When Antonia Klugmann found this 17th century mill in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, east of Venice near the Italian-Slovenian border, it offered the perfect spot for Klugmann’s first restaurant. She spent four years renovating to create a small dining room - only 18 covers - with spellbinding views of both the countryside and Klugmann at work in her kitchen. Her elegant style is guided by the seasons and region, therefore the two tasting menus and small à la carte change frequently and she is inspired by ingredients rather than bound to tradition, pairing Jerusalem artichokes with baccalà, beef carpaccio with bone marrow and cavolo nero, and creating stunning pasta such as beetroot ravioli with roast chicory, and corn gnocchi with Parmesan extraction and juniper oil. Though off the beaten track, there are three rooms for diners to stay the night - especially useful if you’ve fully explored the regional wine list!

Chef patron Youssef Akiki traveled the world, doing apprenticeships with Alain Ducasse, Nicolas le Bec, and Joel Robuchon, among many others, before returning to his childhood village in Lebanon, Hrajel, to open Brût, which he describes as “a true culinary journey in the middle of nature”. The farm-to-table restaurant serves exquisite Levantine cuisine using local produce, from saffron and squash to oranges, figs, and many herbs from nearby Mount Lebanon. As well as Brût, Akiki operates in Beirut and Dubai, and is a significant voice in Lebanese hospitality.

Giovanni Bolandrini, CEO of the Pier88 Group and restaurant, has designed a restaurant he describes as ‘fine dining à l'Egyptienne’ with a breathtaking view of the last wonder of the ancient world, the pyramids at Giza, and a substantial terrace. The restaurant promises a ‘revived’ Egyptian cuisine and a selection of pastries. Chef Mostafa Seif's dishes include enticing traditional dishes such as roz mu'ammar (baked rice) and koshari salad, a bowl of lentils, rice, chickpeas, with a tomato sauce and crispy onions, served in contemporary interiors of natural wood and stone, which complement the incredible views.

Chef Neria Kalantarov has created something magical at her vegan Tel Aviv restaurant, Meshek Barzilay. She uses seasonal Middle Eastern produce to create dishes unique to her imagination but influenced by many international cuisines. You might find black bean tempeh on almond cream, beetroot pockets with ajo blanco, eggplant ceviche with seaweed, and tamarind tofu. For dessert, try coconut and cashew cheesecake or aquafaba lemon meringue pie. There’s a buzzy indoor bar area but the real hidden gem is the outdoor terrace, a secret garden kind of space, which is transformed at night with hundreds of fairy lights. This is high-end plant-based dining in enchanting surroundings.

Are you ready to reach culinary heaven? Look no further than chef Sarah Vuk Brajko's Piran restaurant La Bottega dei Sapori, formerly the birthplace and workshop of violinist Giuseppe Tartini. Vuk Brajko's cooking is a perfect combination of the old Piran tradition, blending Italian food with French technique. The heritage dishes such as the Piran fish soup and cuttlefish goulash with polenta are interesting to newcomers to the region, and for those lucky enough to be in town during the truffle season, white or black, don't miss the truffle menu.

Sisters Maria and Teresa Solivellas strive to replicate the flavors and feelings of home cooking at their Mallorcan restaurant in the village of Caimari at the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana. Their kitchen is strictly seasonal, with everything made by hand and mostly cooked on fire. The aim is to preserve local food heritage with simple dishes and forgotten ingredients, in the relaxed atmosphere of the traditional stone building. Their Mallorquín tasting menus are true examples of hyperlocal cuisine. “The wealth of a product does not depend on its market value, but on its proximity, its freshness, and its taste,” say the Solivellas.

Giancarlo Zigante, a tool maker from Plovanija in Istria, stumbled upon the biggest white truffle ever found in the 90s, in an ancient forest in Motovun. The discovery of the white truffle, registered in the Guinness Book of Records at a weight of 1.31kg, inspired Zigante to open his restaurant with rooms dedicated to truffle dishes in the heart of Livade, and organize a truffle festival. He transforms Istrian truffles into dishes such as egg with fresh black truffle, creamed potato, salted quail egg yolk, and Gruyere cheese, or oyster mushroom with amaranth and horseradish.

Alaf, the culinary wonderland of chef Deniz Temel, is an enchanting restaurant that will take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey. Alaf means burning flame in nomadic dialect, an appropriate name for a restaurant that thrives on its roots. Alaf reflects Istanbul’s rich cultural mix in the diversity of the dishes, from Kurdish and Armenian to Yezidi. Alaf is notable for Temel's passion for quality ingredients. He sources from the best suppliers, including Mehmet Abi and his wife Arzu Hanım's pomegranate syrup, Hermus olive oil, and produce from Damlica Farm and Teofarm in Antakya, which sends Alaf the specialty flour they use to make sourdough. Their bread is baked over wood, filling the restaurant with nostalgic smells. There’s a great view from the terrace, too.

A welcoming bistro hidden on the lower ground floor of a 17th century palazzo in Valletta, the capital of Malta, with a menu flush with the island’s finest produce. Guzé has been open for over a decade and chef Mark Dimech and owner Joseph Cauchi serve traditional national and Mediterranean cuisine to a contemporary clientele. There’s rabbit with blood orange, wild boar with truffle cream, lobster with preserved lemon, and octopus with mandarin and tomato confit - and that’s only the starters. There are also tasting menus themed around land and sea.

Chef Rabah Ourrad is making waves in the food world following a career in North African hip-hop as the frontman of an Algerian rap group. His interests turned to French literature and cooking when he moved from his hometown of Algiers to Paris, where he worked in a number of large Parisian brasseries before moving to Barcelona and becoming head chef at El Cafeti. In the UK, he worked at Sketch, The Ledbury, and Momo, before opening Wormwood, where his menu caught the eye of food critic Fay Maschler who named it one of her top 10 openings for 2014. When he returned home to Algeria, he judged the first season of Masterchef and opened his own restaurant, Mim, with dishes such as lamb shoulder rolled with hummus and garlic sauce.