Tag Archive for: Bilbao

The World’s 50 Best (well, the Top 100) Restaurants 2018 have now been released and Spain and Portugal occupy 14 places in the Top 100 World’s Best Restaurants – 7 in the 1-50 List and 7 in the 51-100 List!

El Celler de Can Roca hits the Top 3 again and is awarded the World’s Nº 2 Restaurant 2018

Can Roca

Here are all 14 Restaurants from Spain and Portugal in the World’s Best Restaurants List 2018:

No. 2  El Celler De Can Roca – Girona, Spain climbs from last year’s Number 3

No. 9 Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain stays put at No.9 from 2017

No. 10 Asador Etxebarri – Axpe, Spain falls from No. 6 in 2017

No. 18 Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain rises 37 places and achieves winner of the Highest New Entry Award 2018

No. 31 Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain falls 1 place from 2017

No. 32 Tickets – Barcelona, Spain falls 7 places from No25 in 2017

No.43 Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain falls 5 places from 2017 but achieves winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2018, which it also won in 2014!

No.57 Nerua – Bilbao, Spain  falls 1 place from 2017

No.68 Quique Dacosta – Denia, Spain falls 6 places from 2017

No.75 Belcanto – Lisbon, Portugal climbs 10 places from 2017

No.76 Martin Berasategui – Lasarte-Oria, Spain climbs 1 place from 2017

No.77 Elkano – Getaria, Spain NEW for 2018

No.95 Enigma – Barcelona, Spain NEW for 2018

No.96 DiverXO – Madrid, Spain reenters from the 2016 list- last placed at No79

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 COMPLETE LISTS:

FULL LIST 1 – 50 here ->  https://www.gourmandbreaks.com/…/results-worlds-50-best-res…/

FULL LIST 51 – 100 here -> https://www.gourmandbreaks.com/…/worlds-50-best-restaurants…/

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

We, Gourmand Breaks,  have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal. Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your custom-designed quote!

The New World’s Best Restaurants 2017 (Full List) has been now been presented and the Top Spots for 2017  have been claimed by:

  • Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA, at Number 1
  • Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy, at Number 2
  • El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain, at Number 3

 

 

Eleven Madison Park climbed 2 places from last years Number 3 to become the Worlds Best Restaurant for 2017, while Osteria Francescana and El Celler de Can Roca both fell 1 place to their current places of 2 and 3 respectively.

 

It seems that Spain and Portugal had a bit of a roller coaster ride in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017, with some climbing, some falling, some appearing and others disappearing! There is, however, still a strong Iberian presence in the acclaimed Restaurant Magazine’s world famous List and here’s what happened and where everyone stands for the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017:

 

  • El Celler De Can Roca – Girona, Spain – falls 1 place to No.3 but is awarded the Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality Award 2017

 

  • Asador Etxebarri – Axpe, Spain – climbs 4 places to No.6 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain – falls 2 places to No.9 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Tickets – Barcelona, Spain – climbs 4 places to No.25 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017 

 

  • Arzak – San Sebastian,  Spain – falls 9 places to No.30 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain –  falls 22 places to No.38 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain  – appears for the 1st time at No.55 and is also awarded the Miele One To Watch Award 2017

 

  • Nerua – Bilbao, Spain – falls 1 place to No.56 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Quique Dacosta – Denia, Spain – falls 13 places to No.62 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Martin Berasategui – Lasarte-Oria, Spain  – falls 18 places to No.77 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • Belcanto – Lisbon, Portugal – falls 7 places to No.85 in the Worlds Best Restaurants List for 2017

 

  • DiverXo – Madrid, Spain – disappears from the Worlds Best Restaurants List where, in 2016, it held position No.79

 

 

FULL LIST of all the top 50 restaurants :  World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 from 1 – 50 

All restaurants placed 51 – 100 FULL LIST : World’s Best Restaurants 2017 from 51 – 100 

 

www.sanpellegrino.com

www.sanpellegrino.com

 

Let’s hope that next year, 2018, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards Ceremony provides Spain and Portugal with lots of high places on the Restaurant Magazine’s prestigious gastronomic list ! After all, the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants 2018 awards will be presented from Spain :-) from the foodie mecca known as the Basque Country – in particular from Bilbao!

We’re already excited for next year !!!!!

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal.  Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personal quote!.

RESULTS ARE IN for the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 places 51-100!!!!!

