Cooking over an open fire is as old as humanity’s mastery of fire itself, dating back some 400,000 years. Each region of the world – and indeed nearly every country – has its own tradition and its own distinctive name for it. Time to travel from braai to churrasco and from bulgogi to binchotan.
Glenn Viel lives life intensely. This intensity is expressed in streamlined, minimalist dishes with powerful, persistent tastes. His life is a race against the clock, and on that race he is accompanied by a Fifty Fathoms diver’s watch from the prestigious master watchmaker Blancpain.
When Carla Sousa leaves the kitchens of the Valverde Hotel in her adopted city of Lisbon, it is to take the road less traveled, far from the city’s typical picture postcard image. This unconventional chef, from Cape Verde, leads us on a colorful gastronomic stroll.
Cementing a reputation built on the prestigious Le Calandre restaurant, in Rubano, northern Italy, brothers Max and Raf Alajmo have spun a web that shines brightly in Italy itself and dazzles across Europe. Woven through it is the secret of their gastronomic success: the intensity of family spirit.
Christopher Coutanceau, the chef-fisherman from La Rochelle and new friend of fine watchmaker Blancpain, takes a moment to talk about his relationship with time. From the lunchtime rush to the future of the oceans, he lives a life of dedication and urgency.
Each year in September and October, grape harvest time marks the beginning of a season of festivities, discoveries and renewal for all vineyard lovers. Here is a selection of 10 properties for a celebration of castles and their harvests.
Beyond its culinary appeal, a meal at a restaurant must carry the meaning of hospitality as it is conveyed by the chef and maître d’hôtel to each patron. Some experiences are so filled with personalized attention that one feels pampered in an exclusive way.
Guests experience wine tourism at more than 250 Relais & Châteaux properties, 60 of which produce wine. On these estates, "sense of place" takes center stage where terroir and passion collide to produce some of the world's most interesting wines, all done with sustainability at top of mind.
For World Bee Day, Manuel Palermo of Testuya’s in Australia carefully assembles a collection of diverse flavors to harmonise with a distinct-tasting Tasmanian honey.
For World Bee Day, Nico Orduz of 11 Cadogan Gardens in London sources an artisanal Irish honey to match the taste profile of a Hennessy-based Champagne cocktail.
For World Bee Day, Michela Scarello of Agli Amici in Italy pairs a local, cherry blossom honey with Taylor’s White Port.
For World Bee Day, James Hayward of Le 18bar at Hôtel Le Place d’Armes in Luxembourg showcases a creative combination of local, organic and urban honey with Absolut Elyx.
However intentionally low-profile, Chef Elena Arzak has made quite a name for herself over the years, alongside her father, one of Spain’s most celebrated chefs. How? By methodically following in the footsteps of her pioneering parent, guided by research and invention.
In partnership with her sommelier husband, this French-born chef has made Florence’s Ristorante Enoteca Pinchiorri one of Michelin’s most sought-after dining experiences. And now exports her recipes to Japan.
The interview was by phone, as Covid would have it. Just the same, the charm was palpable, the spell woven. For the chef of Dal Pescatore restaurant south of Mantua, Italy, is an accomplished cook – and an equally skilled storyteller.
In Valence, in southeastern France, three-Michelin-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic has turned the famed family establishment into a restaurant that speaks her own unique language.
In the coastal city of La Rochelle, located in the Southwest of France, Coutanceau is a household name. This chef, born and raised in this beautiful city, has regarded the seaside as a playground since childhood. He recently opened an 11-room hotel, La Villa Grand Voile.
In response to the pandemic, three-star chef Michael Tusk has chosen to temporarily relocate his Quince restaurant from San Francisco to Hudson Ranch in Napa Valley. Now closer to his suppliers, he tells us about this reimagined culinary experience.
French chef David Toutain’s eponymous restaurant in Paris recently became a Relais & Châteaux member. Despite the challenges of France’s lockdown, the culinary artist continues to make the most of autumn’s delicious bounty.
Pastorale, the restaurant of Belgian chef Bart De Pooter, has long been a part of the Flemish gastronomic landscape. The culinary craftsman sees himself as the purveyor of a dining experience aligned with the laws of nature. His “Biotope” concept is the ultimate embodiment of this philosophy.
The award-winning Executive Chef of Twin Farms in the USA is continually inspired by Vermont’s exceptional produce, meats and cheeses.
Enrique Olvera, Mexico’s most prominent culinary ambassador, wants the world to better understand an unassuming ingredient: corn. In his restaurant Pujol, a tasting menu is dedicated to the modest taco, cooked from a corn tortilla, served according to the Japanese "omakase" philosophy.
