The Best Restaurants in the World to Visit with Avios

Holidays say a lot about a person. Some people plan them around beaches, others spend weeks researching museums, shopping or a hotel with an infinity pool. And then there are those who’ll happily fly halfway around the world for dinner. If you're in that last group, you've got your priorities straight. A good meal is as valid a reason to travel as any.

The good news is that a healthy Avios balance can make this particular obsession a little easier to indulge. Of course, deciding where to eat is another matter entirely.

To help narrow down your Avios travel inspiration, we've picked 10 extraordinary restaurants to ease your entry. Food lovers will no doubt have their own favourite foodie travel experiences, but every restaurant on this list has something special going for it.

Your Avios will help with the journey. Unfortunately, the restaurant bill is still your problem.

Alchemist, Copenhagen

Most restaurants serve you dinner. Alchemist takes over your entire evening, and possibly your thoughts for the next few days.

Chef Rasmus Munk's Copenhagen restaurant occupies a former shipbuilding warehouse on Refshaleøen, where guests move through different spaces during a four- to six-hour experience. The evening includes up to 50 impressions that combine food, theatre, art and social commentary. Some courses tackle uncomfortable subjects such as food waste and sustainability, while others just surprise and entertain. It's certainly not your average dinner date.

Alchemist makes you question where cooking ends and art begins. It’s an extraordinary example of how far modern gastronomy can push the boundaries of dining. It also comes with a suitably extraordinary price tag. The Alchemist Experience costs DKK 5,600 per person (approximately £629), and that’s before drinks. This is definitely one to save for a special occasion.

Getting a table might be the first challenge. Alchemist releases new reservations every three months, with tables available for the next two to three months. Tables for two are the most difficult to find, so it’s probably a good idea to sign up for booking updates. There's also a waiting list for anyone who misses out.

The good news is that getting to Copenhagen shouldn't drain your Avios balance. The cost of an off-peak return Economy fare to Copenhagen is 20,000 Avios plus £5. It's a relatively accessible way to get yourself to one of the world's most ambitious restaurants, though your dining budget may need a little extra attention.

Disfrutar, Barcelona

Barcelona is already one of Europe's best food destinations, but Disfrutar gives serious food lovers another reason to book a flight. The restaurant is run by three former elBulli chefs, Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, who’ve taken experimental cooking in a wonderfully playful direction. Their tasting menus take familiar Mediterranean ingredients and turn them into dishes that look, taste and feel nothing like you'd expect.

Disfrutar holds three Michelin stars and topped The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024. One of its most famous creations is a multi-spherical pesto, which transforms a perfectly ordinary Italian sauce into something you probably wouldn't recognise. It's clever cooking, but the chefs clearly want their guests to have a good time too. The restaurant even encourages guests to choose a tasting menu without reading every detail beforehand. And why not? Half the fun is discovering what's coming next.

Both the Disfrutar Classic and Festival tasting menus are currently priced at €325 (approximately £272) per person. Reservations can be made up to 12 months in advance, and given the restaurant's reputation, leaving it until the last minute would be asking for disappointment.

Try extending your trip and spending a few extra days in Barcelona to also explore everything else it has to offer. Throw in the city's tapas bars, the Gothic Quarter, Gaudí's architecture and a bit of beach time, and there's enough to keep anyone busy for a long weekend. That's assuming they can tear themselves away from the food.

You can travel with Avios on an off-peak return Economy fare for 26,000 points plus £5. And with flights costing so little in cash, there might even be room in the budget for another fancy dinner.

Le Bernardin, New York

New York has no shortage of expensive restaurants, but few have earned their reputation as convincingly as Le Bernardin. Chef Eric Ripert's Manhattan institution has been setting the standard for seafood fine dining for decades. It has three Michelin stars and has maintained a four-star rating from The New York Times across successive reviews. It’s an extraordinary achievement in a city where restaurants come and go faster than a New York minute.

Le Bernardin's philosophy is simple. Forget sleeping with the fishes. Here, the fish get star treatment. The menu includes beautifully executed seafood, with dishes such as thinly pounded yellowfin tuna layered over foie gras and toasted baguette, finished with chives. It sounds simple enough, but there's a reason Ripert has spent decades at the top of his game.

