Some of the world’s best restaurants are popping up in unexpected places. The trend for temporary, ad hoc restaurant appearances featuring some stellar chef names from around the world, has returned with a vengeance after a few years out of favour.
Most of the industry is battling to contend with a perfect storm of staffing issues, soaring costs and a post-pandemic balance book that keeps chefs awake at night. However, some leading restaurants are finding relief in a new environment, a new market with new enthusiasm and ingredients to work with. The pop-up is back and here are some of the most exciting ones.
Noma Kyoto
Photo: Peter Brinch
Kyoto, 15 March to 20 May 2023
The death of fine dining has been greatly exaggerated. A million headlines around the world proclaimed that, if the best restaurant in the world couldn’t sustain a business model, then there was no hope for anyone else. Noma, however, has always been agile, always confounded expectations and part of chef René Redzepi’s masterplan includes various pop-ups around the world while also focusing on Noma Projects. The Kyoto pop-up is the first in what is, hopefully, a long line of exciting destinations where the notoriously geeky food crew at Noma get their hands on new and interesting ingredients. The pop-up is sold out, but there is a cancellation list available if you sign up for Noma’s newsletter.
L’Enclume
Photo: Nikki To
Sydney, 19 July to 20 August 2023
After three years of Covid-interrupted planning, England’s three-Michelin-star chef Simon Rogan is finally taking his L’Enclume to Bathers’ Pavilion, Sydney. Rogan is a lover of Australia and its cuisine and diners can expect an eight-course menu with some new creations based on local ingredients as well as some of the signature dishes that have made L’Enclume the only three-starred restaurant in the North of England, like the Berkswell pudding caramelised in birch sap, with stout vinegar and aged Berkswell, as well as the seaweed custard, beef broth and bone marrow with Sydney rock oysters and caviar.
Reservations are available here.
Ana in Slon
Ljubljana, February to April, 2023
Slovenian superstar chef Ana Roš is leaving the wilds of Kobarid and coming to the country’s capital Ljubljana, for a three-month pop-up at the Hotel Slon. The theme is ‘rock&roll’ with an emphasis on an easy-going atmosphere, top music and excellent flavours. Dishes will be based on meat, fish and vegetables, using the best ingredients Slovenia has to offer sourced from the city’s famed fruit and vegetable market and turned into stunning dishes by the creativity of chef Roš. Reservations are available through the Instagram account @anainslon.
Mirazur Beyond Borders
Photo: Courtesy of Mirazur
Sydney, 10 March to 9 April 2023
Sydney’s diners are spoiled for choice as another three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco is taking his French restaurant Mirazur, formerly number one on The World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, to The Gantry restaurant, Sydney Harbour. The pop-up will serve the famed Lunar Menus of Mirazur, which run in parallel to the moon’s cycles – 10 to 19 March: Flower Universe; 21 to 26 March: Leaf Universe; 28 March to 2 April: Root Universe; and 4 to 9 April: Fruit Universe. Colagreco will also use his renowned culinary creativity to serve up new dishes based on local Australian ingredients.
