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Known for its movie-themed decor and a selection of over 250 types of tequila, and beloved for its Mexican brunch, Casablanca Restaurant opened in 1980 with a menu of traditional and lesser-known Mexican entrees that it holds to this day. The family-owned space was the brainchild of Carlos Haro, Sr., who loved the movie Casablanca almost as much as he loved Mexican-style calamari steak. The restaurant has one of the largest collections of memorabilia from the film in the world, including a life-size statue of Humphrey Bogart. Haro’s son, Carlos Haro, Jr., runs the place these days, though not much has changed since the restaurant first opened almost 40 years ago. Come for Sunday brunch, where one price includes an entree (think enchiladas or fajitas), mimosas, and unlimited tortillas—handmade right in front of you.

New Leaf Restaurant & Bar is an upscale eatery located in NYC’s Fort Tryon Park. Perched on one of the highest points in Manhattan, the 67-acre park features pristine views over the Hudson River. New Leaf is a wonderful dining option if you are visiting the park or its crown jewel, The Cloisters, the world-famous museum devoted to medieval art and architecture. The restaurant is housed in what was formerly a food concession facility from the 1930s. A renovation in 2001 enhanced the natural beauty of the cottage’s cobblestone exterior, 18-foot high ceilings and shaded outdoor patio. The food is fresh, seasonal and modern American cuisine - a top-notch Ceasar salad, plus Maryland crab cakes, hickory bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, ricotta ravioli and more. The non-profit restaurant benefits the New York Restoration Project - all proceeds support a cleaner, greener New York City. So feel good while eating well! www.newleafrestaurant.com

Reykjavík’s Dill restaurant, run by chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason and sommelier Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, is the first venue in Iceland to win a coveted Michelin star. It specializes in New Nordic Cuisine, which means that the kitchen updates traditional dishes such as arctic char, pork belly, and lamb shanks in highly creative and ultradelicious ways—often pairing them with healthy ingredients like barley, berries, and kale. The restaurant is open four evenings a week, and the seven-course menu changes regularly based on availability of local ingredients. Food can be paired with a fabulous selection of champagnes and wines. It’s not the cheapest choice in town, but it is one of the best.

Panache at the Auberge Saint-Antoine hotel in Lower Town was long one of Québec City’s most celebrated restaurants, a special-occasion favorite of locals and visitors, located in a cozy and historic 19th-century warehouse with wooden beams and stone walls. In June 2017, the restaurant was rechristened Chez Muffy, after one of the inn’s co-owners. The same chef is at the helm, Julien Ouellet, who is known for Canadian and French dishes that make the most of local produce. (The menu is changed every two months to highlight whatever is in season.) With its farmhouse inspiration, you’ll typically find venison, duck, and other gamey options, but Ouellet usually has at least one vegetarian entrée, often made with ingredients grown on his farm on the Île d’Orléans. The hotel’s Bar Artefact, named for the items on display that were unearthed during an excavation of the site, is an ideal place to extend your meal with a cocktail before or after you eat.

Named for its owner’s “poz-itive” vibe, this casual, welcoming restaurant ranks among Dominica’s best. Expect Cajun, Creole, and Caribbean fare in the mix, along with fusion dishes and strong vegetarian options. Menu standouts include callaloo soup, veggie rice, and snapper in coconut-curry sauce, but the lobster, grilled with lemon-garlic butter, tends to steal all the headlines—or at least those not occupied by the fresh juices and home-infused vodkas. Open for dinner only, Poz is quite small in size, so make a reservation to avoid waiting for a table.

In the mid-1800s, the Pioneer Mills family helped found San Antonio’s active flour milling industry. It’s fitting that their private residence, the Guenther House, is now home to a local history museum and a delicious restaurant that serves some of the best pancakes in San Antonio. The pioneer biscuits and waffles are also a favorite best enjoyed riverside. Come for the food, but linger for the history lesson.

For a special dinner head over to the Schweiger2 Restaurant Showroom where, unlike any other place in Munich you’ll dine, there is no menu. Instead of ordering just select how many courses you’d like and let the chef know your preferences (particularly any allergies). They will then create something seasonal, unique and delicious just for you. Every dish is consistently served with warm hospitality and a bold wine & cheese list to match.

It’s easy to pass by Taylor’s Kitchen and not realize there is a fantastic restaurant inside...I had visited the neighboring shops without noticing the new restaurant, but I knew I had to visit once I heard people raving about the food. Taylor’s Kitchen uses ingredients from local farms and ranchers to create vibrant dishes that reflect the seasons of this agricultural region of California. This is not unlike many new restaurants in Sacramento, but what Taylor’s Kitchen does so well is create consistently good food. The restaurant is elegant yet cozy, suited to couples or small groups. The menu changes frequently based on what’s seasonally available and is a great reflection of Sacramento’s commitment to farm-to-fork dining.

A Buffalo mainstay, Chef’s has been serving heaping plates of spaghetti since 1923. Situated on the outskirts of Downtown, the Italian spot offers homestyle fare that works for everything from family gatherings to romantic date nights. Favorites include the stuffed shells, veal scaloppini with spaghetti, and chicken broccoli Alfredo with fettuccine, but the dish that made Chef’s famous is the spaghetti Parmesan—a mess of noodles smothered in cheese and broiled to perfection. Due to its popularity with locals and expat Buffalonians, the restaurant can get pretty packed, so it’s best to make a reservation in advance (especially on the weekends).

Day-trippers in search of awesome views, cool drinks, and light bites score at this oasis in the middle of Arikok National Park. The menu is simple and heavy on island favorites, from fried whole fish to seafood served with plantains, salad, and pan bait (a pancake-like bread). There are also hamburgers and cold sandwiches, along with frozen cocktails and local beer. Still, it’s the views that really stun. From its perch between Boca Prins Bay and the Fontein Cave, the restaurant has sweeping vistas of desert, hills, and sea.

The reward for climbing 418 steps to Aksla mountain’s summit is a cake, coffee, or a three-course dinner at Fjellstua. Admire one of the most famous panoramic views in all of Norway from the minimalist restaurant’s large windows. Although the outdoor kiosk is somewhat of an overpriced tourist trap, step inside for the evening ocean-themed menu, in which traditional Scandinavian sides of boiled potato and salad put the focus squarely on the fish. Book in advance to guarantee a window table—if the weather cooperates, you’ll catch a stunning sunset across the archipelago.

Wong Kei is a place all Londoners know. It’s the go-to restaurant in Chinatown when you want a big plate of noodles or sweet-and-sour pork, and you don’t want to pay a lot for it. The service was legendarily rude. In the old days you would arrive at the door and be barked at: “Upstairs!” The multi-level restaurant is always busy, so you’re sent to whichever level currently has space. Then you sit at a table with others, and you order your food, which will be brought to you when the waiters can be bothered. Disappointingly, the service is now thoroughly civil; I can only hope it’s a temporary blip. Either way, this is a must-have London experience, and you’ll easily come away with leftovers.

Dining in a beach chair—or at least a chair by the beach—is an essential part of the experience at Spice Mill Restaurant, which looks directly across the water to St. Kitts’ sister island of Nevis. The menu here journeys across the global culinary landscape, but the fish and produce are sourced as locally as possible—including from the restaurant’s own gardens. Expect fine dining with your toes in the sand.

Hemingway’s Restaurant has the best sunset views of one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Grace Bay, from a pier-like patio. The restaurant at the Sands at Grace Bay Hotel makes blended-just-right Pina Coladas topped with an extra dollop of rum. Sip and keep watch for the resident dolphin JoJo, who has been patrolling the turquoise waters off this picture-perfect crescent of sand for more than a decade – there’s even a bell to ring if you see him, although who knows if it’s the same dolphin. After you get tipsy, order dinner. In addition to conch, the restaurant is known for steak and fresh-caught fish cooked only in olive oil. At lunch, the fish tacos are my favorite dish. There is live music twice a week.

Östermalms Saluhall is one of Stockholm‘s most famous markets. While the prices aren’t cheap, since 1888 the market has been where those looking for the very best fish, meat, and produce shop. For most travelers in Stockholm, it provides a good lunch option if you want a fish sandwich or snack in an atmospheric Victorian food hall. The Saluhall will be closing for renovation and moving to a temporary building across the street in January 2016, and is scheduled to return to its home in 2020 after it has been refurbished and upgraded, ready to serve discerning Stockholm residents for another 125 years.