Food & Drink
Great plates: 15 new restaurants to try in 2019
Chris Dwyer, CNN • Updated 1st January 2019
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(CNN) — From Miami to Tokyo and Brisbane to New Delhi, some of the world's hottest new restaurants in the coolest locations will have global gastronomes salivating as they add them to their culinary bucket lists for 2019.
While a number of the chefs behind them are genuine Michelin-starred legends, others are exciting upstarts doing things their way.
As for the food, it encompasses everything from a gourmet Philly cheesesteak to the impeccable art of Edomae sushi, with everything in between.
So if you love to travel for food and drink, here are 15 of the best new restaurants to really get your teeth into in 2019.
Art Yard Bar & Kitchen, Bankside Hotel, London
Art Yard offers informal but focused dishes from chef Lee Streeton, formerly at 45 Jermyn Street.
Ming Tang-Evans
Chef Lee Streeton has worked for some of the best in the business in London -- including 45 Jermyn Street -- and he brings his informal but focused approach to Art Yard Bar & Kitchen in the sleek new London Bankside Hotel right on the Thames.
Pizzette with Cornish clams and garlic or Dorset crab with avocado and pistachios tempt from the smaller plates, while the main event brings generous globally inspired options like Chicken Milanese with winter vegetable slaw.
A decadent lobster Thermidor sandwich is an option for those who don't like to share. As the name suggests, Art Yard's design celebrates art and comes courtesy of Dayna Lee from Los Angeles' renowned Powerstrip Studio.
Art Yard, Bankside Hotel, 2 Blackfriars Road, Upper Ground, London, SE1 9JU; +44 20 3943 2020
ÔMER, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco
ÔMER will be chef Alain Ducasse's second restaurant in Monaco.
Courtesy Omer/Pierre-Yves Rochon
ÔMER is a play on words for the French "au mer" -- or "by the sea." That's partly because the restaurant in Monaco's legendary Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo has one of the most breathtaking views imaginable, over the azure Mediterranean below.
It's also because seafood is a big draw in the restaurant which marks culinary maestro Alain Ducasse's second opening in the principality. There are nautical themes in the elegant décor which give the impression of being aboard a luxury liner or superyacht, while the plates celebrate perfect renditions of dishes like a tartare of fish, beautifully plated with caper berries, flowers and more.
ÔMER, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo-- Aile Rotonde, Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco; +377 98 06 39 39
Philly Wing Fry, Union Market, Washington DC
Philly Wing Fry serves up gourmet cheesesteaks from "Top Chef" alum Kwame Onwuachi.
Kwame Onwuachi
The gourmet food hall Union Market DC is home to some of the US capital's biggest and brightest flavors, with new spot Philly Wing Fry from chef Kwame Onwuachi adding to its reputation.
The fast-casual concept from the award-winning rising star, a "Top Chef" alum, serves up simple but addictive gourmet Philly cheesesteaks made with 50-day dry-aged ribeye from Roseda Farm under melted provolone, roasted garlic mayo and pickled onions. A vegetarian option with mushrooms is also available.
On the side, options include chicken wings that have been cooked confit in chicken fat, before being glazed with a spicy and sweet tamarind glaze. Waffle fries also show global flavors, thanks to an Ethiopian spice blend known as berbere.
Philly Wing Fry, Union Market, 1309 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Musashi, Aman Tokyo
Musashi chooses what to serve guests based on his morning visit to the market.
Courtesy Aman Tokyo
The cool Aman Tokyo is enough of a draw as it is, but their new restaurant Musashi by Aman represents another reason to make the journey to the Japanese capital. That's because master chef Musashi has moved his namesake restaurant to the ultra-luxury property.
The highest quality sushi, paired with unbeatably good produce, is served at an elegant counter made from Hinoki wood that seats just eight guests. Musashi's omakase-style menu, where he chooses what to serve guests based on his morning visit to the market, runs a cool 25,000 yen -- that's around $220.
But for devotees of the finest Japanese cuisine, it's a bargain.
Musashi, Aman Tokyo, The Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan; +81 03 5224 3333
Mr Percival's, Brisbane, Australia
Mr Percival's opened under the Story Bridge in Brisbane in late 2018.
Kara Hynes
Mr Percival's in the Australian city of Brisbane opened in early December and has been winning acclaim since for its elegant design, speakeasy bar and beach-club vibe.
Head chef Damien Styles has previously run "hatted" kitchens -- that's essentially the Australian equivalent to Michelin stars -- and brings his love of all things seafood to the menu. That means ingredients from Australia's East Coast fishermen and producers including caviar, oysters, Fraser Island spanner crab and lobster.
Larger plates include crumbed lamb cutlets with spring peas or corn-fed chicken with grilled radicchio, while vegetarians are well catered for with dishes like grilled leeks with hazelnut vinaigrette.
Mr Percival's, Under the Story Bridge, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City, QLD 4000
Time Out Market, Miami
Time Out Market Miami will be the brand's first food hall in the US.
Courtesy Time Out Market Miami
Due to open in February, Time Out's first market in the US is set to bring together 17 kitchens under one roof, serving local food at an average check per person of $20. The opening follows the successful launch of the brand's market in Lisbon, which quickly became an incredibly popular attraction in Portugal with more than 3.5 million annual visitors.
Chefs whose food will be available include Jeremy Ford with his take on Korean flavors; Alberto Cabrera with his traditional Cuban cuisine; and Scott Linquist's hip taqueria, Coyo Taco.
Suzy Batlle, famed as "The Queen of Cuban Ice Cream," will be leading one of a number of dessert offerings, where her lauded Maria Abuela flavor is named after her grandmother and features vanilla, guava, cream cheese and Maria crackers.
Time Out Market, 1601 Drexel Avenue, Miami Beach, Fl 33139
Beach Grill, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
Beach Grill overlooks the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Courtesy Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
Dining doesn't look like it can get much more relaxed than at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita where a new Beach Grill restaurant recently opened. Sitting on the white sand shore overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, getting there involves a short speedboat transfer from the main resort.
It's not surprising that seafood is the main star on the menu, serving up the best of the fresh daily catch from local fishermen, grilled over charcoal. Salads, meats and sharing platters are other options, while local beers and suitably tropical cocktails accompany.
Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita, Coastal Road, Beau Champ, Mauritius; + (230) 4023100
Best Friend by Roy Choi, Las Vegas
Best Friend by Roy Choi celebrates the culinary culture of Koreatown mixed in with other influences.
Courtesy Park MGM
Roy Choi was one of the pioneers of LA's famed food truck scene and recently opened his first spot outside the Golden State, Best Friend at Park MGM in Vegas. While he continues to celebrate the culinary culture of Koreatown, he also throws in influences from his other venues including Kogi and Commissary.
That translates into dishes like tangy tamarind cod with vermicelli, jalapenos and bean sprouts or barbecue spicy pork that is cut thin, shabu-shabu style, deriving its kick from Korea's popular gochujang chili paste.
His unique take on a fried bologna sandwich, one of his food truck specials, comes with Swiss cheese. The venue for Best Friend is entered speakeasy-style, to add to the sense of discovery.
Best Friend by Roy Choi, Park MGM, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (702) 730-7777
Metronome, Manila
A new restaurant from Miko Calo, Metronome features serious gourmet cooking in a relaxed environment.
Miko Calo
As the Philippines' culinary scene continues to grow stronger and stronger, the latest addition in the capital focuses on modern French bistronomy -- in other words, serious gourmet cooking in a relaxed, bistro-style environment.
Metronome is led by Miko Calo, a graduate from École Grégoire-Ferrandi in Paris who then worked across Joël Robuchon restaurants in London, Singapore and Paris.
In Manila, her focus is on the flavors of her home country, making the most of excellent produce using the skills she honed during her career. An à la carte and a tasting menu are both set to entice diners in Manila's business hub of Makati.
Metronome, ground floor, Grand Midori Building, Bolanos Street, Makati City, Philippines
Aulis, Hong Kong
Aulis offers guests an 8-10 course experimental menu that changes depending on the freshest produce available.
Courtesy Aulis
British chef Simon Rogan has long been seen as one of the country's leading culinary lights, not least through his acclaimed two Michelin-starred restaurant in the English county of Cumbria, L'Enclume.
Hong Kong diners are set to be in for a treat as Rogan has chosen the city to open his first overseas restaurant.
At his new 12-seat dining experience in the city's busy Causeway Bay district, lucky guests will get to try an 8-10 course experimental menu that changes depending on the finest and freshest produce available.
Aulis is named in tribute to Aulis Lehtimäki, a Finnish chef who was a key collaborator with Rogan at L'Enclume.
