Photo of Facil – Berlin, Germany. CodPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. BreadPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Falafel coconut amuse bouchePhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. InteriorPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. MenuPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. EntrywayPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Amuse bouchePhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Sea bassPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Shabu ShabuPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. DuckPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. CarabineiroPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Osetra caviarPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. LeekPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Dessert of beetroot with tarragon ice creamPhoto of Facil – Berlin, Germany. Pina colada ice cream
***** (5 stars)
Lovely two-star Michelin on the rooftop. In a glass box surrounded by trees you feel you are in a forest rather than the middle of Berlin. The lighting and acoustics contribute to a perfect atmosphere.
The eight course tasting menu (actually many more dishes) is inventive and beautiful. Standouts for me we're the amuse bouche of coconut foam covered falafel, the osetra caviar, and the shabu shabu. The leek was visually stunning, individual sections, nori wrapped, hollowed out and filled with a variety of creations.
Service is professional yet friendly. And excellent wine list offers some great choices at reasonable prices for this level of dining.
Photo of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. ExteriorPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. DownstairsPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. DownstairsPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. EscargotsPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. Paté De Campagne MaisonPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. DownstairsPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. Confit de CanardPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. Coquelet Au CitronPhoto of Le Garrick – London, United Kingdom. Café Gourmand
***** (5 stars)
Such winning ambience at this traditional bistro near Trafalgar Square and the theatre district. Be sure to ask to sit downstairs in the cozy little rooms!
Standouts we're the escargot and the absolutely scrumptious confit of duck.
The cafe gourmand is a great way to try small samples of all their wonderful desserts.
Service is very welcoming.
Le Garrick 10-12 Garrick Street London WC2E 9BH United Kingdom
Photo of Côte – London, United Kingdom. InteriorPhoto of Côte – London, United Kingdom. Cheese souffléPhoto of Côte – London, United Kingdom. Moules FritesPhoto of Côte – London, United Kingdom. French onion soup
***** (5 stars)
Great traditional brasserie convenient to the theatre district. Frequented by locals, which is always a good sign. Nice wine by the glass selections. Very welcoming staff.
Côte 50-51 St Martin's Lane London WC2N 4EA United Kingdom
Photo of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. Aftermath of the tasting menu with eight wines served blind. Guessed five of them!Photo of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. InteriorPhoto of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. CodPhoto of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. Chablis cheesePhoto of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. RhubarbPhoto of Pied à Terre – London, United Kingdom. Strawberry Millefeuille
***** (5 stars)
Always a required stop in London. There's a reason this restaurant has been in business more than thirty years.
Our favorite aspect is that they will give you a blind wine paring, so if you're into wine it is really fun to guess with no preconceived notions. Great service and hospitality.
Pied à Terre 34 Charlotte Street London W1T 2NH United Kingdom
Upstairs dining roomTunaScallopsWhite asparagusStellar bottle of 2005 Clos de la Roche from Nicolas Potel!
***** (5 stars)
This has long been our favorite restaurant in London. It’s certainly the most romantic. The food is sublime, the service is welcoming, and the wine list is a vast resource of reasonably priced treasures. This is always one of our stops on every visit to London.
Clos Maggiore 33 King Street London WC2E 8JD United Kingdom
The countersommelier and cocktail serviceDuck saladShrimpTea EggmenuPhoPork BellyMixology and food prepPalate cleanserLambFrench bread and shrimp butter"Vietnamese Coffee"Chef and the staff
***** (5 stars)
Wow, world-class dining in Orlando! Who'd have thunk it?!
Camille is as good as any chef's bar I've been to around the world, including such icons as Joel Robuchon's l'Ateliers in New York, London, and Hong Kong.
Every course of this meal was just about as perfect as it gets, from the really unique Tea Egg that started us off, to the masterpiece "Vietnamese Coffee" dessert that finished it. It's hard to pick a favorite. Was it the smoked duck salad we assembled ourselves, and which my duck-hating wife loved? Or perhaps the incredibly complex and mouth-filling short rib pho? Impossible to pick.
The counter afforded a wonderful view as each dish was assembled by the very personable chef and his talented assistants, and all was hosted by our wonderfully personable sommelier.
