Search results for

Expect the unexpected at Ka‘ana Kitchen, set within the funky yet sophisticated Andaz Maui. Here, executive chef Isaac Bancaco draws from the best of the island’s bounty, using local ingredients in a mix of Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Native Hawaiian cuisine. Think breadfruit hush puppies, Kona clams with savory malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts), and ahi tataki with burrata and lilikoi (passion fruit), enhanced only by the restaurant’s sweeping coastal views. You don’t need to change out of casualwear to dine here, but Bancaco has a knack for turning meals into events, inspiring diners to dress up a little.

The name kind of says it all. The 19th-century farmhouse, renovated and turned into a restaurant, still holds rustic charms, complete with exposed brick pillars, a squeaky staircase, and a southwest-facing front porch that catches the afternoon light. Some of the homestyle cuisine, like the hardy Breakfast Burrito and the decadent Pork Belly Benny are prepared with ingredients sourced from the farm itself, and served in cast iron pans. The extended property, called Jessup Farm Artisan Village, has modern shops, a craft brewing operation, and a cozy coffee shop. The Farmhouse is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and is closed on Mondays.

A stalwart on the “best of” lists, this restaurant blends dynamic global cuisine with comfort food… set against a steampunky-sports bar décor. None of this should work, but it very much does. The industrial touches evoke the city’s heritage as a Western working town, as well as its iconic grunge epoch that swept the globe. (The bottle-cap portrait of local legend Jimi Hendrix is especially endearing.) Don’t miss the chicken khao soi, foraged-mushroom pizza with taleggio, or the sublime Vadouvan-spiced carrots with thin curls of feta smoked in-house. The restaurant’s connected to the Kimpton Hotel Monaco and also delivers a mean breakfast, from malted waffles to duck confit hash with cippolini and dried cherries.

Yes, it’s tiny—and no one knows its name—but this hole in the wall is a new favorite, simply because it’s like no other vibe we’ve seen in the city: an open kitchen and a rustic setting, both a lunch stop and a forum for learning about corn, the ingredient that lent form to Mexican cuisine as we know it today. The big idea came from taco-maker Paulino Martínez, founder of iconic Taquería El Parnita, who reasoned that to make a better taco, you had to get involved starting with corn. It translates to superior grain in everything from sopes and gorditas to atole and tejuino (a slightly fermented corn, brown-sugar and lime beverage).

Set amid olive groves and vineyards in the middle of the Istrian countryside, this typical stancija (homestead) is small—it has just four rooms and suites—but delightful. It first opened as an exclusive restaurant serving regional cuisine, wines from its own vineyard (one of Istria’s most renowned), and single-sort extra-virgin olive oils (made from indigenous olives and lauded for their quality). As its reputation grew, however, Meneghetti transformed into a boutique hideaway with rustic rooms—and a Relais & Châteaux designation, to boot. Lounge on the series of outdoor terraces, swim in the indoor and outdoor pools, and dine on creative dishes like bream sashimi and lamb chops with stuffed zucchini.

Owned by a Chinese chef who spent time cooking for French celebrities in Paris, Chez Nicholas is a small restaurant with big flavor. Here, Chef Nicholas serves five-star French cuisine to a smattering of tables (always make a reservation to avoid disappointment). For the best possible meal, don’t choose your own dishes—just order the five-course prix fixe, which comes in “simple” or “deluxe” versions with or without wine pairings, and let Chef Nicholas take it from there. Once a month, he does a Chinese weekend, with gourmet dishes from different regions of his home country. No matter when you stop in, however, expect exquisite food accompanied by the elegant sounds of French music and opera (the chef’s favorite).

Local restaurateur Hide Sakurai—also the force behind Shokudo next door—brings healthy grab-and-go options to the heart of Honolulu’s Ala Moana, the state’s largest shopping center. An artisan café and pinot wine bar, Bread & Butter seats around 50 and serves three meals a day. Argentine chef Arnaldo “Masa” Gushiken adds hints of Spanish and Japanese cuisine to the otherwise very locavore American menu. Highlights include the beet-peach-arugula salad and the house-smoked-ahi sandwich, balanced by the bright crunch of pickled vegetables in its side salad. Regulars also rave about the single servings of paella, the bell-pepper-goat-cheese dip, and the decadent truffle chicken starring an entire game hen.

