Daniel Humm and Claridge’s will be parting ways at the end of the year. The London hotel has not accepted Daniel Humm’s decision to go plant-based at the restaurant Davies and Brook which has won accolades in the months it was open.David Humm said it was with sadness that he and the hotel management were announcing they would go separate ways at the end of the year.Over the last 18 months Daniel Humm as been taking the time to consider what his next chapter was. And that chapter is plant-based. He has turned his flagship restaurant Eleven Madison Park in New York into a plant-based restaurant and he wanted to do the same in London at Davies and Brook.“The future for me is plant based. This is our mission and what we stand by as a company and at this time this is not the direction that Clardige’s Hotel feels is right for them,” said Daniel Humm in an Instagram post.He said that standing behind this mission and what he believes in is more important and is unfortunately Continue reading

ANTWERP: The Italian dolce vita icon Martini, versatile Belgian lifestyle brand Serax and Italian caterer Franceso Julia have teamed up to open an aperitivo experience store at Korte Gasthuisstraat in Antwerp between November 26 and December 31.The pop-up store has the theme ‘The World of Aperitivo’ and is aimed at offering ideas on how to welcome and surprise guests during the festive season.The store is a gift shop for the holidays and offers a wide range of festive accessories, Italian snacks as well as limited edition Martini gifts and drinks.The World of Aperitivo shop has all the ingredients to organise special moments or to purchase gifts and gift packages. These can be personalised on the spot. The shop offers workshops on how to organise the perfect apertivo. Various chefs will give visitors demonstrations and tastings will take place in the kitchen. It will also offer the visitor access to the world of Martini and the aperitivo moment. It is open every day Continue reading

SAN PIERO IN BAGNO: In an unspoilt part of Emilia Romagna there a small village called San Piero in Bagno. The whole commune has just around 6,000 inhabitants. It's just over 100 kilometres away from Bologna and Modena where we've spent a few days and the contrast is astonishing. There are no Ferrari's or Maserati's driving past in this sleepy village despite the fact that this is Italy's region that is known for its fast cars and its slow food. What there is instead, is this sense of peace, of time standing still, of authenticity, stunning landscape and exceptional produce.Just outside the village, as you exit the motorway there is a small bar and trattoria were truckers normally stop called Alto e Savio. It is mentioned in many Italian guides including Osterie d'Italia. There are absolutely no frills here but the service is not only fast, it is also welcoming and for very little you eat excellent regional cuisine. It's as if this is a prelude to what one can expect in the centre Continue reading

ANTWERP: Joachim Boudens and Gert de Mangeleer, the duo behind the success of three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan and now entrepreneurs in their own right have been keeping busy despite the pandemic.After the successful return of Hertog Jan in a new intimate format, they have opened a second branch of their highly successful classic French-Belgian brasserie Bar Bulot in Antwerp. The first one opened in Bruges and immediately was rewarded with a Michelin star and also voted as Brasserie of the Year by Gault Millau.That makes it two restaurant openings in the span of two weeks. And both have started with a bang. This is the first time the duo have ventured outside of Bruges where they have made a name for themselves with three restaurants. And in doing so, they have clearly added to the allure of Antwerp, which is fast becoming the gastronomic capital of Belgium.Bar Bulot is their latest opening. They opened their first Bar Bulot in summer of 2019 as a temporary Continue reading

LJUBLJANA: One of Europe’s most important culinary events, theEuropean Food Summit,is back in Ljubljana this November after its premiere in 2019.Food, food, food. With a healthy dose of food-focused events from culinary walks and dinners to a gastronomy-oriented symposium, theEuropean Food Summit(EFS) attracts some of the top names in the food world for what has become an important culinary event on the continent. Even though it’s a fairly new event, premiering in 2019, people have been talking about it ever since. It was not held last year (2020) due to the COVID pandemic, which saw the cancellation of most major events in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and beyond.The European Food Summit raises awareness of the global impact of food, and brings together great minds from around the world to create a better tomorrow.Taking place between 6th and 8th November 2021, here’s what visitors to this year’s summit can expect.Gourmet Ljubljana CrawlAnyone Continue reading

