The dish to order: The perfectly-grilled Octopus Santorini, sprinkled with marinated onions and capers over a dramatic yellow split pea purée.
Nookie’s at Silver Sands Motel & Bungalows—Greenport, New York
A major renovation breathed new life into this iconic 1950’s North Fork motel, and luckily the twenty-two seat Nookie’s still captures all the nostalgia of a midcentury roadside diner. There’s still a tuna melt and decadent milkshakes on the menu, but there are some welcome additions to appeal to twenty-first century travelers, too.
The dish to order: The aubergine melt, on rye with globs of gruyère cheese, yellow tomato jam and Calabrian chili.
LAVO at The BoTree—London, UK
With locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Singapore, and Mexico City, Tao Group’s Lavo manages to feel as fun and relevant as ever with its latest opening at the BoTree in Marylebone. No detail is overlooked, whether it’s a tray of garnishes brought out to accompany your water, to decadent mounds of truffles atop the pasta, to expert sommelier pairings to enhance your experience. It’s one of the neighborhood’s larger dining rooms, but it manages to feel sceney and exuberant without being excessive.
The dish to order: “The Meatball,” which comes with 500 grams of Wagyu beef and Italian pork sausage.
Théa at The Global Ambassador—Phoenix, Arizona
Named after the Greek goddess of light, Théa, the standout at a gleaming new resort with a food-focus, offers a truly transporting experience, because, as it turns out, a Mediterranean menu lends itself beautifully to a rooftop setting in sunny Phoenix. The flavors are big, but this bacchanal never skews overly indulgent: the kofta skewers are fragrant with sumac; the Moroccan roasted carrots come drizzled in Aleppo pepper honey; and the “Goddess of all Dips” platter is a perfect shareable platter if you’re looking to kick back with a spritz and watch the sun set.
The dish to order: A fresh and flavorful Spring Tabbouleh salad with pea tendrils, mint, pistachio dukkah, and preserved lemon vinaigrette.
Fysh at The Singapore EDITION
“Lofty” is a great way to describe this new restaurant by multi-award-winning Australian chef Josh Niland inside the Singapore Edition. First, the decor: vaulted ceilings lend a sense of occasion, an abundance of greenery feels quintessentially Singaporean, and an expansive open show kitchen proves that cooking, too, can be a form of theater. Second, the menu: Niland offers a “modern-age fish steakhouse,” which treats ethically-sourced seafood with the same sense of scale, indulgence, and reverence as a steakhouse treats its beef. There are some “land-based proteins” on the menu, too, but the real stars are the swordfish and yellowfin tuna steaks, sourced from Mooloolaba, Australia and dry-aged (yes, you can dry-age fish) to perfection.
The dish to order: Murray Cod, sustainably sourced and grilled over charcoal, then finished with an Andean BBQ corn humita, coriander, and lime.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito at Bulgari Hotel Roma—Italy
This is Rome done right, from the elegant dining room, to the sweeping views over the adjacent Mausoleum of Augustus, to the menu designed by Nico Romito, one of Italy’s superstar chefs. At the restaurant inside this Hot List winner, the menu offers through-and-through Italian classics that range from the familiar (a perfect spaghetti pomodoro) to the innovative (crispy suckling pig with orange caramel sauce). Sure, it will cost you—but can you really put a price tag on a perfect fine dining experience in the Eternal City?
The dish to order: Melt-in-your-mouth roasted tuna belly topped with a light and bright fennel and citrus salad.