World's Best 50 restaurants 2015

The NEW World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2017 from Number One – 50 will be presented next week but, hot off the press,  here’s the NEW World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 FULL COMPLETE LIST 2017 :

 

No.51 Mikla – Istanbul, Turkey

No.52 Nihonryori RyuGin – Tokyo, Japan

No.53 Burnt Ends – Singapore

No.54 Lyle’s – London, UK

No.55 Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain  (NEW for 2017) – Miele One To Watch Award 2017

No.56 Nerua – Bilbao, Spain  (Falls from No.55)

No.57 Fäviken – Järpen, Sweden

No.58 Momofuku Ko – New York, USA

No.59 Combal Zero – Rivoli, Italy

No.60 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Hong Kong, China

No.61 Hertog Jan – Bruges, Belgium

No.62 Quique Dacosta – Denia, Spain (Falls from No.49)

No.63 The Test Kitchen – Cape Town, South Africa

No.64 La Grenouillère – La Madelaine Sous Montreuil, France

No.65 Biko – Mexico City, Mexico

No.66 Estela – New York, USA

No.67 Benu – San Francisco, USA

No.68 The French Laundry – Yountville, USA

No.69 Hiša Franko – Kobarid, Slovenia

No.70 Aqua – Wolfsburg, Germany

No.71 Lung King Heen – Hong Kong, China

No.72 Schloss Schauenstein – Fürstenau, Switzerland

No.73 La Colombe – Cape Town, South Africa

No.74 The Jane – Antwerp, Belgium

No.75 Sud777 – Mexico City, Mexico

No.76 Lasai – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

No.77 Martin Berasategui – Lasarte-Oria, Spain (Falls from No.59)

No.78 Indian Accent – New Delhi, India

No.79 Maaemo – Oslo, Norway

No.80 Le Cinq – Paris, France

No.81 Maní – São Paulo, Brazil

No.82 Chef’s Table At Brooklyn Fare – New York, USA

No.83 Atelier Crenn – San Francisco, USA

No.84 The Restaurant at Meadowood –  St. Helena, USA

No.85 Belcanto – Lisbon, Portugal (Falls from No.78)

No.86 Odette – Singapore

No.87 Per Se – New York, USA

No.88 Selfie – Moscow, Russia

No.89 Mingles – Seoul, Korea

No.90 Manresa – Los Gatos, USA

No.91 St. John – London, UK

No.92 Twins – Moscow, Russia

No.93 Le Chateaubriand – Paris, France

No.94 Kadeau – Copenhagen, Denmark

No.95 Quay – Sydney, Australia

No.96 Epicure – Paris, France

No.97 Sushi Saito – Tokyo, Japan

No.98 Hedone – London, UK

No.99 Florilège – Tokyo, Japan

No.100 Olympe – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

Michelin 3* Restaurant DiverXo – Madrid, Spain,  disappears from the 51-100 list where, in 2016, it held position No.79. Has DiverXo entered the Top 50? We’ll let you know …

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017  No.1 – No.50 will be presented next week.  We already know that Quique Dacosta has left the Top 50,  falling from No.49 in 2016 to this years No.62, but what about the other Spanish superchefs in last years Top 50? Here’s a recap:

No.2 El Celler de Can Roca – Girona, Spain

No.7 Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain

No.10 Asador Etxebarri – Atxondo, Spain

No.16 Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain

No.21 Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain

No.29 Tickets – Barcelona, Spain

 

All will be revealed on the 5th of April when we let you know the results of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2017!

The Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2017 certainly sees Spain and Portugal shining  with Michelin Stars again!!

NEW for The Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2017 :

 1 NEW Michelin 3 Star Restaurant

7 NEW Michelin 2 Star Restaurants

22 NEW Michelin 1 Star Restaurants

A total of  203 Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain and Portugal for 2017: 9 Michelin Three Star, 28 Michelin Two Star and 166 Michelin One Star.

Here’s the COMPLETE list for all Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain and Portugal for 2017:

Michelin 3* Restaurants in Spain 2017

  • NEW: Lasarte (Barcelona)
  • El Celler de Can Roca, Joan Roca (Girona)
  • Arzak,  Juan Mari Arzak (Guipúzcoa)
  • Akelarre, Pedro Subijana (Guipúzcoa)
  • Martín Berasategui,  Martín Berasategui (Guipúzcoa)
  • Sant Pau,  Carme Ruscalleda (Barcelona)
  • Diverxo, David Muñoz (Madrid)
  • Azurmendi, Eneko Atxa (Larrabetzu, Vizcaya)
  • Quique Dacosta, Quique Dacosta (Dénia, Alicante)

 

 

Michelin 2* Restaurants in Spain and Portugal for 2017 (NEW first and then by region)

  • NEW: L´Escaleta (Cocentaina, Alicante)
  • NEW: DSTAgE (Madrid)
  • NEW: Annua (San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria)
  • NEW: Cenador de Amós (Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria)
  • NEW: BonAmb (Xàbia, Alicante)
  • NEW: Il Gallo d´Oro (Funchal, Madeira – Portugal)
  • NEW: The Yeatman (Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto – Portugal)

 

ANDALUCÍA

  • Aponiente (Cádiz)
  • Dani García (Málaga)

 

BALEARIC ISLES

  • Zaranda (Mallorca)

 

CANARY ISLES

  • M.B. by Martín Berasategui (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)

 

