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10 fantastic celebrity-owned restaurants

BY Tamara Hinson

28th Aug 2018 Travel

10 fantastic celebrity-owned restaurants

We might not be able to bag you a dinner date with your favourite celebrity, but how about the next best thing—a meal at a restaurant owned by your favourite A-lister?

Agrikol, Montreal, Canada

Owner: Arcade Fire

Expect hearty Haitian dishes such as griot and oxtail at this popular Montréal restaurant, owned by Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.

The décor is wonderfully summery—peach-pink walls and painted palm fronds—and we’re smitten with the tins of coconut cream atop every table, repurposed as cutlery holders.

Wash your food down with one of Agrikol's legendary cocktails, ideally the Ti Ponch, a potent mix of rum, fresh-pressed cane juice and lime.

 

Tatel Ibiza, Spain

Owner: Enrique Iglesias and Rafael Nadal

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Enrique Iglesias and Rafael Nadal are the celebrities behind this Balearic hangout, which has become a magnet for the island’s A-listers.

It’s one of Ibiza’s blingiest restaurants, with vast expanses of rose gold and lots of mirrors, although the bright turquoise walls suggest Iglesias and Nadal should stick to their current careers rather than branching out into interior design.

Food is thoroughly Spanish, with highlights being the sea bream ceviche and the Iberian ham, carved tableside.

 

Walton's Fancy & Staple Austin, US

Owner: Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock owns this Austin-based deli, where specialities include pastrami sandwiches and freshly-baked pastries.

The décor is pretty and perfumed, dotted with beautiful potted plants and Bullock’s own-brand Bessence candles, and with a backdrop of exposed bricks and wooden beams.

The presence of a flower shop is a nod to the building's former tenant—Walton’s Florist and Nursery, which opened in 1969—and the menu is filled with Southern comfort food, including beignets and jalapeño cheddar grits.

 

Nobu Shoreditch, London, UK

Owner: Robert de Niro

Robert de Niro flew into London especially for the opening of this beautiful hotel and restaurant, which he owns with Nobuyuki Matsuhisa.

Nobu hotels are ten a penny these days but this property is of particular importance to de Niro, described as the Codfather of Shoreditch by Nobu founder Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, due to the actor's love of Nobu’s legendary cod dish.

Food is the focal point here, and it's the brand's first property to offer Nobu cuisine for breakfast, as well as dinner. Our recommendation? The Japanese eggs benedict, made with tofu, spinach, snow crab and salmon.

 

Schwartz's Deli, Montréal, Canada

Owner: Celine Dion

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Further proof that celebrity-owned restaurants can be cosy as well as classy, Schwartz's Deli, which is owned by Canadian crooner Celine Dion, is famous for its smoked meat, ideally piled high on thick slabs of rye bread.

Don’t be surprised to find long queues snaking out the door—even during Montreal’s famously brutal winters, when the mercury’s plummeted well below minus 20.

 

Spin, Toronto, Canada

Owner: Susan Sarandon

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Ping pong and party music make the perfect combo at Toronto's hottest night spot. Step inside this sprawling 12,000 square-foot club and you'll find several bars, a private party room, 12 ping pong tables and a menu packed with sustainably-sourced cuisine.

Susan Sarandon is one of the founders and owners of Spin, which has venues throughout the US and Canada, although the Toronto branch is our favourite. There's regular live music and special events, and if you're keen to improve your ping pong-related prowess, you can sign up for private lessons.

 

Wahlburgers, US and Canada

Owner: Mark and Donnie Wahlberg

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When Donnie and Mark Wahlberg decided to branch out into the restaurant business, they ditched fine dining in favour of burgers and beer.

There are now branches of Wahlburgers throughout America and Canada, and the must-have item is the Triple Decker, a 1060-calorie artery-blocker made with three beef patties.

Apparently, the brothers were brought up on this particular delicacy, which might go some way to explain their childhood chubbiness.

 

Saints and Sinners, New Orleans, US

Owner: Channing Tatum


 

Unlike other celebrities, Channing Tatum didn't open his restaurant purely to line his own pockets, but to give something back.

Saints and Sinners isn't just a seafood restaurant but a good cause, and every time someone dines here, a percentage of the bill goes straight to the restaurant's foundation, set up to help disadvantaged families around the world.

 

Yummy Pop, Paris, France

Owner: Scarlett Johansson

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Another celebrity to swap fine dining for fun, Scarlett Johansson set up her Parisian popcorn store in 2016, putting the snack firmly on the map as the latest foodie trend.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, this isn't the bog-standard stuff served up at your local multiplex, but a gourmet variety, with truffle, parmesan and sage flavours on offer (the latter is apparently Scarlett's personal favourite).

The store is managed by the sister of Romain Dauriac (Scarlett's former partner) although the actress has been known to sign up for a stint behind the tills.

 

JBJ Soul Kitchen, New Jersey, US

Owner: Jon Bon Jovi

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Our favourite rocker set up his restaurant as a way to help those less fortunate (in a financial sense) than himself.

Diners can choose how much they pay for their meal (there are no prices listed on the menu) and can also choose to "pay it forward", donating the cost of a meal to someone struggling to feed themselves.

Visitors can also earn their grub by volunteering at the restaurant and helping to raise funds for the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which has built 500 units of affordable housing in 10 states for people at risk of homelessness.

 

For those craving some truly creative cuisine, we've rounded up the world's most unusual restaurants.

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