Modern European restaurants in Europe
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A
Café des Bains
No brand labels, beautiful objects and an eye for design are trademarks of this fusion restaurant opposite the contemporary art museum where Genevan beauties flock. Several dishes woo vegetarians.
reviewed
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B
Tom’s Kitchen
Celebrity chef Tom Aikens’ restaurant serves excellent food (including award-winning breakfasts and pancakes).
reviewed
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C
Wright’s Findlater
A modern all-in restaurant, bar and lounge, there’s the Asian-influenced Lemongrass on the first floor, above a stylish bar that does terrific grub, with the emphasis mostly on fish.
reviewed
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D
Al Fresco
Upmarket Mediterranean food in a modern, distinctively feminine, Laura Ashley–style atmosphere, with pastel colours, lacy tones and several round tables.
reviewed
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E
Calmar Hamnkrog
Harbourside Hamnkrog serves the best food in town, its small but well-formed menu combining Swedish favourites and continental innovation.
reviewed
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F
Bruderholz-Stucki
Gault Millau-rated haute cuisine in the suburbs.
reviewed
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G
Weinhaus Tante Anna
This is like your aunt's place if she was a baroness; silver serving plates, subdued carved wood interior, wines decanted and poured properly, the details do go on. The menu changes constantly and shows the range of the kitchen, whether it is boar piglet loin with celery and potato gnocchi or a simply superb springtime asparagus special.
reviewed
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H
Sorgenfrei
A huge wine-by-the-glass menu is but one draw of this Belgische Viertel fine dining treasure. Dishes are prepared with the same attention to detail yet lack of pretension found throughout this small restaurant. Hardwood floors encourage a casual vibe that goes well with salads and simple mains at lunch and more complex creations for dinner.
reviewed
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I
Restaurant Esszimmer
Alive with happy diners even on a winter Sunday when the rest of town is dead, Esszimmer has a fresh and ever-changing menu that has a creative take on local seasonal foods and dishes. Service is excellent. Tables outside catch the clang of harbour bells in summer.
reviewed
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J
Engler's
A charming neighbourhood restaurant with a dedication to serving excellent meals. It's in a small midblock location, but the service and flavours are big. The menu changes daily and reflects the season; in late spring, for instance, you might enjoy fresh asparagus with pasta. Book, as as this part of town around the Ehrenstrasse is as trendy as you can get.
reviewed
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Eigelstein
Boisterous and fun, this large Cologne-style eatery (the Kölsche is from Sion) is a classic Rü eatery. The menu has a mix of casual fare from salads to steaks. Eat at long tables or at more intimate corners.
reviewed
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K
Buschérie
Although historic and half-timbered, Buschstrasse isn't stuck in the past, as shown by this sprightly bistro. Foods of the region are prepared with colour and flair. There is a sumptuous seafood spread (€32 per person) but otherwise the meaty mains and small plates are well priced. There's live jazz some nights; Mondays feature special cocktails and singing.
reviewed
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Restaurant Drei Könige
A high-ceilinged, retro-fitted bar-restaurant, this place has whopper-sized traditional and fusion meals and cheery service, attracting young hipster types and stalwart locals alike.
reviewed
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Magazin
Chef Richard Brunnauer’s culinary flair and careful sourcing have gastronomes whispering Michelin star. Gathered around a courtyard below Mönchsberg’s sheer rock wall, Magazin shelters a deli, wine store, cookery school and restaurant. Menus fizzing with seasonal flavours - scallops with vine-ripened peaches, celery and buttermilk, venison medallions in porcini sauce - are matched with wines from the 850-bottle cellar and served alfresco or in the industro-chic, cavelike interior. Hands-on cookery classes must be pre-booked. Buses 4 and 21 stop at Augustinergasse.
reviewed
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The Gingerman
Seafood from Hastings, Sussex beef, Romney Marsh lamb, local sparkling wines and countless other seasonal, local and British treats go into the adroitly flash-fried and slow-cooked dishes at this snug, 32-cover eatery. Reservations advised.
reviewed
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L
Library
We don’t normally encourage people to eat in a library, but for this 19th-century library, housing a chilled-out brasserie, we’ll make an exception. The menu is heavy on imaginative meat and fish dishes using locally sourced produce, such as Lowestoft haddock and oysters, but there are few dishes to tempt vegetarians, and no one should skip out on the Eton Mess.
reviewed
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M
Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room
Housed in a small but perfectly formed dining room in the Passmore Edwards Library extension of the Whitechapel Gallery, with high-profile chef Angela Hartnett acting as consultant. The menu offers small or large plates, to suit your appetite. Booking advised.
reviewed
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N
Summerhouse
It would be unfair to say that the Summerhouse is all show and no substance, although it’s true that this restaurant impresses more by its stunning, waterside alfresco setting than by its cuisine. If you do get a balmy summer evening, however, this is definitely the place to enjoy it, with a chilled glass of rosé on the side.
reviewed
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Bibendum
Named after the roly-poly Michelin man, Bibendum offers upstairs dining in a spacious environment illuminated by sunlight through magnificent stained-glass windows. The heritage-listed art nouveau Michelin House setting is unique, but the food is also very good. The Bibendum Oyster Bar on the ground floor offers a front-row seat from which to admire the building’s lovely foyer while lapping up terrific native and rock oysters (per half-dozen £12).
reviewed
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O
Watson's
Set in a converted cotton mill south of the shopping district, this upmarket eatery is a swirl of white linen and fluted glasses. Artfully prepared and exquisitely presented modern European food is served to a jazz soundtrack. Booking is recommended.
reviewed
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Studio
A former artist's studio not far from the church sets the scene for the town's most intimate restaurant, featuring an award-winning menu of modern English and traditional French food.
reviewed
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Restaurant Sat Bains
Two miles southwest of the centre off the A52, Nottingham's top table recently gained a second Michelin star for its wildly inventive modern European cooking. Book well in advance and beware of hefty cancellation charges. It also has eight chic guest rooms.
reviewed
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Pepper and Oz
Wedged in beside the museum, this bijou brasserie has a lovely alfresco terrace and a superior wine list. The menu is full of locally sourced classics like smoked duck and Herefordshire steaks, with special promos for pre-theatre diners.
reviewed
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Old Butchers
Simple, smart and sophisticated, this is Stow’s top spot for dining, serving robust, local ingredients whipped up into sublime dishes with big flavours. It’s mostly fine modern British cuisine, with chef Peter both drawing inspiration from Continental Europe and not shying away from bone marrow and calves’ brains – which make an offally good meal in themselves!
reviewed
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P
Mad Jack's
This classy place straddles the boundary between cafe, restaurant and bar, with an elegant dining room and a plant-filled courtyard. The menu features inventive Modern European cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients. There are four swish contemporary bedrooms upstairs.
reviewed