Learn more about the best restaurants and bars around the world

With travel season in full swing, seafront destinations are in high demand. Whether you’re holidaying in Asia, Australia or the Americas, make the best use of the beach with these 15 seaside venues La Palme d'Or Cannes, France Situated on the historically glamorous Cannes coast, this creative restaurant’s food is on par with its views of Mediterranean. The only restaurant in the city with two Michelin stars, La Palme d’Or is located on the first floor of the glamorous Hôtel Martinez, overlooking the famed promenade of La Croisette, with diners on the terrace enjoying dazzling views of the bay. Sporting a signature pistachio-green cook’s jacket, locally born head chef Christian Sinicropi champions the Provençal terroir in creative, technically superb dishes. Sommelier Dominique Vion provides stellar wine pairings to complement. Hôtel Martinez, 73 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes +33 4 92 98 74 14

Orfoz Restaurant Bodrum, Türkiye  This seafood temple lets the incredible ingredients and beachside view do the talking. The taverna-style set up and paper placemats of this charming Bodrum pick belie the punch packed by the kitchen beyond – to dine at Orfoz is to experience a true culinary ode to the ocean. Fresh as they come, the 16-odd small plates follow Orfoz’s seafood calendar – and kitchen garden offering – with rare and unusual catches added in as and when. Expect a tangible respect for the ingredients and simple presentation across the likes of sea snails in a wine sauce, an Aegean twist on ceviche and shell-baked oysters with Parmesan.

Zeki Müren Cd. No:13/1, Kumbahçe, Bodrum, Muğla, 48400 +90 252 316 42 85 Pjerin Dubrovnik, Croatia Set in the rocky Adriatic coastline, Pjerin is a serene, luxurious paradise. Within the walls of the luxury Villa Dubrovnik hotel, the restaurant has stunning views of the town and the sea. And like the rest of the hotel, the venue is smartly presented with chic grey and white decor. Under Chef Giuseppe Somma, modern Mediterranean dishes are honed with a distinctive Italian flare. The menu includes seafood risotto with locally caught shellfish, homemade pastas and rabbit fillet with hazelnuts and wild mushrooms. Courses are paired with beautiful vintages produced in the local area. Vlaha Bukovca 6, Dubrovnik, 20000 +385 20 500 306

The Athenian House Santorini, Greece In the bejewelled crown of Santorini, The Athenian House shines brightest through its refinement of its country’s classic dishes. Sat atop the caldera cliffs in Imerovigli village, this is one of Santorini’s top dining spots. As popular for its laidback fine dining atmosphere, as it is for its famous Greek chef's creations, guests come for the signature lamb moussaka with Santorini white aubergine, tahini, feta and bechamel, served alongside with two succulent lamb chops. Alternatively, diners can enjoy an entirely plant-based menu, alongside a range of rare local Santorini wines. You can’t leave without trying the restaurant’s highly commended baklava, a decadent version of the classic featuring chocolate and peanut butter-filled filo pastry, topped with salted caramel and pistachio nuts. Imerovigli, Santorini, 847 00 0030 6981464430 The Broken Shaker Miami, USA With contraband spirits and relaxing tropical aura, this bar is the perfect place to unwind with an interesting drink or two in hand. Stroll through the back yard of Miami's Freehand Hotel and you'll find the Broken Shaker, with vintage furniture and a tropical atmosphere. Cocktails here are easy-going and vacation friendly. Drinks such as the Dusk Til Dawn, made with mezcal, passionfruit liqueur, acidified orange juice and grenadine, is just one of its many endearing creations on its monthly and seasonally changing menu. Alternatively, pick a spirit, fruit and botanical for a sharing punchbowl in the sunshine to enjoy alongside its bar menu, with tacos, empanadas, burgers and more. Freehand Hotel, 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach, Miami, FL 33140 +1 305 531 2727 ARCA Tulum, Mexico This one-of-a-kind bar is situated both in a jungle and on the beach with seasonal cocktails to rival its natural beauty. This restaurant was literally built around the trees that shade its dining area. Taking inspiration from its surroundings, ARCA leans into micro-seasonality, crafting small plates with big flavours over open fires. This ethos extends over its cocktails, too, which are a colourful celebration of local flavours, ingredients and spirits, all beautifully and elegantly presented.

