The Ledbury

State-of-the-art fine dining

 

Veal sweetbread, black garlic and white truffle

I kept finding myself back at The Ledbury but for good reason. There are so many new fine dining openings in 2022 but for sure there are some pretty average places that charge silly price tags. Sometimes, classic revisit trump over new fancy openings and when we talk about classic, The Ledbury is for sure the 1 for most foodies' minds if you ask any 1 their no 1 fine dining restaurants in London. This is the case for me too. Since reopening in early 2022, it serves only a tasting menu, but they are very adaptable to adjust if guests give them notice in advance.

The Grill at The Dorchester

 Next-level British fine dining

Piegon, truffle, cep walnut

For modern fine British cuisine but without too many gimmicks or 'progressive concepts', I always find The Grill at Dorchester to be an excellent choice, lead by head chef Tom Booton, who was the head chef at the Michelin-starred Alyn Williams, The Grill is all about British cuisine with a modern touch, but remain true to its heritage. You will find things such as beef tartare and bread & butter pudding on the menu. The below captured my recent 2 visits in winter (7th and 8th), I was more or less able to sample the whole a la carte menu with a few hungry friends together.

Park Chinois

Top-level Chinese fine dining

Duck de chine

If you ask me to suggest a top-level Chinese restaurant in London when money is not an issue, Park Chinois will always be my answer. There is a reason why this is the most visited Chinese restaurant in London for me, the cooking, while it does has a touch of creativity, stays true to Cantonese cooking heritage and style, turning out perhaps the finest Chinese cuisine you can find in the whole of Europe. For my 20th visit, I went for some house classics from its a la carte menu, as these are classics for a reason...

Noble Palace

Chinese luncheon in style

Soup dumpling stuffed with seafood

The hidden gem Noble Palace slowly is becoming one of my top Chinese dining venues in London. It shied away from promoting itself much and remain a low-key restaurant, but the food offering is anything but low-key. The cooking style is Cantonese cuisine in essence, but with a refined vibe using top-quality British ingredients, such as Cornish crab and Scottish scallops. it would cost north of £100 easily for dinner, but lunch is much more manageable with its dim sum menu. Below captured my recent 2 lunch occasions, from my 6th and 7th visit. I sampled a range of dim sum from its a la carte menu, as well as some special lunch items I ordered ahead.

Noble Palace

Traditional Chinese cuisine bling style

 

Eight treasures duck

Noble Palace has slowly rising become one of my go Chinese restaurants beside Park Chinois and China Tang. The place is all about the classic approach to Cantonese cuisine cooking while using fine quality ingredients to ensure the best result. For dinner time, it offers a few tasting menu choices covering most of the iconic Chinese dishes that is known in the UK, but the real germ is in its small a la carte menu where there are some more traditional dishes that are popular back in China but not yet wildly appreciated in the UK. For my 5th visit, I asked the restaurant to prepare a special menu.

Piazza Duomo

White truffle pairing menu

The sea... scallop, pumpkin with Alba white truffle

Piazza Duomo is a restaurant like no other. The only Michelin-starred restaurant within the town center of Alba in Italy. A region that is famous for its Alba white truffle, led by chef Enrico Crippa and opened in 2005. At the peak of white truffle season in the winter, Piazza Duomo offers a special 7-course tasting menu that pair with white truffle. Clearly, this restaurant is somewhere special as is one of the handfuls of 3 Michelin-starred venues in Italy, as well as voted 19th in the widely popular World 50 Best awards. The expectation for me was extremely high. As I visited in the winter, it was a no-brainer for me to opt for the truffle-tasting menu.

Osteria del Vicoletto

The master of Traditional Piemonte cuisine

Veal tartare with Alba white truffle

Osteria del Vicoletto is a classy traditional Piemonte restaurant located in the heart of Alba. No creativity and no cutting-edge cooking techniques. It is a small place that houses around 25 guests. it serves classic Piemonte cuisine with a stunning wine list largely dominated by wines from the local region. Osteria del Vicoletto pride itself on using the finest local ingredients, with simplicity in its cooking, nothing fancy. Truffle seasons mean I opted for a lot of truffle dishes which really pushed up the cost, but since I was on holiday, I went all in.

