The Eight Best Restaurants in the World

(according to me)

Because I write about food all over the world, I get to eat in A LOT of restaurants. What I’m saying is, I’m spoiled, and therefore annoyingly (even to myself) critical, so when I find a restaurant that exceeds my expectations, I feel that newly-in-love buzz and think about it on a loop. In some cases, I’ll fall for a restaurant because of context—I adored the people I was eating with, or the day I’d had in a new place, or the server who wound up divulging her life story—but my non-negotiable is the food.

This list might puzzle you: Why eight instead of 10? you might ask. A valid question. Paris isn’t on it. Neither is New York. (I’m lukewarm on French food and my favorite New York spots have closed.) It includes a restaurant whose name I don’t know. It includes Asian restaurants in Latin America. But I have full confidence in these recommendations. I know you’ll love them.

So.

In no particular order, here are the eight best restaurants in the world, according to one person who is no more qualified to write this list than you are: