It was incredibly difficult for me to choose only five restaurant experiences for my list this year. We ate at so many great restaurants, but we also had delicious and bespoke experiences at several resorts this year too. We ate really well on all of our trips, with rarely an exception. I have to make an honorable mention here for the restaurants and bars at Nayara Resorts in Costa Rica. While they didn’t make the Top 5, it was a difficult decision to leave all of these lovely eateries off the list. We particularly loved the Nostalgia Bar Wine Pairing Dinner, as well as Asia Luna for some unique asian/latin fusion fare. I put together my rankings for Nayara Resorts here, and I definitely wanted to give them a shout out for amazing food and drinks throughout the resort.

My ranking system is completely unscientific. I take into account the quality of the food and service, as well as the vibe and atmosphere of the restaurant. Since it has been a long time since I have eaten at a bunch of these places, the way I feel when I think about my experience there plays a roll as well. Do I remember the food I ate? The atmosphere? Would I go back? That said, on to the list!

5. Feast Market & Cellar, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

Gosh, whenever I think about our experience at this local, upscale eatery, I get all of the warm fuzzies! Feast beat out several Michelin-starred restaurants we ate at this year due to the warm vibe, excellent food, and accommodating service. We came here after an IU Basketball game in the thick of winter, and we got here super early before they started serving dinner. No worries – they had snacks and delicious cold brew coffee to tide us over until dinner time. I remember having the most delicious pork chop I’ve ever had there, and the taste memory is still vivid almost a year later. All of the food was delicious, and the dessert was second-to-none. I wanted to try all of the items (there were at least 20 bakery items!) in the case, it all looked so yummy! I loved the cool, laid back vibe here, and the service was perfect. I follow Feast on Instagram, and am constantly wishing I lived closer to check out their brunch, as well as their special burgers. While Bloomington, Indiana is not a huge tourist hot spot, if you ever find yourself here, I highly recommend eating at Feast for any meal. Read all about our dinner here!

4. Wakuda, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Wakuda was a super fun, loud, hip, and delicious outing for our family this year in Las Vegas. So many things we ate here were new or unique, that we have awesome memories of this place. There is a ton of neon, as well as two large sumo wrestler statues in the middle of the restaurant all lit up in pink to accentuate the funky Tokyo vibe of the restaurant. There were a ton of highlights here, including the drinks. All of our drinks, including the kid’s zero-proof cocktails were delicious and unusual. The sake tasting was paired for the unique dishes we chose, and those were really fun to try. I loved the Iberico ham skewers, never having had the cured delicacy in cooked form before. The lollipop lamb chops also stole the show this evening. We were so amazed with all of savory options, that when our desserts were just as delicious, this restaurant definitely solidified itself on the Top Five list for the year. Do not miss the shaved ice extravaganza – Kakigori Brulee here, it is absolutely essential to cap off your meal! Read about all of the crazy stuff we ordered here – including the most expensive single bite of food I’ve ever had!

3. Chef’s Table at Sokasi, Four Seasons, Bali, Sayan, Indonesia

This was easily the most epic food experience we had during our trip to Bali. There were about eight courses of food, all based on things that Balinese people typically would only prepare for holidays. This was a seriously special meal, where each course was memorable due to its uniqueness, and the amazing flavors that you never thought could come from that particular animal. Highlights for me included the Ayam Timbungan (Chicken and spices cooked inside bamboo) and barramundi filets cooked in coconut husks which were fall apart delicious. Of course, the whole experience was capped off with a roasted suckling pig. This meal is extraordinary, and special, and not anything that you would normally get at a typical restaurant in Bali. It allowed us to taste all sorts of traditional foods at once, making the most of our much-too-short time in Bali. Read about all the details of this special dinner here.

2. Cloud Street, Singapore

Cloud Street wins this year for longest and most expensive meal, but it was also one of the absolute best. Choosing one Michelin-starred dining experience in Singapore is really tough, but we were all ecstatic about the tasting menu here, as well as the wine pairings. The switching to a different room entirely (one with lots of couches and pillows!) for dessert was a brilliant touch. I particularly remember the instructive and pleasant service, as well as the impeccably prepared food, served with obviously custom serving pieces, alongside delicious wine pairings. Cloud Street has two Michelin stars, and it easily deserves this accolade. Each dish was gorgeous, and perfect. The bread with molasses was a revelation, and the cheese plate I had with dessert was one of the best ever. I honestly can’t remember a tasting menu (apart from number one on this list this year) where I truly loved every single course. The special touches they gave for Noah’s graduation (and first two Michelin stars!) were lovely and surprising! Read all about our three-plus hour experience here!

1. Porto, Chicago, Illinois, USA

It was actually kind of easy to pick this year’s top restaurant for me. Porto is a relatively new addition to the ever increasing number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago, and has one star. My husband brought me here for my birthday, which maybe adds to the nostalgia factor for this restaurant, but even apart from that, I absolutely loved it here. The restaurant was obviously built with high design in mind, and every corner of this place is Instagrammable. I loved the velvet chairs and intimate tables, as well as the funky and retro decor. Tiles are everywhere, and so are canned and preserved fish and vegetables adding to the ambiance.

The food was the best and most unique of the year for sure. Their tasting menu is entirely pescatarian, although we also were able to add some Jamon Iberico to our courses. Because the menu is so focused on fish and vegetables, I felt perfectly full at the end of a long, 10+ course tasting menu. Typically, I would feel over-stuffed, gross, and grabbing for the Tums, but I felt actually super great after our meal here. Each course is gorgeous, and brings together so many different ways of cooking, I felt like Bubba from “Forrest Gump” naming all the ways you could prepare fish.

I really hope Porto sticks around in Chicago for a long time. I’m absolutely dying to come back here, maybe to try the a la carte menu, or a big group event in their stunning back atrium. Read all about my birthday dinner at Porto here, and don’t hesitate to grab a reservation here ASAP!