It is a crisp autumn morning. The fourth session of the Saint Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is taking place in a new spot created by chef and entrepreneur David Martin. It is in an idyllic spot, perfect to transmit knowledge.For this session, six chefs have been invited to work with mentor chefs Stephanie Le Quellec of La Scene in Paris, France and Michael Vrijmoed of restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent, Belgium.The focus is on the green revolution. Michael Vrijmoed has been serving a vegetable based menu since he opened his acclaimed restaurant Vrijmoed in Gent. And it is well known because he leaves no stone unturned in making sure that Continue reading

Author Tom Benjamin talks about what inspired his critically-acclaimed Bologna-set novel The Hunting Season.Today, authenticity is everything – we may not be able to travel to Italy but at least we can savour the flavours of the country, painstakingly following recipes proclaiming they’ve been handed down from one nonna to another using ingredients from Tuscan farms and Pugliese olive groves. Italians have an appreciation for food unlike any other culture I’ve experienced – they make small talk about it the way the British discuss weather, and have as many regional varieties as Inuits have words for snow. Italians take authenticity Continue reading

Belgium for Foodies is a new book that has just been released featuring 350 places in Belgium. It invites the reader to discover Belgium's extraordinary culinary scene by taking you on a trip through the country from the North Sea to the countryside as well as the vibrant cities.Written by Femke Vandevelde with photography by Tony de Luc, the book is made up of various lists which enables you to choose what you want from young talents to favourite female top chefs, Belgian fries done right, dining at the bar, places to eat drink and read and much more.The following is a list of favourite Female Top Chefs from the book published by Continue reading

Martini and Sergio Herman have created a ready to serve cocktail called Martini Spritzante. This cocktail was born from a collaboration with the Dutch chef, lover of Italian cuisine and the Italian brand.For this collaboration, Sergio Herman has developed a completely new flavour palette together with Martini master blender Beppe Musso. He worked on it during a trip to Pessione, Italy, the heart of Martini in Italy. The result is a balanced, fresh cocktail with a subtle bitter touch that comes into its own in combination with snacks normally served in an aperitif."Italy has been deeply rooted in my heart since I started preparing my Continue reading

ANTWERP: They say the devil is in the details. And in this regard, it is difficult to find any detail missing at the newly opened Hertog Jan at Botanic in Antwerp. This has been a much awaited reopening. After Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens shocked the Belgian culinary scene with their decision to close their flagship 3 Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan in Zedelgem four years ago, they have not rested on their laurels.They’ve moved L.E.S.S. Eatery from the previous location to the centre of Bruges making it a destination restaurant in its own right, one every city would be proud to have. It also clinched a Michelin star in the Continue reading

ANTWERP: When the number two restaurant was announced in the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp last week René Redzepi, chef and face of restaurant Noma knew that this would be a special moment, one that had to be savoured because it would be the last time he would step on the podium of the World’s 50 Best as number one restaurant in the world.Rasmus Kofoed, chef of restaurant Geranium, also in Copenhagen had just been called as the second restaurant in the world meaning the top spot would end up going to the 79-strong team at Noma.Redzepi admitted to being anxious because of COVID-19 when he entered the Continue reading

There is a reason why Septime in Paris has become a global destination for food lovers ranking 24th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list unveiled in Antwerp last week. At the age of 30 Bertrand Grébaut and his high-school friend Théophile Pourriat decided to open Septime in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 2011. Their ambition: to build a space they had not experienced anywhere else in Paris, liberated and unpretentious, “a place with first-class cuisine, a beautiful setting, friendly service and a list of natural wines that we love.” Ten years later (and boasting a Michelin star), Septime and the rest of the venues have become a Continue reading

