Last year was a big year for chef and restaurateur Neil Perry, with the opening of Cantonese restaurant Song Bird joining his other Double Bay venues Margaret, Next Door and Baker Bleu. It was also the year Perry was honoured with the Woodford Reserve Icon Award by The World’s 50 Best Academy, helping bring Australian dining to global attention.
Fast forward 12 months and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has revealed its longlist ahead of announcing the top 50 restaurants at its annual awards night on Thursday, 19 June, this year held in Turin, Italy. So, we thought it was the perfect time to ask the revered Australian chef about his favourite restaurants around the world.
From a Michelin-starred Japanese omakase to relaxed European and US fine-diners, it’s exceptional produce and great hospitality that are key for Perry. “For me, that’s exactly what you want when you’re eating out. To enjoy the experience, enjoy the company, and enjoy the hospitality of the restaurant,” Perry tells Gourmet Traveller.
Neil Perry’s 10 best restaurants around the world
The River Cafe
london, UK
“There aren’t many better places to be on a balmy English summer day than on the terrace at The River Cafe. I first went there in 1995 and loved the whole produce-driven nature and quality of the ingredients. I almost always order the tranche [of] turbot when it’s on the menu, which is pretty much all the time. And they cycle the garnishes throughout the seasons. One season it might be garnished with beautiful tomatoes roasted in the woodfire oven, the next it might be mushrooms or artichokes — whatever is reflective of the season.”
The Ledbury
london, UK
“I went to The Ledbury just after it opened, which I think must’ve been the early 2000s. I knew Brett [Graham] from Australia, and one of the beautiful things about the restaurant is that it’s been such an incredible journey for Brett — he’s turned it into one of the world’s great restaurants. And you can feel him throughout the restaurant, whether it’s the fossils he collects on the table, the venison he’s hunted himself, or the floor team that’s so reflective of his sense of generosity and hospitality. He’s a wonderful guy, so quirky and fun, and he’s created an amazing three-star restaurant, the first Australian chef to earn three Michelin stars under their own banner.”
Asador Etxebarri
Bizkaia, spain
“This is probably my favourite restaurant in the world. It’s about halfway between San Sebastián and Bilbao, and it has the best ingredients from both mountain and sea. It’s all cooked perfectly — to the moment — over grills, and usually with a simple, tiny garnish that really allows the produce to speak. For the dishes, I love the dairy cow [that is] dry-aged and cooked over charcoal. One of my other favourite dishes is the rosa prawns, which are cooked over embers, and you can just suck the juice straight out of the head. And their incredible roasted caviar. When I first went, I thought, ‘Why would you cook caviar over smoke?’ But it takes you to another place.”
Kaia Kaipe and Elkano
Getaria, spain
“Kaia Kaipe and Elkano are really interesting because they’re located in a fishing village about 20 minutes outside of San Sebastián. They’re two seafood restaurants, literally across the road from one another, and they’re two of the greatest seafood restaurants in the world. They both cook over charcoal, over a pit. And their fish comes out of live tanks — you can have the charcoal-grilled lobster or the charcoal-grilled turbot, which they’re famous for. I like to start with the bread and a tin of anchovies, which is just fantastic. I typically go to one [restaurant] one day, and the other the next. And whatever I’m eating at the first, I’ll eat differently at the second. So, if I have turbot at the first, then I’m eating roast lobster at the second.”
Sushi Saito
tokyo, JAPAN
“This is insane sushi. There’s an incredible array of 25 different nigiri, and to watch the chefs forming the nigiri is just incredible. It’s a step-by-step through the most pristine, beautiful ingredients, so carefully crafted and so personalised. The chef serves you and puts the nigiri pieces together for you, it’s just an amazing experience.”
Tousenkaku
Tokyo, JAPAN
“This is Chinese presented in a Japanese way. You get a scroll, and there are probably 30–40 dishes on it. And instead of ordering the way you would in a Chinese restaurant, where the servings are quite large, every serve is individual. My wife may order eight different dishes, and then I’ll do the same. I love pig’s trotter, so I’ll have the pig’s trotter with a steamed bun cooked in red vinegar. And the crab rice is amazing. They also do this beautiful little squid salad, which is poached with crunchy lettuce and a little bit of chilli oil. It’s like eating at Sushi Saito, but instead of raw nigiri, you’re served these little courses of beautifully crafted Chinese food. We went there twice on our last trip to Tokyo, and it’s the first place I’ll be booking when I go back to Tokyo next year.”
The French Laundry
yountville, USA
“Thomas Keller is a brilliant man, and The French Laundry is one of the great restaurants. I had my 60th birthday there a few years ago. I love to sit out in the garden in the afternoon with a glass of Champagne, and then again later on with a Cognac or whiskey. In the restaurant itself, the service is exemplary. My first visit would’ve been in 2001, and since then, I’ve been more than a dozen times. In terms of dishes, they serve the classics. They do oysters and pearls, which is one of the great oyster dishes with caviar and tapioca pearls — and it’s a must. One of the great things about The French Laundry is that the menu is evolving daily; it’s whatever is coming from the garden and what the purveyors are supplying in small amounts. It’s an ever-evolving menu, so you’re really going there to experience The French Laundry of the moment.”
Torrisi
new york city, USA
“I went there last February. It’s run by the boys who are part of the Major Food Group. They’ve got a few cool restaurants: The Grill in New York, Carbone, Dirty French. But I loved Torrisi. It was a cold day, we settled into the afternoon with a beautiful wine, and the food was gorgeous. We had a lovely clam dish that was essentially clam on toast, a beautiful brisket, and a couple of really nice pastas. It’s classic Italian done really, really well. We had wonderfully engaged service and a beautiful room that screamed fun and enjoyment.”
Zuni Café
san francisco, USA
“My last visit was about five years ago, and we ate at Zuni three times. Our flight landed late, we ran from the airport, got a table, had lunch, and then went again for dinner. It’s a great farm-to-table restaurant, with a woodfire oven and grill. I love the burger, which they only do one type of each day. There are also a few beautiful salads that they change for lunch daily, and key players like the wood-fired chicken and a grilled, local farm pork chop. It’s beautiful cooking, beautiful seasoning, and just a really fun restaurant to go to.”
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