Osteria dell'Arco

Hearty mood, Piemonte style

Goat cheese fondue with Alba white truffle

Located in the heart of the town square of Alba, Italy. Osteria dell'Arco is a highly regarded traditional Piemonte restaurant that is known for its slow-cooked dishes. In the winter, when is at peak Alba white truffle season, the restaurant like to add a touch of luxury on top with white truffles added to selected dishes. White truffle is a serious business in Alba, a typical dish at Osteria dell'Arco would cost around 15 euros, but as soon as some white truffle is added, it will shoot to around the 45 euro mark.

Osteria La Libera

Piemonte cuisine with a modern touch

 

Egg, porcini mushrooms with Alba white truffle

Just a stone's throw from the busy Alba old town, Osteria La Libera is a modern Piemonte restaurant that has been a crowd-pleaser since it was launched back in 2009. Unlike many of its neighbor restaurants that stick to true tradition, Osteria La Libera likes to add a touch of a playful element to make it's offering contemporary, but not over the top with creativity. The menu format is your typical 4-course affair with starter, pasta, main, and dessert. As it was the peak of truffle season, I opted for a few dishes with truffle supplements.

Agostino Iacobucci

Fine dining like an Italian noble

Raddish, roe, and vermouth

Set inside Villa Zarri, a brandy distillery and mansion just off Bologna, Agostino Iacobucci is a Michelin-starred restaurant like no other. The building itself is a charming 16th-century mansion, with a massive garden. The interior itself is impressive, with well-spread-out space, and stepping inside feels like visiting a noble's home. The head chef here is Agostino Iacobucci, who moved from Bologna's only Michelin-starred restaurant I Portici's his cooking has a hint of Naple element as that is where he came from. It is a tasting-menu only restaurant, guests can pick either 10 or 12 courses.

Ristorante I Portici

From Bologna to around the world

Marinated sea bass with green curry, fermented banana

Located inside a 5 stars hotel with the same name, I Portici is also the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Bologna. The restaurant has impressive decor, as set in a former theater space. The kitchen is headed up by Gianluca Renzi, who came from the much-celebrated 3 stars restaurant La Pergola in Rome. Interestingly enough, he also worked at Apsleys in London which was one of the finest Italian restaurants in London back in the day. At Portici, in the usual fine dining manner, it offers a tasting menu that has a story theme to it. It kicks off with the familiar taste of Bologna, before heading off far and beyond with International elements.

Ahime

 Hipster Italian joint in Bologna

Sourdough with juniper butter

Located behind the famous Mercato delle Erbe market in Bologna, Ahime is a restaurant like no other. The restaurant is dark in colour with a counter dining space facing the kitchen. It serves small plates and doesn't follow the traditional order with starter, pasta, and main. Your order comes from the kitchen as it is ready, almost like a tapas restaurant. This place won't look out of place in Shoreditch. The food is creative and has unusual ingredient combinations, with a high degree of focus on vegetables. To make life easy for me, I opted for the tasting menu which gives the kitchen the freedom to cook up as they like.

Trattoria da Me

 Classic for a reason

Egg-pasta with bolognese sauce

I have been to Italy a few times, but I am fully aware that Italian cuisine is much more complex and each 20 regions of Italy offer something unique. My recent trip to Bologna, which is supposed to be Italy's food capital, is famous for its pasta, along with Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto. For my first stop, of course, I got to sample the traditional cuisine of Bologna. Trattoria da Me is highly rated by the locals and on my evening visit, it is already flooded with people even before it is open. Opened in 1937, it has become one of the most iconic restaurants in the city.

The Ledbury

London's fine dining temple

Hand Dived Scallop Tomato, Cucumber and Apple Marigold

Back again to my No1 London joint The Ledbury, not sure what else I can add really, it is simply the best fine dining restaurant in London. I personally have eaten at every single 2 and 3 stars western-style restaurant in London in the past 12 years, some with multi visits, but I just find The Ledbury has an edge. Chef-owner Brett has taken sourcing ingredients to another whole world of meaning and is now breeding his own animals, from Iberico pigs to deer.