Located next to Les Praz’s par 72 golf course, La Cabane des Praz offers a charming, out-of-town dining experience, along with views of Mont Blanc and other majestic peaks. Golfers and couples alike come here to enjoy modern French cuisine by the crackling fire, or afternoon tea on the sunbaked terrace. The menu ranges from fillet of beef in Béarnaise sauce to arctic char with parsnips and mushrooms. During the week, diners can also opt for a $36 three-course lunch menu.

Ask any Goan for a restaurant recommendation and the response almost always includes Martin’s Corner. The family-run restaurant has come a long way from its start as a corner shop, and many locals consider eating its sorpotel, lobster piri-piri, and chicken xacuti as almost a rite of passage. From first dates to family gatherings, the crowd here is diverse and loyal. The rustic setup features outdoor dining, live music, and one of the better bar menus around town. Several framed culinary awards line the walls, including one for ”Best Coastal Food Restaurant” as well as the Times Food Award for Best Goan Cuisine. Martin’s Corner also boasts “dedicated free parking,” a feature often and proudly advertised.

Dasheene, the restaurant in the award-winning Ladera Resort, is a magical place unlike any other on the island. The open dining room, overlooking the sea, is so close to the Pitons that you feel as if you could reach out and touch the peaks. The menu, which focuses on ingredients sourced from local farms and plantations, puts a creative spin on classic St. Lucian cuisine, including plantain gratin with a coconut rum sauce, and roast conch. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch as well, but there’s no beating the romantic atmosphere and sunset views at dinner, which make a meal here well worth the high price.

Disco ball, lounge, jungle, and cuisine all come together at this trendy restaurant located on Tulum’s main hotel-zone avenue. The venue is renowned for its eclectic style that blends unusual lighting, a lush outdoor setting, and live DJ nights for a cool, hippie-style vibe. Dinner is prepared over open-fire grills and in wood-burning ovens, resulting in flavorful Mexican favorites like taco samplers, quesadillas with epazote, grilled avocado, and slow-roasted pork belly. Gitano also specializes in strange but enticing cocktails from its mezcal bar, like ones that include ingredients like rum, hibiscus, and tropical fruits.

There’s no better place to enjoy authentic Shanghainese food than inside a 1920s Spanish villa. Right? Right! Take a seat at one of Fu 1088’s vintage tables, and get ready to savor a parade of elegantly plated local dishes. If you’re keen to try a classic Shanghai dish (or you’re all about unapologetically rich cuisine), order the hongshao rou (red braised pork). Or enjoy the lighter tea-smoked duck eggs and drunken chicken made with rice wine and topped with goji berries. The appetizers here skew a bit more modern, with deep-fried prawns with wasabi mayonnaise stealing the show. Note: There’s a minimum per person spend of about $46 at lunch and $77 at dinner.

The elegant, grown-up Compound Restaurant on Santa Fe’s Canyon Road caters to devoted locals and tourists alike with a Southwestern-meets-Mediterranean focus. James Beard Award–winning chef Mark Kiffin scores with entrées like roasted rack of lamb, salmon with crispy pancetta, and wild mushrooms with organic stone-ground polenta. At lunch, the bar menu is less pricey and offers a chance to sample the famed Compound Burger, made with local Lone Mountain Ranch Wagyu beef, and wash it down with a cold beer. Even with the fantastic cuisine, the best parts of this white tablecloth and custom furniture institution remain the clean adobe arches and folk-art decor created by artist Alexander Girard.

The Peranakan Museum houses an excellent collection of antiques, textiles, and artifacts over three floors in a beautiful heritage building that in and of itself is something to behold—it was constructed in 1912 as the Tao Nan School in an exciting mash-up of architectural styles. The exhibition space showcases treasures from Peranakan homes and daily life in 10 permanent galleries. Peranakan culture, which sprang up in Singapore and elsewhere in the former Straits Settlements when Chinese traders married into wealthy Malay families, gave rise to a unique cuisine, type of dress, and home decor that are still an important part of many Singapore families’ traditions today.

Watching the river flow by with a margarita in hand is one of the best ways to while away an afternoon in San Antonio, and at Casa Rio, you can do just that. The restaurant’s colorful umbrellas have lined the River Walk since 1946, providing a postcard-perfect backdrop for sampling enchiladas, flautas, fajitas, and, of course, icy-cold margaritas. The oldest restaurant on the riverfront, Casa Rio is beloved for its authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, but its real charm lies in its ambience. Request an outdoor table and let your worries float away with the river. Just be sure to decide between frozen and on the rocks first.