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An incredible accomplishment by culinary genius Chef Claude Troisgros, CT Boucherie , in Rio de Janeiro’s Leblon neighborhood, is a delicious meat moment on the city’s culinary scene. The small space in Leblon is light and bright, casual in its decor and ambiance. Seated at one of the quaint tables, you will notice the servers bustling about, dressed smartly in what appears to be a modernized butcher uniform. This is a very cute touch. Chef Troisgros was inspired by the cattle market of Saint- Christophe-en-Brionnais, in Southern Bourgogne, France – where, as a child, he used to go with his father, an eminent butcher. This childhood experience led him to imagine a mecca for meat – the best varieties sourced from only the top Brazilian producers of red and black Angus, Wagyu and Hereford. The different cuts are served by the system of “rodizio“, with sides like mashed Baroa potato, ratatouille, quinoa risotto, polenta with watercress, chayote gratin with gruyere and more. If you’re not into meat, that’s okay. There are many options on the menu that cater to chicken, duck and fish lovers. Each dish at CT Boucherie is impeccable, really. There is also a level of innovation that exists in the kitchen. This can be seen with one dish, my personal favorite, the watermelon carpaccio. A large plate layered beautifully with the thinnest and reddest watermelon sheets, resembling prosciutto. It is unbelievable in presentation and in taste. CT Boucherie is building its reputation on service and that shows with the servers and kitchen doing everything in their power to tend to every guest’s needs in a timely and elegant fashion. Your experience here will be remarkable, this I promise. Click here to see the full menu and, hopefully, it will be enough to book a table. Not doing so would be a mistake.

There are many restaurants, which live up to their reputation and those that leave you in awe of both the experience they offer, and the story around them. Cornelius restaurant, near Bergen, Norway, is one of them. Located on a remote island, or “Holmen”, Cornelius in a short and beautiful 30-minute boat ride from Bergen’s main harbor. As a guest at the restaurant, you are invited to board their boat in Bergen, which will shuttle you over to the island quickly. This is the beginning of the Cornelius experience, so much more than just dinner. Arriving on the island the boat and your fellow diners are welcomed by the staff of the restaurant and the proprietor who owns, runs and oversees every detail of your experience. His name is Alf Roald Saetre, and he is Norway’s answer to Crocodile Dundee, dressed in blue jeans, a white linen shirt and a worn safari-style hat which could probably tell a plethora of fascinating stories if it had a mouth. But, this “Dundee” doesn’t deal in crocodiles, but oysters, scallops, lobster and other creatures of the sea. Your welcome to the island is a lovely glass of champagne which is enjoyed on the top floor of the wood and glass structure housing the Cornelius operation. Mr. Saetre stands before the crowd, explaining how Cornelius came to be (named after his grandfather) and what you’re about to experience. He snatches a scallop from the restaurant’s own estuary full of them and pours over its life cycle, growing habits and eventual demise as a delicious morsel on your plate. This experience is very much a show, an authentic one, that does nothing but enchant and captivate you – readying you for the next event, dinner. In the dining room surrounded by glass with views over the neighboring islands and water, tables are set with white linens, candles, beautiful flatware and crystal wine glasses. It’s high market, but still casual enough to feel comfortable and at home. The walls are filled with original paintings done by Mr. Saetre’s daughter, and they add another layer of art to your experience. The dining room is one of many special rooms which can hold up to 300 guests, all year long. The food at Cornelius is, obviously, heavy in seafood, every bite delicious. The tasting “meteorological” menus are made to fit diners’ varying needs or dietary requirements – but I suggest trusting the chef. Oysters, scallops, salmon, halibut – they’re all on the menu (which changes daily). Pair dinner with a bottle of the perfect vintage and you’re in heaven. Throughout your experience you might notice the busy young wait staff eagerly explaining the next course or Mr. Saetre heading back out into the water to retrieve more muscles. It’s all very raw, but refined. Dinner winds down around 9:30 pm as you see your boat come into view from the distance. After the last bite of dessert, you’re off on your journey back to Bergen. Cornelius is not a restaurant, but a destination worth exploring. It’s seen countless guests and each one has left happier than the next – I witnessed that firsthand. For a culinary moment in time that you will remember for a lifetime, make a reservation and expect the unexpected.

