Latest news with #SmokedRoom
Forbes
6 days ago
- Forbes
Eating Around Madrid Flourishing Food Scene
The vast Mercado de San Miguel is one of several markets for eating at counters in Madrid. There are about 14,000 restaurants in Madrid, and while you can find any kind of ethnic eatery, from sushi bar to a biergarten, the vast majority are Spanish and very traditional. As I've written in other articles, the city also has a cutting edge fine dining segment in restaurants––many with odd names, like DiverXo, DStage and Smoked Room––but I find it hard not indulge my appetite for the true classics Madrid offers in profusion, from Iberian hams and roast baby lamb to paella and suckling pig. And despite being landlocked in the middle of Spain, there are many good seafood places that draw from the huge Mercamadrid market—second only to Tokyo's in size. There is another market, Mercado de San Miguel (among others) that is an exhaustive education in small plates of food, including myriad tapas, with eighteen different sections and counters spotlighting charcuterie, baked goods, chicken, seafood and paella. It would take a week or more to eat your way through everything, which is always thronged, now with more tourists than ever.A small din ing room is on the other side of a bodega tapas bar at La Catapa. A new discovery for me (though it's no news to the city's gourmands) out in the Retiro neighborhood is LA CATAPA (Calle de Menorca 14), on one side a very popular bodega tapas bar and to the left a small, eight-table restaurant with tile floors, burgundy banquettes and white stucco walls. Chef-owner Miguel Angel Jimenez is well worth consulting for the night's specials and a wine from the impressively deep good list. Begin perhaps with the cured tuna belly and don't miss the 'famosa' egg tortilla with potatoes. There's oxtail with its marrow, and a plate of rice and mushrooms. At least eight seafood dishes are on the menu, including mussels in a red curry broth, and navajas (razor clams) grilled a la plancha. The beef is very good here, available as steak tartare 'La Catapa.' Raw tuna is a fine appetizers at La Catapa. MARISQUERIA RAFA (Calle de Narváez 68) was opened in 1958 by brothers Rafael and Rodrigo Andrés, first as a small bar, and today, it is a large establishment managed by their sons Rafael and Miguel. You should begin with some white anchovies in olive oil or fried crunchy Andalusian calamari with tomato. Then have the wild rodaballo(turbot) seared on the plancha grill or the bogavante lobster. Finish with bizcocho borracho, a dessert of 'drunken biscuit,' soaked in rum. Also nice to know is that Rafa is open Sunday nights. Marisqueria Rafa is known for its excellent seafood and is one of few restaurants open o n Sunday ... More for bars are rife throughout Madrid and to choose one over the other merely means you are walking through one neighborhood or another. CERVECERIA SANTA ANA, set on the Plaza de Santa Ana, was once a convent to Carmelite nuns, and has been a cerverceria since 1985. Its tapas selection is broad and varies, but I also like that there is a good menu of heartier plates of food, like the tripe stew. For more squeamish tastes there's a platter of sweet green peppers cooked in olive oil and baked ham cut thick and covered with boiled potatoes. For dessert the pastelito of torrone meringue and hazelnuts is light a delicious. The place stays open till 1:30 AM. (By the way, Santa Ana is two doors down from the tourist-flocked Cerveceria Alemana made famous by Ernest Hemingway and his matador friends.) At Cerverceria Santa Ana there is very good tapas in addition to heartier Spanish fare. One of the great pleasures of outdoor dining in Madrid––provided it's under an umbrella in the scorching summer heat––is to sit at one of the restaurants than ring the gorgeous Plaza Major. They are all large, have much the same menu and I wouldn't be surprised if the same owner ran several of them. You do have to ignore the hawkers outside, nut once you sit down, whether it's for a glass of sangria or a full meal, you'll be satisfied throughout the afternoon or evening––especially if there's a moon rising. I went alone and enjoyed watching the throngs in the Plaza from CERVECERIA TINEO, beginning with a cold beer and a plate of grilled langoustines and following with a paella a la Valenciana. The bill came to 45 euros. Paella is available for a single diner at Cerverceria Tineo on the Plaza Major. I mentioned that you can get any kind of food in Madrid, and, having gone six days without any pasta, found a delightful Italian place named TOSCANA, just off the Gran Via in the theater district. It was a handsome, two-level spot with very friendly staff where my friend and I enjoyed cannelloni with two sauces and a very welcome, multi-layered lasagna. They also offer more than two dozen pizzas and a good Italian wine list.
