The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong: Hard-

to-get reservations

To properly impress, celebrate, or indulge - and we mean once-in-a-lifetime

properly - you'll need to push the fine-dining boat out a fair bit further

than usual. Here are our recommendations and tips.

Many of the world's finest dining experiences require more than deep

pockets. A certain level of ingenuity and persistence are necessary to

garner the “impossible to get reservation”. Intensive research, some local

knowledge and foreign language skills can also help to open doors to

Michelin-star restaurants' little-known private rooms and to members-

only clubs. Some equally special experiences merely require travel to

exotic, faraway places.

Here, you'll find a handful of unique dining destinations, hidden rooms

and places of pilgrimage,that only those in the know, know about.

Noma, Copenhagen

Claims to be the most difficult restaurant in the world in which to secure

a reservation. On the sixth day of the month, every month, reservations

open for tables three months in advance. Allegedly more than 20,000

emails flood Noma's computer system on that day. One way around the

issue is to book Noma's private dining room, located above the

restaurant's main dining room and next door to the prep kitchen and

culinary "lab". The long, private space overlooks Copenhagen's

waterfront warehouses and a new pedestrian footbridge that links the

dockside with the city.

Annabel's, London

London's older clubs, like Annabel's, on Mayfair's Berkeley Square, has

been welcoming members since 1963. Established as a private member's

club, Annabel's elegant restaurant is complete with Morrocan-style

ceiling and its own starlit dance floor.

Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tokyo

Jiro Ono is the 86-year-old chef and owner of this three-star

subterranean sushi bar in Gina. Consisting of only seven seats, all of

which face the bar, it affords up-close views of Jiro at work. This

restaurant is a place of pilgrimage for sushi aficionados. The ¥30,000 per

person ($330) 20-course menu of sashimi, sushi and uni (fresh sea

urchin) can be matched with sake. The whole experience is over in an

hour, but to secure a seat you need a Japanese local (perhaps your hotel

concierge) to make the reservation.

Taillevent, Paris

One of Paris' grand dining institutions, Taillevent was awarded its

firstMichelin star in 1948 and held three stars for 34 years. Housed in

amansion, formerly the residence of the Duc de Morny, in Paris' 9th

Arrondissement, Taillevent has two private dining rooms – the Guimet,

where the Duc de Morny received Napoleon, and the Saturne, the Duc's

bedroom, decorated with Louis XVI panelling. Chef Alain Soliveres offers

a choice of four menus, starting at €120–230 ($180–$340).

Longitude 131, Uluru

At dusk, as the desert colours begin to work their magic, a table for two

is set on a private sand dune overlooking Uluru and Kata Tjuta national

park. As the light changes and rolls over the ancient rock formations, the

sun gradually sets, giving way to a dazzling night sky. A billion stars

twinkle gently above, the desert is quiet and dinner is served.

Hutong, Hong Kong

On the 28th floor of 1 Peking Road, elevator doors open to reveal

glamorous Michelin-star Hutong. Dimly lit to take full advantage of floor-

to-ceiling views across the harbour and the city's famous light show,

Hutong is wildly romantic. And the private rooms. are even more so. Its

northern Chinese dishes are fiery and beautifully presented, especially

the signature soft shell crab served with deep-fried chillies.

Kee Club, Shanghai

The sister club to Hong Kong's legendary private members' Kee Club, this

newer, Shanghai outpost permits non-member visitors to its restaurant.

Housed in two grand 1920s villas, it is also home to an impressive art

collection, and offers four private dining rooms.