzac-1-1.jpeg) Lobby at Hotel Balzac We were given a table that looked like the best in the room, slightly to the side and with enough space around it to feel comfortable. Service was calm, experienced, and never intrusive. The first bites arrived quietly. Warm bread. Deep yellow Normandy butter. A few opening plates that set the tone. It felt assured rather than theatrical. ## Culinary Identity Gagnaire’s cooking is built around variations of an idea. A dish is not one plate. It is a sequence, almost like chapters. A starter might arrive in two movements, with five or six small plates. Flavours are revisited, contrasted, or reframed. There is a looseness to it, but it never feels unstructured. You have the sense of an experienced chef thinking out loud, but with complete control of his craft. ## The Dishes ### Autumn (186 €) The Autumn starter composition included a small celeriac lightly smoked in hay with vernal grass and savory. It was a clear, quiet opening. Plates followed in a gentle rhythm: blue radish with Williams pear and walnuts, a hint of lovage, foie gras mousse glazed with clementine paired with Paimpol white beans and Abondance mushrooms, and a slice of foie gras magret for depth. ![Autumn starter composition at restaurant Pierre Gagnaire Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pierre-Gagnaire-Autumn-1.jpeg) Starter Autumn at Pierre Gagnaire Tuna and cuttlefish with beetroot jelly and Fallot mustard added a sharper note. A delicate vegetable barquette with cepe and red onion juice followed, and finally a warm biscuit reminiscent of a Comté soufflé, served with celtus and Génépi-scented sour cream. This course was subtle. Nothing tried to impress by size or intensity. It had clarity, and every plate felt complete without being heavy. ### Venison (205 €) The venison saddle was the standout dish of the evening. Pan fried, seasoned with cinnamon and Sarawak pepper, and briefly smoked under a thin chocolate dome made from Chanchamayo cacao. It brought warmth and depth without overwhelming the meat. ![Venison saddle presented under a cracked Chanchamayo chocolate dome at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pierre-Gagnaire-Venison--1--1-1.jpeg) The venison emerged from a smoked chocolate dome, a dish that showed Gagnaire at his most focused. Sauce Diane added an earthy, wine-sediment character. Braised cabbage and small arbouses from Vallon Secret brought brightness. A small nest of crisp potatoes gave a pleasant bitterness. A rouge sorbet and wild cranberry jam refreshed the palate. The course came with a cup of vintage puer fuzi zhuan tea, which was warm, simple, and exactly right. ![Venison course at Pierre Gagnaire, served with seasonal garnishes and accompanied by multiple wine glasses and side plates on a subtly disordered table setting.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pierre-Gagnaire-Venison-1.jpeg) The venison in its final composition, captured among the wines and small plates that shaped the pace of the dinner. Everything here was in balance. Rich, but never heavy. The chocolate dome added a gentle, earthy smokiness rather than sweetness, and the tea provided a clean, thoughtful final note. ### Dessert with white Alba truffle (80 €) The dessert course with white Alba truffle was generous. Stracciatella and cassata scented with orange were finished with Santa Téa olive oil and Madagascar pepper. Warm toasted brioche followed. ![Dessert course at Pierre Gagnaire with generous white Alba truffle shavings, including stracciatella, cassata and chestnut ice cream served in a light, fragrant sequence.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pierre-Gagnaire-White-Truffle-1.jpeg) The white-truffle dessert, a light and fragrant series of plates that closed the evening with clarity. Then came chestnut ice cream touched with grappa, a saline praline, and jellies and marmalade from Le Mas des Roses. The truffle tied everything together. Not overpowering, but always present. ## Kitchen Visit Shortly before the end of the meal, we were invited into the kitchen. It was a brief moment: bright lights, quiet concentration, stainless steel everywhere. A young chef looked up from the pass and gave a small, calm smile. It was understated but entirely in line with the rest of the evening. ## Wine We ordered by the bottle and let the food meet the wines naturally. ![Wine at Pierre Gagnaire Paris](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Wines-at-Pierre-Gagnaire-1.jpeg) Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée No 747, a personal favourite of mine, was complex and elegant. Domaine de Trévallon Blanc 2020 followed, creamy and slightly nutty. Hermitage Blanc 2009 from Jean-Louis Chave was the white highlight: deep, waxy, and calm. Hermitage Rouge 2005, also from Chave, was at perfect maturity, with smoky dark fruit and elegant structure that supported the venison perfectly. We finished with a Domaine du Collier Coteaux de Saumur Doux, which was honeyed yet saline, refreshing rather than heavy. ## Verdict Pierre Gagnaire remains unique. The a la carte format is not a simplified tasting menu but a universe of its own. Courses unfold through a series of small plates that speak to one another, sometimes clearly, sometimes in fragments. The experience can be demanding. The flavours, ideas and variations arrive quickly, and their complexity can feel almost overwhelming at times. Yet this is exactly what gives the meal its lasting power. These are dishes that stay with you. You think about them afterwards, noticing details and connections you may have missed during the evening. Gagnaire cooks in a way that asks something of the guest, and the reward is depth, nuance and memory. Guests who prefer a clean, classical progression will be happier with the set menu. Anyone who wants to encounter Gagnaire most directly should choose a la carte. Service is calm and assured, and the evening leaves a strong impression. I walked out with a simple thought: I want to return. --- **Location:** Paris, France **Chef:** Pierre Gagnaire **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** November 2025 --- *For a complete overview of how all seven Paris three-star restaurants compare, see* [*my detailed Paris three-star guide*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/)*.* *If you’re interested in how expressive French cooking translates outside Paris,* [*my review of Clos des Sens*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-clos-des-sens-review-annecy-nature-led-michelin-3-star-tasting-menu/) *shows a very different, more landscape-driven interpretation.* FAQ **Q: How do you spell Pierre Gagnaire correctly?** **A:** The correct spelling is *Pierre Gagnaire*. Common mistakes include *“Pierre Gagniere”* and *“Pierre Gagniare”*. **Q: How do you pronounce Pierre Gagnaire?** **A:** It is pronounced roughly as *“pee-AIR gag-NAIR”*. The final “-naire” rhymes with “air.” **Q: Is it better to visit Pierre Gagnaire for lunch or dinner?** **A:** Dinner shows the restaurant at its most focused and atmospheric. Lunch is more relaxed and slightly shorter, but the full depth of Gagnaire’s cooking is best experienced in the evening. **Q: Should you choose the à la carte or the tasting menu?** **A:** À la carte is where Gagnaire’s strength lies. It is demanding, expressive and the clearest way to experience his style. The tasting menu is well-structured, but the à la carte format is the essential choice if you want to understand what makes the restaurant truly unique. **Q: How can you make a reservation at Pierre Gagnaire?** **A:** Reservations are made directly through the restaurant. Availability can vary, especially for dinner, so booking well in advance is advised. [Official website of Pierre Gagnaire](https://www.pierre-gagnaire.com/?ref=thefinediningjournal.com) ### Skina Marbella Review (2025): Michelin Two Stars, Tasting Menu and Prices URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/skina-marbella-review-2025-michelin-3-stars-candidate-tasting-menus-and-prices/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T19:54:47.000Z **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level** ## Review I first knew Skina as a tiny corner room in Marbella’s old town, a sliver of a restaurant whose ambitions always outpaced its footprint. Returning this year, the restaurant felt more assured than ever. The cooking has gained clarity and confidence, carrying the focus and precision of a kitchen working fully within its two-star identity while still hinting at higher ambitions. ### Location & Atmosphere Skina now resides in a restored villa, a quiet setting that gives the cuisine air and poise. White walls, high ceilings and a measured brightness replace the compressed intimacy of the old town corner. Guests begin in the kitchen with a few opening bites and a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut before being led to the table within the same generously proportioned space. The room is calm, conversation carries softly, and the choreography is unforced. Service has the softness that comes from experience rather than performance, and pacing keeps attention on the food’s line and detail. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character The kitchen speaks Andalusia with modern clarity. Seafood leads, framed by regional sauces such as ajoblanco and gazpachuelo, and by the saffron-tinted sopa en amarillo. Heat and acidity are measured, salinity precise, textures clean. The restaurant is owned by a sommelier, and you feel that sensibility on the plate: balance first, then flourish. ### **Kitchen Reception** Before taking your seat, you are welcomed in the kitchen with a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut and a couple of small bites. The team is introduced by name and role, the pace is unhurried, and the brief encounter tunes the palate and the ear to the brigade’s rhythm. It sets the tone for the evening: ease, precision, and quiet hospitality. ![Kitchen starters at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Skina-starter-1.jpeg) Kitchen starters ## Menu / The Dishes Skina offers two tasting paths. The **Gran Cru menu with a premium wine pairing** is priced at **574 € per person**. I chose the **Seasonal menu**, an elegant progression from the sea to land and back to almonds and cocoa, priced at **349 € per person** or **499 € with wine pairing**. ![Red tuna tartar with pistachio ajoverde Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Skina-3-1.jpeg) Red tuna tartar with pistachio ajoverde **Red tuna tartar with pistachio ajoverde** Hand-cut tuna set in a cold pistachio ajoverde, crowned with caviar. The soup’s herbal, nutty chill sharpens the fish while the caviar adds saline lift and fine pop. ![Sweet shrimp with Thai broth at Skina](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-5-1.jpeg) Sweet shrimp with Thai broth **Sweet shrimp with Thai broth and snow peas** Aromatic and light. The broth gently nudges sweetness forward; peas bring snap and chlorophyll. ![Scarlet Shrimp at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-lobster-1.jpeg) Scarlet shrimp **Scarlet shrimp, its sopa en amarillo and saffron** A concentrated hymn to the product. The golden sauce carries warmth without weight, letting iodine sing. ![Smoked "Sarda" gazpachuelo at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-sarda-1-1.jpeg) Smoked "Sarda" gazpachuelo **Smoked "Sarda" gazpachuelo with nori seaweed pesto** A Málaga classic re-drawn: silken, smoky, and enlivened by nori’s maritime depth. ![Red Mullet "between two seas" at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-fish-1.jpeg) Red Mullet "between two seas" **Red mullet "between two seas"** A beautifully handled r*ed mullet*: the skin and scales flashed with hot oil until they crisp, while the flesh stays just translucent. The dish sits between Mediterranean brightness and the deeper, saline memory of the Atlantic. ![Beef tenderloin with mole at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-beef-1.jpeg) Beef tenderloin with mole **Beef tenderloin, mole, sweet potato and demi-glace** A measured step onto land. The mole reads as perfume rather than heft; sweet potato softens without dulling. ![Ajoblanco of Malagan almonds at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/skina-dessert-1.jpeg) Ajoblanco of Malagan almonds **Ajoblanco of Malagan almonds, muscatel and rhubarb** Cold and satin-textured, with muscatel’s floral lift checked by rhubarb’s acidity. A palate rinse disguised as dessert. **Chocolate, vanilla and banana** Familiar notes, disciplined sweetness. Texture does the talking. ## Wine Sommelier-owner **Marcos Granda** is the driving force behind the restaurant, and wine is treated as a central pillar rather than a complement. The list is curated with care and the pairings privilege precision over novelty, calibrating alcohol and oak to the kitchen’s measured style so seafood stays luminous and sauces articulate. From the welcoming pour of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut to the premium **Gran Cru** pairing, the wine program leads the experience with quiet authority. ![Nicolas Albarino at Skina Marbella](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Skina-Nicolas-1-1.jpeg) Tricó’s Albariño Nicolás 2020, served from magnum. ## Verdict Skina cooks at a very high level, with precise technique and well-judged flavours, but the restaurant does not yet deliver the sense of inevitability that defines true three-star dining. Its two Michelin stars are fully earned; the jump to a third remains aspirational rather than imminent. The restaurant’s biggest limitation is the rigidity of its Seasonal Menu. What I was served in May aligns almost dish-for-dish with what appears online in November. This may offer consistency, but it also signals a lack of creative momentum. Many top kitchens refine a seasonal set; the best evolve continuously and shape the menu around inspiration, product and personality. At Skina, the polish is there, yet the sense of discovery is muted. For locals or repeat guests the static rhythm becomes noticeable. The pricing, however, already signals three-star intent. The 574 € Grand Cru menu with premium pairing matches or exceeds the cost of Spain’s leading restaurants, and the 349 € Seasonal Menu outprices several actual three-stars, including [Disfrutar](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/), [Cocina Hermanos Torres](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/) and Azurmendi. It is rare to encounter such ambition on the bill without equivalent ambition in the creative arc of the menu. Skina is, in my view, **the best restaurant in Marbella** and certainly the most expensive, but the cooking still lacks the singular identity and emotional resonance that define the country’s most distinctive kitchens. Technique alone will not secure a third star. What is missing is a stronger personal voice and more willingness to push beyond a safe, well-polished formula. And with Dani García’s former three-star restaurant long closed, Marbella again moves into 2026 without a three-star address - Skina the closest, but still some distance from delivering the kind of unmistakable authorship that would make it inevitable. > **Practical note:** the same owners also operate **Nintai**, Marbella’s one-star Japanese restaurant, an intimate omakase counter built around precise cuts, warm rice, and a quietly disciplined craft. It is a very different experience from Skina, but equally considered, and well worth seeking out if you appreciate high-level sushi. --- **Location:** Marbella, Spain **Chef:** Mario Cachinero [**Michelin rating**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/)**:** ★★ **Visited:** May 2025 *For a wider lens on Andalusian seafood, consider a detour to* [*Ángel León’s Aponiente*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) *in El Puerto de Santa María.