(366 Dorsoduro in Venice, Italy)

Ai Gondolieri restaurant in Venice is something special in the Venice dining scene – a kitchen that ...concentrates its menu on meaty dishes of the mainland rather than the typically fishy fare of most other eateries here. A short walk from the Guggenheim Museum and the Accademia (take vaporetto 1 or 82), Ai Gondolieri enjoys a magically romantic setting in a genuinely old inn with its own arched bridge over a picture-postcard canal. The dining rooms are not splashy or over-decorated, with wood panelling, modern seating, white table linens, ceiling fans. Nevertheless this place attracts the starriest visitors to Venice, from presidents to film stars. The upmarket menu changes seasonally, featuring dishes like deep-fried stuffed zucchini flowers, breaded deep-fried lamb served beautifully pink, superb steaks, excellent risotto. Your host will chat in English with you about the all-Italian menu. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Wed - Mon 12pm - 3pm & 7pm - 10pm Tue: closed all day Giovanni Trevisan also runs the charming restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum. [moreless]

(29 Calle Lehendakari Leizaola in Bilbao, Spain)

Aizian restaurant overlooks Bilbao’s lovely Doña Casilda Park, though the amazing cuisine will keep ...your attention riveted to your plate. Under the direction of chef Jose Miguel Olazabalaga, Aizian is now one of Bilbao’s destination eateries. The boxy room has a glossy finish, with stripes of cool wooden paneling softened with peachy carpets and pale upholstered seating. Olazabalaga’s cuisine is creative Basque traditional, so a starter like foie gras is served with orange blossom gelee and maple syrup. Traditional red mullet on begiaundi escalibada comes with barnacle soup. Desserts include seasonal cherry martini with white vinegar ice cream. Bring some adventurous friends and enjoy the nine-course Degustation Menu. The wine list has great depth in regional and Spanish wines and a fine selection from international vintners. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 15€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 3 days or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sat 1:30pm - 3:45pm & 8:30pm - 11pmSun: closed all day [moreless]

(Esplanade Maurice Justin in La Grande Motte, France)

This seaside restaurant, with sweeping views of the harbour and ocean, is a perfect spot to tuck int...o some fresh, local seafood and a bottle of crisp white wine. Alexandre is located on the Esplanade Maurice Justin in La Grande Motte, France, and has floor to ceiling windows as well as an outside patio to enjoy the panorama. Dany and Michel Alexandre run a young and innovative kitchen, and favourite dishes include the tapenade of fresh cod with olive oil mashed potatoes; the squid risotto with garlic; and the salmon cooked with crystallised lemon, chorizo and served with creamed garden peas. The restaurant is ideal for lunches and elegant evening meals, and has a 350+ wine list. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 1:30pm Tue - Sat 7:30pm - 9:30pm Alexandre has a lovely outdoor terrace with views of the harbour... [moreless]

(141 Utrechtsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Restaurant Beddington’s? Book early. One of Amsterdam’s most beloved and lauded chef/owners, Englis...h-born Jean Beddington creates her magic nightly in a beautifully austere setting that is always packed out with devoted diners. The décor is smart and sleekly modern in a two-tone palette – black and white – that lets the food take centre stage. An open kitchen lets you in on the action – the creation of her personal French-based cuisine that includes strong influences from her years in Japan, her English roots, and everything else that she has experienced. A short menu of three or four courses changes each day. Recent dishes included starter of Gillardeau oysters on granite of cucumber, spring onion and Japanese ginger with bean sprout/wakame salad, main course of slow-roasted Baambrugs pork belly with cavolo nero, sage sauce and mushroom/black pudding beignet, and dessert of cannoli with goat’s milk ricotta, buttermilk panna cotta, gentian sorbet and blueberries. Short, international wine list. A short skip from museums and the Concertgebouw. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Tue - Sat 7pm - 10pm Sun - Mon: closed all day [moreless]

(37 - 39 Calle De Ercilla in Bilbao, Spain)

The Bermeo Restaurant in the heart of Bilbao just a short walk from the Guggenheim and Sacred Heart ...Plaza has been hailed by critics as the best hotel restaurant in Spain. The Bermeo is set in the Ercilla Hotel, a four-star highrise, and the dining room itself is a sophisticated mélange of elegant nautical styling and contemporary comfort. The trad striped wallpaper works nicely with the faux antique seating, wood panelling, brass rails and orange upholstery. It is an elegant space, perfect for business entertaining or the private enjoyment of excellent food, though a little local celebrity-spotting might take place too, as the restaurant is a favourite of politicians, writers and Bilbao’s social set. The Bermeo offers the epitome of Basque cuisine in seasonal fish, seafood and meat dishes, things like homemade foie gras with essence of bay leaves, five preparations of cod, stewed partridge with glazed shallots, dessert of truffled figs. Fine wine list and excellent service, and there are private rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 600. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 1pm - 3:45pm & 8:30pm - 11:45pm Sat 9pm - 11:45pm Sun 1pm - 3:45pm [moreless]

(72 Via Veneto in Rome, Italy)

