Eat Your Heart Out
Hans Mahr is a flavour obsessive and compulsive restaurant goer. Here is his bucket-list of the 25 places he cannot wait to visit again, from swanky to street food.
ITALY / VENICE
Trattoria alla Rivetta
Five minutes behind St Mark’s Cathedral, practically under a small bridge, join the gondoliers and enjoy Venetian specialities from spider crab to sarde in saor and spaghetti vongole in this landmark trattoria.
Address: Ponte San Provolo, 4625 Castello
T: +39 041 528 7302
ITALY / ROME
Salumeria Roscioli
The best deli in the Italian capital plus a ristorante in the back where you can eat salami, cheese, ravioli, tagliolini and gnocchi with first class wine from all over the country.
Website: salumeriaroscioli.com
SPAIN / BARCELONA
Barceloneta
First floor terrace over the yacht harbour with all the seafood you ever dreamed of eating. And don’t forget to order the best paella in town straight off the large pan.
Website: restaurantbarceloneta.com
SPAIN / SEGOVIA
Restaurant José Maria
This is the region of the black pig and you will be served the best roast suckling pig in Spain. Crispy, delicious, not too fat, and chef José Maria himself carves it directly at your table.
Website: restaurantejosemaria.com
FRANCE / PARIS
Frenchie
When Greg Marchand worked in London, he was nicknamed ’Frenchie’ – so he used this moniker when opening his small restaurant in Paris and basically invented the ’neobistro’ trend – typical French fare with a lighter, more modern touch.
Website: frenchie-restaurant.com
ENGLAND / LONDON
Kerbisher & Malt
For me, this is the best place to indulge in Britain’s number one classic, fish & chips: there are three outlets in town. I eat mine with vinegar (not too much, please) but without mushy peas (I hate them).
Website: kerbisher.co.uk
GERMANY / BERLIN
Zollhaus Rutz
Michelin-starred chef Marco Müller took over a former listed customs house for his second venture and transformed it into a contemporary Berlin restaurant – with local food: classy sausages, traditional Königsberger Klopse (meatballs) and German wines.
Website: rutz-zollhaus.de
GERMANY / MUNICH
Waldwirtschaft
A typically Bavarian beer garden and restaurant in the green outskirts of the city. Lots of beer, Munich Schmankerln, or small bites – like speck, ham, cheese and radish. Roast pork in beer sauce is also on the menu, of course.
Website: waldwirtschaft.de
AUSTRIA / VIENNA
DO & CO
On the 7th floor of this hotel, in full view of St. Stephen's Cathedral, this informal place serves Viennese cuisine par excellence: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz but also fresh fish and pasta. One floor down, Nobu-style Asian food comes from the same kitchen.
Website: doco.com
GREECE / MYKONOS
Kiki´s Tavern
By hiking down a stony path, you get to a Greek taverna like it must have been 50 years ago. Fish, lamb, Greek house wine and a dip in the ocean afterwards if you follow the path till the end. No reservations, so come early in order to avoid queuing time.
At the Agios Sostis beach.
T: +30 6940759356
ISRAEL / TEL AVIV
Abu Hassan
This is the hummus hotspot – hummus with lemon, with tahini, with broad beans, you name it. This is a hole in a wall in Jaffa, where you order and eat your hummus on wobbly tables and chairs. Don’t turn up too late in the afternoon, Abu closes when the hummus is eaten up.
Address: Ha-Dolfin St 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo
T: +972 3-682-0387
USA / LOS ANGELES
Spago
Chef Wolfgang Puck’s original start-up, before his Oscar fame, now in Beverly Hills. Easy-going, great food from tuna via veal tartare to his signature dish: pizza with salmon and sour cream. The courtyard in summer (isn’t it summer all year round in California?) is still the LA place to be.
Website: wolfgangpuck.com
USA / NEW YORK
Katz´s Delicatessen
A typical New York deli? It’s Katz’s of course on the Lower East Side. Noisy, cramped and always at least 15 minutes waiting time – but you will love the sandwiches with pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, tuna salad with the famous fresh pickles. Don’t over-order: a sandwich easily feeds two.
Website: katzsdelicatessen.com
USA / MIAMI
Joe´s Stonecrab
Nothing beats fresh stone crabs when you are in Florida. Joe’s is a landmark in Miami – sorry, no reservations, so you have to queue or tip the bouncer. And don’t go for the extra-large crab, medium or large taste much better, especially when accompanied by a crisp Californian Chardonnay anyway.