Claude Bosi at Bibendum

 Modern French with International flair

Cheltenham beetroot, sherry cream, smoked pike roe

There are plenty of fine dining restaurants in London, but very few warrant me to go back. There are so many restaurants out there charging silly prices but hardly delivering any value. There are only a few handfuls of high-end restaurants that justify a return in my book, and Claude Bosi at Bibendum is one of them. The double Michelin-starred modern French restaurant is a serious contender to be the next 3 stars winner by many chefs in the UK. I have personally eaten there a few times and also back in the days when Claude was at Hibiscus in Mayfair, without a doubt, he is a super-talented chef.

Roketsu

 The peak of Kaiseki in London

Scallops, lobster, seabream, sole

Top-class Kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine is hard to come by in the UK, and in fact, besides the Michelin-starred Umu, I can't think of another kaiseki restaurant in London. Launched in January 2022, Roketsu is a one-of-a-kind Kaiseki restaurant. It goes to the very traditional route instead of trying to engineer the cuisine to be more local friendly. The interior was built in Japan and transferred to the UK, with only 10 seats in the dining room along with an open kitchen, run by chef-owner Daisuke Hayashi. It offers a fix priced 10-course menu, mostly based on seafood.

Roji

Omakase sushi den

Grill char and chestnut

I will always take notice when a countering dining style Japanese restaurant open in the UK based on omakase sushi. Roji, the 10 seats sushi counter is by the Japanese restaurant group Chisou, and is headed up by the husband and wife team Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa. While it is branded as a sushi restaurant, the strange thing about it is that half of the fixed price £150 menu contained a selection of sushi, while there are 6 courses of Japanese fusion-styled small plates, with soup, cold cut to grill dishes, which seem a little confusing for me.

The Harwood Arms

 Pub champion

Venison Scotch Egg

The only pub in London with a Michelin star, The Harwood Arms is also my no1 gastropub. Co-owned by the chef legend Brett Graham, the pub's food offering can easily rival other fine dining restaurants across the capital. Last year, the restaurant installed Jake, the former head chef of The Ledbury. I noticed many dishes on the menu had a Ledbury vibe, with some similar ingredients and descriptions, and at a more rustic level. it offers a 3-course a la carte at £65, and you are able to spend a little more on pre-dinner pub snacks such as Scotch egg. 

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal

Sophisticated French dine dining

Monkfish tail

The opening of Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal was such a joy for me. Too many restaurants come and go, but there has not been any high-quality opening since Covid, but given Alex Dilling is one of the best chefs in the UK, you just know the new restaurant going to be something special. My first visit was a hit, and decide to return the week after. My reason to return to the restaurant was simple. Both of its tasting menus have different dishes and both looked so appealing, so the solution was simple. Head there twice so I was able to enjoy both.

China Tang London

The benchmark of Cantonese cuisine in London

Peking duck

China Tang at the Dorchester hotel is my to-go Chinese venue when I seek a classy yet traditional Cantonese cuisine experience. The restaurant has been headed up by chef Fong for over 10 years now and has created a large group of loyal customers. While many Chinese restaurants come and go, and try to come up with creative ideas or explore other regional Chinese cuisines, China Tang sticks to the authentic Cantonese route and remained very popular. It is normal that weekend becomes very high in demand and some customers have to settle for dining at its cocktail bar.

Park Chinois

 Exquisite Chinese banquet

Peking duck with caviar

When you have a big group gathering, Chinese food is a great choice as you are able to follow the classic banquet style, where you can have lots of large plates of food to share. And when it comes to Chinese cuisine, Park Chinois in Mayfair is without a doubt at the very top food-wise. It houses some of the most experienced Chinese cuisine chefs in the UK. I am a big fan of the venue, as I have been visiting a few times every year. I opted for a chef's special banquet-style set menu for my recent visit (19th).

