Go List: Best Bites Near the Sites

At New York City's Insieme, chef Marco Canora's classic and modern Italian dishes are fiercely devoted to Greenmarket ingredients. Sommelier Paul Grieco's wine list is as amusing as it is smart, mixing celebrity gossip into the tasting notes. We loved: Bollito misto (boiled meats with salsa verde).

Plus: More Great Restaurants in New York City

Photo © Jocelyn Filley

The hokey checked tablecloths at Rome's La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali might suggest the food is hokey too, but that's misleading: Alessio Liberatore's restaurant in a tangle of tiny streets is wonderful. We loved: Fettuccine with prosciutto, pine nuts and sage. Insider tip: Do as the locals do and order the specials.

Photo © Michael Wegner

If your budget isn't big enough for Alain Ducasse's Le Jules Verne inside the Tower, opt for Les Cocottes, Christian Constant's no-reservations counter just off Paris's Champs de Mars. The cocottes here—mini cast-iron pots containing entire meals—justify the (inevitable) wait. We loved: Confit lamb shoulder.

Photo courtesy of Les Cocottes de Christian Constant

At his modern Italian restaurant in London, Number Twelve, chef Santino Busciglio salts his own cod, smokes his own meat and oversees the daily baking of six kinds of bread made with organic flour from Italy. We loved: Roasted beetroot ravioli with white butter sauce and blue poppy seeds.

Plus: More Great Restaurants in London

Photo courtesy of Number Twelve Restaurant and Bar

In Cairo, the Mena House Oberoi's restaurant, The Moghul Room, serves exceptional Indian food. Haute versions of shrimp biryani, chicken masala and slow-cooked dal are exceptional. We loved: Yogurt-marinated chicken tandoori.

Plus: Party by the Pyramids: Middle Eastern Recipes

Photo courtesy of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts

In Washington, DC, Central Michel Richard is a modern bistro created by the renowned chef and run by his protégé Cedric Maupillier. Maupillier puts both American and French classics, like cassoulet and fried chicken, on the menu. The bar scene is one of the hottest in town. We loved: "Faux gras" chicken liver terrine.

Photo © Aimee Lind

Hidden in an idyllic 1920s house with a garden setting, Balikçi Sabahattin is an olive's toss from Istanbul's old city. The meze—like sweet roasted red peppers and smooth, garlicky eggplant spread—are unimpeachably fresh; so is the excellent seafood. And Balikçi ("fisherman") Sabahattin's kids are as adept at grilling fish as he was. We loved: Fish köfte (meatballs).

Plus: Istanbul's Newest Tastemaker

Photo © LOOK Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH / Alamy

Just a mile or so down Taj Road en route to the train station in Agra is the wackily named Zorba the Buddha. This spotless, reasonably priced café serves ultrafresh curries that aren't painfully spicy, as well as other vegetarian Indian dishes. We loved: Cheese naan.

Plus: A Northern Indian Culinary Tour

Photo courtesy of Zorba The Buddha Restaurant