20 iconic restaurants and meals worth travelling for

From underwater dining in the Maldives to Michelin-starred street food in Singapore, these restaurants are worth booking your next holiday around
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Undoubtedly, one of the best things about travelling is the food.

A new city means new cuisine, iconic spots to try and nostalgic food-based memories to make.

Which is why we’re rounding up the restaurants and meals worth travelling for – from Michelin-star meals created by the world’s best chefs to a world-famous pastrami sandwich in New York City.

The Three Chimneys in the Isle of Skye, Scotland

Head north for the most divine Scottish fare
Three Chimneys

Along one of Skye’s narrow one-lane roads, towards the eastern cape and on the shore of Loch Dunvegan, you’ll find The Three Chimneys housed within an unassuming cottage. With local ingredients used for the lunch, dinner and tasting menus reflecting Skye and Scotland’s heritage, this restaurant has held three AA red rosettes continuously for nearly two decades and won a number of awards. A must-visit when touring the Scottish Highlands.

How to book: you can book online and booking is recommended at least a month in advance. If you book a room at The Three Chimneys, a table will automatically be allocated for you to dine at.

Wolfgat in Paternoster, South Africa

Wolfgat is the definition of 'off the beaten track'
Wolfgat

Named ‘Restaurant of the Year’ at this year’s World Restaurant Awards, Wolfgat is as off-the-beaten track as it gets. Set in a 130-year-old cottage next to the South African seaside, the restaurant can be found two hours north of Cape Town. The set price for the sittings is R850 (£47) per person and local wine pairing can be added for R550 (£30) per person.

How to book: with just 20 diners per sitting, you’ll need to book at least three months in advance and can do so online.

Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy

Indulge at Italy's most famous restaurant
Osteria Francescana

With famed chef Massimo Bottura at the helm, this three Michelin-starred restaurant has been named the world’s best restaurant in both 2016 and 2018. Dining here is an experience that takes at least three hours, and guests can choose from the 12-course tasting menu (€290pp plus €190pp for additional wine pairing) or the a la carte menu with mains - including names like ‘this little piggy went to the market’ and ‘we are still deciding what fish to serve!’ - from €110.

How to book: bookings open at 10am Italian time on the first day of each month (unless that day is a Saturday or Sunday) for bookings three months in advance. For example, if you want to book a table for December the online booking opens on September 2 at 10am for tables of one to 10 people.

Oaxen Krog in Stockholm, Sweden

Discover sustainable Scandinavian dining in Stockholm (Oaxen Krog )
Oaxen Krog

Serving seasonal dinner tasting menus only (2,300 SEK (£197) and 1,500 SEK (£129) for wine pairing), Oaxen Krog in central Stockholm is a true delight. Using wild herbs that grow on neighbouring Djurgården to complement the local Nordic products used in its dishes, the ethos here is to create a space where quality, taste, sustainable agriculture and human animal rearing goes hand-in-hand. Additionally, the wines served at this two Michelin star restaurant are curated from a select list of small vineyards.

How to book: while not necessary, you can book a table online up to five months ahead but there are generally tables available up to a few weeks in advance.

Fergburger in Queenstown, New Zealand

Sink your teeth into a juicy Fergburger in Queenstown
Laura Hampson

Quite possibly the world’s most famous burger bar, Fergburger has been a Queenstown institution since it opened in December 2000. The quality (and notoriety) is evident by the 45-minute queue lining up to order one of the iconic burgers and the additional 45-minute wait for your order to be ready. With 19 burgers to choose from, the namesake burger offers the classic beef, lettuce, tomato combo with onion, aioli and tomato relish and will set you back just $12.50 (£6.71).

How to book: locals know the key to skipping the queue is to call ahead and place your order by phone. You can find the menu online here.

Inis Meáin in the Aran Islands, Ireland

Embrace the Irish coast on the Aran Islands
Inis Meáin

Located on the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland, Inis Meáin is a seasonal restaurant serving up an ever-changing menu. The four course dinners change nightly, based on the ingredients the island has to offer and has space for just 16 guests. Serving wild Atlantic fish and homestead-reared meat along with local shellfish and lobsters, the vegetables also follow the farm-to-table ethos with Inis Meáin growing its own vegetables, salads, herbs and fruit in their onsite greenhouse and gardens.