Oxeye

Cutting edge fine dining, Masterchef style 

Wholegrain brioche, confit yolk, caviar

Located in Nine Elm, Oxeyes is former Masterchef Pro winner Sven Hanson Britt's first solo restaurant in London. The tiny restaurant has somewhat an exclusive view about it, located within the Embassy Gardens housing development. Oxeye is a dinner-only venue with 20 covers. Guests are encouraged to enjoy a drink in the waiting area before a waiter would guide you to your table. The concept is largely focused on British ingredients, but the cooking itself has inspiration from around the world, from Japan to Denmark.

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal

Legend return

Caviar & oyster

When Greenhouse shut down, I was so gutted as Alex Dilling managed to turn Greenhouse into one of the finest restaurants in London. I had eaten at Greenhouse when both talented chefs Antonin Bonnet and Arnaud Bignon were heading up the kitchen, but I enjoy Alex Dilling's period the best. I just found his cooking extremely refined with a high degree of sophistication. It was my top London restaurant along with The Ledbury and Kitchen Table. Now that Alex Dilling is back in London with his own restaurant at Cafe Royal, I was super excited to see what he has to offer. There are 2 tasting menus, using top-level ingredients from around the world. 

Sushi On Jones

Value for money omakase in London

O taro, wagyu and caviar

When you seek proper Japanese sushi done in the traditional authentic way, omakase is the way to go. The concept is similar to a western tasting menu, with the chef deciding what to offer you based on the best ingredients he or she could get hold of. Sushi on Jones from the USA picked on that concept with an 'American fast food' approach, with fast pace sushi done in omakase style, done within an hour. It has set up an overseas site in London, not far from Kingcross tube station inside a food court. Unlike its USA counterpart, the London site sticks to a more traditional approach, with well sourced seafood from all around the world.

Noble Palace

Secret dim sum club

Blue swimmer crab dumpling

High-quality dim sum is hard to come by in London, especially recently with the first generation of Chinese dim sum chefs slowly retiring. My to go to value for money dim sum has to be Gold Mine in London. For high-end, Park Chinois comes to mind, but it is extremely expensive and is a dress-up occasion venue. For something sitting in between, I can't think of a place until Noble Palace launched in the summer. The 'secret' restaurant/club doesn't even have a website, so is kind of a hidden oasis for people in the known. For lunch hours, it offers about 25 kinds of dim sums as al la carte, traditional style but using top-grade ingredients. 

Noble Palace

 Hidden palace

Drunken chicken, jelly fish, smoked fish

When is the last time I encountered a high-end restaurant that has no website, no menu, and lack any info online? The high-end Chinese fine dining Noble Palace is just that. The no-menu concept venue in St James Park, which has opened recently fits my need perfectly. You can tell the restaurant what you would like to have, and they will try to come up with a menu for you. They are able to do most of the iconic Chinese dishes. For my recent visit, I pre-ordered a crab dish and a lobster dish, and allow the kitchen the freedom to create something special for me.

Portland

Wellington feasting

Chicken liver parfait tartlet, hazelnut & cherry

I have been visiting Portand since it was first launched back in 2015. From the same people behind the legendary Quality Chop House, Portland focuses on fine dining, but in a more relaxing manner, which was a pretty new thing back then. Clearly, it works out as the restaurant has since landed a Michelin star. I have tried both its regular a la carte and tasting menu, but I was interested to give its feasting menu a go. So for my third visit, I gathered a few foodies and book its private dining room.

Sushi Kamon

Omakase, casual sushi style

Raw fish selection for the omakase

Fine quality sushi is hard to come by in London. Back in Japan, a high-end sushi restaurant would normally host no more than 10 people per seating, with a chef offering a set menu (omakase) to the guests, with everything created in front of the guests, and is considered a luxury experience in Japanese culture. In London, there are less than 5 sushi bars that offer something similar, but all at a sky-high price north of £100 per person easily. Opened by the Yashin restaurant group, Sushi Kamon is somewhat operating against the trend of having a sushi bar inside a food court, in an informal manner and a set menu at £45 for 10 sushi. 

