50 Best explores the restaurants championing the cuisines of so-called ‘Blue Zone’ regions, whose residents seem to live exceptionally long lives.
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Around the world, the regions of Nicoya in Costa Rica, Japan's Okinawa, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia and California have been dubbed 'Blue Zones' for producing a record number of centenarians. The phenomenon is seemingly born out of lifestyles rooted in strong community ethos, natural landscapes and low stress levels, alongside a varied diet of seasonal produce and plant-rich slow cooking.
With a quest for longevity firmly bedded into the zeitgeist, 50 Best rounds up nine restaurants flying the flag for 'Blue Zone cuisine', using everything from heritage ingredients to gut-friendly methods of preparation.
Sikwa, San José
@sikwa.cr
The roasted octopus at Sikwa is marinaded with tiger's milk and puréed tomatoes
A strong sense of community is at the heart of every Blue Zone, including lush tropical Nicoya in Costa Rica. Eleven years ago, chef Pablo Bonilla travelled through the country on a research mission, documenting recipes from Indigenous communities and fostering supply chains between farmers and eateries. “My initial intention was never to open a restaurant,” he says, “but Sikwa’s mission has been to bring the rich history of our culture to the table for people to enjoy.”
Working with everything from purple corn – a principal Nicoya Blue Zone crop – to pejibaye (peach palm fruit) and chayote squash, Bonilla showcases modern takes on traditional plates in a jungle-like indoor-outdoor space that belies the location off San José’s bustling Central Avenue. Even cocktails employ the philosophy, their refreshing take on the agua de sapo made with ginger, lemon, rum and a garnish of gooseberry.
Chez Panisse, Berkeley
@chezpanisse
Guests can watch their meals being prepared in the open kitchen at Chez Panisse
One thing that all Blue Zones have in common is a major love-in with local, seasonal, ultra-fresh fruit and veg. And if there’s one US restaurant that epitomises the farm-to-fork movement, it’s Chez Panisse, setting the standard for Californian cuisine, having basically invented it in the early 1970s.
The interior may seem deceptively intimidating with its white tablecloths and tables built from reclaimed oak and fig trees. But thanks to the lead of celeb chef-owner Alice Waters, the food is presented in a relaxed manner that yields the spotlight to the freshness of organic, locally sourced produce. It has a relaxed, uncomplicated feel that lets exquisite-quality, impeccably sourced Cali produce shine. Menus adapt in consultation with farmers on what's in season; among early autumn's bounty, expect the likes of chanterelle mushroom salad with grilled spring onions, wild rocket and sauce gribiche.
Fradis Minoris, Pula
@fradisminoris
Fradis Minoris overlooks Sardinia's placid Nora lagoon
Sardinia’s unhurried way of life has contributed to an unusually high number of healthy centenarians.. And things are pretty laid-back in Pula, a south-coast seaside resort blending powdery beaches, sun-soaked streets and turquoise shores. Right on the waterfront of the biodiverse Nora lagoon, Fradis Minoris puts the surrounding landscapes first.
Local fish are sourced from traditional fisherfolk and niche vegetables (they have brought back pompia, a wrinkly citrus with notes of cedar native to Sardinia) and biodynamic wines from producers on the island. The artfully plated tasting menu from Sardinian chef Francesco Stara served on a simple sea-facing terrace features a lush bounty of freshly harvested mussels, octopus, grey mullet and razor clams incorporated into pastas or served alongside creative tuiles and floral garnishes.
Soil, Athens
@soilrestaurant.gr
Chefs choose ingredients at Soil's herb garden in Alepochori
“We follow a true farm-to-table philosophy, starting with planting seeds months in advance and nurturing them as seasons change,” says Soil chef patron Tasos Mantis. Set steps from the ancient Panathenaic Stadium in artsy Athenian neighbourhood Pangrati, Soil is “guided by nature’s cycles” and “purity of ingredients” – most of which come from the chef’s private garden in Alepochori, an hour away. With organic rare herbs, edible flowers and vegetables on show, as well as plentiful fish, meals have an affinity with the Blue Zone isle of Ikaria. Expect shrimp with orange, pecan and marigold served on earthy pottery in an open-air courtyard.
Sola, London
@solasoho
At Sola, langoustines are flambéed tableside and served on a rock alongside a dashi broth
While it might not enjoy the Californian weather, this London restaurant takes the Golden State ethos of globe-trotting flavours and seasonal ingredients and applies it in a cosy dining room in the heart of Soho. Cushy rose banquets, tropical foliage and warm lighting set the scene for American chef Victor Garvey’s eclectic menu, hopping from a snack-sized sardine toast with grape and almond hot pot of langoustine ginger and mushroom.
Manzú, Nicoya
@manzurestaurant
The rondón stew is one of the staples of the Pura Vida tasting menu at Manzú
Steps from the jungle-clad beachfront in the Blue Zone of Nicoya in Costa Rica, Manzú channels Costa Rican pura vida (simple life) culture with tables nestled in the sand and strings of lights hung beneath a canopy of trees. To a soundtrack of rushing surf, an open kitchen turns out twists on traditional Tico-style recipes, such as pejibaye palm – used by Indigenous peoples the way corn is used today for tortilla – crusted with panko breadcrumbs and wood-smoked spicy peppers. Try the rondón stew, silky with coconut and studded with seafood.
La Madia, Licata
@lamadiaristorante.licata
Next door to Sardinia in slow-living Sicily, intimate La Madia – sitting around 40 guests each service – showcases chef Pino Cuttaia’s interpretation of Italian island cuisine. Across two minimalist dining rooms, a parade of nostalgic takes on superb seafood pours forth – a dish of rice and scampi; a perfect pasta and fish soup. Crisp arancini, brightened with saffron, come softened with a rich ragu of mullet, pine nut and fennel. Meanwhile delicate ravioli are stuffed with squid and tinniruma (sprouts of Sicilian cucuzza squash) and finished with umami-rich anchovy sauce.
Mavrommatis, Paris
@mavrommatislerestaurant
The minimalist, stone-hued interiors at Mavrommatis invite relaxation
For more than 40 years the Mavrommatis name has been representing the sun-soaked, feelgood cuisine of Greece in Paris. Its flagship romantic restaurant – dressed in floaty white fabrics and putty-hued walls to evoke a sophisticated, contemporary twist on Grecian-island dining – celebrates classic Hellenic flavours and terroirs while employing precise contemporary cooking methods. Tuck into grilled eggplant scented with wild thyme, paired with Obsiblue prawn farmed exclusively from New Caledonia finished with lardo di colonnata, or octopus with flaky filo pastry, xinomavro wine-cooked onion and sea lettuce.
Ryukyu Gastronomia — Bellezza, Okinawa
Bitter goya and purple sweet potatoes, crunchy shima-rakkyo shallots and bumpy atemoya fruit: tropical Okinawa has a cuisine a world away from what you’ll find on mainland Japan. Bellezza, the restaurant at plush Hoshinoya Okinawa resort, makes the most of the nutrient-rich local produce and pairs it with a dose of Italian flair.
In the contemporary white- and blue-dressed dining space, overlooking the sea, the kitchen serves up a kusuimun menu, meaning ‘food as medicine’. The nine-course ramble might include kuruma prawn (Japanese tiger prawn) with aosa seaweed and sea grapes, or juicy steamed red snapper.
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