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.