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With an outdoor patio just steps from the water, this favorite restaurant on Fort Myers Beach pairs drinks and food with dolphin sightings. The menu caters to tourists from up north—abundant during snowbird season—with dishes like lobster rolls, but also includes Florida favorites like grouper and crab cakes. Of course, the cocktails have a universal appeal and are best enjoyed while watching the sun set over the beautiful beach.

No shopping trip in Windhoek is complete without a stop at the Craft Cafe. A small brewery and warehouse space has been converted into a venue for shopping and dining, featuring many local artisan products from around the country. On the top floor, the restaurant Craft Cafe serves an excellent Western-style breakfasts and large mugs of coffee at a reasonable price. Sit on the balcony overlooking the complex for a dose of fresh air while you dine. A small, secure parking lot is available to park if you have your vehicle with you.

This unusual contemporary art museum is located in a series of dimly lit caverns and tunnels built into the side of a cliff in Berriedale, a Hobart suburb. Inside, mind-bending installations include a stinky model of the human digestive system that poops daily at 2 p.m. Founder David Walsh, a professional gambler turned art maverick, displays more than 400 edgy works from his private collection. The new Pharos wing that debuted in late 2017 is heavy on light spaces by James Turrell. MONA also stages two standout annual festivals: Mona Foma (which stands for Festival of Music and Art, sometimes further shortened to Mofo) in January, curated by Brian Ritchie of the rock band Violent Femmes, and Dark Mofo, the disturbing winter version held in June.

Bird’s Isle, a staple on the Belize City local dining and socializing scene, is just five minutes south of the noisy downtown along a waterfront, with an open dining room that enjoys breezy views of the dock and the birds hovering nearby. The kitchen serves Belizean Creole dishes and seafood as well as burgers. A lively crowd of locals flocks here for the daily lunch specials—especially Tuesday’s beef soup—and in the evenings, you can expect a crowd for happy-hour deals and a fun atmosphere. Thursday is karaoke night.

Once-abandoned railway sheds have been repurposed to create an open-air outlet mall in Palermo, one of the city’s buzziest neighborhoods. Clothes are expensive in Argentina so don’t expect rock-bottom prices, but you’ll appreciate discounts on local brands like Las Pepas. In addition to clothing retailers, there are several food carts, plus pop-up restaurants, here and there beneath a redbrick viaduct that supports the General San Martín commuter train. Large flowerbeds and the trains’ overhead comings and goings make Distrito Arcos a pretty spot for snacks or browsing the racks.

Snag a shady outdoor table overlooking the slow-moving Waikato River and enjoy excellent tapas at one of regional New Zealand‘s best restaurants. Expanding from a smaller, cozier location on nearby Hood Street, Gothenburg is popular for shared plates with a global flavor, and its menu encompasses lots of vegetarian selections. Try the potato gnocchi with Kikorangi blue cheese from New Zealand’s Kapiti Dairy, or challenge your palate with the spicy kimchi-and-pork dumplings. Gothenburg is also a big supporter of the Hamilton craft-brewing fraternity, and the beverage list often includes seasonal small-batch beers from local microbreweries like Brewaucracy and Shunters Yard.

Boasting the largest lakefront deck at Tahoe, Sunnyside features a summer-party atmosphere and somewhat predictable burgers-and-ribs menu that keeps diners of all ages happy. A meal here is more of a social event than a fine-dining experience, but that’s exactly what the crowd wants. Expect to see a lot of fried calamari plates coming out of the kitchen, as well as people sharing slices of hula pie (macadamia nut ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust, crowned with whipped cream and chocolate fudge). In winter, the action moves indoors to the cozy, lodge-style dining room, but the vibe is equally lively.

On the banks of the river Zaan, time stopped three centuries ago at Zaanse Schans. In this recreation of a Dutch village in the 17th–18th centuries, stroll down streets lined with typical green wooden houses, manicured gardens and graceful bridges. Poke into tradesmen’s workshops, historic windmills and tiny boutiques. See how wooden clogs are made and watch pewter jewelry fashioned before your eyes. Discover how artisanal Dutch cheese is crafted and purchase a wheel of Gouda or Edam to take home. Refuel with coffee and apple pie in one of numerous restaurants within the village. Explore a few museums and round off your visit with a boat trip on the river. Although several museums at Zaanse Schans charge for admission, there’s no entry fee at the popular tourist attraction created by relocating houses, windmills, storehouses and barns to form a replica of a typical Zaanse village. Alongside clusters of windmills, characteristic wooden houses and unique shops, traditional Dutch crafts are showcased and the lifestyles of people who lived in Holland long before sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll entered the picture are revealed.

The Cerro Alegre/Cerro Concepción neighborhood is wonderful for walking, with many promenades and terrific views of the bay. The hilly area still conveys the culture of the European immigrants, mostly German and British, who settled here in the 19th century. Visitors are often surprised by the non-Spanish influences in Valparaíso; street names, businesses and popular restaurants in this barrio bear testament to the multiplicity of cultures in the seaport.

Although the Smoking Goat is credited with pioneering a culinary renaissance in a once-sleepy corner of North Park, nothing else about chef Fred Piehl’s flagship restaurant screams “culinary vanguard”—and that’s precisely what devotees love about the place. Regulars come here for the reliably exquisite staples: French onion soup with what’s essentially an open-face grilled cheese sandwich afloat in rich veal broth; duck fat truffle fries with pecorino romano and mustard aioli; beef cheeks à la Bourguignonne with carrots, cioppolini onions, cherry tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and braising jus; and other creations that blend traditional French tastes with sustainable, organic San Diego–sourced ingredients. While dinner at this rustic, romantic spot is hardly the time to eat lightly, if you want to go vegetarian, opt for the indulgent raclette au gratin with fingerling potatoes, cornichons, and toast, along with a salad of poached and raw pears with mixed greens, pistachio pesto, and champagne vinaigrette. And as befits the restaurant’s caprine theme, the goat cheese cheesecake with poached peach and whipped cream is a favorite dessert.

Owen Brennan founded a fine-dining restaurant empire in 1946, when the proprietor of Arnaud’s taunted him by saying that no Irishman could succeed with anything other than a hamburger joint. Brennan got his revenge at this French-and-Creole restaurant located in a sprawling pink 1795 Spanish-era structure that’s become iconic. After some slouching in recent years, Brennan’s is back on culinary maps following a change in ownership (from one branch of Brennan descendants to another). Pro tip: It’s more famous for breakfast than dinner. Among the more noted dishes is eggs Hussarde, involving poached eggs and Canadian bacon served with both Marchand de Vin and hollandaise sauces.

Restaurants abound in the heavily touristed Gothic Quarter, but few of them are particularly good. Irati is one of the exceptions, a bustling spot popular with locals thanks to its excellent pintxos, traditional Basque tapas served on bread and speared with a toothpick. There’s seating in the back, but you’re really here for the experience of eating pintxos, which means standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar and helping yourself to the buffet of bite-size offerings. A sure bet is the jamón, lightly drizzled in olive oil, and the blue cheese topped with quince paste and walnuts. Save room for the hot snacks, like ham-and-cheese croquetas, which are brought out at regular intervals from the kitchen. And don’t toss your toothpicks—that’s how the bill is tallied.

The resort town of Mondello, just a short drive from Palermo, is a popular escape for visitors and Sicilians alike. Cerulean waters lap a beach of soft white sand. Visitors staying in nearby villas spend much of their time relaxing on the beach, with occasional breaks for arancini and panelle bought from street vendors. For a serious meal, stroll down the pier to the Charleston, a landmark restaurant and bar in an Art Nouveau building over the water.

The place of choice to watch the sunset is the quarter of Little Venice—a clutch of balconied fishermen’s houses dressed in colorful paint and reflecting the waters of the sea beside them. Numerous charming tavernas live here, too, so it’s a great place to end up after a walk. The narrow alleys can get crowded when ships are docking, and the restaurants and bars sometimes overcharge, knowing they’re in an enviable location.

Located in historic downtown Williams, Arizona, just outside of Grand Canyon National Park, Red Raven Restaurant is cozy and casual with a brick exterior painted fire-engine red. The kitchen is small but sends out gourmet comfort food to diners seated in its high-ceilinged dining room. They tuck into dishes such as portabella and zucchini fries with a balsamic reduction sauce, broiled pork medallions topped with cilantro pesto and tempura-style broccolini, and a lamb and vegetable stew made with Guinness. Seating at this husband-and-wife–owned establishment is limited, so definitely call ahead.