The restaurant has a classic feel to it, with attentive service, an elegant dining room and seafood cooked to perfection. There are no elaborate presentations or theatrical surprises here. The focus is firmly on the food, and with ingredients this good, there's little need for anything else.

The three-course lunch is a great way to experience it without spending a fortune on dinner. At $139 (approximately £104), it's hardly cheap, but it's a good deal considering the restaurant's reputation and what dinner can cost. Reservations open on the first day of each month for the following month, so book as soon as possible. Tables can be reserved online or over the phone.

New York is also one of the world's greatest cities for casual eating. Spend the rest of your trip exploring Chinatown, hunting down the perfect pizza slice, sampling bagels and eating your way through the wonderfully diverse food neighbourhoods of Queens. You could even combine Le Bernardin with Atomix, another restaurant on our list, for two very different fine-dining experiences.

Business Class Avios reward flights to New York for an off-peak return flight cost 176,000 Avios plus £499. A comfortable flight across the Atlantic makes a rather nice start to a food-filled New York holiday.

Den, Tokyo

Fine dining can sometimes take itself too seriously, but Den is a welcome exception. Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa has based his Tokyo restaurant around the warmth and generosity of Japanese home cooking, with a generous helping of humour. The food stays true to Japanese traditions, but the presentation and atmosphere are refreshingly playful. You won’t find any of the stuffiness that can come with a Michelin-starred meal.

One of Den's best-known creations is its take on fried chicken, served in a takeaway-style box that you could easily mistake for something picked up at a fast-food joint. There’s also the monaka wafer sandwich, filled with foie gras, miso and seasonal produce. The dishes are clever and beautifully made, but they also make people smile.

The playful approach doesn't stop at the food either. The staff are famously warm and welcoming, and guests are made to feel like old friends. Den has earned international recognition for its inventive Japanese cuisine, yet its greatest strength may be how comfortable it makes guests feel.

The restaurant does require a little planning. Reservations are accepted only by telephone between noon and 5 pm, Monday to Saturday, and can be made up to two months in advance. The restaurant doesn't accept bookings through third-party platforms.

Located in Jingumae, it’s close to Harajuku and Omotesando, which means you can easily combine dinner with some of Tokyo's best shopping and neighbourhood exploration. You could spend hours exploring ramen shops, sushi counters, yakitori restaurants, department-store food halls and Tsukiji's outer market without going anywhere near an expensive tasting menu.

The cost of an off-peak return Business Class fare to Tokyo is 220,000 points plus £699 if you travel with Avios.

Odette, Singapore

For a small city-state that’s often called a melting pot of ethnicities, Singapore takes its food seriously. A city where people happily queue for an hour for a plate of chicken rice is clearly doing something right. The food scene runs the full gamut, with brilliant hawker stalls serving meals for a few pounds and Michelin-starred restaurants where the bill might require a second look.

Odette is definitely at the luxurious end of that spectrum. The restaurant is named after Chef Julien Royer's grandmother, whose cooking inspired his love of food. It's a lovely backstory, although grandmother Odette might be surprised at what her grandson now charges for dinner.

Lunch tasting menus currently start at SGD 288 (approximately £169) before taxes and service charges, while the dinner menu costs SGD 498 (approximately £291). Neither is exactly an impulse purchase, but lunch is the sensible choice if you want the Odette experience without quite the same damage to your wallet. Reservations require a deposit, and the restaurant asks for at least 72 hours' notice for changes.

Royer’s cooking is rooted in classic French techniques, but his years in Asia have clearly left their mark. The result is elegant, delicate cooking built around exceptional produce. He works with regional herbs, citrus and spices, alongside vegetables and flowers grown by Singaporean farmers. Royer seems to understand that when the produce is this good, the cleverest thing a chef can do is know when to leave it alone.

The setting is impressive, too. Odette occupies a beautiful space inside Singapore's National Gallery, so guests can combine a world-class meal with one of the city's major cultural attractions.

