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The owners of Sidework hit on the idea for their cozy little eatery after listening to locals grumble about how hard it was to find a low-key place to have a drink and casual bite during the summer and winter tourist seasons. They already owned the brewpub around the corner, so they turned the adjacent space—which they used for “sidework” like filling water pitches and rolling silverware into napkins—into the spot everyone was craving. Today the narrow, intimate bar serves self-described “American-American comfort food,” which includes small plates like blue claw crab soup, fig flatbreads, and charcuterie boards, and larger dishes such as olive-oil-poached branzino and beef short ribs in red wine reduction. For the perfect start to your night, drop by during the daily happy hour for discounts on select wine, beer, cocktails, and mini filet mignon sliders.

A five-year restoration and renovation project transformed a factory on the Williamsburg waterfront, originally built in 1901, into the stylish but laid-back Wythe Hotel. This property has a distinct Brooklyn stamp, from the Brooklyn-made wallpaper to the Brooklyn-sourced minibar. The little details here stand out, including concrete floors with under-floor heating and the use of reclaimed wood (from the former factory) in the ceilings. The spacious lofts are particularly noteworthy for their floor-to-ceiling views of the Manhattan skyline and standalone pedestal tubs. Visitors and New Yorkers mingle over cocktails on the rooftop bar as well as at the spacious restaurant, which was recently taken over by restaurateur Jon Neidich and his team at Golden Age Hospitality (owners of popular New York spots ACME, Slowly Shirley, and The Happiest Hour).

“I am grateful” is just one of the ways you order lunch at Cafe Gratitude. “I am whole” is another; as is “I am glorious.” Every dish on the menu has a name like this, and whether you’re in the mood for gratitude (the community bowl with shredded kale, black beans, garlic tahini, and quinoa), wholeness (the macrobiotic bowl with braised butternut squash, adzuki beans, and sautéed greens), or glory (the blackened tempeh Caesar wrap), Cafe Gratitude guarantees your meal will be as much an experience in self-affirmation as a delicious jaunt into vegan fair. The Venice location is eclectic in patronage and airy in design, while the swanky Larchmont restaurant draws a more Hollywood cast of characters. Other locations include the Arts District, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills, and a little further south in San Diego. For larger events, Cafe Gratitude can also be hired for catering services.

You can try some of Rome’s best street food at Trapizzino, named for its heralded crispy pizza pockets filled with uniquely Roman flavors like pollo alla cacciatora (spicy chicken), picchiapò (stewed beef), and trippa alla romana (tripe), as well as some newer additions like zighinì (a spicy Eritrean stew). Trapizzino is a two-room shop: a lab where you can pick and choose fillings (and grab takeout), and a second room that serves both as a dining area and a gourmet delicatessen with artisanal beer, canned tomatoes, and tins of anchovies.

This funky spot stands out among Amsterdam’s many urban “beach bars.” You can laze away a sunny afternoon at one of the picnic tables or chairs set up on a wide stretch of sand. Cocktails and beer slake your thirst, while decent pulled-pork tacos, burgers, and poke bowls keep hunger at bay. If the weather isn’t agreeable, the café—located inside a converted warehouse—strikes all the right hipster notes: Think distressed, graffitied concrete walls; leather sofas; vintage television sets; and groovy lighting. An adjacent warehouse hosts all sorts of events, from flea markets to film screenings to dance parties.

The perfect place to shop for anything and everything from all the islands is the 155-year-old public market called Le Marché. Located two blocks from the waterfront in the heart of Papeete, the market covers two stories. The lower level is filled with hundreds of stands offering Tahitian-made crafts, oils, vanilla, fruits, and flowers. Upstairs is reserved for artisans selling pareos, carvings, Tifaifai wall hangings and quilts, embroidered cushion covers, and other handicrafts. You’ll also find a few good shops for purchasing unique black pearl jewelry at fair prices. An on-site cafeteria serves local dishes. Le Marché is not just a tourist attraction, however—it’s a proper market where locals come to shop for meat, fish, fresh flowers, and produce and to chat with friends over coffee at one of the patisseries.

Tucked inside a renovated former 19th-century factory near Passeig de Gràcia, this temple to Spanish gastronomy is housed in a breathtaking modernist masterpiece, with soaring vaulted ceilings, vintage lighting fixtures, ceramic tiles, and mosaics. Each of the four eateries inside has a distinct design and cuisine: La Llotja specializes in seafood; La Brasería is all about grilled and a la plancha meats; La Paradeta showcases Iberian cheeses and cured meats; and the buzziest spot, La Tapería, serves up hot and cold tapas. The central hubs are the Wine Bar and the Beer Bar, where you can sample a variety of local Catalan drafts. And at the intimate circular Oyster Bar, you can taste famed Galician oysters, as well as caviar, Norwegian salmon, and king crab.

La Paz is an artistic community whose skilled and creative residents offer a wide range of items, from paintings and sculptures to jewelry and handwoven fabrics. A great way to explore it all in one place is by taking a walk through the city’s Mercado Madero, an artisans’ market located a few blocks in from the waterfront promenade, on Revolución de 1910 between Santos Degollado and Melchor Ocampo. Here, you can meet face-to-face with the artisans themselves as you shop for embroidered dresses, straw baskets and other crafts. You’ll support the local community as you find the perfect piece to take home with you.

Sicily has a long tradition of puppet shows, and they’re not intended merely to amuse the kids. These are elaborate theatrical works that tell complex stories through beautifully crafted marionettes. Palermo’s International Museum of Marionettes Antonio Pasqualino (its full name) honors the art as it’s performed in Sicily and in other cultures around the world. The 3,500 puppets on display come from Sicily, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia and parts of Africa. You can even watch marionettes in action in a theater on the top floor; check the schedule to see what’s playing during your visit.

The name translates as “Back Pocket,” an apt description for this one-room restaurant tucked into the side of the Royal Opera House. The tiled room is decorated with opera memorabilia, and sometimes you’ll find yourself dining next to tuxedo-clad members of the orchestra between performances. Diners perch at the counter at little tables affixed to the walls or, during the summer, outside in the sun. The food is traditional Swedish cuisine—husmanskost, as it’s known—with particularly good seafood, and best enjoyed with a Swedish beer.

There are plenty of things to love about Uva, but one of my favourite things is its daily happy hour which lasts from 2-6pm, offering buck a shuck oysters, delicious bruschetta (my favourites are the ricotta, and the devilled egg), and excellent prices on well-crafted cocktails, beer and wine. Must-trys on the regular cocktail menu include the herbaceous Chartreuse Milkshake, and the superby smoky spirit-forward Peater Rabbit. Live music at the weekends and a buzzing late night scene make this idea for fun in the evenings, but it’s a fantastic place to chill with a book or your laptop during the day when it’s quieter.

Kimball House is one of Atlanta‘s top rated restaurants and it doesn’t take long to learn why. Every detail is impeccable, from the excellent service to the carefully crafted cocktails to the meals themselves. Set in an old train depot in Decatur, dinner at Kimball House is a splurge you won’t soon forget. Start with a few oysters, their main attraction, and a cocktail in a vintage glass. If your group is feeling adventurous, try the bottled old fashioned, which serves 4, or the full absinthe service, complete with sugar cubes and all the fixings. Beer and wine are also options. The menu changes seasonally, but always offers some form of fish, meat and vegetables, as well as steak and caviar. They don’t take reservations, so you’ll have to be patient or go early. They also have outdoor seating for when the weather is nice. Named for the former Kimball House Hotel, the interior of the restaurant is the star, so don’t forget to look up from your meal.

A wildly colorful, cartoonish emoji mural sets the scene for fun, fabulous Lalo, the casual-chic outpost from chef Eduardo García (whose Máximo Bistrot is adjudged one of the finest spots in the city). Tables for two are the first to fill, so diners usually find themselves at a long shared table, choosing from a menu of small(ish) plates that pack real flavor and cleverly blend familiar comforts with more-unusual, yet equally tempting, combinations. Breakfast faves include a sinful French toast or less conventional choices like chilaquiles in salsa verde; fluffy omelettes contain amazing cheeses and surprising ingredients. And don’t be shy with pastries. Lunch swings to raved-about pastas and pizzas, or the salad whose ingredients all come fresh from nearby Xochimilco. Artisanal beers and homemade sodas are a sensation as well.

The Jaipur Modern boutique stocks products that put a contemporary, worldly twist on the region’s highly-skilled artisan craft traditions—so it’s fitting that the shop’s restaurant does something similar on the culinary front. Committed to partnering with organic and sustainable farms, individual farmers, and agricultural projects—as well as maintaining its own farm—the Kitchen incorporates fresh local ingredients into a globally-influenced menu, resulting in dishes like pizza topped with free-range chicken, spiced couscous, potato rosti with farm-fresh poached eggs, and a lengthy list of cold pressed juices. Most unique is a separate menu—the first of its kind in India—that showcases the versatility of superfood quinoa, sourced locally from Organic Farmers Co. The “Q Menu” features the grain in everything from veggie sushi, pad thai, and dumplings to decadent deserts. Including house-baked cakes and cookies.

While sake may be standard at other sushi restaurants, this game-changing spot pays homage to Japan’s other great boozy tradition: whiskey. In the lively modern space—all blond wood, concrete, and industrial lighting—chef/owner Engin Onural serves a creative lineup of sushi, including the Sandfish (a spicy tuna and crab-meat roll topped with fried potato slivers) and zucchini flowers filled with tuna and cream cheese. Things get really interesting at the bar. Using all craft ingredients—house-made syrups, fresh juices, artisanal spirits, and local brews—the bartenders create inspired whiskey-centric cocktails. Try the elegantly layered Old Fashioned (made with Nikka Pure Malt, Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula cognac, bitters, and Demerara sugar), and a play on a Spanish gin and tonic called Foraged, which features Death’s Door white whiskey infused with wild juniper berries Austin forages himself, plus fresh grapefruit, Szechuan peppercorns, rose petals, and yuzu.