One of the highlights of travelling is anticipation. Today, we’re travelling within the country of Slovenia, an hour’s drive east of Ljubljana, to the steep hills of the upper Dolenjska region.Slovenia boasts many culinary hotspots that are scattered all around the country, making it an ideal destination for food travellers. You can travel over the next hill or plain, and find yourself in a new gastronomic region marked by its own specialities.We’re heading to Domaine Slapšak—the house of Slovenian sparkling wine made using the Champagne method—where Gostilna Repovž, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, is hosting a Continue reading

ANTWERP: As René Redzepi walked into the auditorium of the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp he was anxious. Not because there was a possibility that he could end up on the podium of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the fifth (and last) time but rather because events like these have not happened for many months now and restaurants in part of the world are still struggling with COVID-19 outbreaks.He had come prepared with a speech even if he said he was not aware that his team would clinch the top spot in the list. “Given we were second last year, we had to be prepared,” he said.Eleven years since he clinched Continue reading

ANTWERP: Restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark was crowned World 50 Best Restaurant for 2021. René Redzepi and his team crowned a spectacular year for them amid what has been the hardest 18 months of the restaurant industry when they regained the title they had won four times in their former location.After clinching a third Michelin star a few weeks ago this will be a year to remember for Rene Redzepi and his 79 team members. At a press conference after the event, Redzepi said the secret of this success was all the team at the restaurant. “The success boils down to the team that together create this special energy,” he said.Geranium, Continue reading

“Speaking about 15 years ago made sense. Now it is too late. What we need is not talk about sustainability but radical change,” said Daniel Humm, chef of acclaimed restaurant Eleven Madison Park which turned plant-based when it reopened earlier this year.In his first public appearance after a scathing review of his restaurant Eleven Madison Park by food critic Peter Wells who revealed in passing that meat was still being served in the restaurant’s private room, Daniel Humm said that facing bankruptcy and suddenly getting comfortable with the idea of losing everything became liberating. “We are not anti-meat. We are pro planet. We have the Continue reading

ANTWERP: Four years ago, Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens shocked the Belgian fine-dining scene when they announced they would be closing down their flagship restaurant Hertog Jan in Zedelgem to focus on other projects. Now, nearly four years after the closure, they are revving their engines to start the third chapter of the restaurant that brought them so much success. Hertog Jan at Botanic in Antwerp is the new chapter of their story.The restaurant will be open two weeks each month as from next week. In a very small and intimate setting Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens will be welcome guests according to the Japanese principle Continue reading

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin: Chef Mauro Colagreco will take the helm of two restaurants within The Maybourne Riviera. The soon-to-be-launched hotel joins London's iconic Claridge's, The Connaught and The Berkeley as part of the Maybourne Hotel Group. The restaurants will be housed in the strikingly modernist hotel, built on a rocky peninsula high above the town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. His flagship will be Ceto, focusing on the sea and will open on Saturday 9th October. Located on the hotel’s top floor with dramatic panoramic views out over the Mediterranean, it is a true parallel between the sky and sea and will reflect Mauro’s ambition and Continue reading

Gucci Osteria Beverly Hills is the second Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura to clinch a Michelin star following the success of the first one that opened in Florence, Italy.Promoting modern Italian cuisine while embracing local Californian ingredients, Gucci Osteria is led by the young Italian chef Mattia Agazzi, under the guidance of chef Massimo Bottura of three-star Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy and Karime Lopez, chef of the first Gucci Osteria in Florence. Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura are a series of three contemporary restaurants that share the same values and principles under one Gucci Osteria umbrella. The restaurants Continue reading

BRUSSELS: Regine and Aline did not know what they would face when they opened a temporary pop-up restaurant at Pop-up Kokotte in central Brussels in March 2020. They still remember the day, a Tuesday. Little did they know that by Saturday, they would be shut for good in the first COVID-19 lockdown.Their concept was that of introducing African burgers to gastronomic burgers. The name of the concept, AfroBurgers. The two childhood friends had already tested their concept with a food-truck which worked well and their intention was to get a new experience which would help them open a permanent location.Despite their lack of fortune, they Continue reading

