Archipelago is about as Pacific Northwest as owning multiple pairs of rock climbing shoes, but you can’t find a meal like this anywhere else in Seattle. The tasting menu spot has a 10-seat dining room and takes creative liberties with Filipino classics: The halo halo has “pineapple” ice made from pines and apples (the tropical fruit doesn’t grow in the PNW), and their imagining of sinigang has plum, green apple, or rhubarb broth instead of tamarind.

Pizzeria Beddia is one of the best pizza spots in Philadelphia, but it’s also home to one of the most intimate, special dinners you can have in the city. Located in a private back dining space, the Hoagie Room is a pizza and sandwich omakase where you can share Cantabrian anchovies, slices of their garlicky tomato pie, and decadent hoagies in a dimly-lit room with a Warhol print on the wall. The two-hour omakase also gives you access to Beddia’s own sizable wine collection.

This tiny sushi spot, located in a parking garage below several stories of plastic surgeons’ offices, is one of the best omakase experiences in LA. The entrance is marked with a nondescript beige door with an attendant wearing a suit, and the dining room feels sleek and inviting, like the finished basement of your friend who is secretly a nepo baby. As the 20 courses start coming out, you’ll forget that you’re underneath Los Angeles.

Themed bars are nothing new for Austin, but Tiki Tatusu-ya goes above and beyond. There’s a beach house upstairs, and if you descend into the mysterious cave downstairs, you’ll find a space that looks like a set from Legends of The Hidden Temple. The drink menu folds like a giant pop-up book, and the Mai Tais are made with miso-almond orgeat, but you’ll want to focus your attention on the large format drinks, which come out with flickering lights, trailing smoke, and thunder sound effects.

Shuggie's in San Francisco immediately feels like a different kind of modern pizza spot. The neon green and yellow rooms are monochromatic and look like something your mind would conjure after drinking too much absinthe, and you’ll find furniture resembling human legs, lips, and cupped hands to sit on. Don’t mistake Shuggies’s out-there style for a lack of substance—it’s also unique for its all-in approach to eliminating food waste.

The entire entrance of Pueblito Viejo should come with a jumpscare warning—about a dozen stuffed parrots, Mickey Mouse toys, and wax caricatures will greet you on your way in. Once you’ve acclimated to the sheer amount of lights and puppets in this space, you’ll happily munch on Colombian dishes like apreas con chicharron while musical comedians roast you in Spanish. Pueblito Viejo knows it’s campy and fully leans into it, so don’t bother trying to hide from the musicians and embrace your fate.

Ilis answers the age-long question of: “What if Noma came to Brooklyn?” The result is a great restaurant that takes itself seriously to the point of being a little bit silly. Inside the former warehouse, you’ll find lots of sneakily expensive Scandinavian furniture, a giant open kitchen, and an army of servers/chefs that could be extras from The Menu.

This speakeasy magic theater will have your attention from the moment you find your way inside from a fake laundromat. Once you’re seated, you can order a classic cocktail like a Manhattan or Sazerac to match the Art Deco scenery, or go for one of the magic-themed drinks, like the Smoke and Mirrors featuring mezcal, amaro, and Fernet. While the close-up magic is impressive to begin with, it’s even more jaw-dropping after a few rounds of rye cocktails.

Yao is a Thai-Chinese spot outside of Atlanta that guarantees an entertaining meal out. Its live music keeps things interesting for a first date, or you can plan to catch up with your college friends over weekend dim sum brunch. The menu pays homage to Yaowarat, a historic Thai-Chinese neighborhood in Bangkok, and servers will offer tableside massages alongside plates of har gow and sticky rice.

Step into your own personal version of Barbie-land, but with a Dolly Parton twist. This rooftop lounge in Nashville is an unofficial chapel honoring the city’s patron saint, with champagne jello shots taking the place of communion wafers. It’s easy to love the French-adjacent dishes like herby moules frites, which help distract from the bachelorette parties taking curated fit-pics by the pool.