In the restaurant bearing his first name, when he is not busy training young chefs, Lyon native Daniel Boulud serves a simple cuisine year round, crafted with ingredients that change with the seasons.
One hour west of Copenhagen lies an 800-year-old castle where history and gastronomy meet in equal measure, exemplifying Denmark’s regional biodiversity. Welcome to Dragsholm Slot.
Taubenkobel is a family affair. And it feels like it every step of the way. Three generations of Austrian and Austrian-adopted blending of the old and the new into a perfect puzzle of today’s values.
Chef Fabio Iacovone talks to us about salmon trout from Lillaz in the Aosta Valley. Farmed less than two miles from the Bellevue Hotel at an altitude of 5,600 feet, Lillaz trout has a high mineral content that gives it a lot of flavor. It’s a local ingredient that tells the story of the mountain.
Thirty years ago, Patrick Henriroux followed the illustrious Fernand Point at the helm of La Pyramide restaurant. From Chef Point, he learned to achieve “simple perfection” in cuisine. Since then, he has turned this institution into a treasure untouched by time.
Chef Christopher Coutanceau has always had the sea as his horizon. Today, in La Rochelle, the new three-Michelin-starred chef is an activist for traditional, seasonal fishing. Stolen moments from a culinary artist with a fisherman’s heart who refuses to resign himself to seeing fish disappear.
The Domaine de Châteauvieux, a stone’s throw from downtown Geneva, continues to warm guests’ hearts with gracious hospitality and incomparable cuisine.
Le Jules Verne, the Eiffel Tower’s gourmet restaurant 410 feet above the sea, reopened on July 20, 2019, after the operational concession changed hands. Frédéric Anton takes over from Alain Ducasse, coming in with mighty ambitions, but without haste.
Over the course of three decades, Tetsuya Wakuda’s eponymous restaurant in Sydney has become one of the most acclaimed eateries in Oceania. Over a meal, the chef and his team share their grand vision of what makes a great restaurant.
Chef Georges Blanc talks about Bresse chicken. Having served as president of the Protected Designation of Origin “A.O.P. Volaille de Bresse” since 1986, he is committed to respecting and promoting the high-quality products of his region.
In the heart of Shanghai's former French Concession, a discreet Cantonese restaurant is pairing authentic Chinese haute cuisine with the finest French wines.
At Talloires, Jean Sulpice has spent three years creating extraordinary cuisine in an extraordinary location.
The Little Nell's young new wine director shares his favorite wine regions and his plans for the Aspen hotel's celebrated wine program.
Near Reims, L'Assiette Champenoise improves a passion for gastronomy, loving attention to detail, and a ceaseless homage to the best champagnes on the planet.
Chef Otowa is part of the first post-war generation to have studied French gastronomy. Today, he’s handing his culinary wisdom down to his children, pioneers in a new era for French gastronomy in Japan.
The cultural and ecological environment is a muse for Olivier and Patricia Nasti, owners of Le Chambard, an impeccable Alsatian experience.
Paz, the sole female sommelier of a three-star in France, has been blessing the Pic group with her extraordinary nose and palate since March 2018.
Serge and Marie-Aude Vieira’s restaurant is in the tranquil, verdant countryside at the foot of the Auvergne’s volcanoes. The couple has spent a decade forging their life’s work. A soaring adventure.
Belcanto, a symbol of Portuguese haute cuisine, has put that country in the spotlight on the world gourmet stage. Meet the restaurant’s chef, José Avillez.
When asked what Napa Valley has taught him about himself, Christopher Kostow, Meadowood’s charismatic chef, turns the question around and offers a reply heavy with meaning: “I’m not sure I remember how I was before.”
Buried in the Dolomites massif in Italy, at an altitude of nearly 1,700 metres, Terra - The Magic Place establishment bears its name well. In this exceptional hotel-restaurant nestled in the mountains, the Schneider family has created a family cocoon in which cuisine blends with nature.
As he crafts his cuisine, the head chef at Frankfurt’s two-Michelin-star Restaurant Lafleur draws upon childhood memories and natural flavors.
Frédéric Anton watches over the happy destiny of Le Pré Catelan while preparing to flash his credentials as Meilleur Ouvrier de France at the very top of the Eiffel Tower.
Behind "Flocons de Sel", one finds winter, naturally, as detected in its name’s nod to “flakes,” but there are all the other seasons, as well, each a source of infinite abundance at this year-round French resort.
Troisgros. It means a fabled family, a peerless restaurant, 50 years of three Michelin stars. And, in recent months, a tremendous risk that has paid off beautifully: reinventing a legend in the countryside, a few miles from Roanne.