There are twelve new restaurants in the 51-100 positions of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list which returns this year after the cancellation of last year's events.Ahead of the official announcement that will take place in Antwerp, Belgium on 5 October, the World's 50 Best Restaurants has already released the restaurants that have made it to the second half of the list.Among them are 12 new restaurants. The highest new entry is Alchemist, the Copenhagen restaurant the restaurant by Rasmus Monk.Other new entrants are Le Du in Thailand, Sazenka in Japan, Willem Hiele in Belgium, Brat in the UK, El Chato in Colombia, Le Continue reading

Franco Pepe is to pizza what Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo are to football. His work at Pepe in Grani has now be recognised recognised by the Best Chef Awards who awarded him with the Best Chef Pizza price at the 2021 Best Chef Awards that took place in Amsterdam earlier this week.This award highlights the key role the Italian pizzaiolo has had on the international scene. Franco Pepe is one of the most well-known and highly regarded pizzaiolos in the world. For generations, his family has been linked to the gastronomic world and to the Continue reading

Christophe Hardiquest and his Brussels restaurant Bon Bon is not new to big and ambitious events. A few years ago, he welcomed some of the World’s best chefs for a GELINAZ! Brussels Headquarters event that played over four shifts. Now, on the occasion of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards taking place in Antwerp in October, he has invited a number of chefs for a one night dinner called Chefs United.Together, the chefs will create a 10 course menu that is expected to create an electric atmosphere.The event takes place on Wednesday 6 Continue reading

They say life is not about reaching the destination but rather about the journey. So it must have felt ironic for René Redzepi and his team to clinch a third Michelin star that has been eluding them for the past years in what was probably been the most difficult year for the restaurant.Social media was on fire as the food world applauded a decision that for many has come way too late. Noma’s photo of the three Michelin stars had over 100,000 likes and over 4,000 comments congratulating the restaurant. Instagram stories were on fire as was Continue reading

Chef Dabiz Muñoz of DiverXo in Madrid won The Best Chef Top100 Award during a live awards gala that took place in Amsterdam. Chef Björn Frantzén of Frantzén in Stockholm repeated his second place and also took the award for The Best Chef voted by Chefs. To round up the top three, Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in San Sebastián made a huge jump from his previous 45th position on last year's list, to clinch the third spot.“Getting the number one in the Best Chef Awards is the biggest joy. An incredible pride and responsibility. For me, The Continue reading

The World's 50 Best Restaurants announced that the winner of the American Express One to Watch Award 2021 is London's Ikoyi, co-founded by childhood friends Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale. The award recognises a restaurant that is considered to be a rising star on the global dining scene and aims to recognise and celebrate gastronomic excellence and innovation. The restaurant was developed after an initial conversation Chan and Hassan-Odukale had that ignited a spark around the possibilities of African-inspired food. A period of Continue reading

Next month, Belgium will be in the spotlight as it hosts The World 50 Best Restaurants awards in the city of Antwerp. There has never been a better time to launch a guide for foodies. In Belgium for Foodies, culinary journalist and food writer Femke Vandevelde has gathered some of the best places to eat and drink in Belgium.This guide is different from many others. It encourages you to discover places that you might even think about from fantastic food shops to top restaurants and cafes as well as extraordinary locations to dine in.It Continue reading

COPENHAGEN: Noma, the acclaimed restaurant of René Redzepi, considered by many as one of the most influential restaurants, if not the most influential restaurant of the last decade has finally clinched 3 Michelin stars.It has been one of the most mysterious questions among food lovers as to how noma had never received 3 stars in its 18 year history. But Michelin has finally solved the conundrum by awarding noma three Michelin stars. In its note, it says René Redzepi’s urban oasis Noma has a strong connection to nature and its holistic Continue reading

