As the hospitality industry begins to emerge from the impact of the pandemic, restaurants and bars across the world are coming back bigger and better than ever. More than 400 venues have been added to 50 Best Discovery this year after recent rounds of 50 Best voting, which is a testament to the strength and diversity of the food and drink scene.
Today, we take a dive into nine up-and-coming establishments featured on 50 Best’s database of eating and drinking recommendations that were created and are led by female chefs, restaurateurs and bartenders
1. Fragrances, Berlin, Germany
In a glitzy nook of Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton hotel, Fragrances offers an evening of luxury and captivating showmanship. Indomitable mixologist Peggy Knuth is behind the bar and after beginning her career in the kitchen, she fell in love with the artistry of cocktail-making and now curates a one-of-a-kind concept: rather than employing a menu or cocktail list, she creates bespoke cocktails to suit each guest. Fine fragrances stand sentinel along the bar’s walkways under large cloches. These are not just intriguing showpieces but actual ingredients: Knuth invites guests to take a whiff and pick their favourites to form the basis of their cocktail.
2. Casa Cavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
While the setting of Casa Cavia – an historic 1920s mansion in Buenos Aires – might transport diners back in time, its female-led team offer a purely 21st-century experience. Guadeloupe García Morsqueda is the creative director while head chef Julieta Caruso and head bartender Flavía Arroyo are at the helm during service.
As each team member brings something unique to the table, Casa Cavia’s dishes are eclectic concoctions that showcase Argentinian cuisine and vibrant local ingredients. Don’t miss the special Sunday brunch: the individual menu features Latin classics such as tostadas with cream cheese and chimichurri-marinated vegetables with salsa.
3. Kumiko, Chicago, USA
Julia Momose heads up Kumiko, a Japanese omakase-style restaurant and cocktail bar in Chicago’s West Loop. Born and raised in Japan, Momose was introduced to hospitality by her mother and became inspired to pursue the bartending profession from her time working in Kobe. Since the venue’s opening in 2018, Momose – the owner as well as the resident mixologist – has created a menu of carefully selected cocktails and wine pairings to complement the small plates, all of which celebrate Japanese gastronomy and culture. Classics such as Martini and Daiquiri are laced with Japanese ingredients and sake is presented alongside each drink. Momose has recently penned her knowledge of Japanese mixology in her upcoming book, The Way of the Cocktail.
4. Aprazível, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
For many years, chef-owner Ana Castilho has attracted diners of all generations to her restaurant perched on a Santa Teresa hilltop. From the thatched terrace overlooking the picturesque Guanabara Bay, it’s clear why the restaurant was named Aprazível – ‘pleasant’ in Portuguese.
Castilho has honed what she calls ‘root cuisine’ in her kitchen, an approach that highlights Brazilian flavours and produce from local subsistence communities. Mains such as grilled octopus and oven-roasted goat are seasonal favourites, while the Brazilian spirit cachaça takes centre stage on the drinks menu. Castilho’s focus on sustainability doesn’t stop at organic produce – rainwater is harvested for the kitchen and cooking oil is upcycled into biodegradable soap.
5. Mr. Susan, Berlin, Germany
After the great success of her Korean street food restaurant, Germany-based Susan Choi set her sights on another venture: a cocktail bar in the capital. With her background in pop-ups that took her all over Berlin, it’s no wonder that Choi knew how to make her mark.
Choi takes inspiration from all over the globe, splicing memories of her childhood home in sunny California with flavours from her Korean heritage, such as kimchi and makgeolli rice wine. Celebrating its three-year anniversary this year, Mr. Susan has already become a top cocktail destination in Berlin’s urban jungle.
6. Happy Paradise, Hong Kong, China
The younger sister of Hong Kong’s Little Bao and Second Draft is certainly revolutionary, replete with diner-style booths and a bright pink glow. Characterised as chef May Chow’s ‘love letter to Chinese cuisine’, Happy Paradise has been a retro and neon-lit haven for incredible Asian dining since 2017.
Chow pays homage to traditional Chinese cuisine while adding her modern spin. The neo-Cantonese dishes include the ‘chicken and waffle’ – Szechuan fried chicken, sourdough egg waffle and salmon roe – and dim sum of pan-fried dumplings. Named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2017, Chow is outspoken about female empowerment and the LGBTQ community and she is changing perceptions in Hong Kong and beyond.
7. Somos, Quito, Ecuador
At Somos, meaning ‘we are’ in Spanish, chef-founder Alejandra Espinoza serves up a storm of Latin American flavours. Nostalgia for the dishes of her Ecuadorian childhood is combined with over 10 years’ worth of culinary training in France, giving the restaurant’s dishes a unique perspective. Pulled guinea pig dumplings star alongside shrimp ceviche and encocado stew – a traditional coastal fish seasoned with citrus and coconut. It’s all-things pineapple to round off the meal with a dessert that arrives as a take on a Piña Colada cocktail.
Espinoza moved to Quito in 2018 with her brother Alonso, with whom she opened the restaurant. Her motto, ‘Ecuadorian born. Globally inspired’, rings true for both the menu and the décor, which is a shrine to the nation’s eclectic materials and colours.
8. Charco Restaurante, São Paulo, Brazil
Nathalia Gonçalves is one half of the husband-and-wife team that runs Charco in São Paulo. While Tuca Mezzomo serves up the mains – picture grilled fare of Brazilian origin, such as barbecued ancho steaks – Gonçalves takes care of dessert. Her ice creams and sorbets are made from scratch in the restaurant with hero fruits native to Brazil, like the jaboticaba (a dark, grape-like berry grown particularly in São Paulo). Her prowess in pastry and skilful confectionery work have led to the opening of the restaurant’s offshoot, Charco Café, where customers with a sweet tooth can buy a range of Gonçalves’ latest and greatest inventions.
9. Em Sherif, Beirut, Lebanon
While cooking meals at home for her family, Mireille Hayek realised she had a passion for gastronomy. This eureka moment led her on a life-changing journey: she opened Em Sherif in 2011 and has not looked back since. Now, Hayek is leading a culinary empire and is one of Lebanon’s most respected restaurateurs. Outposts of her brand have been established in Kuwait, Riyadh, Doha, Damascus, Dubai and Cairo, while the inaugural Em Sherif is found in Beirut. Hayek has replaced traditional menus for a collection of 30-plus meze plates, with diners gathering around large tables and feasting on quintessential Lebanese dishes such as tabbouleh, hindbeh and banadoura.
‘50/50 is the new 50’ is a content series created by 50 Best and supported by S.Pellegrino with the shared aim of promoting equality, inclusivity and balance in the hospitality sector and beyond.
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