* ### The Best Fish Restaurants in Spain URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/my-favorite-fish-restaurants-in-spain/ Last updated: 2025-12-08T20:10:31.000Z There are some fish restaurants I always come back. These are my favourites in Spain ## Elkano, Getaria In the small fishing village of Getaria, Elkano sets the global standard for grilled fish. Their turbot, cooked whole over charcoal, is reason enough to travel. Let the owner Aitor Arregi guide you with his recommendations and you will understand why some call this the best fish restaurant in the world. *FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)* ## Estimar, Barcelona Hidden in a quiet El Born side street, Estimar is Rafa Zafra’s love letter to the Mediterranean. The daily catch is impeccable, cooked simply and with precision. End with the cheesecake one of the best in Spain. ![Estimar, Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/IMG_9420-1.jpeg) Estimar, Barcelona ## Cataria, Novo Sancti Petri Elkano’s southern outpost on the Cádiz coast. Inside a beachside hotel, but don’t let that mislead you this is serious cooking. Fish from local markets, grilled with the same Basque mastery. One of its kind in Andalusia. ![Cataria Restaurant](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Cataria-Restaurant-1.jpeg) Cataria Restaurant ## Los Marinos José, Fuengirola A family-run institution near Málaga. They buy the fish themselves, sometimes even catch it. Simple, perfect, and supported by one of the best wine and Champagne lists in Andalusia. ![Los Marinos José](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/IMG_5874-1.jpeg) Los Marinos José ## Cañabota, Seville Cañabota in Seville is a purist’s seafood house. The day’s catch is shown on ice at the entrance and then grilled with exact control. Guests choose a tailored omakase or a shorter menu. The cooking is disciplined and spare, with no meat and almost no vegetables, so product, heat and seasoning carry the meal. It is Seville’s clearest reservation and, to my mind, among Spain’s best fish restaurants. Read the full review: [Cañabota, Seville: The Sea over Fire, Nothing Else](https://thefinediningjournal.com/canabota-seville-michelin-star-seafood-review/) *FDJ Score: 6.0/10 (One-Star Level)* ![grilled fish with peppers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/12/Canabota-Sevilla-Bocinegro-2-1-1.jpeg) Bocinegro sea bream at Cañabota, Seville *Also worth reading: my review of* [***Aponiente***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/)*, Spain’s three-star seafood landmark.* *For a complete guide to Michelin star restaurants in Spain 2025 and my personal favourites look at* [*my Medium article*](https://medium.com/@thefinediningjournal/the-best-michelin-starred-restaurants-in-spain-2025-a-complete-guide-ahead-of-the-michelin-gala-8235c0397062?ref=thefinediningjournal.com)*.* ### Michelin Stars and Their Counterparts: How the World’s Restaurant Guides Really Compare URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/ Last updated: 2025-11-23T22:59:27.000Z # Fine dining may be global, but [restaurant guides](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-gault-millau-falstaff-repsol-oad-und-50-best/) remain rooted in national cultures. For more than a century, **Michelin** has been the dominant benchmark of excellence. Yet other systems, **Repsol** in Spain, **Gault Millau** in central Europe, **Gambero Rosso** in Italy, interpret quality through different cultural lenses. In parallel, global lists like **The World’s 50 Best** or **OAD** have redefined visibility, while user-based platforms such as **Falstaff** and **Tripadvisor** turned public opinion into a ranking game. This overview looks at how each of these systems works, what they actually measure, and why understanding their philosophy matters more than the number of symbols beside a chef’s name. ## Michelin: Precision, Perfection, and the Weight of History Founded in France in 1900 by the tire company of the same name, the [*Michelin Guide*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/) evolved from a travel aid into the world’s most recognised restaurant reference. Its rating system is simple: **one, two or three stars**, yet it carries immense symbolic power. | Stars | Meaning | | ----- | --------------------------------- | | ★ | Very good cooking in its category | | ★★ | Worth a detour | | ★★★ | Worth a special journey | Inspections are carried out by **full-time, anonymous professionals** with culinary training. Reports are cross-checked by committees before a decision is made. Michelin’s focus is narrow but rigorous: product quality, technique, personality of the chef, harmony of flavours, and consistency over time. Its strength lies in **methodical consistency**. Its weakness is **cultural conservatism**, it often rewards refinement over emotion, and innovation only once it has matured into a system. ### **Expansion and Business Model** In recent years, Michelin has **transformed its business model**. Whereas the traditional guides were self-funded and commercially independent, new country editions are now often **co-financed by national or regional tourism boards**. In practical terms, this means that a destination can *purchase* the launch of a Michelin guide by entering a multi-year partnership agreement. Examples include: • **Abu Dhabi and Dubai**, both launched in 2022 with support from their respective tourism authorities. • **Istanbul**, added in 2023 in collaboration with GoTürkiye. • **Malaysia**, introduced in 2023 through an agreement with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. • **Estonia**, published in 2022 with public funding from Visit Estonia. • **Slovenia**, launched in 2020 with support from the Slovenian Tourism Board. • **Austria**, returning in 2025 with a nationwide edition after a sixteen-year absence, supported by public institutions eager to strengthen culinary tourism. This strategy has allowed Michelin to expand rapidly across regions that would otherwise be commercially unviable. Critics, however, see it as a **soft pay-to-play model**, where public money indirectly determines which countries receive attention, not necessarily where the best cooking happens. ![Michelin 2025 three-star plaque at Moor Hall restaurant in the United Kingdom.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/moor-hall-michelin-1.jpeg) **Michelin three-star plaque at Moor Hall, Lancashire* ### How Michelin Shapes the Restaurant Landscape Michelin doesn’t just recognise excellence; it **defines the direction in which excellence develops**. Because the guide remains the most visible global benchmark, many of the world’s most ambitious chefs design their careers around it. Young cooks train in starred kitchens, open their own restaurants, and adopt the structure, pacing and menu format that Michelin tends to reward, especially the multi-course tasting menu. This influence has reshaped even produce-focused restaurants that once resisted the fine-dining format. At [**Elkano**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/my-favorite-fish-restaurants-in-spain/) in Getaria or **Cañabota** in Seville, both built around fresh seafood and grill mastery, you now find a tasting menu available, largely because the system expects it. Yet in these two cases, the restaurants themselves *discourage* guests from choosing it, preferring spontaneity and interaction over formal progression. That tension, between culinary freedom and the Michelin template, illustrates how profoundly the guide still shapes the aspirations of chefs worldwide. ## Repsol: Emotion, Identity, and the Spanish Sense of Place The *Guía Repsol* began in 1979 as the *Guía Campsa*, published with support from the Royal Academy of Gastronomy. It rates restaurants with one to three **Soles (☀️)** instead of stars. | Soles | Meaning | | ------ | ------------------------------------ | | ☀️ | Good table | | ☀️☀️ | Excellent | | ☀️☀️☀️ | Exceptional, among the best in Spain | Like Michelin, Repsol employs **professional inspectors**, but their approach is broader. The focus is not only on technical mastery but also on the **experience, service, atmosphere and emotional resonance** of a meal. Repsol also celebrates **traditional and regional restaurants** that embody local culture. Where Michelin tends to prize innovation and refinement, Repsol gives equal weight to **authenticity and continuity**, a classic *asador* in the Basque Country can stand beside a modernist laboratory in Madrid. ![Código de Barra, Cádiz: recognised by both Michelin and Repsol.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/codigo-de-barra-1.jpeg) **Código de Barra (Cadiz), recognised by both Michelin and Repsol.* In difficulty, three Soles roughly correspond to **two or three Michelin stars**, though the national scope and more generous philosophy make it slightly more attainable. Notably, several houses hold both distinctions: [*Aponiente*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) in El Puerto de Santa María, [ABaC](https://thefinediningjournal.com/abac-barcelona-review-2025-polished-service-reduced-ambition/) in Barcelona, *DiverXO* in Madrid, *El Celler de Can Roca* in Girona. *Michelin seeks precision; Repsol seeks soul.* ## Gault Millau: Creativity and Individual Expression Created in 1969 by French critics **Henri Gault** and **Christian Millau**, this guide was a rebellion against Michelin’s rigidity and the birthplace of *nouvelle cuisine*. It scores from **0 to 20 points**, translated into **chef hats (toques)**: | Points | Toques | Interpretation | | ------ | -------- | -------------- | | 19–20 | 5 Toques | World-class | | 17–18 | 4 Toques | Outstanding | | 15–16 | 3 Toques | Excellent | | 13–14 | 2 Toques | Good | | 11–12 | 1 Toque | Promising | Each national edition — France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland — has its own inspectors, usually **anonymous professionals** from culinary or hospitality backgrounds. Gault Millau values **personality, creativity, and emotion** more than classical perfection. A dish can be surprising, even slightly uneven, yet still earn a high score if it vividly expresses the chef’s identity. ### The Austrian Context In **Austria**, *Michelin* was never truly established. For many years the guide covered only Vienna and Salzburg. As a result, **Gault Millau became and remains the country’s primary reference**, offering far broader coverage and local insight than any other system. Only in **2025** did Michelin release a **new nationwide edition**, ending nearly two decades of absence. Until then, chefs and diners relied almost exclusively on Gault Millau to define standards of quality. It is **speculative but plausible** that Michelin, when rebuilding its Austrian coverage, **used Gault Millau’s existing guide as a baseline**, given the latter’s long-standing reach and depth of information. Whether or not that assumption is correct, the fact remains that Gault Millau shaped how Austria perceives fine dining, and still commands genuine authority there. > In the Gault Millau system, the maximum score of **20 points** is almost never awarded, reserved only for near-mythical perfection. In Austria, leading restaurants such as [Steirereck](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/) in Vienna and [Amador](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/) in Vienna currently hold **19 out of 20 points**, which places them among the highest-rated kitchens in the country. ## Gambero Rosso: Italy’s Lens of Authenticity *Gambero Rosso*, founded in 1986 in Rome, mirrors Italy’s culinary soul, respectful of tradition yet alert to quality and product. The name *Gambero Rosso* comes from **Carlo Collodi’s *Pinocchio***, where it was the inn (*Il Gambero Rosso*, “The Red Shrimp”) in which Pinocchio was deceived by the Fox and the Cat and lost his gold coins. When the founders created the guide in the 1980s, they chose the name as a **literary and ironic reference**, a reminder to question appearances and avoid naivety. It signalled that their publication would approach gastronomy with **curiosity, independence, and a touch of irreverence**, in contrast to the more conservative tone of other guides. Its **rating system** uses **forchette (forks)** for restaurants, **gamberi (shrimps)** for trattorias, and **bottiglie (bottles)** for wine programs. | Symbol | Range | Meaning | | ------ | ----- | --------------------- | | 🍴 | 1–3 | Quality of cuisine | | 🍤 | 1–3 | Traditional trattoria | | 🍾 | 1–3 | Wine list excellence | Critics are **known professionals**, not anonymous inspectors, which gives the guide a more journalistic tone. It honours chefs who work within Italian identity — purity of flavour, simplicity, and regional product integrity — rather than pushing for conceptual innovation. *La Pergola (Rome)*, *Enoteca Pinchiorri (Florence)*, and *Osteria Francescana (Modena)* all hold three forchette. ## Comparing the Classic Inspection Guides | Guide | Country / Scope | Symbol | Scale | Inspectors | Core Focus | | ----------------- | --------------- | ------ | ---------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Michelin** | Global | ★ | 1–3 | Full-time, anonymous | Technique, precision, consistency | | **Repsol** | Spain | ☀️ | 1–3 | Professional inspectors | Emotion, local identity | | **Gault Millau** | Europe | 🎩 | 1–5 Toques | Anonymous experts | Creativity, individuality | | **Gambero Rosso** | Italy | 🍴 | 1–3 | Professional critics | Authenticity, Italian product | ## The World’s 50 Best: Visibility and Conversation Run by the British company *William Reed*, the *World’s 50 Best Restaurants* list is compiled from votes by around 1,000 chefs, journalists, and “well-travelled gourmets.” Each voter lists ten restaurants they visited in the past 18 months. There are **no inspections, no scoring criteria**, and **no anonymity** — only personal preference. The outcome is glamorous but inherently biased: - Voters tend to visit **high-profile, media-visible restaurants**. - Hidden or traditional places rarely appear. - A restaurant’s ranking can fluctuate dramatically year to year. The list measures **conversation more than quality**. It’s useful for spotting trends, Latin American and Nordic cuisine rose through this system, but it is not an objective hierarchy. *Michelin measures craft; 50 Best measures buzz.* ## OAD: Data with an Echo Chamber **Opinionated About Dining (OAD)**, founded by Steve Plotnicki, claims to apply analytics to taste. Thousands of registered voters rank restaurants they have visited, and each voter’s weight increases with their “experience level.” The system looks rigorous but suffers from the same social bias: - It amplifies **fashionable restaurants** within a closed circle of enthusiasts. - Visibility on social media or participation in OAD events often boosts ranking. - There is **no professional calibration** — only aggregated enthusiasm. Still, OAD can be **a useful pulse of the fine-dining community**, highlighting avant-garde houses before they hit mainstream awareness. Its lists are snapshots of curiosity, not measurements of perfection. *OAD rewards travel mileage more than consistency.