The World's 50 Best Restaurants’ Post

Luxury dining: when degustation becomes punishment for a glutton? The New York Times reports on the latest World's 50 Best Restaurants list: "When it comes to parsing the annual dining survey known as The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, though, you really have to open your mind. Forget asking whether these establishments are the best in the world. The bigger question is: Are they restaurants?" 🤔 But wait, doesn't it say restaurants in the title of the list itself? Ah, that depends on one's definition of the same now, doesn't it? "Now, among the 50 Best are a number of establishments where they let you see a menu written in real words and order things you actually want to eat. Some of these, like Asador Etxebarri in Spain and Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland, are hard to reach. Nearly all are very expensive. Still, there are places on the list where a relatively normal person might eat a relatively normal dinner and go home feeling relatively well-fed. But the list is dominated by places that normal people can’t get into, where the few diners who will go to almost any length for reservations will go home feeling bloated and drunk. They are not restaurants, or not just restaurants. They are endurance tests, theatrical spectacles, monuments to ego and — the two most frightening words in dining — “immersive experiences.”" This is ironic given the origin of the list: "The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and its spinoff awards, by now almost too numerous to count, weren’t always so rarefied. In the early years, when the list was being published by Restaurants magazine, the editors saw it as a kind of anti-Michelin, and took pride in recognizing spots that would never, ever make Michelin’s little red guidebooks." Oh well, resisting the Degustation Borg is futile: "Today the list is dominated by tasting-menu restaurants, and every year those menus seem to get longer and more unforgiving. There are more courses than any rational person would choose to eat, and more tastes of more wines than anyone can possibly remember the next day. The spiraling, metastasizing length of these meals seems designed to convince you that there’s just no way a mere 10 or 15 courses could contain all the genius in the kitchen." Which raises the question, are you paying for a meal or investing in your cardiologist's/hepatologist's retirement home? A while ago, Bloomberg reported (https://lnkd.in/gXaZNqua): "The hospitality industry is increasingly focused on high-net-worth individuals." The result? "Now, the most democratic of luxuries is once again becoming the province of the new elite." Perhaps one of the most amusing examples? Gaia, London as reviewed in The Guardian (https://lnkd.in/gjXS8rmp): "The prices force me to call Rex Goldsmith of the renowned Chelsea Fishmonger. He tells me his kilo price for mackerel is £12.50. I tell him at Gaia it’s £100. Rex gasps. “Christ,” he says. “At that price the fish should give you a blowjob.”" https://lnkd.in/gWj_zM-A

You read on here (from really, quite sensible people) that we need to 'save' Scottish Hospitality. I'm an older geezer, get out and about a LOT and am not witnessing an Industry that needs saving? I go to the South, the Islands, Far North, the West Coast. I'm not seeing it. The Standards in Scotland have NEVER been Higher but OF COURSE we are being subjected to a landscape that's making it tough, for EVERY Business, not just Hospitality. People on here ignore the MASSIVE Elephants in the Room and blame Patrick Harvie. It's not quite as simple as this! Most people don't want to talk about the really obvious aspects. Training, Staffing, Inestment, largely ignoring our Unique attributes. When we DON'T ignore them, this is the result. We DEFINITELY can't just 'carry on', as before. Through the years, great places have closed, great places go bust and without a doubt, it's harder to grow a 30+ chain of places. However, this was largely IMPOSSIBLE before, so we have to wonder, is this STILL the way ahead? Scotland will have ANOTHER Record Hospitality year, in 2024. #scotlandisnow #ScotchWhiskyTruths

Exciting:)

#TBT In keeping with tradition, Slice released their 2024 Slice of the Union report the day before National Pizza Day. Truly, this is one of the reports we most look forward to each year https://bit.ly/3J9dDc0 #Slice #pizza #restaurant #bar #hotel #hospitality #KRGHospitality

Unlocking a new era of dining, the shared table trend is sweeping through global gastronomy. From the unconventional setting of Mallorca's Brut to the dynamic Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare in New York, and the innovative m-eating table project in Switzerland, these experiences are redefining how we connect over food. Beyond the culinary realm, the resurgence of shared tables adds a thrilling dimension, transforming not just dining but also societal bonds. #SharedTables #GastronomyEvolution #CommunalExperience https://bit.ly/4a1iWG9

Pizza-centric publication Pizza Today‘s 2024 industry trends report contains an incredible amount of information, including the top pizza styles in North America https://bit.ly/47SrDku #pizza #food #restaurant #bar #hotel #hospitality #KRGHospitality

Something you can count in Vegas is change. We are always seeing new restaurants open and long time favorites leaving. It might be hard to keep up with where the hot spots are now. Vegas Magazine put together this list of the hottest reservations in town. Is your favorite on the list? #Vegas #DMC #VegasDMC #VegasPlanner #Restaurants #VegasTrends #EventPlanner #EventProf

My wife’s AFR story neatly summarises why #adelaide #hospitality #restaurant scene is on fire. Yet if you read the local news reporting you would think that it’s in the toilet. Why is it so ? I guess reporting closures/ disasters essentially requires basic reporting skills and the facts. Stories like the one below require old-school journalism qualities of enquiry, research, time and specialist industry knowledge.

Top-Ranked Restaurants Decline in Singapore Amid Michelin Guide Changes Singapore’s renowned dining scene is undergoing notable shifts, as the latest Michelin guide reveals a decline in the number of starred establishments. The changes include both promotions and demotions, reflecting… #Restaurants #Singapore >>>>> Full article in the link below

https://lnkd.in/g3dDnj-T Which is the Highest Restaurant in India? Discover Cloud 9's Sky-High Dining Imagine dining amidst the clouds, surrounded by  breathtaking mountain views, and indulging in  gourmet cuisine. High-altitude dining is an  experience that merges culinary delight with the  thrill of being atop the world. India, with its vast  and diverse geography, offers some unique high- altitude dining experiences. But which restaurant  holds the title of being the highest in the country?