FuryFluffy

Glad to hear that you ate well too in Borda Berri, StCirq

I also went to a 3 Michelin stars restaurant in San Sebastian (first time ever, just to see what that Michelin is about). But that luxury menu doesn't please my palate as much as the fervent pintxos bar.

StCirq

I agree, FF. We don't often do Michelin restaurants, except for L'Espérance in Le Buisson, which to us is just more of a neighborhood place than anything else, but those pinxtos bars have a very special place now in my food heart.

WoinParis

I also agree. Michelin tend to be imo pretentious and the quality price us not as good as a normal nice restaurant.

Not that I am expert on michelins I ate in less than 10 in my entire life whilst I eat in 100 restaurants a year.

But some Michelin are just a great experience.

denisea

I have always wondered about Le Grand Vefour but we have never pulled thre trigger on going there. ( L'Avanr Comptoir was our favorite on our recent trip but not sure it qualifies here...all small plates and standing room only).

Interested to read everyone's choices. I love this kind of thread.

IMDonehere

We tend not to splurge, but we found two tascas on the same street in the Chueca area of Madrid that offer exceptional if not expensive tapas.

Bocaito
Celso y Manolo

yestravel

Great thread -- picking up some good recommendations for future travels.

denise - I thought of our lunches at L'Avant Comptoir which were superb, but like you wasnt sure it qualified. I had the best oysters of my life and so enjoyed the bartenders/servers.

annhig - I think in 3 weeks we might have had one just "okay" meal in Sicily -- food was devine.

We've pretty much given up on seeking out Michelin starred restaurants. It seems we were always disappointed and comparing it to a meal in some little restaurant for half the price that was just as good or even better.

FuryFluffy

Tapas/pintxos won for 2016 then!

Agree about Michelin tend to be pretentious. I have nothing against them, and some Michelin restaurants are indeed great, but from 2 stars up they require the chef to totally revamp the food no matter what it tastes like. I'm all for creativity and innovation but in gastronomy, innovation for the sake of innovation doesn't speak much to me.

WeisserTee

La Cucina di Alice in Lugano, Switzerland. http://www.lacucinadialice.ch/

Reasons: First, it has a wonderful lakeside setting but isn't a touristy restaurant. Two, you get a warm welcome when you enter and excellent service throughout the meal. Three, the food is terrific. Four, very good wine choices and not too expensive.

We've dined there several times in the past 12 months, most recently in mid-December. I had as a main course homemade pappardelle with wild boar ragu. Fantastic. While waiting for our appetizers, I happened to ask the waiter about the huge pomegranates that were in a bowl on the bar counter. He said they had just come in from Israel and would I like a glass of fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice on the house? It takes some muscles to hand squeeze a glass of juice from pomegranate but the result was amazing. Best juice ever.

Reservations required, we've never dined there when it wasn't completely full.

sundriedtopepo

Annhig those are the best kinds of memories...so much good food in Sicily..

We had a splurge meal at Regina Lucia in Siracusa which was simply amazing. The room has been modernized very nicely, the service was personal and attentive but not too much, and the food was wonderful. We love seafood, so the octopus and fish dishes were right up our alley, a delicious vegetarian bean dish, a dessert starter, followed by a dessert trio of tasty and inventive wonders.

We also had a fantastic meal at a mom and pop place in Agrigento called La Posata di Federico II. All I can say is swordfish involtini and grilled langoustines, Nero d'avola spaghetti Vongole. Of course it's the freshness of the seafood that is tops. The owners are a wonderfully old fashioned Sicilian couple who become your friends, but the chef is definitely serious about his cuisine.

denisea

I have to get to Sicily!

IMDonehere

Sicily was one of our favorite trips.

Judy

Ours is a toss-up. We LOVE l'Ange 20 and our children took us to Mirazur in Menton for our anniversary this year. Two totally different experiences but both fabulous!

sundriedtopepo

I don't think anyone has mentioned a restaurant in Rome? Thin suggested La Buca di Ripetta, which is quite unassuming, but with an awesome selection of wine. We thought the food was very very good.

HappyTrvlr

Madrid: "More" in Salamanca district, wonderful food, setting, service.

maitaitom

I think I will start making a list for future journeys...

annhig

We also had a fantastic meal at a mom and pop place in Agrigento called La Posata di Federico II. All I can say is swordfish involtini and grilled langoustines, Nero d'avola spaghetti Vongole. Of course it's the freshness of the seafood that is tops. The owners are a wonderfully old fashioned Sicilian couple who become your friends, but the chef is definitely serious about his cuisine.>>

sundried, I think that one of the major strengths of Sicilian cuisine is the quality of the ingredients; i'm not saying that they are not skilled chefs but they have a head start really.

RonZ

Il Paradiso in Palma Majorca. Turn up the sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJyegTHvmIQ