2024 was the year of big, big cities. We tackled three of the world’s biggest cities and one of the major goals in each place was to eat really incredible, hyper-local food. I think we succeeded in our quest this year, and it was tough to narrow down the top five best restaurants of the year. While the Chicago list had very few Michelin stars attached to it, our world list has a total of nine stars. I loved each restaurant not only for their excellent food, but also the excellent service and amazing decor or views. Good service and pacing are two of my most important criteria for a good restaurant experience, and two of the main reasons a few other Michelin starred restaurants (even one three-starred joint!) didn’t make the list. Enjoy this year’s list!

5. Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico

Rosetta in Mexico City’s hip Roma neighborhood earned its first Michelin star this year, and I absolutely loved their use of traditional Mexican ingredients and techniques here. Service was excellent, and the restaurant itself is adorable, like an indoor garden. We also loved the upstairs sitting room and bar, for a pre-dinner respite in a comfortable setting. The food is unique and excellent, and you can order a whole bunch of stuff on the menu to share. I recommend ordering as much as possible, as everything is delicious here. Check out my full review here!

4. St. John, London, England

In London, it was really tough to choose where to eat. The foodie culture here has exploded and there are 78 starred restaurants here. I chose St. John, a one-starred Michelin restaurant, for its focus on local meat and snout-to-tail cooking. We were thrilled with all of the food from the moment we arrived and started scarfing down the amazing sourdough bread. Our server was super helpful and attentive, and made excellent suggestions throughout. Looking back on the entire trip to London, St. John was my favorite restaurant that we ate at, so it was an easy pick for the Top 5 list. Check out the full review here!

3. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico

The top three of this list were really hard to put in order. Honestly, the three places could go to any of these restaurants. The final decision to put Quintonil in third place, rather than first, is probably the fact that there was one course, the bug course, that I didn’t absolutely love. This, however is countered by the previous course that was so incredible, it brought tears to my eyes. Quintonil earned its first two Michelin Stars this year, and deservedly so. It’s attention to detail, and use of native Mexican ingredients (including bugs!) is obviously apparent, and the food really sings because of it. Quintonil is a very special place, indeed, and you should definitely check out my article for more details on why I loved this place so much.

2. Arpege, Paris, France

Arpege is a three-starred Michelin restaurant on the left bank in Paris. Very close to the Musee D’Orsay, it’s in a very cool, but very quiet neighborhood. It’s facade is unassuming, as is the interior. The walls are embroidered with pastoral and garden scenes, and the rattan chairs evoke an outdoor/garden feel. Our service here was impeccable, and every single course was a piece of art. I discovered a love of heirloom radishes, simply prepared with olive oil, salt, and a bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. We reveled in delicious french wines and digestifs. We joked with our servers, Victor and Hugo, and had a great time during our tasting. Arpege will be a restaurant we’ll remember for a very long time, and when I plant radish seeds this spring, I’ll have even more anticipation for my summer crop than usual! Check out all of the details of our experience here!

1. Le Jules Verne, Paris, France

Le Jules Verne is a surprising two-star Michelin restaurant right inside the Eiffel Tower and beats out Arpege only because of the views. We anticipated good food, and great views, but everything here surpassed our expectations. Each course was seemingly traditional, but with a twist. Nothing was boring here, and each course excited the palate in astonishing ways.

The service here was impeccable as well, and we enjoyed chatting with the various servers and somms that assisted us throughout the tasting. We stayed an enjoyed ourselves for a good long while, though the pacing was perfect and not too slow. Enjoying an exquisite dinner in such a world famous building was nothing short of magnificent. Don’t overlook Le Jules Verne when traveling to Paris for either lunch or dinner. Check out my full review here!