How to book: closed from mid-October to mid-March each year, the best way to guarantee a restaurant visit at Inis Meáin is by booking one of its suites – although these bookings can be hard to get. Generally released in October for the following season, Inis Meáin claims they are usually booked out for the season within 24 hours. If not booking a suite, the restaurant can be booked for dinner on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights (ring as far in advance as you can) and you will need to have a place to stay on the island when you dine there.

Ichiran Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan

Spend time solo eating Tokyo's most famous ramen
Ichiran

Ichiran – a Japanese ramen chain – is said to be home to the world’s best ramen which means one thing: queues. While wait times can vary (avoid weekends at all costs), once inside you’ll be directed to an individual booth where you can build your own ramen via a vending machine. Go for the ramen, stay for the unique experience.

How to book: no need to book, lines can get long but as its open 24 hours, seven days a week consider treating yourself to some midnight ramen.

Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark

Tick Noma off the bucket list in Denmark
Ditte Isager

Noma – with its two Michelin stars and countless accolades – has long been listed as one of the world’s best restaurants. The menu here is currently divided into three seasons throughout the year where the menu follows the ingredients that are in their peak during that particular season. June to September is Vegetable season while October to December is Game and Forest season and January to spring is Seafood season. Each 20-course tasting menu doesn’t come cheap (around £300pp for the menu excluding wine pairings), but the three-hour experience will be one you remember for years to come.

How to book: reservations at Noma open online up to six months in advance, so it’s worth booking as soon as you know when you’ll be there.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples, Italy

Sample Italy's best pizza in Naples or London (UK site pictured)
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele/Facebook

According to Napoli locals, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is the best pizza you’ll find in Italy’s pizza capital of Naples. Open since 1906, be sure to stop by this old-school pizzeria for the freshest pizza in town.

How to book: while there is table service, opt for the street-facing window to get your fix there.

Mirazur in Menton, France

See what the fuss is about in the South of France
Mirazur/Facebook

Currently number one on the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Mirazur is a three Michelin-star restaurant run by Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco. The tasting menus includes delights like salt-crusted beetroot with caviar cream and oysters with tapioca – all inspired by three themes: ‘sea’, ‘garden’ and ‘mountain’. The lunch tasting menu starts from €160 per person but it not available during the summer months or holidays. When travelling then, patrons must opt for the ‘Mirazur Universe’ lunch and dinner tasting menu priced at €260 per person.

How to book: you can book online but it is recommended doing so at least three months in advance.

Katz’s Deli in New York City, USA

Vegans, look away. Katz's Deli is a meat-lovers haven 
Katz’s Deli/Twitter

This iconic New York City deli has satisfied workers in the Lower East Side of Manhattan since its inception in 1888. The deli garnered worldwide fame after featuring in that scene in the Meg Ryan classic When Harry Met Sally and has served up the best pastrami sandwich in the city – perhaps even the world – ever since.

How to book: no booking necessary, just aim to get there before the lunch rush or mid-afternoon.

Pujol in Mexico City, Mexico

Sample modern Mexican cuisine in Mexico City
Pujol/Facebook

The beating heart of modern Mexican food, Pujol opened in 2000 during the turn of the century and has been on the bucket list of every foodie visiting Mexico ever since. With esteemed chef Enrique Olvera at the helm, choose between the ‘corn’ or ‘sea’ lunch and dinner menus or opt for the taco bar with four seating times between 1:30pm and 9:30pm.

How to book: reservations need to be made at least two months in advance and can be done online.

Liao Fan Hawker Chan in Singapore

Line up for the world's cheapest Michelin star meal by Chef Chan Hon Meng in Singapore
Hawker Chan

Dubbed the ‘cheapest Michelin-star meal in the world’, Chef Chan Hon Meng’s Hawker Chan food stall was awarded a Michelin Star in 2016. Located in Singapore’s Chinatown Complex Food Centre, the stand-out dish here is the Soya Sauce Chicken Rice, priced at just 2SGD (£1.19).