KORTRIJK: Matthieu Beudaert and Sofie Delbeke are not afraid of change. Two years after closing gastronomic restaurant Tables D'Amis and after their successful opening of Trattoria La Bicicletta they are again embarking on a new chapter in the Belgian city of Kortrijk.After having served 1366 pasta dishes with truffle, grilled 1753 entrecotes and sold 4888 arancini during the COVID-19 pandemic they have announced the closure of their highly popular Trattoria La Bicicletta. This will make way for a return to a gastronomic restaurant Continue reading

Amsterdam: Area Talks will feature discussions on the future of fine dining, the dark and bright sides of gastronomy, dutch gastronomy and sustainability. The talks will take place on September 14 as part of The Best Chef Awards that will take place in Amsterdam.After last year's #VIRTUAL2020 edition, chefs, foodies, journalists, and experts from the culinary world will meet in personto share knowledge and discuss these four topics.“We are convinced that discussion is really important and we aim to encourage experts like chefs, Continue reading

Michelin Stars II - Nordic by Nature will feature at the Culinary Zinema: Film and Gastronomy section at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival.Nordic By Nature is a culinary documentary filmed over an 18 month period that follows the endearing and brutal destiny and everyday life of the Faroe Islands and its culinary pearl KOKS, helmed by chef Poul Andrias Ziska.While the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to focus on core values and what was important, for Ziska and the restaurant this was nothing new. The two Continue reading

Christophe Pauly, Belgian chef of the year 2021 of the guide Gault Millau will publish his first recipe book Le Coq aux Champs on 14 October.The book, named after his restaurant, will capture some of the restaurant dishes that have made it one of the best tables to dine in Wallonia (the south of Belgium).Apart from some of the classics, Christophe will also showcase his creativity and harmony in the recipes. His cuisine is always focused on excellent produce that surrounds him.There are more than 100 recipes in the book which Continue reading

The sun was setting at Tenuta di Valgiano on the rolling hills above Lucca. GELINAZ! Stay in Tour Silent Voices was about to come to life. Months of hard work, stress all came together to create what turned out to be a magical evening.All good things take time. The first Silent Voices Chapter 1 took place in November 2020 with restaurants mainly in Asia since restaurants there were not facing any lockdown restructions. In other places, however, the event had to be postponed not once but twice because of the pandemic. Originally pencilled Continue reading

PARIS: The much awaited restaurant by Alain Ducasse, Albert Adria and Romain Meder will open on 10 November. The ADMO project, as the venture is called will be a 100 day pop-up and is located at the Les Ombres restaurant at the Quai Branly museum in Paris.The much awaited restaurant will celebrate the unprecedented encounter between Spanish and French cuisines and is united by the same conscious and sustainable approach.The ADMO project is expected to be one of the year's most anticipated openings. Bookings for the restaurant open on 10 Continue reading

BRUSSELS: Brussels will host the second edition of Soilmates on 12 and 13 September. This will include a series of events committed to improve the way we think of the hidden – and living – world beneath our feet.The Soilmates collective aims to create a paradigm shift in which the living earth becomes the centre of the culinary and artistic experience, rather than the chef, artist or farmer. The movement was created by restaurant owners Caroline Baerten and Nicolas Decloedt (Humus Hortense), farmer Dries Delanote (Le Monde des Mille Continue reading

The Michelin Guide in the UK has announced a new approach to revealing its restaurant recommendations making it more modern and more agile. Away from the constraints of a physical publication, the Michelin guide will be releasing some of its newest additions to the guide ahead of the annual launch event.This will be done on a monthly basis, on the last Wednesday of every month. The first restaurants to make it to the new guide were released on Wednesday 25 August. They feature both on the website and the app.Restaurant entries are being Continue reading