You can book an off-peak return Business Class fare to Singapore for 242,000 Avios plus £770. There's plenty here to justify a longer stay, especially if your idea of a good holiday involves planning the next meal before finishing the current one.

Gaggan, Bangkok

Bangkok doesn't believe in boring food, and chef Gaggan Anand seems determined to take that philosophy to its logical extreme.

Most tasting menus ask guests to sit back and admire the chef's creativity, but Anand isn't one for following the fine-dining rulebook. His Bangkok restaurant is all about progressive Indian cuisine, delivered with plenty of theatre, humour and a willingness to break fine-dining conventions. Expect bold flavours, surprising textures, unusual presentations and an atmosphere that feels closer to a performance than a traditional restaurant.

Gaggan borrows techniques and ideas from kitchens around the world to bring guests the bold, punchy flavours of Indian cooking with a thoroughly unconventional makeover. Purists might raise an eyebrow, but the results have made his restaurant one of Asia's most talked-about dining destinations. Gaggan was ranked first on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025 and third in 2026.

The restaurant is located on Sukhumvit 31, within reach of Bangkok's shopping districts, hotels and nightlife. It currently opens Thursday to Monday, so check the restaurant's schedule before planning your visit.

Bangkok is already one of the best food destinations in the world, even without a reservation at Gaggan. While you’re here, explore Chinatown's street-food stalls, sample boat noodles, find a good som tam vendor and make time for the city's markets and riverside restaurants.

An off-peak return Business Class fare costs 220,000 Avios plus £699. A few nights in Bangkok can make a fantastic food-led city break, although the sheer number of restaurants worth visiting may tempt you to stay considerably longer.

Atomix, New York

Le Bernardin may represent New York's fine-dining establishment, but Atomix shows just how exciting the city's newer generation of restaurants can be. Run by husband-and-wife team Junghyun and Ellia Park, Atomix is focused on Korean cuisine. It has a contemporary tasting menu that combines extraordinary technique with a deep respect for Korean ingredients and traditions.

Guests sit around an intimate U-shaped counter, with a front-row seat to everything happening in the kitchen. Each course comes with a beautifully designed card explaining the ingredients and the story behind the dish. It's a lovely touch, especially for diners who aren't familiar with Korean cuisine. And there's something rather satisfying about knowing exactly what you're eating and why it matters, especially when you've travelled all the way to New York for dinner.

Atomix holds two Michelin stars and has received international recognition for its cuisine and hospitality. It’s located in Manhattan's NoMad neighbourhood, so you can easily combine your visit with galleries, museums and the city's cocktail bars.

Reservations are essential, with two evening seatings available at the chef's counter. Guests with dietary restrictions should check the restaurant's policies carefully, as the kitchen cannot accommodate several common allergies and dietary preferences.

An off-peak return Business Class ticket to New York is 176,000 Avios plus £499. Those same reward flights could take you to Le Bernardin, Atomix or both, if you're feeling especially ambitious.

Quintonil, Mexico City

Mexico City is worth visiting for its tacos alone, but Quintonil makes a good case for saving room for something fancier. Chef Jorge Vallejo and co-founder Alejandra Flores have built one of Mexico's most acclaimed restaurants around the country's extraordinary ingredients and culinary traditions. Quintonil holds two Michelin stars and was ranked third in The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025.

The cooking is a celebration of Mexican food, with local ingredients and traditional flavours at its heart. There's plenty of modern culinary wizardry involved, but the chefs know better than to mess with the flavours that make Mexican cuisine so special. The October 2026 tasting menu includes dishes such as a tamal made with ayocote beans and cacahuazintle corn, along with trout accompanied by an adobo made using chicatana ants.

These are ingredients with deep roots in Mexican food culture, presented in ways that even experienced diners may find surprising. The tasting menu currently costs MXN 6,090 (approximately £247) per person, with optional wine pairings. Reservations should be made through the restaurant's official booking system, and guests with dietary restrictions are encouraged to provide details in advance.

