17 Restaurants Anthony Bourdain Practically Worshipped

Anthony Bourdain speaks of Le Dôme Café as if it's a work of French art; the old-world decor, dim lighting, no fuss goodness. "Le Dôme is an old classic. And I mean classic with a capital C," Bourdain says as he gets comfy in a booth. He experienced the Parisian gem back in 2012 during season two of "The Layover." After a harrowing interaction with his greatest fear, a mime, he recovered by ducking into the timeless brasserie in the 6th arrondissement.

Like a kid on Christmas morning, his eyes widened at the sight of the Royal Deluxe Seafood Tower hitting the table; a large array of clams, shrimp, langoustine, crabs, periwinkle, whelks, and oysters. Bourdain dove into shell after shell, savoring every last salty bite. The seafood is so succulent it doesn't seem to require many accouterments, but he dunks the whelk, or bulots, in a bit of mayo without question.

The majestic tower is served alongside an array of tools that could overwhelm most, but not Bourdain. His delight was palpable, as he confidently stated with a shell in hand, "If there are two things you do in Paris, this is one of them." Despite its luxury price, Bourdain has no problem getting his hands dirty. That's the way to do it, he says. 

Anthony Bourdain explored an endless amount of cities, whether during one of his many shows or on his own time, but a few spots became frequent destinations for him. The Basque country definitely makes that list, and the city of San Sebastián makes an even more elite collection for Bourdain, the best places to eat in all of Europe. In season nine of his final show, "Parts Unknown," Bourdain traveled to San Sebastián once again and headed straight for his go-to spot, Ganbara. As he said, "I come here every time, like a heat-seeking missile."

Tucked away in northern Spain, Ganbara serves traditional Basque cuisine in cozy digs. Here, a sip of beer pairs nicely with an assortment of pinchos, the Basque country's take on tapas. As a chef, Bourdain finds comfort in watching others work, and he knows the sense of camaraderie in the kitchen. It didn't take long for Bourdain to bond with the staff during his first visit years back, but it's not just the warm company that keeps him returning. It's the incredibly fresh seafood and Basque specialties made to perfection.

German gastronomy is often overlooked alongside its more popular neighbors. Bourdain has always been a root-for-the-underdog type of guy, and that energy is what helped him uncover some of the world's most incredible culinary treasures, one being Brauerei zur Malzmühle. During season seven of "Parts Unknown," he visited Cologne, Germany, which he notes is often considered the ugly duckling of German cities. The historical city was heavily impacted during WWII. The postwar architecture has its critics, but Bourdain is not one of them. "I never saw Cologne as ugly at all. I always saw it as charming, in the least patronizing sense of the word."

He kicked off his German food tour at Brauerei zur Malzmühle, a hybrid brewery restaurant serving up traditional flavors of the region. After clinking their cold glasses of Kölsch together, Bourdain and his brewery mentor of the day, Heinz Grüne, dove into all the Cologne classics. He seemed to fall more in love with the city's cuisine with each bite, but the himmel und erde, or heaven on earth, brought him into another dimension. The unique dish consists of blood sausage, fried onions, mashed potatoes, and applesauce. Bourdain articulated his love for this meal by affirming that anyone who doesn't like it doesn't make his "will save from drowning list."

When the "Parts Unknown" crew headed south to tour Italy's largest island, Sicily, Anthony Bourdain had high hopes for the Mediterranean oasis. He was not disappointed after stepping into Piccolo Napoli. "This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I wanted Sicily to be, something to soothe my shattered soul," he declared.

Bourdain emphasizes the unique Sicilian culture as he wanders through the city's sunny, winding roads. He notes it almost feels like a country of its own, influenced by a wide array of regions that have helped shape its distinct cuisine. After a long night of birthday festivities in Palermo, Bourdain was happy to dive right back in with Piccolo Napoli's panellis, caponata, and olives. As he said, these are "the kind of things I deeply love. The kind of simple good things that make me happy." While every plate spoke to him, the spaghetti al nero di seppie won him over.

Viewers could see that Anthony Bourdain's eyes lit up whenever he stepped off the plane in Tokyo. He regularly shared that it was his favorite city, so it seems fitting that one of his most memorable meals was enjoyed here. His dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro may have only lasted 20 minutes, but the experience lasted a lifetime. As he told Piers Morgan years later, he would have chosen that sushi experience as his last meal. Many have dubbed Sukiyabashi Jiro as the best sushi in the world, and Bourdain agreed almost immediately. Hidden within an unsuspecting office building, the tiny restaurant only seats a few lucky patrons along the counter.

