Elite Traveler May-June 2016

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2016 71

1 Alinea Chicago, US Head chef: Grant Achatz 2015/1 2 Azurmendi Larrabetzu, Spain Head chef: Eneko Atxa 2015/3 3 Eleven Madison Park New York, US Head chef: Daniel Humm 2015/4 4 Per Se New York, US Head chef: Thomas Keller 2015/7 5 El Celler de Can Roca Girona, Spain Head chef: Joan Roca 2015/2 6 Robuchon au Dôme Macau, China Head chef: Francky Semblat 2015/6 7 Le Bernardin New York, US Head chef: Eric Ripert 2015/9 8 Osteria Francescana Modena, Italy Head chef: Massimo Bottura 2015/10

10 Restaurant Guy Savoy Paris, France Head chef: Guy Savoy 2015/22 11 La Pergola Rome, Italy Head chef: Heinz Beck 2015/8 12 Pierre Gagnaire Paris, France Head chef: Pierre Gagnaire 2015/13 13 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal London, UK Head chef: Ashley Palmer-Watts 2015/25 14 Daniel New York, US Head chef: Daniel Boulud 2015/11 15 L’Arpège Paris, France Head chef: Alain Passard 2015/66 16 Steirereck Vienna, Austria Head chef: Heinz Reitbauer 2015/79 17 Pujol Mexico City, Mexico Head chef: Enrique Olvera 2015/17 18 Restaurant Gordon Ramsay London, UK Head chef: Clare Smyth 2015/32 19 L’Ambroisie Paris, France Head chefs: Bernard and Mathieu Pacaud 2015/43 20 Nihonryori RyuGin Tokyo, Japan Head chef: Seiji Yamamoto 2015/26

21 Le Calandre Padua, Italy Head chef: Massimiliano Alajmo 2015/24

From far left: Alinea lamb dish; a playful dessert; Alinea chef Grant Achatz

22 The Ledbury London, UK Head chef: Brett Graham 2015/12 23 The Restaurant

from certain parts of Europe, “New Nordic cuisine, and restaurants such as Noma, highlighted the importance of looking in your backyard. People really appreciate that. For whatever reason we never really did that in the US, but now we are sourcing locally, we are paying attention to the ethos and the commerce that is happening here and I think that is a great story and it makes sense in so many ways,” he says. Not that Achatz puts any limits on himself or his team as far as ingredients are concerned. As he explains, Alinea’s philosophy has always been that of a globally influenced restaurant. “We don’t have to have fish that came from within 30 miles of our restaurant. I appreciate what others, such as René Redzepi and Dan Barber have done, it is just not for us. If I can get amazing seafood from Tokyo, then I am going to have it flown in the next day,” he says. “We have always thought that we don’t limit ourselves, so if anything is possible – any ingredient, any technique anything we can do to the experience to make it the best the guest can possibly experience, we are OK with that. To me that is what defines Alinea creatively.” Tina Nielsen

at Meadowood St. Helena, US Head chef: Christopher Kostow 2015/16 24 Restaurant Schwarzwaldstube Baiersbronn, Germany Head chef: Harald Wohlfahrt 2015/34 25 The French Laundry Yountville, US Head chef: Thomas Keller 2015/52 26 Jean-Georges New York, US Head chef: Jean-Georges Vongerichten 2015/27

9 D.O.M. São Paulo, Brazil Head chef: Alex Atala 2015/14