Quintonil is located in Polanco, one of Mexico City's most fashionable neighbourhoods. The surrounding area has excellent restaurants, boutiques and galleries, while the city's wider food scene will give you several days of exploration. You can spend time at Mercado de San Juan, discover the markets and street-food stalls of Coyoacán, visit the Frida Kahlo Museum and explore the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacán.

An off-peak return Business Class fare to Mexico City costs 198,000 Avios plus £599.

Boragó, Santiago

Chile's landscapes are extraordinary, and Boragó is determined to put them on your plate. Chef Rodolfo Guzmán has spent years exploring the country's native ingredients, working with small producers and foragers to create a tasting menu rooted in Chilean territory. His kitchen draws inspiration from the Pacific coast, the Andes, Patagonia and the country's forests and valleys.

The restaurant works with over 200 collectors and small producers across Chile. Its ingredients include wild mushrooms, native fruits, edible plants and unusual seafood gathered according to the seasons.

Boragó's Endémica menu changes throughout the year, so guests can expect a dining experience based on what's available at the time of their visit. The current menu costs CLP 199,000 (approximately £152) per person and includes around 12 to 18 preparations. Wine and juice pairings are available separately. Make sure you have your credit card on hand to secure reservations.

You can fly on an off-peak return Business Class fare to Santiago for 242,000 Avios plus £770.

FYN, Cape Town

As if Cape Town needed another reason to tempt travellers. It's already got Table Mountain, beautiful beaches, famous vineyards and coastal scenery that could make even the most seasoned traveller reach for their camera. And just when you thought the city couldn't get any better, along comes FYN with a pretty convincing argument for booking a table.

Chef Peter Tempelhoff's restaurant gives South Africa’s finest ingredients a Japanese twist by combining local flavours with Japanese cooking techniques and traditions. It's an unusual marriage of culinary cultures, but one that makes perfect sense on the plate. Even the restaurant's name pays tribute to its surroundings. It comes from fynbos, the vegetation found across South Africa's Cape region. The connection to the land runs deep here, and thankfully, it tastes every bit as good as it sounds.

The restaurant has earned international recognition, including the Sustainable Restaurant Award at The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. It was also ranked 82nd in the organisation's extended 2025 list.

The Experience Menu currently costs R2,475 (approximately £113) per person, with optional wine pairings. Reservations require a deposit, and cancellations made within 48 hours may result in forfeiture of the deposit. FYN occupies the fifth floor of a building in central Cape Town, so you’ll be within reach of many of the city's main attractions.

Book an off-peak return Business Class flight for 198,000 Avios plus £599.

Planning Your Next Foodie Adventure with Avios

The best foodie travel experiences often start with one restaurant you desperately want to visit. The challenge is finding reward flights that work with your reservation dates.

Some restaurants release tables months ahead, while others have specific booking windows or require guests to call. Disfrutar allows bookings up to a year in advance, while Den accepts reservations only two months ahead by telephone.

Check the restaurant's booking calendar before committing to your travel dates. If you've managed to secure an especially hard-to-find table, that reservation may end up determining the rest of your trip.

The good news is that Avios can help make some of these ambitious trips possible, especially when you're planning a long-haul journey in Business Class.

How to Find Reward Flights for These Destinations

Reward Flight Finder takes a lot of the legwork out of hunting for British Airways reward flights. You can check availability across different dates and cabins, so it’s easier to plan your trip around the flights you can get. A little flexibility with your dates can go a long way, especially on popular routes.

Of course, there's nothing quite as frustrating as finally securing a table at a restaurant you've been dreaming about, only to discover there aren't any suitable reward flights. But once you’ve set Availability Alerts for your preferred route and dates, you'll be notified when reward seats become available. No need to keep checking the same flights every morning.

Gold members can take things a step further with Flight-by-Flight Alerts, which let them track specific flights, airports and departure times. That's best for when the restaurant reservation is fixed, and the travel dates aren't up for negotiation.

One last thing: Avios reward flight prices can vary depending on the date, cabin, and the Avios-and-cash combination selected. Reward seats aren't guaranteed either, so it's always wise to get your flights and restaurant bookings lined up before committing to any non-refundable plans. Nobody wants to end up with a very expensive dinner reservation and no way of getting there.