While expensive for NYC (circa $150 for two people for a three-course meal with a great Italian wine) the food is tremendous: the buffalo mozzarella melts in the mouth, the pastas are great and the creme brulee is one of the best I've had. One advantage of the price is the service you get. Unlike the usual rush of most restaurants, you have the table until you've finished, so its worth booking at least 1-2 days ahead.

Allegedly Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas eat there, but I've never seen them on my three visits.

7 East 54th St; tel: (212) 688-1999

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Crowne Plaza (five-star), the most luxurious hotel in the East Midlands on Wollaton St.

Wollaton Street, Nottingham NG1 5RH
0870 400 9093
www.crowneplaza.co.uk

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Fantastic restaurant, where we had our best, and possibly priciest, meal ever. The highlight was the Sea Urchin Mille Feuille. Lovely, comfortable rooms with attentive but not intrusive staff. We booked by e-mail from the UK.

42 East 20th Street www.gramercytavern.com (212)477-0777

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This is a very very smart and very very expensive restaurant. The chef Sergi Arola is a disciple of Ferran Adria (of El Bulli fame).
The restaurant is a pure white space like an art gallery (altho' it is funny to leave temporarily to go to the loos which are in the actual hotel and are all ostentatious ruching and brass signs.)
Food is served either a la carte or in degustacion menus of up to 12 (or maybe more) courses- €125!!!

The food is aspiring to be techno gastronomy. Not sure that all the dishes worked, but the theatre with which they were served was fab.
It's not an every day restaurant, but it feels pretty special.

Altho' alot of customers seemed to be anglophone the waiters did struggle a little as some ingredients were unusual and neither their English, nor our Spanish could fully cope. So if you have a Spanish gourmet dictionary that might be useful.

La Broche
Hotel Miguel Angel
Miguel Angel, 29-31
28010 Madrid
Tel: 00 34 91 399 37 78

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Fancy restaurant by Guincho beach. (You could try any of them because they're all great!) Fresh seafood and fish, excellent meat, top wine. A bit expensive but surely worth the while!

By Estrada do Guincho - the road that connects downtown Cascais to Guincho beach; tel: 214 870 275

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A great summer restaurant because of the beautiful courtyard, complete with peacock strutting. Right in the heart of the historical centre. Expensive but perfect service and yummy food.

Historical centre, near the Portuguese consulate

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