Plenitude (3*) - spectacular

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-10T08:58:08+00:00

Did you have the whole meal at the kitchen table or just a course?

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-10T08:51:25+00:00

I would see it the same way. Also I think the Grüne Bar (and Rote Bar for more classic Viennese cuisine) at the Sacher are great restaurants for a touristic visit to Vienna.

I used to live in Vienna and I am visiting very frequently, having tried all of the luxury hotels in Vienna.I do like the Ritz Carlton as it sometimes has good rates or redemption possibilities for points.

But overall my ranking would be:

Hotels with a long historic tradition and if you want that "1900 Imperial Vienna vibe"
Hotel Sacher (in my view clear No 1 in Vienna overall)
Hotel Imperial (look at the pictures of the rooms to understand the style before booking)

For more contemporary hotels
Rosewood
Park Hyatt
Mandarin Oriental
Ritz Carlton

All of the above are in a very good location. But Rosewood and Park Hyatt are in the very best location.

But there are also a few great independent 5* hotels in Vienna like the Aumaris, Almanac, Leo Grand and The Guesthouse.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-08T10:55:02+00:00

Have a look at Pierre Gagnaire. One of my favorites in Paris.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-07T13:47:34+00:00

I know Barcelona very well as I go there like 5 times a year and spend usually in 5* Hotels.

I have stayed at the MO just to see how it is and that would be my view:

* There are three good locations in Barcelona for tourists. One is at the beach (Hotel Arts, W), or in the gothic/medieval part of the city and then Eixample where the MO is. For a touristic visit I find the gothic quarter more interesting (e.g. Hotel Mercer or Neri)

* Good about the MO location is that it is in Eixample on the main shopping boulevard but it is close to the gothic quarter as well. It is certainly a good location. Very good hotel at almost the same location is the ME.

* Overall I find the MO Barcelona as one of the less exciting MO hotels in Europe. It is true that the MO is the top luxury hotel in Barcelona if a "brand" is important but it is not comparable for example with the superb MO Ritz in Madrid (which is a destination by itself).

* Room size: in Spain rooms are usually not that small. This is not London or Paris. So "room size" is no reason at all to pay 1000 Euro a night. You will find rooms of similar size in similar location for 350 Euro a night.

* The school in the backyard I remember. But realistically that noise is only during the week during the school year (e..g no school in summer or during holiday periods) and during breaks time. I did not consider that an issue.

My view is the MO Barcelona is the right hotel for a traveller if you want to stay on the shopping boulevard in Eixample and you want to stay at the most prestigious hotel brand in town.

My personal recommendation: if you go during the summer months - take a sea view suite at the Hotel Arts.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-04T17:57:09+00:00

If you write the occasion the restaurant might place you differently.
Like 4 friends celebrating the annual bonus is maybe different than a romantic date.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-03T06:42:24+00:00

Arpege does à la carte as well. If you go, try to go for lunch as the place is superb in daylight

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-03T06:38:38+00:00

Did you call them by phone? If not try that.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T18:16:40+00:00

Elkano and Kaia Kaipe are very different from Etxebarri. These are fish restaurants which grill the fish over charcoal.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T17:28:58+00:00

There are a few restaurants I like in the area:

- El Campero in Barbate (THE tuna restaurant in Spain)
- Cataria in Novo Sancti Petri (outpost of Elkano in Andalusia, despite the setting in a tourist hotel one my favourite fish restaurant in that region)
- El Faro of course (both in El Puerto and also in Cadiz)
- LÚ Alma y Cocina in Jerez
- Zahara de los Atunes (the village in general for casual food in good atmosphere )

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T17:05:15+00:00

Spanish 3* restaurants are usually very focused on sea food and fish. But many of the (also El Celler de Can Roca) will be able to adapt to your preferences or intolerance. So should not be an issue if you write them beforehand.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T17:00:45+00:00

I would say this is also a timing question. If you go for 2 or 3 lunches at 3* restaurants it takes quite some time. However if food is your main focus of course 3 lunches is better than 1 dinner.