* ## Falstaff: From Wine Guide to Lifestyle Platform *Falstaff* began in **Austria in the 1980s** as a **wine magazine**, publishing annual tasting notes and regional wine guides. Over time it evolved into a **broader lifestyle brand**, now covering restaurants, bars, hotels and travel, and expanded into **Germany, Switzerland and South Tyrol**. Its **wine guide** is still respected within the German-speaking world, but the **restaurant rankings** are much newer and built on a different foundation. Unlike Michelin or Gault Millau, Falstaff’s results are **mostly based on user voting** rather than professional inspection. Thousands of registered users submit their votes through the Falstaff app or website. The editorial team then aggregates the data, makes small adjustments, and publishes the results. The process lacks transparency, standardisation, and any form of anonymous verification. ### The Falstaff Scoring System Each restaurant can reach up to **100 points**, divided equally across five categories: | Category | Max. Points | Description | | ------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------------- | | **Food** | 50 | Cooking quality, ingredients, flavour balance | | **Service** | 20 | Professionalism, attentiveness, warmth | | **Wine list** | 20 | Breadth, depth, and curation | | **Ambience** | 10 | Décor, comfort, atmosphere | At first glance this appears comprehensive, but in reality it produces **distorted results**. 1. **Food weighted at only 50 %** – By design, food accounts for only half of the total rating, which means a restaurant can still reach well over 80 points on the strength of its wine list, service, and atmosphere, even when the cooking is merely average. 2. **Voter inconsistency** – Many users seem to treat the categories flexibly, raising or lowering sub-scores to reach a desired overall result. Some overrate “price-performance” to reward value; others exaggerate “ambience” to express disappointment elsewhere. The outcome is a **numerical system that feels precise but behaves emotionally**. 3. **Unqualified assessments** – Most participants lack the technical or comparative background to judge cuisine, so ratings reflect mood, expectation, or loyalty. 4. **Category inflation** – Scores below 85 points are rare, which erodes differentiation. 5. **Commercial bias** – Partner restaurants and advertisers often receive disproportionate visibility. In practice, Falstaff’s restaurant ranking measures **sentiment and popularity** more than craft or execution. It remains a valuable **wine publication**, but its food ratings serve more as a **snapshot of public opinion** than a serious culinary benchmark. > Falstaff’s four-part scoring system looks analytical, yet it quantifies perception, not performance. ## Tripadvisor: Democratic, Yet Deeply Noisy Tripadvisor gathers millions of opinions, and that’s both its power and its problem. Anyone can rate a restaurant after a single visit. The result is an enormous database shaped by **amateurs with no shared benchmark**. - **Unqualified reviews:** Portion size, friendliness, or price often outweigh culinary technique. - **Manipulation:** Fake or incentivised reviews remain common despite improved filters. - **Category context:** Within a price range or city, the platform can still reveal whether a place satisfies its clientele — but it offers **no absolute hierarchy**. *Tripadvisor tells you if people enjoyed a meal, not if it was great cooking.* ## Tabelog: The Japanese Outlier While most user-generated platforms struggle with bias or inconsistency, **Tabelog** in Japan has evolved into something unique. Founded in 2005 by Kakaku.com, it combines **massive participation** with a **statistical correction model**, making it arguably the most reliable crowd-based restaurant rating system in the world. ### Scale and Method Tabelog hosts more than **900,000 restaurants** and millions of reviews across Japan. Each user can rate a restaurant on a **five-point scale** (from 1.0 to 5.0) and leave a written review, often with photos. Behind the scenes, Tabelog applies a **weighted algorithm** that gives more influence to experienced reviewers and adjusts for extreme or suspicious votes. This produces a distribution where: - Scores above **4.0** are extremely rare (only top 0.5 %). - A **3.5 restaurant** is already excellent, often Michelin one-star level. - A **3.7–3.8** typically signals national quality; **4.0+** implies elite status. ### Strengths 1. **Scale and consistency** – With thousands of overlapping reviews per restaurant, outliers matter less. 2. **Cultural discipline** – Japanese reviewers tend to be detail-oriented, factual, and fair; emotional extremes are uncommon. 3. **Algorithmic balance** – The weighting system neutralises fan or hate voting. 4. **Transparency** – Scores are visible, and written reviews provide clear reasoning. ### Weaknesses Despite its sophistication, Tabelog still has limits: - It measures **user satisfaction**, not professional evaluation. - Popularity in urban centres can inflate visibility, leaving rural or traditional venues underrepresented. - Some restaurants resist being listed, preferring to remain offline or invite-only. ### Reputation and Correlation Tabelog’s top-rated restaurants often overlap strongly with **Michelin-starred** establishments in Japan — especially in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka — which reinforces its credibility. Yet its approach remains democratic: **collective intelligence moderated by mathematics** rather than inspection. > Tabelog demonstrates that crowd ratings can work — but only in a culture that values precision and restraint. ## What These Guides Really Tell Us Each system reveals a different truth: | Type | Guides | What It Measures | | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Professional inspection** | Michelin, Repsol, Gault Millau, Gambero Rosso | Craft, consistency, and philosophy | | **Industry voting** | 50 Best, OAD | Visibility, influence, and momentum | | **Public voting (Western)** | Falstaff, Tripadvisor | Popularity and perception | | **Public voting (Japanese model)** | Tabelog | Collective intelligence moderated by data and cultural discipline | Understanding those differences matters more than arguing which is “best.” For the serious traveller, combining them is the key: **Michelin** gives assurance, **Repsol** provides cultural context, **Gault Millau** and **Gambero Rosso** add regional nuance, while **50 Best** and **OAD** capture trends and visibility. **Falstaff** and **Tripadvisor** show what the public enjoys, and **Tabelog** demonstrates how crowd ratings can work when precision and fairness are part of the culture. ## Conclusion: Beyond the Symbols Restaurant guides are maps, not truths. Michelin remains the global standard of precision; Repsol translates Spanish emotion into recognition; Gault Millau and Gambero Rosso capture individuality and tradition; 50 Best and OAD register excitement; Falstaff and Tripadvisor mirror public mood. The discerning diner learns to read them all, and to trust their own judgement above any symbol. ### Le Clos des Sens Review, Annecy: Nature-Led Michelin 3-Star Tasting Menu URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/le-clos-des-sens-review-annecy-nature-led-michelin-3-star-tasting-menu/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T19:56:18.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review Annecy-le-Vieux was a deliberate detour from a business trip to Geneva. It was my first visit to **Le Clos des Sens**, a house that speaks of plants and lakes, of foragers and fishermen. I wanted to see how that promise reads in early November, when the light turns clear and the air sharpens. We chose the nine course Grande Fête, titled *Nature in November*, priced at 288 €. ![Annecy Old Town](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Annecy-old-town-1.jpeg) Annecy Old Town ## **Location & Atmosphere** The property sits on the hill above Lake Annecy in Annecy-le-Vieux, about forty minutes from Geneva Airport. As a member of Relais & Châteaux, it functions best as a restaurant with rooms. The bedrooms are handsome, with open fireplaces and balconies that take in the city and the lake. ![Le Clos des Sens Garden, Annecy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Clos-de-Sens-Garden-1-1.jpeg) Le Clos des Sens Garden Outside the gourmet dining room the afternoon offer is sparse. We were told there was only bread and cheeses from Haute-Savoie, nothing else. It sounded austere, yet it turned out perfect on a golden, sunny November afternoon. With a bottle of *Prieuré Saint-Christophe Altesse, Roussette de Savoie 2020*, the simplicity felt intentional. Good milk, good wine, quiet light, and the view. The region itself glowed copper and gold beneath a cloudless sky. ![Cheese from Savoie, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Cheese-1.jpeg) Cheese from Savoie The dining room is modern yet warm. Old wood lines the walls and there is an open view into the kitchen. The room feels calm and measured. Service is precise and notably relaxed, present without pressure. ## **Culinary Style or Distinctive Character** The cooking is rooted in the immediate landscape. Herbs, vegetables and lake fish form the grammar, sourced from the region’s three lakes: Lake Annecy, Lake Geneva and Lake Bourget. Temperatures are clean, sauces are light, and flavours arrive in focused lines rather than broad strokes. Proximity to plant gatherers and lake fishers reads on the plate as clarity and restraint. It’s a language of precision and quiet confidence, comparable in spirit to[**Steirereck in Vienna**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/), yet more ascetic — alpine minimalism rather than urban refinement. Dinner began in the lounge with a *Bérêche et Fils Campania Remensis Rosé 2021*, a serious champagne with red-berried depth and chalk. It matched a sequence of small, crisp bites that sketched the terrain with texture and salinity. ## **Menu / The Dishes** Crispy herbs opened the meal, a delicate finger salad of leaves that snapped and whispered green. A bite titled iodine without iodine followed: river fish layered with crackling trout skin and lake fish bottarga. A fermented shallot morsel brought gentle sweetness and lactic warmth. A crayfish satay, compact and direct, closed the prelude. ![Le Clos des Sens Crispy Sage](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/starter-1-1.jpeg) Crispy Sage Peppery nasturtium reset the palate. A cool broth of nasturtium held a tangle of leaves, fresh and precise, the heat a quiet echo at the back of the throat. ![Peppery nasturtium, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Kapuzinerkresse-1.jpeg) Peppery nasturtium Trout neither raw nor cooked arrived cured to tender translucence, lifted by lovage and berries from the garden. The acidity of currants and bilberries brightened the fish without crowding it. ![Trout neither raw nor cooked, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Forelle-1-1.jpeg) Trout neither raw nor cooked The mushroom salad from Savoie became the evening’s lodestar. Beneath a cover of thin, raw mushrooms sat a warm layer gently braised with shallot. Alongside, an espresso cup held a concentrated mushroom cream, closer to a thick soup. The dish moved in three registers: cool and crisp above, soft and savory beneath, and silken concentration at the side. Balance, temperature and texture were exact. It carried a clean woodland scent without weight. ![Mushroom salad from Savoie, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Champignons-1.jpeg) Mushroom salad from Savoie Shell tea with beef marrow cappelletti came next, a lucid consommé where the pasta released quiet richness into a broth that stayed clear and long. ![Shell tea with beef marrow cappelletti, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/beef-marrow-cappelletti-1.jpeg) Shell tea with beef marrow cappelletti Glazed aged pike followed, its flesh matured for texture, served with the intensity of fennel and oregano and finished with roasted bone juice. The fish was elastic yet yielding, the glaze adding sweetness and shine without weight. ![Glazed aged pike, roasted bone juice - Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/Pike-1.jpeg) Glazed aged pike, roasted bone juice Cheeses from Savoie and Haute Savoie were offered with respect for ripeness and proportion. A pre-dessert titled Grenobloise appeared as a green, fresh and fruity pause. ![Quince and fig leaf, Le Clos des Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/quince-1.jpeg) Quince and fig leaf Quince and fig leaf whispered of orchard and leaf tea. ![Memories of roasted bread - Le Clos de Sens](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/bread-and-butter-1.jpeg) Memories of roasted bread Memories of roasted bread explored bread and butter in shifting textures, a gentle study rather than a trick. Autumn undergrowth closed the arc in a final nod to the forest. Petit fours returned to the crisp herb motif, a tidy echo of the opening. ## **Wine** We chose bottles and glasses rather than a pairing. The Champagne *Bérêche Campania Remensis Rosé 2021* framed the amuses with red fruit and structure. *Maxime Dancoine’s IGP Allobroges Solar 2022* brought alpine snap to the cold vegetable courses, its energy meeting lovage and nasturtium cleanly. *Jean Masson’s Apremont Coeur 2020* sat naturally with the trout and the shell tea, Jacquère scented yet restrained. For depth, *Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey’s Saint-Aubin En Remilly 2018* carried the mushroom composition and the pike with tension and well-judged oak. Across nearly four hours, including a digestif, the sequence felt composed and discreet. ![Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey’s Saint-Aubin En Remilly 2018](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/11/wine-1.jpeg) ## **Verdict** Le Clos des Sens is for those who appreciate light, aromatic cooking rooted in herbs, vegetables and the fish of the surrounding lakes. The flavours are pure and balanced, never heavy, with a quiet confidence in every dish. The house itself is calm and elegant, a restaurant with rooms where everything feels thoughtfully composed. From the terrace and the guest rooms you look out over Annecy and the lake, a view that stays with you. It is a place where one feels immediately at ease, and one that makes the journey worthwhile. --- **Location:** Annecy-le-Vieux, France **Chef:** Franck Derouet **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** November 2025 **Tags:** Fine Dining, Michelin 3 Stars, Haute Savoie, Plant-Forward, Lake Fish, Relais & Châteaux, Tasting Menu, France *Readers interested in the opposite pole of fish cookery might explore* [***Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/)*, a very different fish restaurant where the sea itself becomes the pantry.