The Ledbury

The daddy of London fine dining 

Pyrenean Milk Fed Lamb Caramelised Cream, Wild Garlic, and Morel

Since The Ledbury reopened in February, I was in super hyped mode and ended up booking a few times spreading across 6 months. Just in case it will be a mission to book a table as pre covid, it is one of the hardest to book restaurants in London. Since the reopening, I have eaten there 3 times already and I would say it will be super easy for the restaurant to retain 2 stars come 2023. One thing that makes The Ledbury stand apart is its service level and the length that chef-owner Brett would go to source the finest local ingredients, with its own farm nursing local Iberican pork and deers.

Aulis London

 Dinner for 8, Rogan's style 

Carrot dumpling with tarragon and pickled onions

I always enjoy tasting menu format in a counter dining space when you are able to engage with the chefs, so Aulis is just the kind of restaurant I just know it is my cup of tea. On top of that, it is a concept by Simon Rogan, and I have been to all of his other London restaurants Roganic and Fera (sadly both are now closed, both top-level restaurants),  so I had high expectations of Aulis. Given it only has 8 seats per day, it is a mission to book a table, and you likely need to book 4 months ahead to secure a seat with a prepayment policy too.

Noble Palace

Secret Chinese fine dining palace

Peking duck

Noble Palace has to be one of the lowest profile opening in London in recent history, with not much press coverage or dining reviews since it was launched in June 2022. The restaurant hasn't even got a website or newsletter, just a low-key Instagram page that is hardly active. You don't even know what you will be eating as there is no menu around online. We know that it is a fine-dining Chinese restaurant, with a real focus on Cantonese and Jing cuisine, and that fancy car likes to park at the front of the venue, but that's about it, with a sense of unknown behind it.

La Trompette

Chiswick classic

Beets, artichoke, summer leaves

9 years later, I returned to La Trompette once again, I rarely travel to west London but it was always on the back of my mind to one day head back to La Trompette. Located in Chiswick, the French-themed neighbourhood restaurant is sister restaurant to The Glasshouse in Kew Garden, another excellent venue that I have visited lately. The cooking style of La Trompette is based on classic French cuisine with a light modern European touch, nothing too creative or experimental. The 3-course menu format is the same as lunch and dinner, but lunch at a lower price so you will always get better value for money if you come for lunch.

Lasarte Barcelona

The peak of fine dining in Barcelona?

Scarlet shrimp soup, tomato, celery and green apple

Barcelona is packed with many great restaurants, from budget tapas, seafood joints to high-end venues. I have visited Barcelona 6 times but still, there are so many places to discover, so returning to the same place has little reason for me... unless it is exceptional to the level that I would rate it as the very best you can find in Spain. Back in 2013, I dined at Lasarte (by the legend Martin Berasategui) and it opened up my eyes to how amazing fine dining can be in Spain. 9 years later, I am back once again. The chef and management team more or less stayed the same, with the restaurant having a massive revamp, with a much larger space with a much higher ceiling and a bigger kitchen. It also gained a 3rd Michelin star.

Koy Shunka Baecelona

The height of Japanese cuisine in Europe?

Canapes of mackerel, monkfish skin, dashi

Caelis Barcelona

Outstanding fine dining, open kitchen style

Lobster royale with caviar

Located inside the 5 stars Hotel Ohla Barcelona, Caelis is a fine dining restaurant by French chef Romain Fornell. What set this place apart is its slick open kitchen where you can book its counter dining space, watching the chefs at work. If you are not a fan of the counter setting, that is no issue as the Calis also offers traditional dining table space too. It is a tasting menu only venue, with the longer 'Celebration' menu containing 18 dishes using the finest ingredients from the Catalan region. 

Dos Pebrots Barcelona

Historial Mediterranean taste

Cured anchovies 2 ways, 2 years and 48 hours

9 years ago, when I visited Barcelona for the first time, I experience fusion cuisine at Dos Palillos by Albert Raurich. The concept was totally new to me and it really open up my mind to how when using western concepts and fine local ingredients, then applying Asian flavours (when done right), it can turn into something truly interesting and great. Its chef-owner, Albert Raurich has since launched Dos Pebrots, a totally different concept, revisiting the past to recreate classic Mediterranean flavours, just sounds like what is Heston doing with his Dinner by Heston restaurant back in London.

