Food
Where to eat well, from local institutions to the place worth the detour, each with a last-verified date.
10 Days in Bali · fine-dining
Locavore NXT
The relocated flagship of one of Bali’s best-known fine-dining kitchens, built on Indonesian ingredients and fermentation. Book well ahead.
10 Days in Bali · casual
Motel Mexicola
A loud, colourful Mexican party spot near Petitenget; more scene than temple of gastronomy, but a Seminyak fixture.
10 Days in Bali · sunset-venue
Potato Head Beach Club
The grass-amphitheatre beach club on Petitenget Beach; a cover charge applies in the sunset window and is redeemable against drinks.
10 Days in Thailand · institution
Thipsamai
A pad thai specialist running since the 1960s, known for the prawn-wrapped omelette version and recognized by the Michelin Guide.
10 Days in Thailand · market
Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street
A Sunday-evening market that closes the main Old City street to traffic, with food stalls, crafts and music. If your Chiang Mai nights include a Sunday, eat here.
10 Days in Thailand · street-food
Chinatown (Yaowarat) street food
Bangkok’s Chinatown main street lights up after dark with wok stalls, seafood grills and dessert carts; go hungry and share plates.
10 Days in Vietnam · institution
Bun Cha Huong Lien
The bun cha spot where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate in 2016; the table is now preserved and the restaurant is Michelin Guide listed.
10 Days in Vietnam · institution
Banh Mi Phuong
The Hoi An banh mi shop made internationally famous after Anthony Bourdain featured it; expect a queue.
10 Days in Vietnam · market
Ben Thanh street food stalls
The stalls in and around Ben Thanh Market are an easy first taste of southern street food; the night market outside is livelier.
Abu Dhabi · fine-dining
Erth
One Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi and the only starred restaurant serving Emirati food anywhere: camel, local fish and date-sweetened classics rebuilt with technique and served in a serene garden pavilion. Book several days ahead; ask for the tasting menu the first time.
Abu Dhabi · casual
Al Mrzab
The city's standing answer to "where do we actually eat Emirati food": a bright, unfussy restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, majlis-style floor seating if you want it, and machboos, harees and luqaimat done the way homes do them. Portions are built for sharing; come hungry and under-order anyway.
Abu Dhabi · modern
Beirut Sur Mer
Bib Gourmand Lebanese on the Saadiyat beachfront strip, ten minutes from the Louvre, which makes it the natural landing after a museum morning: proper mezze, charcoal grills and a terrace facing the water. Book ahead for winter sunset tables.
Abu Dhabi · market
Mina Fish Market
The revamped fish market at the old port: buy hammour, sheri or local prawns off the ice at market stalls, carry them to a grill house in the same hall, and pay by weight to have them spiced and cooked to order. Loud, bright, cheap for what it is, and the most fun dinner format in the city. Evenings are the show.
Abu Dhabi · fine-dining
Talea by Antonio Guida
One Michelin star in the 2026 guide, inside Emirates Palace: refined Italian from the Seta (Milan) lineage under gilded ceilings. Dinner here doubles as the cheapest legitimate way to spend an evening inside the palace. Jackets not required, shorts a mistake.
Abu Dhabi · street-food
The Hamdan Street cafeterias
Abu Dhabi's street food lives in its cafeterias: hatch-service counters along Hamdan Street and the parallel Electra (Zayed the First) strip turning out shawarma, chapati rolls, fresh juices and karak until the small hours for a few dirhams each. No reservations, no menus in some, no wrong choices. Follow the taxi drivers.
Algarve · institution
Casa do Polvo Tasquinha
The octopus specialist of the octopus village: a tiled dining room opposite the moored fleet, serving polvo grilled, in rice, in salad and in versions the menu explains, from animals caught in the clay pots offshore. Book in summer; the village is small and the reputation is not.
Algarve · casual
Estamine
The only building on the Ria Formosa's only uninhabited barrier island: a solar-powered dining room in the dunes at the end of the Animaris boat from Faro, serving fish and shellfish to people who arrived by sea and have nowhere better to be. It is a production number, and it is also, genuinely, lunch on a desert island. Boat and table are best booked together.
Algarve · fine-dining
Alameda
Chef Rui Sequeira's contemporary dining room won Faro its first Michelin star in the 2026 guide, cooking tasting menus built on Algarve fish, shellfish and vegetables. The interesting move is what it represents: the region's fine dining leaving the resorts and moving into the capital's streets. Book well ahead for weekend tables.
Algarve · fine-dining
Ocean
Hans Neuner's dining room above the sea at Vila Vita Parc holds two Michelin stars, one of only two Algarve restaurants at that level alongside Vila Joya, and its menus tour Portugal's coasts and former trade routes course by course. This is the region's special-occasion table; plan it, dress for it, and book it before you fly.
Amalfi Coast · institution
Da Vincenzo
Opened by grandfather Vincenzo in 1958, now run by his grandson; a steady, unpretentious counterpoint to Positano’s pricier tourist-facing spots.
Amalfi Coast · institution
Ristorante Marina Grande
Began as a seaside bar in 1918 and sits directly on Amalfi’s main beach, specializing in fish-based dishes.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · institution
Don Julio
The Palermo corner parrilla that holds a Michelin star and ranked No. 10 on the World’s 50 Best list in 2025. Book weeks to months ahead, or join the walk-in queue near opening with the sparkling wine and empanadas the house hands out.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · institution
El Preferido de Palermo
A century-old pink-corner bodegón revived by the Don Julio team: house charcuterie, milanesas and vermouth. Easier to book than its big sibling and arguably the more porteño meal.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · cafe
Café Tortoni
The city’s most famous cafe, serving since 1858 under stained glass and marble. There is often a line and the kitchen is ordinary; you go for the room, the churros and the ghosts of Borges and Gardel.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · institution
Pizzería Güerrín
The 1932 Corrientes institution for thick fugazzeta and muzzarella eaten standing at the marble counter. The essential stop before or after a Corrientes theatre night.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · fine-dining
Piedra Infinita Cocina (Zuccardi)
Zuccardi’s Michelin-recognized restaurant above the vines: multi-course paired menus of Andean produce with the mountains filling the windows. Lunch daily; book two to three weeks ahead and let it anchor your Uco day.
Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza Wine Country · fine-dining
Casa Vigil (El Enemigo)
Alejandro Vigil’s Michelin-starred house-winery in Maipú, its cellar painted with Divine Comedy murals. Tasting menus with El Enemigo wines; lunch Wednesday to Sunday, dinner Friday and Saturday, and tables go fast.
Athens · institution
Platanos Taverna
Operating in Plaka since 1932, under its namesake plane tree; moussaka, dolmades and roast lamb done the traditional way.
Athens · casual
Karamanlidika tou Fani
Part delicatessen, part restaurant, built around the Karamanlides cuisine of Greeks from Asia Minor: cured meats, aged cheeses and meze plates.
