Five French chefs in top 5 places of OAD Classical and Heritage Restaurants list

3 Belgian restaurants in top 100

Opinionated about Dining has released the list of Top 100 Classical and Heritage Restaurants in the World. Michel Bras has won the top place with his restaurant Toya in the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

French chefs have taken all the top five places of this newly released list, the first time Opinionated about Dining has classified the top 100 Classical and Heritage restaurants.

This guide is based on dining surveys that factor experience of the respondents into the rating system is rather unique. The 2015

The top five chefs in the top five positions are Michel Bras, Michel Trois Gros, Alain Ducasse, Régis et Jacques Marcon and Michel Guérard.

Three Belgian restaurants have made it to the top 100 list. These are Comme Chez Soi of Lionel Rigolet which placed 31st in the list, Karmeliet of Geert Van Hecke which placed 38th and Le Chalet de la Foret of Pascal Devalkeneer which placed 73rd.

OAD said that Michel Bras Toya, located in the Windsor Hotel Toya, has become a must-visit restaurant for those who want to sample the finest French cuisine in Toya, Hokkaido. Simone Cantafion, the chef and director of the restaurant, continues to showcase the heart and soul of Michel Bras’ cuisine in each dish, complemented with local Japanese seafood and produce. Patrons often find themselves completely seduced by the breathtaking view of Lake Toya, the flawless and attentive service and, most importantly, the stunning food, presented with the attention that might be devoted to a piece of fine art, with flavors to match.

Speaking about the Comme Chez Soi, it said Lionel Rigolet is responsible for carrying the torch lit by his father-in-law, legendary chef Pierre Wynants. “He continues to meet the high standards that this magnificent art nouveau dining room, located a few hundred yards from Brussels’ Grand Place, has always been known for. Don’t miss their signature dish of gray shrimp with oysters and a Riesling and potato mousseline.”

On De Karmeliet which closes its doors later this year, it said this was one of the most classic houses in Belgium. “Dishes like roasted French scallops with leek; sea urchin and cream with seaweed; and “Sole meunière,” with Belgian endive and sabayon with lemon grass show that Geert van Hecke knows how to take advantage of the wonderful products from the nearby North Sea.”

The second Brussels restaurant to make it to the list is Le Chalet de la Foret. OAD said that despite the urban setting in the heart of Brussels, the garden terrace at Pascal Devalkeneer’s restaurant will make you feel like you have taken a trip to the country. “The cuisine is in keeping with the setting – the sort of haute bourgeois cuisine you will find at a place like Paris’s Le Pre Catelan or Grande Cascade, dishes like a tartare of Gillardeau oysters with Petrossian caviar and broccoli flowers and seabass with a crust of black truffles from Carpentras, a winter salad and ratte mousseline,” OAD said.

Here are the top 20

1. Michel Bras Toya
2. Troisgros
3. Alain Ducasse- Louis XV
4. Régis et Jacques Marcon
5. Michel Guérard
6. Dal Pescatore
7. Schwarzwaldstube
8. per se
9. L’Ambroisie
10. Robuchon Au Dôme
11. The French Laundry
12. Waldhotel Sonnora
13. Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon
14. L’Osier
15. Bernard Loiseau
16. Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros
17. Søllerød Kro
18. Le Duc
19. Le Bernardin
20. Pierre Gagnaire

You can find the whole list here.