Chef Régis Marcon continues his quest to unearth the treasure trove of taste the Earth has to offer. His latest book introduces us to a cornucopia of grains and legumes, some familiar, some less so, in a thousand flavors and textures.
“It’s not really work, it’s pleasure,” says Fabrice Sommier, General Manager at Georges Blanc Parc and Spa. He talks about being a sommelier, a role he fills for guests with immense dedication.
Chef César Troisgros talks about tripe, a product of the Charolais terroir in which Maison Troisgros is located, and more particularly about the part called the honeycomb. He wants to modernize this almost forgotten product by transposing it into new ways of cooking.
On top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Lake Annecy lies Clos des Sens, a charming property run by the Petit family. Their newly rewarded 3 Michelin-stars restaurant attracts not only locals but also visitors around the world.
When Grand Marnier heiress Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet arrived in Chile’s Colchagua Valley in 1994, they were inspired by the setting to craft world-class wines based on generations of experience in their native France.
In Costa Rica, nature is the one with the power. We protect it. Nature can thus be seen in the 26 national parks, 9 ecological reserves, 30 national wildlife reserves, 20 forest reserves...and in the release of 400 animals following the closing of zoos. Meeting with the guide Ana Villalobos.
Bladnoch is Scotland’s oldest private distillery. After operating for the past 200 years in the Lowlands in the south, it nearly disappeared – until a young Australian entrepreneur, David Prior, fell in love with it and decided to give it new life.
After a successful international career, chef Nicolas di Paolo officiates in the kitchen of Nayara Springs. To him, Costa Rican cuisine can evolve in a healthy way with all the values of modern cuisine: fair, local, responsible, without the weight of tradition and practices.
Mixology is the art of knowing how to make cocktails. Carla Elizonda, bartender in Nayara Springs, tells us all about the art of choosing them well.
Chef Régis Marcon talks about mushroom, a product which reflects its surrounding nature, the preserved regional park of Ardèche. Taste, colour, texture... each mushroom is a discovery and is at the heart of the cuisine of Régis et Jacques Marcon restaurant.
Four times a year, the terrace of the Saint-James in Bouliac becomes a farmers’ market unlike any other. Nicolas Magie, the Executive Chef at this hotel-restaurant designed by Jean Nouvel, welcomes the suppliers with whom he works every day.
Since opening in 1996, the kitchen has been led by some of Canada’s most talented chefs. The recipes inside this cookbook speak to the Inn’s longstanding commitment to farm-and ocean-fresh ingredients, and strike a harmonious balance between the bounties of land and sea that surround the Inn.
At Cavas Wine Lodge, proprietors Cecilia Diaz-Chuit and Martín Rigal united over a love of wine, in their marriage and their vision to share the culture of the Mendoza wine region through an elevated travel experience. Their passion guided them to create the first luxury lodge in Mendoza vineyards.
The restaurant’s name is French, as is the chef’s inspiration, but his cuisine is conspicuously Californian. Joshua Skenes concocts recipes that return ingredients to their rightful place. The flavors are sophisticated, the wines are breathtaking. It’s time to discover the new taste of America.
Narbona Wine Lodge in Carmelo, Uruguay is a haven of inexhaustible tradition where taste genuinely reflects the essence of this littoral wine region of international acclaim.
After the first three issues relating mustard, saffron and pepper, Octopus, précis artistique des mots de bouche, invites you to discover garlic through its culinary meaning, in the kitchens of Pierre Gagnaire.
"If you love black truffles, prosciutto, and wine as much as I do, then Norcia is the place for you. I arrived in a chilly evening, and was immediately welcomed by the smell of firewood. It felt as if I was going to spend an evening at a friend's home. Well, a friend with a 16th century palace."
Trockenbeerenauslese or Ruster Ausbruch, their names may be unpronounceable but their taste is unforgettable. These sweet wines, from vineyards in eastern Austria, are mentioned in historic texts dating back to 1525. Half a century before the Tokaji wines of neighboring Hungary.
Just a few kilometres away from the ocean, at a crossroad between tradition and modernity, sits Auberge Basque, one of the most prominent gastronomic destinations on the French side of The Basque Country.
Il Borro is a mediaeval Tuscan village that has been transformed into a luxury hotel complex following a complete conservation and restoration project. Its owner Ferruccio Ferragamo works with his son Salvatore on the 45 hectares of the estate vineyard with the respect due to the historic landscape.
Atrio is an unexpected discovery: a contemporary structure set against the surrounding medieval town, far more captivating that its anonymity would suggest. The pair behind this achievement, José and Toño, explain how, they created at their restaurant one of Spain’s most prestigious wine cellar.