ANTWERP: Ten Belgian chefs from Flanders will be kicking off a festive week around The World's 50 Best Restaurants with what promises to be a spectacular culinary event called Flanders Finest. The World's 50 Best Restaurants will be held in October.On Friday 1 October, 10 of Belgium's top chefs will prepare a 10 course dinner that will be bring together some of the leading three and two Michelin star chefs in the country. This is a first for Flanders as these chefs, which total 23 Michelin stars between them, will cook together for the Continue reading

VALLETTA: Chef Alex Dilling was probably at the peak of his career at The Greenhouse when the pandemic hit and the restaurant ended up closing for good. The Greenhouse was the talk of the town in London and in global food circles because of Dilling’s cuisine and precise focus on quality ingredients. During the lockdown, he was working on creating new dishes and was focused on getting back to the kitchen as soon as possible but it was not to be as news of the closure of one of the most famous restaurants in London spread like wild fire in the Continue reading

Ana Ros, chef of Hisa Franko and Matea Benedetti, a Slovenian award-winning fashion designer have created a new range of uniforms for the restaurant which not only use non-animal textiles but also reflect both their deep love for nature."The new uniforms of the service team reflect the soul of the restaurant and the beautiful environment the restaurant is part of," Ana Ros said about the new collaboration.Ana and Matea met through a common friend and they immediately understood each other and became friends which was no surprise. Matea Continue reading

Food meets Science is one of the main events that will be organised as part of The Best Chef Awards taking place on 13 September in Amsterdam. The conference will connect the world of science and gastronomy. The event will include cooking shows and presentations that focus on two main subjects, Food and Space and Meat - No Meat. “Science is an amazing tool to educate and to have a better understanding of things in the culinary world. With that knowledge, farmers, producers, chefs and even guests can make better and more conscious decisions Continue reading

Jonathan K. Berntsen is not just a chef but also a sommelier. Hit by the terrible year his Michelin-starred restaurant CLOU had to close but he has now returned with The Samuel, a restaurant located in an old historical villa from 1891 north of Copenhagen in Hellerup. What makes Jonathan special is that for him food and wine are in symbiosis and hence they need to be precisely equally weighted. These means that he often selects the wines before creating the dishes.This devotion to pairing has been acknowledged with numerous awards such Continue reading

Over 150 chefs in 25 cities worldwide will join forces to conclude the last chapter of the Grand GELINAZ! Shuffle Stay in Tour. What started on 3 December will be finalised on 29 August when some of the world's greatest chefs pay tribute to chefs that have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic either because their restaurant was forced to close or because they were in between projects.GELINAZ! curator Andrea Petrini, a food writer par excellence told Food and Wine Gazette that this event has been the most complicated to organise."The Continue reading

This is a special year for Hélène Darroze. Fresh from the recently awarded three stars in the Michelin guide for her London restaurant Hélène Darroze at The Connaught" and two stars for "Marsan par Hélène Darroze" in Paris she has now announced a partnership to take over the entire food and beverage operations of Villa La Coste, a grand luxury hotel in Provence, France.She will be serving a cuisine in her image, imbued with emotion, sincerity and authenticity. Nestled at the heart of the Château La Coste Estate near Aix-en-Provence, the Continue reading

MONS: The 2022 edition of the Belgium and Luxembourg Michelin Guide will only be available in digital format, the guide has announced. The presentation of the guide and results will be announced on 21 February at the Royal Theatre in the city of Mons.Announcements for Belgium and Luxembourg used to take place late in the year but the guide announced that this new edition will be held in February to enable the inspectors and Michelin Guide team to have more time to visit restaurants given the difficult context linked to the COVID-19 Continue reading

Two Japanese chefs Yoshiro Narisawa of Restaurant Narisawa and Hisato Hamada of Wagyumafia have teamed up together for a charity project called Onigiri for love.While collaborating on a recent project together, both chefs discovered a common love for sake and onigiri - a handmade Japanese rice ball. The onigiri is a simple yet very meaningful traditional comfort food. It is typically made by a loved one - most people in Japan have fond childhood memories of their mother preparing one for school lunch or as a snack.A symbol of love Continue reading

