SYDNEY - After a long day of sightseeing the last thing you need is a dud meal so the Web site for Food & Wine Magazine has come up with a list of the top 10 restaurants where the food is as good as the nearby sights.
The list is compiled by foodandwine.com and is not endorsed by Reuters:
1. Alto, New York City (Museum of Modern Art)
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| Undated publicity photo shows the interior of Alto restaurant in New York City. |
Chef Michael White left Fiamma to take over the kitchen at Alto and at sister restaurant L'Impero. His elegant presentation and satisfying Northern Italian cooking has elevated this wine-centric restaurant just a short walk from the MoMA.
2. Fafiuche, Rome (the Forum)
The newest destination in the trendy Monti neighborhood next to the Forum is a combination restaurant and food shop selling exceptional artisanal products such as biscotti from Tuscany and preserves from Piedmont.
3. The Goring, London (Buckingham Palace)
The Goring was recently made over by the Queen's nephew, designer David Linley. Now it's glitzy, with handmade cabinets and Swarovski crystal chandeliers, but the traditional English food is still terrific, and the cellar one of the best in London.
4. Karim's, Delhi (Jama Masjid mosque)
The most iconic kebab joint in Delhi sits in the shadow of the Jama Masjid mosque and has been owned for nearly a century by a family that claims to have cooked for India's Mughal emperors 200 years ago.
5. Les Cocottes, Paris (Eiffel Tower)
At this dressed-down spot, chef Christian Constant, of Le Violon d'Ingres and Cafe Constant, bakes a half-dozen Southwestern-accented French dishes in mini Staub cast-iron pots which customers can purchase.
6. Martha Kitchen & Bar, Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv Museum and Opera House)
Within walking distance of the Tel Aviv Museum and Opera House, Martha serves excellent Middle Eastern dishes like lentil salad with eggplant puree, Western dishes like sirloin meatballs and a few that fuse the two.
7. Ocean Room, Sydney (Opera House)
Excellent sashimi is surprisingly hard to find in Sydney, but Ocean Room has it, thanks to young Tokyo-born chef Raita Noda's access to a thrilling variety of seafood. The restaurant - on Circular Quay, near Sydney Opera House - has a huge indoor aquarium and wide-angle views of the harbor.
8. Omotenashi BAR at Isetan, Tokyo (in must-visit Isetan food hall, also near Shinjuku shopping area)
The glamorous Isetan department store's basement food-floor recently underwent a massive renovation, resulting in a new array of food stands, chef counters and covetable ingredients. The floor now houses Omotenashi BAR, which serves nihonshu (the Japanese word for sake) paired with small plates.
9. Palatium, Rome (Spanish Steps)
This sleekly designed restaurant just off the Spanish Steps concentrates on the food of Rome and the Lazio region, with an assortment of dishes that incorporate fava beans from Anzio, olives from Gaeta and pecorino and ricotta from Rieti.
10. Pasaji, Athens (city center)
Chef Nena Ismirnoglou, who spent several years at New York City's Estiatorio Milos, cooks smart, modernized Greek cuisine at her new restaurant in the city center. The latest people-watching hangout, Pasaji is named for its location in a gorgeously renovated covered passage behind the famous Grand Bretagne hotel.