Athens · street-food
O Thanasis
Grilling kebab and souvlaki beside Monastiraki Square since 1967; a standing Athens institution for a cheap, fast meal.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · institution
Harry's Cafe de Wheels
The pie cart on the wharf since 1945, open from morning to the small hours. Order the Tiger (pie, mashed peas, mash and gravy) and eat it on the kerb; a V-TIMES road trip starts here.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · market
Coffs Harbour Fishermen's Co-op
A working co-op on Marina Drive with a takeaway window, open from 11am (to 3pm Monday and Tuesday, 5pm the rest of the week). Carry it to the breakwater and walk it off on Muttonbird Island.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · modern
Three Blue Ducks at The Farm
A restaurant and produce store on a working farm on the edge of Byron, open from 7am daily and into the evening Friday to Sunday. Book for weekends; the Sunday roast fills.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · modern
Rick Shores
Modern Asian cooking with the sand under the deck at Burleigh Beach, open from 11:30am most of the year. The bug roll is the order; book, because the room is small and the view is not a secret.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · bar
Felons Brewing Co
The brewery on the river under the Story Bridge, open from 11am daily with a cafe from 6am; walk-ins for the outdoor tables, a 10 percent surcharge on Sundays and 15 percent on public holidays.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · sunset-venue
Noosa Boathouse
Three levels on the Noosa River at Gympie Terrace: a fish-and-chip window downstairs, a restaurant above and a sunset bar on top, open from 6am. The river faces west, which Hastings Street does not.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · casual
Fish D'vine and the Rum Bar
Seafood on the Airlie Esplanade with more than 500 rums behind the bar, open from 11:30am. The place to land after the cane-country haul, before the early Whitehaven boat.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · casual
Prawn Star
Four former trawlers tied up at the Marlin Marina serving prawns, bugs and mud crab on deck, daily from 11am to 9pm. No bookings; go early on the night you come back from the reef.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · fine-dining
Nautilus
Port Douglas's first restaurant, open-air under the palms since 1954, with drinks from 6pm and the first tables at 6:30. Book ahead in the dry season; it is the celebration dinner of the route.
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns · cafe
Daintree Ice Cream Company
An orchard north of the ferry serving a four-scoop cup (AUD 7.50) of whatever is ripe, 9am to 5pm daily except Christmas Day. The flavours change by the day; ask what the black sapote is.
Bangkok · street-food
Jay Fai
A single-Michelin-starred street food stall known for its crab omelette and drunken noodles; expect a long wait and prices well above typical street food.
Bangkok · institution
Thipsamai
Bangkok’s best-known pad thai specialist since the 1960s, famous for the prawn-wrapped omelette version; several newer branches exist around the city.
Bangkok · sunset-venue
Sky Bar by lebua
A 63rd-floor open-air rooftop bar over the Chao Phraya, made famous by "The Hangover Part II"; smart dress code enforced.
Barcelona · market
Mercat de la Boqueria
Barcelona’s largest and most famous covered market, with tapas counters as well as produce stalls; arrive before noon to beat the tour groups.
Barcelona · institution
Els Quatre Gats
The turn-of-the-century café where a young Picasso held his first exhibition; now a traditional restaurant trading on that history.
Barcelona · bar
Vermuteria del Tano
A small, unpretentious Gràcia vermouth bar, standing room mostly, for the pre-lunch local ritual.
Bora Bora · institution
Snack Matira
The beachfront snack (Polynesia's word for a casual eatery) on Matira's curve: generous poisson cru, grilled fish and chow mein at a fraction of resort prices, eaten at plastic tables a few steps from the water. Expect a wait at peak beach hours and bring cash.
Bora Bora · institution
The roulottes of Vaitape
Several food trucks gather around the quay area in the evening: grilled fish, steak-frites, chow mein, poisson cru and crepes, cooked to order and eaten at folding tables. The island's best value by a wide margin and its most local evening; cash only, and the good ones sell out.
Bora Bora · fine-dining
Le St James
Refined French-Polynesian cooking on a terrace over the lagoon in Vaitape: fresh local fish with French technique, a serious wine list by island standards, and sunset over To'opua from the good tables. Book ahead in season; it is the main island's dress-up dinner.
Budapest · casual
Getto Gulyas
The Jewish Quarter's standard-bearer for traditional Hungarian cooking at honest prices: goulash from a kettle, paprikash with hand-pinched nokedli, stuffed cabbage, duck leg with red cabbage, all in a wood-and-brick room that fills nightly. Book a day or two ahead; walk-ins queue from 7pm. Mains sit well under downtown hotel-restaurant prices.
Budapest · fine-dining
Stand
Budapest's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, where Tamas Szell and Szabina Szullo rebuild Hungarian classics, goulash included, with two-star technique. The tasting menu runs around 89,500 HUF, a fraction of the equivalent room in Paris, and books out weeks ahead. This is the meal that makes the case for modern Hungarian cuisine; come with the appetite the menu deserves.
Budapest · fine-dining
Borkonyha Winekitchen
A Michelin star held for over a decade and worn lightly: a bistro-toned room where the a la carte changes with the market, foie gras and mangalica pork are house signatures, and the wine list runs some 200 Hungarian bottles with the staff fluent in all of them. The approachable end of Budapest fine dining, and the one we would book first.
Budapest · institution
New York Cafe
The 1894 coffee house of the New York Palace, gilded, frescoed and chandeliered to the edge of parody, routinely billed as the most beautiful cafe in the world and priced accordingly. Writers once ran up tabs here for decades; today you queue or book online, pay triple the going rate for coffee and cake, and get an interior no museum ticket in the city can match. Go at opening or mid-afternoon; skip the full meals and order the Dobos.
Budapest · institution
Gerbeaud
The grande dame of Vorosmarty square since 1858, marble-tabled and brass-railed, where the Gerbeaud slice (walnut, apricot jam, chocolate) and the Dobos are the benchmark orders. More restrained and more local than the New York, with terrace seats facing the square that become front-row Christmas market seats in December. The attached confectionery counter solves every edible-souvenir question.
Budapest · street-food
Karavan street food yard
A fairy-lit gravel yard of food trucks next door to Szimpla Kert: langos in its modern mutations, goulash in bread bowls, Hungarian sausages, vegan counters and craft beer, eaten at shared picnic tables as the quarter warms up for the night. Nothing here is refined and everything hits after a bar or before one; it runs afternoon to late, busiest from 8pm.
California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · institution
Nepenthe
Open since 1949 on a cliff over the south coast; California and Mediterranean plates, best timed for the terrace view. Expect a wait midday.
California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · modern
The Lark
In a former fish market in the Funk Zone, with a Santa Barbara County-forward wine list and seasonal small plates. Book ahead.
California Coast Road Trip: Highway 1, San Francisco to Los Angeles · casual
Flaherty’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar
A long-running Carmel seafood spot for oysters and local fish, a reliable stop before heading south into Big Sur.
Cape Town & the Winelands · fine-dining
La Colombe
A long-running, internationally awarded fine-dining room on the Silvermist Wine Estate above the Constantia Valley. Closes annually for a winter break; check dates before booking.
Cape Town & the Winelands · casual
Protégé (Le Quartier Français)
The more casual of Le Quartier Français’s two restaurants, in the centre of the village; a good option after a morning of wine tasting.
Cappadocia · casual
Seten Restaurant
A long-standing Uçhisar restaurant serving regional dishes including testi kebabı with valley views.
Cappadocia · casual
Topdeck Cave Restaurant
A Göreme restaurant serving in an actual carved cave space, popular for the pottery-kebab breaking ritual.
Cappadocia · modern
Ziggy’s Cafe & Restaurant
A well-regarded restaurant near Ürgüp combining Cappadocian ingredients with a more contemporary presentation.