ZEEBRUGGE: Sergio Herman has opened a pop-up mussels and fries restaurant on the beach of Zeebrugge in Belgium. The restaurant Moules//Frites opened on 1 July and will remain open till 15 August.It is being organised by FoodFest set up by Sergio Herman and Syrco Bakker to organise a festival in Cadzand. Last year, Foodfest also opened a pop-up store in Antwerp bringing some of Sergio and Syrco's delicacies to Belgian foodies.Under a spacious tent, 120 guests will be able to enjoy lunch or dinner in a relaxed atmosphere with music, wines Continue reading

Fermentation and garums have been one of the sources of success of Noma as it shifted to a more vegetable based cuisine over the years. Now, two of their favourite garums will be available to the general public as part of a venture to help people bring more vegetables into their everyday cooking.Chef Rene Redzepi and his team have used the time during lockdown to create a new venture called Noma Projects which aims to share all their accumulated knowledge, craft and experimentation in this new project."We will be launching products for Continue reading

VIENNA: The second chapter of the GELINAZ! Silent voices on tour will be held on 11 July. The collective of chefs headed by Andrea Petrini and Patricia Meunier returns after a forced pause because of lockdowns making the organisation of such dinners impossible.The first chapter was held last December in various cities around the world and while the European leg was scheduled for the end of January, the pandemic wrecked havoc with those plans. Now, the Healthy Boy Band, three Austrian chefs who have been embracing improvisation and anarchy, Continue reading

All the origins of Austrian wine have been catalogued in a new website austrianvineyards.com, a first a wine-producing country. No other wine-producing country has ever catalogued all the origins of its wines and presented them in such a detailed way. Alongside the digital version, new single vineyard maps of all winegrowing regions are now available in printed form, showing all single vineyards that have been legally defined as such. The level of detail and cartographic standards also represent a milestone for the Austrian wine Continue reading

BRUSSELS: The Bois de la Cambre is the green lung of the city. It is also a major traffic throughfare that connects the south of the city to the centre. It is the local's best kept secret, few tourists who venture to Europe's capital know that the city is full of parks, woods and even forests and fewer venture to this part of Brussels. The closure of the Bois de la Cambre to traffic last year caused an uproar. While, it gave much needed respite to locals in the days of lockdown, once restrictions were relaxed, drivers were angry with its Continue reading

Alchemist by Rasmus Monk was crowned best restaurant in Europe in the Opinionated About Dining list released on Monday evening. This is the first time ever that a Danish restaurant tops the OAD-Europe list.Second was Restaurant Frantzen in Stockholm, Sweden followed by Etxebarri in Axpe, Spain, Andreas Caminada in Furstenau, Switzerland and Lido 84 in Gardone Riviera, Italy.Speaking about the top award, Steven Plotnicki, founder of the OAD-list said “it an amazing accomplishment for someone who is only30years old. Diners are Continue reading

CASTEL DI SANGRO: Niko and Cristiana Romito have reopened their 3 Michelin star restaurant Reale on 10 June and have decided to pursue the route they took last year. They want to make their cuisine and restaurant more inclusive and also a reflection of the chef’s vision of what it means to eat well today.“Each of us is a child of our own experience. Whether we like it or not, it determines the attitude and approach towards the choices that shape our future,” said Niko on the reopening of the restaurant. After this long pause, I feel a Continue reading

HONG KONG: Ultra-Violet by Paul Pairet, a single table experimental restaurant in Shanghai, China that unites creative cuisine with multi-sensory technology is the top restaurant of the Opinionated About Dining Asia list.The restaurant retains the first place for the third consecutive year. It is the first restaurant of its kind in the world and has been open since 2012. French chef Pairet has continuously challened diners' preconceived notions of taste and cuisine.The Top 100+ Asia Restaurants of 2020 was unveiled by global ranking Continue reading