Euronews
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
The most beautiful restaurants in the world have been unveiled
Prix Versailles, a prestigious global architecture award, has revealed its annual list of the world's most beautiful restaurants - and this year's picks are a feast for the eyes as much as the palate So, who made the cut? Top spot goes to Dubai's Gerbou, a sleek restaurant where traditional Emirati craftsmanship and cuisine meets modern design. With camel leather sofas, ghaf wood chairs, and fish-scale lighting echoing the coast, the space has been described as feeling both intimate and contemporary. Chef Ionel Catau's menu, featuring 70% locally sourced ingredients, reinterprets ancestral flavours with innovative flair - making Gerbou a feast for all the senses. Second place goes to Smoked Room in Dubai - a Michelin-star space with a sophisticated, moody aura. Black bricks have been used alongside mirrors and brass mesh, and its intimate semi-circular layout allows only 14 people at a time to enjoy the restaurant's Omakase experience. The top European entry is Lobster Club in Majorca, Spain - a contemporary sea club embodying the Mediterranean lifestyle. Designed by Sandra Tarruella and created by Juan Picornell of Grupo Cappuccino, the space features fluid dining zones around a central bar and a gorgeous panoramic terrace that blurs indoor and outdoor boundaries. In 6th place is Bouchon Carême in central Helsinki, a Finnish reinterpretation of the traditional Lyonnaise bouchon. Housed in a historic 1900 building, the restaurant preserves original features like exposed brick and cast-iron columns, while Studio Fyra's warm, natural décor creates a cozy atmosphere. Large rounded windows connect diners to the city, complementing Chef Hans Välimäki's menu of simple, timeless local dishes. Two Parisian gems claim the 7th and 8th spots on the list. In 7th place, Ladurée Rue Royale invites guests to step back into 1862 with its recent reopening, boasting a beautifully restored Belle Époque interior by Cordelia de Castellane. Walking through its salons - named Chantilly and Napoléon - is like entering Marie Antoinette's era, where delicate details and timeless elegance create a truly enchanting atmosphere. Right behind it at 8th place, Ducasse Baccarat transforms the former home of art muse Marie-Laure de Noailles. Interior architect Aliénor Béchu masterfully blends raw materials with shimmering crystal accents, while contemporary art and artisan furniture bathe the space in a play of light and shadow. An entry from the UK also makes the top 16 list with Julie's in London's Notting Hill, established in 1969 by interior designer Julie Hodges. The spot quickly became a favourite of actors, fashion icons, and royalty. Once a private gentlemen's club, the space is now open to all, featuring an alfresco terrace that celebrates its deep ties to West London's history and culture.
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Time Out
It's official: these are the world's most beautiful restaurants right now
Sure, if you're gonna splash some cash on a bougie meal, the food is going to be the focal point. But when restaurants take just as much pride in their décor and furnishings as they do in their ingredients and plating, it's the real cherry on top. Handily, Prix Versailles, a prestigious architecture award, has just unveiled its annual list of the world's most beautiful restaurants, which the secretary general Jérôme Gouadain says 'serves as a tribute to the architecture and overall experience,' according to Forbes. So, where was included in the shiny new list? One of them is a place called Shell, in Nusa Penida, Indonesia, which sits on a clifftop overlooking Diamond Beach. Bamboo structures help support a huge shell-shaped roof which covers the restaurant, and reclaimed wood from old Javanese houses (known as joglos) has been used to make furniture. Smoked Room in Dubai was also included, which is a Michelin-star space with a sophisticated, moody aura. Black bricks have been used alongside mirrors and brass mesh, and its intimate semi-circular layout allows only 14 people at a time to enjoy the restaurant's Omakase experience. In Europe, Bouchon Carême, a restaurant in central Helsinki offering a Finnish take on Lyonnaise bouchon, was included. As was Lobster Club, a sleek, contemporary space in southwest Majorca with a stunning panoramic terrace and lots of wood in a nod to a traditional beach house vibe. These are the world's most beautiful museums, according to Prix Versailles Gerbou, Dubai, UAE Smoked Room, Dubai, UAE Blackswan, Beijing, China Ōrtensia, Shanghai, China Lobster Club, Palma de Majorca, Spain Bouchon Carême, Helsinki, Finland Ladurée Rue Royale, Paris, France Ducasse Baccarat, Paris, France Julie's, London, UK Shell, Nusa Penida, Indonesia Coro, Orvieto, Italy Seven Island, Busan, Republic of Korea Kimyoa, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Another Smith, Tha Sai Luat, Thailand Beefbar, New York, USA Japón, Miami Beach, USA Did you see that this South American restaurant was just crowned best in the world for 2025?
