The Red Knife
Getsemaní, the up and coming area for restaurants, cafés and bars, is just outside Cartagena’s walls. The Red Knife, in the sleek Allure Chocolat Hotel, is in the strategic area where Getsemaní’s eclectic streets start. As the name suggests, here it’s all about the meat: this steakhouse serves national and international cuts of beef and is known for pork belly arepas and beef sliders. An uncommonly long wine list (for Cartagena) will be sure to meet your needs. The rustic decoration brings to mind the Wild West of the United States, with wood paneled walls and metal representations of steer heads above the mirrors, but it comes mixed with an elegance that’s rare on this side of the city walls.

Vera
Set within the stylish Tcherassi Hotel, Vera’s outstanding outdoor dining area in the hotel’s courtyard boasts vertical gardens and a waterfall that complement the fine cuisine. Daniel Castaño, Colombia’s darling of Italian cuisine, designed the menu that focuses on gourmet Italian dishes and takes you through a range of carpaccio and antipasti before impressing you with mains that includes fish, steak, and maiale (pork) that has an amazing crispy exterior and juicy interior. With all the vegetarian options on the menu, this is the place to come if there’s a vegetarian in your group.

Marea by Rausch
The famous chefs, the Rausch brothers, certainly know how to pick a spot for a restaurant, and for Marea they chose an ideal setting just outside the city walls by the impressive Clock Tower gate. From the outdoor tables beside the Pegasus dock, where ships both modern and old come to rest, you can admire the domed roofs of Cartagena’s churches and the palm trees swaying in the sea breeze. The vibe of the inside dining area is minimalist and the ocean-colored decoration is refreshing. As the name suggests, the menu is based on seafood, with ceviche, seafood rice dishes, and the traditional Colombian fish platter that are all impeccably executed with the freshest ingredients and spectacular flavors.

Noo Cachaçaria
Noo Cachaçaria forms the newest and most exciting part of the ever-growing foodie oasis in the otherwise unremarkable Praça da Bandeira neighborhood (nearby neighbors Aconchego Carioca and Bar da Frente are also worth a visit if you're in the area). The bar offers a great range of cachaças and derived drinks, but the exceptional bar food should be your motivation to visit. Tied for first place are the Bolinhos de Cucuruqui and the Torresmo. The former are crunchy, chewy, gooey balls of tapioca, cheese and linguiça (sausage). The latter are the best pork rinds you'll find in the city - a near identical snack to the sublime torresmo served in São Paulo's legendary Mocotó.

Espírito Santa
Chef Natacha Fink grew up in Manaus (in the heart of the Amazonian region of Brazil) and gives a wide range of traditional Amazonian dishes a modern treatment that is both light and accessible. Seafood and vegetarian dishes tend to be the best orders, with the fantastic freshwater crab claw entrée (Patinhas de caranguejo) being a highlight. Anyone looking for a boozy pick-me-up should try the Cuia de Pajé, a feisty cocktail served in a traditional gourd and packed full of Amazonian spices reputed for their aphrodisiac properties.

La Veronese
Neapolitan pizza purists may frown, but for the rest of us, the light, saucer-sized pizza from ancient Ipanema bakery La Veronese is a thing of beauty and comfort. The puffy dough can rise two inches or more, but it is light as a feather and deeply satisfying. The topping is pure simplicity. A smattering of Parmesan, a generous serving of tomato sauce, a sprinkle of oregano and a touch more cheese. Trays of these simple pizzas disappear almost as fast as they appear from the open bakery behind the counter.

Notre Maison
Nested on a narrow backstreet in the heart of Lyon’s old town sits Notre Maison. It is classically French, with historic touches that give it an air of nobility and weathered class. The name translates into English as ‘Our House’ and this theme seems to run throughout your experience eating at this restaurant. The place is unpretentious and unassuming, wooden tables and worn décor, with friendly staff and a cozy atmosphere. And the food is equally homely, with an array of hearty meat dishes and solid sized portions that will satisfy even the hungriest of diners. It doesn’t have much in the way of choice for vegetarians, though it does offer a select few fish dishes. The menu does clearly state: “Salad is for rabbits” – so it’s not entirely surprising, though. But if you are an esteemed carnivore, this is most certainly the place to come and enjoy some of the finest meat dishes the city has to offer!

Park Bench Deli
Park Bench Deli serves over-the-top, decadent, packed-to-the-roof sandwiches - the kind the chefs wanted to eat. Their Hoagie rolls are hollowed out for a better filling-to-bread ratio. Choose from Cubano pulled pork, Philly cheese steak, chicken katsu, and even a sweet peanut butter and jelly creation with cornflake-crusted bread. But the Kong Bak Bahn Mi is the king: thick slabs of pork belly braised for a full 24 hours are paired with crisp pickles of daikon, carrot, cucumber and lime leaf, and then topped with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is an absolute blast of flavors and textures.

Kaffana
Adelaide has a little piece of Serbian heaven in the form of a bar and restaurant. Meat Kaffana, all pun intended! The Serbian eatery celebrates family, friends and delicious hearty food designed to be shared. All mains are served with a side of Mumma’s famous bread, potato and cabbage salad. Mumma’s bread might not look like much, but it’s so crisp and toasty and so damn warm! Quickly slather the carby gems with the accompanied soft butter and watch it melt into the fluffy air pockets. But, go slow with the bread because you’ll want to have it with the meats. “Nenad’s specialty” char-grilled baby back ribs are dry rub marinated and finished with a parsley and garlic glaze. They aren’t the “fall off the bone” kind, but they are just as good with a delectable smokiness that permeates the meat. Tender, juicy and incredibly flavourful, a common trait with all the food that’s served here. Kaffana's menu is inspired by years of home cooking and family feasts. You’ll really feel and sense the homely atmosphere through the food and simple presentation. No frills, no worries. Bring your family and friends, the more the merrier, and wear some stretchy pants as you’ll be rolling on out of there! As for drinks, they’ve got you covered too. Beer, wine, cocktails, you’re in good hands as Kaffana transforms itself to a lively bar come nightfall.

Dong Ji Char Kway Teow
The old man at Dong Ji fries a mean char kway teow (fried rice noodles) and he does so with great attention and deliberation - one plate at a time (or two or three portions at most). His is the more savoury and dry version, much like Penang char kway teow, rather than the sweetish and moist type you'll find elsewhere. The wok hei and umami factor is incredible. Go for the S$4 portion with extra ingredients and your plate will be topped with so much seafood, Chinese sausage, crunchy bean sprouts and chives you'll hardly be able to see the noodles.