Memorable Restaurants Where We Have Dined Around the World

[CGTNORMANDIE]

38 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

None really impressed me, honestly.  Very attractive; the offerings looked delicious.  But, by the time I got my food, carried it to a table that I may have had trouble finding that had a seat for me, the food had cooled--still was tasty--but....  Just not the elegant dining that I prefer when I could dine at my regular table with my regular wait staff in the MDR.  

 

HAL on some cruises would offer a late night Chocolate/dessert major effort on the ship's covered mid-ship pool area.  Those I enjoyed.  But, oh, the work that the crew had to put into them.  And, the waste that undoubtedly followed.

 

The best special buffets that I remember were ones set up in the MDR.  Towers of shrimp, platters of lobster, lamb, beef, breads of all types and shapes, dessert tables and a chocolate fountain, fruits/vegetables of all kinds with many carved in interesting forms. ice sculptures.  Hot entrees were often included as well in a few.  I appreciate the memories!

 

 

Mai Tai.  Pina Colada.  Rum Punch.  A strawberrry/banana Daiquiri.  It rather depends on the region where I am cruising.  

Agreed...some of the deck parties can be rather minimal.  I guess I have been fortunate in experiencing some of the good ones.  
 

Your drink list is headed in the right direction...rum rum rum!

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Your drink list is headed in the right direction...rum rum rum!

 

Yes, so good.  But, my "go to" preference is a glass of a quality New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc such as Villa Maria.  That's what I will be drinking on Thanksgiving in place of my regular Sauvignon Blanc which is less expensive.  

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:12 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Yes, so good.  But, my "go to" preference is a glass of a quality New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc such as Villa Maria.  That's what I will be drinking on Thanksgiving in place of my regular Sauvignon Blanc which is less expensive.  

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Thanks RK, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and enjoyed the Villa Maria.  I stayed with rum and passion fruit, mango and pineapple.  

[rkacruiser]

On 11/28/2020 at 2:25 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Thanks RK, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and enjoyed the Villa Maria.  I stayed with rum and passion fruit, mango and pineapple.  

 

I enjoyed my Thanksgiving.  I was able to speak with both of my families in Maryland and Alaska.  My arthritic pain took a day off as it has today as well.  (And, that is why?)  I have treated myself to Villa Maria throughout this week-end and have enjoyed it.  Still have a couple of bottles left and I wonder when I will be able to replenish my supply.  Old Man Winter is expected to make his first 2020 appearance tonight/Monday/Tuesday. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

34 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I enjoyed my Thanksgiving.  I was able to speak with both of my families in Maryland and Alaska.  My arthritic pain took a day off as it has today as well.  (And, that is why?)  I have treated myself to Villa Maria throughout this week-end and have enjoyed it.  Still have a couple of bottles left and I wonder when I will be able to replenish my supply.  Old Man Winter is expected to make his first 2020 appearance tonight/Monday/Tuesday. 

Glad you enjoyed the holiday, the Villa Maria and extended weekend.  Please don’t mention the W word or the S word...I hate the winter and the snow.  The sooner we get rid of 2020 the better.

[gkbiiii]

Most memorable place was Le Jules Verne, at the Eiffel Tower.

They even have a private elevator, that alone is worth the trip.

[getting older slowly]

Restaurants we have dine in a few,.. High to Low End

 

Memorable .... dining.... a Boutique Hotel ( 20 rooms )... if you are one of 4 special Pavilions,

 

which have their own kitchen.... One of Chefs can come and cook you dinner in your  Pavilion

 

They ask for your likes and dislikes,  the Chef then gets most to the day to plan and prepare your 5-6 course dinner with matched wines..... you have some pre dinner drinks in the main building, while the chef moves in and the table is set......  then dinner is served ....please allow minimum of 4 hours....

 

We have been lucky to do this  few times..... each time it has been amazing... and truly Memorable

 

Don

 

 

[Diveloonie]

2017- Binkley's in Phoenix, AZ

2017-Patrick Gilbaud in Dublin, Ireland.  We even had a celebrity sighting.  The Edge from U2 was also dining there that night.  This is a 2 star Michelin restaurant.

