Global Gastronomy Guide

Forget Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and those crappy pamphlets you find in the seat pockets on planes, we've been speaking to the chefs and owners of our city's best restaurants. Here's where they hit when overseas, all easily get-to-able from BHX.

VIENNA BY JAMIE DESOGUS, HARBORNE KITCHEN
Plachutta: "Go here for Tapelspitz, a typical Austrian boiled meat, a description which in no way does it justice. Think slowly simmered meat stocks packed full of flavour with marrow served on the bone." 
Steirereck: "A two Michelin-starred restaurant rated 9th in the World's 50 Best, I preferred Plachutta, but Steirereck is worth the expense. Housed in a tremendous building [pictured] in the middle of the Stadt park, it's worth it just to see the bread cart with over 30 freshly made breads!"
Schönbrunn: "Experience some history at this incredible palace, one hour out of town on the U-Bahn. And once you've had your cultural fill, stop off at one of the many vineyards on the way back — they all serve great home-cooked food, and you know, wine." — Fly direct with Eurowings

NEW YORK BY GLYNN PURNELL, PURNELL'S
Eleven Madison Park [food pictured above]: "The ultimate treat, defined in all the guides as the best restaurant in the world consistently — an unforgettable experience with an X factor." 
The Rum House: Several people told me to go and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a swanky, candlelit, wood-paneled piano bar which draws the well-heeled. I had a classic Penicillin, a Dark & Stormy, and a Manhattan." 
Jimmy’s Corner; "Where do normal blokes like me go for a drink in NYC?  A narrow, old-school, boxing-themed ‘dive bar’ in Times Square, with owner Jimmy Glenn telling tales of his days as an ex-cornerman. The joint isn’t fancy— four beers are on tap and there’s soul on the jukebox — but I loved it.” — Fly direct with Primera Air 

ZURICH BY ANDREAS ANTONA, SIMPSONS & THE CROSS AT KENILWORTH
Zeughauskeller: "A beer hall from a bygone era serving very traditional, great quality food. It hasn’t changed since I used to frequent it as a young trainee and entering the building is like going back to the 1930s."
Kronenhalle: "A restaurant with an illustrious history, for many years it was the haunt of some of the world’s most famous artists and designers — Picasso, Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent to name a few. The former owner's passion for art has resulted in an impressive collection. The restaurant itself [pictured] is excellent and exactly what a continental fine dining restaurant should be."
Sprüngli: "It's well-known for its delicious chocolate but the cafe is an institution. I love to visit for the irresistible patisserie, cakes and chocolate and simply for the quality and craftsmanship of the products. It’s located in the business district and quite the place to be seen." — Fly with Eurowings

ROME BY LUCA LAGHI, LAGHI'S
Perilli: "Try what many Romans will tell you is the best carbonara anywhere, in Testaccio, a part of Rome full of lovely restaurants. For the avoidance of doubt, real carbonara is not with spaghetti but a short pasta and doesn’t have cream, nor onion." 
Pizzeria Baffetto: "Where locals go to get proper thin and crispy pizza. There is no way to book, you’ll have to queue (and remember that Italians can’t queue, so don’t get upset about that please). Everyone, including the Prime Minister, will have to sit where they are told, so expect to share a table, and get to know people who will end up as your new friends." 
Hostaria da Enzo: "A lovely little, cheap and informal spot, it's all about fresh ingredients and great local food. You won't find many tourists here — enjoy your fellow Roman diners. And don’t come here to propose, unless you want to ask the chef to marry you." - Fly direct with Jet 2

FÄVIKEN BY JAMES HILL, HAMPTON MANOR
"In breach of the rules of this feature, I’m putting all my words behind one spot — an overall experience I can’t compare to anywhere else I've eaten. Fly to Stockholm then get an internal flight to Östersund. Rent a car and make your way to Fäviken, part of a 100-acre estate. We went for one night, and it was completely worth the journey, in fact, it was a part of the whole experience. Get cold beers and cured meats on arrival. Take in the views from the sauna before dinner, or head to the atmospheric old bar, and then feast. This is food theatre on steroids. All guests eat together and the whole kitchen comes out to present the food in a sort of otherworldly food procession. After dinner, gather round a fire-pit in a tipi complete with crazy Swedish singers. An incredible food journey, which gained two Michelin-stars on its first year of inspection." - Fly with SAS

NEW DELHI BY AKTAR ISLAM, OPHEEM (OPENING MAY)
"Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest markets in the city and between the brightly coloured sweets and sizzling kebabs, serves incredible food."
Parantha: "Visit any of the ‘hole in the wall’ stalls that serve these rich, flaky flatbreads, which come with chutneys and dips — just sensational."
Biryani: "You can’t miss the vendors selling fragrant biryanis. The recipes and cooking techniques have been in their families for generations. People will travel continents to eat the finest tandoori butter chicken."
Indian sweets: "I can’t leave Chandni Chowk without these. They smack you with flavour and are worlds away from traditional British desserts. Go for barfi, a fudge-like treat that’s often flavoured with coconut and pistachios. Nowhere does them quite like Delhi." - Fly direct with Air India

TOKYO BY ROB WOOD, SMULTRONSTALLE 
Tender Bar: "A temple of classic cocktailing. Try to snag seats at the bar and watch Kazuo Uyeda, a veteran bartender of 50 years, shake and stir drinks to absolute perfection." 
Toriki: Some of the best yakitori I have eaten, if not the best — that’s what happens when a chef cooks one thing for 30 years. I'd do bad things to good people to eat here again, and it's just chicken cooked on an electric grill." 
Gen Yamamoto: "The original cocktail tasting menu bar [pictured]. You must book before you go but it’s worth the effort, it's for something really unique. Or head to Golden Gai's labyrinth of tiny bars and you'll be sure to find your new favourite hang out." - Fly with Qatar Airways & Emirates 

BARCELONA BY ANN TONKS,
OPUS
Pinotxo Bar: "In La Boqueria market, go here for great, honest Spanish food, like tortilla, butifarra sausage and delicious thick bread, prepared in a tiny kitchen right in front of you." 
Cal Pep: "Full of life, the dishes are totally market dependent, and you’ll be happy to queue. Wines are exclusively local, and who can complain when Priorat, Tarragonès and Penedès (where Cava's from) are among them?"
Flax and Kale: "For a city famed for its meat and fish, there's also bags of veg options. Founder Teresa Carles has been creating healthy food for over 30 years, the largely veggie menu bursts with flavour and there's a brilliant fish taco [pictured] if you need a pesce hit." - Fly direct with Vueling & Eurowings 

PICTURES: Flax & Kale (Barcelona), Gen Yamamoto — Instagram: ploppestable (Tokyo), Eleven Madison Park — Evan Sung (New York), Steirereck (Vienna), Chandni Chowk — Instagram: shaikhfatehuddin (New Delhi), Kronenhalle (Zurich), Faviken — Fjona Black, Hostaria Da Enzo — Instagram: _janeee_eee