Duck de Chine, Beijing
If you’re of the school of thought that the coolest places are also the most difficult to find, then the Duck de Chine must be the trendiest restaurant in Beijing. Appropriately located in the Hidden City, the restaurant’s calming decor defines oriental-industrial chic, with high ceilings, exposed brickwork and bold red pillars throughout.
Famous around town for serving up the best duck, the eatery’s signature dish, Roast Beijing duck, was voted the greatest in the city earlier this year – and the trick behind their special duck is the original cooking method, meaning that first the duck is air-blown, then roasted in a fruit tree wood open fire for 30 minutes longer than your standard roasted duck, to drain off the excess fat. However the menu certainly isn’t limited to duck-based dishes, and, as indicated by the restaurant name, the Chinese restaurant incorporates many French cooking methods without compromising their traditional Oriental essence, with the Har gau and Pork dumplings well worth a try.
As soon as you set foot in the door, visitors are greeted by a Bollinger champagne bar, establishing the restaurant’s glamorous credentials from the off. The first of its kind in China, the bar attracts the Beijing glamour squad on a nightly basis, so be sure to join them for some post-dinner bubbles.
Details The Hidden City, Courtyard 4, Gongti North Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing
+86 10 6501 1949
Blue Frog, Mumbai
If an evening spent rubbing shoulders with the likes of Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Shreya Gosal is your cup of tea, then Blue Frog will be right up your street. This ultra-sleek bar looks like it could be part of the Ra.One set as the ideal hangout for G One.
With the blue lighting among islands of bright white tables giving the feeling of walking on water, since its opening in 2007 the futuristic restaurant-club has become the number one place to see and be seen in Mumbai. And don’t leave the city without trying the Sunday brunch – a diet-busting 12-course extravaganza.
+91 22615 86159 | www.bluefrog.co.in
Smith and Wollensky, Chicago
In a city that’s known for its love of a good steak, the Chicago location of this high-end steak chain is well worth a visit. Featured in the 2006 film, The Break-Up, it became a firm favourite among the cast members, with Jennifer Aniston spotted eating there.
Situated in the River North area of the city, don’t dismiss it as for meat-eaters only, because, as well as their signature Dry aged steak, Smith and Wollensky are also renowned for their seafood, in particular the Shellfish Bouquet – an assortment of all the seafood you could possibly want.
+1312 670 9900 | www.smithandwollensky.com