Av. Boca Paila, Tulum Beach, Tulum, Quintana Roo, 77780 +52 984 177 2231

Fig Charleston, USA At the centre of Charleston’s reinvention as a culinary hotspot, Fig delivers on big flavours just a stone’s throw from the water. When it burst onto the scene in 2003, the restaurant’s acres of white linen, sophisticated charcoal paintwork and dedication to seasonality gave it more in common with classic European restaurants than its American neighbours. Mike Lata’s dedication to honest, ingredient-driven slow cooking has been central to Charleston’s culinary renaissance. His seasonal menus capture the culinary history of the surrounding Lowcountry along South Carolina's coast and the tradition of artisans who live there, with a global range of wines to match. Think ricotta gnocchi with parmesan and mint and red snapper in a mustard crust. 232 Meeting Street, Downtown Charleston, SC 29401 +1 843 805 5900

Parador La Huella José Ignacio, Uruguay As one of Uruguay’s finest restaurants, this institution with unparalleled coastal views is a must-visit destination in South America. A legendary spot at the fancy resort of José Ignacio, La Huella is a summertime dining must for coastal views, wonderful seafood and a laidback attitude conducive to lengthy rosé-fuelled meals. Think freshly grilled octopus and sea bass ceviche caught that very morning. But Uruguay’s love of red meat is given equal treatment here, with hunks of entrecote seared and over fire. Don’t miss out on the dulce de leche volcano either. Calle de los Cisnes, Playa Brava, José Ignacio, 20402 +598 4486 2279

Bocavaldivia Puerto Cayo, Ecuador  Truly at one with nature, this restaurant places diners at the heart of a restorative ecological project pooling the ingredients and techniques of yesteryear to create an unmissable experience . Founded by Ecuadorean chef Rodrigo Pacheco, Bocavaldivia is an ambitious project aimed at restoring ecosystems and reconnecting cultures through sustainable tourism, agroforestry and even building schools for local children. Almost all of the produce comes from the surrounding area, with dishes including country chicken caramelised in volcanic stone, or fresh salad of forest plants including the leaves of cassava or purple sweet potato. Whether inside the restaurants dining room or outside in the tropical forest, mangroves or reefs, there are few places in the world that can deliver a joint package of gastronomy and natural beauty as successfully. Ruta del Sol Km 12 Norte, Puerto Cayo, 130658 +593 99 819 9428

74 Restaurant Rio de Janeiro, Brazil With experience of cooking around the globe, Argentine chef Gonzalo Vidal brings succinct, ingredient-driven cooking to the Brazilian shores. On the peaceful terrace within the luxury Casas Brancas boutique hotel in upmarket Búzios, 74 Restaurant is a near-perfect spot to enjoy ingredients fresh from the sea. With experience in kitchens from Japan to Europe, Chef Vidal pulls from a range of global influences, with oriental-meets-Mediterranean cuisine. With a primary focus on seafood, expect dishes such as grilled octopus, seared tuna and lobster rice, with a particular highlight being an exquisite seaweed cone of tuna belly and sea urchin. Aside from the à la carte, there is a seven-course tasting menu featuring local products from sea, land and the restaurant’s own garden. Rua Morro do Humaitá, 10, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 28950-000 +55 22 2623 1458

Muyu San Cristobal, Ecuador From ocean to table, this organic-produce-focused restaurant is renowned for the surrounding nature just as much as its simple yet refined cooking. On the remote island of San Cristobal in the Galápagos archipelago, Muyu is a seaside ran by Chef Marco Salamanca. Working almost exclusively from the produce of the land around him, dishes include scorpion fish, octopus, seafood ceviche and freshly baked sourdough, with plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians, too. Muyu supports organic farmers and empowers women and youngsters to become hospitality professionals. The picturesque beach setting at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno means diners are often joined by the restaurant’s neighbours – the local sea lions. Calle Charles Darwin, 3, San Cristobal, San Cristobal, Galapagos, 200150 +593 97 872 6293

