In London’s leafy Twickenham, A Taste of McClements (tasteofmcclements.com) offers chef/restaurateur John McClements’s best dishes on a bargain 16-course tasting menu, for £29, in a bijou, gold-wallpapered 20-seater room. After a sublime amuse-bouche of foie gras ‘snow’, diners can progress through intricately presented trios, such as langoustine ravioli, crab soup and croquette, and jelly of lobster, oyster and smoked chorizo.
The size of a postage stamp, the Giaconda Dining Room (giacondadining.com) in London’s Soho offers unflashy bistro classics such as crispy pork trotters, egg mayo and fishcakes plus reasonably priced wines.
It’s long been the Japanese practice to limit seating – the best restaurants are often the smallest. Marylebone’s teeny Dinings (+44 (0)20 7723 0666), opened by ex-Nobu chef Tomonari Chiba, is compact and sleek, and offers tapas, such as beef tataki with miso and jalapeño.
Styled as a new-wave gastro bar, Madrid’s must-visit is Estado Puro (tapasenestadopuro.com). Traditional tapas, such as exceptional croquetas, are reinterpreted with avant-garde élan by Michelin-starred Paco Roncero. The bar itself is in a compact space with a ceiling covered by 1,000 Spanish combs.
To dine at New York favourite David Chang’s latest, Momofuku Ko (momofuku.com), with a mere 12 coveted seats, persistence is essential as only email reservations are taken. It’s well worth the wait, though, as dishes are sublime.