MADRID

  • Coque (Humanes, Madrid)
  • La Terraza del Casino (Madrid)
  • El Club Allard (Madrid)
  • Ramón Freixa (Madrid)
  • Santceloni (Madrid)

 

LA RIOJA

  • El Portal (La Rioja)

 

CATALONIA

  • Abac (Barcelona)
  • Miramar (Girona)
  • Les Cols (Girona)
  • Enoteca (Barcelona)
  • Moments (Barcelona)

 

BASQUE COUNTRY

  • Mugaritz (Guipuzcoa)

 

EXTREMADURA

  • Atrio (Cáceres)

 

ASTURIAS

  • Casa Marcial (Asturias)

 

PORTUGAL

  • Vila Joya (Albufeira, Portugal)
  • Ocean (Armaçao de Pêra, Portugal)
  • Belcanto (Lisboa, Portugal)

 

 

Michelin 1* Restaurants in Spain and Portugal 2017 (NEW first and then by region)

 

  • NEW: Céleri (Barcelona)
  • NEW: Xerta (Barcelona)
  • NEW: Ca l´Arpa (Banyoles)
  • NEW: La Boscana (Bellvís)
  • NEW: L´Antic Molí (Ulldecona)
  • NEW: A´Barra (Madrid)
  • NEW: Gaytán (Madrid)
  • NEW: El Invernadero (Collado Mediano, Madrid)
  • NEW: Raúl Resino (Benicarló)
  • NEW: Sents (Ontinyent)
  • NEW: Cobo Vintage (Burgos)
  • NEW: Noor (Córdoba)
  • NEW: Baluarte (Soria)
  • NEW: Adrián Quetglas (Palma)
  • NEW: Argos (Port de Pollença)
  • NEW: Casa de Chá da Boa Nova (Leça da Palmeira, Portugal)
  • NEW: Alma (Lisboa, Portugal)
  • NEW: Loco (Lisboa, Portugal)
  • NEW: William (Madeira/Funchal, Portugal)
  • NEW: L´And Vineyards (Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal)
  • NEW: Antiqvvm (Porto, Portugal)
  • NEW: Lab by Sergi Arola (Sintra, Portugal)

 

ANDALUCÍA

  • Kabuki Raw (Casares, Málaga)
  • Sollo (Fuengirola, Málaga)
  • Messina (Marbella, Málaga)
  • Acanthum (Huelva)
  • José Carlos García (Málaga)
  • Choco (Córdoba)
  • El Lago (Marbella, Málaga)
  • La Costa (El Ejido, Almería)
  • Abantal (Sevilla)
  • Skina (Marbella, Málaga)
  • Alejandro (Almería)

 

ARAGÓN

  • La Prensa (Zaragoza)
  • Hospedería El Batán (Tramacastilla, Teruel)
  • Tatau Bistro (Huesca)
  • Lillas Pastia (Huesca)
  • Las Torres (Huesca)

 

ASTURIAS

  • El Corral del Indianu (Arriondas, Asturias)
  • Auga (Gijón)
  • La Salgar (Gijón)
  • El Retiro (Asturias)
  • Casa Gerardo (Prendes, Asturias)
  • Real Balneario (Salinas, Asturias)
  • Arbidel (Asturias)

 

BALEARIC ISLES

  • Can Dani (Formentera)
  • Jardín (Port d’Alcúdia, Mallorca)
  • Es Molí d’en Bou (Sa Coma, Mallorca)
  • Andreu Genestra (Mallorca)
  • Es Racó d’es Teix (Deiá, Mallorca)
  • Simply Fosh (Mallorca)
  • Es Fum (Palmanova, Mallorca)

 

CANARY ISLES

  • El Rincón de Juan Carlos (Los Gigantes, Tenerife)
  • Kabuki (Guía de Isora, Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
  • Kazan (Tenerife)

 

CANTABRIA

  • El Nuevo Molino (Puente Arce, Santander)
  • Solana (Ampuero, Cantabria)
  • El Serbal (Santander)

 

CASTILLA LA MANCHA

  • Tierra (Toledo)
  • El Bohío (Illescas, Toledo)
  • Maralba (Almansa, Albacete)
  • Las Rejas (Las Pedroñeras, Cuenca)
  • El Carmen de Montesión (Toledo)

 

CASTILLA + LEÓN

  • Villena (Segovia)
  • Refectorio (Valladolid)
  • La Lobita (Soria)
  • La Botica (Valladolid)
  • El Ermitaño (Benavente, Zamora)
  • Cocinandos (León)
  • Víctor Gutiérrez (Salamanca)

 