How to book: no need to book, simply queue up and wait your turn. The Soya Sauce Chicken can often sell out by early afternoon so be sure to go for an early lunch.

Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Experience cosy chic fine dining in Buenos Aires
Patagonia Sur

In the heart of one of Buenos Aires’ oldest neighbourhoods, you’ll find Patagonia Sur. With Francis Mallmann at the helm – the chef who created a wedding barbecue for Gwyneth Paltrow - the space is eclectic, with the walls covered in painting and prints and the menu is meat-centric.

How to book: reservations can be made online, book at least a week in advance to secure your table.

La Banquise in Montreal, Canada

Taste Canada's best poutine in Montreal
La Banquise/Facebook

With over 9,000 Google reviews and a rating of 4.4/5, the low-key La Banquise serves up the best poutine you’ll find in Canada. With 31 flavours of poutine to choose from, the classic is just 7.95CAD (£4.95), or opt for the more distinctive pulled pork, apples and bacon poutine, the cheeseburger-style poutine or the vegan option with vegan cheese and sauce.

How to book: while there is no need to book, you can email the team if there is a specific time you want to visit.

Attica in Melbourne, Australia

Indulge in unique Australian fare in Melbourne
Attica/Facebook

An Australian institution, Attica has been attracting customers from all over the world ever since New Zealander Ben Shewry took the reigns as head chef in 2005. The 14-course menu isn’t cheap – at a set price of 295AUD (£163) per person with 185AUD (£102) wine pairing – but the team here use unique Australian ingredients to give you an experience like no other.

How to book: open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, bookings can be made online and are released at 9am Melbourne time on the first Wednesday of each month for three months in advance

White Rabbit in Moscow, Russia

Choose from the terrace (pictured) or the indoor dome for your Moscow meal
White Rabbit

Located under a long glass dome on the 16th floor of Smolenskiy Passage in Moscow, White Rabbit gives guests panoramic views of the iconic city. Currently number 13 in the list of the World’s Best Restaurants, this is modern Russian cuisine at its finest. The seasonal 13-course tasting menu is curated by head chef Vladimir Mukhin, but there are a number of a la carte options to choose from as well, from veal tongue pastrami to Murmansk cod, boar cutlets and black pearl oysters.

How to book: you can fill out a reservation form on site and a member of the team will get back to you.

El Botin in Madrid, Spain

Dine at the world's oldest restaurant in Madrid
El Botin/Facebook

Listed as the world’s oldest restaurant in the Guinness Book of World Records and mentioned in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 classic The Sun Also Rises, El Botin first opened its doors in 1725. Now a benchmark of traditional Spanish cuisine, the restaurant is famous for its suckling pig and Castilian-style roasted lamb.

How to book: El Botin can be booked online but try to book a few months in advance to nab a booking to your desired time.

Ithaa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Go below at the world's first underwater restaurant in the Maldives
Conrad Hotels

If ambience is just as important as the food, then the world’s first undersea restaurant in the Maldives is sure to delight. With limited space for diners, Ithaa can be found five metres below the surface of the ocean, with panoramic coral garden views to complement the multi-course fine dining lunch and dinner menus and matched wines.

How to book: reservations can be made via phone of email or through the hotel Ithaa is attached to – Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

St. JOHN in London, England

This London institution is nose to tail dining at its finest
St. JOHN

The trail-blazing restaurant that brought nose to tail dining to London, St. JOHN is a beacon of sustainability in the English capital. Helmed by Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver, St. JOHN has been a London institution for over two decades and the Michelin star it was awarded in 2009 is evident of its culinary innovation. Serving lunch and dinner, menus here are updated daily, but expect tender meat, sumptuous starters and tantalising desserts - all of which are surprisingly affordable. Some punters go there just for the Eccles Cake with Lancashire Cheese.

How to book: bookings can be made online and its recommended to book at least a few weeks in advance to guarantee the time you want.

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