From ancient preservation techniques to high-tech tools, fermentation is experiencing a revival and transforming the food scene around the world. Today’s most innovative restaurants are using the power of microbes to unlock new flavours, reduce waste and reimagine ingredients.

Silo’s Fermentation Factory

London, United Kingdom
 

London’s pioneer zero-waste restaurant, Silo, is transforming the food scene with its new Fermentation Factory. The crowdfunded lab will allow Silo to create enough koji to provide to local chefs and brewers so that they, too, can harness fermentation to help minimize waste.

Baekyangsa Temple

Jangseong, South Korea
 

Through the Templestay program, revered monk chef Jeong Kwan has put the spotlight on traditional Buddhist temple cuisine, where fermentation is both a meditative practice and a way of life. The overnight stay includes a lesson on temple living and a hands-on cooking workshop.

Noma 3.0

Copenhagen, Denmark
 

In 2025, three-Michelin-starred Noma will transform from a full-time restaurant to a high-tech test kitchen. With a history of redefining cuisine since its establishment by chef René Redzepi in 2003, Noma will continue to serve guests in a pop-up format, sharing flavours brought to life in its lab.

El Bulli

Catalonia, Spain
 

Once the epicentre of avant-garde cuisine, El Bulli is now a museum and culinary research lab where its innovative spirit lives on. Its 69 exhibits include recreations of the original 1960s restaurant and some of its most famous dishes from throughout the decades, like its Spherical Melon Caviar.

Antheia

Ottawa, Canada
 

This new fermentation lab and tasting-menu restaurant by chef Briana Kim is set to replace her award-winning establishment, Alice, and push the boundaries of plant-based cuisine. With Antheia, Kim will continue to explore fermentation as a cornerstone of her approach, highlighting the potential of local and sustainable ingredients.