The National
18-06-2025
- The National
Dubai hotspots Gerbou and Smoked Room named world's most beautiful restaurants
Two Dubai venues have made it to the World's Most Beautiful Restaurants list for 2025. Omakase eatery Smoked Room and Emirati-inspired Gerbou are among 16 restaurants named in the annual list by Prix Versailles, which recognises outstanding achievements in architectural and interior design. The Prix Versailles publishes the list in a number of categories, from airports to museums and hotels. A world title in each category will be announced in December at the Unesco headquarters in Paris. Opened in 2023, Smoked Room at St Regis Gardens on Palm Jumeirah is helmed by Spanish chef Dani Garcia, and earned a Michelin star just six months after opening. An intimate omakase restaurant, it has a crescent-shaped dining area, filled with a single 14-seater table facing the live kitchen with an open-fire cooking station. A separate dessert room is located next door, featuring spacious bench seating and Japanesque walls. Smoked Room was designed by Astet Studio, and has a material palette of black brick alternated with metals, mirrors and brass mesh. 'The main dining area's semicircular layout allows guests to enjoy a theatrical experience as they watch their dishes being prepared over an open flame,' Prix Versailles said, adding that the restaurant's interior evoke 'a sensory journey enhanced by remarkable smoky staging'. Gerbou, meanwhile, has been praised for highlighting Emirati architecture. The Nad Al Sheba restaurant's name roughly translates to 'welcome to our humble abode' in Arabic. Designed by Kristina Zanic Consultants in collaboration with Tasmeem Tashkeel, the stand-alone restaurant's layout 'is a perfect blend of traditional elements and sophisticated modernity', Prix Versailles said, adding that its designers 'have created an homage to the region's flora and fauna, featuring fish-scale lighting, camel leather sofas and chairs made from ghaf trees'. 'The design is a wonderful reflection of the restaurant's cuisine, made from 70 per cent locally sourced ingredients. Chef Ionel Catau carefully couples ancestral flavours with innovative techniques, a pairing that is echoed in the establishment's decor. The whole is a wonderful illustration of Emirati hospitality.' Another regional restaurant also made it to the global list – Riyadh eatery Kimyona. Designed by Azaz Architects, the restaurant's interior design is inspired by analogue black-and-white photography. The Prix Versailles 'world's most beautiful' awards have been presented since 2015. Last year, it named Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport as the most beautiful airport in the world.
CairoScene
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Two Dubai Eateries Named Among World's Most Beautiful Restaurants
The two design-forward spots were recognised by the prestigious Prix Versailles for their architecture and interior design. Jun 17, 2025 Two of Dubai's most distinctive dining destinations—Gerbou and Smoked Room—have just been recognised among the world's most beautiful restaurants in the prestigious 2025 Prix Versailles list, which celebrates excellence in design across hospitality spaces globally. Gerbou, a collaboration between Tashkeel and Atelier House Hospitality, is set inside a reimagined 1980s community centre in Nad Al Sheba. Its interiors are a tactile tribute to Emirati culture—featuring camel-leather banquettes, a Ghaf wood reception desk, fish-scale light fittings, and earth-toned textures that nod to the desert landscape. With 75% of its ingredients sourced locally, Gerbou's philosophy of sustainability and cultural rootedness is reflected not only on the plate, but in every design decision. The result is a space that feels at once grounded and elevated—a contemporary expression of heritage. Smoked Room, meanwhile, is located in St. Regis Gardens on the Palm and offers a more intimate, immersive experience: just 14 seats, and a menu built entirely around the theatre of smoke and fire. Created by acclaimed Spanish chef Dani García, the concept earned a Michelin star within six months of opening. Inside, the design leans moody and elemental—think charred wood, ambient lighting, and a raw material palette that mirrors the cooking technique itself. It's refined, primal, and utterly transportive. Gerbou and Smoked Room's recognition in the Prix Versailles list highlights Dubai's emergence as a serious contender in the global design conversation—where restaurants double as cultural and aesthetic landmarks.
