Ports of Call

Although your yacht undoubtedly features a first-rate chef, you may want to give him or her a night off and try one of these seaside hot spots.

Vacationing on board a yacht allows you the luxury of dining anywhere - you can choose the food, the backdrop, and indeed the company. You never have to wait for a table or risk the possibility of your intimate evening being disturbed by a noisy table nearby. But occasionally you'll find a restaurant that's worth forgoing all these things for; somewhere so special that eating there will be the highlight of your holiday.

So here are some suggestions for the best places in the world to drop anchor, give the chef the day off, and enjoy the culinary delights on offer ashore.

 El Bulli, Near Barcelona, Spain
El Bulli is one of the most exciting and critically acclaimed restaurants in Europe. Located on the coast northwest of Barcelona, El Bulli is famous for an innovative and creative style of cooking. Time magazine named its chef, Ferran Adria, alongside Bill Gates, George Bush, and Osama Bin Laden as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The restaurant is dedicated to experimental cooking; the style is often described as "techno cuisine" where art meets science. El Bulli closes its doors for six months of the year to allow Adria and his team to develop the new menu. The results are always unusual but impressive. One of the highlights of this year's menu is the "electric milk" - a wafer flavored with the dried flower buds of szechuan peppercorns.

 The ethos of El Bulli is that visitors enjoy the whole dining experience; service resembles a theatrical show, the number of staff is almost equal to the number of diners, and there is, of course, the stunning waterside location. It's notoriously hard to get a table at El Bulli due to its limited opening times and the restaurant only opens for dinner, so be sure to book well in advance.

El Bulli Restaurant, Cala Montjoi, 17480 Roses, Girona, Spain, Tel: + 34 972150457, Fax: + 34 972150717, Web site: http://elbulli.com

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Spoon, Saint-Tropez, France
Saint-Tropez is renowned for its glitz and glamour, and Spoon is undoubtedly one of the places to be seen. Opened in 2002 by Alain Ducasse, one of France's best known and most successful chefs, Spoon Saint-Tropez is the Mediterranean version of the Paris restaurant with the same name. It's based on the idea of "a spoonful of freedom and a multi-ethnic cuisine" and aims to combine food and flavors of the Mediterranean with influences from the Riviera, Italy, Catalonia, Andalusia, Tunisia, and Morocco.

The menu is eclectic; you can select your own courses or opt for one of the set menus, "Riviera" or "Afrika," which offer dishes from the chosen region. Don't miss the steamed shrimp ravioli starter or the "top dessert" platter - four desserts in one. If it's glamour you're looking for, try the Lobster VGS (very glamorous salad).

The décor inside the restaurant is modern Moroccan with a huge, circular mosaic bar. The best place to get a table is on the lamp-lit terrace where you can do some serious star spotting.

Spoon, Byblos Hotel, Avenue du Maréchal Foche, Saint-Tropez, France, Tel: + 33 494 566820

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Oasis, La Napoule, France
The sleepy village of La Napoule lies just west of Cannes on the French Riviera. Hidden amongst the houses just back from the sea front is one of the most enjoyable places to eat on the Côte d'Azur. The garden restaurant lives up to its name; the leafy surroundings provide the perfect dreamy mix of intimacy and elegance.

The cuisine is Mediterranean with Asian influences. Highlights include the Warm Duck Foie Gras with Chard Greens and the fresh fish selected by chef Stéphane Raimbault from the market in Cannes every morning. Oasis also has a beautiful selection of pastries and desserts, which are wheeled around on the dessert "caravan" for your perusal.

L'Oasis, 6, rue Jean-Honoré-Carle, 06210 La Napoule, Tel : +33 493 49 95 52, Fax : +33 493 49 64 13

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Da Puny, Portofino, Italy
Just across the border from France is Portofino. The tiny fishing port is the most picture-perfect place in the Mediterranean. The harbor is always busy during the summer but if you can get a mooring for your yacht it's well worth the effort to enjoy the view of the colorful town.

Eating on the quayside is a must in Portofino and the best place to do this is Da Puny. If you're lucky you'll be attended by Puny himself (although he usually has VIP guests to entertain). The food is traditional Italian; the pasta with pesto corto is good, as is the whole fish.

Da Puny, Piazza Martini, Olivetta 5, Portofino (00 39 0185 269037)

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Rossellini 's, Pallazzo Sasso, Ravello, Italy
Italy's Amalfi coast is famous for its dramatic coastline. High in the hills, 1000ft above the sea, lies the village of Ravello. Palazzo Sasso is a newish fivestar hotel located in a 12th-century villa with views across the valley to Monte Avvocata and the Bay of Salerno. Manicured terraces lead you down to the pool and Rossellini's restaurant.

The cuisine is pure Italian and should be your one stop-off point on the Amalfi Coast. The chef Pino Lavarra has created a menu built on the concept created by his predecessor: taking traditional Italian dishes and recreating them with new ingredients. Italian haute cuisine at its best.

Rossellini's, Palazzo Sasso, Via San Giovanni Del Toro, 28 - 84010, Ravello (SA), Amalfi Coast, Italy, Tel: +39 089 818181, Fax: +39 089 858900

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Selene, Fira, Santorini, Greece
The Greek island of Santorini has been described as one of the most romantic places on earth. The island is famous for its stunning sunsets and one of the best places on the island to enjoy the view is from the cliff-top terrace of Selene.

