INSPIRATION • January 2016
Destination dining
A great meal isn’t just about what you eat: it’s where you eat it, says Bill Knott, the Financial Times restaurant critic. From simple bread to exotic oysters, a world of food awaits
Oysters: Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York
The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal has been serving the finest oysters for more than a century: the list is huge, with a couple of dozen varieties available at any time. The lower Hudson estuary once had 350 square miles of oyster beds, and although those days are long gone, the Oyster Bar maintains the tradition in its stunning vaulted rooms. The faint-of-stomach can have them cooked – oysters Rockefeller is a classic here – but true gourmets will order them raw.
Dim sum: China Club, Hong Kong
Sir David Tang’s eclectically decorated Hong Kong restaurant is nominally for club members only, but any concierge worth his salt-and-pepper squid will bag you a reservation. The dining room, in the old Bank of China building, blends the colonial – ceiling fans, rattan chairs – with the contemporary: much of Sir David’s collection of modern Chinese paintings and sculptures is housed here. The dim sum is top-notch, and there is a superb wine list.
Bread: Du Pain et Des Idées, Paris
There is a nouvelle vague of top boulangeries in Paris: the irresistible Du Pain et Des Idées, for example. Located in a trendy neighbourhood by the Canal St-Martin, the bakery’s windows are brimming with fabulous breads and pastries. Supremely flaky croissants, perfect baguettes and the incredible chocolate-and-pistachio escargot.
Jamón Iberico: Meson Cinco Jotas, Seville
There is simply no better ham on Earth than jamón Iberico from Extremadura, in southwest Spain, and no better place to sample its delights than Seville, a city in which the sweet smell of acorns-made-flesh haunts the air. Meson Cinco Jotas is owned by Osborne, and the company’s 5J ham is one of the very best: served wafer-thin, the generously marbled meat melts in the mouth, needing only a glass of chilled dry sherry for company.
Lobster: The Company Shed, West Mersea
This no-nonsense joint on Mersea Island, Essex, is really a fishmonger with tables: bring your own bread (and wine if you like, although they have a short list), and choose from the slab. Lobster is seasonal but you can always rely on delicious, fresh, simply cooked seafood. If you can’t make it to New York, the local oysters are pretty fine here, too.
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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Destination