* ### Best 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants in Barcelona 2025: Disfrutar, Hermanos Torres, Lasarte, ABaC URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-3-michelin-star-restaurants-in-barcelona-2025-disfrutar-hermanos-torres-lasarte-abac/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:01:06.000Z Barcelona is one of Europe’s most compelling dining cities. In 2025 it counts four restaurants at the summit of the Michelin Guide: ABaC, Disfrutar, Cocina Hermanos Torres and Lasarte. I have followed Barcelona’s restaurant scene for twenty years, with multiple visits across these four three-Michelin-star tables and experience in about 50 different three-star restaurants worldwide to ground my perspective. Lasarte opened the city’s three-star era with the November 2016 announcement, and the El Bulli legacy still shapes how Barcelona thinks about creativity and taste. What follows is a measured ranking from repeated meals, not one night. Comparing three-Michelin-star restaurants is hard: each is unique and excellent. This order reflects my tastes in flavor, pacing and focus, a practical guide for first bookings. ## **1\. Disfrutar** **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** *Chefs: Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, Mateu Casañas* Disfrutar is the clearest continuation of El Bulli’s spirit, but it feels more focused and more generous. The cooking is technical yet anchored in flavor. During my last visit the tasting unfolded as more than thirty small courses, each with a defined idea. A warm Panchino filled with caviar disappeared in a breath. ![Gilda at Disfrutar Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Disfruatar-Blue-Fish-1.jpeg) Gilda at Disfrutar Their Gilda with marinated mackerel snapped with clean salinity. ![Multispherical Pesto at Disfrutar](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Snake-Disfrutar-1-1.jpeg) Multispherical Pesto at Disfrutar The multispherical pesto with pistachios and eel read playful but tasted poised and green. The pairing leaned Catalan and slipped in sake where texture called for clarity. **How to book** It is very hard to secure a table. A waitlist has worked for me, though confirmation came by phone the same evening around 20:30\. If you need a fixed plan, some operators host curated nights at Disfrutar. They are more expensive but reliable. For a related thread of creativity, consider Enigma by Albert Adrià. ## **2\. Hermanos Torres** **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** *Chefs: Sergio Torres, Javier Torres* ![Cosina Hermanos Torres Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Hermanos-Torres--1--1.jpeg) Cocina Hermanos Torres The room at Cocina Hermanos Torres is the most striking of the four. It occupies a renovated industrial space from an old Michelin tyre facility. The kitchen sits in the center and the tables ring the action. The mood is calm. Cooking is organized and quiet. Across five meals, including two in 2025, a few dishes have stood out. Cured squid with poultry consommé and caviar shows control and depth. ![24 Vegetables with Truffles at Hermanos Torres Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/24-Vegetables-Hermanos-Torres-1-1.jpeg) 24 Vegetables with Truffles The sequence of 24 naturally grown vegetables with winter broth, truffles and mushrooms speaks softly and precisely. ![Maresme Peas at Hermanos Torres Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Maresme-Peas-Hermanos-Torres-1.jpeg) Maresme Peas with Migas de Pastor Maresme green peas with Ibérico ham and migas de pastor hum with sweetness and salt. Ray with piquillo peppers, mangetouts and pickled piparras is lifted by acidity. There is one menu and several plates return over the years. As a regular I would welcome more rotation. For a first visit it is an essential stop. ## **3\. Lasarte** **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** *Chef Patron: Martín Berasategui; Chef: Paolo Casagrande* Lasarte is the most formal of the four and the most composed. Berasategui’s broader vision is clear, while Paolo Casagrande runs the day to day with precision. ![Foie Gras at Lasarte Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Lasarte-G--nseleber-1.jpeg) Foie Gras with Apple and Smoked Eel A recurring classic, foie gras with apple and smoked eel, still carries its quiet power and is worth the trip on its own. ![Scarlet Shrimp Soup Lasarte Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Scarlet-Shrimp-Soup-1.jpeg) Scarlet Shrimp Soup In July I ate a scarlet shrimp soup with tomato, celery and mint that felt concentrated but not heavy. ![Lasarte Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Seafood-Salad-Sweetbread-1.jpeg) Salad of Red Prawn and Glazed Sweetbreads A warm salad of red prawn and seafood with zucchini and glazed sweetbreads found balance in richness and temperature. If atmosphere matters, **request a table in the front room, which is more elegant than the rear section.** ## **4\. ABaC** **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)** *Chef: Jordi Cruz* ![Monk Fish at ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/monk-fish-1.jpeg) Monk Fish at ABaC I returned to ABaC under chef Jordi Cruz twice in 2025, my fourth visit overall. Compared with a 2021 meal, I sensed a narrowing in scope and a shift toward less luxurious products. The experience remains careful and pleasant, but among Barcelona’s four 3 Michelin star restaurants I would place ABaC fourth. **Why go:** One clear advantage is its **Monday opening**, which makes ABaC the strongest top-tier fine dining option in Barcelona on that day. ![Petite Fours at ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/little-desserts-ABAC-1.jpeg) Petite Fours at ABaC For a fuller assessment of dishes, service and value, see my separate [ABaC Barcelona 3 Michelin Star review](https://thefinediningjournal.com/abac-barcelona-review-2025-polished-service-reduced-ambition/). ## **Verdict** Four three star restaurants, four clear identities. Disfrutar is my first choice for its curiosity and follow through. Hermanos Torres offers discipline, produce and the best view into a calm kitchen, though regulars may want more change. Lasarte provides elegance and continuity with masterful service. ABaC is still a good meal, especially useful on a Monday. Barcelona’s strength is not only that it has four stars. It is that each one speaks a different language of hospitality and taste. --- *For more on Spain’s Michelin scene, see my reviews of* [*Skina in Marbella*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/skina-marbella-review-2025-michelin-3-stars-candidate-tasting-menus-and-prices/) *and* [*Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/)*, a restaurant I have visited 18 times over the past decade.* ### ABaC Barcelona Review 2025: polished service, reduced ambition URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/abac-barcelona-review-2025-polished-service-reduced-ambition/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T19:57:45.000Z **FDJ Score: 7.5/10 (High Two-Star Level)** ## Review My connection with ABaC goes back to my first visit 2009, when Barcelona had no three-star restaurants. ABaC held two stars and was among the city’s most promising tables. Barcelona was already a serious food city, shaped by the influence of El Bulli and restaurants like Alkimia and Cinc Sentits. I returned in 2021 and was impressed by a long, carefully staged tasting. In 2025 I visited twice for dinner, in May and again in September. The team remains professional and the welcome is warm, but the cooking has become narrower and safer. Competition at the top is intense: **Disfrutar, Lasarte,** and **Cocina Hermanos Torres** also hold three stars, a field that merits a separate article on which of Barcelona’s three-star restaurants leads. ## Location & Atmosphere ABaC sits above the centre. It is a very good place to stay if the main goal is dinner, but it functions more as a restaurant with rooms than a full-service hotel. In September my room was reached passing through the kitchen, a practical detail that underlines the house’s priorities. ![ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/ABAC-1.jpeg) There is a small garden where the sommelier pours Cava with easy charm. The main dining room is calm, tables are well spaced, explanations are clear, and pacing is steady. One downside: reaching the city centre takes roughly 30 minutes by taxi. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Garden-Abac-1.jpeg) Hotel guests are offered a shorter menu alongside the full tasting, which makes a two-night stay feasible: degustation one evening, the hotel menu the next. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Jordi Cruz’s cooking blends Catalan roots with modern technique. In 2021 that approach was delivered through a longer, more ambitious arc. In 2025 the arc is compressed, with the tasting priced at 295 EUR. May still felt coherent at around seventeen courses; September dropped to sixteen and leaned more on familiar signatures from earlier years. I did not see the chef in the room during the September visit. ## Menu / The Dishes Appetisers returned to house staples: Bloody Mary on the rocks; a blue fish sequence with ajo blanco and romesco; ![blue fish sequence at ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Blue-Fish-Sequency-1.jpeg) **Blue fish sequence at ABaC Barcelona* Pickled chilli with tuna belly; strawberry and black-olive kakigori with olive oil; and a Black Gilda, a clean riff on the classic pintxo of olive, anchovy and chilli. ![Gilda ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Gilda-ABaC-1.jpeg) **Gilda at ABaC Barcelona* Among the first courses, milk tomatoes with dry maccheroni as a pesto, green-tomato gazpacho and Caprese sprouts showed good product and neat acidity. ![milk tomatoes with dry maccheroni as a pesto ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Caprese-1.jpeg) **Milk tomatoes with dry maccheroni as a pesto, green-tomato gazpacho and Caprese sprouts* Cured sea bream with molluscs, frozen hummus and a spring-onion gazpachuelo with cilantro was the most precise plate in September. ![Cured Sea Bream ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Sea-Bream-ABAC-1.jpeg) **Cured sea bream with molluscs and frozen hummus* The butter candle on black bread worked as a quiet table ritual, gently smoky rather than theatrical. Squid veil with tartar and a clear squid consommé with caviar was well judged and restrained. Mains were straightforward. Monkfish with olives, seaweed and cabbages read as a solid Mediterranean dish. Iberian pork pluma with romesco sauces and pickled carrots was the stronger of the two, accurately cooked and lifted by the condiments. ![Iberico pluma ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Pork-Abac-1.jpeg) **Iberico Pork Pluma* Desserts followed the familiar sequence: yoghurt with essence of flowers, coconut, white chocolate and citrus; *La merienda*; the balloon of raspberry with begonia lollies and strawberry-lavender water, unchanged from 2021; and sweets from the pumpkin. ![Ballon of Raspberry ABaC Barcelona](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Balloon-Abac-1.jpeg) **Ballon of Raspberry* From the May dinner, two plates suggested a higher ceiling than September: carabinero prawn mokabaisse with cured grouper, and a deconstructed beef fricandó in a Japanese style. Both combined idea, flavour and detail with more intent than the later menu. ## Wine I relied on the sommelier’s guidance. The focus on Catalan bottles and a smart house Cava suits the restaurant. Service around wine is friendly and assured. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Cava-Abac-1.jpeg) ## Verdict Across the two 2025 dinners the direction is clear. The menu has tightened, repetition has increased, and premium products appear less often. Execution is careful and service is strong, but the ambition that defined 2021 has faded. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Menu-ABAC-2021.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/ABAC-Menu-May-2025.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Menu-ABaC-September-2025.jpeg) **Menus: September 2021 (left), May 2025 (centre), September 2025 (right).* September 2025 was a step down from May 2025; the absence of premium ingredients, aside from caviar, made the menu feel improvised, as if a supplier had fallen through. May 2025 itself was already a step down from 2021\. ABaC currently holds three Michelin stars; on recent evidence, the experience no longer feels at that level, and I am curious what the next Michelin Guide will decide. For now, it offers a pleasant evening, but it is not a destination in itself and I would not plan a special trip around it. One practical advantage remains: it is currently the only three-star restaurant in Barcelona open on Monday, which may help travellers planning around that day. --- **Location:** Barcelona, Spain **Chef:** Jordi Cruz **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** May 2025, September 2025 (previous visits 2021, 2009) **Tags:** Fine Dining, Michelin 3 Stars, Barcelona, Restaurant with Rooms, Catalan Cuisine, Tasting Menu, Wine Service *Read next:* [*Review Aponiente*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) *in El Puerto de Santa María — a sea-focused kitchen and one of Spain’s most creative dining rooms.* ### Review: Tohru in der Schreiberei – Munich’s New Three-Star Michelin Restaurant URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:02:36.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review In 2025, the Guide Michelin Germany awarded three stars to two new restaurants, adding [**Haerlin in Hamburg**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/) and **Tohru in der Schreiberei in Munich** to the exclusive circle of **Germany’s three-star Michelin restaurants**. Having visited the former in early September I found myself drawn south later that month, curious to understand what defined the latter’s newly anointed excellence. The first evening in Munich was spent at an invitation to Käfer’s Wiesn-Schänke, a fun Oktoberfest evening of beer, food, and music that proved that even amid the noise of the Wiesn, gastronomy of real quality can be found. The following day, however, took a different turn. A security warning forced the closure of the festival grounds, and almost at the same moment, a message arrived confirming my long-standing waitlist reservation at Tohru in der Schreiberei. The decision, then, was simple. ### Location & Atmosphere The restaurant sits quietly within Munich’s historic old town, occupying a Renaissance building once used as a notary’s office. The restoration has been handled with understatement: pale wood, natural stone, linen, and a light concept that feels more like daylight remembered than illumination imposed. The result is a calm, focused environment that mirrors the character of the cuisine, a concentration on essence over ornament. ![Tohru Burgstrasse Munich](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Alte-Schreiberei-1-1.jpeg) Tohru at Burgstrasse Munich Upon entering through the old wooden door, one does not immediately sense what awaits upstairs. The reception is warm yet measured, and the evening begins not at the table but in the kitchen. Each member of the brigade introduces themselves by name, creating a moment of genuine hospitality before the performance begins. The gesture is simple yet disarming: it transforms the unseen into the personal, the anonymous into a team of craftsmen. From there, the guests are led to their tables and the first course quietly arrives. The menu is priced at 320 euros. ### Culinary Style or Distinctive Character I had already encountered Tohru Nakamura’s cooking in 2019 at Werneckhof by Geisel, which held two Michelin stars at the time. One particular interlude from that meal has remained with me: midway through the tasting, diners were guided into a cellar room styled as a fragment of Shibuya. There, snacks and a cocktail were served among storage and bottles, a well meant attempt to evoke Japanese nightlife within Bavarian stone walls. The gesture, while charming, felt slightly improvised, the concept hovering between homage and stage set. Yet it left a lasting impression for its uniqueness. That memory returned as I thought about the evolution of Nakamura’s work. Recently, I encountered a similar idea at SEN Omakase in Madrid, where a tea ceremony is theatrically reenacted for guests. For anyone who has experienced the quiet discipline of a true ceremony in Kyoto, such staging can feel more instructive than immersive. Still, there is something to be said for the dramaturgy of movement through spaces, it punctuates a menu, alters rhythm, and refreshes perception. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-three-star-1.jpeg) At Tohru in der Schreiberei one senses a clear maturity. The style has found its balance. The cooking is defined by a French foundation with Japanese elements, not as fusion but as a coherent language of its own. The sauces have depth and structure, lifted by the lightness of Dashi and citrus. Umami is used with purpose, integrated naturally into the composition. The textures are precise and controlled. Nothing here feels decorative, only deliberate. ### Menu / The Dishes The meal opened with an **Oyster from the Embers** Irish Mór, paired with myoga and elderflower. The contrast of smoke and floral acidity defined the tone for what followed: deep flavor lifted by fragrance. ![Tartelette of char at Tohru](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-starter-1.jpeg) Tartelette of char A **Tartelette of char, meadowsweet, and beetroot** offered delicate sweetness against a crisp base, precise and airy. ![Koshihikari at Tohru](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-Kaviar-1.jpeg) Koshihikari with N25 caviar at Tohru Then came the **Koshihikari rice**, topped with N25 Oscietra caviar, eel, sansho, and shiokoji. The rice itself deserves mention: the Koshihikari variety, prized in Japan for its elasticity and subtle sweetness, retained its perfect tension, neither yielding nor firm. It acted as the quiet axis around which the other elements revolved. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-Hummer-1.jpeg) The **Breton lobster** with green olive, shiso, and Romesco was a sensational course, the Romesco reimagined with restraint, the shiso lending aromatic brightness without intrusion. ![Hamachi and Balfego at Tohru](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-Hamachi-1.jpeg) Hamachi and Balfego Next, **Hamachi and Balfegó tuna with cucumber and caper leaf** formed what Nakamura calls the sashimi course, a study in clarity and temperature more than in surprise. ![Chawanmushi at Tohru](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-Chawanmushi-1.jpeg) Chawanmushi with Yerseke Mussels A **Chawanmushi** with Yerseke mussels, pumpkin, and kaffir lime followed, the flower shaped arrangement of shellfish, the custard’s silken balance, and the citrus note combining into quiet poetry. The fish course, **Saint Pierre with fennel, apricot, and laurel buttermilk**, offered a brief turn toward the Mediterranean, before the first richer note of the evening arrived: **Herrmannsdorfer pork cheek** with XO anchovy, aubergine, niboshi, and mikan. Here the umami deepened, and the sweetness of mikan framed the dish with a distinctively Japanese sense of harmony. ![Burgaud Duck at Tohru](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tohru-Ente-1.jpeg) Burgaud Duck The main course, **Burgaud duck with spinach, kombu, and lovage**, was measured and complete, the kind of plate that ends discussion at the table for a moment. Dessert appeared simply as **Okashi**, a restrained sequence of sweets continuing the same sense of proportion that had defined the meal. Alongside the dishes, the restaurant offers an excellent wine list with a particularly thoughtful sake selection, a reflection of the same dialogue between Europe and Japan that runs through the menu itself. ### Verdict My first dinner by Tohru Nakamura years ago had been promising but not entirely consistent. There were moments of brilliance alongside others that felt more exploratory, as if the style was still finding its balance. This visit, however, revealed a chef in full command of his language. The dialogue between French foundation and Japanese elements is now seamless, precise and structured without excess. What distinguishes Tohru in der Schreiberei is the consistency of its approach. Every dish is built on high-quality ingredients and follows a clear, thoughtful logic. The atmosphere, calm and precise, mirrors the discipline of the kitchen. The evening begins with a handshake and ends with a quiet sense of completion. Before guests depart, Tohru Nakamura personally asks which dish they found most exciting, a gesture that reveals genuine curiosity and humility. This dinner at Tohru in der Schreiberei was truly exciting and outstanding, a clear expression of mastery defined by focus, precision, and confidence. --- **Location:** Munich, Germany **Chef:** Tohru Nakamura **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** September 2025 **Tags:** Fine Dining, Michelin 3 Stars, French Japanese Cuisine, Munich, Gastronomy ### Restaurant Haerlin Review: Christoph Rüffer’s Three-Star Perfection in Hamburg URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/ Last updated: 2026-05-02T08:29:51.000Z **FDJ Score: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review When the **Restaurant Haerlin** at Hamburg’s Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten received its long-awaited third Michelin star in 2025, joining [**Tohru in Munich**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/) as one of Germany’s newly promoted three-star destinations, it seemed only fitting to celebrate with friends who share my passion for fine dining. We wanted to taste for ourselves what this accolade had confirmed: that Christoph Rüffer’s cooking had reached a state of quiet maturity and confidence. ## Location & Atmosphere The **Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten** stands on the Inner Alster like a monument to another age of travel. Since its opening in 1897, this grand hotel has embodied the grace of the Hanseatic world, an address for those departing to America, or returning home from voyages across the Atlantic. Its rooms still breathe that lineage of civility and poise. ![Wohnhalle Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Wohnzimmer-Vier-Jahreszeiten-1.jpeg) Wohnhalle - Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg Haerlin itself lies at the heart of this heritage. The dining room is classic in proportion, hushed in tone. Light falls softly on linen and silver, voices remain measured. The guests are elegantly dressed, the atmosphere unmistakably formal, yet the service carries a rare warmth. It is one of those few places where formality does not distance; it refines. ## Culinary Style or Distinctive Character Chef **Christoph Rüffer** has led the kitchen at Haerlin for more than two decades, and his evolution has been one of deliberate refinement rather than reinvention. As described in an [article](https://guide.michelin.com/de/de/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/der-dritte-stern-michelin-urteil-aus-erster-hand?ref=thefinediningjournal.com) on the **Michelin Guide website**, inspectors have noted a clear progression toward reduction, focus, and composure. In their 2024 report, one inspector observed that the preparations were *“truly surprising in their restraint—my best meal here so far, clearly at three-star level.”* That restraint defines Rüffer’s current style. The dishes no longer aim to impress through complexity but through precision and control. Each component has a purpose; nothing is ornamental. His sauces and fonds possess remarkable depth and clarity, giving structure and energy to compositions that feel both classical and modern. What has changed most is the confidence behind the simplicity. As one inspector noted, *“Rüffer now leaves things out. The results are consistently well-balanced dishes of great expressiveness and purity of flavour.”* It is a quiet mastery born of long experience—luxury expressed not through excess, but through the serenity of knowing exactly when to stop. ## The Menu We began with a small comparative pleasure: a glass of **Dom Pérignon 2015** alongside **Krug Grande Cuvée 172**—two interpretations of Champagne’s architecture, one linear and tense, the other generous and orchestral. The opening amuse-bouches established the tone: a **parmesan croustade** with beef tartare and miso aubergine, a **pumpkin seed chip** with akami tuna and soy-eel lacquer, and a **Gillardeau oyster** with zucchini and green horseradish foam. Each was detailed yet effortless, a prelude of precision. ![Amuse-bouches Haerlin Hamburg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Starters-Haerlin-1.jpeg) Amuse-bouches Then followed a **quail ravioli** in a light game essence, and a delicate slice of **Scottish Label Rouge salmon** from the Isle of Mull, served raw between two toasted bread sheets with a Marie Rose sauce and aged sake. The temperature was exact, the seasoning almost invisible—purely structural cooking. ![Label Rouge Salmon Restaurant Haerlin Hamburg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Haerlin-Lachs-1.jpeg) Label Rouge Salmon The **imperial caviar** arrived with cured sea bass, razor clam vinaigrette, and cucumber: saline, cold, architectural. A **fillet of sole “meunière”** appeared in artichoke-citrus broth, its accompanying tortelli filled with parsley and parmesan, suspended in olive oil that glowed faintly green. ![Red Mullet Restaurant Haerlin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Meerbarbe-Haerlin-1.jpeg) Red Mullet A **red mullet** with grilled pepper sabayon and Crocus polenta brought a Mediterranean warmth before a generous inserted course: **sweetbread and Helgoland lobster**, each browned to a fine crust, joined by asparagus, morel, tomato, and a duet of veal jus and crustacean foam. It was the most emotional plate of the evening—rich, clear, completely assured. ![Sweetbread and Helgoland Lobster Restaurant Haerlin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Hummer-Haerlin-1.jpeg) Sweetbread and Helgoland Lobster The main course, **Limousin lamb** from the *Boucherie de la Sablière*, appeared with calf’s head–lemon jus, wild garlic capers, olive gnocchi, and Sauce Charon. It was a dish of deep structure and quiet beauty, rooted in the grand French tradition yet contemporary in detail. ![Limousin Lamb Restaurant Haerlin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Lamm-Haerlin-1.jpeg) Limousin Lamb Desserts returned to lightness: **pineapple–saffron sorbet** with Mezcal, basil distillate, and green jalapeño, followed by **Altlander Reineclaude** plum from Obsthof Eckhoff with almond tuile, iced Champagne, and a warm Mimosa sabayon—a farewell in minor key. ## Wine The wine selection reflected the company: it was not curated by the sommelier but by a friend at our table, an exceptional *Weinkenner*. Alongside the Champagnes came a **Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos” 2012 from Vincent Dauvissat**, a wine of crystalline precision and saline depth, its quiet evolution a mirror to Rüffer’s restraint. A **Gaja Barbaresco 2001** followed, opening with tobacco, truffle, and dried cherry—magnificent in its poise. The evening’s emotional centre, however, was a bottle from his personal cellar: **Domaine Guillot-Broux, Mâcon-Cruzille “Le Clos” 2005**, beautifully mature and richly layered, its pronounced truffle note both distinctive and captivating, lending the meal a final, lingering warmth. ![Wine Restaurant Haerlin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Wines-1-1.jpeg) ## Verdict Haerlin is a noble restaurant, in every sense. It belongs to the tradition of grand hotels and haute cuisine, yet it feels profoundly human. Behind the linen and formality lies an emotional precision that few kitchens achieve. Each dish, each gesture, carries the confidence of a house that has nothing left to prove. Each plate is not only composed with aesthetic clarity but delivers flavours of striking depth and harmony. Rüffer’s cuisine engages the senses completely: textures are finely judged, sauces resonate with quiet intensity, and every bite reveals intention. It is rare to encounter dishes so beautiful to look at and yet so genuinely moving to taste. For those who seek perfection not in spectacle but in serenity, Haerlin is worth the journey. It is not only one of Germany’s finest tables—it is a reminder of what dining at its highest level can still mean: calm, beauty, and the quiet conviction of mastery. --- **Location:** Hamburg, Germany **Chef:** Christoph Rüffer **Michelin rating:** ★★★ **Visited:** September 2025 **Tags:** Fine Dining, Michelin 3 Stars, French Cuisine, Grand Hotel, Hamburg, Gastronomy *Visiting Vienna? Read my* [***Steirereck review***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/) *and my* [***Amador review***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/)*, Austria’s two three-Michelin-star restaurants.