Here’s a few of my favorite places I’ve visited for exceptional food, categorised by country but in no particular order. I consider myself very lucky to have been to several Michelin starred restaurants which are marked with an asterisk (*), depending on the number of stars at the time of dining. This list is mostly 2020 onwards.
Wilton’s is hands down my favorite restaurant. I love the white table cloth and old-school english silver service. It’s a little bit of a hidden gem and is somewhat hidden by other london seafood restaurants and old-school eateries like Rules. The food is outstanding, the service is superb and the wine list isn’t bad either. I can’t wait to go back again. It however a little pricey!
If it’s not possible to stretch the budget for Wilton’s, this is next on the list. It’s a true London institution and the food is to die for and the wine service is great for the money. I love the concept and I love that it’s low-key casual but still exceptional. Becoming a little touristy but it’s worth it.
Not an easy one to get to! We visited here as it was opened for booking during the summer parliament recess in 2024. We were able to visit the house bar and then sit down for dinner. The service was fantastic and it was really special to be able to access parts of the building that are usually closed to the public. The food was very good and reasonably priced too. We treated ourselves to a bottle of House of Lords Champagne. After service we were able to visit the terrace and gift shop.
Another spot that’s not too accessible, I visited and stayed with Dad as part of dinner for his horse racing syndicate. The building is incredible, full of history and horse racing memorabilia. The dinner was served on an enormous, grand table with silver candelabras and centuries-old trophies as showpieces. We drank a lot of wine. Breakfast the following morning was equally as impressive, with very old-school service. Ask me about the loos.
This is no fine-dining restaurant, but I love that is proves that in London you can find any cuisine from around the world and know that it is virtually the same as you’d have locally. Malaysia is where Victoria and I went for our Honeymoon in 2019 and this was the first stop on my stag do weekend. Order the laksa.
We visited a few spots in Florence during our time there but particularly enjoyed this restaurant which was very close to our hotel. It was understated, away from the main tourist stretch and was just very wholesome. It wasn’t fine-dining but it was very Italian. There was a great selection of local wines and the specials were truly special - we had an absurd amount of truffle!
Here’s a few spots that I’d love to visit but haven’t had the opportunity to yet…