Restaurant Smoix (Cake in Menorcan) in Ciutadella, Menorca is probably among the top five restaurants in Menorca.

Miguel Sanchez and his partner, Vianey, welcome their guests in a beautiful setting, the entrance of the restaurant is magnificent and leads to a cool and nice patio. The restaurant itself is spacious with designed wood tables; the ambiance was serene and sober when we ate there on July 16^th 2016.

The menu à la carte was short, which is actually a good sign, with a choice of six “Picar, Picar” (small dishes), seven starters and eight main courses.

Every dish we ordered was extremely flavorsome, tasty and succulent, even the croquetas that we ordered for our son and the amuse-bouche was right on the bull's eye.

Only the desserts, for our taste, were not up to the high standard as the rest.

The wine list was very interesting and full of local and international references. The offer by glass was one of the best in term of choice, quality and price that we have seen so far in Europe.

The service led by Ms. Vianey was very nice and efficient.

If Miguel Sanchez ups his game on his desserts, he will for sure deserve a Michelin star in the future.

Smoix 

Address : Av. Jaume Conqueridor 38, Ciutadella, Mernorca

Tel. reservations +34 971 38 28 08

www.smoix.com 

The restaurant Pan y Vino in Sant Lluis is one the best and most affordable restaurants in Menorca.

The chef, Patrick James, and our host, Noelia Zardoya, are the married couple who owns the place. They offer a set menu that changes every day and for 37 euros you can get three courses: starters, main and dessert.  It is to be noted that, should you wish to swap one of the menu dishes for another à la carte you can do that with no extra fee.

We elected to celebrate our son's 6^th birthday there and were greeted by Noelia – in perfect French - like we were members of the club. Noelia and the team even prepared a special chocolate birthday cake especially for our boy. What a nice surprise and generous touch from all of them!

Generosity, kindness and quality are what makes Pan y Vino a successful restaurant. The food is good, generous and refined. Patrick James knows how to mix French cooking with local ingredients and a touch of exotic flavors.

The local wines and cavas are well represented on the wine list which offers eclectic choices from France and others regions of Spain.

And Noelia Zardoya leads the service with charm and efficiency – and in at least three different languages (Spanish, French, English).

Pan y Vino 

Address : Camí de la Coixa, 3 - Torret - Sant Lluis - Menorca

Tel. reservations (0034) 971 15 02 01

www.panyvinomenorca.com/ 

Jung Sik Yim, the chef-owner of the restaurant Jungsik has an incredible talent; his two stars in the Michelin guide are well deserved.

Jung Sik Yim’s cooking is a marvelous combination of orient and occident, it’s well thought out; from the ingredients to the products, from the visual presentation to the design of the dishes. Every dish is sublime and has the incredible lightness of being. Starting with the amuse bouches from his wonderful Tasting Menu of nine dishes. We were delighted by his technical prowess and his mastery of spices and flavors.

The restaurant is a beautiful and spacious place with two rooms, the back room more private and seemingly designed for lovers and romantic dinners.

The wine list is extensive and eclectic with a good choice by the glass or by half-bottle.

The service is professional and competent however there was one misstep: they put truffles in one our dishes even though we had alerted the maître d' that we were allergic to truffles...

This address should be on every serious foodie and gourmet's must go list.

JUNGSIK

2 Harrison Street
New York, NY 10013
+1 212 219 0900

jungsik.kr

We had the chance to discover the cooking of Shaun Hergatt in his new address on the ground floor of the Chandler’s Hotel.

We went with my mother who’s been a regular at this place since the chef moved to the Hotel Chandler. Shaun Hergatt's cuisine is both technical and intellectual, at the same time very elaborated and structured, but with a kinky side too.

The $39 lunch menu is a gem in NYC and a good introduction for first-timers like us. The presentation of the dishes was not only a marvel for the eyes, but also the best way to open our appetite.

The food was exquisite and tasteful; Desserts were delicious and original. Juni’s pastry chef, Mina Pizarro is talented and a good match to Shaun Hergatt's culinary skills.

The wine list is eclectic and well selected from different countries and producers.

We were lucky enough to meet the chef at the end of our meal. We congratulated him on his outstanding cooking and told him that he highly deserved his one star in the Michelin guide. He, however, thought he should have two! We almost totally agreed with him and let him know that, in our opinion, the way to get there was by improving service which is currently quite nice but definitely not on par with the standards of excellence of a two-Michelin starred restaurant.

Opening schedule : 12:00 – 14:00, 17:30 – 22:00