* ### Best Hotel in the World: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok vs. Capella Bangkok URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-hotel-in-the-world-mandarin-oriental-bangkok-vs-capella-bangkok/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T22:14:51.000Z ## A Tale of Two Legends on the Chao Phraya Bangkok has long been one of the world’s great hotel cities. For decades, travellers have debated which property defines perfection along the Chao Phraya River — a cityscape lined with architectural statements and iconic names: The Peninsula, The Siam, The Sukhothai, The Shangri-La. On this trip, we decided to stay at two hotels that represent the very top of Thai luxury: **Capella Bangkok** and **Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok**. Both sit gracefully on the riverbank, but their philosophies could not be more different — one a serene, contemporary sanctuary; the other, a grand institution steeped in history. ## Capella Bangkok – Contemporary Calm by the River Our journey began at the Capella Bangkok, where we spent three nights. Expectations were high — perhaps unreasonably so, given the property’s recent accolade as *Best Hotel in the World*. ![Lobby Capella Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Capella-Bangkok-Lobby-1.jpeg) Lobby Capella Bangkok The Capella shares its location with the new Four Seasons complex, though each operates completely independently. The Capella’s entrance feels private and understated. Upon entering, you find yourself not in a typical hotel lobby, but in a calm, minimalist space. There is no front desk. Instead, guests are greeted by name and escorted to **The Living Room**, an elegant lounge exclusively for hotel guests, where check-in is conducted over a glass of Champagne. It’s an introduction that immediately sets the tone: discreet, personal, and quietly luxurious. ### Riverfront Rooms with a View We stayed in two **Riverfront Premier Rooms** on the top floor, connected by an internal door — ideal for travelling with teenagers. Each room offers 61 square meters of space: a large bedroom, a spectacular marble bathroom, and a terrace overlooking the river. Floor-to-ceiling glass offers panoramic views of Bangkok’s skyline and the slow rhythm of the Chao Phraya below. Upon arrival, we found a bottle of Champagne and a selection of delicacies awaiting us — a thoughtful gesture, possibly linked to the booking through American Express Centurion Travel. ![View from Riverfront Premier Room - Capella Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Capella-Bangkok-1-1.jpg) View from Riverfront Premier Room - Capella Bangkok ### Dining by the River – Phra Nakhon That evening, we dined at **Phra Nakhon**, the Capella’s riverside restaurant. It’s a beautiful open-air setting, shaded by trees and softly lit by lanterns, with a menu celebrating authentic Thai flavors. The atmosphere strikes the right balance between casual and refined — elegant enough for a special evening, yet relaxed enough to feel unmistakably Thai. The **Stella bar**, with its signature white peacock sculpture and live music, channels a sophisticated yet unpretentious energy — something rare in Asia’s luxury hotels, where live bands often feel out of place. Here, everything is in harmony. ![Phra Nakhon Capella Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Capella-Bangkok-1.jpeg) Phra Nakhon Capella Bangkok ### Breakfast Perfection The next morning’s **breakfast** confirmed the Capella’s attention to detail. The buffet is not large, but everything on it is exceptional — artisanal pastries, tropical fruit, local delicacies, premium charcuterie. The à-la-carte menu is where the real magic happens. ![Unagi Benedict Capella Bangkok Breakfast](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/unagi-benedict-Capella-Bangkok-1.jpeg) Unag Benedict Capella Bangkok The highlight: the **Unagi Benedict** — a Japanese-Thai interpretation of Eggs Benedict, served with grilled eel on rice instead of bread, and topped with a delicate soba-hollandaise. It’s one of those dishes that tells you instantly: this kitchen has imagination and precision in equal measure. Breakfast by the river, with boats gliding past and morning light filtering through the palms, is about as perfect a start to the day as one can imagine. ### The Capella Impression The **pool area** is serene, with attentive service and comfortable loungers, though it didn’t invite long hours of lingering — more a place for a refreshing dip than an afternoon retreat. What defines the Capella experience is its sense of intimacy and composure. The architecture, service, and culinary program all feel carefully restrained — luxury without spectacle. The hotel excels in offering **large rooms, a sense of privacy, and exceptional dining**, particularly for travellers seeking a quiet, modern expression of Thai hospitality. ## Mandarin Oriental Bangkok – The Grand Dame of Asia Two weeks later, our journey brought us back to Bangkok — and to one of the most storied hotels in the world: the **Mandarin Oriental**. At the airport, we were greeted by a hotel representative — a small detail, but one that instantly sets the tone. The **Mandarin Oriental limousine** transfer is one of the most comfortable in the city, and by the time we reached the hotel, our arrival had already been announced. A staff member was waiting to greet us by name and escort us directly to our rooms, where check-in was handled privately. The first impression of the Mandarin Oriental is one of timeless grandeur. The lobby, with its soaring ceilings, polished teak floors, and fresh flowers, evokes the elegance of another era. You sense immediately that you’ve entered a place with a deep history and a distinctive soul. ![Lobby Mandarin Oriental Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Lobby-Mandarin-Oriental-Bangkok-1.jpg) Lobby Mandarin Oriental Bangkok ### Rooms, Service, and a Sense of Perfection Our rooms were slightly smaller than those at the Capella, but exquisitely appointed — each with a private balcony overlooking the river. Every floor has its own **butler team**, and the housekeeping service borders on telepathic. It feels as though the room is refreshed every time you step out — an almost invisible choreography of care. ![Mandarin Oriental Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Room-MO-Bangkok-1.jpeg) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok The Mandarin Oriental is more than a hotel; it is an **institution**. A gathering place for Bangkok’s high society, literary legends, and discerning travellers from around the world. We stayed for two nights and, quite frankly, never felt the need to leave the property. The hotel counts **331 rooms and suites** and employs around **1,300 staff**, resulting in one of the highest service ratios in the global hospitality industry. Every aspect — from the service ritual to the culinary program to the spa and pool experience — operates at a level of refinement that borders on obsession. ### Breakfast, Spa, and Beyond Breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental is, without exaggeration, the best hotel breakfast I have ever experienced. Served on the riverside terrace, it combines impeccable à-la-carte options with an extraordinary buffet — and, uniquely, a **Bangkok street-food stall** serving noodles and local snacks as part of the morning spread. It’s a masterclass in how to combine authenticity with sophistication. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Breakfast-MO-Bangkok-1.jpeg) The **pool**, surrounded by lush gardens, is a tranquil retreat in the heart of the city, complete with flawless pool service. Across the river lies the **Oriental Spa**, one of Bangkok’s most celebrated wellness destinations — a sanctuary of teak, silk, and calm. The Mandarin Oriental houses **12 restaurants and bars**, each maintaining exceptional standards. From *Le Normandie* to *Sala Rim Naam*, every outlet reinforces the hotel’s reputation as a culinary institution. ![Afternoon Tea Mandarin Oriental](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Afternoon-Tea-MO-Bangkok-1.jpeg) Afternoon tea Mandarin Oriental ### The Name Behind the Legend For decades, the hotel was simply known as *The Oriental, Bangkok* — a name that became synonymous with Asian luxury. Only in **2008** was it officially rebranded as *Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok*. The word “Mandarin” originates from the former Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong, while “Oriental” honours the Bangkok original. Together, they form the identity of the **Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group**, with Bangkok as its enduring flagship. ![The Oriental Bangkok](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/The-Oriental-Bangkok-2-1.jpg) Opened 1865 - The Oriental Bangkok ### A Legacy of Continuous Improvement The hotel’s legendary reputation owes much to **Kurt Wachtveitl**, the iconic General Manager who led the property for an extraordinary **41 years** until 2009. He instilled a philosophy that remains evident today: the *“kontinuierlicher Verbesserungsprozess”* — a German concept meaning *continuous improvement*, the belief that excellence is achieved not through revolution but through constant refinement. It’s a fitting philosophy for a hotel that has spent more than a century perfecting the art of hospitality. ### Departure and Reflection Departure mirrored arrival — seamless, elegant, and deeply personal. A hotel representative handled the airport check-in and accompanied us all the way to the security gate. It’s this combination of precision and warmth that defines the Mandarin Oriental. For me, the verdict is clear: The **Capella Bangkok** may represent the new face of luxury — calm, design-driven, and refreshingly modern — but the **Mandarin Oriental Bangkok** remains the very definition of *perfection*. After staying here, returning to Bangkok presents only one challenge: Once you’ve experienced *The Oriental*, you may never wish to stay anywhere else. *For a contrasting perspective on exceptional hospitality, you may enjoy my article on* [***Tawaraya in Kyoto***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-tawaraya-kyoto/)*.* ### Steirereck Vienna Review: Austria’s Most Iconic Three-Star Restaurant URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:06:13.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review For me, **Steirereck** in Vienna is not just any restaurant – it’s the place that first opened the door to the world of haute cuisine. When I first visited, it was still located on the corner of Rasumofskygasse, led by **Heinz Reitbauer Sr.** with **Helmut Österreicher** as head chef. Already back then, it stood out for a new interpretation of Austrian cuisine – regional, modern, and visionary – and for innovations such as the legendary **bread trolley**. I returned many times since. In fact, Steirereck is one of the three-star restaurants I have visited most frequently – and for good reason. In 2005, the restaurant moved into a beautifully converted former dairy in the **Stadtpark** – a move that cemented Steirereck’s place at the top of Vienna’s fine dining scene. For many years, it was considered Austria’s best restaurant – until [**Amador**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/) received three Michelin stars in 2019\. With the return of a full [**Michelin Guide Austria** in 2025](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-and-their-counterparts-how-the-worlds-restaurant-guides-really-compare/), Steirereck finally received its long-awaited and well-deserved third star. ## Heinz Reitbauer’s Cuisine Critics describe Heinz Reitbauer’s cuisine as a quiet revolution: deeply rooted in **Austrian product culture**, focused on **seasonality**, **regionality**, and executed with **intellectual precision**. His style is vegetable-forward, often showcasing foraged herbs, fermentations, and subtle reductions. The dishes are **light, elegant, and balanced**, never loud – but always thoughtful and full of character. ## A Lunch Visit in October 2025 On a golden October day, I returned for lunch. The location in the Stadtpark couldn’t have been more beautiful – autumn light filtering through the trees, the glass-walled dining rooms offering a serene view of nature. After a glass of **Bollinger PN TX 20**, I opted for the **seven-course tasting menu (€265)**, with the **wine pairing**. ## The Menu: Depth Without Drama The meal was inspired by the season and built around Austrian ingredients, but always with an intellectual, almost scientific edge. Reitbauer’s dishes don’t aim to overwhelm – they **reveal their depth slowly, quietly, deliberately**. Many three-star restaurants follow a fixed format where guests surrender entirely to the chef’s vision, often with a single tasting menu that remains unchanged for an entire season. [Amador](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/) and [Aponiente](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) are examples of this approach. Steirereck takes a different path. Its seven-course tasting menu offers two options for each course, allowing guests to shape their own experience while preserving the flow of the meal. In addition, the à la carte section at lunch combines refined seasonal dishes with **Viennese classics** such as **Wiener Schnitzel** or Beuschel. It is a restaurant one could visit several times a month without ever feeling repetition, a rare quality at this level. **Alpine Char – Parsnip, Blackberry, Sea Buckthorn** A dish that embodies subtle power. The char was cured in citrus garum and paired with earthy parsnip, a tart note of sea buckthorn, and a whisper of forest fruit. Refined and clean, with perfect balance. ![Alpine Char Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Bergforelle--1--1-1.jpeg) Alpine Char **Badger Flame – Buchu, Lemon, Sunflower** A dish that reflects Steirereck’s essence: origin, research, and quiet precision. The glowing Badger Flame beet, developed at Dan Barber’s Stone Barns Center in New York, is gently braised and glazed with Buchu, a South African herb with hints of mint and blackcurrant. Calamansi-marinated kumquats, pomelo, and a Buchu-lime broth add freshness and tension — a subtle harmony of sweetness, earth, and citrus. ![Badger Flame Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Badger-Flame-Steirereck-1.jpeg) Badger Flame **Catfish – Puntarelle, Ground Elder, Garum** Grilled over charcoal, the catfish was firm and juicy. Puntarelle gave a bitter crunch, while wild ground elder and a touch of garum added herbal and umami complexity. A nod to Roman cuisine, with Alpine soul. ![Catfish and Puntarelle Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Waller-Steirereck-1.jpeg) Catfish and Puntarelle **Pheasant – Red Cabbage, Parsley Root, Lovage** The *Weinviertel pheasant* was gently cooked on the bone, keeping the meat tender and juicy. It was served with *parsnip and red cabbage*, accented by *orange, pepperoncino* and a delicate *orange–verjus gelée*. A *pheasant jus with lovage oil*added herbal depth, while a *red cabbage butter foam* brought richness and balance. A refined, modern take on Austrian game. ![Pheasant Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Fasan-im-Steirereck-1.jpeg) Pheasant **Venison – Summer Squash, Lemon Balm, Hazelnut** The *young venison* was roasted and glazed, paired with *redcurrant, fennel and Szechuan pepper* for a fine balance of sweetness and spice. The *spinach*, marinated with *lemon balm*, added a fresh herbal note, while *summer squash with Tropea onion and salted lemon* brought gentle acidity. A small portion of *slow-cooked venison heart* added depth, and a *velouté of salted lemon and lemon balm oil* tied everything together. ![Venision Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Hirschkalb-Steirereck-3-1.jpeg) Venison loin and heart **Bread & Cheese Trolleys** No visit to Steirereck is complete without the legendary bread ritual. The bread is personally served by **“Brot Andi”** – a true Viennese original – with passion, knowledge, and a touch of theatre. **Don’t miss the famous blunzen bread** (blood sausage bread), still as addictive as ever. ![Blunzen Bread Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Blunznbrot-Steirereck-1.jpeg) Blunzen Bread The **cheese trolley** remains one of the best in the German-speaking world, featuring a superb selection of cheeses accompanied by house-made chutneys. ![cheese at Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Cheese-Trolley-Steirereck-1.jpeg) a part of the cheese selection **Orchard Fruit – Honey, Rosemary Sugar, Apple** A dessert rooted in Austrian seasonality. A baked Jonathan apple, aromatic and juicy, contrasted with floral honey and hints of rosemary. Subtle, autumnal, perfect. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Streuobst-1.jpeg) Orchard fruit dessert ## The Meierei – A Hidden Gem Next Door Steirereck’s **casual sibling**, the **Meierei**, deserves a mention. Located in the same building, overlooking the Wien river, it shares the same kitchen team and product philosophy. A perfect place for **lunch or breakfast**, with honest dishes and fair prices – one of Vienna’s **best-kept secrets** for food lovers. ## Verdict In my opinion, **Steirereck is the best restaurant in Vienna** – and an essential stop for any serious gourmet visiting the city. The location in the Stadtpark is idyllic, the service **professional and warm**, and the atmosphere **calm and sophisticated**. Heinz Reitbauer shows how Austrian cuisine can be **modern, precise and rooted**, without ever becoming didactic or dull. A restaurant of quiet confidence – and lasting depth. *Read also my reviews of* [*Tohru in Munich*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/review-tohru-in-der-schreiberei-munichs-new-three-star-michelin-restaurant/) *and* [*Haerlin in Hamburg*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-haerlin-review-christoph-ruffers-three-star-perfection-in-hamburg/)*, the latest three-Michelin-star restaurants in Germany.* ### Restaurant Amador Vienna Michelin Three-Star Review: Two Worlds, One Rivalry URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:09:09.000Z **FDJ Score: 8.5/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## Review In Austria’s fine dining scene, few rivalries are as emblematic as **Amador vs. Steirereck** — a quiet duel between Spanish intensity and Viennese precision, fought on the highest culinary stage. When **Restaurant Amador** was awarded **three Michelin stars in 2019** — the **first and only restaurant in Austria** to achieve this — it caused quiet astonishment across Vienna’s culinary circles. A Spaniard who had relocated his restaurant from Germany to Vienna had achieved the country’s highest culinary honour within just a few years, while every self-respecting Viennese diner knew that [*Steirereck*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/) was meant to be the country’s true number one. But first, a bit of history. Until 2009, the **Michelin Guide Austria** briefly covered the entire country before withdrawing and leaving behind a culinary landscape where *Gault Millau* set the tone. From 2015 onwards, Michelin returned — though only for **Vienna** and **Salzburg**, as part of the *Main Cities of Europe* guide. For years, Austria lacked a true international benchmark — until 2025, when Michelin finally released a new nationwide edition, granting *Steirereck* its long-overdue third star. Since then, the culinary hierarchy of the country seems restored — at least on paper. So what makes **Amador** so special? Hidden within an old **wine cellar in Vienna’s Grinzing district**, the restaurant feels almost like a Spanish bodega — and that is no coincidence. Juan Amador infuses his plates with a distinctly Iberian sensibility. Between *Carabineros*, *Percebes*, and *Ajo Blanco*, only the occasional “Tafelspitz 2.0” reminds diners that they are still in Austria. For those expecting traditional Viennese fine dining, it may all seem a little “Spanish” — in the most charming sense of the phrase. ## The Cuisine Juan Amador cooks with restraint and precision, yet with an unmistakable pursuit of depth and intensity. His cuisine is not a study in Nordic minimalism but a **decadent concentration of flavour**. Here, reduction means not subtraction but distillation: butter-rich sauces, layered aromatics, and flavours that carry remarkable weight while remaining almost weightless. The tasting menu, aptly titled *“Momentaufnahme”* (“Snapshot”), begins playfully with *Tapas & Snacks* — from “Waldspaziergang” (“A Walk in the Woods”) to “Wiener Tafelspitz 2.0” and “Mar y Muntanya”, a surf-and-turf prelude to the courses ahead. These small bites set the stage for the main act, where Amador’s distinctive voice emerges in full. ![Mar y Muntanya](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Amador-Mar-y-Montana-1.jpeg) Mar y Muntanua It opens with a *Carabinero* from Huelva in *Ajo Blanco* — a nod to his Spanish roots — followed by Breton *Saint-Pierre* with *Percebes* (goose barnacles), in *Escabeche* and finished with leek oil. The Tyrolean *Schlutzkrapfen* with scallop, spinach, and Alba truffle may sound Austrian, but taste decidedly Mediterranean in their concentrated opulence. ![Tyrolian Schlutzkrapfen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Amador-Schlutzkrapfen-Truffle-1.jpeg) Tyrolian Schutzkrapfen The progression continues with the main course quail, red cabbage, chervil root, and *Quatre Épices*, before easing into the sweet finale: “Omelette Surprise” and “Apfelstrudel 2.0.” Finally, a few *Pequeñas Locuras* — “little crazinesses” — bring the meal to a close: a frozen lollipop, perhaps, or a delicate *Crema Catalana.* ![Ballotine of Loire Valley quail](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Amador-Wachtel-1.jpeg) **Ballotine of Loire Valley quail* The **wine pairing**, however, falls short of the kitchen’s brilliance. Competent but uninspired, it gives the impression that the €195 supplement serves the margin more than the diner. And then, of course, there’s the question of price. At €395 for the menu, Amador occupies the very top tier, even for Vienna. In the informal rivalry of *Amador vs. Steirereck*, the comparison is inevitable: *Steirereck’s* grand tasting menu costs €265 — a significant difference, and one that invites reflection. Yet Amador’s prices may reflect not just ambition, but his pursuit of a singular fusion between Austrian precision and Spanish world-class intensity. --- ## Verdict **Amador** delivers extraordinary flavour concentration in the atmospheric setting of a Grinzing wine cellar. For those visiting Vienna to experience classic Austrian cuisine, it may not be the first choice — but it is undeniably **world-class culinary theatre**. At times, the flavours are even more convincing than those of Amador’s celebrated peers in Spain. ### Aponiente Review: Ángel León’s Three-Star Marine Revolution in El Puerto de Santa María URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T19:34:47.000Z **FDJ Score for 2025 visits: 9.0/10 (Three-Star Level)** ## **First Encounter (2014)** When I first sat down in a small corner restaurant in El Puerto de Santa María in June 2014, I had no idea that this would one day become the three-star restaurant I have visited more often than any other — eighteen times so far. I had read an article in Iberia’s in-flight magazine about Ángel León, described there as *El Chef del Mar*. His restaurant was said to be one of the most innovative seafood places in Spain and, at that time, held a single [Michelin star](https://thefinediningjournal.com/michelin-stars-explained/). That story was enough reason for me to travel there. ![shrimp fritters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tortilla-de-Camarones-Aponiente-2014-1.jpeg) Tortillitas de Camarones - Shrimp Fritters (2014) El Puerto de Santa María lies across the bay from Cádiz, part of the famous Sherry Triangle together with Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It is a place where Andalusian tradition meets the sea — home to ancient bodegas, weathered sailors’ houses and a certain quiet melancholy. What the town still lacks, however, is a hotel worthy of Aponiente’s brilliance. ![Plankton Risotto Aponiente 2014](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Plankton-Risotto-Aponiente-1.jpeg) Plankton Risotto (2014) That first dinner, on a warm evening in early summer, began with a chorizo made entirely from fish — provocative, but strangely logical. The “Gran Menú” (€148) continued with a sequence of seafood dishes, including an early version of *tortillitas de camarones*, the crispy shrimp fritters that are still part of the menu today. I was fascinated by the use of plankton — at the time a completely new idea — appearing in dishes such as a vivid green plankton risotto. Dessert was a playful banana cooked in salt like a fish. The sherries were outstanding, if poured a little too generously. ![Banana in salt like a fish Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/banana-in-salt-like-a-fish-Aponiente-1-1.jpeg) Banana in salt like a fish (2014) I returned a few weeks later. When the restaurant received its second Michelin star later that year, it came as no surprise. ![Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Aponiente-outside-2-1.jpeg) Aponiente new location ## **The Tide Mill and the Third Star (2016–2017)** By 2015 the cooking had become noticeably sharper and more precise, but the real transformation came in 2016 with the move to its current home — the *Molino de Mareas El Caño*, a restored tidal mill on the edge of the marshes. ![Charcuterie Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Charcuterie-Aponiente-2016-2-1.jpeg) Charcuterie made of Fish (2016) It is a perfect setting: a building that once moved with the rhythm of the sea now houses a restaurant entirely devoted to it. The 2016 menu (€195) was already rich in imagination — one course featured a sauce made “tableside” using an antique French duck press, but filled with crabs instead of duck. ![French Duck Press](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Entenpresse-Aponiente-1-1.jpeg) French Duck Press at Aponiente (2016) When I visited again in the summer of 2017, I joked with Jorge Ponce, the maître d’, who had been there since my very first meal, that a third star seemed inevitable. A few months later, in the autumn of 2017, Aponiente joined the small circle of Spain’s three-star restaurants. ## **Maturity and Radical Beauty (2018–today)** Over the years, Aponiente has evolved into something deeper. The cooking became more intellectual, yet somehow more emotional. León’s cuisine is no longer about novelty — it is a vision of what the sea could mean for the future of food. ![Sea Urchin at Aponiente (2021)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Aponiente-Sea-Urchin-2021-1.jpeg) Sea Urchin (2021) There were moments that bordered on the surreal: a luminous soup made with living plankton, served in total darkness; a “cheese” that looked like Camembert but was made from cuttlefish protein; caramelised octopus as dessert; frozen, finely shaved squid with mango sauce — light, marine, almost ethereal. ![Tuna belly ham Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Toro-Ham-Aponiente-2021-1.jpeg) Tuna belly ham (2021) The *charcutería del mar* has become one of Aponiente’s signatures, especially the “ham” made from bluefin tuna belly, aged in the style of Iberico ham. It began here and soon appeared in restaurants across Andalusia. ![Aponiente interior](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Aponiente-interior-2024-1.jpeg) Aponiente interior Wine has always been one of Aponiente’s strengths. The Sherry pairings are exceptional, often drawn from casks selected exclusively for the restaurant. On one occasion, I was offered a taste of a sherry more than a hundred years old — not part of the pairing, but shared as a quiet gesture of generosity and pride. It remains one of my most memorable experiences there. ![Shrimp Fritter - Tortillita de Camarones (2025) Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Shrimp-Fritter-1.jpeg) Tortillita de Camarones (2025) ## **Highlights of the 2025 Menu** The 2025 menu (€310) begins, as always, in the small pavilion beside the *Molino de Mareas El Caño*, with a series of salty snacks — including the now legendary *tortillitas de camarones*. ![Percebes Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Percebes-Aponiente-1.jpeg) Percebes (2025) Once seated in the main dining room, the sequence unfolds with Japanese-inspired bluefin tuna top neck, murex snails, a delicate flan of fish roe, sea urchin served in corn, and a spectacular fish liver dish of almost foie-gras depth. Later come the surprisingly tender roots of seaweed in a marinera sauce, razor clams, and a sardine parfait encased in moray-eel skin. Desserts finish with the theme: seaweed transformed into liquorice, gels and gummies — a marine finale that is as strange as it is poetic. ![Sardine parfait Aponiente 2025](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Pate-Sardines-Aponiente-1.jpeg) Sardine parfait (2025) ## **A Laboratory of the Sea** Aponiente is not for those who seek comfort or familiarity. It is for those willing to eat what they have never tasted, and to follow León’s vision of the ocean as a boundless source of flavour and life. ![Chefs at Aponiente (2015)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/IMG_5318-1.jpeg) Chefs at Aponiente (2025) Dining here is not just a meal — it is an exploration of the sea’s potential, guided by a chef who has devoted his life to it. Perhaps, one day, it will be seen as the beginning of a culinary revolution. ![Aponiente](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/aponiente-window-view-1.jpeg) Aponiente remains one of Europe’s most visionary dining experiences — a restaurant where the ocean itself becomes the ingredient, the inspiration, and the message. ## **Travel Notes** El Puerto de Santa María is perfectly located between Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera. For accommodation, I recommend the 5\* **Casa Palacio María Luisa** in Jerez — a beautiful city mansion with impeccable service and understated elegance. Just a short walk away you’ll find **LÚ Cocina y Alma**, a two-star restaurant with an extraordinary wine cellar and the unusual but brilliant idea of aging butter. **Update 2026:** I returned to Aponiente for its 2026 season, which marks one of the restaurant’s most significant evolutions in recent years. Part of the meal is now served outdoors in the marshes around the tide mill, bringing Ángel León’s marine cuisine even closer to the landscape that defines it. You can read the full review here: [Aponiente 2026 Review](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/). *For a more produce-focused seafood experience, explore my guide to the* [***Best Fish Restaurants in Spain***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/my-favorite-fish-restaurants-in-spain/)*.* *For a more classical and intimate expression of Andalusian seafood, you can read my review of*[***Skina in Marbella***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/skina-marbella-review-2025-michelin-3-stars-candidate-tasting-menus-and-prices/)*, a two-star restaurant now operating at clear three-star calibre.* ### Searching for the Perfect Sea Urchin URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/searching-for-the-perfect-sea-urchin/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T22:30:17.000Z Growing up in the Alps, sea urchins were a delicacy I knew nothing about. My only encounters were during summer holidays on the Istrian coast, where one simply learned to avoid stepping on them. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties, on my first trip to Japan, that I discovered the **extraordinary taste of sea urchin** — a discovery that has stayed with me ever since. Tasting it for the first time felt like encountering the pure essence of the sea itself — cold, sweet, and infinite. There was something both foreign and familiar about it, almost hypnotic, and from that moment it became quietly addictive — a flavour I would keep searching for again and again. After visiting nearly fifty three-star restaurants, I’ve come to see sea urchin as one of the few ingredients that connect both worlds. In southern Europe — in Italy, France, Greece or Spain — sea urchins appear regularly on menus, though not everywhere and not in every season. Yet the European urchin has little in common with its Japanese counterpart. In Europe, the sea urchin tastes of the coast itself: salty, slightly nutty, with a gentle sweetness that recalls rocks, wind, and sea. In Japan, however, *uni* has an entirely different character. The pale golden **Murasaki Uni** of summer and the deep orange **Bafun Uni** of winter — especially the precious **Ezo Bafun** from Hokkaido — are silky in texture, with a buttery sweetness and deep umami. The European sea urchin tells of the sea; the Japanese speaks of its soul. One is immediate and earthy, the other precise and transcendent — two expressions of the same oceanic truth. ### **Sea Urchins in Spain** In Spain, sea urchins are available in tins from good delicatessens. Their flavor and texture are unlike fresh ones, yet they form their own category — and the best Galician preserves can be excellent (and expensive, around 40 to 50 € for a small tin). ![sea urchin tin](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Sea-Urchin-Spain-1.jpeg) Sea Urchin and Baby Eel preserves In winter months, fresh sea urchins can be enjoyed directly at the **Boqueria** in Barcelona. In **Cádiz**, they are sold ready to eat by foragers and street vendors around the **Mercado Central de Abastos** — typically taken to a nearby bar and enjoyed with a glass of white wine. ![Sea Urchin vendor, Cadiz](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Sea-Urchin-and-Oysters-Market-Cadiz-2-1.jpeg) Sea Urchin vendor, Cadiz Sea urchins also appear on the menus of Spain’s three-star temples such as [**Aponiente**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-the-poetry-of-the-sea/) or **Cocina Hermanos Torres**. ### **Italy – Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare** Years ago in Rome, at the wonderful fish restaurant **Il San Lorenzo**, I had an unforgettable plate of *Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare*. The dish was pure simplicity — fresh pasta, olive oil, garlic, and raw sea urchin folded in at the end — a perfect harmony of land and sea, rich yet restrained. Few dishes capture the Mediterranean spirit as effortlessly. ### **Jungsik, New York** I also had outstanding sea urchin during my visit to the three-star restaurant **Jungsik** in New York. As an additional course, I was offered the **Sea Urchin Bibimbap** for $75 — a wonderful dish that has stayed in my memory ever since. ![Sea Urchin, Jungsik, New York](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Jungsik-New-York-Sea-Urchin-Dish-1.jpeg) Sea Urchin Bibimbap, Jungsik - New York ### **The Hokkaido Sea Urchin** Our most recent journey to Hokkaido brought us to **Hakodate**, a harbor city that feels more Western in its layout and rhythm than most Japanese towns — and a true center for Hokkaido *uni*. ![Rishiri Uni](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Uni-Murakami-1.jpeg) Rishiri Uni at Uni Murakami One of the best places to enjoy it fresh and pure is **Uni Murakami**, operated by the same family that processes the sea urchins served there. The *uni* is completely free of additives or preservatives, its texture creamy and its flavor delicately sweet. Sea urchin treated with preservatives can taste metallic or bitter; this one was flawless. ![Uni Murakami](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Uni-Murakami-Menu-1.jpeg) Menu Uni Murakami It is usually served over a bowl of warm rice — an unexpectedly perfect combination, the warmth of the rice amplifying the sweetness of the chilled *uni*. We were there in August, the peak of the season. The sea urchins come from the islands of **Rishiri** and **Rebun**, harvested only from June to August. The restaurant price is around €1,100 per kilo — but the taste is, quite literally, priceless. On the morning of our departure, I returned to the morning market, where at 7 a.m., in a small sushi bar (decorated in Louis Vuitton style), I ordered one last serving of *uni*. On the package, I noticed the supplier’s name: **Uni Murakami**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Hakodate-Sea-Urchin-1-1.jpeg) It was clear to me then — for the best *uni*, you have to come to **Hakodate**, and you have to come in **summer** — the best time to visit Hokkaido in every sense. *You may also enjoy my* [*Tawaraya Kyoto ryokan review*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-tawaraya-kyoto/)*, a look at one of Japan’s most exceptional traditional inns.* ### The Tawaraya, Kyoto URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/the-tawaraya-kyoto/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:14:16.000Z **No FDJ Score · Beyond rating · Among the world’s finest hospitality experiences.** > *Written by a European traveller who has visited* [*nearly fifty three-star restaurants*](https://thefinediningjournal.com/three-michelin-stars/) *around the world, documenting each experience with quiet precision and deep respect for tradition.* I am often asked which restaurant experience has been the best of my life. My answer is immediate: **Tawaraya in Kyoto**. Remarkably, it does not appear in the Michelin Guide. It is a place defined by reduction, seasonality, and a level of service so precise and effortless that perfection feels entirely natural. A ryokan in the heart of Kyoto, founded in **1709**, now run by the **12th generation** of the same family. The Tawaraya Ryokan has no website, cannot be booked through any online platform, and is not listed in the Michelin Guide. Until a few years ago, the only way to make a reservation was by fax. Today, it is also possible to send an email, though it is still advisable to call first, as Tawaraya is almost always fully booked. ![Taka Suite The Tawaraya Kyoto](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tawaraya-Kyoto-writing-table.jpeg) Writing table in Taka Suit As closed and unapproachable as it may appear before arrival, once you are inside, the experience is unique and magnificent in every sense. The finest Japanese ryokans are often defined by the excellence of their cuisine, and at Tawaraya, food is at the very heart of the stay. Dinner is served privately in your room — and it is not only one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at, it is also one of the finest hotels I have ever stayed in. The essence of the experience can be described in two words: **Tradition and Perfection.** It is also one of the most exclusive hotels in the world. Over the years, guests have included **Steve Jobs**, **Alfred Hitchcock** and **Leonard Bernstein** — names that fit naturally to a place that values silence and substance over display. The Tawaraya is understatement in its purest form. You rarely see other guests. Although there are a few small communal areas, most people choose to spend their time in their rooms, surrounded by the quiet beauty of the garden and the rhythm of Kyoto itself. ![Taka Suite at The Tawaraya Kyoto](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tawaraya-Taka-Suite.jpg) Taka Suite at The Tawaraya, Kyoto On our visit we were four — my wife and our two teenage children — and we stayed in one of the largest suites, the **Taka Suite (No. 25)**. It is located on the upper floor, spacious, serene, and with a wonderful view over the private Japanese garden. A place to pause, with a deeply meditative atmosphere. ![Dinner Menu The Tawaraya Kyoto](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Menu-Tawaraya-Kyoto-1.jpeg) Dinner Menu at The Tawaraya Kyoto Dinner — the highlight of the stay — is a **classic Kyoto kaiseki** menu, served in eight courses, each composed of several small dishes. ![Starters at Dinner Tawaraya](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Starters-Tawaraya-Dinner-1.jpeg) Starters The ingredients are fascinating and deeply seasonal. In Japanese cuisine, the year is divided into **24 micro-seasons**, and during our October stay, we were served the rare and precious **matsutake mushrooms** and **fugu (pufferfish)**. ![Fugu at The Tawaraya Kyoto](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Fugu-Pufferfisch-at-Tawaraya-Kyoto.jpeg) Fugu Dish (Pufferfisch) Another culinary highlight was the **Japanese breakfast**, featuring a remarkable freshly made tofu. ![Tofu Pot at The Tawaraya](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Tawaraya-Tofu-Breakfast-1.jpeg) Tofu Pot The tofu comes from a small artisanal producer in Kyoto. It is made early in the morning, using pure spring water from the surrounding mountains. The result is a tofu of exceptional delicacy — almost creamy at the center, with a fine, slightly sweet note of soybeans. As simple as the dish may appear, the taste is extraordinary. ![Wagyu beef Tawaraya](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Wagyu-Tawaraya-1.jpeg) Charcoal grill We stayed for two nights, and on the second evening, a completely different menu was served. The main course featured excellent **Wagyu beef**, presented to our surprise for **tableside grilling on a small shichirin charcoal grill** set up in the room. The experience was quietly theatrical — supervised by the room attendant, who, with perfect composure, had also brought a small handheld fire extinguisher, just in case. I have visited almost **fifty different three-star restaurants**, yet I would place the dining experience at Tawaraya among them — perhaps even a step above. To me, **it ranks as one of the best meals of my life**. Taken as a whole — the dinners, the breakfast, the flow of the stay — it **surpasses most top-end ryokans we have experienced**, a rare balance of culinary precision and quiet grace. I should note, however, that I write this from a **European perspective**, having spent in total perhaps two months in Japan across five trips. Some Western gourmets who visit Japan find Michelin’s ratings difficult to understand. One reason might be that one must first experience the **classical high cuisine** of a country before fully grasping its modern, innovative expressions — the ones Michelin tends to favor. Tawaraya is certainly among the very best places in Japan to experience **Kaiseki cuisine**, with its **over four hundred years of tradition**. In conclusion, Tawaraya is both an **exceptional restaurant** and a **unique place to stay** — absolutely worth a journey on its own, even from Europe. By every measure, it would meet the definition of a **Michelin three-star experience**. *The Tawaraya Ryokan stands in its own category and may well be one of the most exceptional and exclusive stays in the world. For a very different interpretation of luxury, you may also enjoy my comparison of the* [***Mandarin Oriental and Capella in Bangkok***](https://thefinediningjournal.com/best-hotel-in-the-world-mandarin-oriental-bangkok-vs-capella-bangkok/)*.* ### Where to Eat in Vienna: My Personal Recommendations URL: https://thefinediningjournal.com/recommended-restaurants-in-vienna/ Last updated: 2026-02-07T13:22:24.000Z I lived in Vienna for almost ten years, long enough to explore its dining scene in depth and to see how the city balances tradition with quiet modernity. These are my personal favourites: a mix of modern Viennese cuisine, Michelin-level dining, and authentic local institutions. I originally compiled this list when a friend planning a trip to Vienna asked for my recommendations on where to dine. ### **Restaurant Vestibül** *Modern Viennese food + classics* Located in one of the side wings of the Burgtheater, the dining room is magnificent marble columns, high ceilings, and a sense of imperial grandeur. The cuisine reinterprets Viennese classics with elegance and restraint. Service is polished but relaxed. One of my favourite places for modern Viennese cooking. *(Last visited a few months ago and it is still excellent.)* ![Restaurant Vestibül](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Restaurant-Vestib--l-1.jpeg) Restaurant Vestibül ### **Steirereck im Stadtpark** *Tasting menus, fine dining* One **of just two Austrian restaurants with three Michelin stars**, *Steirereck* stands as the country’s most recognised dining destination. Housed in the former Meierei in Vienna’s Stadtpark, the building has been transformed through contemporary architecture into a light-filled, modern setting that frames a refined, contemporary expression of Austrian cuisine. For a deeper look, you may read my full [**Steirereck review**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/steirereck-vienna-review-austrias-most-iconic-fine-dining-restaurant-in-the-stadtpark/). The tasting menus are deeply rooted in Austrian ingredients and traditions, interpreted with extraordinary finesse and technical mastery. Reservations can be difficult (lunch is usually easier), but the experience is formal, elegant, and consistently exceptional. ![Cheese cart at Steirereck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/K--sewagen-1.jpeg) The legendary cheese cart at Steirereck > *For a relaxed version, visit the Meierei next door, perfect for lunch.* > *Steirereck also operates a countryside restaurant about 90 minutes from Vienna, a beautiful hideaway.* ### [**Mraz & Sohn**](https://thefinediningjournal.com/mraz-sohn-vienna-review/) *Avant-garde tasting menu* Creative, daring and precise, Lukas Mraz represents the young, experimental side of Austrian gastronomy. Expect a bold, witty tasting menu served in a modest part of town. One of Vienna’s most exciting dining experiences. ### **Plachutta Wollzeile** *Classic Viennese dishes* The institution for traditional Viennese cuisine: Tafelspitz, Wiener Schnitzel, veal goulash. Busy and a bit hurried, but execution is flawless. Go for lunch and taste Vienna’s culinary heritage at its best. ![Plachutta Tafelspitz](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fd/52/fd5243ea-4ea4-4b53-8cb9-b8306905f35a/content/images/2025/10/Plachutta-1.jpeg) Tafelspitz at Plachutta ### **TIAN** *Vegetarian fine dining* Vienna’s Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant. Inventive tasting menus centered around vegetables and natural wines. Elegant presentation, thoughtful combinations, a refreshing contrast to the city’s meat-centric traditions. ### **Rote Bar & Grüne Bar – Hotel Sacher** *Classic Austrian haute cuisine* Step back to fin-de-siècle Vienna with chandeliers, heavy drapery, and formality frozen in time. Go to the **Grüne Bar** for the contemporary tasting menu refined, precise, and beautifully presented and to the **Rote Bar** for more traditional dishes of Viennese cuisine, served in one of the most atmospheric dining rooms in the city. It’s the Viennese counterpart to dining at the Ritz in London. ### **Grünauer Gasthaus** *Neighbourhood cooking* A genuine local *Beisl*: unpretentious, consistent, unchanged for decades. Grünauer serves classic Viennese comfort dishes with quiet confidence. Ideal for a relaxed evening among locals. ### **Closing thoughts** Vienna has countless places to eat, but these are the ones I actually recommend to friends and colleagues. Each shows the city at its best, grounded in craft and character. If you are looking for Michelin-style experiences, I would also recommend two-star [Doubek](https://restaurantdoubek.at/?ref=thefinediningjournal.com) and the three-star [Amador](https://thefinediningjournal.com/restaurant-amador-vienna-michelin-three-star-review-two-worlds-one-rivalry/). Both deliver precise, ambitious cooking and polished service, though they feel a little more international than Viennese. --- **Tags:** Vienna, Austria, Recommended, Restaurants