The cuisine is interesting and adventurous; it uses many traditional Greek ingredients but is very modern in style, with an emphasis on seafood. You can start with the sea urchin and artichoke salad and move on to the brodedo (fish stew). Greek favorites such as rabbit, quail, kid, and lamb are also featured on the menu.

The restaurant is perfect for an intimate meal but don't expect to do much talking; you'll be far too busy admiring the view.

Selene, Fira, Santorini, Greece, Tel: 00 30 228 602 2249; Fax: 602 4395; Web site: www.selene.gr

 Anegada Reef Hotel, BVI
Anegada is the Caribbean ideal. With deserted white sandy beaches and beautiful coral reefs, it's one of the few places in the world where you can spend the day on the beach and not see another soul. The island is unique because, unlike most other Caribbean islands that are volcanic, Anegada is flat.

At the Anegada Reef Hotel the order of the day is lobster. You can either enjoy a leisurely lunch or opt for a barbecued lobster dinner on the beach. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Anegada Reef Hotel has always been popular with the yachting crowd and should definitely feature on your Caribbean cruising itinerary.

Anegada Reef Hotel, Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Tel: 284-495-8002, Fax: 284-495-9362, E-mail: info@anegadareef.com

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The Landing, Bahamas
Harbour Island is a world away from the duty-free emporiums of Nassau. It's charming and unspoiled, and retains a local Bahamian feel.

The Landing is the island's most fashionable establishment. Run by a former Miss Bahamas, her daughter, and son-in-law, the interior of the guest house was designed by the former Ralph Lauren model India Hicks and her husband David Flint Wood. The result is effortlessly stylish but simple. The British colonial style of the building (it's one of the oldest on the island) is mixed with the laid-back culture of the Caribbean.

The restaurant is one of The Landing's main draws. The chef Ken Gomes, formerly one of Sydney's top chefs, cooks simple but delicious seafood, such as salt-and-pepper squid with lime mayonnaise, or scallops with caramelized scallions and sweetcorn puree. The restaurant also boasts an 800-bottle wine cellar.

The Landing, P.O. Box 190, Harbour Island, Bahamas, Tel: + 1 242 333 2707, Fax: + 1 242 333 2650, E-mail: info@harbourislandlanding.com

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Blue Door, The Delano, South Beach, Miami, Florida
When it opened, The Delano was hailed as the hippest hotel in the world. Now, almost a decade later, the Phillippe Starck-designed hotel remains one of the coolest places to go in Miami.

The Blue Door is the hotel's equally trendy main restaurant. The cuisine is predominantly French with a strong tropical influence. The menu, created by French chef Claude Troisgros, features traditional dishes such as frozen gazpacho, lamb loin, and oven-roasted baby eggplant served with a Delano twist. "Les Sexy Side Dishes" are also worth a mention: blue cheese soufflé or endive banana roll.

Drinks at the pool bar are a must. It's an experience not to be missed and is most definitely the haunt of Miami's beautiful people.

Blue Door, The Delano, 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, Tel: 305 672 2000, Fax: 305 532 0099, Reservations 800 606-6090, delano@morganshotelgroup.com

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The Ropewalk, Nantucket
The Ropewalk offers quintessential Nantucket dining - seafood specialities with a great view of the ocean. The restaurant sits right on the waterfront of Nantucket Harbor so you can keep an eye on your yacht while enjoying your meal.

The menu offers an impressive variety of local fish and shellfish. The Ropewalk has its own surf 'n' turf combination of shrimp wrapped in prosciutto or try wasabi-encrusted tuna or steamed Nantucket lobster. If seafood is not your thing, there's also a wide variety of pasta, poultry, meats, and salads.

The raw bar is a popular feature of The Ropewalk - it's the only one in the area, and is open from 3-10p.m. serving littlenecks, oysters, and shrimp.

The Ropewalk, 1 Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554-3539 Tel: +1 508 228 8886

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White Horse Tavern, Rhode Island
The White Horse Tavern is one of America's oldest tavern buildings. Built in the 1600s it was restored in the 1950s and opened as a restaurant. It still retains its old world charm with candle-lit rooms, cavernous fireplaces, and beamed ceilings. If local history is something you're interested in then the restaurant offers a lively talk about the building's colorful past.

The food uses recipes and ingredients from nearby Aquidneck Island. The cuisine is continental and American with seafood featuring prominently; Peeky Toe Crab Napoleon is a popular choice for dinner and if you're going for Sunday brunch, try the lobster-crab cakes.

White Horse Tavern, 26 Marlborough St, Newport, RI 02840, Tel: + 1 401-849-3600

 Baan Rim Pa Restaurant, Phuket, Thailand
Nestled on a cliff with spectacular panoramic views of Patong Beach is Baan Rim Pa. The restaurant is renowned for its Royal Thai Cuisine, fresh seafood, and duck curry.

Baan Rim Pa offers a traditional and elegant dining experience; you can sip cocktails at the piano bar while watching the sun go down and, after dinner, visit the cigar and wine bar. It's undoubtedly one of the best restaurants on Phuket with unbeatable food, views, and music.

Baan Rim Pa, 100/7 Kalim Beach Road, Kathu, Patong, Phuket 83150 Thailand, Tel: 076-340789, 341768, Fax : 076-342460