A world atlas of remarkable rooms
Places worth
travelling for
A curated guide to the world's most iconic brasseries, cafés and restaurants.
Curated by Ernst Aben
Explore the icons1901
of many stories
01 / Discover
Not the newest.
The unforgettable.
Some places are more than a meal. They are grand rooms, local rituals and living pieces of history. I select restaurants and cafés with a story you can still walk into.
02 / The map
Every icon
in its place.
The map follows the search and country filters. Select a marker to open the location, its address and official website.
on the map
03 / The collection
Find your next icon.
191 places shown
04 / Countries
The world,
room by room.
05 / My point of view
“Iconic is not a style. It is a place that stays with me.”
Ernst Aben
Ernst Aben is an Antwerp-based hospitality entrepreneur, wine enthusiast and lifelong traveller with a fascination for places that combine character, history and genuine hospitality. As the former owner of a hotel mystery-shopping company, he spent years evaluating hotels and hospitality businesses, developing a trained eye for service, atmosphere and the details that make a guest experience memorable.
Today, he is co-owner of wine bar Het Archief and curator of Most Iconic Restaurants. His selection is entirely personal, focusing on restaurants, cafés and bars with remarkable architecture, compelling stories, cultural significance and an unmistakable sense of place.
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Suggest an icon →06 / Your discovery
Know a place
I should see?
I am always curious about remarkable rooms with history, atmosphere and a genuine sense of place. Send me the address and tell me why it belongs here.