Marchal , the Michelin-starred restaurant inside the beautiful Hotel D’Angleterre in Copenhagen, is the celebration of haute cuisine and romance converging together in one space. The restaurant is the backbone of the hotel as it was the seed that eventually sprouted into one of Copenhagen’s most esteemed hotels. In 1755 Jean Marchal and Maria Coppy joined together their love and passion for food to create the space and culinary establishment which would eventually grow into the hotel. Today, a dark and moody space graced with plush fabrics and sleek surfaces makes for the perfect backdrop for a delicious meal. Chef Christian Gadient invites you in to experience the fusion of French and Nordic cuisine created with only the finest fresh and local ingredients. The dinner menu is heavy with seafood, and why not? In Copenhagen, you are at the crossroads of some of the best seafood in the world sourced from the Baltic and North Seas. On the menu you will find items like: torched langoustines, brown crab, friend cod, turbot, monkfish and incredible lobsters. There is a caviar menu which offers a wide variety to choose from as well. My favorite part of the menu, though, is dessert. Top choices are roasted cacao ice cream, freshly baked lemon tarts and incredibly macarons. You will find service at Marchal to be impeccable. My table was attended to in the most efficient and kind way. There wasn’t a moment not looked after. Dinner here is an experience that must be had on your next visit to Copenhagen. If you’re not free for dinner, lunch and Sunday brunch is also offered.

Visiting Morocco during Ramadan is an incredibly interesting and enriching experience. While most of the population is Muslim and adhere to the practice of fasting from sunrise to sunset, tourists have plenty of food at their fingertips. When sunset breaks during Ramadan, Muslims typically break their fast with sweet snacks, juices and soups called in a moment called “Iftar”. During Iftar, before your main dinner, you can indulge in some of Morocco’s most well known sweets – which are sinfully delicious. One of my personal favorite items is Chebakia , which is a pastry made of strips of dough that are rolled into a shape that resembles a rose. The dough is then deep fried and glazed with a syrup made of honey and rosewater, and lastly sprinkled with sesame seeds. If you are in Morocco during Ramadan and experience Iftar, be sure to also try the harira (soup made of lentils and tomatoes), stuffed dates, almond briouats and the fresh squeezed juices. This experience is a wonderful bite of local culture.

One of my favorite spots in Copenhagen is the beautiful Tivoli Gardens. Just inside, at the foot of the Nimb Hotel, is Fru Nimb , a delightful lunch restaurant. This little cafe serves traditional Danish specialties done with a modern twist. You’l find Danish pork, herring, apple cake and other goodies which are native to the area. All the ingredients used are natural and many are sourced from local farmers. I stopped here between shows during Copenhagen Fashion Week and had a wonderful time.

Kleinmarkthalle is a large market and culinary hotspot in central Frankfurt where locals gather to shop for fresh produce, indulge in gourmet delicacies and sip sparkling wines. This chef’s dream mecca is worth spending an afternoon in on a Saturday. Here you can get a taste of local flavors and shop for organic fruit or vegetables to snack on during your walks around town. I particularly like the sausage at Schreiber’s. On the roof deck is where the fun happens – tasting local rieslings and other wine varieties will keep you busy but relaxed for quite a while.

Since 2010 Tyson Cole’s Uchiko restaurant, the sister restaurant to his ever popular “Uchi”, has been at the pinnacle of Austin’s food scene with its Japanese roots and international influence. Uchiko is not a sushi restaurant. It’s a multi-layered dining experience which fuses Japanese traditions with deep-rooted knowledge of what makes a customer happy. Attention to the environment is paramount here as the chefs do their best to work with only sustainably-farmed fish that do not put our oceans and its creatures in jeopardy. This is commendable. The dark and dimly-lit space is open with a bar and tables cleverly placed. There are free standing tables as well as booths. Servers hustle from kitchen to table, informing diners of the day’s specials and explaining the very involved menu. You might be offered tuna from Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market flown-in that morning, branzino with yuzu kosho, nuoc mam and green papaya, “jar jar duck” – a jar stuffed with tender moulard duck, candied citrus and endive or Japanese yellowtail sushi with pickled green apple and jalapeño. For dessert, “fried milk”, yes, fried milk, a concoction of various dairy delights or “tobacco cream” – a smokey chocolate cream with pecan and blueberry. The food here is the epitome of detailed, in the best of ways. Uchiko is special. Aside from the highest-grade food and culinary innovation, the service is impeccable. Servers and their team members make it their mission to ensure customers are satisfied and well-looked after. You can feel that they truly care about the presentation of their food and the customer’s understanding of what they’re eating. Your server won’t hesitate to spend ten minutes with you explaining each ingredient in a multi-ingredient dish. There’s no rushing you through dinner. Uchiko is a “must” in Austin. For any fan of Japanese food, real Japanese food, this is it. For any fan of culinary experimentation, this is it. This establishment is the perfect blend of the old with the new – and oh, how good it tastes.

