Must-see restaurants in Asia

  • Duddell's

    Hong Kong

    Light Cantonese fare is served in riveting spaces enhanced by artwork at this one-Michelin-starred restaurant-gallery. There's a graceful dining room,…

  • Kaiseki dishes

    Tofuya-Ukai

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    One of Tokyo’s most gracious restaurants is located in a former sake brewery (moved from northern Japan), with an exquisite traditional garden in the…

  • SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - 2014/08/23: The interiors of the Cuisine Wat Danmak, the restaurant of French chef Joann?s Rivi?re in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Rivi?re is one of a handful of chefs who is turning the tables in Cambodia by only using locally sourced ingredients bucking the trend in a country whose restaurant industry imports more than 90% of ingredients. Many of the endemic items used by Rivi?re are considered waste or second class product, or have disappeared from markets due to low demand. (Photo by Leisa Tyler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Cuisine Wat Damnak

    Siem Reap

    Set in a traditional wooden house is this highly regarded restaurant from Siem Reap celeb chef Joannès Rivière. The menu delivers the ultimate…

  • Uzbek pilau, dish originating from the East; Shutterstock ID 31800622; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    Al-Razzaque

    Dhaka

    Wildly popular with the locals, and rightly so, Al-Razzaque does delicious curries, biryanis and Bangladeshi breakfasts, but the pièces de résistance here…

  • Sushi Dai

    Odaiba & Tokyo Bay

    There is no better-value sushi in Tokyo than the omakase (chef's choice) course here. The menu changes daily (and sometimes hourly), but you're guaranteed…

  • Van Gogh is Bipolar

    Manila

    Every bit as interesting as it sounds, this chaotic restaurant inhabits a tiny space packed with curios and artworks. It's run by artist Jetro, who cooks…

  • Lords Restaurant

    Negombo

    By far Negombo’s most creative eating experience, with dishes that are a hybrid of Western and Eastern flavours. Martin, the British owner, is a rare…

  • Waku Ghin

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    The refinement and exquisiteness of the 10-course degustation menu by acclaimed chef Tetsuya Wakuda is nothing short of breathtaking. Using only the…

  • Antonio’s

    Around Manila

    One of the finest restaurants in the country, this upscale French-Euro-Filipino eatery offers the chance to rub elbows with politicians and oligarchs over…

  • Kawashima Tōfu

    Kyūshū

    On Kyōmachi covered arcade near the station, this renowned tofu shop has been in business since the Edo period and serves refined kaiseki, starring tofu…

  • Saawaan

    Bangkok

    Two exceptionally talented chefs run what can easily be called one of the finest Thai restaurants in the world. Its name meaning 'heaven', this chic…

  • Peshawri

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Make this Northwest Frontier restaurant, outside the international airport, your first or last stop in Mumbai. It's a carbon copy of Delhi's famous…

  • Odette

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    Cementing its place in the upper echelons of Singapore's saturated fine-dining scene, this modern French restaurant keeps people talking with its newly…

  • Ddungbo Halmae Gimbap

    Gyeongsangnam-do

    Hungry travellers with limited Korean skills come here because there’s no need to speak or read a menu: this place only serves chungmu gimbap (충무 김밥), a…

  • Le Du

    Bangkok

    A play on the Thai word for 'season', Le Du intertwines Thai dishes with Western flavours, and applies 21st-century deconstructionist cooking techniques…

  • Kashi Art Cafe

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Fort Cochin's original (and best) art cafe, this fashionable, natural-light-filled space has a Zen vibe, a creeping vertical garden and stylish wood…

  • Bedspace Kitchen

    Unawatuna

    One of the most progressive, enjoyable restaurants in the country, Bedspace Kitchen has it all right. Around 95% of their ingredients are sourced in Sri…

  • Bingsheng Mansion

    Guangzhou

    One of only eight restaurants awarded a star in the inaugural 2018 Guangzhou Michelin guide, this is the upmarket flagship of the esteemed Bingsheng chain…

