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The kitchen of this Brooklyn brownstone was updated with a white Carrara backsplash that frames the Bertazzoni range and Dunsmuir cabinetry, providing a white background that makes the Matte-black quartzite kitchen island pop.

Another view of the bar, showcasing the recycled-glass bar top. Designer Chris Duffy made the bar tables against the wall.

Brooklyn bar Tørst is a wood-lined space with custom, textured wall paneling and communal seating. Beer is served from a Carrara marble-backed tap.

When Sonneman first designed Suspenders in 1989, it was made up of bulky transformers and halogen lights. By updating the technology, he has been able to reimagine the scale of the design while applying energy-efficient LED lights that generate almost no heat.

The kitchen takes on a gallery feel. “I’ve got art on the kitchen counter. I really want to say to people, ‘Don’t take art so seriously,’” says Montague.

Inside, a large planting feature designed by Michael Hellgreen of Vertical Garden Design clads the kitchen block. "The idea behind the vertical garden was to bring a natural element to the space, since the overall look was very minimal," architect Duarte Caldas says.

The restaurant has a glass facade that stretches between the building's pillars.

Architect Odile Decq’s array of projects includes the Phantom restaurant, located inside the Palais Garnier, built in 1875 to house the Paris Opera.

Along with a dessert display at the end of the bar and a signature pastrami recipe, the resturant features another New York deli staple: an autographed photo of the Seinfeld cast.

The tables are soaped beech wood and the chairs are by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Hay, which are available in the Dwell Store. "We keep returning to their chairs—we have a number of the Steelwood chairs in our house and studio—for the design, feel, durability and in this case the economy if the Hay line," David says. "In this case the chairs led the material selection for lyed and soaped beech to be used for the other surfaces that people touch and the lights which we made." The pendant above the counter is crafted from a dowel.

Roost, a restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina, taps into the local Slow Food community. Atlanta firm Johnson Studio used sustainable and locally sourced materials like limestone and oak in the 252-seat restaurant's design. Movable walls in the bar area open to a lively square where live bands frequently perform.

The décor at the newly opened MAR Restaurant (December 2012) reflects the historic harbor of Reykjavik. Black treated wood panels conjure up the old harbor houses and pendant lights hang from fishing nets. Local designers Hafsteinn Júlíusson and Karitas Sveinsdóttir of design studio HAF did the interiors, while ceramic designer Guðný Hafsteins created the tableware and graphic designer Siggi Odds contributed with some elements of the décor. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Next door is the restaurant Forettabarrinn. The name means “starters bar” which corresponds with the small tapas-style dishes they serve. Like Netagerðin, the restaurant is also set up as a space to both enjoy what’s on offer or to get work done, or perhaps a bit of both. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Temple Restaurant does European fine dining on the grounds of a 600-year-old temple that was used as a television factory during the Cultural Revolution. The beautiful lot is also home to a boutique hotel and gallery.

Bedmar worked with CAPÓ Estudio to refine the interiors. The existing concrete slab ceiling was replaced with glass to let natural light enter.

One of the private dining rooms at Hueso includes a dead tree that Cadena says sat in front of the building for six years. Initially, he was going to design a suite of custom chairs for the restaurant, each one with individual features, but he settled on classic Thonet chairs instead.

Large windows give passersby on the Ritterstrasse a view into the open kitchen.

The office design was inspired by “blues, jazz and Bossa Nova." Tiled walls help optimize acoustics.