AOIFE CARRIGYstakes-out some of the world's best eateries for men on tour
Gibson’s Steakhouse
CHICAGO
A carnivore’s paradise, serving the kind of portions in the kind of atmosphere you’d expect from the Windy City (named after its natives’ appetite for talking big). Forget the menu – just let the waiter hawk slabs of well-hung meat and point at the one you’d like slung onto the infra-red broiler grill.
When to go? With lunch served from 11am, and dinner from 3pm, you can time your meal for when your carnivorous cravings reach their peak. Try WR’s Chicago cut 35-day-aged Black Angus beef steak.
Where else nearby? Hot Doug’s Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium, whose illicit foie gras and duck sausage became legendary during the city ban on force-fed goose liver.
gibsonssteakhouse.com; and hotdougs.com
Noma
COPENHAGEN
In a converted warehouse on reclaimed land in the heart of Copenhagen’s harbour, it was recently crowned king in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The stripped-back dining room is where chef’s chef Rene Redzepi has staged his one-man revolution in Nordic cuisine. When to go? Whenever you’re lucky enough to snag a table. Try the Greenland musk ox and wild berries.
Where else nearby? The Paul in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, where British architect-turned-chef Paul Cunningham holds court in a stunning glass pavilion.
noma.dk; and thepaul.dk
Novomestsky Pivovar
PRAGUE
Just off Wenceslas Square, this is a proper old-style Czech pub, restaurant and micro-brewery serving just the kind of hearty, rib-sticking tucker needed before a night on this particular town – just don’t expect service with a smile. When to go? To kick-start a night on the pilsner (try and grab a brewery tour to whet the appetite). Try their infamous pig’s knee – a monster of a dish delicious enough to be the talk of the town. Where else nearby? U Fleku Beer Hall, a vast tavern in an atmospheric 15th century building.
npivovar.cz; and ufleku.cz
St John Bar Restaurant
SMITHFIELD, LONDON
Located in a former smokehouse, Fergus Henderson’s emporium of nose-to-tail eating goes the whole hog with all the best bits your butcher used to sell the ma.
When to go? Any day but Sunday (when they don’t serve the suckling pig). Try the roast bone marrow and parsley salad, or duck hearts, green beans and pickled walnut – to start.
Where else nearby? John Torode’s Smiths of Smithfield, for meat with proper pedigree.
stjohnrestaurant.co.uk; and smithsofsmithfield.co.uk
Vila Joya
ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
Near Albufeira on the coast, so it’s handy for Faro airport and the best of the Algarve’s beaches and golf courses.
This is Portugal’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant. Go in January to catch the annual nine-day festival featuring stellar international chefs.
When to go? Book the degustation lunch menu. Try the entrecote of Wagyu beef with pearl onions in red wine sauce.
Where else nearby? Lunch at a café amongst the warehouses in the old fishing port in Lagos town for some of the freshest sardines you’ll ever taste.
vilajoya.com
Balthazar
NEW YORK
It’s just round the corner from Broadway’s Dean Deluca (only the best deli in the universe) and is Manhattan’s answer to the ultimate Parisian brasserie but manages to be even better than the real thing.
When to go? Before, during or after breakfast, lunch or dinner. Try an oyster Mary to begin, followed by steak frites with maître d’butter or beef Stroganoff with buttered noodles.
Where else nearby? Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn, of which Frank Bruni of the New York Times claimed “no other steakhouse serves a porterhouse so breathtaking”. And he’s eaten a few in his time.
balthazarny.com; and
peterluger.com
El Celler de Can Roca
GIRONA, SPAIN
Hot on the heels of El Bulli, at number four in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, this family affair from the three brothers Roca (Joan, Jordi and Josep who are head chef, pastry chef and sommelier-maître d’ respectively) combines the best of Catalan tradition with state-of-the-art innovation from the lab-like kitchen through to the multi-sensory cellar experience.
When to go? Kill an afternoon indulging here, or better still, book a hotel and make a night of it. Try the steak tartare with mustard ice cream.
Where else nearby? Los Caracoles in Barcelona, a fourth-generation grill room dripping in history.
cellercanroca.com; and loscaracoles.es
Doonbeg Golf Course
CO CLARE
Executive head chef Wade Murphy has decamped from Lisloughrey House Hotel in Co Mayo, where he made imaginative use of the very best of local artisan produce – expect him to deliver the kind of cooking this lavishly comfortable golf-focussed property deserves.
When to go? Eat early in Darby’s bar before heading into the village for a session, or make it a night in The Long Room before retiring to the panelled bar for a dram or three. Try the catch of the day. Anywhere else in Ireland? O’Brien’s Chophouse in Lismore, Co Waterford for whole roasts to be shared by the table, washed down with pewter tankards of cold beer.
doonbeggolfclub.com; and obrienchophouse.ie