Website: joesstonecrab.com
RUSSIA / MOSCOW
Restaurant Lavkalavka
Authentic, local food not far from the Bolshoi theatre. The ingredients come from different farmers’ cooperatives, the recipes from the 18th century – real Russian cuisine in a garden outside or on solid wooden tables inside. The wines hail from the Black Sea or the Caucasus.
Website: lavkalavka.com
SOUTH AFRICA / CAPE TOWN
The Pot Luck Club
In the centre of the Saturday market at the Old Biscuit Mill, you have to climb five stairs to reach Cape Town’s hidden gastro gem. Order the entire list of tapas-like specialities (mussel chowder, crayfish with sauce caramel, pork belly with coconut) from top to the bottom of the menu.
Website: thepotluckclub.co.za
THAILAND / BANGKOK
Jay Fai
Dark skiing goggles are her trademark: Jay Fay dons them to prepare her famous crab omelette over charcoal which even earned her a Michelin Star. She runs the most famous street food place in Bangkok, just a five-minute-walk from the Golden Palace.
Address: 327 Samran Rat Intersection
T: +66 2 223 9384
SINGAPORE
Lau Pa Sat Market
Of course there are great restaurants in town, but the best way to enjoy the Singapore food scene is to visit one of the many markets. The best is the historic Lau Pa Sat. Shi Hui Yuan and Satay. Stalls No. 7 and 8 come highly recommended – and don’t worry about food hygiene, the authorities check daily.
Website: laupasat.sg
CHINA / BEIJING
Dadong
If you want to taste the best Peking Duck, look no further. The fat has melted away underneath the crispy skin, the meat is tender as it should be and the waiter artistically carves the bird at the table. He will also tell you exactly how to wrap everything in thin pancakes.
Website: beijingduck.com.cn
CHINA / SHANGHAI
Restaurant Jesse
Most of Jesse’s guests are Chinese, so don’t expect anyone to speak English. Point at your neighbours’ dishes and at the pictures on the menu – then enjoy the most authentic food you can get in gastronomically overdeveloped Shanghai: crab jelly noodles, baked fish with spring onions, drunken chicken.
Address: 41 Tianping Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai.
T: +86 21 6282 9260
TAIWAN / TAIPEI
Dintai Fung Tianmu
You like dim sum? Then you will be in heaven. Unimpressive from the outside, but inside an incredible range of dim sum and small cold and hot dishes are offered. Come early for lunch or dinner or you will have to queue for up to half an hour.
Address: Zhongshan North Road 77 Shilin District,
T: +886 2 2833 8900
JAPAN / TOKYO
Sushi Dai
Around the old fish market is the place to be if you love sushi – it doesn’t get any fresher than this. The sushi master and his team will offer the right selection. Give yourself into their hands, eat what they serve and say stop when you are done.
Address: Toyosu Fish Market 6 Chome-6-2 Toyosu, Koto City Tokyo 135-0061, Japan.
T: +81 3-6633-0042
AUSTRALIA / SYDNEY
Rockpool
Chef Neil Perry started the Australian gourmet revolution 30 years ago. He is not in the kitchen anymore but oversees Rockpool in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth as a consultant. The Australian-fusion food is as good as ever, go for the lobster with herb butter and the dry-aged steaks.
Website: rockpoolbarandgrill.com.au
PERU / LIMA
Restaurant la Mar
If you want to savour the best ceviche, trust Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio. Be it fish, mussels or octopus, in La Mar you get them splendidly marinated – all the seafood is as fresh as can be. That’s why Gaston closes his cevicherias in the afternoon when the catch of the day is fully consumed. You can find outlets also in Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile.
Website: lamarcebicheria.com
BRAZIL / RIO DE JANEIRO
Churrascaria Palace
The old and new kid on the Copacabana. Famous steakhouse Fogo de Chao is now a worldwide chain, slipped in quality. So the Palace has taken over the number one spot and is the place to go.
Skewers of meat are offered nearly minute by minute and the waiters carve your favourite cut – rib, fillet, rump – right at your table. If your companions are not meat eaters, no problem, they also serve great fish.
Website: churrascariapalace.com.br