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.

Modern Dining: You won’t get stuck on the wrong end of the communal table with this handy list. Illustration by Dan Williams

Eclectic, the new Tom Dixon-designed restaurant in Paris.

Talk about high-profile openings: Aalto’s discerning eye was responsible for the iconic look of this Finnish legend, from the birch veneers and club chairs to the Savoy Vases. Fitting for the times, it boasted a state-of-the-art filtration system to pump out cigar smoke.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

Restaurant “Sēnīte” Architect—Linards Skuja; engineers—Andris Bite, G. Grīnbergs, R. Ozoliņš. Built in 1967 on Vidzeme highway. Photo courtesy The Museum of Architecture of Latvia

Pioneered by Design Partnership, the South African restaurant chain Hungry Lion has been making inroads into the rest of the African continent, opening this flagship store in Angola after a significant revamp of the company's corporate image.

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

Last year’s winner in the bar/lounge category was Upstairs @ Ace Hotel, designed by Killefer Flammang Architects and Commune Design.

Bo Nuage, designed by J. Marx Atelier & BASE Planning and Engineering, took top honors in the cafe/bar category.

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.

"A lot of people were skeptical about the idea, even though it wasn't the first time I pulled off something crazy," Cadena says. "I just trusted my intuition and the philosophy of the chef."

In order to bring a Turkish spirit into the space, Autoban created textured blue ceramic tiles inspired by Marmara marble to line the interior. Traditional Iznik tiles, handmade by Turkish craftsmen in Istanbul, are also integrated into the design.

Warren Platner designed the American Restaurant in Kansas City in 1974 as part of a complex of modern buildings commissioned by the Hall family of Hallmark Cards. He described the bentwood, brass and lipstick-red interior as “like a huge lace Valentine.”

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

Bestia, by Studio Unltd and Osvaldo Maiozzi, was one of three winners in the restaurant category.

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

Overall, the plant wall covers over 1,200 square feet of surface area.

Project: Maritime Parc, Jersey City Stephanie Goto approaches restaurant design as a dining landscape that supports the chef’s vision—even details as small as divots on a plate can “signify an opportunity for an activity,” she says. At Maritime Parc, her blue-gray palette complements the seafood-centric menu, while a slatted wood ceiling calls yachts to mind. “We design down to the tabletop," says Goto. "It’s about setting a stage that evokes a feeling that may be enhanced by the food and wine. The food dances with the environment.”

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.

Bedmar was inspired by the small spaces he had seen while living in Hong Kong and Japan. The restaurant's minimalist facade clearly contrasts the historic architecture around it.

Hamborgarbúllan is another popular and distinctive restaurant on the Path. It was a coffeeshop until Tommi Tómasson opened his burger shop here in 2004. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Residents serve anything they wish, ferrying the food by any number of ways—from lowering sandwiches by basket to inviting patrons into their homes and handing them plates.

When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.

Union Restaurant Chef/owner Teo Paul has an impeccable pedigree and an artful eye. The food is local and organic, and the setting is charming. Large murals of barnyard animals provide the backdrop for indoor dining, and there's also an intimate patio out back. Up the street, Union's offspring, Cote de Boeuf, resembles a Parisian butcher shop circa 1890.

Restaurant Jūras Pērle Architect—Josifs Goldenberg; built in 1965 and demolished in 1994. Located in Jūrmala, Latvia. Photo by Mechanik, wikimapia.org