Aprazivel is an institution in Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Teresa neighborhood. It’s a place so special, so unique, that you really cannot believe you’re able to experience it firsthand. The restaurant, located in the former home of owner Ana Castilho, is hidden from the twisty streets of Rio’s oldest neighborhood, but beckons your attention by a line of people and a simple sign graced with an angel. Once entering and walking down the long flight of stairs, you’re immediately surrounded by a multi-tiered palace of wood, flora and fauna, which cascades down the mountainside. Each dining “platform”, some in the trees, some in the gardens, offers guests an unobstructed view of the city and sea, and out across the crumbling mansions once belonging to Rio’s first wealthy Portuguese immigrants. The food at Aprazivel is renowned for its detail. Ms. Castilho is a chef herself and has traveled throughout the world and, at home, throughout the Amazon, to source her ingredients. She works with local purveyors for the best palm oil, fisherman for the fish and natives in the rainforest who turn-up with the most rich, chocolaty acai fruit. Every dish has a special element to it and a story as to why its on the menu. My absolute favorite dishes are the grilled palm hearts with herb oil infusion and the “Galinhada Caipira” – free-range chicken mixed with moist rice, homemade sausage, sautéed kale, surprise beans, fried plantain and red chili jam. But, anything from this menu will leave you bombarded with flavor and happiness. Aprazivel is intimate with its burning candles, fragrant flowers and angels watching from every corner of the restaurant. But, the servers and the chefs are watching too, as you enjoyment is of the utmost importance to them. This is clear.

Many countries have their own varieties of coffee. Some make it with thick, mud-like grounds. Some roast it and filter it through spring water. And some make those most delicious treats out of the entire coffee experience. The latter would be most appropriate when describing Tenerife’s coffee break. Canarian coffee is a strong filtered coffee served in a short glass cup with condensed milk resting at the bottom. The foam on top is covered in cinnamon. Coffee lovers can stir-in the condensed milk, making a creamy and sweet concoction that is truly a treat you’ll want to have over and over again.

One of my favorite restaurants in Tallinn, Estonia is the charming Rataskaevu 16 in Old Town. A local and visitor favorite, this restaurant serves mostly organic cuisine inspired by Estonia’s Baltic coastline. Here you will find modern interpretations of traditional Estonian food as well as international favorites. Inside the bright and airy space, you’ll sit at tables which rest on hand-painted wood floors, sit with your back to historic stone and wood walls and experience a cozy atmosphere. The servers are friendly and quirky, leaving notes on napkins like: “You’re special” and “you’re pretty”. A few favorite dishes include smoked salmon with Estonian black bread and dijon creme, grilled cod, fresh summer salads and homemade mint and assam iced tea. Don’t miss Rataskaevu 16, it’s one of Tallinn’s best.

NOA is a beautifully modern and architecturally interesting seaside restaurant on the Baltic, just a stone’s throw from old town Tallinn. Built on three levels so that each of its 80 guests can look-out over the bay and city skyline, NOA has thought long and hard about the details for each person who dines with them. An elegant yet casual setting offers a contemporary atmosphere to enjoy Head Chef Tõnis Siigur’s signature international cuisine. No country, including Estonia, has been selected by the restaurant as a focus for the food but, instead, they’ve put attention on ingredients from around the globe which work synergistically for the perfect menu. Dishes are designed for sharing and represent a healthy selection of meat, seafood and vegetarian options. The menus change with the season and offer only the freshest ingredients in each dish. You can find sample menus here . The staff at NOA are young, attractive and eager to please. You just can’t miss this beautiful experience.