Potato Head Beach Club Kuta Utara, Indonesia With cocktails made to match the best in the world, it would be easy to forget you’re in a beachside bar here, if it weren’t for the cooling sea breeze. Faced by ocean sunsets and encircled by an amphitheatre-style curve of antique shutters, the Potato Head has become a Bali destination for balanced and perfected cocktails. The continually evolving drinks might be made to London or New York standards but expect a few exotic ingredients to remind guests that they’re currently sat on the dreamy Bali coast. Jl. Petitenget No. 51B, Seminyak, Kuta Utara, 80361 +62 361 4737979

Smoke & Bitters Dickwella, Sri Lanka A wholly casual affair, there are few better places to imagine sipping the night away than this beach bar on the southernmost tip of India’s Teardrop. Situated on the country’s southern coast, drinks here are part and parcel of the evening ritual in the laid-back surfer town of Hiriketiya. Decked out in local materials and opened in 2020, it’s half tiki lounge, half beach shack, but make no mistake, for all the easy breezy frondescence of the surrounds, this place is just as serious about what’s in each glass. Fed by the Teardrop Isle’s natural larder, cue jars of hella good homemade bitters – bay leaf and lemongrass, Ceylon, smoke orange et al – ready to add sultry notes to craft concoctions that riff on the classics. Liqueurs, syrups and infusions are similarly curated in house. The kitchen complements proceedings with podi plates and island fare from smoked chicken hoppers and jackfruit biriyani to beer-battered mahi-mahi and a lauded smoked pork shoulder on roti bread. Pehebiya, Pehebiya Road, Hiriketiya, Dickwella, Southern Province, 81200 +94 77 338 6606 Wolfgat Paternoster, South Africa Listed as one of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2021, this tiny coastal venue punches well above its weight class on elegant and uncomplicated fine dining. Named for the ancient cave that sits under the building, Wolfgat is a tiny, 20-seater restaurant in Paternoster, two hours north of Cape Town. With a dining room offering golden beach and Atlantic views, Kobus van der Merwe’s seven-course ‘Strandveld’ tasting menu is renowned for its winning ways with indigenous ingredients, featuring seafood, meat and game, foraged wild herbs, seaweed from local rock pools and homegrown vegetables in artful dishes recognisable for their lack of cheffy intervention. 10 Sampson Street, Kliprug, Paternoster, 7381

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar Sydney, Australia Creative and unique cooking meets breath-taking ocean views in this modern Australian eatery whose images are splayed globally on Instagram minute by minute. A glass cube above the world-famous sea pool on Bondi Beach, Icebergs could easily rely on its setting alone. Yet owner Maurice Terzini, who has played a seminal role in developing modern Italian dining in Australia since the 90s, continues to excel with seasonal menus that tip a chef’s hat to land and sea. Urchin bruschetta topped with grated foie gras sits aside hand-cut spaghetti glistening with verbena butter and Moreton Bay crab. Tight on budget? Opt for flavoursome bar snacks such as pillowy oysters, alongside a selection of spritzes and twists on the classic Negroni. 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi, Sydney, NSW 2026

IDAM Doha, Qatar T aking a taste of classic French cuisine to the Middle East, one of Alain Ducasse’s latest ventures brings exemplary cooking to new scenic frontiers. IDAM, meaning ‘generosity’ in Arabic, is set on the fifth floor of the Museum of Islamic Art, with dazzling Philippe Starck-designed dining room boasts a luxurious black carpet embellished with white calligraphy, along with breath-taking views of the Doha skyline. The menu is a seamless interweaving of French and Arabic influence: the 'lunch-hour' menu offers outstanding value at $55 but, if going for the full blow-out, the Experience tasting menu is the best way to savour the kitchen’s artistic brilliance. Museum of Islamic Art, The Corniche, Doha Bay, Doha +974 4422 4488 Use our city guides and consult the refreshed 50 Best Discovery gastronomic search engine for thousands more restaurant and bar recommendations across the world. Start planning your next adventure today…