If you only do one thing, you had better do it very well indeed. Thankfully, the laser-focused restaurants on our list deliver on their promises. These eateries all offer incredibly streamlined menus that are all about one dish or ingredient, from perfect pancakes and mac 'n' cheese served with any topping you could possibly imagine, to menus based entirely on avocado. Feeling hungry – and maybe a little indecisive? Head to one of these speciality restaurants around the world, each of which doggedly focuses on one thing only.
If you're a fan of meatballs, then The Meatball Shop is an obvious choice. The most popular dish is B'alls + Sauce: chicken, pork or veggie balls with sauce, Parmesan and focaccia. Other options include spicy pork, cheese, Buffalo, mac 'n' cheese and chicken pesto, or a layered, lasagne-style creation that adds ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce.
Ichiran Ramen only serves tonkotsu ramen – an aromatic pork-based broth with thin noodles and various toppings – and is known for its original, thick, spicy red sauce, which combines more than 30 different spices. You order at the ticket machine and eat in your own private booth, so you can 'focus on the flavours'. There are locations in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
This unassuming small restaurant in Delhi has been dishing up biryani since 1967, and people make a pilgrimage to the spot to sample its famous dish. The comforting meal of rice, meat and spices is held up as being the best in the area, and Babu Shahi Barwarchi's head chef and owner Moinudeen says aspiring cooks will need at least five years to master his special way of cooking the dish.
Konnopke's Imbiss is famous in Berlin for serving up the best currywurst in town. Max Konnopke first opened the sausage stall with outdoor seating in 1930, and since then it's become legendary, with people often queuing up and down the street to get their sausage fix. There's a selection of sausages available including currywurst, wieners and krautwurst, all served with fries, potato salad or simply on their own.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches may be a classic, but there's nothing ordinary about the menu at PBJ.LA. Here you'll find organic, 100% plant-based nut butters, fancy jams and other unexpected ingredients. Check out the Red Eye, with espresso peanut butter and dark chocolate raspberry jam, or try the adventurous Italian with toasted pine nut butter, basil cherry tomato jam, rocket and provolone.
Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice serves a single Chinese dish: Huang Men, or braised chicken rice, based on owner Xiao Lu Yang's grandmother's recipe. Yang opened his first restaurant in Shandong Province, China, deciding to trim the menu right back to what was by far the most popular dish. The chain has since franchised more than 6,000 locations across Australia, Singapore and the USA.
Hotel Chocolat's St Lucia estate has a hotel and a restaurant, Rabot, that serves dishes featuring cacao grown onsite. Options include the popular cacao cannelloni, filled with local vegetables and roasted pumpkin purée, and classics with a twist, such as fish coated in cacao nib and beer tempura. Of course, there's an indulgent dessert menu too. There is also a Rabot in London, England.
Fromage fans will be in heaven at London's The Cheese Bar, which showcases the finest cheeses in a variety of dishes. Feast on fresh burrata, a four-cheese fondue or Baron Bigod Brie (produced in Suffolk), before tucking into a cheeseburger with super cheesy truffle fries, or perhaps ordering a raclette sharing plate. There are three cool London locations – including one in a barge on the canal – plus one in Austwick, North Yorkshire.
Those with a sweet tooth will be in heaven at Cape Town's Honest Chocolate, a chocolate-themed dessert café. There's an indulgent menu of chocolate truffles, brownies, ice creams, tarts and cakes, as well as hot chocolate, coffee and tea. There's also a list of vegan and dairy-free options available.
Yorkshire Burrito takes one of Britain’s best-loved meals – a Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding – and rolls it into an easy-to-eat wrap. The light, crisp baked batter is usually served with roast meats, vegetables, potatoes and gravy; here, customers can choose between roast beef, chicken and stuffing or cauliflower cheese, wrapped up with all the sides or 'trimmings'. There are four locations in London.
Burger & Lobster prides itself on doing two things really well: prime burgers and Atlantic lobster (or Canadian lobster, in its US restaurants). On the menu are various-sized lobsters, served grilled or steamed with lemon garlic butter, lobster rolls, Nebraskan beef burgers and a burger topped with lobster meat for surf 'n' turf. Locations include New York City, London, Dubai and Bangkok.
This classic Italian dish is the speciality at London’s Mister Lasagna. There's a total of 17 styles to try, from Zucca e Gorgonzola – a roasted butternut squash, gorgonzola blue cheese, bechamel and Parmesan lasagne – to the Iberica, packed with chorizo, roasted chicken and Manchego cheese. If you can't decide, you can also order a trio of any three lasagnes of your choice.
Sometimes only fries will do, as New York City's Pommes Frites will testify. The only things on the menu are beer, fries and sauce – but there's more than just ketchup. There are 36 toppings to choose from, such as Bordeaux wine, figs and sage, blue cheese, black truffle, and cheese curds and gravy. The tables even have cones to hold the fries.
You better be in the mood for steak frites if you visit Le Relais De Venise, because that's all this restaurant serves. Once seated, you'll be given a green salad with walnuts and asked whether you want your accompanying steak blue, rare, medium or well done. The meat is served in a Porte Maillot sauce with fries. If you're still hungry, fear not – the restaurant happily offers second helpings. You'll find locations in New York City, London, Paris and Mexico.
