Destination dining: 6 remote restaurants worth the journey

The phrase “culinary journey” can have a literal meaning. Far from city lights and certainly not easy to access, these destination restaurants require a willingness to go out of your way – yet reward it in equal measure. Set deep in forests, balanced on coastlines or reached by winding mountain roads, they offer bucket-list dining experiences to the intrepid foodies.  

The 2023 documentary, The Most Remote Restaurant in the World, centred on the two-Michelin-starred Koks in Greenland, captured diners’ imaginations with its far-flung location, reachable only by multiple modes of transport. It prompted an intriguing question: just how far is a great meal was worth travelling for? Here are six more restaurants which share the same DNA: serving chef-driven, experimental food in remote locations for a dining experience like no other.

1. Ynishir, Wales, UK 

One of the UK’s best restaurants, the two-Michelin-starred Ynishir , occupies a black-painted farmhouse on the remote Welsh coast, south of Snowdonia National Park and several hours from the nearest city. During a marathon dinner of up to 30 courses spread across four hours, charismatic chef Gareth Ward creates playful, boundary-pushing dishes built around fire, fermentation and pickling. For the full experience, guests can stay overnight and wake to breakfast, with bacon and eggs cooked by the chef himself.

2. Naar, India

Naar , whose name means “fire” in Kashmiri, brings fine dining to the Himalayan foothills, seating just 16 guests at 1,460m above sea level. Its multi-course, farm-to-table menu shows off the region’s historic techniques and finest produce, such as wild Himalayan fig and mountain potatoes, across two tasting menus of more than 10 courses each – one meat, one vegetarian – served on kitsch tableware in mid-century modern interiors. Chef Prateek Sadhu, whose CV includes Alinea and The French Laundry, co-founded Masque in Mumbai before being drawn to the mountains. This bucket-list venue is accessed via scenic but challenging roads and sits within the Amaya boutique hotel for a full retreat at altitude.

3. Turner Farm, Maine, US

Featured on National Geographic’s Restaurants at the End of the World, Turner Farm is a diversified organic seaside farm established in 1784 on North Haven, an island 19km off the coast of Maine. Its rustic “barn suppers” take place on Thursdays, Fridays and selected Saturdays between June and late September, with seasonal menus built around farm-grown produce, local seafood and meat, and home-baked desserts. Meals are served family-style at communal tables beneath strings of fairy lights. Accessible via a boat ride from the mainland, this popular wedding venue pairs postcard-perfect rural scenery with sustainable cooking.

4. The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station, New Zealand 

When a restaurant is accessible only by helicopter or all-terrain vehicle (ATV), you know the experience will be memorable. The Chef's Table at Blue Duck Station , located 350km south of Auckland on the edge of Whanganui National Park, offers exactly that. Four luxury cabins sit beside the restaurant, while experiences such as the ATV Bush Safari Dinner Bed & Breakfast combine a two-hour rainforest adventure with dinner and an overnight stay. The roughly 10-course menu changes constantly, featuring ingredients farmed, foraged or grown on and around the station. Dishes might include venison with beetroot and cherry, green pumpkin with caviar or smoked tomatoes with saffron, all served against a spectacular wilderness backdrop.

5. Refuge du Plan de l’Aiguille, France 

At 2,207m in the heart of the Mont Blanc Massif, Refuge du Plan de l’Aiguille combines hearty Savoyard cooking with sweeping alpine views. Pastry chef Claude Quenot spent years shaping the refuge’s culinary identity, blending traditions with refined technique. This summer, management passed to Eddy Veillet and Céline Mila, who continue its warm, welcoming mountain restaurant spirit. Cheese and cured meats remain staples, but expertly made pies and elevated regional dishes such as farcement – a savoury-sweet alpine cake – are equally compelling. Overnight stays are available, with beds starting from a remarkably affordable €30 (HK$268) per person.

6. The Cave by Chef Ryan Clift, Bali, Indonesia 

At Bali’s southernmost tip lies one of the island’s most unusual dining experiences. The Cave by Chef Ryan Clift is a 22-seat restaurant set entirely within a natural underground cavern, where guests dine beneath stalactites and rugged limestone walls. The seven- and 10-course menus, available in classic and vegetarian versions, showcase the restaurant’s modern experimental approach and change every four months. Previous dishes have included asparagus with chive emulsion and pumpkin seed dukka, alongside dry-aged duck with spiced carrot purée. The dramatic setting may draw guests in, but it's the technical precision and depth of flavour that leave a lasting impression.