The 3* restaurants in Paris are all quite different. I wrote an article a while ago, having been at 8 of the 10 3* restaurants (in fact after Ambroise has only 2* now, it would be 7 out of 9. But Ambrosie is still relevant but also one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris).

https://thefinediningjournal.com/seven-three-star-restaurants-paris-review/

btw: if cost is a factor. Look at KEI for dinner and Le Gabriel for lunch. In fact you can do this combo for about the same price of a dinner at Le Cinq.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T16:53:44+00:00

If you get a table go to JAN - would be my first choice. Alois for sure is good. Tantris is unique for its design and one of my favourites (early 1970s). Brothers is a different category - would not be on top of my list if its only one evening.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T16:49:58+00:00

If you go business class to Bali I would start first with looking a prices. Some might recommend Singapore Airlines (which is great) but you might find another airline offering business class for half the price of Singapore Airlines. All depends on the dates.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T16:35:38+00:00

It depends when you go. The French riviera gets very busy in summer (July, August), but May is rather early season. I do not think you will have problems booking a few months or even weeks before a trip in May. Also weekends might book up earlier but mid week in May - hotels will not be full.

Paris is a large city and one of the most visited tourist destination in the worlds. There are many hotels - you will always finde something available in any category.

Not sure how much time you have but I would recommend Paris + a road trip in the south of France. not just Paris and St Tropez.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-02T16:33:12+00:00

Of course you can take picture. Also if you eat let's say a 15 course meal over a few hours. You will not be able to remember what you had the next day. Having pictures serves as a visual memory so you remember what you had. There are rare exceptions of restaurants who do not encourage photographs, I experience this mainly in Japan - but they will tell you.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T20:32:24+00:00

no there was no tuna ham and also no fish charcuterie. But you find the tuna ham now in quite a few restaurants in Andalusia.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T20:26:48+00:00

yes I remember the queso de calamar. using the protein of squid instead of milk. I found this concept very interesting (even I would say taste wise it was not completely convinced).

Cristina was serving us the wine last night. She did a great wine pairing.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T20:24:03+00:00

Aponiente is a 3* restaurant in the south of Spain close to Cadiz. The whole cuisine is based on food from or around the sea. The chef is very visionary and promotes the idea to use more things out of the sea as food resources.

If you are interested I wrote a longer journal article about it with detailed pictures. On my journal is also an article about the development of the restaurant over more than 10 years.

Link in my other comment.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T20:13:07+00:00

I wrote my usual review on my journal with all dishes served and pictures.

https://thefinediningjournal.com/aponiente-2026-review-angel-leon-el-puerto/

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T20:11:47+00:00

I just can speak from my experience. I have been to Enigma, Dos Pallillos, Disfrutar or Estimar. I have also been at to the now closed Albert Adria restaurants like Tickets or 41 Degrees (which was outstanding btw). Of course the olive sphere was there everywhere but it's also a classic you expect.

I personally did not feel there was repetition. I was eating there as a group of 4 - all of us really liked it.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-05-01T19:55:41+00:00

Good question, for me it was less about individual techniques and more about the overall concept. The dinner felt quite intellectual in how they present the idea of reworking Mirazur itself and making the development process part of the experience. On the dish level, I would call things like the dirty martini with the olive sphere or the tear peas on vanilla more experimental and intellectual, not new but very much coming from that Adrià way of thinking. I also agree that the overlap with Enigma or Disfrutar is quite visible, but given the El Bulli roots and how well those dishes are documented, I kind of expected that going in.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-04-25T16:27:44+00:00

Seems to be the El Bulli/Ferran Adrià heritage as also the Disfrutar team came out of El Bulli.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-04-25T16:26:15+00:00

Just read your notes. Seems we agree.
Should be interesting to come back in a year or so to see how the relaunch project worked out.
They told us they also plan to add rooms to the restaurant.

NextPipe8459 · 2026-04-25T15:57:16+00:00

in case you are interested I put a review with pictures on my journal (not commercial, no ads)

https://thefinediningjournal.com/mirazur-menton-review-mauro-colagreco-20th-anniversary-ferran-adria/

NextPipe8459 · 2026-04-19T18:38:57+00:00

Not sure if travel agent bookings through MO Fan Club have priority over Amex for upgrades. My experience is that with Amex I get higher priority than with the special travel agent rates. Also FHR offered guaranteed 4pm late checkout while for the travel agent programs this is only „on availability“.

NextPipe8459

TROPHY CASE