Sometimes, what crowns a restaurant a classic isn’t its menu,
but its story. Case in point? The legendary El Quijote hangout at
the bottom of the soon-to-reopen Hotel Chelsea. This scarlet-robed
dining room started serving sangria in the 1930s, becoming a
regular rendezvous point for Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Andy
Warhol. It reopened last month, unchanged since the glory years –
all burgundy leather booths, etched glass, wrought iron edgings and
heavy chandeliers. All that’s missing? A cigarette haze swimming
around Warhol’s bleached-blonde thatch. The menu looks towards
Galicia and the Basque Country (think rabbit paella and oil-cured
anchovies), as does a voluptuous wine list, but we’re ordering a
sangria pitcher to toast the venue’s resurgence.

Head here for an introduction to what chef Epepe Tukala Vuvu
calls new African cuisine – his take on the continent’s rich and
intricate food culture. Located in Montreal’s Villeray district, this diminutive food
counter opened in August, its distinctiveness securing it a place
on our must-visit list for when we next touch down in Canada. The
menu reads like an atlas, with Senegalese, Moroccan and Ghanian
favourites galore. You’ll be diving into aromatic dishes such as
maafe peanut stew, gamey Congolese grilled goat and Kenyan spiced
mango salads, all washed down with homemade hibiscus juice. The
restaurant has a close relationship to a speciality farm outside
Quebec, granting it access to authentic African ingredients.

When Australia announced that its borders were
reopening, it was this Melbourne indigenous food advocate that had
us hot-footing it to Heathrow. Big Esso – a slang term that means
“the biggest thank you” – opened last year on the banks of the
Birrarung (Yarra). It’s a second spot for Torres Straits chef
Nornie Bero, a champion of First Nations food culture in a country
that so often looks overseas for epicurean inspiration. The menu
dazzles with native Australian ingredients. Expect the likes of
kangaroo tail with sharp pepperberry bourguignon, lemon aspen arti
(octopus) with a desert lime sauce, and gamey charred emu, brushed
with black molasses and a fiery chimichurri. Tinnies, softies and
wines on the drinks list are all made by native-owned companies,
too.

Everyone loves a good comeback story, and if it includes a
heroic crowdfunding campaign from devoted diners pining for their
favourite haunt, so much the better. Enter, Here’s Looking at You,
a Koreatown restaurant destined to be a Covid casualty until it was
lovingly nurtured back to life this January, thanks to its generous
regulars. The beloved restaurant is now back in business and
buzzing with energy. Pitch up to munch on innovative menu
favourites like smoked maple chicken liver on locally baked bread,
and tamari and red chilli-spiked steak tartare. Don’t skip dessert,
either. The pre-pandemic standout, a frozen cloud of pear soda foam
with fermented honey, is back and better than ever.

Tucked between the vineyards of Bolivia’s second-largest wine
region, this soon-to-open spot comes with plenty of pedigree – but
few concrete certainties. There’s no confirmed location, dining
room or even menu yet, but we do know that it’s set to be a more
sophisticated sister to La Paz’s relaxed pizzeria Imilla Alzada, offering a set tasting menu crafted
from the bountiful harvests of the area’s undulating landscapes –
so peaches, plums, and creamy cherimoya might make it to the plate.
With craft beer-maker Sukko Stach behind the scenes, there are also
plans for a cidery, to make the most of the area’s apple
production.

Bangkok’s newest restaurant is also one of its smallest, with
just 12 diners being offered the chance to experience a 12-course
tasting menu each day. Chef Sareen Rojanamatin – recently returned
from an extended stint in Australia – takes his audience on a
three-hour food odyssey inspired by his homeland’s larder, matching
crisp chrysanthemum flower bites and frozen tom yum soup cubes with
fresh juices, infusions and alcoholic pairings. The dining room is
a sultry, softly lit gallery in which food takes centre stage.