CATALONIA

  • Disfrutar (Barcelona)
  • Hoja Santa (Barcelona)
  • Tresmacarrons (El Masnou, Barcelona)
  • Emporium (Castelló d’Empuries, Girona)
  • Alkimia (Barcelona)
  • Caelis (Barcelona)
  • Cinc Sentits (Barcelona)
  • Dos Cielos (Barcelona)
  • Gaig (Barcelona
  • Hisop (Barcelona)
  • Hofmann (Barcelona)
  • Fonda Sala (Olost, Barcelona)
  • Moo (Barcelona)
  • Via Veneto (Barcelona)
  • Els Casals (Sagás, Barcelona)
  • L’Angle (Barcelona).
  • Capritx (Tarrasa, Barcelona)
  • Estany Clar (Cercs, Barcelona)
  • Can Jubany (Calldetenes, Barcelona)
  • La Cuina de San Simon (Tossa de Mar, Girona)
  • Ca L’Enric (La Val de Vianya, Girona)
  • Bo.Tic (Corsà, Girona)
  • Massana (Girona)
  • La Fonda Xesc (Gombrén, Girona)
  • Els Tinars Llagostera, Girona)
  • Torreo de L’India Xerta, Tarragona)
  • Rincón de Diego (Cambrils, Tarragona)
  • Can Bosch (Cambrils, Tarragona)
  • Les Magnòlies (Arbúcies, Girona)
  • Dos Palillos (Barcelona)
  • Koy Shunka (Barcelona)
  • Lluerna (Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Barcelona)
  • Nectari (Barcelona)
  • Pakta (Barcelona)
  • Fogony (Sort, Lleida)
  • Les Moles (Tarragona)
  • Tickets (Barcelona)
  • L’Ó (Sant Fruitós de Bages, Barcelona)
  • Casamar (Llafranc, Girona)
  • Els Brancs (Platja de Canyelles Petites, Girona)
  • Malena (Lleida)

 

GALICIA

  • Casa Marcelo (Santiago)
  • Nova (Ourense)
  • Yayo Daporta (Cambados, Pontevedra)
  • A Estación (Cambre, La Coruña)
  • Alborada (La Coruña)
  • As Garzas (Malpica de Bergantiños, La Coruña)
  • Retiro da Costiña (Santa Comba, La Coruña)
  • Árbore da Veira (A Coruña)
  • Solla (Poio, Pontevedra)
  • Pepe Vieira Camiño da Serpe (Raxo, Pontevedra)
  • Maruja Limón (Vigo)
  • Culler de Pau (Pontevedra)
  • Silabario (Tui, Pontevedra)

 

MADRID

  • Lúa (Madrid)
  • La Cabra (Madrid)
  • Álbora (Madrid)
  • Punto MX (Madrid)
  • Montia (Madrid)
  • Chirón (Valdemoro, Madrid)
  • Casa José  (Aranjuez, Madrid)
  • Kabuki (Madrid)
  • Kabuki Wellington (Madrid)

 

MURCIA

  • Cabaña Buenavista (Murcia)

 

NAVARRA

  • Europa (Pamplona)
  • Rodero (Pamplona)
  • El Molino de Urdániz (Urdaitz, Navarra)

 

BASQUE COUNTRY

  • Zarate (Bilbao)
  • Elkano (Guipúzcoa)
  • Boroa (Amorebieta, Vizcaya)
  • Etxebarri (Axpe, Vizcaya)
  • Etxanobe (Bilbao)
  • Nerua (Bilbao,Vizcaya)
  • Mina (Bilbao, Vizcaya)
  • Zortziko (Bilbao)
  • Kokotxa (San Sebastián)
  • Mirador de Ulía (San Sebastián)
  • Alameda (Fuenterrabía, Guipúzcoa)
  • Andra Mari (Galdácano, Vizcaya)
  • Zuberoa (Oyarzun, Guipúzcoa)
  • Zaldarián (Vitoria)
  • Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, Álava)

 

LA RIOJA

  • Venta Moncalvillo (Daroca de Rioja, La Rioja)

 

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY

  • Casa Manolo (Valencia)
  • Riff (Valencia)
  • Monastrell (Alacant)
  • La Sucursal (Valencia)
  • La Finca (Elche, Alicante)
  • El Poblet (Valencia)
  • Ricard Camarena (València)
  • Cal Paradís (Castelló)
  • Casa Pepa (Ondaira, Alicante)

 

PORTUGAL

  • São Gabriel (Almancil, Portugal)
  • Henrique Leis (Alamcil, Portugal)
  • Bon Bon (Carvoeiro, Portugal)
  • Willie´s (Quarteira, Portugal)
  • Fortaleza do Guincho (Cascais, Portugal)
  • Eleven (Lisboa, Portugal)
  • Feitoria (Lisboa, Portugal)
  • Largo do Paço (Amarante, Portugal)

Huge congratulations to the Spanish Restaurants who yet again feature strongly in the World’s Best Restaurants List. Occupying 10% of the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List, half of them climbed positions and half fell, but all 10 Spanish restaurants maintain their status in the Top 100 Restaurants of the World 2016 (7 in the Top 50, of which 3 are in the Top 10).