2015-Canlis in Seattle, WA.

2015-Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA.

1997-Fig's in Boston

[Diveloonie]

Oh and the most memorable meal we have ever had was

2016-The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, South Africa!  Amazing!

[norn iron]

I'll probably be accused of being a foodie or food snob, ( at least thats what my sister calls me), not true.

We just happen to love great restaurants which serve nice food.

We have developed a habit of visiting Michelin Starred restaurants, although we equally enjoy the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants ( good food at moderate prices). All in all we get as much pleasure eating in  Hawker stalls in Singapore which have Michelin status as we do in 3* restaurants.

I have complied a list of our restaurants visits to the Michelin * restaurants, my memory can't stretch to the Bib Gourmands although I remember fabulous meals in Venice and Corsica.

The list identifies the number of stars 1* 2* 3* etc and the number of visits we have made.

The stars relevant to the time we visited.

 

Roscoff 1* x2

Ox 1* x2

Oriel 1*x1

Deanes on the Square 1* x 15+

Shanks 1* x2

Epic 1* x 6

Muddlers Club 1* Cancelled due to covid

All in Northern Ireland

    

Thorntons 2* x 2

Patrick Guilbaud 2* x 3

Erriseak House 1* x 1

Campagne 1* x1

L’Ecrivain 1* x1

Peacock Alley 1* x1

All in the Republic of Ireland

 

Fat Duck 3* x 2

Waterside Inn  3* x1

Hinds Head 1* x6

Monsieur Max 1* x 1

L’Ortalon 2* x1

The Royal Oak 1* x1

Marco Pierre White  The Oak Room 3* x 1

The Hand and Flowers 2* x 2

5 North Street 1* x1

Gidleigh Park 2* x1

The Curlew 1* x1

All in England

 

Braidwoods 1* x2

Braeval Old Mill 1* x 1

Plumed Horse 1* x1

All in Scotland

 

 

Es Moli 1* x2 Spain

Azurmendi 3* x 1 Spain

 

Restaurant Keisuke Matsushim  1* x1 Nice France

Le Kaiku 1* X1 St Jean de Luz France

 

Gusto  1* x 1 Villamoura Portugal

 

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle 1* X 1 Singapore

 

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle 1* x 1 Singapore

 

[rkacruiser]

14 hours ago, norn iron said:

We just happen to love great restaurants which serve nice food.

 

Thanks for posting your list.  None of these restaurants are familiar to me, but I keep learning as a result of my participation on this web site as well as others.

 

 

[Dylandude]

21 hours ago, norn iron said:

I'll probably be accused of being a foodie or food snob, ( at least thats what my sister calls me), not true.

We just happen to love great restaurants which serve nice food.

We have developed a habit of visiting Michelin Starred restaurants, although we equally enjoy the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants ( good food at moderate prices). All in all we get as much pleasure eating in  Hawker stalls in Singapore which have Michelin status as we do in 3* restaurants.

I have complied a list of our restaurants visits to the Michelin * restaurants, my memory can't stretch to the Bib Gourmands although I remember fabulous meals in Venice and Corsica.

The list identifies the number of stars 1* 2* 3* etc and the number of visits we have made.

The stars relevant to the time we visited.

 

Roscoff 1* x2

Ox 1* x2

Oriel 1*x1

Deanes on the Square 1* x 15+

Shanks 1* x2

Epic 1* x 6

Muddlers Club 1* Cancelled due to covid

All in Northern Ireland

    

Thorntons 2* x 2

Patrick Guilbaud 2* x 3

Erriseak House 1* x 1

Campagne 1* x1

L’Ecrivain 1* x1

Peacock Alley 1* x1

All in the Republic of Ireland

 

Fat Duck 3* x 2

Waterside Inn  3* x1

Hinds Head 1* x6

Monsieur Max 1* x 1

L’Ortalon 2* x1

The Royal Oak 1* x1

Marco Pierre White  The Oak Room 3* x 1

The Hand and Flowers 2* x 2

5 North Street 1* x1

Gidleigh Park 2* x1

The Curlew 1* x1

All in England

 

Braidwoods 1* x2

Braeval Old Mill 1* x 1

Plumed Horse 1* x1

All in Scotland

 

 

Es Moli 1* x2 Spain

Azurmendi 3* x 1 Spain

 

Restaurant Keisuke Matsushim  1* x1 Nice France

Le Kaiku 1* X1 St Jean de Luz France

 

Gusto  1* x 1 Villamoura Portugal

 

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle 1* X 1 Singapore

 

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle 1* x 1 Singapore

 

That’s a very impressive list. My mouth is watering reading it.
 

I’d be keen to know how you got a table (twice) in the Fat Duck?

[norn iron]

10 hours ago, Dylandude said:

That’s a very impressive list. My mouth is watering reading it.
 

I’d be keen to know how you got a table (twice) in the Fat Duck?

Thanks for the comments.

First time in the Fat Duck wasn't too difficult, as they hadn't put timeframes on the bookings.

Second time around was more difficult, booking opened 60 days in advance and we had five phones trying at the same time, one of them got through.

 

That wasn't as hard as a booking (made in December) we have for Eipic in Belfast for late June (2021) when they are serving the Great British Menu by Alex Greene. That took three phones over an hour, and there wasn't a lot availability left.

[Seamus6]

The only Michelin starred restaurant we have been to is the Gramercy Tavern in New York.

The food was amazing, I know I had a veal dish but my memory fades.

The service was impeccable with a highly experienced and knowledgeable waiter who knew specifics on the entire menu and had tasted most of it.  Plus we had another assistant waiter and a water boy (relax, he was at least 20) who was very easy on the eyes.

 

I hope to visit more super high-end restaurants when I retire.  My plan is to hide the prices from my anxious DH!

[rkacruiser]

8 hours ago, seamus69 said:

I hope to visit more super high-end restaurants when I retire

 

Don't wait to do so again.  Money in the bank?  Credit Card Limit good?  Current financial responsibilities are under control?  What are you waiting for?  

[BklynBoy8]

Have enjoyed Salty's in Halifax especially their Lobster...

[rkacruiser]

On 5/6/2021 at 1:23 AM, BklynBoy8 said:

Have enjoyed Salty's in Halifax especially their Lobster...

 

And, there were those Prince Edward Island Mussels at a restaurant in Charlottetown.  An establishment within sight of the Maasdam, but whose name I can't recall.  

 

5 Star dining?  Certainly not.  But, destination specific dining?  Yes!

[BklynBoy8]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

And, there were those Prince Edward Island Mussels at a restaurant in Charlottetown.  An establishment within sight of the Maasdam, but whose name I can't recall.  

5 Star dining?  Certainly not.  But, destination specific dining?  Yes!

I too may have gone there for those Mussels too. Can't remember the name also but saw it passing and stopped in. We were on the Cunard Caronia near it. It was great and so so fresh.

 

We went there after taking a tour of Charlottetown. 

[Seamus6]

On 5/2/2021 at 8:35 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Don't wait to do so again.  Money in the bank?  Credit Card Limit good?  Current financial responsibilities are under control?  What are you waiting for?  

 

You are right, of course.  There isn't much around Baltimore.  I have wanted to visit Cindy Wolfe's "Charleston" (not on the same level but probably the best Baltimore has to offer) for years and thought I would get a chance when my company was going to have a Christmas Dinner there but the Mayor of Baltimore shutdown all dining the day before we were to go the day after he took office.  It's back open now but I'd hate to experience a high end restaurant through the lens of COVID restrictions coloring the ambience.  I think I take your advice and not wait ti l retirement but perhaps wait til at least next year and hopefully have more freedom to enjoy.  It will also give me a chance to stock up on smelling salts in case my better half sees the prices on the menus! 🙂

 

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, seamus69 said:

I have wanted to visit Cindy Wolfe's "Charleston" (not on the same level but probably the best Baltimore has to offer) for years

 

Had not heard of them, so I Googled them and looked at their dinner menu.  They "had me" when I saw Grilled Veal Sweetbreads.  Their entire dinner menu sounded very appetizing.  I didn't think their various course pricing was out of line.  Yes, it's more than Longhorn or Outback or ....  But, there ought to be a qualitative difference.  

