Where Chefs Eat: Bucket-List Restaurants

If you’re anything like us, you add more to your “restaurants to try” list than you’re able to tick off. But don’t worry, London chefs are just like you – they have all have the restaurants they want to try that they simply haven’t made it to yet. Here, London cooking talent share their ultimate dining destinations – from spots in the US and Australia, to European classics and hot new London restaurants they haven’t yet managed to score a reservation at.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns [in New York state, US], Dan Barber’s temple to regenerative agriculture and farm-to-table innovation. They’re pioneering closed-loop systems and redefining what sustainable fine dining looks like globally.

There are a few places I’d love to experience, all for different reasons. Tresind Studio in Dubai for its modern, technical interpretation of Indian cuisine; Ynyshir in Machynlleth, Wales for its intensity and boldness; and Knystaforsen in Rydöbruk, Sweden for its deep connection to nature and seasonality.

I’ve always admired The Fat Duck in Bray for changing the conversation around dining in Britain, and Firedoor in Surry Hills, Sydney for its uncompromising approach to cooking with fire.

Closer to home, Opheem in Birmingham and Roots in York both represent chefs with a strong point of view and a clear sense of identity and that’s what really draws me in.

Australia. I can’t believe I haven’t been. It’s been on my bucket list since I was at catering school almost 25 years ago. Most of my inspiration was based around people like Neil Perry in those days, but now I’m desperate to try Josh Niland, Dan Hong and Lilly Trewartha’s food and restaurants.

La Marine in Noirmoutier, France. It does beautiful fresh and local seafood where the focus is on the quality ingredients, set on the edge of Noirmoutier island. I first heard about it when the chef was featured on the Chef’s Table series and it’s been in my mind ever since.

O: Tiella Trattoria. Close to home but rightfully difficult to get a reservation.

R: Holmen Lofoten, in Arctic Norway.

I’d love to try Chez Panisse in Berkley, California. I’ve been to the cafe bit, but not the restaurant.

I would love to eat at Etxebarri in the Basque country. Etxebarri is the mecca for solid fuel cookery, and sort of the dream set-up for ingredient nerds and charcoal enthusiasts globally. Separately, I’ve had the pleasure of having lunch with Daniel Calvert on a couple of occasions. Daniel has just stopped heading the kitchen at Sezanne in Tokyo, where he achieved three Michelin stars and the number one spot in Asia’s 50 Best. Whatever Daniel does next will by default be on the list.

I still haven’t had the opportunity to try Noma. So that is still on my bucket list. And I would also love to go to Japan and experience omakase in Tokyo.

I dream of visiting Central in Peru. The menu looks fascinating, and I’m sure it’s filled with unique flavours that would be exciting for me as a chef. Exploring new tastes is always inspiring.

Mingles in Seoul is somewhere very special to us. We visited when it was still in its earlier basement space, and it’s been amazing watching the restaurant evolve over the years. Earlier on the cooking felt more European-influenced, but now it feels much more authentically Korean while still keeping a very refined modern elegance. We would really love to visit again, especially now that they have three Michelin stars.

Le Suquet by Sébastien Bras in Laguiole is another dream restaurant for us. Michel Bras was a huge inspiration when we were young chefs, and now seeing his son Sébastien Bras carry on his father’s legacy in his own way feels incredibly meaningful. Staying there, experiencing the landscape and having a meal at the restaurant has always been something we’ve dreamed about.

Clare Smyth’s new place Corenucopia. She’s got a Dover sole fish and chip that looks unbelievable.

I want to try the Neapolitan pizza being made in Tokyo. There’s a subsector of the style that is Tokyo-style, and there are a few places that are high-level execution. Ideally I would link up with an expert on the ground – a sort of Anthony Bourdain-type character of Tokyo – and let them build out a food tour.

There's not that many places I dream about anymore. I'm lucky that I've been to a lot of them. But I’d like to do Sushi Saito in Tokyo, which I've never gone to. It's supposed to be really transformative but it’s impossible to get a table. I suppose if I decide to put a tremendous amount of energy into it, I can get in – but I don't care that much.

I had a bucket list meal at Franzen in Stockholm a couple of years back that was really worth the time and money. It was a lot of money, but it was a four-hour affair. I have a lot of friends who say they're sick of those long meals and they don't like them, but I think when they're done right, it's incredibly luxurious and fun. The pacing was quite good. It was a really lovely meal.

Tresind Studio in Dubai. I adore Himanshu Saini’s approach to Indian food. I had the opportunity to eat there about five years ago and it’s firmly on my bucket list to return.

I’ve been wanting to go to L’Ambroisie in Paris since my twenties, and I’m finally going in a few weeks. I used to work in Paris in back in ’93, and because I lived quite close to le Marais – in a place called Place de la République, near Gare du Nord – I would walk around the area and see this place, a three [Michelin-starred, two-starred as of 2026] restaurant by Pierre Gagnaire.

We’ve long dreamed of opening a Bob Bob Ricard in Tokyo, and hopefully this will come to fruition in the next few years as we continue to evolve. This would also give me the opportunity to pop over to Singapore and visit Burnt Ends.