Mediamanga Barcelona

Modern casual vibe, traditional taste

Creamy rice with Palamòs prawns

Somewhat a strange name, Mediamanga is a modern Spanish restaurant located in the heart of Barcelona. The restaurant labels its concept based on traditional Mediterranean flavours, but with a modern playful touch, using the best it can get from all the Catalan markets. Unlike many other edgy gastro bars/restaurants in the city, Mediamanga doesn't do tasting menu format, with a short a la carte menu spit into snacks, starters, and mains. This is especially good if you are looking for something light or have limited time, so this place makes a great lunch spot.

Restaurant einsunternull Berlin

 Technical supreme fine dining joint

Char, salad, brown butter

To round off my Berlin trip on a high, I happened to pick Einsunternull for a few reasons, it is only a 1 min walk from my hotel. Another factor is if I compare the food presentation to other Berlin Michelin-starred restaurants, it appears its refine level is a notch above most, visually very impressive. The restaurant label itself approaches cooking in the Berliner manner with a creative touch, as I am a tourist with a very open mind, I was more than happy just to sit back and see what Einsunternull has to offer me.

Cordo Berlin

Casual vibe with innovative food

canapes of sturgeon, shrimp and wagyu

Unlike Spanish, Italian, or French cuisine, German cuisine is hardly on travelers' top list to try, so it wasn't easy for me when I was researching where to eat when I got a trip to Berlin. Interestingly enough, Germany has more Michelin-starred restaurants than the UK, and far more 3 stars too. While Berlin is not the biggest city in Europe, and most things are within walking distance, it is packed with restaurants, many new Asian concepts, and high-end western venue openings. I came across Cordo as somewhere close enough to the center and has a casual vibe despite being a high-end venue with a tasting menu only format, but in a very relaxing manner with no dress code, just what I need in the summer when wearing a shirt and jacket is a tough demand.

Park Chinois

Dim sum heaven

Iberico pork puff

Dim sum lunch on a weekend is perhaps one of the most popular things to do as a family outing in the Chinese community, but for me, I will always find time for a dim sum occasion. The standard dim sum you can find in Chinatown London is enjoyable, but if you are looking for a next-level dim sum experience, Park Chinois is the place for you. The Mayfair fine dining joint use top-notch ingredients, such as Iberico pork and wagyu beef, and all handcrafted skillfully by a team of very experienced chefs, all made freshly on the day. For my 17th visit, I noticed there are a few new dim sum items and that is what I ordered, along with a few classics.

Lisboeta

Lisbon in London

Grilled Carabineiro

Portuguese restaurants are hard to come by in London, for some reason, it does not get the love like Spanish cuisine but I found Portuguese is just as good and exciting as Spanish. I recalled when chef Nuno Mendes launched Taberna do Mercado in Spitalfield Market in East London back in 2015, it was something so new in London and to these days, I still found it to be the best Portuguese restaurant in London, despite it being closed down already. Fast forward to 2022, Nuno is back with a new concept Lisboeta, offering a slice of Lisbon food culture to his new restaurant, I was generally really excited to give it a go. The menu center around many small plates, with four dishes that are ideal to share.

Bibo

Taste of Andalusia

Lobster seafood rice

Great quality Spanish cooking is hard to come by in London, there are many Spanish restaurants around but few do it to a level that can rival its homeland. Located inside the modern and trendy Mondrian Hotel in Shoreditch, Bibo appears to be a Spanish restaurant that means serious business. Chef Dani Garica had 3 Michelin stars to his name with his Restaurant Dani Garica in Marbella, which is now closed. He is now working on many casual concepts around Spain as well as aboard, including Bibo in London, offering a taste of Southern Spanish cuisine in Shoreditch. Bibo's menu is mostly small tapas plates with some large sharing dishes from the grill and rice session.

