Posted: Jun 28, 2016
Is your idea of happiness a top restaurant on your doorstep? Are you a budding gourmet? If so, feast your eyes on our top 20 best places for food lovers to live around the world. Property locations (with top restaurants) that give food for thought in everywhere from Provence to Paris and Venice to Vienna.
1. Guy Savoy, Paris, France
Guy Savoy has recently moved his signature restaurant to the top floor of the former Paris Mint, the Monnaie de Paris. The chefs love the light, bright kitchen and the diners adore the views. Property prices in this capital city reflect its popularity. Investment-only flats can be found for about £100,000.
Guy Savoy: www.guysavoy.com/en
2. Sublimotion, Ibiza, Spain
Rave reviews accompanied the opening of this single-table restaurant in 2014. In the same year Sublimotion won a best innovation award and last year it was named the most expensive restaurant in the world. At an average price of £1,500 per person, you’d have to be very wealthy to enjoy every mouthful of molecular gastronomy. There are plenty of multi-million pound mansions for sale on the island, but you can still get a small apartment for around £100,000.
Sublimotion: www.sublimotionibiza.com/#!home
3. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
Consistently ranked best in the world, Noma gives Nordic cuisine a new twist. The chefs and all, decamped to Sydney for five months, but now they are back in Copenhagen until December, when they will move location within the city and transform the restaurant into an urban farm. Negative interest rates in Denmark have boosted property prices and while there’s plenty on the market in the rest of the country, there’s a shortage in the city. Expect to pay at least £100,000 for a studio.
Noma: http://noma.dk
4. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
Contemporary Catalan cuisine with a creative twist – that’s what’s on offer here. El Celler has three Michelin stars and accolades from top chefs worldwide. Girona is close to Barcelona and the coast. You can get an apartment in the city for £68,000, leaving money left over to be spent at exclusive restaurants.
El Celler de Can Roca: http://cellercanroca.com/index.htm
5. Maison Troisgros, Roanne, France
Roanne is northwest of Lyon, on the River Loire, and the restaurant is now run by the third generation of the founding family. The fourth generation, Cesar, is already working there. Roanne is one of the more affordable parts of France. You can buy a two-bedroom stone house here for around £115,000.
Maison Troisgros: www.troisgros.com/
6. Prinz Myshkin, Munich, Germany
Here’ a restaurant that caters exclusively for vegetarians. It offers vegan dishes, too. There is a wide range or tasty dishes. The cost of living is high in Munich and property prices are also pricey. A modern one-bedroom flat could easily cost £400,000.
Prinz Myshkin: http://prinzmyshkin.com/
7. La Mas du Langoustier, Porquerolles, Provence
Off the coast between St Tropez and Marseille lies the Ile de Porquerolles, the most westerly of a group of three islands. It was bought in 1912 by a Belgian adventurer for his wife, and planted with vines. The wine they made was said to be the first to be classed Cotes de Provence. This restaurant offers exceptional food in a fabulous setting. A flat in St Tropez will set you back at least £220,000.
La Mas du Langoustier: http://langoustier.com/
8. Kyo Aji, Tokyo, Japan
You can only eat here if you have been introduced by somebody who has dined at the restaurant, making it a very exclusive venue. There’s just one course, which is seasonal. The focus is on ordinary ingredients creating an unforgettable taste. The Tokyo property market is notoriously expensive. An average apartment costs £325,000.
9. Café Iruna, Navarra, Spain
This 19th century eatery may not be Michelin starred or go in for molecular gastronomy, but its belle epoque glamour and Hemingway connection make it worth a visit. It serves good coffee, has a long wine list and you can graze on tapas and light meals throughout the day. The novelist is remembered by a bronze, life-size statue at the bar. You can get a flat here for about £25,000.
Café Iruna: www.cafeiruna.com
10. Club del Doge, Venice, Italy
Hemingway was here, too. The Club del Doge is part of the Hotel Gritti Palace, another enchanting building loved by the writer. With a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, the view alone is enough to satisfy you. The restaurant serves typical Venetian dishes, with an emphasis on freshness and, naturally, great fish. If you can’t bear to leave, a small apartment in Venice will cost around £300,000.
