I used to do an annual round up of the best meals I had eaten in the whole year. Then, the list got so long that I started doing two half-yearly versions. This is the first one of 2024.

Granite, ParisVisit

It has been called the hottest restaurant in Paris. It’s relatively new and the chef, Tom Meyer, has only just turned 30 so it is the kind of place that only Parisian foodies know about. It was chosen for our lunch by Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin of Michelin and then, because we discovered that her boss Gwendal Poullennec had an early post-lunch meeting, we pushed the chef to serve the multi-course lunch as soon as possible. Not only did his food come quickly (“our kind of fast food”, Gwendal joked) it was outstanding. The restaurant has one Michelin star and very little international fame.

I am guessing both will change soon enough.

Alain Ducasse at Le Meurice, ParisVisit

I was taken here by the elegant and wise Emmanuelle Perrier, the backbone of the Alain Ducasse empire, and she arranged for us to have a drink with Amaury Bouhours, the chef, before dinner. The food was everything you would expect of a top class Ducasse restaurant. But because Bonhours is so curious, well travelled and young (early 30s) he brings a fresh energy to the kitchen. In many ways, he is the culinary heir to the Ducasse tradition and he takes his mentor’s food further without detracting from the Ducasse style. If you can only eat one great meal at a grand restaurant in Paris, this is the place to go.

Papa’s, MumbaiVisit

I have been a fan of Hussain Shahzad’s cooking ever since I first ate at O Pedro. But Papa’s is a better reflection of Hussain’s own style. It is a small counter (booked up weeks in advance) and Hussain cooks, basing his menu on what is available that day and what he feels like cooking. One of India’s great contemporary gastronomic experiences.

Bandra Born, MumbaiVisit

By some coincidence, the first time I ate Gresham Fernandes’s food was in exactly the same building where Hussain now runs Papa’s. I was so blown away by that meal in 2015 that I raved about Gresham in print and on social media.

Gresham took it easy for a while, sadly for foodies. But the good news is that he is back with Bandra Born, a casual take on the cuisine of Mumbai, and Bandra in particular. As is characteristic of Gresham, this is complicated food deliberately made to taste simple. And deliciousness is always the key.

Noma, CopenhagenVisit

What is there left to say about Rene Redzepi? That Noma is still what it has been for over a decade: The most influential restaurant in the world? That anyone who cares about food and has the means to go there should have at least one meal at Noma in their lives?

It’s a meal nobody who eats there will ever forget.

Geranium, CopenhagenVisit

Copenhagen’s other great restaurant, this is technically perfect food cooked to the highest standards and served in elegant surroundings.

Gasoline Grill, CopenhagenVisit

The Gasoline Grills have suddenly become very trendy. It all started with a counter at a petrol station serving burgers and fries in brown paper bags. But it quickly became so famous that there are now many branches and a pop-up in London is all the rage.

I went to the petrol station original and ate my burger on a street bench.

Americano, MumbaiVisit

Alex Sanchez is a perfectionist. This was true of him when he was at The Table, but reached new heights with Americano, his take on Italian cuisine. Americano still serves the best Italian-inspired food in India and though Alex has a hot new restaurant called Otra, which reflects his Latin roots (he is part Puerto Rican), my best meal was at Americano.

Burnt Ends/Born and Bred, Seoul Visit

Burnt Ends from Singapore is one of the world’s finest fire-cooking restaurants. But when Dave Pynt, its chef, collaborates with Seoul’s Born and Bred, a restaurant dedicated to the country’s Hanwoo steak, the combination is explosive. A joyous, wonderful, celebration of many cultures and their traditions of fire cooking; but sadly,it was only a one-off timed to coincide with Dave’s trip to Seoul for Asia’s 50 Best.

Izaki, BangkokVisit

A small counter restaurant on the third floor of a building off the main road that only regulars know about, this is some of the best Japanese food in Thailand (where standards are very high, anyway) served in a relaxed atmosphere at reasonable prices. A real find.

Gaggan At Louis Vuitton, Bangkok Visit

It is almost impossible to get into Gaggan’s discreet, counter-seating-only flagship restaurant so this new place at the Louis Vuitton building in the centre of town is an excellent alternative. Super-elegant, super-stylish, the menu consists of Gaggan’s greatest hits served Louis Vuitton-style.

The Hinds Head, BrayVisit

How can you go wrong if you have lunch with one of the two most influential chefs of the last 30 years and he chooses the food? You can’t.

So it was a real pleasure to eat with Heston Blumenthal at his more casual Hind’s Head. The food was terrific but to have the man who invented so many dishes (including the wet-centre Scotch Egg) explain them to you is the real honour.

The Devonshire, LondonVisit

Not dissimilar in spirit to The Hinds Head, this is London’s hottest restaurant for foodies. In two rooms above a pub in Soho, Chef Jamie Guy and his team turn out simple but excellent food based on the finest ingredients. A classic from the day it opened.

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