Emily Bamber books the top table at a selection of European Michelin-starred hotel restaurants to sample their menus.
There’s nothing like leaving a world-class restaurant and only having to stumble upstairs afterwards, and the good people at Michelin know it.
The 27th Guide to Main Cities of Europe 2008 went on sale in March and includes reviews of more than 3,000 establishments in 20 countries, covering all price brackets.
More than 40 restaurants received a coveted Michelin star for the first time – here are a few within hotels that any serious foodie on a weekend away will love.
Allegro Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, Prague
Allegro Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, Prague Website:Allegro Restaurant
The restaurant: This 70-cover Italian-style restaurant is the first to be awarded a Michelin star in central or eastern Europe and has a stunning terrace overlooking the Vltava River and Prague Castle.
The chef: Andrea Accordi has been executive chef here since 2007. He received his first Michelin star as the chef of Onice Restaurant at Villa La Vedetta in Florence.
The menu: A mix of antipasti dishes such as ginger-caramelised yellowfin tuna and primi plati, including gnocchi with black truffles and smoked black pork pancetta or monkfish filled with goat’s cheese, artichoke and Swiss chard timbale.
The bill: The four-course degustation menu costs £76 per head. A la carte dishes are about £24 for the antipasti and primi plati and £47 for main dishes.
The hotel: Three historic buildings make up the Four Seasons Hotel Prague – classical, renaissance and baroque – and it enjoys one of the best locations in the city, right on the Vltava River. There are 161 rooms including 20 suites, a bar, health club and a business centre.
Book it: Rooms start at €295 per night including breakfast. fourseasons.com/prague
Le Restaurant in L’Hotel, Paris
Le Restaurant in L’Hotel, Paris Website:L’Hotel, Paris
The restaurant: Serves French cuisine with a modern twist to 38 covers with space for 12 more on the terrace.
The menu: Light and seasonal with great fish options – expect Brittany crab with argan oil or scallops with a celery mousse, followed by rack of lamb with offal for meat-lovers.
The chef: Philippe Bélissent took over the kitchen in 2005, coming from three-Michelin-starred restaurant Ledoyen.
The bill: The five-course degustation menu costs €75 per person, or the à la carte starters cost from €27, main courses from €32.
The hotel: L’Hotel is on Rue des Beaux-Arts in Paris’s trendy Left Bank, just a few minutes’ walk from Boulevard de St Germain. The 20 rooms lead off a spiral staircase and there is a bar plus a plunge pool and steam room in the cellar.
Book it: Rooms start at €345 per night in low season. Breakfast is an extra €18 per person.
Matsalen Restaurant, Grand Hotel Stockholm, Sweden
Matsalen Restaurant, Grand Hotel Stockholm, SwedenWebsite: Matsalen Restaurant
The restaurant: Just eight months after opening, this 38-cover restaurant has received a Michelin star and has been tipped for more.
The chef: Mathias Dahlgren is the only Swede to have won the Bocuse d’Or award – and he has been named ‘chef of the year’ five times by Sweden’s hotel trade magazine.
The menu: Starters such as salted salmon and bleak roe served with rye bread, or pickled herring and caviar are followed by pig cheek and sausage with artichoke, beetroot and watercress.
The bill: A bespoke six-course chef’s menu costs £110. Starters on the à la carte menu cost from around £16, main courses from £25.
The hotel: Since it opened in 1874 on Södra Blasieholmshamnen, the Grand Hotel Stockholm has been a city landmark. It’s a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and has an unrivalled position on the waterfront. There are 376 rooms including 42 suites, a main restaurant, casual ‘food bar’, cocktail bar, Sturebadet health club and spa.
Book it: Rooms from around £100 per night. Breakfast is about £40 per head extra.
L’Àbac Restaurant, Park Hotel, Barcelona
Website:Park Hotel, Barcelona
The restaurant: L’Àbac won its second Michelin star in the 2008 guide. The restaurant is elegant and minimalist, with just 35 covers.
The chef: Xavier Pellicer has been at L’Àbac since it received its first Michelin star in 2000. He has worked in some of the best Spanish and French restaurants.
The menu: Catalan cuisine with a modern turn – expect tuna with sprouts and ginger snow, or a modern take on Spanish omelette.
The bill: The average price of a three-course meal is €110 per head.
The hotel: The Park Hotel in El Born quarter is modern, with clean lines and muted tones. It’s near the Picasso Museum and Las Ramblas. There are 87 rooms and a bar.
Book it: Rooms start at around €175 per night including breakfast.