There are few culinary creations more comforting than mac 'n' cheese, and the amazing S’MAC (short for Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese) is dedicated to the dish. It serves an array of inventive twists, from Mediterranean-inspired macaroni with goats' cheese, spinach, olives and roast garlic, to a dish packed with sausage, green peppers and Cajun seasoning. There's plenty of choice for those looking for vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options, too.
Tartufi & Friends specialises in mouth-watering Italian truffles. Order anything off the menu – foie gras, beef tartare, burrata and even cocktails – and it'll come smothered in the stuff. For a high-end breakfast packed with rich, earthy flavour, check out the poached eggs with pecorino and fresh black and white truffle.
With four locations around London, plus regular appearances at festivals, Poptata serves gourmet loaded fries that are miles away from your standard cheesy chips. The fries themselves are hand-cut from premium potatoes, while the toppings are especially fancy. Choices include Parmesan and pink garlic mayo, smashed avocado, halloumi and mild spicy sauce, and vegan cheese topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit and spring onions.
It’s relatively common for restaurants in Thailand to specialise in one dish, and Nong’s Khao Man Gai founder Nong Poonsukwattana wanted to bring this idea to her new home in the US. Khao man gai translates as chicken and rice, and Nong serves it with her signature sauce and a side of soup. There are two locations in Portland.
Pieminister specialises in excellent pies. The menu includes chicken and ham, beef and stilton, mushroom and asparagus, and vegan chicken and leek, as well as Mediterranean-inspired filo pies. All are served on smooth, creamy mashed potato or loaded fries, and drenched in the signature gravy. Locations across the UK include Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester and Oxford, and Pieminster is a regular at festivals, too.
Where The Pancakes Are serves buttermilk pancakes all day, alongside coffee, juices, cocktails, beers and wine. There's an array of sweet or savoury toppings available, including smoked salmon with poached eggs, hollandaise and asparagus, chopped banana, praline and marshmallow, poached pear and caramel, and BBQ chicken.
Sambal Shiok is a restaurant in north London dedicated to the Malaysian noodle soup dish laksa. Specialising in a campur-style laksa from Malacca (each region in Malaysia has its own laksa style), the restaurant allows diners to personalise bowls with toppings of chicken, prawn or tofu. Plus, you can request a vegan broth.
Le Coq & Fils is dedicated to poultry – though it doesn't choose between the chicken or the egg. Its carefully sourced menu has starters including skewers of griddled hearts and gizzards, with an egg menu covering styles from devilled to fried. The main event is, of course, the chicken. Diners can choose how they'd like it cooked, how many people they're sharing with, and what sides they'd like from a choice of fries, salad, mac 'n' cheese or seasonal veggies.
Cha Ca Thang Long serves just one thing: cha ca, which is a fish dish with noodles, herbs, vegetables and peanuts in a special sauce. Diners say it's the best meal you can have in Hanoi, with the cha ca prepared right in front of you at the table. All you need to decide on is what drink to order. The stunning restaurant is surrounded by bamboo and located in a beautiful traditional building with mosaic floors, which adds to the experience.
The Melt Room in Soho, London, serves an array of grilled cheese sandwiches ranging from the simple grilled cheese and onion on sourdough to the meaty pulled pork shoulder with wholegrain mustard, Cheddar and chutney. A top vegetarian choice is portobello mushroom with thyme, roasted peppers and provolone cheese, and there are regular specials and limited-edition melts on the menu. It also serves vine tomato soup – perfect to enjoy with your sandwich.
Brooklyn Kolache is a popular New York City bakery selling Texan kolaches: small-batch fruit or cheese-stuffed pastries with Czech origins. Sweet fillings include strawberry and rhubarb, chocolate ganache, and apple crumble, while there are egg and meat fillings as savoury options. This spot also serves amazing coffee – the perfect accompaniment.
Avocados take centre stage at The Avocado Show, which has a handful of cute locations across Europe. Everything on the menu includes avocado in some form, always using responsibly sourced fruit. Choose from dishes including colourful salads, poke bowls, burgers with avocado buns and, of course, the dish that sparked a global obsession: avo on toast. There are even avocado desserts on the menu, such as molten chocolate cake with avocado icing, and peanut butter and avocado ice cream.
Les 4 jeudis serves just one daily changing 'dish of the day'. The only thing you can be sure of is that your meal will be vegan and made with organic ingredients. There's also a dessert and a children's dish of the day on the menu. To see what's being served, check out the Facebook page – or wait and see what's on the restaurant board when you get there. Example dishes include lentil meatballs with quinoa, beetroot and tomato cream, and tofu with miso, peppers and sprouted rice.
Rice to Riches serves an array of comforting rice pudding dishes with interesting flavours. The menu includes delights such as Coconut Coma, The Edge of Rum Raisin and Raspberry Statement, and toppings like chocolate brownie crumble, mixed nuts or cinnamon raisin crumble.