Kaki

 Regional Chinese cuisine done right

Double cooked spicy sliced pork

Since Dim Sum and Duck opened in Kings Cross at the peak of Covid, it became perhaps one of the most in-demand Chinese restaurants in London. But before Dim Sum and Duck came along, there is already a great Chinese restaurant in Kings Cross in the name of Kaki. What set this place apart vs other Chinese restaurants is that its main focus is on all the regional Chinese cuisine which is still fairly unknown to the British public. the majority of Chinese restaurants in the UK is Cantonese based, but Kaki tapped into other regional classics, such as Jiangsu and Sichuan.

Bao Noodles Shop

Casual Taiwanese inspired street food 

Lu Rou Fan, Egg, Fish Floss Rice

I recalled Bao used to be a little street food vendor not long ago, and now is a little restaurant chain with 5 sites across London. The latest Bao site is in Shoreditch, but it is a little different vs other joints. It is called Bao Noodles Shop, and as you can guess from its name, it does noodles, as well as their classic baos. The strange thing for me is that, out of the 19 dishes on the menu, there are only 2 noodles dishes, somewhat confusing as it labels itself as a noodle shop. The menu also contains a lot of deep-fried items and carbs, which appears to make it as simple as it can for the kitchen while keeping costs down.

Cay Tre Soho

Beyond the Vietnamese norm

Sapa style rice roll, with grilled pork belly

When we talk about Vietnamese cuisine, people will most likely think of spring rolls and pho, but there is so much more. Beyond the most famous Vietnamese dishes, there are so many unknowns for your average joe, many Vietnamese restaurants in the UK play it safe and only serve the typical dishes. Cay Tre Soho is one of the rarer places that offer beyond the standard. On the menu, you will find plenty of authentic dishes such as rice rolls and fish stew, an ideal place for anyone who would like to explore Vietnamese cuisine further.

Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890

The don of Italian cuisine?

Duck, apple, cinnamon

Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890, a legendary restaurant in Saint Agata, not far from Sorrento has been highly regarded as the very best restaurant the region has on offer. Besides its 2 Michelin stars, it is also part of Relais and Chateau, so it is a very special place without a doubt. As you can figure from its name, the restaurant has been around since 1890, under the same family for all these years. Its famous underground wine cellar was used to hide treasures and fine wines in world war 2. These days, it held some of the oldest wines in the world and is also used for aging cheeses.  

Ristorante Lorelei

Stunning classy seaside restaurant

Raw scampi, with ricotta cheese, garden peas and black truffle

Located within a 5 stars hotel of the same name, Lorelei is without a doubt one of the restaurants with the most amazing seaside view. Just on the edge of the ever-busy Sorrento city center, the Michelin starred fine dining restaurant overlooks the sea with Capri island on the left, and the bay of Naples on the right. For sure ask for a table at its terrace space for that stunning view. On the menu, there are 4 tasting menus to pick from, from its signature fish menu, market menu, and vegetable menu to a blind tasting one. Given the seaside location and seafood is such an essential part of Sorrento's cuisine, I opted for the signature menu.

Il Buco

Sorrento's iconic fine dining restaurant  

Steamed lobster on cauliflower cream and saffron chips

When I was running my research on finding where to eat in Sorrento, pretty much every website I came across recommended Il Buco. The 1 Michelin starred restaurant is overseen by Peppe Aversa for over 25 years and is somewhat one of the most iconic restaurants in Sorrento, with its modern local Italian cuisine. The restaurant is located in the heart of the city center within a former church, stretching 3 levels. There are about 20 dishes from its a la carte menu, or you can go for either its fish or land tasting menu, which are smaller dishes taken from its a la carte. For my visit, I opted for the fish tasting menu.

L'Antica Trattoria

 Traditional trattoria house in Sorrento

Octopus with light orange mashed potatoes, green beans

Located in the heart of Sorrento's old town, L'Antica Trattoria is perhaps the most famous authentic restaurant along with O'Parrucchiano La Favorita (which has a stunning fruit and flowers garden). The traditional trattoria is full of oldies charm, with its vintage open-top decor that is packed with paintings, flowers, and plants. Dining inside felt less like dining at a restaurant, but rather in a royal garden instead (all the staff is also well dressed, formal style). The cooking is traditional, with the menu in the classic Italian format of starter, pasta, main, and dessert.