Eighty-two at the time of Bourdain's "No Reservations" visit, Jiro Ono's sushi-making looks like child's play. Ingredients, technique, and timing are the three pillars of perfect sushi preparation, and Jiro has mastered them over his decades in the kitchen. Without hesitation, Bourdain stated that the 15-course menu was "the best sushi of my life."

"Anyone who doesn't have a great time in San Francisco is pretty much dead to me," Bourdain asserted in his season 6 Bay Area episode of "Parts Unknown." He was a big fan of the golden city, and he loved it specifically for its quirks. As he fondly described, it has "a two-fisted, heavy drinking, three Martini, big stakes, heavy smokin', old school '20s mentality." Swan Oyster Depot is a local institution that fits the bill. The dining area is tucked within a fish market, so you can expect the freshest seafood in a fun, lively environment.

As Tony points out on his way over to his favorite spot, he'll never visit San Francisco without stopping by Swan Oyster Depot. "True love cannot be denied," he declares. The restaurant, so to say, is a small, casual counter serving up shellfish and cold beers. Bourdain always goes for the crab back, an off-menu item that may have been conjured up just for him. It's a crab shell filled with what Bourdain refers to as "unicorn juice" but also known as the liver, fat, and innards of the crab. Bourdain dunks thick bread right in the buttery mix with glee.

In his influential 2011 piece, "13 Places to Eat Before You Die" for Men's Health, Anthony Bourdain led with this London establishment and must have revisited it a dozen times thereafter. In 2016, in the wake of Brexit, Bourdain headed to London for an episode of "Parts Unknown," where he saw one of his favorite cities in a different light. With uncertainty abounding, the only cure was the warmth of friends and food. At that moment, it had to be St. John, one of his "favorite restaurants on Earth" run by one of the chefs he respected and loved most.

That highly praised chef is Fergus Henderson, who is known for spearheading the nose-to-tail movement. "This restaurant helped make a persuasive argument that there is some kind of merit to British cooking," Bourdain says before adding another St. John dinner under his belt. While Anthony Bourdain appeared wowed by everything Henderson created, he extolled roast bone marrow as his perfect dish. Served simply with a dash of salt and crusty bread, it's a perfect example of the way Henderson honored offal. "St. John is as wonderful for what it does as for what it doesn't do: compromise."

As a die-hard New Yorker, Bourdain had endless love for his city. While he spent most of his childhood across the Hudson in New Jersey, once he started making a name for himself as a chef in the city, he called New York home. "The first thing I get when I'm back in New York is a pastrami sandwich," Bourdain once told Variety. But as far and wide he traveled, Bourdain didn't desire just any pastrami sandwich. He told eager readers in an "AMA" on Reddit a decade ago, "The sandwiches I crave most when I'm abroad are a pastrami on rye from Pastrami Queen in New York."

For Variety, Bourdain noted it as a "Really good pastrami sandwich – if not the best, among the very best. Just a good, nice mix of fat and lean. It's the real deal, served warm on fresh, soft rye bread with the right kind of mustard."

Bourdain would refer to this meal as quintessential New York, and with good reason. Beyond the classic New York fare, Pastrami Queen is all about its neighborhood. Their infamous hot pastrami sandwich wouldn't be complete if not sandwiched between two pieces of fresh rye from Orwashers Bakery, an Upper East Side staple.

There aren't many places that made Bourdain's heart sing, like Salumi, a small neighborhood sandwich shop in Seattle. The shop cures and braises all the meats one could imagine in-house, and they work them into a variety of unreal sandwiches. Founded by the humble parents of Mario Batali, Salumi is a true Italian mom-and-pop shop. It changed hands over the years but has kept its expertise and charm, remaining one of Seattle's go-to sandwich spots.

Bourdain delved into the Pacific Northwest in a 2007 episode of "No Reservations," where he shared his steadfast love for Salumi. It was his last stop on the Seattle tour, and he introduced the deli as a "shining beacon of hope, pointing towards the future." Bourdain chatted with Batali's parents back in the kitchen, beaming as he asked about the iconic little haven they had created. As Bourdain started slicing meats and tossing pieces in his mouth, he passionately announced, "It's perfect. A brilliantly burning bright spot in a world of mediocrity. This food speaks directly to my soul." Once the lunch rush passed, Bourdain sat down with the Salumi family for an incredible feast of aged meats, salads, homemade pasta, and then some, grinning ear to ear. "This is the way to eat. And the way to end my journey," he said warmly.