What makes Peruvian cuisine? Into the pot go a centuries-long conversation between our ancestors and nature, the intermingling of migratory peoples, and a bountiful range of ingredients. Chef Gastón Acurio, his home country’s culinary ambassador, is releasing a book telling us all about it: “Peru”.
He is a chef who cares deeply for his roots and the traditions of his native Brittany. In the small village of Plomodiern, tranquility reigns despite the wild surrounds. Olivier Bellin, at the helm of L’Auberge des Glazicks, serves authentic Breton cuisine brimming with emotion and creativity.
The Château de Berne is one of the Provençal terroir’s most venerable vineyards. Here, on these 143 hectares, rosé has a very special role as an ambassador of Provençal lifestyle.
Less than an hour outside of Strasbourg in the town of Wingen-sur-Moder, the original home of legendary glass designer René Lalique was transformed into a 5 star hotel and restaurant in 2015.
Seafarer and shaper of nature, Christopher Coutanceau unveils his new book. It features gourmet recipes, but also a year-round fishing calendar and seafood preparation recommendations that respect the provenance and freshness of the produce. An unforgettable voyage to the flagship of La Rochelle.
Nested inside a national park that borders Belgium and the Netherlands, this newly designed heavenly spa resort houses a 2 Michelin star restaurant, where I had one of the best meals of my life.
Placed in a historic area of the city, Le Bistrot Français is like a journey back in time, at the beginning of the 20th century, when Bucharest was called “The Little Paris”.
Does Californian cuisine exist? To answer it, let's head for the restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos where David Kinch lives. A great personality and character with the face chiseled by curiosity, mischief and passion.
Awarded the title of Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux in 2008, Christophe Bacquié has just received the ultimate accolade in the gift of the Michelin guide: a third star for the restaurant that bears his name at the Hôtel & Spa du Castellet in Provence.
Soon after receiving their second Michelin star in 2017, Gisela and Heinrich decided to rechristen the family hotel as "Terra - The Magic Place". I visited them to experience the magic. It's an enchantment that directly reflects its innate character: organic, cosmopolitan and creative.
In the heart of Manhattan's hustle and bustle is an airy sanctuary, newly Relais & Châteaux member, where Alsatian elegance at once excites and soothes the senses.
Every year, the journalist visits Guy Martin, head of the Grand Véfour in Paris, with his family. He tells us about this delicious pilgrimage in one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world.
The breathtaking landscapes of Provence offer no hint of the precious black nuggets that lie beneath their soil. Over a weekend, Thierry Frébout, Chef at the Château de Rochegude, leads the way to this subterranean jewel with its unmistakably characteristic taste.
It’s undoubtedly one of the most enticing risks ever taken by such a legendary restaurant. Leaving Roanne and its station to relaunch with a new generation at the helm deep in the countryside and with so many new ideas...
It is a new era, with the old world meeting the new. Jean Sulpice has come down from his mountain (Val Thorens) to take over a mythic institution: the Auberge du Père Bise in Talloires. His first words on the shores of the lake...
Last March, Fatéma Hal, a Moroccan chef who has lived in Paris for more than 30 years, received the François Rabelais award from the Institut de France for her work in promoting the cultural heritage of food.
A series featuring forgotten vegetables to introduce a dash of variety into the kitchen for the last few chilly winter days. Let’s start with the Jerusalem artichoke, a root vegetable that is not what it seems. Its subtle flavour has seduced the chefs of the world.
Star of contemporary Californian cuisine David Kinch has chosen three highly rated restaurants in which to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of his famous restaurant Manresa.
In our series featuring forgotten vegetables, introducing a dash of variety into the kitchen for the last few chilly winter days, we move onto the black radish, the lesser-known radish with its unique charcoal exterior and crunchy, peppery taste.
More and more, chefs are leaving the kitchen to seek out ingredients not only from local farms or their own gardens, but from the wilderness around them.
Cultivated since 1875, the Santorini tomato is a warrior. Inundated by sunlight and cruelly lacking water (with only the morning dew to quench its thirst), this intensely sweet tomato variety is a source of local pride.
Paris is always a good idea. But for us, the highlight of our last journey was probably the brunch at Hotel Saint James.
The sommelier Kevin Piedoie proposes refreshing pairings that bring out the beauty of local products.
At the restaurant Lucas Carton, young chef Julien Dumas has managed to create his own path between the historical weight of an institution and the excitement of creation...
When it comes to vegetables, the rules for creating a more holistic and mindful gastronomic experience are simple. The chefs of Relais & Châteaux weigh in on a few vital guidelines.