Portugal,  last year, had 2 entries in the 51-100 List but for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List just one stays. Congratulations to Belcanto in Lisbon, slowly but surely establishing its gastronomic offering by climbing up the charts.

worlds 50 best restaurants 2016

Here’s a look at the Spanish and Portuguese movers and shakers in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List:

Nº 2 – El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain, falls from Nº 1 to Nº 2 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 7 – Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain, falls from Nº 6 to Nº7 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 10 – Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain, climbs from Nº 13 to Nº 10 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 16 – Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain, climbs from Nº 19 to Nº 16 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 21 – Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain, falls from Nº 17 to Nº21 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 29 – Tickets, Barcelona, Spain, climbs from Nº 42 to Nº29 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 49 – Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain, falls from Nº 39 to Nº49 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 55 – Nerua, Bilbao, Spain, climbs from Nº 68 to Nº55 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 59 – Martín Berasategui, Lasarte-Oria, Spain, climbs from Nº 61 to Nº 59 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 78 – Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal, climbs from Nº 91 to Nº 78 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

Nº 79 – DiverXO, Madrid, Spain, falls from Nº 59 to Nº 79 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List

N/A – Vila Joya, Albufeira, Portugal, disappears from the list where last year it was at nº 98

 

Here are the COMPLETE Lists for the World’s Best Restaurants 2016:

1 – 50 World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2016 – FULL LIST

51 – 100 World’s Best Restaurants 2016 – FULL LIST

 

There are literally thousands of restaurants all over the world – hundreds of thousands! – and acclaimed Restaurant Magazine narrows it down to organize, compile and present, year after year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and List.

This prestigious list is an annual recollection of the opinions and experiences of over 900 international restaurant industry experts and the ceremony is attended by the world’s finest chefs, international media and the world’s most influential restaurateurs.

This year, 2016, the awards ceremony was presented from The Cipriani Wall Street in New York, USA, the first time the ceremony has moved from its beginnings (the first list was published in 2002) in England, from London!

Next year, for 2017, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards Ceremony will be heading to Melbourne, Australia!!!

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal.  Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personalized quote!.

RESULTS ARE IN for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 FULL LIST 51-100!!!

At Number 55 for the World’s Best Restaurants List 2016 is:

NERUA, Bilbao  – a Michelin 1 star restaurant at the hands of Josean Alija!!!

Josean Alija

Nerua

Nerua dish

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 1-50  will be awarded at a grand ceremony in New York, on the 13th of June and we’ll keep you posted!

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal.  Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personalized quote!.

RESULTS ARE IN for the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 places 51-100!!!!!   and Nerua, in The Basque Country, Spain, is the current World’s Number 55 Restaurant!!

The NEW World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2016 List  1- 50 will be presented next week ….. we’ll let you know on the 13th of June!

In 2011, Nerua received its first star for the Michelin Guide 2012, then in 2015 was a NEW ENTRY in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time at nº68! A great start for Nerua which is ideally located in the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao.

Nerua has now climbed higher in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 List and is currently at Nº55!!! 

Nerua dish

 

There are literally thousands of restaurants all over the world – hundreds of thousands! – and acclaimed Restaurant Magazine narrows it down to organize, compile and present, year after year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and List.

This prestigious list, coming up to its 14th year,  is an annual recollection of the opinions and experiences of over 900 international restaurant industry experts and the ceremony is attended by the world’s finest chefs, international media and the world’s most influential restaurateurs.

This year, 2016, sees the awards ceremony being presented from the United States of America, the first time the ceremony has moved from its beginnings in England, from London!

We’ll keep you updated on the results of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016  (June 13th 2016 live from New York) but in the meantime we’ve been taking a look at the Spanish (and Portuguese) movers and shakers in our Gourmand Breaks series “A la Crème de la Crème”

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal. Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personalized quote!.

RESULTS ARE IN for the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 places 51-100!!!!!

The NEW World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2016 1- 50 will be presented next week but, hot off the press,  here’s the NEW World’s 50 Best Restaurants FULL COMPLETE LIST 2016 51- 100:

