Donald Burnam
Best international cities to dine in now
Whether it’s Belgrade or Buffalo, every resident thinks his or her city has great restaurants. Most cities have their strengths—the kebab shops on every street in Istanbul, the taquerias in Guadalajara, the dim sum parlors in Shanghai, the sushi bars in Kyoto. Of course. There’s fabulous seafood in Venice, wondrous tapas in San Sebastián and scores of terrific steakhouses in Buenos Aires.
But to be named a great restaurant city, there must be more than the usual levels of gastronomy; we expect the downhome and rustic as well as highfalutin’ and haute cuisine. No longer can any six cities in France claim to lead the world—or even Europe—as citadels of great food; nor can a city like Las Vegas claim its slew of big-ticket restaurants compare with the breadth and depth of those culinary capitals that built their food culture over centuries...
Best international cities to dine in now
Whether it’s Belgrade or Buffalo, every resident thinks his or her city has great restaurants. Most cities have their strengths—the kebab shops on every street in Istanbul, the taquerias in Guadalajara, the dim sum parlors in Shanghai, the sushi bars in Kyoto. Of course. There’s fabulous seafood in Venice, wondrous tapas in San Sebastián and scores of terrific steakhouses in Buenos Aires.
But to be named a great restaurant city, there must be more than the usual levels of gastronomy; we expect the downhome and rustic as well as highfalutin’ and haute cuisine. No longer can any six cities in France claim to lead the world—or even Europe—as citadels of great food; nor can a city like Las Vegas claim its slew of big-ticket restaurants compare with the breadth and depth of those culinary capitals that built their food culture over centuries...
Donald Burnam
Best international cities to dine in now
Whether it’s Belgrade or Buffalo, every resident thinks his or her city has great restaurants. M... more
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06/03/08
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1
New York
Numbers count: In 2006 there were approximately 26,000 food service establishments throughout New York, including 18,696 restaurants, with total sales of $12-$15 billion annually, and 35 million tourists fueling that fire. You can spend $500 at a sushi bar like Masa or $20 for a full meal at a Peruvian rotisserie. Lunch is just as important as dinner for eating out, and the power lunch at places like the Four Seasons and "21" Club are an extension of the power breakfasts at venues like Michael's and the Regency Hotel Dining Room. Every neighborhood is swollen with old and new restaurants; look down any street and you'll see six restaurants—five of them brand-new.
2
London
The revolution in London's gastronomy has actually been going on for more than 20 years now, buoyed by a raging economy, an influx of immigrants and hundreds of young Brits who have entered the restaurant game. These newcomers have transformed its culinary scene from stodgy to stupendous, with retro-British restaurant St. John's in Smithfield and ultra-experimental places like the Fat Duck in Bray. Money fills the seats, investors think restaurants are sexy and energy drives them all.
3
Paris
If Paris has lost any gastronomic sheen, it would be hard to notice through the windows of packed brasseries in Montparnasse, the cafes of Montmartre and the haute cuisine establishments all over the city. Outer arrondissements burgeon with ethnic eateries, pastry and chocolate shops prosper and the standards for excellence are unrelenting. If Paris has lost any of its eminence, blame its chefs' spirit of adventure—to some degree, evolution in this tradition-bound metropolis is slow. Fortunately, its gastronomy has such extraordinary strengths that its reputation is barely tarnished.
4
Tokyo
Food is life in Tokyo—an expression of social status and exercise in professional clout, even to the point of excess. Finding the most exotic ingredient, knowing the most expensive sushi bar, drinking the rarest foreign wines—these are parts of the city's nervous system. But its belly is in those small eateries specializing in eel dishes or teriyaki or udon noodles or yakitori or nabemono casseroles or tempura. Vast districts like Asakusa, Akasaka (known for its kappo restaurants) and Shinjuku, with its basement stalls, feeds everyone in endless profusion.
5
Rome
On age alone, Rome may claim bragging rights for its ancient gastronomy. Beginning with the extravagances of the emperor's table and the grand gorges of the Renaissance courts, and leading to the 20th century when neighborhoods teeming with trattorias began serving both Roman specialties like tender abbacchio lamb and spaghetti all'amatriciana. All the while, regional specialties from Palermo, Naples, Bologna and Venice left their fingerprints on the cooking pans. If all roads lead to Rome, they are now bumper-to-bumper with trucks delivering every fish, fruit, meat and vegetable the Mediterranean has to offer.
6
Hong Kong
For centuries, Hong Kong's position as a major port brought the world to its Fragrant Harbor and exported Asian food back out. The late R.W. Apple, Jr., of The New York Times, called Hong Kong "dim sum heaven." Its warrens of older neighborhoods that specialize in regional Chinese foods co-exist with a world-class French, Italian and Japanese restaurants that feed those who fuel the business boom. Hong Kong is a city where everything begins and ends with a mouthful.
7
San Francisco
San Francisco has probably done more for the global food revolution than any other city, from the days when Alice Waters (of Berkeley) began raising consciousness about food freshness and sustainability. It's also a city that saw rapid population growth of sophisticated émigrés from everywhere—not least China, Vietnam and Thailand—who made heterogeneity the mark of menus deemed good, fresh, exotic and inventive. Add to this the glamour of a world-class wine region to the north, and the depth and breadth of San Francisco food culture becomes delectably apparent.
8
New Orleans
Though still recovering from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the Crescent City's restaurants have come back strong. According to local food authority Tom Fitzmorris' New Orleans Menu newsletter, 891 restaurants are now open in the city—up from 809 before Katrina. That includes nearly all of the old favorites—Commander's Palace, Dooky Chase, Brennan's and Emeril's. This is a city that lives and breathes food, and lunch can last until cocktails start at six. The city's indigenous cuisine remains Creole, but over the past 25 years it's been imbued with Cajun, Italian and New American, giving this great restaurant city real strength in every culinary category.
9
Barcelona
Considering its hip image as a young people's paradise, Barcelona may seem an odd choice among other great restaurant cities. But in addition to a vibrant food culture of its own—from the restaurants and cafes lining Las Ramblas to the seafood restaurants along the Barceloneta docks—this sensuous city has been the epicenter for New Spanish Cuisine, which has had tremendous influence on the rest of Europe's and America's culinary leanings. Cutting-edge restaurants like Abac, Evo and Comerç 24 coexist with classics like El Racó d'en Freixa and Drolma; international incomers include Kansas (inexplicably Italian), Samoa (a pizzeria), Brasserie Flo (an import from Paris), Hippopotamus (a grill), Chihuahua (Mexican) and Eljaponés (Japanese).
10
Brussels
Brussels may be one of the most staid business cities in Europe, but its central importance to commerce and world politics forces the city to operate at very high gastronomic standards. It has numerous deluxe establishments like Comme Chez Soi and Villa Lorraine, marvelous seafood houses like L'Ecallier du Palais Royal, a slew of grills (uncommon in Europe), an impressive Italian sector and a whirl of brasseries in every neighborhood serving Belgian specialties like flammandes, moules frites, and waterzooi.
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