Min Jiang

Fine dining Chinese with a fine view 

Wood-fired Beijing Duck

If you ask me to recommend a real top quality Chinese restaurant in London, Ming Jiang would easily be the first one to come to my mind. Located inside the 5 stars Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, Ming Jiang is on the top floor of the building with a stunning view of Hyde Park. The restaurant is all about top end Chinese cooking with a strong focus on Cantonese cuisine. I went to Ming Jiang for the first time back in 2013 and I was generally impressed with the quality of the food. 5 years later, I headed back to Ming Jiang once again and wonder if much has changed.

Ciel Bleu

The definition of fine dining

Strawberries, pannacotta, lemon

If you ask an Amsterdam local to suggest you a fine dining restaurant, for a truly special occasion that you will be remembering for a long long time, the chance is Ciel Bleu would most likely to be the recommendation. Located inside the super luxury 5 stars Okura hotel on the top floor, Ciel Bleu is a double Michelin starred, modern French restaurant with a stunning view overlooking the city. The restaurant is all about using luxury, prime ingredients from around the world with a touch of creativity. Diners have the choice of 3 tasting menu and a standard a la carte, if you really want to splash the cash, you can also upgrade to the caviar menu which contains caviar in every dishes.  

The White Room

Elegant gastronomy in the heart of Amsterdam

Tuna 4 ways, turnip, white asparagus, soy sauce 

Jacob Jan Boerma is one of the only 3 chefs currently has a triple Michelin stars restaurant in The Netherlands. Launched in 2016, The White Room by Jacob Jan Boerma in Amsterdam was one of the biggest restaurants openings of the year in the country and it reached Michelin 1 star status in 2017. Located inside the super luxury NL Collection, the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, right in the heart of Amsterdam. The first thing you would notice is the stunning interior of The White Room, with a harmony of white and gold colour in a classic royal French setting. The menu offering at The White Room fairly standard in the world of fine dining, aka al la carte and a tasting menu, but there is also an amazing value for money lunch menu at under 40 Euro per person.

Rijks

Not your standard museum restaurant

21 days dry aged duck

Rijks, a modern European restaurant is located right next to The Netherlands' national museum, which shared the same name. Rijks is not your typical standard museum restaurant, along with a slick modern interior design and outdoor sitting, it has a Michelin star. The menu is highly ambitious, with a mixture of international influences, from India to Italy. It also offers some ballsy dishes, such as veal brain and duck heart, so if you are into adventurous and surprises, this could be an ideal restaurant for you. It is a very popular restaurant and booking is highly recommended. 

Sinne

Fusion modern cuisine in Amsterdam

BBQ duck breast with bimi, creme of red curry lentils, Thai basil

Dutch cuisine is somewhat an unknown outside Holland, but actually, there is plenty of top quality, exciting restaurants in the country, taking influences from around the world. With Amsterdam alone, 25 restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars, and Sinne is one of them. It is a very modern restaurant that combines French, Asian and Mediterranean flavours together to create something unusual and contemporary. Unlike most other restaurants, Sinne also doesn't run a classic a la carte menu. Instead, diners would be asked how many courses they would like, ranging from 3 to 8 dishes. It is a no choice fixed menu in a way.