Club del Doge: www.clubdeldoge.com
11. Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence, Italy
This Florentine institution is a very elegant restaurant in a beautiful Renaissance palazzo in the heart of the city. Chef Annie Feolde was the first woman in Italy to win three Michelin stars. Her sommelier of forty years, Giorgio Pinchiorri, has built up an enormous cellar of fine wines. If you are lucky, you might find a tiny studio in the centre for £130,000.
Enoteca Pinchiorri: http://enotecapinchiorri.it
12. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
British-born chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, has built up an impressive reputation for his bold and inventive menu as well as his artistic presentation. His previous world travels have influenced his cooking, but his main aim is to be different. That he certainly is. Cape Town is a popular place and property here continues to boom. Expect to pay £200,000 for a two-bedroom flat.
The Test Kitchen: www.thetestkitchen.co.za/
13. Vila Joya, Albufeira, Portugal
This clifftop hotel, set in lush gardens, serves Michelin-starred food with impeccable service. It’s about 40 minutes from Faro airport and is very popular. Albufeira itself has some pretty parts. You can get a studio flat in a modern block within walking distance of the beach from £43,000.
Vila Joya: www.vilajoya.com
14. Roots, Lyttelton, New Zealand
Award-winning Roots restaurant is small but perfectly formed. It has set menus that showcase local produce – indeed, a lot of your lunch will have been foraged. The food is seasonal and as fresh as it can be. Lyttelton is just outside Canterbury, at the top end of New Zealand’s South Island. There are lots of countryside homes on sale for about £140,000.
Roots: www.rootsrestaurant.co.nz
15. Medina, Mdina, Malta
Named the best restaurant on Malta last year, Medina is an atmospheric Norman building in the heart of the city of Mdina’s labyrinthine streets. In summer you can eat in the vine-covered courtyard. In winter, you will be cosy by the fire in the candlelit dining room. Mdina was the medieval capital of Malta, but Valetta has taken over its role now. A small flat in Valetta will set you back about £200,000.
16. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
Here is an ultra-modern restaurant located in the beautiful city of Vienna. Many of the ingredients at Steirereck come from chef Heinz Reitbauer’s family farm, but his treatment of them will leave you open-mouthed. If you want to live here, Vienna’s not cheap, but you can find a two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts for about £180,000.
Steirereck: www.steirereck.at/en/restaurant
17. Francouzska, Prague, Czech Republic
This glamourous Art Nouveau restaurant claims to be the most beautiful in Europe. It produces top-notch gourmet dishes, along with a smattering of Czech ones. Prague saw property prices rise strongly in 2015 and this year is expected to continue this trend. A two-bedroom flat in a fairly central zone will cost you about £80,000.
Francouzska: www.francouzskarestaurace.cz/en
18. Quay, Sydney, Australia
This restaurant is set on a promontory in Sydney with a fantastic view of the harbour, the Opera House and the bridge. The food matches the view and is both elegant and simple. Sydney’s property market is cooling. A central studio apartment costs upwards of £200,000.
Quay: www.quay.com.au
19. Ma Langue Sourit, Luxembourg
This charming inn is both cheerful and comfortable. The service is impeccable and the food is cooked with passion by chef patron Cyril Molard. The restaurant aims to make your tongues smile – which is what its name means. The Grand Duchy has seen strong price rises in its property market over the past few years. A small flat will cost £200,000.
Ma Langue Sourit: www.mls.lu/uk/index.php
20. Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant, Brisbane, Australia
This South Bank eatery serves authentic cuisine from the owners’ native land – and it won’t cost a fortune. It’s not just the food, although that has won awards. The whole experience will transport you to a bazaar in Istanbul, with music, dancing and colourful décor. You can try haggling on the property prices in this city, but a one-bedroom apartment will cost upwards of £180,000.
Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant: www.facebook.com/ahmetssouthbank
