Following a four-year stretch at number one of Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Restaurants, Alinea fell to second place in 2017. This year sees the New American standard-bearer return to the top spot as readers name Alinea 2018’s best restaurant in the world. We talk to the elated chef, Grant Achatz, about the restaurant’s creative evolution and what diners can expect [...]

The recipient of three Michelin stars and a steadfast member of the world’s restaurant elite, Eleven Madison Park continually appears in the top five of our reader-voted restaurant ranking. We speak to the chef, Daniel Humm, about the evolution of the New York eatery. What makes your cooking unique? I’ve been cooking for 25 years, and I feel it’s only [...]

With its bucolic Napa Valley setting and passionate use of seasonal produce, the Restaurant at Meadowood’s appeal is as clear as day. But it takes much more than this to be placed among the world’s top restaurants, as the celebrated chef Christopher Kostow can attest. How do you define your style of cooking? We focus mostly on our farm, which [...]

Switzerland’s three-Michelin-starred Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville is the culinary domain of chef Franck Giovannini, who continued in the accomplished footsteps of the late chef-owner Benoît Violier. In this celebrated restaurant just outside Lausanne, Giovannini cooks up inspired plates that take you on a sensory journey. What is your approach to cooking? We not only use the local produce but [...]

On a dreary Monday afternoon in London’s Knightsbridge, we visited Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and found our afternoon considerably brightened thanks to a divine four-course lunch (including the famous ‘tipsy cake’). We sat down to speak with the restaurant’s affable head chef, Ashley Palmer-Watts, about how he’s giving away meals worth hundreds of dollars, and about Dinner’s exciting new opening. [...]

Chef and owner of a collection of renowned restaurants, including his eponymous three-Michelin-starred establishment in Paris, Pierre Gagnaire is a culinary icon across the globe and a leader in modern French fine dining. The legendary chef lets us in on the secret to continually creating such innovative cuisine. What makes your restaurants special? I have restaurants in many places but [...]

La Pergola is the first and only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome, and a regular entry in our Top 100 Restaurants. Chef Heinz Beck tell us about his favorite food markets in Rome and what his last meal on earth would be. What influences your creativity? Art, nature and the reality that surrounds me. What is your signature dish? Fagottelli La [...]

The creative force behind Madrid’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant DiverXO, ambassador for Nike and husband to the Spanish TV presenter Cristina Pedroche, David Muñoz is a chef with irrefutable celebrity status in his home country and beyond. We catch up with the chef at his sister restaurant in London, StreetXO, to find out about his famed cuisine. What makes your food different? [...]

Dan Hunter is not looking to emulate anyone else. He’s on his own path at Brae to serve quintessential Australian cuisine. In his quest to deliver the very best his native country has to offer, Hunter grows ingredients on-site, presenting them simply and elegantly. A fine-dining experience that’s based on seasonality and sustainability, the food served here makes the trip [...]

Having led London’s sophisticated fine-dining restaurant The Ledbury to its two-Michelin-starred status, Australian-born chef Brett Graham is known across the globe for his exquisite cuisine. As The Ledbury once again claims its place among the world’s Top 100 Restaurants, the acclaimed chef talks to Elite Traveler about the dishes he’s had such success in creating. What can people try at [...]

This year’s coveted Chef of the Year accolade goes to Eric Ripert of the acclaimed New York restaurant Le Bernardin. Not only has the French chef won plaudits and widespread commendation for his work at this three-Michelin-starred institution, Ripert has found a place in people’s homes through a collection of cookbooks and Avec Eric. This Emmy-award winning PBS show saw [...]

With a culinary empire that spans the globe — and a four-decade career — chef Daniel Boulud is an authority on decadent food and dedicated service. This year, as Daniel, his heralded fine-dining restaurant in New York, celebrates its silver anniversary, and Boulud receives the Elite Traveler Lifetime Achievement award, Boulud prepares for even bigger things to come. From his [...]

High-end, Michelin-starred cuisine is always sought after, but sometimes you just can’t beat a good cheeseburger. The winner of the Elite Traveler Rising Star award, Chicago’s John B Shields, knows this all too well, and his wonderfully onioned double burger has garnered a cult following. At Smyth + The Loyalist, the twofer restaurant he runs with his wife, Karen, diners [...]

By Lauren Jade Hill It was chef Eneko Atxa’s upbringing in the gastronomically rich Basque Country that informed his future pursuit of creating truly outstanding cuisine. He is the chef behind three Michelin starred fine dining restaurant Azurmendi in the Basque town of Larrabetzu, where each refined dish that comes out of the kitchen reflects the destination it’s in. Here, […]

By Lauren Jade Hill Having earned three Michelin stars and garnered global attention, Alinea has become a name that’s associated with some of the world’s most innovative dining. It’s chef Grant Achatz who’s behind this modernist cuisine, so as Alinea comes in at number two on the list, he takes time out with Elite Traveler to talk about his food […]

By Zahra Al-Kateb With three Michelin stars, a four-star rating from The New York Times, and six James Beard Foundation Awards, it is no wonder Eleven Madison Park has once again been recognized by our readers, having come third on our list of the Top 100 Restaurants in the World for 2017. We caught up with the establishment’s head chef […]

By Samantha Coles After a sojourn in Melbourne last year, The Fat Duck has made a welcome return to our list. Providing more than just exceptional (and famously experimental) cuisine, The Fat Duck’s aim is to take diners on a nostalgic adventure. Head chef Jonny Lake tells us how his studies in physics and biology inspired his relentless curiosity. How […]

By Lauren Jade Hill Celebrated for elevating farm-to-fork dining, Blue Hill at Stone Barns is lauded as one of upstate New York’s most innovative restaurants, and our highest new entry for 2017. We speak to chef Dan Barber about the cuisine he takes such pride in. What does being voted among the world’s top restaurants mean to you? It is […]

By Andy Hayler To attain three Michelin stars is the ultimate dream for any chef. One of those who achieved it is Michel Guérard, whose restaurant Prés d’Eugénie south of Bordeaux retained its third star in the France Michelin Guide 2017. What is remarkable about this is the chef first gained the third star in 1977, and has managed to […]

By Lauren Jade Hill Tucked into a three-story heritage shop-house in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore, Restaurant André continually garners accolades and rave reviews from across the globe. It’s here that revered chef André Chiang showcases his distinct culinary approach, Octaphilosophy, which brings together the eight elements he believes to be integral to gastronomy: unique, pure, texture, memory, salt, south, artisan and […]

By Zahra Al-Kateb Michael Tusk’s culinary career has gone from strength to strength. The chef and owner of San Francisco’s Quince is featured in our list for the very first time. Congratulations on being named within the Elite Traveler Top 100 Restaurants. How does it feel? It feels great! At the end of the day, our guests are the most […]

By Lauren Jade Hill As the founder and chef of the three-Michelinstarred restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Massimo Bottura rose to great acclaim for challenging the traditions of Italian cuisine, injecting creativity and playfulness into his menus. In an interview with Elite Traveler, the chef explains the root of his inspiration: “For me, influence is found in everyday life,” he […]

By Lauren Jade Hill Owing to the success of her two-Michelin starred, San Francisco-based restaurant Atelier Crenn, French chef Dominique Crenn has risen to culinary prominence, garnering prestigious awards for the accomplished cuisine she’s become known for. But for the celebrated chef, food is about more than just taste; it’s about a deeper connection with emotion. As Crenn is named […]

By Samantha Coles From humble beginnings peeling potatoes with nuns in a French seminary to becoming an esteemed chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, Joël Robuchon is more than deserving of Elite Traveler’s Lifetime Achievement award. Applying this discipline to his craft, Robuchon is recognized as being the pioneer of post-nouvelle cuisine and is known for his […]

By Zahra Al-Kateb. Michelin starred Chef and star of the small screen, Gordon Ramsay has been named Chef of the Year for 2016 by our jetsetting readers. Since opening Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998, he has gone on to win a number of prestigious accolades in the culinary world, eventually becoming one of only four chefs in the UK to […]

By Codelia Mantsebo. With his perpetual exploration of nature and natural ingredients, Chef Esben Holmboe Bang has made a name for himself on the international gourmet scene, firmly putting Norway on the culinary map with Maaemo. Congratulations on being named the Young Chef of the Year 2016. Our list is voted for by our jetsetting readers (rather than food critics […]

By Codelia Mantsebo. Born in the Basque Country, where tradition is deep rooted in gastronomy, Chef Eneko Atxa of Azurmendi Restaurant is a solid reference in international haute cuisine. Atxa’s passion comes from the deepest, most intimate parts of his being – the admiration he felt for home-cooked food throughout his childhood. Atxa began his career at the early age […]

By Zahra Al-Kateb. Alinea is a restaurant that continues to break culinary stereotypes by shunning the stuffy hallmarks often associated with fine dining. The restaurant has defied expectations from the start, from becoming one of the first in the country to use science to manipulate the taste and texture of food, to introducing Tock, a ticketing system where diners pay […]

By Codelia Mantsebo. Swiss Chef and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, The NoMad and the NoMad Bar, Daniel Humm has earned a reputation as one of New York’s culinary masterminds. His sophisticated cuisine focuses on the locally sourced ingredients of New York and has seen him gain numerous accolades around the world. By the age of 14, Humm had started […]

By Zahra Al-Kateb. Having already made a name for himself at Avenues and Alinea, Curtis Duffy’s own venture – a stylish restaurant in the heart of Chicago aptly named Grace – has seen him become one of the country’s most renowned chefs. Congratulations on being the highest new entry in the Elite Traveler Top 100 Restaurants and being named the […]