From London's River Cafe to New York's Momofuku: John Torode on the world's ten best restaurants
By JOHN TORODE, MASTERCHEF PRESENTER
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Enjoy fresh food at the hottest Italian restaurant in the world or a much-imitated soft pork bun in the city that never sleeps, here the Masterchef presenter shares his global dining recommendations
The River Café, London
The River Cafe was a small place that became the hottest Italian restaurant in the world. It's also helped change the way sustainable food is viewed in this country
When I arrived in the country 22 years ago, the River Café was only a few years old, but it was clear even then that it was special. Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray were untrained as chefs, but had a complete and utter love of fresh food. It was a small place that became the hottest Italian restaurant in the world. It’s also helped change the way sustainable food is viewed in this country.
Waiting time for reservation: two weeks. Average price for a three-course meal for two with wine: £160
Kitchen by Mike, Sydney
Kitchen by Mike is just about the hottest thing in Sydney right now... The coffee is great, the bread is superb and it never fails to put a smile on your face
Mike McEnearney is a great mate of mine. He’s thrown away his chef jacket and is now doing his own thing, a café vibe in a furniture-design warehouse on an industrial estate in the Rosebery area of Sydney. It’s just about the hottest thing in Sydney right now. He cooks what he feels like, usually something he’s found in the market or a supplier has offered. The coffee is great, the bread is superb and it never fails to put a smile on your face.
No reservations; £160
Nathan Outlaw, Cornwall
There are two restaurants - downstairs is Nathan Outlaw's Seafood & Grill, a lovely bistro where you can sit outside; upstairs is the big Michelin-star experience
Nathan is one of the most understated two-Michelin-star chefs around. His place in Rock, on the opposite side of the bay from his old boss Rick Stein in Padstow, is just great. There are two restaurants – downstairs is Outlaw’s Seafood & Grill, a lovely bistro where you can sit outside and have goat’s cheese and beetroot that he’s turned into something extraordinary; upstairs is the big Michelin-star experience. I’d suggest you order the fish of the day and prepare to be blown away. If you can’t make it down to the West Country, he’s just opened another establishment at the Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.
Three months; £240
Stokehouse, Melbourne
The beachside setting and vibe are absolutely perfect. Downstairs is pretty laid-back with pizzas and drinks; upstairs is a bit more refined with excellent modern Australian food, a buzzing balcony and a superb wine list
This beachside restaurant and bar in St Kilda, Melbourne, has been there for years. If I’m back in the city it’s one of the first places I’ll go to. The beachside setting and vibe are absolutely perfect. Downstairs is pretty laid-back with pizzas and drinks; upstairs is a bit more refined with excellent modern Australian food, a buzzing balcony and a superb wine list.
Four to five weeks; £160-£195
Momofuku, New York
They don't take bookings at Momofuku, so get there early and sit on a stool at the bar to eat... Everything on the menu is fresh, unpretentious and delicious
There are a few branches in New York, but I particularly like the Ssäm Bar on Second Avenue. They don’t take bookings, so get there early and sit on a stool at the bar to eat. Chef/owner David Chang is an interesting character and a great, inventive cook. His soft pork bun has been copied all over the world, but nothing compares to the original. Everything on the menu is fresh, unpretentious and delicious.
No reservations; £70
The Rock & Sole Plaice, London
It's not the cheapest fish and chips, but it's just brilliant - fresh fish, proper gherkins, great crispy chips and, most importantly, decent portions
This old Covent Garden chippy is an institution and is great fun in the evenings, when you have all the bustle of the area going on. It’s not the cheapest fish and chips, but it’s just brilliant – fresh fish, proper gherkins, great crispy chips and, most importantly, decent portions. You can sit outside on the benches on the street, but the downstairs is so tacky it’s brilliant.
No reservations; £40-50
Fanelli Café, New York
Sit at one of Fanelli Café's rickety tables with their red-and-white chequered tablecloths, order a bowl of chowder and a cold beer and just enjoy. Afternoons disappear easily in there
It’s always great to find the hottest new place in a city you love, but Fanelli is the opposite. It’s a dependable local institution in SoHo that never lets you down. Sit at one of the rickety tables with their red-and-white chequered tablecloths, order a bowl of chowder and a cold beer and just enjoy. Afternoons disappear easily in there. The Bloody Marys are great too, as are the burgers and just about whatever’s on the menu when you’re there.
No reservations; £50 (bar snacks)
For authentic Thai food in Bangkok with a bit of added pizzazz, Nahm is the place to go
Nahm, Bangkok
When you go to Bangkok you can do one
of two things: eat in a hotel or eat on the streets. The fish market is
amazing and you can get wonderful food on the side of the road. But if
you want to eat authentic Thai food with a bit of added pizzazz, then
Nahm, situated in the Metropolitan Hotel, is the place to go. Everything
Australian chef David Thompson produces is elegant and sophisticated,
and he knows how to spice properly. The som tum and the crispy catfish
salad are particularly great in my opinion.
One week; £140
D.O.M., São Paulo
Anyone who can open up a restaurant as serious as this in a city like São Paulo must be doing something incredible. It's a really dangerous place
I’ve eaten at all the restaurants here, bar this one. I’ve included it because it’s right at the very top of my list of places to go. Anyone who can open up a restaurant as serious as this in a city like São Paulo must be doing something incredible. It’s a really dangerous place, yet D.O.M. is now ranked in the top five restaurants in the world. I love new experiences, and what chef Alex Atala is doing in adding to traditional Brazilian cuisine is said to be wonderful.
One month; £290 (tasting menu)
Hot Doug’s, Chicago
With its bright red walls and rickety tables, Hot Doug's in Chicago is a fun concept, but it also has style and real quality. It's not expensive either, so be prepared to queue, because it's very popular
Run by Doug Sohn, this is no ordinary fast-food diner. Describing itself as ‘The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium’, it offers duck infused with Calvados and apple mustard and duck-fat fries. With its bright red walls and rickety tables, it’s a fun concept, but it also has style and real quality. It’s not expensive either, so be prepared to queue, because it’s very popular.
No reservations; £10 (not including wine)
John Torode picture byline: BBC/Shine TV/Emilie Sandy
‘Masterchef’ returns to BBC1 in the New Year.
For more of John’s restaurant recommendations, follow him on Twitter @JohnTorode1