Chiang Mai · institution
Khao Soi Khun Yai
A garden shack behind a temple serving what many consider the city's best khao soi for around 50 baht. Open roughly 10am to 2pm, closed Sundays, and it sells out; go before 1pm.
Chiang Mai · casual
Khao Soi Mae Sai
A no-frills neighbourhood shop holding a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide Thailand, serving khao soi and khanom chin nam ngiao. Lunchtime hours; arrive before the office crowd at noon.
Chiang Mai · institution
Huen Phen
The Old City's long-standing northern kitchen: a canteen-style lunch operation in front and an antiques-crammed dining house at dinner. Order the hang lay curry, sai ua and nam phrik num and share everything.
Chiang Mai · fine-dining
Baan Landai Fine Thai Cuisine
A family-run fine Thai kitchen that has appeared in the Michelin Guide Thailand since 2020, in a converted house in the northern Old City. Book a day or two ahead in high season.
Chiang Mai · casual
The Riverside Bar & Restaurant
The riverside institution since 1984: Thai and Western menus, terraces over the Ping and live bands from mid-evening. Not the city's most refined kitchen, and it does not need to be; book a water-side table at sunset.
Corfu · fine-dining
Venetian Well
A romantic courtyard around a Venetian wellhead; changing, ambitious menu. Book ahead.
Corfu · institution
Rex
A long-running institution just behind the Liston, and a reliable place to try the island classics.
Corfu · institution
Taverna Agni (Agni Bay)
One of three tavernas on a tiny northeast cove; the classic long seaside lunch. Many arrive by small boat.
Corfu · institution
O Foros
The taverna on the old square of Corfu’s oldest village, run by Thomas and Vaso Siriotis, and reason enough on its own to drive an hour up the mountain instead of eating by the sea. Two shots of raki landed on the table before we had ordered anything. Then dolmades and zucchini balls, moussaka under a proper lid of bechamel, lamb chops grilled over coals and priced by the kilo, and a karydopita heavy with syrup and walnuts, made with honey from the family’s own bees. Rick Stein filmed here in 2007 and the place has not been ruined by it: the tables are still oilcloth and gingham on gravel, under a fig vine, in a village square that was a Venetian forum. We ate here in July 2026 and it was the best meal of the trip.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · modern
Don Rufino
Family-owned since 2005 on a corner in the centre of La Fortuna, open daily from noon to 9:30pm. The Huetar Norte five-course menu is the one to order; the grandmother's chicken is the dish regulars return for. Reserve on weekends.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · budget
Soda D' Mi Tierra
A proper soda a short walk from the church: casados and fish plates at USD 10 to 25 a head, big portions, no fuss. The kind of place that makes the hotel breakfast look expensive.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · casual
Tree House Restaurante & Café
Built around a huge ficus in the centre of Santa Elena, opposite the Catholic church, open daily 11:30am to 10pm with live music from 7pm and a happy hour at 4pm. Pizzas, steaks and fish; the tree is the point.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · cafe
Café Caburé
An Argentine-owned restaurant and chocolate maker on the balcony of the Paseo de Stella centre on the road to the reserve, grinding Costa Rican cacao into truffles on site and running a short chocolate tour. Open from noon; closed one day a week, so check the day before you walk up.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · institution
Sabor Tico
A family-run Tico restaurant of 20-plus years in the Plaza Monteverde centre at the edge of Santa Elena, with a balcony that faces the sunset. Casados, tamales, chifrijo and olla de carne at local prices; the place to eat Costa Rican food in Monteverde rather than pizza.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · sunset-venue
El Avión
A bar and restaurant built around a Fairchild C-123 cargo plane from the Iran-Contra affair, 150 m above the sea on the hill road, part of the Costa Verde group. Seafood and cocktails; the two-level deck faces west and the sunset is the reason to book early.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · cafe
Emilio's Café
An eclectic café just before Hotel Mariposa on the road to Punta Quepos, with ocean and jungle views and a serious bakery: eggs Benedict, brioche French toast, sandwiches. Best at breakfast and lunch; music some nights.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · sunset-venue
Ronny's Place
Ronny Alpízar's open-air restaurant since 2003 on the highest point of a 36-hectare farm, 800 m down a track opposite the Amigos del Río building. Open daily 11:15am to 9:30pm; a west-facing sunset every evening of the year, the restaurant says, weather permitting. Book the 5:30pm table.
Costa Rica: Arenal, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio · budget
Soda Sánchez
One block up from the Quepos bus station, across from the BCR bank: a no-frills soda where a casado costs what it should. The antidote to hill-road prices.
Crete · institution
Tamam
Housed in a former 15th-century Venetian hammam just off the harbour, open since 1982; Cretan dishes alongside Ottoman-influenced sharing plates.
Crete · fine-dining
Peskesi
Set in a restored historic mansion in central Heraklion, sourcing much of its produce from its own organic farm; built around forgotten Cretan recipes and ingredients.
Crete · fine-dining
Veneto Restaurant
The on-site restaurant of the Veneto Boutique Hotel, in a former 15th-century monastery building; runs seasonally, roughly May to October.
Crete · institution
Nikos Fish Tavern
A family fish taverna on Elounda’s village square, running since 1972, sourcing daily catch from local boats.
Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · casual
Taverna Axiotissa
A family-run taverna on the road south to Kastraki, cooking with local vegetables and cheeses, organic flour and pulses, and Naxos honey. Rabbit with oregano, island cheeses and vegetable dishes rather than a standard tourist menu. Closed on Tuesdays.
Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · fine-dining
Siparos Seaside Restaurant
A seasonal seaside restaurant a few kilometres east of Naoussa, open since 2009, built around local fish and Cycladic produce. The season runs April to October, daily from 1pm to 11pm.
Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · modern
Omega3
A small fish and wine bar on Platis Gialos beach run by chef George Samoilis, serving ceviche, sashimi and creative small plates rather than standard grilled fish. Very small, and reservations are effectively mandatory.
Cyclades Island Hopping: How to Plan the Route · institution
O! Hamos!
A family taverna near Papikinou beach, about a fifteen-minute walk from the centre of Adamas, cooking meat and cheese from the family farm. Handwritten menu, clay plates, no reservations, and a queue in August.
Dubai · casual
Arabian Tea House
A courtyard cafe inside a restored heritage house serving Emirati breakfasts and karak chai; a good stop between the souks.
Dubai · fine-dining
Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm
A seafood-focused fine-dining restaurant set against a floor-to-ceiling aquarium window inside Atlantis, The Palm.
Dubai · institution
Ravi Restaurant
A long-running, famously cheap Pakistani restaurant popular with Dubai residents of all backgrounds; grilled meats, curries and fresh naan.
Fiji · casual
Resort dining, Mamanucas and Yasawas
On small islands, dining is at your resort; many serve the daily catch and run a weekly lovo night with a cultural show.
Fiji · fine-dining
Fijiana Restaurant, Likuliku
The signature restaurant at Likuliku Lagoon Resort, known for fresh, locally caught seafood in a lagoon setting.
Fiji · casual
Port Denarau marina dining
The marina at Port Denarau has the widest choice of independent restaurants and bars before you head to the islands.
French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · institution
La Merenda
Run by chef Dominique Le Stanc, a former head chef at Le Negresco’s Chantecler; more than sixty years of Nicoise cooking, no phone, no card payments, cash and a queue.
