Le Chateaubriand, Paris

Chef Inaki Aizpitarte is the unofficial leader (and handsome poster boy) of France's neo-bistrot movement, and Le Chateaubriand was recently rated the 11th best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine, the highest ranking for any French restaurant. Aizpitarte's regularly changing 45€ prix-fixe menu offers no choices, but open-minded diners are rewarded with some of the most innovative flavor pairings in Paris. You may try rare tuna slices in pink beet foam flavored with pomegranate seeds or eel flavored with orange juice and olive oil. Not every single plate is a winner, but usually at least three of four dishes tend to be brilliant. If you don't have a reservation, you can try to score a seat at the second seating, which begins around 10pm.