Each year, Elite Traveler finds its way across the world to name the best of the best in terms of restaurants. Each year, the top restaurants have to meet stringent requirements that include everything from first class service to stellar settings, world-renowned chefs and many other factors. This year, the list was created by Andy Hayler, a restaurant critic whose claim to fame is the fact that he’s eaten at every 3-star restaurant in the world.
After traveling the world to find out which restaurants are the best of the best in terms of the top 100, Hayler made the bold choice to choose two American restaurants in the top three, and four US restaurants in the top five.
Alinea: The Best Restaurant in the World
Located in Chicago, Alinea is known for not having an actual menu. Instead, the restaurant offers a comprehensive tasting menu with several different items at a fixed price of either $210 or $265 per person depending on the night of the week you choose to dine. Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages must be purchased separately; the restaurant has a full bar and wines by the bottle. Instead of reservations, the restaurant sells tickets to dine.
DANIEL
In the heart of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, DANIEL is the pride and joy of restaurateur and chef, Daniel Boulud. This French restaurant offers a private dining room, a bar and lounge and an a la carte dining menu. It is known to host beautiful weddings and rehearsal dinners, as well as hold the title of one of the very few New York City restaurants to carry a 3-star Michelin rating. It’s also been named the 2014 second best restaurant in the world.
Fat Duck
In addition to being the United Kingdom’s only restaurant to make it into the top 5, the head chef here is the number one chef in the world. Heston Blumenthal is a world-renowned chef who not only handles the kitchen at Fat Duck, he also recently announced that he plans on leaving the UK with his staff to make his way to Melbourne for six months next year.
(Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Microsoft)