While visiting Maison Bras, in Aubrac, Guillaume Long met with Michel and Sébastien Bras. Through images, he tells us about his stay, from the exceptional dishes and harvesting sessions to some friendly joking.
The two-star chef of the restaurant Il Pagliaccio, in Rome, has a serene take on his craft. But behind it, burns a fire of true passion.
Inspired by the region of Champagne and Champagne, Arnaud Lallement unveils one of the house's iconic dishes: the lobster with potatoes (2nd Act).
Inspired by the region of Champagne and Champagne wine, Arnaud Lallement brings us to the estate of Francis Boulard (1st Act).
Flocons de sel is a 5-star upscale resort with a Michelin 3-star restaurant, yet owners Kristine and Emmanuel Renaut make you feel right at home.
From Relais & Châteaux’s new book, The Art of Entertaining, we bring you a few recipes for your own celebrations, as enjoyed at a glamorous festivity held at Blantyre in the United States.
Chef Tomoyuki Kon frowns as he ponders potatoes. Not any old potatoes, but those grown on Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido – and in particular, he is trying to pin down precisely why they are so tasty.
I am surveying fields of sundrenched green crops growing beneath cartoon blue skies – when farmer Satoru Urushihara suddenly crouches down next to me. Without a moment’s hesitation, he digs deeply into the soil with his fingers – and, with a sudden tug, a large white bulb materializes in his hand.
I had the pleasure to attend a full day Patisserie and Dessert Course at Raymond Blanc Cookery School. The course took place in the luxurious surroundings of the hotel Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, a restaurant and hotel in Oxfordshire, England.
People say that it takes three times for our brains to register something that we hear or read about, however, when two chefs friends with soaring standards tell me that I should visit a restaurant, it goes straight to the top of the list, underlined and in bold.
Emmanuel Renaut uses condiments and colored touches of his dishes as a punctuation. It can result in some suspension, interjection and sometimes interrogation. It is doubtless exactly there that he formulates.
Les Pres d’Eugenie, is the fairytale village in a forest named for the empress, where all food is thanks to Michel Guérard, the creator of Cuisine de Santé, or the French version of “health food.”
A welcome maté is all you need to give your journey meaning and a sense of humanity. Here we are in Eolo, in Patagonia, Argentina.
Now, we all know that Portugal is a major football nation. But the Euro champions also excel at stoves. Let’s go to Porto and meet Ricardo Costa, Chef of The Yeatman.
At Gôra Kadan, the time when the maid greets a guest is an exquisite experience: the execution of the gesture, the religion of politeness...
An hour's drive from Biarritz, Martin Berasategui, the Spanish Basque chef - three Michelin stars, meets with his young staff in the open kitchen of his restaurant in Lasarte-Oria, an autonomous community of the Basque Country.
There is a well-guarded gourmet secret in the salt flats along the southern coast of Majorca, in less than fifteen years Flor de Sal d'Es Trenc has become known for producing extraordinary sea salt.
Making up the Tealands in the East are China, Sri Lanka and India, the ancient lands that gave birth to tea as we know it.
In our series featuring the forgotten vegetables, introducing some variety into the kitchen for the last chilly days, we move onto the neglected salsify plant and its cousin, scorzonera, two root vegetables with a long history.
As much as there are the oenologists, whiskey connoisseurs, gin enthusiasts and health juice fanatics, there too are the tea devotees. Discover more about this special plant on a trail through the tealands.
To keep a summer taste in your plates, try this gazpacho, a gazpacho not like the others. The recipe is from Rafael Perello, the young chef of the hotel Son Brull on the island of Mallorca. He was kind enough to entrust us with its secrets.
Luxury is the kind of club whose members tend to look too much alike. Sometimes we want a new tune, a new chord. If you're looking for a form of countryside exoticism, look no further.
Sometimes fine gastronomy can go overboard. It can even scare us away from reaching nirvana, freezing us with admiration. That is probably why other eateries are finding their own way, by clearing out this very brush.
“It’s all about palate. You have to have all the components in the dish: the salty, the sweet, acidity and texture.“
“My recipe for an enjoyable time: good bread and simple, wholesome ingredients.”
The leisurely act of drinking should by no means be withheld from someone simply because they do not “drink”. In fact, the act is being wholly revolutionized precisely because of these individuals.
A well-known name in the wine world, Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy explains why the “who” matters more than the “when” when it comes to uncorking certain wines, and shares his thoughts on the rise of bio-dynamic viticulture and why you shouldn’t bother with trends.
Meet chef Ronan Kervarrec in the kitchen, with his unusual choice of cooking utensil, which enables him to meticulously combine food with beauty by adding the perfect finishing touches, punctuating the plate with the most exquisite elements.