Top 10 Best Restaurants by WesternTaste.com

1. El Bulli (Costa Brava, Spain) ***

Three Michelin star restaurant run by the famous chef Ferran Adria. Forget about paella and bad tapas, this restaurant provides you with one of the best haute cuisine in the world and does a great work with molecular gastronomy. Restaurant Magazine has judged El Bulli to be the best restaurant in the world 4 times (2002, -06, -07, -08). The restaurant has a limited season from April to September; bookings are taken on a single day the previous October. It accommodates only 8,000 diners a season, and gets more than two million requests. The average meal costs €250.

2. Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France) ***

Pierre Gagnaire is a famous French chef and is the head chef and owner of the eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Paris. Gagnaire is an iconoclastic chef who was at the forefront of the fusion movement. The restaurant is considered one of the finest in France, specialising in ‘modern French’ cuisine, and has garnered three Michelin stars. Gagnaire is also head chef for Sketch in London. In 2005 both restaurants was ranked among the 20 best restaurants in the world by Restaurant Magazine.

3. The Fat Duck (Bray, Berkshire, England) **

The world famous chef Heston Blumenthal makes one of the best French influential cuisines in Great Britain. With 3 Michelin stars in his back makes him truly one of the best. The restaurant is located in an old 15th century building providing the ambiance of old and traditional feelings; however his food and image is the other side around. He gives modern food, challenges himself with innovative ideas and giving something different to the plates. One to try is his snail porridge, salmon poached with liquorice or the now famous smoked bacon and egg ice-cream.

4. Gordon Ramsay (London, England) ***

This restaurant opened in 1998 and is the celebrity chef’s first independent owned place. It is a restaurant where you can feel that it is personal to him and he is dedicated to make this keep up his reputation and excellence. Everything here is at top with service, quality food, taste and passion. With only 14 tables makes the restaurant more personal and can satisfy your individual needs at its best. That is why this restaurant upholds its 3 stars from the Michelin guide. In total Gordon Ramsay upholds 13 Michelin stars from all his restaurants around the world. Amazing!

5. Bras (Laguiole, France) ***

Can home style cooking provide top standard restaurant food and compete on an international level? Well, the answer is Bras. Michel Bras and his son run a restaurant that is known to be one of the best in the world. Michel learned to cook form his mother who still makes the famous Aligot meal from time to time in the restaurant. The restaurant is also a hotel and it has won 3 stars from the Michelin guide. A must try is his wild herbs and painstakingly sourced local produce, from the marbled perfection of the local Aubrac beef to his signature warm salad of young seasonal vegetables.

6. The French Laundry (Yountville, Carlifornia, USA) ***

The famous chef Thomas Keller has brought the little town of Yountville in California, Napa Valley to another level when it comes to creative classical French cuisine. The food is absolutely wonderful and has amazing standards. No walk-ins, dinner jackets are required and only reservations is provided. A good tip to try is the Chefs tasting menu with 9 courses for only $240. Thomas Keller is the only person in USA to run two 3 star Michelin restaurants.

7. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark) *

Very young restaurant that is growing fast in the gastronomic world. It has surely put itself on the map in Scandinavia and is today one of the top restaurants in the world. Noma brings innovative and creative cooking with still keeping the basics at place, which is important for a good and solid foundation in a restaurant. The team is young and very passionate about food and beverage which makes this the strongest rising star that we have experienced. Noma has now 2 Michelin stars.

8. Gambero Rosso Restaurant (San Vincenzo, Italy) ***

Exciting dishes that has been proclaimed and internationally recognized as one of the best restaurants in the world. This place we absolutely believe to be top standard and provide the name in every direction. The wine list is fantastic with a total of 1100 bottles and can pair the food with amazing palate experiences, please ask the sommelier for guidance. Very enjoyable. It is recognized to be the best restaurant in Italy by many foodies and has gained 2 Michelin stars since it opened.

9. Le Louis XV (Monte Carlo, Monaco) ***

In the hotel de Paris in Monaco lays one of the best French restaurants in the world with all amazing food qualities you can imagine when it comes to the western world of cuisine. However there is a price to pay, a high price with a total average price of 200 Euro a head. The restaurant is owned and managed by the world famous restaurateur Alain Ducasse which many claims to be an artist in the kitchen. Service here is known to be the best in the world with no exceptions that the customer is always right.

10. Masa (New York City, USA) *

A have to visit at least once in a lift time. Probably the most expensive restaurant in the world focused on Japanese cuisine. The first thought that comes to your mind is probably why Japanese place in the states. Well you can deny the fact that Masa has excellent high quality food and superb chefs to prepare it for you. The luxury that is given to the customer is absolutely fantastic. The food is focused on Omakase, which means the chefs selection centring on sushi. Chef and owner Takayama Masayoshi rose from humble beginnings in Japan to become the authority for Japanese cuisine in the United States. Average cost is $366.

Written by Alexander Yü