Stephen Guntly

Bjorn Frantzen received his 3rd Michelin star about a month before I dined there. This was after he closed and relocated his restaurant in 2017 to what he describes as, "The old Frantzen times 10." Every detail of the restaurant is designed to enhance the overall experience. Enter a private elevator that plays music at the push of a button, a beautiful lounge area for champagne and appetizers, and a rooftop terrace where you can smoke Cuban cigars. In the main dining area, guests are seated at a kitchen counter that surrounds the open fire kitchen. The dining area is essentially the kitchen where you get to watch the culinary show unfold. Frantzen can be described as Nordic cuisine with Japanese influences. I've never had a tasting menu in which every course was a home run. Before I knew it, 7 hours had flown by. It is only a matter of time before Frantzen is competing for the top spot at the World's 50 Best List. Less

The small team at Ernst is truly exceptional. Somehow, they managed to serve 33 courses in just under 3 hours. The timing and pace was remarkable. So much of what makes Ernst special is the passion they express through their food and the respect they have for their raw ingredients. Ingredients are foraged and locally farmed in Berlin and its surrounding regions. A large portion of the menu changes daily. Ernst is quickly becoming one of the best restauarnts in the world. In April, Ernst was named 2018's Best New Restuarant in Europe by the Opinionated about Dining (OAD) survey. Less

It all started in San Francisco at In Situ, a restaurant which recreates famous dishes from around the world. From the moment I had the wasabi langoustine dish from Tim Raue, I knew I had to get the real thing one day. After watching Chef's Table on Netflix, I was inspired by Tim Raue's story. It was not long after that before my ticket to Berlin was booked. Since there are multiple menus and I wanted to try it all, I did tasting menus for lunch and dinner on the same day. Probably a bit of an overkill in hindsight. Tim Raue does Asian-inspired cuisine in which bold and aggressive flavors are at the forefront. Thai, Japanese & Chinese techniques are used to evoke a unique sensory experience. At the end of very long day, I left Tim Raue full and very happy. Less