Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London (three stars)

Hailing from Mont de Marsan in Les Landes, Southwestern France, Hélène champions the finest French produce and seasonal local ingredients at her restaurant at The Connaught. The dining room is as elegant as the food with the interiors designed by French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch. Although the tasting menu changes frequently, you can expect your experience to start with a seasonal consommé to prepare your palate, followed by an array of flavour focused and expertly executed dishes, often including some of Darroze’s signature dishes like Tandoori lobster with carrot, citrus, and coriander or the sublime Baba a l’Armagnac dessert. 

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud at The Merrion, Dublin (two stars)

Dublin has no shortage of fine eateries, but Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud at The Merrion still stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Set in a Georgian townhouse, the dining room is a sophisticated backdrop to the outstanding cooking of Patrick Guilbaud. A French man in Dublin, Chef Guilbaud mixes contemporary Irish dishes with French classical roots, the results make for dishes which deliver the reassurance of the comfort food of our memories with the technical ability and execution of our dreams. Dishes such as Fillet of Irish Beef and Roast Foie Gras Madeira and Truffle Jus provide a masterclass on classic fine dining with just one intention – to make you feel good. 

Un Piano Nel Cielo at Casa Angelina, Amalfi Coast (one star)

Chef Leopoldo Elefante creates Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on fish and seafood, including his signature dish Il Dentice. Un Piano Nel Cielo (aptly named as it translates to ‘a floor in the sky) occupies an elevated position in the hotel Casa Angelina, affording diners outstanding views across Positano, Capri and a substantial stretch of one of the most famous coastlines in the world, the Amalfi Coast. With local produce, fresh seafood and vegetables harvested from their very own kitchen garden, this is an idyllic restaurant in a picture-perfect location, serving food which outshines both.  

Restaurant Flore at De L’Europe, Amsterdam (two stars)

This small restaurant at De L’Europe (just 11 tables) packs a big punch. Not only proudly displaying its two Michelin stars, it’s also been awarded a Michelin Green Star acknowledging its tremendous achievements in both gastronomy and sustainability.  As many restaurants jump on the sustainability bandwagon, this is a team who practice what they preach, even recycling leftover sourdough to create tortellini. Chef Bas van Kranen is driven by what he calls a philosophy of ‘conscious fine dining’. Working with a small group of farmers, foragers, fishermen and hunters he and his team create a new menu each week – always clean and dairy free, bursting with colour and flavour.   

Stay by Yannick Alléno at One & Only The Palm, Dubai (two stars)

Yannick Alléno has dominated the French Cuisine arena for over four decades – a real chef’s chef with numerous restaurants across the globe, a food magazine and a cookery school. The menu at Stay at One&Only The Palm is made up of simple ingredients intensified with modern techniques and elevated with rich sauces. Yannick has been quoted as saying that sauce is ‘the verb of French cuisine’. Look out for classics like poached langoustine with black truffle coulis and surprising desserts like strawberry tarte served with mozzarella ice cream, tarragon pesto and peach liquor jelly. 

Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse at Hôtel de Paris, Monte-Carlo (three stars) 

Alain Ducasse has an astonishing total of 21 Michelin stars, three of which are attributed to the seriously elegant Le Louis XV at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, headed up by Chef Dominique Lory. With a dining room as opulent and grand as its royal namesake, you can expect a menu inspired by ‘naturalness,’ celebrating the extraordinary abundance of exceptional produce of the Riveria, including locally caught fish. Although the restaurant’s philosophy is to celebrate flavours over tricks and gimmicks, this is not humble cooking – this is fine dining elevated, exquisite dishes, table side theatrics and Ducasse classics (like his famous Rum baba). Be sure to leave room for the cheese cart which features a stunning 60-month aged Comte. 

Ocean Restaurant at Vila Vita Parc, Portugal (two stars)

With its striking Murano glass entrance, there’s a sense of theatre as you arrive at Hans Neuner’s Ocean Restaurant in Vila Vita Parc. The drama continues in the dining room, with a wall of floor to ceiling windows offering stunning views across the Atlantic coastline, making this intimate restaurant feel vast. Menus are inspired by the ocean and Portuguese navigators, with past menus paying homage to the flavours of India, Africa and Brazil. Chef Neuners latest menu explores the flavours of Asia – think the fish markets and tempura halls of Tokyo, street food of Bangkok, a gastronomic exchange between East and West.   

Le Gabriel at La Réserve Paris Hotel & Spa (three stars)

Chef Jérôme Banctel has stayed true to La Réserve Paris’s values of authenticity and simplicity in this understated and refined dining room. It may have three stars, but you can still expect service with a human touch, hold the stuffiness. The ‘Virée’ menu takes you on a trip around the Chef’s native Brittany, and ‘Périple’ invites guests to take a grand voyage further afield with flavours from Japan and Turkey. It’s the ‘Escale’ menu where Chef Banctel showcases his now ubiquitous technique of ‘lime water’ cooking which elevates vegetables from their often supporting roles, to the stars of the show, case in point the celebrated Carotte des sables, gingembre acidulé – the humble carrot never tasted so good.   

Il Piccolo Principe at Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, Tuscany (two stars)

Hailing from Sarno in Italy it is hard to believe that Chef Giuseppe Mancino started his foray into food as a pizza chef. That was 1981, and he now holds two Michelin stars and sits comfortably in the annals of revered chefs of the world. This long, elegant dining room is located on the ground floor of the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte – a firm favourite with locals as well as hotel guests who travel from far and wide just to dine there. The menu changes frequently depending on what local fisherman are landing and what’s in season. You may get to enjoy turbot with seaweed crust, John Dory with barbecued lettuce, or perhaps Chianina marrow and smoked vinegar.

Glam Restaurant at Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel, Venice (two stars)

Glam Restaurant at Palazzo Venart is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Venice, with a garden terrace facing onto the Grand Canal. Under the guidance of Chef Enrico Bartolini (the only chef to ever be awarded four Michelin stars in one go), Resident Chef Donato Ascani has created a menu which tantalizes the palate of connoisseurs from all over the world, combining the flavours of tradition with the excitement of the contemporary. With produce from the Venetian gardens and the Rialto fish market, you can expect chargrilled cuttlefish or green beans with Doge’s oysters with extraordinarily beautiful plating.