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La Scala, the world’s most famous opera house, is also home to an elegant restaurant, bar, and tea room. Modern but informal, the traditional dishes are unusually light, delicious, and beautifully prepared. The romantic atmosphere is set by a quiet room and minimalist classic style (think red velvet and high ceilings).

One of the city’s top restaurants, Cicciolina offers Italian-style dishes with a Peruvian flair, such as quinoa-encrusted prawns and osso buco with pumpkin ravioli topped by local cheese and a touch of Andean mint. There’s plenty to choose from, including seafood, duck, beef, alpaca, chicken, and even a few vegetarian dishes, as well as perfectly done handmade pasta. You can pick from either the tapas or the full-restaurant menu in the bar area, but not the other way around, so you may want to go twice, as the tapas are fabulous, too. A great wine list and yummy desserts finish out options in a small, lovely venue. Reservations are a must.

When hotelier Sean MacPherson opened the Ludlow he totally nailed the unique spirit of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 175-room hotel is the perfect mix of gritty and stylish, cool and calm. Rooms are done up in that signature MacPherson style with unique artisan touches including handmade silk rugs, artisan—crafted Moroccan pendant lamps and Indo-Portuguese-style beds. The “and” factor amenities include bathrobes from cult Paris fashion label Maison Martin Margiela and a Rockstar suite with a 1,100-foot terrace with Williamsburg Bridge views. The lobby is always abuzz, no matter what the hour and features a rotating selection of art curated by Vito Schnable as well as an outdoor “secret” garden that’s perfect for hiding away with your laptop or a good book. Breakfast is included for guests and the warm pastry basket should not be missed. Perhaps the highlight of any stay is the fact you’re right above Dirty French, one of NYC’s buzziest restaurants. Being an elevator ride away from the complimentary herb-seasoned flatbread is reason alone to book a stay.

Switzerland only exports 1 to 2 percent of its wine production, so few know of its stony whites, which pair ideally with raw hard and melted Swiss cheeses. While most cantons make wine, there are few places better to sip Swiss wines than the UNESCO-listed Lavaux, dangling on the banks of Lake Geneva and 90 minutes north of the city in Canton Vaud. An e-bike is the best way to explore the steep hilly region peppered with slate-roofed chapels and chocolate-box villages. The grapes here were planted by 9th-century monks; the terraces they built for them are lined with stone walls that retain the sun’s heat, extending the grape-growing season. Unique varietals like ermitage, doral, and gamay, and ancient Lémanic reds like the Plant-Robert varietal, are grown only here. E-bike rentals can be picked up from most Swiss railway stations; Lausanne, 20 minutes away, is the closest. As with all wineries in Switzerland, calling ahead to arrange a visit is essential.

Brooklyn has become a dining destination in recent years, with dozens of restaurants preparing local, organic, and sustainable American dishes—and others serving everything from Korean bibimbap and Scandinavian specialties to Ethiopian stews and Mexican tacos. The borough has an overwhelming abundance to choose from, but Smorgasburg makes it easy to graze and sample a variety of Brooklyn’s dishes. From the beginning of April to the end of October, food trucks and stalls representing around 100 restaurants and other establishments set up at East River State Park, in the Williamsburg neighborhood, every Saturday; on Sundays, you’ll find them farther south, in Prospect Park. The largest weekly open-air food market in the country, it’s popular and draws thousands of visitors, but don’t be deterred by the crowds: Much of the fun is the people-watching and the general festival-like atmosphere. Even if you aren’t visiting New York in the summer, it’s worth checking out the Smorgasburg website as they sometimes have smaller off-season pop-ups, including the Winter Flea & Holiday Market.

Chapulín is a restaurant that aims to fuse Mexico‘s traditions and contemporary influences into a single experience. That idea isn’t found just on the menu—where diners will find dishes like scallops with jicama and green melon—but also in the music and the restaurant’s decor. And yes, diners can put in an order for chapulínes, the grasshopper for which the restaurant is named.

In Old Town, locals often frequent the inviting, friendly Monica’s El Portal, a 36-year-old institution, housed in an unassuming building. There’s a range of traditional homemade dishes like blue corn chicken and a hearty green-chile stew. The carne adovada (New Mexican pulled pork) chimichanga is immensely satisfying. Arrive hungry and leave full.

A cozy new spot from chef Joseph Wrede that blends a dining experience for the vegetable lover like wild greens vichyssoise and a cast iron cauliflower dish with mustard seed, white beans, anchovies, fried capers. The meat inclined will lean towards the flavorful bison ribeye and southwestern lamb burger. Enjoy a great selection of beers on tap and a winner wine list.

Zurich West’s answer to Bahnhofstrasse is lined with boutiques of its own, the most popular of which are Einzigart for design-minded goods like Kristian Vedel’s handcrafted birds and Little Black Dress for chic, edgy takes on the style classic. The restaurant Josef has long served as the neighborhood’s unofficial canteen with its imaginative tapas-sized dishes and buzzing bar scene. Photo © Gian Marco Castelberg/The Brander

The fashionista’s drinking place of choice, Roberto Cavalli’s chic café makes a perfect pit stop on the designer boutique trail. Perch on a leopard skin pouffe for an excellent cappuccino, decadent pastries and cakes, and savory dishes at lunchtime. Foodie gifts to-go include delicious handmade chocolates, panettone at Christmastime (wrapped in Cavalli’s trademark animal-print paper), and award-winning wines made by Cavalli’s son, Tommaso.

Roaring Fork brings back the simplicity of wood fired Southwestern cooking. Roasted and smoked ribs are prepared with Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce while the “Big Ass” burger comes with Poblano pepper and smoked bacon. Breads and desserts are made from scratch every day, and Chef Michael Bouwens dishes out daily specials and seasonal goods on the regular.

Simple, skilled treatment of raw product is the hallmark of the cuisine at Narru. With a chef once named in the Wall Street Journal as a top young chef to watch in Europe, the food here is quite simply delicious. Stars are the tomato salad, the seafood rice dish of the day, the crema de queso for dessert, and the secreto ibérico, an incredibly juicy cut of pork.

Wedged between former cotton mills in the neighborhood of Cabbagetown, Agave is an Atlanta favorite for its eclectic Southwestern cuisine. The posole soup and spicy tequila anejo shrimp with grits put a Southern spin on Southwestern classics. Most of the dishes come in gluten-free varieties. Try the classic margaritas or go funky with mango or passionfruit varieties.

The Alley on Bitters is a great place to wander. It occupies the land where a 19th century dairy farm once stood, and there’s still a great deal of character and old school charm. Meander past arts & crafts shops, antique dealers, and boutiques, and maybe even stay for a meal at Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar, which serves seasonal Texas and Southern dishes.

In the heart of D.C.'s Penn Quarter, Zaytinya serves up a variety of tapas inspired by traditional dishes from Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey. It also has a selection of wines from such Eastern Mediterranean countries and seasonally serves a hot tea with a blooming jasmine flower. Falafel, hummus, and roasted cauliflower are among my favorite menu items. Try the Turkish coffee at weekend brunch.