How the World’s Best Chefs are Expanding their Empires
Here at Blend Group, we’re always looking to build relationships with the finest restaurants across the globe so we can provide our valued clients with memorable culinary experiences that we’re certain they’ll remember forever. Whether you’re looking for a cosy romantic dinner for two, a Michelin stared taster experience or a lively statement restaurant to impress clients, we’ve got you covered.
To get the juices flowing and give you a few ideas for must-visit eating establishments around the world, we’ve identified a few of the newest and most exciting restaurants that we cannot wait to explore.
NARO – New York, USA
Having opened at the end of 2022 in New York’s iconic Rockefeller Centre, NARO is very much a hot topic in the New York fine dining scene. The food incorporates the traditional Korean style of cuisine, Hansik, and features multi-course tasting menus, as well as à la carte options, that provide subtle flavours which look to tell the story of Korean cuisine. Co-founders Junghyun ‘JP’ and Jeongeun ‘Ellia’ Park have decided to focus on home-cooking-inspired seafood and vegetable dishes, with an accompanying cocktail menu to boot.
Willem Hiele – Ostend, Belgium
After gaining recent acclaim by appearing on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021, chef Willem Hiele has relocated up the Belgian coast to a Brutalist villa near Ostend, Belgium’s cultural beach location and the head chef’s hometown. The restaurant provides a truly intimate experience, with space for just 24 guests, while the food is inspired by the unpredictability of nature and the individuality of the region, as kitchen staff cook to the rhythm of the nearby sea.
Villa Frantzén – Bangkok, Thailand
Swedish-born and boasting three Michelin stars, chef Björn Frantzén’s flagship Stockholm-based restaurant rose impressively to number six in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2021, urging him to expand his empire and open up shop in Thailand’s capital. After its grand opening last summer, Villa Frantzén has caused a stir in the culinary world by serving Nordic-inspired cuisine with an Asian twist. Located in the centre of Bangkok, Frantzén offers a set menu of six courses which are served around an open kitchen. Diners can enjoy this chic, casual Nordic-Asian hybrid from three private dining areas, as well as a stunning outdoor patio space.
Mount Street Restaurant – London, England
Home to some of the best places to eat in the world, London’s fine dining scene continues to grow and now offers almost any cuisine imaginable in some shape or form. Our pick of recent openings in the cultural hub that is London is a modern and artistic space on the streets of Mayfair that opened its doors in the autumn. Located on the first floor of the iconic landmark The Audley, Mount Street Restaurant brings together excellent food and drink, craftsmanship and culture, complete with an extravagant mosaic marble floor. The menu is inspired by the capital’s culinary history, offering traditional classics that have been given a modern makeover.
Estero – Riviera Maya, Mexico
Having opened just last month, this innovative fusion of the Caribbean, Pacific, Amazon and Andes is about as fresh as you can get on the fine dining scene. Situated within the luxury boutique hotel La Casa de la Playa, just south of Playa del Carmen, Estero was opened by Michelin-starred chef Virgilio Martinez of Peru. Martinez found fame with his Central restaurant in Lima, which consistently ranks among the planet’s finest restaurants in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. As a consequence, Estero comes with huge expectations, offering guests a cuisine that highlights ingredients that are indigenous to his homeland that have been given a Caribbean influence.
Please get in touch with us here if you’d like us to organise a bespoke experience for you that includes a visit to one of these brand-new world-class dining establishments. Or tell us where in the world you want to go and we’ll find somewhere equally as special and perfect for you.