The members of Relais & Châteaux’s World Culinary Council have voted to immediately remove eel from their own menus and are sending a call to action to the rest of the group’s 580 hotels and restaurants to do the same. The move comes after its NGO partner, Ethic Ocean, launched an alert that public authorities must urgently listen to scientists who recommend suspending European eel fishing. The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), which is featured in menus all over the world–and revered in certain French, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch and Japanese culinary cultures–is considered critically endangered and features on the International Union for Conservation

 Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury & lifestyle portfolio, is returning with its annual Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast, highlighting predictions from its vast team of global culinary and beverage experts that will be featured on plates and bar menus in 2024. From global salts and seacuterie, to textured cocktails and umami flavors, Kimpton is forecasting both new and evolving trends that will further enhance the dining experience. Kicking off in December 2023 and continuing throughout 2024, guests will have the opportunity to experience many of these trends at Kimpton restaurants and bars across the globe. 2024 culinary trends Salt

The 2023 Canada’s Best New Restaurants Top 10 were recently unveiled by Air Canada, with Toronto restaurant Kappo Sato taking the coveted top spot. Led by chef Takeshi Sato, Kappo Soto is a Kappo-style Omakase restaurant where the tasting menu is prepared entirely in front of guests. In second place, the lavish steakhouse Wild Blue elevates fine dining in the mountain ski town of Whistler through its prime selection of meat and seafood. This year’s third-place winner, Marilena Café and Raw Bar, serves upscale seafood in a relaxed environment in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2023 highlights the