Esca — Mexico City
It takes a second to appreciate you’ve arrived at Esca, which hides behind broad wood doorways, however don’t be fooled—that’s the intention. Once inside this stunning casona in the coronary heart of Colonia Roma, the setting is clearly a part of the expertise: breezy, dappled with daylight, unhurried. Since opening its doorways in August of final yr, Esca has develop into a spot the place lunch plans slowly fade into dinner. The menu is impressed by Italy’s coastal areas but rooted in Mexican elements and spices, with one overarching promise: “We let the catch speak for itself,” says chef de delicacies Tobias Petzold, who leads alongside proprietor Rolly Pavia. This standout seafood shines in chilly appetizers—like a “canned tuna” you’ll need to see to consider—crudos, pastas, and dainty mains like a tuna ventresca with smoked eggplant and onion confit. Once the bar opens round 6 p.m., the temper shifts dramatically, changing into sultrier and livelier, fueled by imported wines obtainable solely right here and a cocktail menu that’s likewise rooted in seafood and native elements. —Atenea Morales
New York City’s Carbone is synonymous with A-listers and trendy figures, with mere mortal foodies refreshing their emails again and again in the hopes of securing a coveted reservation. Now, a palpable sense of pleasure—and smugness—hangs in London’s air, as the metropolis has gained its personal outpost of the scene-y eatery. Upstairs, tables are laden in crisp tablecloths, and the bar casts a golden gentle over wealthy cerulean and scarlet decor; beneath, a buzzy cocktail lounge flows right into a sultry, subterranean eating area with its recognizable checkered ground; diners on the terrace, in the meantime, people-watch over this nook of Grosvenor Square. The front-of-house crew struts between banquettes in velvety Zac Posen-designed tuxedos as heaping bread baskets hit tables, and Parmesan wheels are ceremoniously picked at till they crumble in chunks onto facet plates. Yes, the signature spicy rigatoni vodka is on the menu, and the gargantuan melt-in-the-mouth meatballs are to not be missed both. Discreet abdomen rubbing and wine-swirling usually ensue earlier than the major occasion lands in the heart of the desk: in my case, the veal Parmesan with its tomato-and-cheese toppings glowing underneath the gentle of an Art Deco desk lamp. Just while you’re able to admit defeat, the crew will persuade you to indulge one last time with a selection of desserts on a shimmering silver platter beside you. Say sure. This is the sort of restaurant the place you’ll be able to lose hours in a mesmerizing, sweet-scented crimson blur and nonetheless not be prepared to depart. —Connor Sturges
Must — Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Abidjan is a fast-moving business hub set alongside the Atlantic shoreline, the place enterprise, tradition, and nightlife intersect. In Cocody, one among its busiest districts, Must has rapidly develop into an in-demand desk since opening in February 2026. Set on a rooftop with aerial views of the metropolis, proper on the Rue des Jardins, Must attracts a gradual mixture of native enterprise leaders, creatives, and visiting internationals, reflecting Abidjan’s mix of enterprise and life-style. The interiors mix clear traces with heat supplies, and the menu leans Mediterranean, with a number of native seafood. There’s grilled sea bream, lobster in butter sauce, and slow-cooked lamb, all deftly led by Peruvian chef Luis Carranza Marquez. Live music, a pianist or saxophonist maybe, usually performs in the background, simply sufficient to shift the temper as the night unfolds. It’s early days for Must, however the consideration to element, from service to ambiance, suggests this can be a place set to final. —Sharon Machira