Aulis Hong Kong, Shop 8, UG/F, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852-2817-8383
Niccolo Kitchen, Changsha, China
Niccolo Kitchen in the Chinese city of Changsha sits on the 93rd floor of the new Niccolo Hotel.
Courtesy Niccolo Changsha
The Niccolo Kitchen in the city of Changsha is set to take the local restaurant scene to new heights -- literally. That's because the all-day restaurant with a largely Mediterranean focus sits on the 93rd floor of the new Niccolo Hotel, giving views for miles across the Xiang River and cityscape below.
The space features an open kitchen, allowing guests to see chefs crafting classics such as tagliatelle alla Bolognese, scampi bisque or grilling a US Black Angus prime ribeye. Elsewhere on the menu, black halibut and the kitchen's take on Beijing duck are set to further tempt diners.
Niccolo Changsha, No. 188 Jiefang West Road, Furong District, Changsha, Hunan, China; +86 0731 8895 6320
King's Social House, St. Moritz, Switzerland
After-dinner service at the Kong's Social House offers dancing from 11 p.m.
Courtesy Badrutt's Palace Hotel
King's Club at Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz has long been a favorite nightlife haunt for the jetsetters who descend on the town in the Swiss Alps. Under the guidance of British chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton, however, it is set to be reborn as King's Social House.
Atherton is installing the Swedish-born head chef Marcus Rohlen, who previously worked with him in London as well as at the famed Bentleys and Corrigan's Mayfair.
His menu will include roasted wild mushrooms on toast and decadent dishes such as a fondue of truffle and morel mushrooms, or roasted lobster with fries triple-cooked in duck fat. Super-slick bar offerings will doubtless complement the roster of roaming international guest DJs playing in the nightclub.
King's Social House, Badrutt's Palace Hotel, Via Serlas 27, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland; +41 81 837 10 00
Cakes & Bubbles, Hotel Café Royal, London
Pastry chef Albert Adrià is behind the dessert-only Cakes & Bubbles at London's historic Hotel Café Royal.
Courtesy Hotel Cafe Royal
Albert Adrià is seen by many as the world's top pastry chef, but he was already known as a gastronomic legend for having built Spain's legendary elBulli restaurant alongside his brother Ferran. He's behind the recent launch of the dessert-only Cakes & Bubbles at London's historic Hotel Café Royal.
Those with a sweet tooth are set for a serious treat with classic dishes like egg flan with dark caramel or homemade donuts, while other specials almost defy belief.
A case in point, the remarkable cheesecake that looks just like a mature cheese but is in fact made from Coulommiers cheese, white chocolate and hazelnut paste -- and has become an Instagram sensation in its own right. Unsurprisingly, bubbles are the accompanying tipple of choice.
Cakes & Bubbles, Hotel Café Royal, 70 Regent Street - London, W1B 4DY; +44 (0) 20 7406 3310
ONE65, San Francisco
ONE65 features six floors of French food.
Courtesy ONE65
French executive chef Claude Le Tohic is the man behind the ambitious and substantial ONE65, six floors of French food from casual to fine dining located in a Beaux Arts building in San Francisco's Union Square district.
The Michelin star and James Beard-award winner oversees a bar and lounge, bistro and grill, patisserie boutique and fine dining restaurant called O'.
Diners can expect a huge range of treats, from house-made chocolates, ice cream and patisserie to grilled meats and an extensive wine program. The extensive space, set to open in early 2019, was designed by D-Scheme Studio.
ONE65, 165 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
BARN by Biota, New South Wales, Australia
BARN by Biota is one of Australia's most anticipated dining experiences for 2019.
Courtesy Barn by Biota
A hundred miles south of Sydney is the rural home of BARN by Biota, one of Australia's most anticipated dining experiences for 2019.
East Kangaloon in the Southern Highlands is where chef James Viles is opening a hyper-local spot that allows diners to immerse themselves in the gourmet experience by foraging for botanicals or visiting the beehives around the 100-acre property.
Remarkably, all their ingredients are to be sourced from within kilometers of the kitchen, meaning that even fish is not on the menu as the coast -- all of 35 km away -- is seen as too distant to be hyper-local.
Very limited seats and only twice-monthly dinners mean it is set to be a hot ticket for gastronomes seeking true culinary creativity in the countryside. Limited accommodation is also available.
BARN by Biota, East Kangaloon, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia
