Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today: Top 10 best hotel restaurants in the world
The times that hotel restaurants were seen as a last resort or a backup dining plan are gone. These days, ultraluxe hotels and five star resorts across the world are luring guests with fabulous restaurants that boast unique settings and world-class cuisine. With Michelin stars aplenty and often managed by celebrity chefs eager to put their stamp on thing, several hotel restaurants have become destinations in and of themselves, whether or not guests are staying on property. Here are my ten favorite hotel restaurants in the world, all serving exceptional cuisine to please food connoisseurs and epicures.
There is more information below the slideshow. Think I missed one? Share your favorite hotel restaurant in the comments section.
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10. INDIAN ACCENT, THE LODHI NEW DELHI, INDIA
Indian Accent at The Lodhi New Delhi Hotel is an old world hospitality concept that showcases inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavors and traditions of India with global ingredients and techniques. Chef Manish Mehrotra has designed the inventive menu that aims to showcase Indian cuisine using seasonal ingredients as well as some less common ingredients from around the world. Diners can expect pumpkin bitterballen, mud crab and kulfi sorbet. Indian Accent also has a huge range of vegetarian dishes including spiced corn muthia and lotus root shammi. The restaurant opened in 2009 to significant acclaim for its path breaking approach to contemporary Indian food and has won several awards and global recognition, including being the only restaurant from India on the World’s 100 Best list since 2015.
- Restaurant website: Indian Accent
- Other accolades: The Lodhi features in my top 10 list of the best hotels in New Delhi.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks at The Lodhi when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and one complimentary 50 min massage for two).
- Review: read my review of The Lodhi (including dinner at Indian Accent) here.
9. GB ROOF GARDEN, GRANDE BRETAGNE HOTEL, ATHENS, GREECE
The GB Roof Garden is located on the rooftop floor of the Grande Bretagne Hotel, offering uninterrupted views of the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill and the Parliament. The restaurant menu exudes new Mediterranean cuisine created by Executive Chef Nikos Liokas and his team. The slow cooking method – at low temperature and for many hours – finds its perfect expression in the gastronomic delights of the Chef as well as the excellent raw materials and workmanship reflected in each bite. The restaurant is especially known for its special dessert menu curated by pâtissier Arnaud Larher – one of France’s top 10 chocolatiers – making it ideal for diners with a sweet tooth. Make sure to request a table in the first or second row on the terrace, since most of the other tables don’t come with a view.
- Restaurant website: GB Rooftop restaurant
- Other accolades: Hotel Grande Bretagne features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels & resorts in Greece.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks at Grande Bretagne Hotel when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and one complimentary à la carte lunch for two).
- Review: read my review of Grande Bretagne Hotel (including dinner at GB Roof Garden) here.
8. AQUA, THE RITZ-CARLTON WOLFSBURG, GERMANY
Within the luxe confines of The Ritz-Carlton Wolfsburg, Aqua is one of only ten Michelin three-star restaurants in Germany. Sven Elverfeld’s take on fine dining balances sophistication and creative wizardry in a sublime harmony of flavour and texture. Refined tasting menus follow a culinary journey, with playfully named dishes masking their elegant simplicity. The likes of spiced chicken skin with avocado and olive, oyster with peanut, cucumber, ginger and elderberry, and roe buck with cabbage and wild mushroom showcase flavour profiles that tickle every taste bud. The restaurant’s interior draws inspiration from the theme of nature, and the shimmering serenity of water; it opens up into a private garden, with a tranquil, Zen-like atmosphere.
- Restaurant website: Aqua
- Other accolades: The Ritz-Carlton Wolfsburg also features in my top 10 lists of the best hotels in Germany and the best Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts in the world.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks at The Ritz-Carlton Wolfsburg when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD hotel credit).
7. BOUGAINVILLE, HOTEL TWENTYSEVEN, AMSTERDAM
Awarded with one Michelin star, restaurant Bougainville is located in Amsterdam’s sensational TwentySeven Hotel. The venue is a destination unto itself, offering a unique gastronomic experience, complemented by an elegant setting and a panoramic view of the city’s Dam Square. Chef Tim Golsteijn combines distinctive flavours from the West and the East to which he adds his own creative flair. This highly technical chef cooks with feeling and passion and is able to effortlessly balance the powerful flavour of his Thai green curry and Za’atar herbs with delicate French flavours. All wines are hand-picked by wine director Lendl Mijnhijmer, who won the Trophee Henriot 2018, which makes him the best sommelier of The Netherlands.
- Restaurant website: Bougainville
- Other accolades: Hotel TwentySeven also features in my top 10 list of the best hotels in Amsterdam.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, bespoke welcome amenity, daily breakfast, and $100 USD food & beverage credit).
- Review: read my review of Hotel TwentySeven (with a dinner at Bougainville) here.
6. THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON, USA
Set 90 minutes from Washington DC in a historic boutique hotel whose very existence seems tied to the restaurant, the 3 Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington is a culinary destination in every sense of the word. Embellished to the very last inch, the dining room resembles a jewel box lined with patterned carpets, lush wallpaper and shimmering fabrics. The restaurant may be over 40 years old, but Chef Patrick O’Connell’s cuisine shines as brightly as ever. Each menu has a unique focus, as in the “Gastronaut” and “The Good Earth,” offering superb vegetarian items. Guests can also graze through the menus to get a full sense of what the team can do. Sauces work a particular magic, as evidenced by the truffle-infused tartar with morel “crabcake.” Desserts, like coconut sorbet with ginger granité, are perfection.