French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · institution
Chez Pipo
Founded in 1933 and cooking socca on one of the city’s oldest ovens; a straightforward, no-frills place built entirely around the dish.
French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) · fine-dining
La Petite Maison
A long-established Old Town address for Mediterranean and Nicoise dishes; reviews on service are mixed, book ahead regardless.
Goa · institution
Vinayak Family Restaurant
A plain room on the Assagao road that has spent two decades being the answer to "where do Goans actually eat". Thalis, dried seafood, squid and prawn done simply, at prices the surrounding villa economy has not touched. Come at lunch, expect a wait in season, and do not expect decor.
Goa · institution
Mum's Kitchen
Built around recipes collected from Goan grandmothers, which sounds like a marketing line and reads on the plate as an unusually wide menu of dishes that restaurants normally skip. The place to try sorpotel, cafreal and a proper vindalho in one sitting, in a room where the staff will explain each of them. Book in season.
Goa · institution
Martin's Corner
The South Goa institution: a garden restaurant in Betalbatim that grew out of a village bar and now fills nightly with families, live music and enormous plates of crab, prawn and kingfish. It is famous, it is busy, and the food is still good, which is a harder trick than it sounds. Reserve, and go for the Goan half of the menu rather than the continental half.
Goa · modern
Gunpowder
A restored Portuguese house in Assagao serving the food of the coast further south, Kerala, Andhra and Tamil Nadu, alongside Goan dishes, in a garden strung with lights. The appam, the Malabar prawn curry and the pork are the reasons people keep coming back through fifteen years of Assagao changing around it. Book ahead in season.
Great Barrier Reef & Cairns · casual
Prawn Star
A working prawn trawler moored at the marina that sells and serves its own catch; an informal Cairns institution.
Great Barrier Reef & Cairns · modern
Ochre Restaurant
A long-running Cairns restaurant built around native Australian ingredients such as crocodile, kangaroo and native spices, alongside reef seafood.
Great Barrier Reef & Cairns · institution
Salsa Bar & Grill
A Port Douglas institution on Macrossan Street, serving reef fish and modern Australian dishes for decades.
Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · institution
Diporto Agoras
A no-sign basement taverna operating near the Central Market since 1887, with two doors (hence the name) and a short, unchanging menu of horiatiki, gigantes and the day’s stew.
Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · fine-dining
Interni
A garden restaurant in the Matoyiannia lanes, running as a dinner-into-nightlife destination since 2000; Mediterranean cooking with cocktails and music later in the evening.
Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · casual
Kiki’s Tavern
A no-website, no-phone, no-reservations shack behind Agios Sostis beach on the island’s quieter north coast; arrive well before opening, since it closes once the food runs out for the day.
Greece in 10 Days: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini · fine-dining
Kapari Wine Restaurant
A courtyard restaurant within a small Imerovigli hotel, overlooking the caldera cliffs, with a contemporary Mediterranean menu built around Santorini produce and wine.
Hanoi · institution
Pho Gia Truyen
A Michelin Bib Gourmand shop where you queue, pay at the counter, carry your own bowl and find a stool. Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 dong depending on the cut. Open early morning and again in the evening, with a long midday gap; the queue at 8am is the correct time to join it.
Hanoi · casual
Bun Cha Huong Lien
The shop where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate in 2016, which the family has monetised with a set "Obama combo" of bun cha, a seafood roll and a beer at around 130,000 dong; the plain bun cha is about 60,000. The fame has not wrecked the grilling. Open through the day, busiest at lunch.
Hanoi · institution
Cha Ca Thang Long
A Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide Vietnam. The pan of turmeric fish arrives already sizzling and you finish it at the table with dill, spring onion, peanuts and noodles. There is effectively one thing on the menu. Open through the day into the evening; go at opening or after eight to avoid the tour groups.
Hanoi · street-food
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen Thanh Van
A new Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide Vietnam, and a shop that has been rolling banh cuon on Hang Ga for generations. Sit where you can see the cloth stretched over the steam pot. Mornings are when it is at its best.
Hanoi · fine-dining
Tam Vi
One Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide Vietnam, in a small house styled like an old tea room. The cooking is northern family food rather than fusion, which is exactly what makes it interesting after three days of street stools. Book several days ahead; the room is small.
Hanoi · cafe
Cafe Giang
The family that claims the invention of ca phe trung in the 1940s, down an alley and up a staircase to a low-ceilinged room of stools. Order it hot the first time. A hundred metres from the water puppet theatre, which makes it the obvious pre-show stop.
Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · institution
Mama’s Fish House
A South Seas dining room on its own cove near Pāʻia, run by the same family since 1973. The menu names the fisherman and the boat behind each fish, and demand is such that reservations effectively open months out; check back for cancellations 24 to 48 hours before.
Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · street-food
Tin Roof
Chef Sheldon Simeon’s takeout counter near the airport, opened in 2016: mochiko chicken, garlic shrimp and poke bowls from a Top Chef finalist at food-truck prices. Expect a line at lunch; it moves.
Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · institution
Helena’s Hawaiian Food
Serving Hawaiian food since 1946 and named a James Beard America’s Classic in 2000. Order the pipikaula-style short ribs, kalua pig, lomi salmon and poi, and go at lunch; it is a modest storefront with lines for a reason.
Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · bakery
Leonard’s Bakery
The Portuguese-Hawaiian bakery that made the malasada a Honolulu institution, open since 1952 on Kapahulu Avenue. Order them hot, original sugar or custard-filled, and eat in the parking lot like everyone else.
Maui and Oahu: Planning the Two-Island Hawaii Trip · sunset-venue
Duke’s Waikiki
The open-air beach bar and grill named for Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic swimmer who fathered modern surfing, directly on the sand at Waikīkī. Tourist-famous and deservedly so at sunset, with live Hawaiian music most evenings; the Barefoot Bar takes no reservations.
Hoi An · institution
Banh Mi Phuong
The banh mi shop made internationally famous after Anthony Bourdain featured it; expect a queue at peak times.
Hoi An · market
Hoi An Central Market food stalls
The market kitchens are where locals eat the Hoi An classics for a fraction of restaurant prices.
Hoi An · modern
Morning Glory
A well-known Ancient Town restaurant serving refined versions of the local street dishes, with an associated cooking school.
Hokkaido · institution
Sapporo Beer Garden
A long-running all-you-can-eat jingisukan and beer hall inside the historic brewery grounds.
Hokkaido · market
Nijo Market
A compact fish market a short walk from Odori Park, with stalls and small seafood-rice-bowl counters.
Hokkaido · cafe
Furano Cheese Kobo
A small local dairy and cheese workshop with a soft-serve stand, a popular break on the Furano/Biei route.
Ibiza · institution
Es Torrent
A storied fish restaurant on its own pebble cove near Porroig, cooking boat-fresh seafood since the 1980s; the bullit de peix is the order, ideally reserved when you book the table. Lunch only for most of the season.
Ibiza · cafe
La Paloma
A family-run garden restaurant among citrus trees in tiny Sant Llorenç, open since 2004: casual Mediterranean lunches with a Levantine lean, Italian-leaning dinners, and the island’s most loved courtyard. Book ahead in season.
Ibiza · fine-dining
La Gaia
Óscar Molina’s dining room at the Ibiza Gran Hotel holds one of the island’s three Michelin stars in the 2026 guide, building tasting menus from Ibizan sea and farm produce. The island’s benchmark for a dressed-up night.
Istanbul · modern
Karaköy Lokantası
A blue-and-white-tiled dining room serving refined versions of home-style Turkish dishes.
Istanbul · institution
Hamdi Restaurant
A long-running kebab house near the Spice Bazaar with rooftop seating over the water.
Istanbul · institution
Çiya Sofrası
A Kadıköy institution rotating dishes from across Turkey’s regions, often cited as one of the city’s most serious kitchens.
Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · modern
Four Seasons Safari Lodge dining
Several dining venues at a full-service lodge overlooking a Serengeti waterhole.
Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · casual
Ngorongoro Serena crater-rim dining
Full-board dining as part of a crater-rim stay, with layers advised for cold evenings.
Kenya-Tanzania Safari Route · casual
Governors’ Camp bush breakfast
Bush breakfasts and full-board meals at a riverfront Mara camp.
Kerala Backwaters · fine-dining
Chakara at Raheem Residency
The restaurant of the 1868 heritage house on the beach road, open to non-residents and a genuine step above the rest of the town: Kerala seafood cooked accurately alongside a shorter international menu, served on a rooftop and a verandah rather than in a dining hall. Book ahead in season, particularly around the August race, and take the table upstairs.
Kerala Backwaters · casual
Thaff Restaurant
A long-standing Alappuzha favourite that fills every night with a mix of local families and travelers: Kerala fish and prawn dishes alongside grilled chicken, biryani and shawarma, in a plain downstairs room and a cooler air-conditioned one upstairs with the same menu and the same prices. Portions are large, the bill is small, and the fish of the day is the order.
Kerala Backwaters · cafe
Kream Korner Art Cafe
Part cafe, part gallery, with local paintings on every wall and a menu that runs from appam and stew through Indian standards to sandwiches and cold coffee. It is the reliable middle-of-the-day stop in a hot town, and a good first meal for anyone still calibrating their chilli tolerance.
Kerala Backwaters · budget
Halais Restaurant
A plain, busy, no-nonsense local restaurant of the kind Kerala towns do well: biryani, fish curry meals and fresh juices, served fast to a room that turns over constantly. There is no atmosphere to speak of and no need for one at these prices.
Kerala Backwaters · institution
Kayees Biryani, Mattancherry
A Mattancherry institution that sells mutton and chicken biryani until it runs out, which on a good day is early afternoon. The room is small and functional, the queue is part of it, and the point is a rice that tastes of the pot rather than of a spice cupboard. Go at opening, take cash, and do not plan anything strenuous afterwards.
Kerala Backwaters · cafe
Pepper House Cafe
A cafe in the courtyard of a restored Dutch-era spice warehouse that doubles as a gallery, library and one of the main venues when the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is running. Good coffee, a short menu that leans European with Kerala ingredients, and a shaded garden opening onto the water. The most civilised hour in Fort Kochi.
Koh Samui · fine-dining
KOH Thai Kitchen
The signature Thai restaurant at Four Seasons Koh Samui, serving curries and seafood with bay views; book ahead.
Koh Samui · market
Fisherman’s Village Walking Street
A Friday-evening street market along the Bophut shophouses with food stalls, crafts and music; the easiest introduction to Samui street eating.
Koh Samui · casual
Lamai seafood and local eateries
The Lamai strip has long-running local restaurants for gaeng som and fresh grilled seafood away from the resort dining rooms.
Kuala Lumpur · institution
Village Park Restaurant
The nasi lemak by which the city measures all others, running since 2002: coconut rice, dark sambal and the famous spice-crusted fried chicken, around RM13 to RM15 a plate. The queue on weekend mornings is part of the experience; go on a weekday before 10am. It is in suburban Petaling Jaya, so make it the breakfast before or after a morning at FRIM.
Kuala Lumpur · street-food
Jalan Alor
A whole street that becomes an open-air Chinese grill house every evening: charcoal chicken wings, grilled stingray in sambal, satay, noodles and fresh juice under strings of red lanterns. It is touristy and it is still good, which is rare. Arrive from 6pm as the woks light; the famous wing stalls run out late.
Kuala Lumpur · institution
Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice
A Michelin Bib Gourmand fixture where claypots of chicken, salted fish, lap cheong sausage and rice are still cooked to order over charcoal, and the point is the wok-scorched crust you scrape from the bottom. Expect a wait at dinner; it moves fast. Pudu's wet-market streets around it are their own reward before seven.
Kuala Lumpur · institution
Kim Lian Kee
The shop credited with inventing KL Hokkien mee on this street in the 1920s, still frying the black-soy noodles with pork lard over serious fire, upstairs and streetside on Petaling Street. Order the Hokkien mee and the fried lala clams and do not fight the lard. Evenings only feel right here.
Kuala Lumpur · casual
Vishal Food and Catering
A Brickfields banana-leaf standard where the leaf arrives, the rice lands, and the vegetable curries, rasam and pickles keep coming until you fold the leaf in surrender; add mutton curry or fried chicken if the table insists. Lunch is the meal: come before 1pm or queue with the lawyers and railway workers. A few ringgit buys the full spread.
Kuala Lumpur · fine-dining
Dewakan
Malaysia's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, and since the 2026 guide also a Michelin Green Star holder: chef Darren Teoh builds tasting menus from indigenous Malaysian ingredients, jungle fruit, fermented preparations and forgotten grains, 48 floors above the city. This is the one meal in KL priced like Europe, and the one that justifies it. Book weeks ahead.
Kyoto · street-food
Nishiki Market food stalls
A working market street where visitors can sample pickles, skewers, tofu sweets and seafood from stall to stall.
Kyoto · fine-dining
Kikunoi
A kaiseki restaurant with over a century of history in Higashiyama, led by a third-generation chef; among Kyoto’s most internationally recognized kaiseki houses.
Kyoto · institution
Omen (Ginkaku-ji Honten)
A long-running udon restaurant near Ginkaku-ji, serving thick house-made noodles with a seasonal-vegetable dipping sauce since 1967.
Langkawi · institution
Restoran Siti Fatimah
The island's most famous nasi campur hall: dozens of trays of Kedah-style curries, sambals, fried fish and kerabu, busiest before 14:00, after which popular trays can run empty. Open from breakfast to late afternoon; come hungry, point at what you want, pay astonishingly little.
Langkawi · institution
Nasi Dagang Pak Malau
A village breakfast spot in a wooden house looking across rice paddies toward Gunung Raya: nasi dagang with tuna curry is the order, and it can sell out by mid-morning. One of those places where the setting does half the cooking; mornings only.
Langkawi · fine-dining
The Gulai House
The Datai's signature restaurant, a timber pavilion in the rainforest where classic Malay and Indian dishes (gulai, tandoor work, whole fish) get resort-level execution. Non-guests should call ahead to reserve and confirm access; the drive from Cenang takes most of an hour, so make an evening of it.
Lisbon · bakery
Pasteis de Belem
Baking to the same secret recipe since 1837; expect a queue but a fast-moving one for takeaway.
Lisbon · market
Time Out Market Lisboa
A curated food hall of Lisbon chefs and stalls inside the historic Mercado da Ribeira; busy at peak meal times.
Lisbon · institution
Cervejaria Ramiro
A no-frills but famous shellfish hall since 1956; expect a wait and a deposit required for larger bookings.
