Monaco
Le Louis XV, Hotel de Paris
It's hard to find a list of Europe's top fine-dining spots that doesn't feature Alain Ducasse's restaurant at the Hôtel de Paris. Le Louis XV, like the hotel, is opulent: crystal chandeliers, cherubs, towering floral displays. But the three Michelin-starred food is more seasonal than show-off, as head chef Franck Cerruti visits the market each morning and picks the best examples of seasonal produce on offer. Expect truffles, morel mushrooms and unusual crustacea. It's all in the details — little chairs for handbag or briefcase, service you don't even notice (in a good way), a large terrace to watch Monaco pass by. And, if you do overeat and crash through the floor, you'll find yourself in the hotel's vast cellar, home to around 400,000 very special bottles.
en.hoteldeparis montecarlo.com
Barcelona
Moo, Hotel Omm
Barcelona is home to some of Europe's best design hotels, and its chefs have stirred and chopped their way to changing how the rest of us eat. Hotel Omm ticks both boxes, with its innovative structure and a restaurant dishing up unusual combinations of ingredients and flavours. Overseen by the brothers Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, and managed by chef Felip Llufriu, dishes such as prawns with pig's trotter and sole with pineapple butter will be tripping nimbly on your tongue. Cocktails and snacks are served by the terrace pool, and the view of the Sagrada Família is free.
hotelomm.es
Frankfurt
Herman at Villa Rothschild Kempinski
If you've ever visited Frankfurt and left feeling you might have been in any business-focused city anywhere in the world, next time try the Villa Rothschild Kempinski. The banking family's former summer retreat is set in a 20-hectare park 20 minutes from the city centre and airport. Herman is arguably the city's best restaurant (in a location more famous for sausages than fine dining). Two Michelin-starred chef Christophe Rainer delivers the kind of stunning food you'd never be able to create at home, and focuses on plenty of foie gras and caviar. Guests also get access to a spa, gym and heated outdoor pool at the central Hotel Falkenstein Grand Kempinski.
kempinski.com
London
Bar Boulud and Dinner at Mandarin Oriental
It's almost getting crowded at the Mandarin in terms of chefs with three Michelin stars. Bar Boulud was an early 2010 hit, with Daniel Boulud's upmarket cold cuts and signature burger proving that prime ingredients conquer all. Heston Blumenthal's Dinner was booked till this April before it even opened, but hotel guests get priority tables (confirm when you book your room). Blumenthal describes his space as a brasserie celebrating British gastronomy, so expect ingredients such as rose, fennel, Welsh lamb and, er, liquid nitrogen. There are 200 seats plus a private dining room, and a glorious location offering ringside views of Hyde Park.
mandarinoriental.com/london
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