  • Doi Ka Noi

    Vientiane

    It took one meal for Doi Ka Noi to become one of our favourite restaurants in Laos. With a menu that changes daily (check the restaurant's Facebook page…

  • Eight

    Macau

    The Eight is a stellar three-Michelin-starred restaurant and model of Cantonese culinary refinement inside the Grand Lisboa. You can dine on a 'simple'…

  • Commune Social

    Shanghai

    From UK celebrity chef Jason Atherton, this natty Neri & Hu–designed restaurant blends a stylish yet relaxed vibe with sensational tasting dishes,…

  • Indian Accent

    Delhi

    Inside luxury Lodhi hotel, though privately run, Indian Accent is one of the capital's top dining experiences. Chef Manish Mehrotra works his magic using…

  • Cloud 9

    Thimphu

    If you're tired of bland hotel buffets, this stylish restaurant serves the best international menu in town. Come for sourdough pizzas with authentic…

  • Jade Dragon

    Macau

    At three-Michelin-starred Jade Dragon, the genius of a Cantonese master is applied to top-notch ingredients and the results are mesmerising. We've all had…

  • 1 Restaurant

    Yunnan

    Built into a historic courtyard house once owned by a trader of the Tea Horse Road era, the restaurant's very modern menu features Yunnanese and Naxi…

  • Jungsik

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    This place was voted number 25 in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2018; neo-Korean cuisine hardly gets better than this. At the Apgujeong outpost of the New…

  • Coffee Empire

    Manila

    A chic industrial open-plan warehouse setup with hessian sacks of single-origin green beans on display in the glassed-in 'green room', plus drawers of…

  • Holliday Restaurant

    Semarang

    It's easy to see why this two-storey restaurant is permanently packed: the food is exceptionally good! Earning the unreserved recommendation of the local…

  • Cafe Lota

    New Delhi

    Bamboo slices the sunlight into flattering stripes at this outdoor restaurant offering a modern take on delicious Indian cooking from across the regions…

  • Traktir Konservator

    Dushanbe

    In an unprepossessing alley near the Opera House, this surprisingly atmospheric restaurant is a treat both in terms of its rural Russian decor (think…

  • Isabel

    Kuala Lumpur

    Isabel is pure charm and a great addition to KL's dining scene. Both in terms of its menu and contemporary tropical decor, the restaurant provides a…

  • 7th Restaurant

    Thimphu

    The elegant restaurant at the Hotel Druk elevates the hotel buffet to high art. The spread of dishes roams from Europe to Bhutan and China, but it's the…

  • Nadodi

    Kuala Lumpur

    The recipes and ingredients of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka are the foundation for the sensational tasting menus served at Nadodi (which means nomad)…

  • Menya Saimi

    Sapporo

    Sapporo takes its ramen very seriously and Saimi is oft-voted the best ramen shop in the city (and sometimes the country) – and it's not overrated. You…

  • Patio

    Borobudur

    For a magical hilltop setting enhanced by traditional music, this vintage restaurant, 4km west of Borobudur, is hard to match. Eat in the formal dining…

  • Rudaki Restaurant

    Dushanbe

    Offering a full à la carte menu in addition to an excellent buffet selection, the Rudaki Restaurant at the Serena Hotel is a popular choice for a…

  • Dhaba

    Dhaka

    Indian street food served in a clean, trendy, air-con restaurant. Everything here is delicious, but the chaat (spicy snacks, Tk 50 to Tk 70) are excellent…

  • Naturals

    New Delhi

    Founder Mr Kamath's dad was a mango vendor in Mangalore, which apparently inspired his love of fruit. He went on to start Naturals, with its wonderfully…

  • Dining room, National Kitchen by Violet Oon

    National Kitchen by Violet Oon

    Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay

    Chef Violet Oon is a national treasure, much loved for her faithful Peranakan dishes – so much so that she was chosen to open a restaurant inside…

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