Los Cabos · institution
Flora’s Field Kitchen (Flora Farms)
A working organic farm whose restaurant built the Los Cabos farm-dining scene; everything is grown or raised on site or nearby. Book weeks ahead in season.
Los Cabos · fine-dining
El Farallón
Seafood priced by the day’s catch, served on a ledge carved into the Pedregal cliffs with waves breaking below; the champagne terrace before dinner is the move. Book well ahead.
Los Cabos · sunset-venue
Sunset Monalisa
A Mediterranean cliffside restaurant whose terraces face the arch straight across the bay; come for the sunset seating even if you dine elsewhere. Reserve the early tables far ahead.
Madrid · institution
Sobrino de Botin
Opened in 1725 and recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world; the wood-fired oven is original.
Madrid · market
Mercado de San Miguel
A restored early-20th-century iron-framed market hall turned gourmet tapas market; touristy and priced accordingly.
Madrid · institution
Chocolateria San Gines
Open since 1894 and open 24 hours; the classic stop after a night out or before an early flight.
Maldives Overwater Villas · fine-dining
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant
Advance reservations are essential; the glass-domed room seats only 14 guests, 5 metres below the surface.
Maldives Overwater Villas · fine-dining
Soneva Fushi dining program
Six restaurants across the island, including overwater and treehouse settings; the observatory and open-air cinema double as evening venues.
Maldives Overwater Villas · street-food
Local-island short eats cafes (e.g. Dharavandhoo, Maafushi)
Resorts near inhabited islands often arrange a local-island excursion; small tea shops serve hedhikaa and garudhiya at a fraction of resort prices.
Mallorca · institution
Can Joan de s’Aigo
Palma’s oldest café, in business since 1700 and famous for its thick hot chocolate; the classic order is an ensaïmada with almond ice cream in the chandeliered back room.
Mallorca · market
Mercat de l’Olivar
Palma’s main covered market: produce, cheese and charcuterie stalls alongside fish bars where the morning’s catch goes straight onto your plate. Mornings only for the full spectacle; closed Sundays.
Mallorca · fine-dining
DINS Santi Taura
Santi Taura’s Michelin-starred dining room in the El Llorenç hotel rebuilds historic Mallorcan recipes with modern technique across a single tasting menu; book well ahead.
Mexico City · fine-dining
Pujol
Enrique Olvera's flagship, two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide and the room that taught the world to take Mexican fine dining seriously. The tasting menu, built around the mole madre, the ancient mole kept alive and re-fed for years, runs around 3,500 pesos before drinks; the taco omakase bar is the other way in. Book roughly a month or more ahead on the official site; lunch dates release the same way and go slower.
Mexico City · institution
Contramar
Gabriela Camara's seafood dining room has been the city's standing lunch party since 1998: waiters running raised trays of tuna tostadas, the pescado a la talla split red chile and green parsley down the middle, and a room that treats 4pm as the height of the day. It seats lunch through the afternoon; book ahead online or arrive at the 12:30 opening and take the first wave. The fig tart ends it correctly.
Mexico City · institution
El Cardenal
The Centro's great traditional dining room, family-run since 1969: breakfast here is the event, natas (fresh clotted cream) with sweet rolls, eggs in every regional style, hot chocolate whisked at the table, then mole and escamoles at comida. It opens early, fills with chilango families by 9:30am, and is the correct first morning of the whole trip before the Zocalo crowds arrive. Several branches; La Palma is the one.
Mexico City · fine-dining
Rosetta
Elena Reygadas' restaurant in a Porfirian townhouse, one Michelin star in 2026: handmade pastas and Mexican ingredients folded together, a plant-filled room that makes the case for Roma in one glance, and an a la carte format that lets dinner stay a dinner. Her Panaderia Rosetta nearby causes its own queues, the guava-and-ricotta roll is the city's pastry, and solves two breakfasts. Book dinner a week or two out.
Mexico City · street-food
Taqueria Los Cocuyos
A hole-in-the-wall on Bolivar with a cauldron of slow-simmering suadero, longaniza and the full anatomy lesson beyond, running late into the night: the campechano mixto is the order, doubled tortillas, salsa verde, standing on the pavement with the after-cantina crowd. A handful of tacos and a bottled agua costs pocket change. It anchors the classic Centro taco crawl with Los Paisas and the tortas nearby.
Mexico City · street-food
El Vilsito
By day a car workshop, by night one of the most famous al pastor operations in the city: the garage doors roll up, the trompos start spinning, and the taqueros carve pastor with pineapple caught mid-air. Featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles and busier for it, but the queue moves and the taco justifies Narvarte's distance. Evening into the small hours; go after 8pm when the spits have developed their crust.
Miami · institution
Versailles Restaurant
Founded in 1971 on Calle Ocho and a gathering place for the Cuban exile community. It bills itself as the world’s most famous Cuban restaurant.
Miami · institution
Joe’s Stone Crab
A Miami Beach institution since 1913 and still family-run; the restaurant most associated with Florida stone crab. Expect a wait in season.
Miami · bar
Ball & Chain
A restored live-music bar on Calle Ocho whose original 1935 venue hosted Billie Holiday and Count Basie; reopened in 2014 with nightly music.
Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · modern
Nomad
A rooftop restaurant in the souks reworking Moroccan dishes with a lighter, contemporary style; popular, so book ahead for sunset seating.
Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · institution
Casa Hassan restaurant
The in-house restaurant of one of Chefchaouen’s oldest riads; straightforward tagines and local dishes.
Morocco: Marrakech, Sahara & Chefchaouen · street-food
Jemaa el-Fna food stalls
Numbered stalls set up nightly serving grilled meats, snails, soups and orange juice; pick a busy stall and confirm prices before ordering.
Mykonos · institution
Sea Satin Market
Beneath the Kato Mili windmills, a short walk from Little Venice, open since 1990, with tables so close to the sea that waves reach the windows in rough weather.
Mykonos · institution
Nikolas Taverna
A family seafood taverna on the sand at Agia Anna, run by the same family since 1967; grilled fish and simple Greek plates.
Mykonos · institution
Kiki’s Tavern
A no-reservations, no-electricity taverna above a small northern cove; arrive early, wait on the benches (a free glass of wine is customary), and swim in the cove while you wait.
New York City · institution
Katz’s Delicatessen
Cafeteria-style ordering with a ticket system; expect a line and a loud, chaotic dining room. Cash tips for the counter carvers are customary.
New York City · institution
Russ & Daughters
A century-old appetizing store; the sit-down cafe a few blocks away serves the same menu if the original counter has a line.
New York City · bakery
Levain Bakery
A small basement bakery on 74th Street; expect a short line for the famously dense cookies.
New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop · institution
Fergburger
The Queenstown burger with the permanent queue, open early to very late on Shotover Street. Order ahead by phone to skip the line, and take it to the lakefront.
New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop · fine-dining
Amisfield Bistro
The winery restaurant at Lake Hayes runs a set trust-the-chef menu built on Central Otago produce and its own Pinot Noir. Book well ahead; this is the table people plan the Queenstown leg around.
New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop · bakery
Fairlie Bakehouse
The bakery that made a small Mackenzie town a mandatory stop; the salmon and bacon pie is the one everyone argues about. Expect a line in summer.