Brunello Lounge and Restaurant in Rome has exclusive access directly onto the magical Via Veneto in ...the heart of the city. The brilliant décor combines the best of Italian traditional elegance and modern luxury to create a smart, inviting, impressive space. Earthy tones dominate with textured brown (‘bruno’) wall coverings, elegant lighting, gilt sculptures, upholstered seating in autumn shades, classic black and white photography. At the helm is Daniele Sera, an award-winning, internationally known chef and a native of Genoa who invents exciting dishes based on classic Italian cooking. Perhaps that is why Brunello is named for the region’s most important wine. Menus change frequently and the best ingredients are employed. Brunello is a destination for fine dining, business and romance. If your needs extend to groups for meetings or dining, all the expertise of the Regina Hotel Baglioni is at your command, with two private dining rooms seating up to 70. The Belvedere Room, in particular, has stunning panoramic views of the Eternal City. The central location, a marble chip’s throw from the Villa Borghese, Piazza di Spagna and Via Condotti, is superb, too. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Brunello Lounge: 11pm - 1am Brunello Restaurant Mon - Sat 12: 30pm - 3pm & 7:30 - 11pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]

(60 Hyde Park Gate in London, United Kingdom)

How’s this for a pedigree? Part of the five star Baglioni Hotel and an outlet of the Italian Brunel...lo chain, this elegant lounge and restaurant is just moments from some of London’s most impressive sights including the Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Gardens. The sophisticated interior combines old school charm with elegant modernism - huge Murano glass chandeliers hang from golden ceilings, Louis style stools line a smart bar and fringed armchairs in which to enjoy a glass of champagne are joined by low tables. Fresh ingredients are used in traditional and modern regional dishes from across Italy with emphasis on meat and fish dishes. Please be aware a credit card is required for bookings of 6 people or more and Brunello Restaurant asks that 24 hours notice be given on cancellations. Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 3pm & 5:30pm - 11:30pm Brunello is named for the famous Tuscan wine region. [moreless]

(1243 Calle Larga de l'Ascension, San Marco in Venice, Italy)

Canova restaurant in the superb Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice is an exclusive, sophisticated place t...o enjoy award-winning cuisine. The Hotel itself has history in spades – it was once home to the Knights Templar and has been an albergo since the Middle Ages, reputedly the first hotel in Venice. Sited near the Piazza San Marco at the mouth of the Grand Canal, few hotel restaurants enjoy such a superb setting. The dining room is a haven of soft, Venetian classicism, with wood paneled walls, exquisite table settings, neutral, plush upholstery and fleet, unobtrusive service. The menu is a mixture of Venetian specialties and international favourites. If you are hosting a meeting or private event, the hotel is fully equipped to assist you in every respect. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. A credit card is required to reserve a table, if there is availability for bookings of 6 people or over - this is simply to secure your booking, absolutely no money will be charged to the card except in the case of late cancellations. A fee of 30€ per person will be charged for a cancellation within 2 days or for a no show Opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:30pm - 2:30pm & 7:30pm - 10:30pm [moreless]

(2 Harrison Street in New York, NY, United States)

A TriBeCa perennial that was serving seriously good food in an elegant setting when this area was a ...frontier of artistic bravado, Chanterelle still thrills. Its husband-and-wife team, David Waltuck at the stove, Karen Waltuck warmly greeting, are a one-two knockout. Add award-winning sommelier Roger Dagorn, and the professional, attentive waitstaff and the team is complete. The dining room, uncluttered by artwork or soundtrack, is a calm, welcoming space with high ceilings and soothing colour scheme. The changing French menus include some ravishing inventions. Dishes have included starter of squid and vegetable 'spaghetti' with green olives and roast tomato sauce, main course of mixed grill of duck with duck fat bearnaise, and dessert of black plum and almond tart with port-plum ice cream.Booking Tip: Please try to make your New York booking at least 48 hours in advance. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Please be aware that Chanterelle Restaurant requires a credit card for all bookings of 5 or more people. A $50 per person deposit will be taken at that time. This deposit will be lost if cancellations are less than 48 hours in advance of the booking, or if there is a no show. Opening hours: Thur - Sat 12pm - 2:30pmMon - Sat 5:30pm - 11pm Sun 5pm - 10pm [moreless]

(2-4 Obispo Orueta in Bilbao, Spain)

Club Nautico restaurant in Bilbao’s Lopez de Haro Hotel in the centre of town just a few minutes fro...m the Guggenheim. This is one cool hotel – Lou Reed stays here when he’s in town. Club Nautico’s décor is French-inspired, smart, a modern take on traditional styling with checquered floors, gilt mirrors, paneled pillars and walls, chandeliers, classic seating and unusual pink tablecloths. Chef Julio Heras' dishes include steamed hake with sauce of small squid, and menus change with the fresh produce of the seasons. Three exclusive dining rooms seat from 5 to 60 diners, so both location and amenities make this a terrific choice for corporate entertaining. Upon arrival, please inform the restaurant that your booking was made via toptable. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 1pm - 4pm & 7pm - 10:30pm Sat 7pm - 10:30pm Sun: closed all day [moreless]