AMSTERDAM: The new 100 candidates from around the world for the 5th The Best Chef Awards have been announced. The event takes place on September 13, 14 and 15 in Amsterdam. Together with the currently ranked chefs, this year's Top 100 will be selected through voting by all 200 chefs as well as a group of anonymous professionals as from this week.The system was changed this year. As from February 25, and for 100 days, the Best Chef announced one candidate per day in no specific order via their social media channels."This year, we have a Continue reading

Two Sicilian chefs have made it to the top echelons of Italian cuisine according to Italian food guide Guida del' Espresso. The Italian guide, whose editor is Enzo Vissari, is highly influential and many times has spotted 'talent' before other more international guides recognises chefs and restaurants.Ciccio Sultano and Pino Cuttaia, chefs of Duomo di Ragusa and La Madia in Licata join the top chefs tier together with David Oldani of D'O di Cornaredo in Milan. There are now 13 restaurants in total with the '5 hats'. These are Casadonna Continue reading

ANTWERP: After partnering up for seven years at The Jane Antwerp, Sergio Herman and Nick Bril have decided to part ways. Nick Bril will take over 100 per cent of the restaurant's operational rights after the Dutch duo successfully creating one of the most stunning restaurants in the world.In 2013, the two chefs decided to start work on designing the restaurant concept for their project, their first venture outside the Netherlands set in the stunning military chapel of the so-called Groen Kwartier in Antwerp. The two met when Nick Bril Continue reading

MILAN: Italian chef Carlo Cracco has opened a second Milan restaurant last month inside the Hotel Excel Naviglio Milano and will open his third in Portofino in Liguria in June.“I had to close two restaurants, I have opened one new one and a second will be in Porto Fino so I hope to be at a par again. The pandemic has all hit us hard. We could complain and discuss on many things but I am from Veneto and we have always been taught that instead of complaining you should be working on the future,” Carlo said.He was answering a question by Continue reading

VALLETTA: ION The Harbour has announced that Alex Dilling, the executive chef of the former highly acclaimed two Michelin star restaurant The Greenhouse, in Mayfair, London will begin a 100 day residency at the restaurant in Malta.From 18 June, Alex Dilling will bring a new level of culinary skills to both Malta and ION - The Harbour. Bookings will open on 4 June."After a challenging year, I am very excited to step back into the kitchen in a completely new environment, and more importantly in a new terroir," Dilling said."Meeting Continue reading

Italian chef Carlo Cracco needs no introduction. Veneto born, he worked with Gualtiero Marchesi and Alain Ducasse before making a name for himself in various restaurants before venturing on his own and opening various restaurants including his flagship Ristorante Cracco restaurant in Milan. When you think about Italy and its food, the first thing that comes to mind wis certainly pasta. But risotto would come a close second. Carlo Cracco grew up in a region famous for its Vialone Nano rice variety but when he moved to Milan he learned that the Continue reading

When Eleven Madison Park, New York reopens on 10 June, it will be the world’s first three Michelin star plant-based restaurant. Will it retain three stars when Michelin inspectors visit again? Will they make an exception? Will they see this as the sign of the times? And more importantly, can Daniel Humm reinvent himself as the world’s leading vegetable and plant-based chef having reached the pinnacle already once?For those who don’t know Daniel Humm, he is chef and today the owner of Eleven Madison Park, a three Michelin star restaurant in Continue reading

BRUSSELS: Casse Croute, the 'takeaway' service of Bozar chef Karen Torosyan which regaled Brussels and Belgians with his renowned 'pies' throughout the pandemic will slowly come to an end.The chef who decided not to open the Bozar Restaurant's terrace and wait until he is allowed to serve guests indoors in June said that the last Casse-Croute service will end on Saturday 28 May. After that, he and his team will be taking a week off before focusing on the opening of the restaurant.Karen Torosyan told Food and Wine Gazette he did not want Continue reading