El Nido, Palawan · casual
Trattoria Altrove
The town’s long-standing Italian institution: wood-fired pizzas and pasta upstairs on Calle Hama, with a queue at the door most peak-season evenings. Go early or expect to wait; it earns the line.
El Nido, Palawan · modern
Jinjer at Cadlao Resort
The garden restaurant of the Cadlao Resort on Caalan beach, open to non-guests: Filipino and pan-Asian plates in a quieter setting than anything on the town’s main streets.
El Nido, Palawan · sunset-venue
Maremegmeg Beach Bar
The Maremegmeg Beach Club’s bar on the best sunset beach near town: feet in the sand, halo-halo or a cold San Miguel, and the sun dropping behind the bay’s islands. Arrive an hour before sunset for a front-row table.
Paphos, Cyprus · institution
7 St. Georges Tavern
A stone and wood house in Geroskipou hung with rural Cypriot antiques, where there is no menu at all: plates keep arriving until you stop them, built around seasonal produce and wild greens the family forages themselves. Reckon on about twenty dishes and two hours. Book ahead; this is the meal to eat early in the trip so it recalibrates everything after it.
Paphos, Cyprus · casual
Laona Restaurant
A small family place on a sloping lane in Ktima that cooks about ten dishes fresh each day: rabbit stew, meatballs, bean and vegetable pots. Turn up late and the list will be shorter. Primarily a lunch kitchen, which suits a morning in the market and the district museum.
Paphos, Cyprus · institution
Imogen’s Inn Taverna
In the middle of Kathikas at 600 metres, open since 1996 and run by the same family, with rooms full of ancestral photographs and a meze that leans Cypriot with Middle Eastern edges. The obvious dinner after an afternoon at the Kathikas wineries, and 10C cooler than the coast in August.
Paris · institution
Chez Janou
A long-running Marais bistro with a sunny courtyard terrace and an enormous chocolate-mousse bowl for dessert.
Paris · market
Marché des Enfants Rouges
Paris’s oldest covered market, dating to the 17th century, with stalls covering Moroccan, Japanese and French cooking side by side.
Paris · cafe
Café de Flore
The famous Left Bank cafe once frequented by Sartre and de Beauvoir; go for the atmosphere and a coffee, not for value.
Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · fine-dining
Cicciolina
A long-running Cusco gastronomic reference with a tapas bar and dining room. Book ahead.
Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · fine-dining
MAP Café
A glass-walled dining room in the courtyard of the Museo de Arte Precolombino.
Peru: Cusco & Machu Picchu · modern
Chicha por Gastón Acurio
Chef Gastón Acurio’s Cusco restaurant focused on seasonal regional produce, a block from the Plaza de Armas.
Phuket · institution
Mee Ton Poe
A Hokkien Mee institution serving since the 1940s and recognized by the Michelin Guide; the reliable place to try the island’s signature noodles.
Phuket · fine-dining
PRU
A Michelin-starred farm-to-table restaurant at Trisara, sourcing from its own farm; book well ahead.
Phuket · market
Lard Yai (Sunday Walking Street)
A Sunday-evening street market along Thalang Road, closing the road to traffic for food stalls, crafts and music.
Queenstown · institution
Fergburger
Open from early morning to the small hours; expect a queue, and consider ordering ahead if the app or phone-order option is available.
Queenstown · fine-dining
Rātā
A Michelin-recognised restaurant from chef Josh Emett built around seasonal New Zealand produce; book well ahead.
Queenstown · institution
Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar
A buffet restaurant at the top of the Skyline Gondola with panoramic views over the lake and Remarkables; the gondola fare is included in the dining ticket.
Rajasthan Golden Triangle · fine-dining
Suvarna Mahal
Royal-court cooking from Rajasthan, Awadh, Punjab and Hyderabad in a gilded dining room. Book ahead.
Rajasthan Golden Triangle · institution
Chokhi Dhani
A recreated Rajasthani village resort serving thalis alongside folk music, dance and crafts.
Rajasthan Golden Triangle · street-food
Old Delhi street food (Chandni Chowk)
The lanes around Chandni Chowk are the classic street-food crawl; choose busy, freshly cooked stalls.
Rhodes · institution
Mavrikos
On Lindos’ main square since 1933 and in the family since 1912: slow-cooked Rhodian and Mediterranean cooking that has earned decades of awards, from chickpea puree with orange to lamb with kumquat. Book dinner in season.
Rhodes · market
Nea Agora (New Market)
The Italian-built heptagonal market hall at Mandraki harbor, closed since November 2025 for a full restoration: the shops and food counters are due back around the 2027 season, with handover planned for April 2027. Worth a look at the facade from the harbor; check locally whether the courtyard has reopened.
Rhodes · fine-dining
Marco Polo Café
The garden restaurant of a restored Ottoman mansion deep in the Old Town lanes: candlelit tables under bougainvillea and a daily menu of creative Greek and Mediterranean cooking. One of the island’s most atmospheric dinners; reserve in season.
Rome · institution
Roscioli
A deli-restaurant-wine cellar hybrid on Via dei Giubbonari, running since 1824 in its current form since 2002; book ahead.
Rome · institution
Armando al Pantheon
Run by the same Gargioli family since 1961, now the third generation; reservations are online only.
Rome · institution
Da Enzo al 29
A small, always-busy trattoria on Via dei Vascellari; go right at opening to avoid the wait.
San Francisco and Napa Valley · fine-dining
The French Laundry
Thomas Keller’s multi-Michelin-star restaurant serving nine-course tasting menus; reservations open months ahead and go fast.
San Francisco and Napa Valley · institution
La Taqueria
A James Beard "America’s Classic" taqueria on Mission Street, widely cited among the best burritos in the country.
San Francisco and Napa Valley · institution
Swan Oyster Depot
A tiny counter-only raw bar and seafood institution; cash-friendly, no reservations, expect a line. It has no official website.
Santorini · fine-dining
Selene
A long-running fine-dining name on the island, now based in the quieter hilltop village of Pyrgos; a creative menu built around Santorini’s own produce and wines.
Santorini · institution
Ammoudi Bay tavernas
A cluster of fish tavernas right on the small harbour below Oia, reached by a few hundred steps down the cliff; a classic long seafood lunch away from the crowds above.
Santorini · institution
Metaxi Mas
A well-established taverna in a quiet inland village, known for fava, tomatokeftedes and other island classics done well.
Sardinia · fine-dining
Fradis Minoris
Francesco Stara’s restaurant on the Nora lagoon holds a Michelin star in the 2026 Italy guide, one of five starred restaurants on the island alongside Confusion at Porto Cervo, Capogiro at Baja Sardinia, Il Fuoco Sacro at San Pantaleo and Gusto by Sadler at San Teodoro. The kitchen sits on the lagoon it cooks from, so the menu follows the catch.
Sardinia · institution
Agriturismo Sa Mandra
A family farm that grew from a flock of sheep into a restaurant, museum and rooms; fixed menus built on what the farm raises and grows. Book ahead.
Sardinia · institution
Ristorante Su Gologone
The restaurant the hotel grew out of, open since 1967 beside the Su Gologone spring; the roasts turn on spits in front of the fire and the wine list leans on local Cannonau.
Seminyak · casual
Motel Mexicola
A loud, colourful Mexican party spot near Petitenget; more scene than temple of gastronomy, but a long-running Seminyak fixture.
