A drop of insider dining knowledge

By Anna Kibbey

November 2024

Food & DrinkReviews

Ever wondered where food experts eat? We ask a panel of industry insiders for their hot tips on the best hotel restaurants, and dishes not to miss. Prepare to be inspired…

November 2024

By Anna Kibbey

Going to

Travelers

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With a growing number of the world’s most exciting chefs and mixologists taking the helm of hotel kitchens and bars, there’s never been a better time to book a wine-and-dine weekender (innovative cocktails included, of course). In fact, the Hotel Restaurant Renaissance was identified by our Unpack ’25 report as one of next year’s hottest travel trends.

We spoke to a panel of industry experts to find out where they go—and what they order—when they want an unforgettable destination dining experience.

The travel journalist

_{Jonathan Thompson, US travel correspondent for The Times and host of travel show Adventure Cities on the Discovery Channel}

“The hotel that springs to mind immediately is The Langham, Boston. It’s in a former Federal Reserve Bank and the restaurant (Grana) is in the old Grand Hall. It’s all high ceilings, marble floors and lofty, brass-framed windows—the kind of place where you’re so awestruck simply looking around that you forget you have a plate of delicious food sitting in front of you. I had the American classic omelet with lobster the last time I was there, which was absolute perfection. Then I ordered another coffee, just for the thrill of sitting in that room a little longer, soaking it in.”

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The NYC publicist

_{Anna Stancioff, New Yorker, publicist, hotel nerd}

“It has to be Café Carmellini at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. It’s one of the most glamorous spaces in NYC, which is saying a lot for this city. Chef Carmellini knows how to make it feel both totally opulent and also warm and welcoming: high ceilings anchored by large trees, velvet and leather banquettes, many with a view right into the kitchen, and lighting that makes everyone look beautiful. Order the tuna crudo, risotto del giorno, duck-duck-duck tortellini and chicken ‘Gran Sasso.’”

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2025’s Hotel Restaurant Renaissance

Why travel is getting tastier

Read now

The food awards boss

_{William Drew, director of content at 50 Best, the organization behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Bars and Hotels}

“Ixi’im is the flagship restaurant in one of the world’s finest hotels, Chablé Yucatán in Mexico. The setting—surrounded by the jungle of the Yucatán peninsula and with a traditional cenote water hole on the property—is stunning, while the restaurant space blends ancient Mayan architecture with modernist elements to award-winning effect. Kick off with a cocktail in the adjacent bar—the cellar houses one of the world’s largest tequila collections—before diving into the restaurant’s tasting menu, which features regional specialties such as underground-cooked suckling pig with pickled beetroot, or Mayan octopus with smoked chili sauce and beans.”

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The hospitality executive

_{Jules Pearson, global VP of F&B development, Ennismore}

“Dinner at La Grande Table Marocaine at the Royal Mansour Marrakech is like stepping back in time. The grand dining room with high ceilings, velvet curtains, patterned walls, beautiful ornate chairs and decorative chandeliers is an Instagrammer’s dream. Add to that the incredible staff uniforms, tableware and hand-washing ceremony before the meal starts and you’re transported to another time and place. Pure escapism! The order? Chicken tagine, of course.”

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Anna Kibbey

Writer

Anna Kibbey is a food writer living in London. She has written for Time Out, Square Meal, Food & Travel, Mr & Mrs Smith, The Evening Standard and Restaurant Magazine, and co-founded hospitality consultancy 2Forks.