Thrill Seekers

From dining 3,500 metres above sea level in the Andes to being immersed in an art installation pre-entrée, MICHAEL HARDEN counts down the 10 most exciting new restaurants in the world.

- Michael Harden

Balagan, Paris 

Near the top of the discerning Parisian’s wish list right now is Balagan, a beautifully designed restaurant and bar on the ground floor of The Renaissance Paris-Vendôme Hotel. Assaf Granit and Uri Navon, two Israeli chefs formerly of Jerusalem’s Machne- Yehuda and London’s Palomar and The Barbary dish up a fusion of Israeli, Moroccan and French cuisine. It’s a great perch to observe yet another example of the city of light’s newfound love of cuisines other than French. It’s also a whole lot of fun. Moroccan oysters are served with chermoula and radish, beef tartare is spiked with tahini and peppers, the veal sweetbreads are grilled and cocktails from the pretty bar might mix beet syrup, mezcal, coriander and sherry vinegar. They sync perfectly with Balagan’s loud, energetic, crazy Israeli-party vibe. 9 Rue d’Alger, Paris, balagan-paris.com

Bar Crenn, San Francisco