No.51 MANÍ – SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

No.52 PER SE – NEW YORK, USA

No.53 HOF VAN CLEVE – KRUISHOUTEM, BELGIUM

No.54 THE JANE – ANTWERP, BELGIUM

No.55 NERUA – BILBAO, SPAIN

No.56 MIKLA – ISTANBUL, TURKEY

No.57 L’ASTRANCE – PARIS, FRANCE

No.58 ALAIN DUCASSE AU PLAZA ATHÉNÉE – PARIS, FRANCE

No.59 MARTÍN BERASATEGUI – LASARTE-ORIA, SPAIN

No.60 HEDONE – LONDON, UK

No.61 MAAEMO – OSLO, NORWAY

No.62 LA GRENOUILLERE – LA MADELAINE SOUS MONTREUIL, FRANCE

No.63 AQUA – WOLFSBURG, GERMANY

No.64 LASAI – RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

No.65= BRAE – BIRREGURRA, AUSTRALIA

No.65= LYLE’S – LONDON, UK

No.67 THE RESTAURANT AT MEADOWOOD – ST. HELENA, USA

No.68 TEGUI – BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

No.69 EPICURE – PARIS, FRANCE

No.70 BURNT ENDS – SINGAPORE

No.71 DANIEL – NEW YORK, USA

No.72 PAVILLON LEDOYEN – PARIS, FRANCE

No.73 HERTOG JAN – BRUGES, BELGIUM

No.74 LE CHATEAUBRIAND – PARIS, FRANCE

No.75 TWINS – MOSCOW, RUSSIA

No.76 LA COLOMBE – CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

No.77 DEN – TOKYO, JAPAN

No.78 BELCANTO – LISBON, PORTUGAL

No.79 DIVERXO – MADRID, SPAIN

No.80 L’ATELIER SAINT-GERMAIN DE JOËL ROBUCHON PARIS – PARIS, FRANCE

No.81 CHEF’S TABLE AT BROOKLYN FARE – NEW YORK, USA

No.82 HAJIME – OSAKA, JAPAN

No.83 MANRESA – LOS GATOS, USA

No.84 REALE – CASTEL DI SANGRO, ITALY

No.85 THE FRENCH LAUNDRY – YOUNTVILLE, USA

No.86 8 1/2 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA – HONG KONG, CHINA

No.87 INDIAN ACCENT – DELHI, INDIA

No.88 DIE SCHWARZWALDSTUBE – BAIERSBRONN, GERMANY

No.89= ZUMA – DUBAI, UAE

No.89= BENU – SAN FRANCISCO, USA

No.91 ST JOHN – LONDON, UK

No.92 QUINTESSENCE – TOKYO, JAPAN

No.93 DANIEL BERLIN – SKÅNE TRANÅS, SWEDEN

No.94 BRAS – LAGUIOLE, FRANCE

No.95 L’EFFERVESCENCE – TOKYO, JAPAN

No.96 COSME – NEW YORK, USA

No.97 MOMOFUKU KO – NEW YORK, USA

No.98 QUAY – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

No.99 LA PETITE MAISON – DUBAI, UAE

No.100 CHESTNAYA KUHNYA – MOSCOW, RUSSIA

 

We’ll keep you updated on the results of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016  1- 50 (June 13th 2016 live from New York).

We have many fine dining opportunities for you all over Spain and / or Portugal. Any of our sample private Gourmand Breaks Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours gives you the chance of fine dining – contact us for your personalized quote!.

Wes Albinger and Charles Pierce joined us recently, from New York City, for a fantastic 22 day Customized Private Highlights of Spain Tour. We could tell you where they went, what they saw, where they ate etc but we’ll leave that to them.

Travel with Wes and Charles all over Spain as you read their FULL review in their own words, with no censorship from us  – Bon Voyage :-):

After a reflective week or so, we’d like to share a few thoughts about our Gourmand Breaks journey through Spain. Top line: We loved it!  It was a pleasure to meet you on that first day in Barcelona. The printed booklet you presented us with was helpful. We referred to it often and having the blank pages did, in fact, inspire us to keep a journal.

Sagrada familia interior

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Barcelona was a great place to begin. Our guide gave us a real understanding of Catalonia as well as a wonderful tour of the Sagrada Famillia — the first of many marvels we saw on our trip. It was astounding, enhanced by our guide’s intimate knowledge. Thanks for recommending Ten’s, as it was outstanding. Lasarte was an elegant, comfortable restaurant but frankly, we enjoyed Ten’s more! (A waiter knocked a full glass of wine and a full glass of water over Wes during our meal at Lasarte …it was unfortunate and this may have colored our overall impression of the place. They upgraded our wine after the incident, but otherwise charged us the full amount, which was surprising). As you know, on the last day in Barcelona we suffered food poisoning. Luckily, the malaise didn’t last long. When we got to Grenada, we found a place that served chicken soup and it was curative!

Alhambra inside

The Alhambra, Granada

Grenada was delightful. Our expert guide maneuvered us gracefully through the crowds and took us on a memorable and knowledgeable tour of the Alhambra — the second marvel of our trip. Your suggested stop in Ronda was the perfect way to break up the drive. We loved the hotel in Seville. Our room was huge and the hotel manager was very attentive, welcoming us with a bottle of bubbly. Our guide, Paloma, was terrific. Her tour of the cathedral was excellent and we had such a good time with her afterwards. We loved the flamenco show and the manager made us feel welcome when he sought us out at the end of the performance to thank us for coming. And, of course, the scent of orange blossoms lingers in our memory. We tried a restaurant suggested in your booklet, Az-Zait, and it turned out to be a good choice. (The Iberian pork dish was delicious!).

Elena, our guide in Cordoba, was very good and clearly at home. Strolling through the old town with her made us feel like locals, as she knew many folks along the way. Her knowledge of the Mezquita was extraordinary and her commentary greatly enhanced our visit to this magnificent sight — the third marvel of our trip. When we told her afterwards that we’d prefer to have a proper lunch rather hopping around for tapas, she picked just the right place. She worked with the waiters to plan us a delectable meal and we were the only tourists in the place. It was great watching local families enjoying a long, leisurely Saturday lunch.

El Retiro Park, Madrid

And then came Madrid. The many neighborhoods, museums, the vitality, Retiro Park and the oh-so-friendly people won us over. The hotel had a few issues…and perhaps not quite as special as the other hotels you chose for our journey but the location was great and the room was generous, quiet and comfortable. The staff was very helpful. Our guide, Olga, used a map to help us understand Madrid and it’s charms before taking us on an informative and comprehensive tour of the city. The Prado art collection was yet another marvel and Olga’s insight was impressive. We loved tapas-hopping with her afterwards and were particularly pleased with the places she picked. She left us feeling very satisfied at the Mercado de San Miguel. We visited the Royal Palace, saw a few other sights and, as Olga had suggested, had something eat in the food courts at El Cortes Inglés for dinner.

The Museo Thysson-Bornemisza museum was yet another marvel. It’s a beautifully curated art collection where we spent hours and loved every minute of it. It was like taking an art history class!

Our two-star dinner at El Club Allard started out with a bang. The first five courses were good but the service was rushed and the final courses lacked finesse. Just the same, it’s a beautiful place and they made us feel quite comfortable.

Toledo

Toledo

We loved our guide in Toledo. His English was excellent and he knew the city so well. (He even spotted, and helped coordinate, the arrest of two pickpockets by sending their photos instantly to the local police!). After our tour, he took us to a small but terrific local restaurant where we had a lunch menu for twelve euros, including a glass of wine!

Segovia was a great side trip, too. We arrived early enough to have a quick visit of the cathedral and to marvel at the Roman aqueduct. After that, we stopped to sample the ponche Segoviano, loving the sponge cake and marzipan confection. We wandered through the old town, visited the Alcázar and even went through a local history museum. But the highlight was lunch at José Maria where we had the famous “cochinillo.” What a treat! The poor piglet couldn’t have been more than six weeks old, just large enough to fit in a roasting pan, and it was fun to watch the waiters use ordinary serving plates to cut the pig into equal portions for serving. We loved it.

Then came San Sebastián. Wow! The train trip was a bit uncomfortable as we noted but San Sebastián was a perfect ending. We loved the hotel and the view from our room was mesmerizing. Once again, our guide was delightful, helping us appreciate the city’s history and taking us to just the right places—a landmark pastry shop, a “grocery store” with the most amazing produce, the Hotel Maria Cristina and all along the waterfront. Then we had a spectacular “pinchos”- hopping jaunt with her that was a lot of fun.

San Sebastian promenade

San Sebastian

Bilbao was another memorable day trip. A great driver in his very comfortable car took us to the market downtown and drove us around a bit before dropping us off at the museum. The building is fantastic — another marvel! And thanks again for our lunch at Nerua … one of the best meals we had on the trip. The chef greeted us and gave us a few amuse-gueules while he talked about the kitchen. Then we sat down and ate and drank our way though an excellent 9-course menu. It was delicious! The wine pairing was definitely the right thing to do as the sommelier picked some very interesting wines that perfectly matched the food. (We can’t say enough good things about this place. It was better than both the two-star restaurants in Barcelona and Madrid!). The driver took us back to San Sebastián via the coast, stopping for a few minutes to let us have a look at the port in Getaria. It was a beautiful drive.

We had such a good time with our friends Stephanie and Paul, especially sharing two three-star restaurant meals back-to-back! Our dinner at Akelarre was disappointing. The location can’t be beat (lovely sunset!) and while some of the dishes were playful, innovative and very tasty, there were some clunkers along the way. All in all, it didn’t seem to be a three-star experience. We all came away thinking that it wasn’t worth the exorbitant price.

ARZAK dish

Arzak, Michelin 3*, San Sebastian

On the other hand, lunch at Arzak was one of the best culinary experiences we can remember. From start to finish, it was three-star perfection. Juan Marie Arzak couldn’t have been more charming and the entire staff was super-welcoming. (Thanks to our waiter’s guidance, we were able to order multiple half-portions à la carte, creating our own ten course menu). It was superb and, interestingly, the bill was half as much as our bill at Akelarre!

We have to thank you. From beginning to end, our journey was very well-paced, encompassing and exciting on so many levels. In general, we loved traveling by fast train—and getting a feel for the topography of Spain along the way. The car and driver parts of our journey were top-notch and so comfortable. The guides were spot-on. Thank you for all your efforts on our behalf.

Un abrazo!

Wes and Charles

Thank you Wes and Charles for such a comprehensive insight into your experience with Gourmand Breaks. On behalf of us all at Gourmand Breaks – It was our pleasure to welcome you to Spain!

