June 30 (Bloomberg) -- El Bulli and the Fat Duck battle it out each year to be named the world's best restaurant.

Other venues don't get a chance. So, where do chefs and restaurateurs like to eat? I asked Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, Pierre Gagnaire and other culinary masters with U.K. restaurants about their favorite places in the world outside London.

Tom Aikens (Tom's Kitchen): ``Troisgros (Roanne, France) is a gastronomic delight and is one of the best meals I have had.''

Pascal Aussignac (Club Gascon): ``It's Troisgros (Roanne, France). I enjoyed every single thing I ate. It was creative and classic at the same time. I can't imagine a better restaurant.''

Claude Bosi (Hibiscus): ``L'Arpege (Paris) for its simplicity, the quality of the produce and the friendly service. It's a great restaurant which feels like it could be my home. Alain Passard is a proper cook, not just a chef.''

Adam Byatt (Trinity): ``Nicolas Le Bec (Lyon, France) is my favorite. I visited in 2003 when it had only been open a month. It was modern, personal, thought through, and the food was truly memorable. Nicolas is one of the most innovative chefs I've met.''

Aiden Byrne (Dorchester Grill): `The Fat Duck, I've eaten there about seven times. I haven't had the same dish twice and every time I go, I come away a little more educated.''

Eric Chavot (Capital): ``I went to El Bulli (Roses, Spain) and had a good time. But I don't think I'd go back. It's something so special: The concept, the service, the location, the whole thing. Con Fabes (St. Celoni, Spain) was more classic.''

Richard Corrigan (Bentleys): ``Gambero Rosso (San Vincenzo, Italy) because long before it became one of the best in the world, we had the pleasure of getting to know Fulvio Pierangelini. It's fantastic food, deconstructed to within an inch of its life.''

Anthony Demetre (Arbutus): ``Le Tracteur (Uzes, France) is what all restaurants should be about: full of passion, soul and great spirit. Numa Testud is a real chef who goes to the market in the morning and cooks on his own for 40-50 per night. The menu changes daily with fresh market produce.''

Alain Ducasse (Alain Ducasse): ``One of my most memorable dinners was at Sushishou in Tokyo. It left me with an emotional souvenir. Keiji Nakazawa is an original chef with a perfect knowledge of the Japanese terroir. The refined ingredients, delicate taste of the sushi, and the subtle tableware, make for a truly harmonious experience. I had to share my discovery with you, as you will not find it in any restaurant guides.''

Pierre Gagnaire (Sketch): ``In no particular order, my favorites are: Marc Veyrat, Megeve, France; L'Auberge de l'Ill, Illhaeusern, France; Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain; Dal Pescatore, Runate, Italy; Koju, Tokyo; La Bastide, St.-Antoine, France; Restaurant Olivier Roellinger, Cancale, France; Le Contre Quai, Sauzon, France.

Brett Graham (Ledbury): ``Some of the most exciting food I've eaten has been at Pierre Gagnaire (Paris.) It's so inventive and most times the combinations work fantastically. I also like L'Astrance (Paris) and Bras (Laguiole, France).''

Des Gunewardena (D&D Restaurants): ``A day exploring Californian vineyards in the Napa Valley followed by dinner at the French Laundry (Yountville) is a truly wonderful experience which ranks up there as one of the great days of my life.''

Henry Harris (Soho House): ``Chez Panisse (Berkeley, California) is the greatest example of local and home grown and reared ingredients enjoyed in one of the most relaxed settings. It's simple and honest cooking devoid of pretension.''

Angela Hartnett (York & Albany): ``Jean Georges. The food is always inventive but never over the top. Whenever I go to New York, I try to eat there and I always find something different and exciting.''

Philip Howard (The Square): ``I've had a couple of meals over the years at Rockpool (Sydney) that I've really enjoyed. That's as good as anywhere I've been for the all-round experience.''

Atul Kochhar (Benares): ``The French Laundry represents the ultimate example of a restaurant that has married an idyllic setting with truly sensational food. The whole experience is a pleasure for all five senses and is incredibly well conceived.''

Ichiro Kubota (Umu): ``It's Paul Bocuse in Lyon, because it is authentic and I love the philosophy behind Mr. Bocuse's cuisine: It's genuine, and upholds tradition. I respect him and admire him so much.''

Rowley Leigh (Le Cafe Anglais): ``Checchino dal 1887 is old Rome, dignified and calm, with a great menu of Roman classics, many offal but many not, a great wine list and you can sit under the trees and watch La Dolce Vita spinning past on the way to the nightclubs in Testaccio.''

Shane Osborn (Pied a Terre): ``It's Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain) because of the atmosphere, the food, the complete package. I had a wonderful time and was made to feel so welcome. It was absolutely brilliant. I walked out with the biggest smile on my face.''

Gordon Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay): ``I've just had a manic week in Australia at the Good Food Show. The undoubted highlight of the whirlwind tour was a phenomenal lunch at an iconic beachside restaurant, the Icebergs Dining Room in Bondi Beach. The food was uncomplicated and fresh and the setting just blissful, it epitomizes the laid-back Sydney style that I find so refreshing.''

Michel Roux Jr. (Le Gavroche): ``So much depends on where you are and the occasion. I could say somewhere simple like Marie- Antoinette in Mauritius, which would never get a Michelin star, but I associate it with holidays, family and fun, so somewhere like Le Cinq in Paris.''

Marcus Wareing (Petrus): ``I'm a huge fan of Per Se (New York). The cuisine gave me everything I wanted. There's so much satisfaction in the food. From the start to the finish, it was pure pleasure. Everything was at a high. There were no troughs.''

Tomorrow: Chefs name their favorite London restaurants.

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Bloomberg News.)

To contact the writer of this story: Richard Vines, in London, at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 30, 2008 05:27 EDT