Somewhat by accident, I’ve become a professional glutton. The sort of person who’ll traipse for an hour in the wrong direction, just to try the breakfast burrito that a friend of a friend’s chef boyfriend won’t shut up about. By some miracle, I get to write about it.
I’m often asked about the best thing I’ve eaten recently, and where. It’s hard to quantify the exact chemical make-up of the perfect meal, but I know this to be true: it’s the company that makes a place stick. A treasured friend or a spanking new one; a cheeky flirt in a fresh city. I like a busy open kitchen, lighting low enough to hide my eye bags, quietly great service and maybe a bit of hip hop on a crackly record player. These are the places I flew to try, and would again. Choose your company wisely.
Hakkahan – Dublin, Ireland
Hakkahan’s literal translation means ‘man from Hakka’, a nod to the region in China the owners hail from. The menu is small by Chinese restaurant standards, and you’d better like Sichuan. Stoneybatter has fast become the coolest place to live in Dublin, and Hakkahan is the neighborhood joint foodies will point you to. Start with Tsingtao beers, end with a baby Guinness in the snug at Walsh’s traditional pub across the road.
Order: Dai Zi (scallop dumplings), sesame prawn sourdough toast, basil duck and La Zi Ji – chicken, Sichuan peppers, dry chilies, ginger, garlic and spring onions.
Read the menu: Hakkahan.ie
Bring along: The friend who will eat anything.
Rocco – Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon has no shortage of incredible places to eat, a mix of affordable local cozinhas and glitzy new spots pulling the crowds. Rocco falls into the latter category, opening to some fanfare in the autumn of 2021. Decor is emphatically opulent – rich fabrics and shiny fixtures making a grand backdrop for rich Neapolitan dishes. Local DJs hype up the bar’s atmosphere on weekends but truly, go for the food. Thick tomato sauces, silky brown crab soup and risottos pair perfectly with under-sung Portuguese wines.
Order: Vitello tonnato, aubergine alla parmigiana and the show-stopping lobster linguine. Made for Instagram, but keep your phone in your pocket and soak up the atmosphere.
Read the menu: Rocco.pt
Bring along: The friend who packed heels to climb Lisbon’s seven hills.
La Colombe – Cape Town, South Africa
Winding up through Silvermist wine estate to La Colombe’s Constantia flagship, the setting is immediately special. The polished dining room looks out on to an undulating vineyard, though there are plenty of distractions back inside. Contemporary French-meets-Asian fine-dining is painstakingly planned out, but remains fresh, modern and always fun. It’s easy to see how this place made the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List in 2022. Chef James Gaag surprises and delights with treasures, trinkets and treats.
Order: Emphatically recommended for a special occasion by most Capetonians, we went for the chef’s menu, arriving very hungry. Highlights include crayfish and langoustine raviolo with coconut, coriander and black forest ham, tuna ‘La Colombe’ and tableside snow cones, made to order. Food as theatre, in all the best ways.
Read the menu: Lacolombe.restaurant
Bring along: Someone to celebrate.
Frenchie – Verbier, Switzerland
Chef Gregory Marchand’s menu is unapologetically French. Think incredibly posh mountain food in a hip, fireside lounge. Veal cordon bleu, assiette valaisanne… all that good, heavy stuff you can justify stuffing yourself with after a day’s skiing – plus some vegetables! Praise be!
I’m still thinking about the painstakingly cooked ‘Chicken from Gruyère’, stuffed with Swiss Sbrinz cheese and yuzu kosho, a cult Japanese spice blend. A thick walnut paste is smoothed under the skin, then bone marrow jus is drizzled all over. Experimental cocktails follow in the bar upstairs, and upscale disco Farm Club is next door. Expect a hangover.
Order: Oignon tart tartin, while you wait (a worthwhile) 45 minutes for that chicken to brown off.
Read the menu: Experimentalchalet.com
Bring along: Someone who loves to eat late and linger.
Pars Pralinen – Berlin, Germany
The first places I recommend to anyone heading to Berlin are Mogg (for French onion soup and Reuben sandwiches) and Wen Cheng for possibly the world’s best Biang Biang noodles. The queue snakes around the block for good reason. Join it.
Pars Pralinen is more experiential. For when you’ve got time on your hands and the temperature’s dipped below freezing. It confused me at first; I was unclear whether it was a chocolate shop or a restaurant. Turns out it’s a stylish mix of both. Kristiane Kegelmann blends design and craftsmanship to cultivate unexpected sensory experiences through dainty, ever-changing six-course menus and handcrafted, geometrical pralines. Flavours range from wild dill blossom to the small buds of a currant bush.
Order: Leave with a few pralines for friends: Tamari and Quince, or the full Bavarian Hazelnut.
Read the menu: Parspralinen.com
Bring along: Adventurous types who’ll be up for a kebab afterwards.
Izakaya – Amsterdam, the Netherlands
A place to ‘be seen’, though the same can’t always be said for its neighbourhood, De Pijp. High-quality Japanese dishes are taken to new levels with robust South American heat. Try salmon, yellow tail and sea bass sashimi, then meat and fish skilfully fired up in the Hibachi fire bowl or on the Robata grill. Sit at the bar if you can, watching the barmen whip up lychee cocktails to the tune of a live DJ. Endeavour not to arrive late on your bike, wearing trainers.
Order: Sweetcorn tempura, spicy hamachi and shiso uramaki. Followed by Japanese wagyu.
Read the menu: Izakaya-restaurant.com
Bring along: The local who knows where to go afterwards (and where to avoid at all costs).
Marble – Johannesburg, South Africa
Something of a celebrity chef, David Higgs lives to share his passion for fire cooking (and cycling, if you follow his Instagram). It’s all about the meat. He sparks up South African fare with a grand wood-fired grill imported from Michigan. You can feel his love of the job in each dish, with great care taken to select the best cuts from the right places. Veggies are far from short-changed with the likes of charred dukka broccoli, red pepper béarnaise, mushroom and edamame beans or woodfired pumpkin and harissa with cumin hummus.
In the middle of food hub Rosebank, savvy guests book for early evening to catch the blazing sunset.
Order: Silent Valley Wagyu sirloin or a prime rib of Chalmar beef. Perhaps a Super Salad on the side.
Read the menu: Marble.restaurant
Bring along: A meat lover, so you can share.
This article was originally published in The Spectator’s World edition.
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