Note that Camille will be moving from its temporary residence upstairs at East End Market to a permanent location in Bladwin Park, hopefully around the start of 2023. I can't wait to go back and experience it again!
InteriorBaguettePlateauMille-feuille – not really traditional, but tasty
***** (5 stars)
Amazing experience all around! Since this is the Fairmont's only restaurant, we were expection more of a coffee shop feel, and indeed this would be a great place for breakfast, but it also has a wonderful evening ambience.
Our waiter was one of the best we've ever had, incredibly personable and knowledgeable about food and especially wine.
We started with the delicious baguette and chicken liver mousse. Then we shared a "plateau" of crab, oysters, and prawns, which was just the right size. We finished with a couple of cheeses, but there are plenty of tempting entrees.
We'll no doubt eat here again during this stay.
Lumière Brasserie 2025 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles, CA 90067
Gabriel Kreuther is wonderful in all respects, from ambiance to food to service. For me, it is the successor to Eleven Madison for the crown of Best Restaurant in New York, and one of the best in the US.
The dining room, with its dramatic arc of salvaged wood beams, is both open and intimate, with the tables spaced far apart to make each one cozy, and the ceiling high enough to afford a pleasant sound level. A glass wall affords a view of the kitchen, which is a busy hive of about twenty chefs and cooks under the supervision of Chef Kreuther. The atmosphere seemed more convivial than in many of the Michelin kitchens I've encountered.
The restaurant's recommendation for first-time guests is the Six Course Tasting menu. This is not only a great recommendation but a great bargain. At $215 (as of this writing) it is, in short, a steal. I don't know how they came up with the number six, but including amuse bouche and ending sweets, there were at least 15 different dishes over a three-hour period.
Speaking of dishes, these were some of the most beautiful serving pieces I've ever encountered, and the glassware is stellar as well.
As for the food, it is almost pointless to describe it, as everything was wonderful, and it was impossible to pick favorites. It changes regularly, but I will mention a few that rank among the best dishes I've ever had: pate de foie gras (best flavor/texture I've encountered), smoked heirloom tomato consume (more of a gelatin, and endlessly intriguing), sturgeon tart (delicate flavorful and complex), and all the breads (there were at least four, accompanying various dishes).
As mentioned earlier, service was near perfect, with two dozen wait staff performing an intricate (and high speed) choreography to synchronize each course at each table.
Compared to the food prices, the wine bottle prices seem like less of a deal, but are certainly not unreasonable for Manhattan. The wines by the glass are an interesting assortment of styles and places of origin.
Crème Brûlée au ChocolatSalmon carpaccioSmoked troutLobster bisqueFrench onion Soupe a l’OignonPatioDuck liver mousseCaviarExteriorInterior
***** (5 stars)
We had the most delightful Christmas lunch here. The place was packed, and I can see why–If we lived nearby it would become out Christmas tradition.
This is an absolutely authentic French bistro, right down to the jars of mustard on the table, and the basket of wonderfully fresh and crusty baguette slices.
We started with the Sturgeon caviar, which was served with all the proper accompaniments, including blinis, and the duck liver mousse, which was smooth and creamy, and perfect with the spicy mustard.
Both the lobster bisque and French onion soup were excellent. The bisque was a bit thinner style than usual, but just as flavorful without being so rich as to seem like a sauce. The French onion soup was one of the best I’ve had, with the perfect amount of cheese seared onto the top, and a balanced, flavorful base.
My wife enjoyed her smoked salmon carpaccio. The smoked trout wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, begin more like smoke salmon, so just keep that in mind if you are expecting a more traditional dried preparation.
Our waiter encouraged us to try his favorite creme brulee, and it was good advice. There is a layer of chocolate mousse somehow sandwiched between the nicely burnt sugar crust and the creamy creme brulee. I have no idea how they did that!
The wine list is excellent, and even more impressive is the backside of the menu, with many, many wines offered in 4 different pour sizes.
We sat outside in the patio, which was closed in and heated for the winter, and it was lovely, and quieter than the bustling interior.
All the wait staff were very efficient and friendly. Definitely a great choice for our Christmas celebration!
