Elite Traveler Summer 2021

2019: RESTAURANT DE L’HÔTEL DE VILLE Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville was founded in 1955 by Benjamin Girardet and, during its history, the kitchen has been run by a number of world-leading chefs. Since the untimely death of Benoît Violier in 2016, Franck Giovannini has assumed charge of the Swiss restaurant. Chef Giovannini remains true to the core principle of simplicity that has guided Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville since its inception, with each dish celebrating three primary flavors. Ingredients are meticulously sourced: Game is bought directly from hunters; vegetables are grown locally; bread is from a nearby bakery. Of course, ingredients alone are not what saw Restaurant de l’Hôtel deVille voted the best restaurant in the world by Elite Traveler readers, nor what has earned it three Michelin stars every year since 1994. For these accolades, its remarkably talented chefs must take credit. Regarded as one of the world’s best, chef Giovannini is a technical master and, while he remains respectful of his predecessors, he isn’t afraid to champion new methods to ensure relevance in a modern market. Despite his seasoned experience in the kitchen, the past year has naturally been like no other for the chef. Commenting on the unique challenges presented by Covid-19, Giovannini told Elite Traveler that “2020 has been a year full of twists and turns, through which each of us has had to learn to adapt.” Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville’s classic French cuisine can be enjoyed either à la carte or as part of a set menu, both of which offer changing seasonal dishes as well as a selection of classic favorites. The dining room experience is equally as polished as the dishes leaving the kitchen, with a leading sommelier also on hand to guide guests through the extensive French-dominated wine list. Set menu from $426 per person. Contact contact@restaurantcrissier.com, +41 216 340 505, restaurantcrissier.com

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2018: ALINEA

If one restaurant is no stranger to Elite Traveler ’s Top 100 Restaurants list, it’s Alinea. Since 2011, it has missed out on the top spot just twice. Under the lead of chef-cum-owner Grant Achatz (who cut his teeth at California institution The French Laundry), Chicago-based Alinea has pushed the boundaries of fine dining since it first opened in 2005. The restaurant offers three alternative experiences: The Kitchen Table, The Gallery Menu and The Salon Menu, each of which is booked in a ticketed format. The most intimate and exclusive of the three is The Kitchen Table, which offers a private table inside the kitchen to which only servers and chefs have access. The extensive 16- to 18-course Gallery Menu is served in the restaurant’s gallery area, while the Salon Menu is considered to be the most approachable of Alinea’s menus — but still includes up to 12 courses. What unites all three dining options is the assurance that each will be like nothing you’ve experienced before, or will ever experience again. Expect surprising tricks, tableside preparations and intriguing plating galore, as Achatz’s cuisine adopts an inventive approach to fine dining, targeting each of the senses simultaneously. And Alinea’s avant-garde approach has been well-rewarded: Alongside its numerous titles from Elite Traveler , it has also been awarded three Michelin stars — the only restaurant in Chicago to achieve this status. During Covid-19, as with restaurants around the world, Alinea had to rapidly adapt. Ever the innovators, instead of the highly exclusive, in-restaurant dining that Alinea usually offers, it turned to takeout options. Two menus were available, including a comfort food menu that featured classic favorites such as Osso Buco and Risotto alla Milanese, that perfectly matched the nation’s collective mood during troubled times. Kitchen Table experience from $395 per person; booking via tock.com only. Contact hospitality@alinearestaurant. com, alinearestaurant.com