- Restaurant website: The Inn at Little Washington
5. WAKU GHIN, MARINA BAY SANDS, SINGAPORE
The most sought-after table in Singapore is at Waku Ghin, a two Michelin starred restaurant housed within the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Chef Tetsuya Wakuda, regarded as one of Australia’s finest chefs, showcases his culinary flair by combining the freshest Australian seasonal produce with the French culinary arts and Japanese-style presentation. You can indulge in marinated botan shrimp with sea urchin and oscietra caviar and Japanese ohmi wagyu steak from Shiga Prefecture with wasabi and citrus soy. Designed by award-winning Japanese designer Yohei Akao, the revamped dining space features a minimalist design that integrates natural materials and intricate details that pay ode to nature and heritage.
- Restaurant website: Waku Ghin
- Other accolades: Marina Bay Sands features in my top 10 lists of the most Instagrammable hotels in the world, the world’s most amazing hotel pools, the world’s best urban resorts, the world’s best hotel rooftops, and the best hotels in Singapore.
- Review: read my review of Marina Bay Sands here.
4. T’ANG COURT, THE LANGHOM HONG KONG, CHINA
A gastronomic affair awaits at T’ang Court, the legendary, three Michelin-starred restaurant houses in The Langham Hong Kong Hotel. The dining venue extends over two floors and features luxurious furnishings in shades of burgundy and gold. The entire space exudes a cultural vibe that pays homage to the Tang dynasty, one of the golden eras in Imperial Chinese history. The restaurant offers a set menu as well as à la carte with an selection of imperial and Cantonese dishes such as baked lobster in chicken broth, braised imperial bird’s nest with shredded sea cucumber and conpoy soup, baked stuffed crab shell and lobster with onions and shallot, and stir-fried Japanese wagyu beef with mixed mushrooms, spring onion and garlic amongst others.
- Restaurant website: T’ang Court
- Other accolades: The Langham Hong Kong Hotel also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Hong Kong.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks at The Langham Hong Kong when booking via Classic Travel (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD resort credit).
3. RESTAURANT LE MEURICE ALAIN DUCASSE, LE MEURICE HOTEL, PARIS, FRANCE
Headed by Alain Ducasse with executive chef Amaury Bouhours, Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse has become the epicurean address in Paris. Inspired by the Salon de la Paix in the Chateau de Versaille, the dining room imposes its classic elegance: antique mirrors, crystal chandeliers, bronze, marble and frescoes. The large windows frame the view, overlooking the Jardins des Tuileries. The two Michelin star restaurant specialises in haute cuisine, with a philosophy based on the notion of ‘Essential Cuisine’ to retain the natural and authentic flavours of every dish. The venue’s signature dishes include crispy blue lobster, smoked yoghurt, roasted Lacaune lamb, smoked beef, seared chicken from Culoiseau, and grilled silk grain veal amongst others.
- Restaurant website: Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking Le Meurice via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD spa credit).
2. DINNER BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S, MANDARIN ORIENTAL LONDON, UK
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London Hotel is one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants and holder of two Michelin stars. First conceived in the late 1990s, the idea for Dinner sprung from Heston’s fascination with the savoury ice creams of the late 1800s, the theatre of the Tudor dining experience and the dishes featured in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Working with food historians and tapping into the world of Museums, the British library and the team at King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace, Heston created a menu that takes history into a new and evolving modern dining experience. The restaurant interior has been conceived as a subtle, elegant portrait – contemporary and innovative, yet mindful of tradition, with uninterrupted views of Hyde Park.
- Restaurant website: Dinner by Heston Bluemnthal’s
- Other accolades: The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in London.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park via Virtuoso (e.g.room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD food & beverage credit).
1. OUT OF THE BLUE, SONEVA FUSHI, MALDIVES
During all my years of traveling around the world, my best culinary experiences have always been during my repeat visits at the private island resort of Soneva Fushi in the Maldives. The resort’s stunning two-storey overwater structure – called Out Of The Blue – houses five unique dining outlets and a bar and cellar. Here, guests can feast on the creations of top chefs from around the world in intimate settings. Out of the Blue’s most exclusive dining venue is ‘Once Upon a Table’, a horseshoe-shaped table that seats just eight diners for an intimate dining experience. Throughout the years many of the world’s top chefs hold court here. A stand out among the resort’s fine dining venues is Flying Sauces, which combines world-class gastronomy by Michelin starred chefs with the thrill and excitement of ziplining.
Contact me to get a resort credit + two complimentary experiences at Soneva Fushi.
- Restaurant website: Out Of The Blue
- Other accolades: Soneva Fushi features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury resorts in the Maldives, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, the best family hotels in the world, the world’s most insanely beautiful hotel beaches, and the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling.
- Tip: get free VIP perks when booking Soneva Fushi via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
- Review: read my review of Soneva Fushi (with dinner at Out Of The Blue) here.
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My top 5 would be :
1) Six Senses Seychelles
2) La dame de Pic, Raffles Singapore
3) Constance Prince Mauritius
4) Datai, Langkawi
5) Ruma, Kuala Lumpur
Le Cinq at George V is conspicuously missing! Also Seta at the MO Milan is fantastic.
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere thanks for the comprehensive and thorough information you have shared with me. Your attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that I have the information I need is truly remarkable. I cannot thank you enough for your time and effort in providing me with such valuable insights.