SYDNEY - After a long day of sightseeing the
last thing you need is a dud meal so the Web site for Food &
Wine Magazine has come up with a list of the top 10 restaurants
where the food is as good as the nearby sights.
1. Alto, New York City (Museum of Modern
Art). Chef Michael White left Fiamma to take over the
kitchen at Alto and at sister restaurant L’Impero. His elegant
presentation and satisfying Northern Italian cooking has
elevated this wine-centric restaurant just a short walk from the
MoMA.
2. Fafiuche, Rome (the Forum). The
newest destination in the trendy Monti neighborhood next to the
Forum is a combination restaurant and food shop selling
exceptional artisanal products such as biscotti from Tuscany and
preserves from Piedmont.
3. The Goring, London (Buckingham Palace).
The Goring was recently made over by the Queen’s nephew,
designer David Linley. Now it’s glitzy, with handmade cabinets
and Swarovski crystal chandeliers, but the traditional English
food is still terrific, and the cellar one of the best in
London.
4. Karim’s, Delhi (Jama Masjid mosque).
The most iconic kebab joint in Delhi sits in the shadow of
the Jama Masjid mosque and has been owned for nearly a century
by a family that claims to have cooked for India’s Mughal
emperors 200 years ago.
5. Les Cocottes, Paris (Eiffel Tower).
At this dressed-down spot, chef Christian Constant, of Le Violon
d’Ingres and Cafe Constant, bakes a half-dozen
Southwestern-accented French dishes in mini Staub cast-iron pots
which customers can purchase.
6. Martha Kitchen & Bar, Tel Aviv (Tel
Aviv Museum and Opera House). Within walking distance of the
Tel Aviv Museum and Opera House, Martha serves excellent Middle
Eastern dishes like lentil salad with eggplant puree, Western
dishes like sirloin meatballs and a few that fuse the two.
7. Ocean Room, Sydney (Opera House).
Excellent sashimi is surprisingly hard to find in Sydney, but
Ocean Room has it, thanks to young Tokyo-born chef Raita Noda’s
access to a thrilling variety of seafood. The restaurant - on
Circular Quay, near Sydney Opera House - has a huge indoor
aquarium and wide-angle views of the harbor.
8. Omotenashi BAR at Isetan, Tokyo (in
must-visit Isetan food hall, also near Shinjuku shopping area).
The glamorous Isetan department store’s basement food-floor
recently underwent a massive renovation, resulting in a new
array of food stands, chef counters and covetable ingredients.
The floor now houses Omotenashi BAR, which serves nihonshu (the
Japanese word for sake) paired with small plates.
9. Palatium, Rome (Spanish Steps).
This sleekly designed restaurant just off the Spanish Steps
concentrates on the food of Rome and the Lazio region, with an
assortment of dishes that incorporate fava beans from Anzio,
olives from Gaeta and pecorino and ricotta from Rieti.
10. Pasaji, Athens (city center). Chef Nena
Ismirnoglou, who spent several years at New York City’s
Estiatorio Milos, cooks smart, modernized Greek cuisine at her
new restaurant in the city center. The latest people-watching
hangout, Pasaji is named for its location in a gorgeously
renovated covered passage behind the famous Grand Bretagne
hotel. – Reuters