Elite Traveler January-February 2016

DISCOVER

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2016 50

David Kinch's restaurant Manresa recently earned its third Michelin star

Food&drink

MANRESA: ON A PLATE EAT: The Tasting Menu, from $210 per person. It changes nightly, according to season but is locally sourced and often has a Japanese twist. Past dishes include ankimo, a Japanese dish of monkfish liver, with peas and fermented plum. DRINK: Whatever is recommended by Jim Rollston, the sommelier and winner of the prestigious Johnston Medal. Beverage pairing costs $180 per person plus there is a good wine menu, with many from the Santa Cruz region. WEAR: Officially the dress code is business casual but this is a place where waiters walk in single file with one hand behind their backs so erring on the business side is recommended. One would-be diner, who arrived from the golf course, is said to have been turned away. manresarestaurant.com Hats off to San Francisco A well deserved round of applause is owed to the San Francisco Bay Area , one of the big winners in the Michelin Guide 2016 . The region has one of the most impressive line-ups of three- starred restaurants, with the new addition of David Kinch’s vegetable- focused Manresa, as well as the stalwarts holding their own – Saison, Benu, The Restaurant at Meadowood and The French Laundry. The addition of Manresa brings the Bay Area’s total number of three-starred restaurants to five. While some said that Kinch’s win was overdue, others were busy celebrating the win for the wider Bay Area. It is now a major rival to the current US frontrunner, New York – home to six restaurants with three stars. Meanwhile Switzerland was one of the global winners with more Michelin stars per capita than any other country in the world. Read more about the fine dining scene in Switzerland on page 100.

BEST FOR: VIEWS THE REMEDY BAR Four Seasons Vail, Colorado, US

BEST FOR: MIXOLOGY LE BAR DU BRISTOL Le Bristol, Paris, France Ok, it’s not wholly new but it’s worthy of a place, having been named Best Hotel Bar in the recent Prix Villegiature awards, the Oscars of the hotel industry. Head barman Maxime Hoerth, was even personally honored. Squeeze in a visit before January 13 to catch the contemporary art program, Art at Le Bar. lebristolparis.com

BEST FOR: MUSIC SEGA BAR Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius, Indian Ocean The Shangri-La hotel group’s latest hotel acquisition, Le Touessrok, re-opened in November following a six month renovation. The opening ceremony involved a colorful cultural show at the shiny, new Sega Bar, which is worth visiting for the music alone. Nightly jazz and blues events are held there and the drinks menu is superlative, with more than 10 infused varieties of rum. shangri-la.com

TAKE THREE/// NEW, STYLISH HOTEL BARS Hotel bars are growing ever more competitive in their offerings with live bands, award- winning mixologists and views to rival the best penthouses – this is our pick of the new openings for 2016

Award-winning New York interior designers Meyer Davis designed this plush new cocktail lounge. Though arguably, the best and most impressive design features are the floor-to-ceiling windows with uninterrupted views of the stupendous Colorado Rockies. The pizzas there are surprisingly good too – try the one topped with foie gras, pear, gorgonzola and port reduction. fourseasons.com/vail

Words: Laura Powell. Photos: Nick Vasilopoulos