Yquem

Maybe it's me, but I've never had a good experience tracking Michelin starred restaurants on the Michelin site. For example, when I go to Spain and type Bilbao and ask for starred restaurants, it gives me only six 1 stars- there must be more? Isn't there some Spanish equivalent of Andy Hayler's excellent website, which gives a comprehensive listing of all past and present Michelin starred restaurants in the UK?

Does anyone have a link that lists all currently Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain? I couldn't find one with obvious keywords in Google. Am particularly interested in those in the Basque and Catalan region for a trip in May.

Hello, I'm going to be in Boston for lunch on Sunday 21st August with two other foodie friends. Any suggestions for a really special meal? Between us, my friends and I have eaten all the way from Michelin 3-star restaurants to street food in Asia ad enjoy anything as long as the food is first-rate. I looked up some of the restaurants mentioned in this thread. Not surprisingly, they're mainly closed on Sunday. The only exceptions I found were in Chinatown, like Penang. Any suggestions? One of us will be driving and used to live in Boston ten years ago, so getting around won't be too difficult. The three of us are attending a conference for 5 days in Andover, New Hampshire. Any interesting food destinations around there, or on the way from Andover to Boston?

The old cliche about Coq au Vin is that you need two bottles of Gevrey-Chambertin- one for the bird and one for the table. Once at Daniel's in New York, we had a disch of turbot braised in a red wine reduction. We had the same wine by the glass for the course, and I remember it was a pretty expensive one. I commented to the waiter that it was generous for Daniel to be using it for the sauce, and he said Daniel wouldn't have it any other way! When cooking at home, I tend to use whatever bottle we're drinking with the meal. Usually, it's not a prized bottle but sometimes it is... I just use less for the latter.

Jan Moir's given it a nice review in yesterday's (Feb 12) Telegraph. Final paragraph: 'Shanghai Blues is most definitely going to swim. It's in my good books for having a little bit of restaurant magic and a terrific kitchen. Yes, it takes elements from elsewhere, but remains uniquely itself. Book now or else you'll never get in.'

How about L'Escargot in Soho? Classic French, one Michelin star. I had a pre-dinner prix fixe around £30 which was good, and I'd expect a similar deal for lunch. The freeloaders might be impressed by the star, and the restaurant has a nice art collection with original s from Picasso, Matisse etc.

Having drunk a lot of wine ranging from inexpensive to trophy, I've come to the conclusion that there are generally only two kinds: 1) Fabulous nose, but the taste doesn't match up to expectation. 2) A wine that tastes better on the palate than your nose would lead you to expect. Rarely, there are the 'great' wines where nose and palate are wonderful. As for Parker, just like any other wine critic, his opinions are subjective. His exact flavour descriptions might not match yours. Sometimes I get he adjectives he describes, sometimes not. What's important is to find a reviewer who likes the same style as you. That way, you know you'll like his recommendations. For example, when I used to subscribe to the Wine Spectator, James Laube and Per-Henrik Mansson worked best for me.

I'd suggest dry New World Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc to go with the squid. Something with good vibrant acidity e.g. Australian Clare Valley, or New Zealand Marlborough. These would probably be OK with the soup also. From the US, I've liked 'Dr. L', Loosen's collaboration to produce Washington Riesling. Old world suggestion- go for sherry! Top quality fino or amontillado are cheap compared to regular table wines, and would serve as a nice appetizer that would work very well with the squid and probably ok with soup.

Wasn't it Johnson who said 'He who tires of London tires of life'? I don't have much experience of New York, except a superb meal at Daniel's so I can't compare London v New York in terms of breadth of quality and quantity. My feeling is that London is worst at the lower to mid-range for what it delivers. At the high end, the dining experiences can become memorable, but the prices are higher than USA or continental Europe. Some personal favourites: 1) Gordon Ramsay. Yes, he's practically a brand name now, forever in the media and involved with so many outlets. Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed my meal there. Food was superb. Something unexpected for me was the quality and creativity of the presentation. 2) Tom Aikens. My wife and I had dinner last autumn, and would love to return. Very imaginative presentations, in the style of modern art. Clever use of ingredients. Our only complaint was the quantity- we both felt overstuffed by the end. Only one other high-end restaurant, Pierre Gagnaire, has had that effect on us. 3) Lindsay House. Good honest cooking with a modern British flair. The waitstaff kindly let us eat our own cheese that we'd just bought at Neal's Yard. 4) Zaika. I'd rate the tasting menu there as the most creative Indian meal I've had. Fusion, but in an absolutely correct and harmonious way rather than confusion. 5) Nahm. A different world altogether than the typical Thai. Perhaps a bit too spicy for the average Western palate, but this is the real thing cooked with flair and top-class ingredients. Washed down our meal with a bottle of Grosset Riesling with a reasonable markup. Besides these big names, London does have plenty of less expensive options. Many will be duds, but there are gems too- it comes down to your personal preference. Rather than break the bank on dinner, check them out first for lunch or a pre-theater prix fixe. A few we've liked: 1) Cigala. Spanish food. Any restaurant that serves nice pimentios padron gets my vote. 2) Singapore Garden. Singapore/Malaysian cuisine. Authentic chilli crab. 3) Malabar Junction. South Indian Kerala cuisine. Most UK Indian restaurants feature North Indian cuisine, not this one. 4) L'Escargot. Classic French, single Michelin star.