 

The notice at the top of the menu about them wanting the guest to put on their mask when the server is attending the table.....well, they lost me with that expectation--if it's enforced.  Not paying that kind of money for such a "dining experience".  

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, seamus69 said:

It's back open now but I'd hate to experience a high end restaurant through the lens of COVID restrictions coloring the ambience.

 

That is one of the important reasons why I remain in my "bubble" as to in restaurant dining.  The restrictions are counter to my definition of "fine dining" whatever the restaurant may be.
 

9 hours ago, seamus69 said:

It will also give me a chance to stock up on smelling salts in case my better half sees the prices on the menus! 🙂

 

Such prices are an eye-opener.  But, then, I think about what my parents, particularly my Mother, whose career was mostly a secretary with a local business college education during the 1950's and the 1960's (before I was on my own during that decade), provided for my brother and me regarding travel and dining experiences with what their financial situation must have been.  I dine and pay whatever the bill may be with the memory and thankfulness of what my Mother taught me to realize that "there is another world out there that you ought to explore even though I was not able to do so".  

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by rkacruiser

[Seamus6]

21 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Such prices are an eye-opener.  But, then, I think about what my parents, particularly my Mother, whose career was mostly a secretary with a local business college education during the 1950's and the 1960's (before I was on my own during that decade), provided for my brother and me regarding travel and dining experiences with what their financial situation must have been.  I dine and pay whatever the bill may be with the memory and thankfulness of what my Mother taught me to realize that "there is another world out there that you ought to explore even though I was not able to do so". 

 

I also wonder at what my Mom and her mother could whip up (for me in the 60's and 70's) with the very limited things available from the grocery stores back then.  Very simple delicious, usually country style, food on a tight budget.  I feel like I Cook very well but it is with a much larger budget, huge wealth of ingredients available from grocery store, old world markets in Lancaster, yuppie grocers, online purchases and local fruit stands as well as unlimited sage advice online.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, seamus69 said:

I also wonder at what my Mom and her mother could whip up (for me in the 60's and 70's) with the very limited things available from the grocery stores back then.  Very simple delicious, usually country style, food on a tight budget.

 

My Grandmother and Mother experienced the Great Depression and the rationing during WW II.  Those years taught both of them lessons that they passed on to me.

 

Simple cuisine can be delicious.  It can even be made "elegant".  But, the "real deal" is worth the wait to be able to enjoy it when one is able to do so.    

[BklynBoy8]

16 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

My Grandmother and Mother experienced the Great Depression and the rationing during WW II.  Those years taught both of them lessons that they passed on to me.

 

Simple cuisine can be delicious.  It can even be made "elegant".  But, the "real deal" is worth the wait to be able to enjoy it when one is able to do so.    

Being Polish but born in American my parents always enjoyed our cuisine of culture - One (1) pot dishes for meals. Easy to make and easy to clean up.

[Seamus6]

21 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

My Grandmother and Mother experienced the Great Depression and the rationing during WW II.  Those years taught both of them lessons that they passed on to me.

 

My Mom only remembers the tail end of the great depression but her Mother raised 5 kids and supported parents-in-law after during the depression then was widowed shortly afterwards.

 

Young people in this country today and even in my generation don't consider that all the social programs like welfare, unemployment and other government didn't exist back then.  If you didn't work, you had to depend on friends, family, small family gardens, and bartering services.  But even through tough times, My Mom said she had everything she needed and didn't realize until she was a teen that they were poor!