Search results for

If one is going to throw around the word “iconic,” let’s make sure it’s used appropriately. As with Zuni. The awkwardly shaped restaurant—it’s in a narrow storefront with wider spaces on the mezzanine—was opened in 1979 by Billy West. West’s best move was hiring chef Judy Rodgers in 1987. She put in a brick oven—and thus the Zuni roast chicken was born. This dish, more than any other (except perhaps the Caesar salad), defines Zuni. The chicken is roasted in the brick oven and served over a bread salad: greens with chewy bread croutons. Simple, perfectly cooked, and seasonal. Rodgers died in 2013, but the restaurant soldiers on without her. The menu changes with the season and with what the local farms are growing, and will doubtless explain the provenance of your meat. Rodgers, along with her peer across the bay, Alice Waters, pioneered California cooking, and the cooks who have passed through here have gone on to define today’s vibrant restaurant scene.

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Designers Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary of KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group oversaw the original design of the Parisian-inspired Waldorf-Astoria Chicago in 2009, and the pair was once again brought in to breathe new life into this 215-room Gold Coast gem. Rooms are now bright white, well-lit, and include pops of uplifting magenta. Before you hit any of them, however, there’s much to entice at street level. Enter from the circular driveway and marvel at the Swarovski chandelier, modeled after a vintage brooch, along with the herringbone wood floors and black-and-white pinstriped stone. Don’t miss the Peacock Lounge and its secret sister, Bernard’s Bar, an intimate craft cocktail and champagne boîte, which is virtually unknown even by city denizens (which means you can always find a seat). Its Scottish and equestrian themes are almost as anachronistic as the Mansard roof and circular driveway, which just adds charm to this newly beloved Chicago hotel.

The guest rooms feature oversize headboards and abstract floral bedspreads, while bathrooms are a marvel of marble. For something more, splurge on either the new 1,800-square-foot Astoria Suite or the redesigned 2,400-square-foot Presidential Suite, both of which will have you feeling you’ve been transported to a Parisian pied-à-terre (the latter’s primary bedroom features a fireplace).

Blueberry Boy Bait may sound like a B-side song from an alternative band, but it’s actually just an ice cream flavor offered by Humphry Slocombe, a small shop in the Mission District. Owner and former pastry chef Jake Godby has made the name Humphry Slocombe synonymous with flavors and ingredients not often found in ice cream or sorbet. Case in point: best-seller Secret Breakfast, the flavor that launched a thousand Humphry Slocombe fans, a combo of homemade cornflakes and bourbon. Traditionalists will be happy to find “normal” flavors, too, but it’s Godby’s “march to your own drum” ethos that brings out his best work and keeps people lining up for creative scoops. Pick up a copy of The Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book, with 40 recipes you can re-create at home.

At this stunning restaurant in the Grand Wailea Maui, Lahaina-born chef Alvin Savella wows diners with bright flavors and striking plating. Start with appetizers like Cantonese barbecue-style char siu pork belly, squid ink bao, and ulu (breadfruit) risotto with nasturtiums, then move on to impressive mains like lobster ramen in red miso–coconut broth and free-range huli huli chicken with garlic fried rice and charred pineapple relish. Set in a lagoon, the round, thatched-roof restaurant—named for Hawaii’s state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa—offers spectacular sunset views, so plan your dinner accordingly.

The Lobster Palace scores high on service, seaside ambience, and Caribbean charm. At this northwestern, coastal hotspot, the signature crustaceans are boat-to-bib fresh and served flambéed or pan-fried in massive portions. Note that, when the waves kick up and ground the fishing fleet, the restaurant can sometimes run out of lobster. Never fear, however, as the chef turns out other great dishes like tenderloin, moules frites, and shrimp in coconut sauce that are just as satisfying.

A breathtaking view of dramatic cliffs diving into the sparkling azure seas sets the scene for a spectacular two-Michelin-star meal of seasonal specialties by chef Arnaud Faye that may be perfectly paired with any one of 15,000 bottles of wine at La Chèvre d’Or in medieval Èze.

Myrtle Allen is Ireland’s answer to Alice Waters: The centenarian chef has lobbied the Irish parliament for better food policies, earned some Michelin stars, and, 50 years ago, opened a restaurant called the Yeats Room in the town of Shanagarry, an hour east of Cork City. She eventually added bedrooms upstairs and called it Ballymaloe House, and her sous-chef-turned-daughter-in-law, Darina Allen—who has written canonical Irish cookbooks and helped lead Ireland’s Slow Food movement—tacked on the Ballymaloe Cookery School and farm two miles from the main house.

This is thus the seat of Ireland’s food royalty, and it shows. The restaurant spins flavorful dinners out of whatever comes in from the farm or East Cork’s fishing boats, and the cookery school has become known the world over for teaching expert and novice chefs to make pizzas, ferment pickles, cook baby food, and grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Even without all that, the ivy-fronted house—and cabins and cottages on the farm’s grounds—make for a simple, pleasant country retreat.

As the name suggests, this soaring 44-story hotel from the Ritz-Carlton brand is peppered with high-end artwork, mainly by renowned Spanish and Catalan artists such as Eduardo Chillida, Albert Rafols-Casamada, Perico Pastor, and Luis Feito. But there’s much more to the hotel than paintings and sculptures—such as the peaceful terraced gardens, an outdoor swimming pool that overlooks a large Frank Gehry fish sculpture, a luxury spa offering panoramic views, and several excellent restaurants. The hotel overlooks Barcelona and the Mediterranean from its prime location on the Olympic Port. And, perhaps best of all, the beach is right at the doorstep.

