Originally Posted by Kgmm77 (Post 23555988)

I really enjoyed Dinner, but had my only visit in the few months after it opened.

Has the menu moved on much? Whilst the food, service & ambience was very good, the gimmicky nature of the old recipe theme meant I've never really had a strong desire to return.

Originally Posted by bhrubin (Post 23555570)

I've not been to Hedone yet but it's definitely on my list. Same with Pollen Street Social.

One of the reasons I particularly love The Ledbury was the fact that while offering outstanding cuisine and service amidst a lovely dining room, there was no jacket requirement. I am biased against jacket requirements. (Dinner doesn't have one, either, so I am willing to give it another try when the circumstances permit.)

I'm off to Paris, Tel Aviv, and Istanbul in a few weeks. In Paris, I'll be dining at Guy Savoy for the first time (after 3 cancels!), as well as Robuchon St. Germaine for the second time, and L'Arpege for the first. In Tel Aviv, I'll be going for the second time to Mul-Yam, as well as trying for the first times Messa and the Yoezer Wine Bar. In Istanbul, we'll be dining for our first times at Topaz, Mikla, and Sunset Grill and Bar.

Originally Posted by FlyerEC (Post 23596962)

TWhen are you in Istanbul? Be sure to post as we ' ll be there too early Nov :)

Originally Posted by VivoPerLei (Post 23602942)

Anybody been to Dinings in London? Trying to decide where to go this weekend - we want something along the lines of Zuma/Roka/Nobu, however, we've been to all those places and want to try something new. Thinking about Dinings, or maybe a step down to Aqua Kyoto.

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete (Post 23602999)

You might be a bit late for options for bookings for this weekend. I've heard good things about Dinings but never been - let me know if you go.

A few other upmarketish Asian options:
Hakkasan (obviously) - go Tottenham Court Road, not Mayfair
Umu - Michelin starred sushi. It's a bit more serious and less playful than the Nobus
Bo London - Highly controversial place. Read lots of reviews first
Sushi of Shiori - Sushi/ kaiseki cuisine in a tiny restaurant. Beautiful and really special
Hutong - I wasn't that much of a fan of the food, but it's in the Shard, so that's fine

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete (Post 23602999)

You might be a bit late for options for bookings for this weekend. I've heard good things about Dinings but never been - let me know if you go.

A few other upmarketish Asian options:
Hakkasan (obviously) - go Tottenham Court Road, not Mayfair
Umu - Michelin starred sushi. It's a bit more serious and less playful than the Nobus
Bo London - Highly controversial place. Read lots of reviews first
Sushi of Shiori - Sushi/ kaiseki cuisine in a tiny restaurant. Beautiful and really special
Hutong - I wasn't that much of a fan of the food, but it's in the Shard, so that's fine

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete (Post 23603292)

Good call - I agree. It does feel a bit less formal though, so bear that in mind if you want the feeling of something "special".

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete (Post 23602999)

You might be a bit late for options for bookings for this weekend. I've heard good things about Dinings but never been - let me know if you go.

Originally Posted by bhrubin (Post 23570422)

We found both to be extraordinary in May 2013--having done the tasting menus with wine pairings at both. We slightly preferred Central, but we believe both restaurants are comparably fantastic.

Originally Posted by aa213bb (Post 23651119)

Figured I'd bump this to ask for any and all recs (from street carts to SP Best/Michelin ***) in Spain and Portugal (Madrid/Barcelona/Northern Spain, and Douro/Porto in Portugal).

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete (Post 23668316)

San Sebastian is my personal food mecca:

• Grab pintxos anywhere in the main streets
• A fuego negro is a modern take on a pintxos bar that's utterly unforgettable
• Asador Extebarri does things with a grill that you would never have believed possible
• I never made it to the top rated restaurants in the city, but we went to the (3*) Martin Berasategui and had our best meal of the year (in a year with a few other 3* Michelin rated places). It's nice to actually have your food cooked by the named chef too and to have a chance to chat about your meal with him in person (though his English wasn't too great)