Not a great year for dining for me. I am perhaps slightly over the typical Michelin starred style and as I get older I don't have the same appetite for a 5,000 calorie meal that I did as when I was in my 20s.
Good
* Elkano. A traditional Basque seafood BBQ, this restaurant has the world's most famous turbot, a reputation which I think is potentially justified. All round good food and service with some keenly priced wine (e.g. Vega Sicilia for under 300EUR), maybe my best meal of 2018
* Tickets, Barcelona (#25 on SP Top 50). Had an enjoyable, fun meal at Tickets with great service (helped by a local connection) and interesting food. I'm not generally into molecular gastronomy, so although I enjoyed almost everything about the dinner, I do not feel the need to rush back
** Atelier de Joel Robuchon, St Germain, Paris. I felt the need for a pilgrimage to the original atelier of my favourite chef shortly after his passing. Food is even more technically refined than in other Ateliers around the world, though service was a bit grumpy French and lacked the welcome touch that I appreciate when I'm spending a few hundred Euros an hour.
"Dinner in the Sky" with the Grande Bretagne Executive Chef. A special event through SPG moments, the Chef and his team "borrowed" the crane which lifts you up into the sky and cooked a truly memorable meal
* Gordon Ramsey, Versailles. Ludicrously expensive for a restaurant which recently lost its second star, the food and service was nonetheless a cut above most other places I ate in 2018. The turbot main was potentially my best dish of the year, but at a comparable cost of 2/3* restaurants in major metropolitan city centres, I'm not sure if I will return.
Fair
* Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas. The Restaurant was fully booked, so I took a trip to the Atelier. Service was excellent, but the food was a bit richer and lacked a bit of Robuchon's delicate touch. I guess it is Vegas.
* La Scene, Paris. The restaurant of SPG's Prince de Galle hotel, led by one of Paris's relatively few female chefs. I found her style more modern and lighter than most other Parisian cooking. This almost got a "good", except for the lack of anything especially interesting
L'Oiseau Blanc, Paris (Peninsula). Surprisingly not starred, this greenhouse on top of the Peninsula facing the Eiffel Tower is one amazing venue. Service was competent and food was more or less at Michelin starred level. Inevitably expensive, but a memorable venue.
** Patrick Gilbaud, Dublin. Rather unexpectedly, this is a capable 2* French restaurant plopped in the middle of Dublin. Nothing ground-breaking, but it's completely authentic French food and service and rather good if you want to go for a classic
* Yauatcha, London. A solid and attractive dim sum venue
* Hakkasan, Mayfair. Another solid and good looking Chinese/ dim sum place with a great Sunday brunch deal
Bad
* Tamarind, London. One of a handful of Indian Michelin starred restaurants, this food was not especially good and I got the impression this place leant on its legacy and expensive location.
Terrible
*** Le Cinq. Having been there, I thought Jay Rayner's review was pretty much spot on.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...iew-jay-rayner