 

If you enjoyed your journey with Wes and Charles and would like to experience some great Food, Wine ad Cultural experiences in Spain, and/or Portugal, we’d be delighted to customize your perfect private itinerary. You’ll find many sample itineraries to give you some ideas on our Gourmand Breaks website .

Repsol recently announced their New Guide for Spain and Portugal Restaurants 2016! But! – I hear you say – “Didn’t we just have the New Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2016 announced?”

The answer is YES! The New Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2016 was presented in November and offers us 174 Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain and 14 Michelin Starred Restaurants in Portugal for 2016.

Mugaritz Dish

So – you ask – “What is the Repsol Guide? and what do they award?”

Well, for over 35 years Repsol has been highlighting the best restaurants in Spain and Portugal, and similar to Michelin, every year, awards the best restaurants and publishes the New Guide.  While Michelin awards Stars, Repsol awards Suns.

The Repsol Suns, as the Michelin Stars, are prestigious distinctions, a symbol of culinary excellence awarded to the best restaurants and chefs in Spanish and Portuguese gastronomy. It is no surprise, therefore, to find lots of Michelin stars shining in the Repsol Guide. The highest accolade is 3 suns, then 2, then 1 – Just like Michelin.

However, Repsol is a little more generous than Michelin and offers a total of 476 restaurants in Spain (36 with Three Suns, 147 with Two Suns and 293 with One Sun) and 88 restaurants in Portugal (7 with Three Suns, 21 with Two Suns and 60 with One Sun)

As you can imagine, with 564 Repsol Sun Restaurants between Spain and Portugal 2016, that’s a looooooooog list. So here are the  REPSOL 3 SUN RESTAURANTS FOR SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 2016 (36 in Spain and 7 in Portugal compared with 8 Michelin Three Star restaurants in Spain 2016 and 0 Michelin Three Star Restaurants in Portugal 2016 ):

 

SPAIN 2016 – Three Soles “3 Suns” Restaurants

ABaC – Michelin 2* – Barcelona

Akelarre  – Michelin 3*- Donostia/San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa

Aponiente – Michelin 2* – El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz

Arzak  – Michelin 3* – Donostia/San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa

Atrio – Michelin 2* – Cáceres

Azurmendi  – Michelin 3* – Larrabetzu, Bizkaia

Cabaña Buenavista [NEW] –  Michelin 1* – El Palmar, Murcia

Can Jubany  – Michelin 1* – Calldetenes, Barcelona

Sant Pau – Michelin 3* – Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona

Casa Gerardo  – Michelin 1* – Prendes, Asturias

Cenador de Amós  – Michelin 1* – Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria

Coque  – Michelin 2* – Humanes de Madrid, Madrid

Dani García – Michelin 2* – Marbella, Málaga

DiverXo – Michelin 3* – Madrid

Dos Cielos  – Michelin 1* – Barcelona

El Celler de Can Roca  –  Michelin 3* – Girona

El Portal – Michelin 2* – Ezcaray, La Rioja

Etxebarri (Asador) – Michelin 1* – Atxondo, Bizkaia

Hispània  – Arenys de Mar, Barcelona

Kabuki Wellington – Michelin 1* – Madrid

L’Escaleta – Michelin 1* – Cocentaina, Alicante

La Terraza del Casino – Michelin 2* – Madrid

Martín Berasategui – Michelin 3* – Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa

Mugaritz – Michelin 2* – Errentería, Gipuzkoa

Nerua  – Michelin 1* – Bilbao, Bizkaia

O’Pazo – Madrid

Quique Dacosta Restaurante –  Michelin 3* – Dénia, Alicante

Ramón Freixa – Michelin 2* – Madrid,

Ricard Camarena – Michelin 1*- Valencia

Rodero – Michelin 1* – Pamplona, Navarra

Santceloni – Michelin 2* – Madrid

Sergi Arola – UPDATE: CLOSED in September 2016 – Sot (part of his restaurant which is Michelin 2*) – Madrid

Solla – Michelin 1* – San Salvador de Poio, Pontevedra

Vía Veneto – Michelin 1* – Barcelona

Zalacaín – Madrid

Zuberoa –  Michelin 1* – Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa

 

PORTUGAL – Three Soles “3 Suns” Restaurants

Belcanto – Michelin 2* – Lisbon

Feitoria – Michelin 1* – Lisbon

Fortaleza do Guincho – Michelin 1* – Cascais, Lisbon

Il Gallo D’Oro – Michelin 1* – Funchal, Madeira

Ocean – Michelin 2* – Armação de Pêra, Algarve

Sâo Gabriel – Michelin 1* – Almancil,  Algarve

Vila Joya – Michelin 2* – Albufeira, Algarve

 

Eurocore HiScan PM3

 

Experience Michelin Starred and Repsol Sunned Restaurant dining opportunities on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours .   You will have the chance to indulge in the best restaurants in Spain and Portugal!  Contact us for your personalized quote.