Seminyak · sunset-venue
Potato Head Beach Club
The grass-amphitheatre beach club on Petitenget Beach; a cover charge applies in the sunset window and is redeemable against drinks.
Seminyak · casual
Beachfront seafood warungs
The beanbag warungs along the sand grill fresh seafood and serve cold drinks as the sun drops.
Seoul · market
Gwangjang Market food stalls
A dense alley of stalls inside one of Seoul’s oldest markets; go hungry and share several small plates.
Seoul · street-food
Myeongdong street food stalls
A dense strip of food carts through the main Myeongdong shopping streets, busiest in the evening.
Seoul · institution
Tosokchon Samgyetang
A long-running samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant in a traditional hanok building close to the palace area.
Sicily · institution
Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Founded in 1834 in a former chapel, and known for Palermo’s spleen sandwich, pane câ meusa.
Sicily · bakery
Caffè Sicilia
A pasticceria founded in 1892 on Noto’s main street, run since 1985 by Corrado Assenza, known for reviving heirloom almond and pistachio varieties in traditional Sicilian sweets.
Sicily · institution
Osteria Antica Marina
A long-running seafood trattoria beside Catania’s Pescheria fish market, serving the day’s catch; reservations recommended, especially for lunch.
Singapore · market
Maxwell Food Centre
One of Singapore’s best-known hawker centers, with dozens of stalls including long-running chicken rice and porridge vendors.
Singapore · market
Lau Pa Sat
A restored Victorian-era cast-iron market building in the CBD, with an outdoor satay street that comes alive in the evenings.
Singapore · institution
Jumbo Seafood
A long-established Singapore chilli-crab institution with several riverside and East Coast locations.
Sri Lanka Round Trip · fine-dining
Ministry of Crab, Colombo
A well-known Colombo restaurant built around Sri Lankan lagoon crab, set in a converted Dutch-era building.
Sri Lanka Round Trip · institution
The Kandy House kitchen
A restored ancestral manor house near Kandy known for home-style Sri Lankan rice and curry meals.
Sri Lanka Round Trip · casual
Galle Fort cafes and restaurants
The Fort’s narrow streets hold a concentration of cafes and small restaurants mixing Sri Lankan and international menus.
Sydney · fine-dining
Bennelong
Set inside one of the Opera House’s sails, with a menu built around native Australian produce. Book well ahead.
Sydney · market
Sydney Fish Market
One of the largest fish markets in the Southern Hemisphere; buy fresh or eat at the on-site casual seafood counters.
Sydney · cafe
bills Darlinghurst
The original cafe from chef Bill Granger, credited with popularising the modern Australian brunch style now exported worldwide.
Tokyo · street-food
Tsukiji Outer Market food stalls
Dozens of stalls selling fresh sushi, grilled skewers and tamagoyaki on sticks; busiest and freshest before noon.
Tokyo · institution
Ichiran
A nationwide tonkotsu ramen chain known for individual booth seating and a customizable order form; a safe, no-language-barrier introduction to ramen.
Tokyo · modern
Afuri
Known for a clear, yuzu-citrus-inflected shoyu ramen, a lighter contrast to tonkotsu shops.
Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · institution
7 Mehmet
Founded in 1937 and now run by the third generation of the Akdag family, this is the city’s best-known restaurant: a vast menu of Mediterranean meze, grills and Antalya specialties like tahini piyaz.
Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · sunset-venue
Limon Gümüşlük
A hillside garden restaurant above Gümüşlük bay, open evenings in season (roughly April to October); tables at sunset are the most contested on the peninsula, so book ahead.
Turkish Riviera (Bodrum to Antalya) · market
Fethiye Fish Market (Balık Pazarı)
The Fethiye ritual: buy your fish from the central market stalls, then hand it to one of the surrounding restaurants to cook for a fixed per-head fee with meze and salad. Go hungry, go early on summer weekends.
Tuscany · institution
Regina Bistecca
A steakhouse near the Duomo specializing in charcoal-grilled Chianina IGP bistecca alla fiorentina, in a space that was previously a long-running antiquarian bookshop.
Tuscany · institution
Osteria dell’Acquacheta
A well-known Montepulciano osteria known for its charcoal-grilled bistecca, presented and cut tableside; reservations are recommended well ahead.
Tuscany · institution
Antica Trattoria Papei
A long-established trattoria just off Piazza del Campo, serving Sienese staples including pici and ribollita.
Two Weeks in Japan · market
Tsukiji Outer Market
The retail and food-stall market that remains after the wholesale auction moved to Toyosu; arrive early for the shortest lines.
Two Weeks in Japan · casual
Ichiran Ramen
A tonkotsu ramen chain with individual ordering booths; consistent quality across every city on this route.
Two Weeks in Japan · market
Nishiki Market
A roughly 400-meter covered market street of small food stalls, known locally as "Kyoto’s kitchen."
Two Weeks in New Zealand · casual
RealNZ Milford Sound cruise dining
Cruises through Milford Sound with onboard refreshments; the operator also runs Doubtful Sound and Queenstown experiences.
Two Weeks in New Zealand · casual
Marlborough cellar-door lunches
Many Marlborough wineries near Blenheim pair Sauvignon Blanc with vineyard restaurant lunches; ideal after the ferry crossing.
Two Weeks in New Zealand · institution
Fergburger, Queenstown
A well-known Queenstown burger joint; queues are part of the experience.
Ubud · fine-dining
Locavore NXT
The relocated flagship of the Locavore kitchen, built on Indonesian ingredients and fermentation. Book well ahead.
Ubud · institution
Ibu Oka style babi guling warung
Ubud is known for its babi guling warungs near the palace; go at lunch, as the roast pork often sells out by mid-afternoon.
Ubud · cafe
Ubud wellness and vegan cafés
Ubud has a real concentration of plant-based and raw cafés, most of them around Jalan Gootama and in Penestanan.
Venice · institution
Cantina Do Mori
One of the oldest surviving bacari in the city, a narrow room with copper pans hanging from the ceiling, no tables and no seats. Lunch and early evening only, and it closes in the mid-afternoon.
Venice · casual
All’Arco
A tiny family-run counter that has been making cicheti to order from the Rialto market since the 1990s. Lunchtime only, no dinner, and not open every day, so check before you build a plan around it. The queue outside is the sign you are in the right place.
Venice · institution
Antiche Carampane
A family trattoria hidden in the lanes behind the Rialto, famous for a sign refusing pizza, lasagne and ketchup. Closed Sundays and Mondays and for a stretch in high summer; reserve well ahead.
Venice · modern
Osteria alle Testiere
Around twenty seats, two dinner sittings and a menu that changes with the market. Reservations are effectively mandatory and open a set period ahead; closed Sundays and Mondays and for part of August.
Venice · fine-dining
Venissa
A Michelin-starred restaurant inside a walled vineyard on Mazzorbo, working with lagoon fish, garden vegetables and the rare Dorona grape grown on site. Book ahead and build the boat times around it rather than the other way round.
Zanzibar · sunset-venue
The Rock Restaurant
Book ahead, especially for a table timed around the tide crossing.
Zanzibar · street-food
Forodhani Gardens night market
A waterfront gathering of food stalls that opens each evening; go hungry and share several stalls.
Zanzibar · casual
Lukmaan Restaurant
A long-running, no-frills local restaurant serving biryani, pilau and curries near the old town market.