The rooms are a delight, too, with dark-wood furnishings and flooring, flat-screen TVs, and sleek, spacious bathrooms that come with separate bathtubs and Asprey toiletries. The hotel’s penthouses are even more swish; guests who book one of these will not only get their own private elevator and fully equipped kitchen (where the hotel’s chefs will happily prepare meals en suite) but can also book a dedicated butler service.

At this intimate Marylebone hotel, there’s a unique history that goes beyond its setting in a Regency townhouse, or its location overlooking one of London’s earliest cricket grounds. Of more interest to hotel junkies is the fact that, back in 1985, this was the first hotel opened by Tim and Kit Kemp, who went on to found the much-loved Firmdale Hotels group, which now has properties throughout London and New York City. Though the couple sold Dorset Square in 2002, they re-bought it in 2012, and gave it a thorough re-do to bring it back to their signature style standard.

The 38 rooms now feature modern English décor, complete with individually selected furnishings and eye-catching fabrics, as well as Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations, and granite bathrooms with walk-in showers or bathtubs. The top-tier Marylebone Room kicks it up a notch with grey wool walls and a separate sitting room. Some of the rooms run small, but luckily there are comfy public spaces in which to hang out, including a lovely ground floor library with fireplace, honor bar, and views of the square. The Potting Shed restaurant is both a guest and local favorite for its gourmet menu and all-day afternoon tea, as well as its Chef’s Table dinners and weekend Prosecco Brunch. The team here can also put together a custom picnic hamper, stocked with eats, drinks, and a blanket for enjoying in the square or nearby Regent’s Park.

Located in Park City‘s renovated Masonic Hall on historic Main Street, the Riverhorse caters to a high-end fine-dining crowd. Seth Adams, the executive chef and co-owner who drives the seasonally appropriate creative menu, has brought home prestigious awards, including a few that were firsts in the state of Utah. While the Riverhorse has a great selection of wine, it does allow patrons to bring in their own bottles for a $25 corkage fee. The restaurant is family friendly, with healthy selections on the kids’ menu. Dress is “mountain casual,” and reservations are strongly encouraged.

After years at its original, jewel-box-like (and maybe even a little solemn) location, the city’s high temple of Mexican regional cuisine has moved to a more expansive—some say more relaxed—space. It includes more light, a bar area for “taco omakase,” and large windows overlooking the garden, plus a groovy, midcentury accent that might recall Manhattan’s late, lamented Four Seasons restaurant. Changes aside, diners can still count on a six-section prix fixe menu, with each section home to multiple bites involving an astounding variety of local ingredients that even most Mexicans have never tasted, all exquisite enough to have placed Pujol on several best-restaurants lists for years running. And yes, you still get a taste of chef Enrique Olvera’s mole madre, well over a thousand days in the pot as of this writing.

If you’re looking for a special spot to celebrate an occasion or a loved one Scottsdale, make your way to T. Cook’s. Chef Paul McCabe is an Arizona native from Sedona’s red rock country who’s inspired by local, seasonal ingredients. His menu abides by fresh Mediterranean principles and features grown-up takes on comfort food. The bolognese, for example, is made with rabbit and sits atop a bed of edible flowers, while short rib-stuffed ravioli is paired with scallops, chanterelle mushrooms, and a little peach for sweetness. Brunch is a popular draw, too, with sweet and savory options that include lemon ricotta pancakes and a pancetta omelet.

Ultraviolet is the kind of travel experience you talk about 10 years later. French chef Paul Pairet first dreamed of a multisensory dining adventure in 1996, but it took until May 2012 to open this transcendent restaurant. There’s room for only 10 diners to experience the 20-course meal at one time, and the dining room is a theater with HD screens for walls. With every course, the sounds, sights, and even smells change to complement and amplify the menu. The sublime sea bass Monte Carlo—sea bass with fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes inside a baguette—is served to the sound of Debussy, and as you eat you’ll notice a vibrant aquarium has appeared right in front of you.

The most stunning dining room in celebrity chef Neil Perry’s restaurant empire has got to be Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. Seated amid soaring green marble columns and Art Deco windows in a space designed by Emil Sodersten, diners can choose between the finest steaks, seafood, cocktails, and wines—more than 3,000 of them—that Australia has to offer. Dry-aged beef and sustainable fish are simple yet succulent, cooked over an open flame or in the wood-fired rotisserie. Start with the signature Four Raw Tastes of the Sea before savoring the Wagyu or Cape Grim steak, or opt for classy appetizers and cocktails in the candlelit bar, adorned with 2,682 hanging Riedel riesling glasses.

The latest from the man who is probably Portugal’s most famous chef, José Avillez (of two-Michelin-starred Belcanto), Bairro de Avillez does it all. Upon entry, guests are greeted by a traditional Portuguese taberna, where cheese, charcuterie, and Avillez’s take on traditional petiscos (finger foods) fuel a festive atmosphere. Further inside, you’ll find Páteo, a seafood-focused food court for classic Portuguese dishes, and Beco, a hidden restaurant that offers a gourmet menu alongside sexy cabaret shows. Plan to spend the night here.