Almadraba Park Hotel Nicholas Lander Nov 30, 2012

Best restaurants of 2012

Roast duck in Spain, truffles in the Rhone valley – our restaurant critic looks back at a year of wonderful eating

Chefs at work during the culinary tour de force at Louis XV in Monaco ©Realis Nov 25, 2012

Michelin men

Legendary chefs celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alain Ducasse’s emblematic restaurant Louis XV

Benjy Leibowitz, maître d’ at NoMad ©Flora Hanitijo Nicholas Lander Nov 23, 2012

New York: business as usual

So popular is NoMad’s signature roast chicken dish that it is selling more than 500 a week

Kin's Kitchen: memorable for its 'fascinating' double-boiled soup Nicholas Lander Nov 9, 2012

Hong Kong: gastronomical mystery tour

‘Two waiters served me a succession of Cantonese, all without a word of explanation’

Huw Gott and Will Beckett at their new restaurant ©Fred MacGregor Nicholas Lander Nov 2, 2012

The waiting game: Hawksmoor, Air St

Overall service levels in most restaurants – certainly in the UK and the US – have never been higher. A good waiter at Hawksmoor can earn £30,000 a year

Duck & Waffle’s signature dish ©Ming Tang-Evans Nicholas Lander Oct 19, 2012

Chrysan, Sushisamba and Duck & Waffle

Dining out with a view in London EC2. But did the food match the vistas?

Chef José Luis Díaz in the kitchen of Sense Pressa, Barcelona ©Laia Abril Nicholas Lander Oct 12, 2012

Sense Pressa and Bilbao, Barcelona

Two Catalan restaurants carry the standard for a tradition of warmth and hospitality that has long been a hallmark of this region

Oct 6, 2012

China’s comfort food zone

Hong Kong’s diners and clay pot restaurants serve hearty fare fit for winter

Ji-Sun Shin sells bulgogi baguettes from her home on Drayton Park ©Steve Ryan Nicholas Lander Oct 5, 2012

Seoul food in London

Many in the restaurant industry have talked of Korean food as ‘the next big thing’

José and João Carlos Pinheiro ©Pedro Lobo Nicholas Lander Sep 28, 2012

O Gaveto, Matosinhos, Portugal

‘Our Portuguese friend proudly explained that these exceptional raw ingredients were down to the expanse of Atlantic outside’

Nicholas Lander Sep 14, 2012

E5 Bakehouse, London

A café in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere in this part of London - and its sustainable ethos means it will only deliver to customers within cycling distance

Nicholas Lander Sep 7, 2012

At your service

What makes an exceptional restaurateur? In his new book, the FT’s restaurant critic, Nicholas Lander, talks to the creators of the world’s finest dining rooms - and relives his own adventures as a (wholly inexperienced) proprietor

Nicholas Lander Aug 24, 2012

La Beaugravière, France

February is the month for the freshest black truffles, but here they are preserved and served throughout the year

Nicholas Lander Jul 13, 2012

Paris: toute nouvelle cuisine

Three exciting openings – Les Jalles, Albion and Semilla – come as encouraging news for those who enjoy eating out in France

Jul 13, 2012

A nomadic Noma

The Copenhagen restaurant is hosting a 10-day London pop-up at Claridge’s. Peter Bazalgette gets an exclusive peek into exact – and esoteric – preparations

Jun 23, 2012

Five of the best trattorias

From vinegar quail and fried salted cod to chocolate pasta – Rome’s acquired tastes are replete with history

Jun 2, 2012

Casamia, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol

At what level of chef’s intervention, asks Tim Hayward, does a plate of raw veg rise above being, well, a plate of raw veg?

May 19, 2012

La Bouitte, France

Pauls Betts enjoys a spectacular Alpine setting and some creative dishes - but declines the ski run home

May 5, 2012

The Riviera reinvented

As stars descend on Cannes, the kitchens along the coast are showing renewed flair

May 5, 2012

Rochelle Canteen, London

‘Chocolate and coffee tart sang from the plate in keys as yet undreamed of,’ says Tim Hayward