The 16 Most Beautiful Restaurants In The World, According To Prix Versailles

Forbes

4 days ago

Japón in Miami Beach, Florida
With breathtaking locations worldwide, the Annual Prix Versailles has unveiled its World's Most Beautiful Restaurants List for 2025, featuring 16 newly opened and reopened restaurants that have left an extraordinary impression. Announced each year at UNESCO, the Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions highlighting the finest contemporary projects worldwide.
Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles, informs me that the list represents the best recent openings around the world and serves as a tribute to the architecture and overall experience of the restaurant. 'When we have a meal, we remember the taste of the dishes, the scent of a venue, the soundtrack of a meeting, and perhaps the recollection of an object,' he said. 'It's impossible not to recognize the mission that is incumbent upon design here.'
The prizes selected by the Prix Versailles aim to promote intelligent sustainability, in which culture serves and transcends the notion of the environment. These are the 16 most beautiful restaurants in the world selected by Prix Versailles:
Gerbou Restaurant in Dubai, UAE
Gerbou Restaurant in Dubai, UAE
Located in Nad Al Sheba district, Gerbou (meaning "Welcome to our humble abode" in Arabic) is a restaurant that pays tribute to Emirati architecture. Inspired by local culture, the patio's layout is a blend of traditional elements and modern sophistication. Kristina Zanic Consultants, in collaboration with Tasmeem Tashkeel, have created a homage to the region's flora and fauna, featuring fish-scale lighting, camel leather sofas, chairs made from ghaf trees, and more. The design is a reflection of the restaurant's cuisine, made from 70% locally sourced ingredients. At Gerbou, Chef Ionel Catau combines ancestral flavors with innovative techniques, a pairing that is reflected in the establishment's décor.
Smoked Room in Dubai, UAE
Smoked Room Restaurant in Dubai, UAE
A dark passage with lines of lights guides diners towards Smoked Room, a new dining space from Chef Dani García. To create a unique atmosphere, Astet Studio selected a palette comprised of black brick alternating with other, richer materials, such as metals, mirrors, and brass mesh, to add a touch of sophistication and recall the intense sparks and gleam of fire. The main dining area is called Omakase, 'leaving everything up to the chef' in Japanese. Its semicircular layout allows guests to enjoy a theatrical experience as they watch their dishes prepared over an open flame. The dessert space features a spacious bench seat and Japanese-inspired walls, for a sensory journey enhanced by smoky staging.
Blackswan Restaurant in Beijing, China
Blackswan Restaurant in Beijing, China
Close to Beijing's international airport, located on the first floor of Luo Hong Art Museum, sits the restaurant Blackswan. The space, inspired by a Gary Hume painting, transports visitors to another world, where swans serve as a pretext architecture by Chris Shao Studio. The main dining room opens onto an oriental landscape garden of supernatural beauty, with perfectly trimmed trees and a large lake where graceful swans float, including the occasional black version. Every aspect of the décor refers to the swan. A central chandelier, by Caroline Sarkozy, foretells the overall design of the space with swan-like layers of cascading feathers. The style is understated and elegant, with monochromatic shades maintaining harmony. The refinement of Chef Vianney Massot's cuisine seems to glide toward diners with lightness and grace.
Ōrtensia Restaurant in Shanghai, China
Ōrtensia Restaurant in Shanghai, China
Zhangyuan is a historic neighborhood near the center of Shanghai that has become a crossroads of fashion and culture. A Japanese chef founded Ōrtensia, and a Chinese pastry chef found her place there in 2024. The restaurant serves up French and Japanese cuisine amidst a décor that is an harmonious fusion of the three cultures. The shikumen architecture features a ceiling and wall panels made of original wood in a reinterpretation of the classical French style. Here, delicacy and feminine sensibilities are blended with Japanese refinement. Between rustic tiling, traditional Chinese lacquer finishes, hand-carved woodwork, and a beautiful color palette, this composition by Chris Shao Studio transforms each space into a doorway to a graceful, whimsical imaginary world.
Lobster Club in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Lobster Club in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
More than just a restaurant, Lobster Club is a contemporary sea club on the southwest coast of Mallorca that epitomizes the Mediterranean lifestyle. Conceived and created by Juan Picornell, founder and owner of Grupo Cappuccino, the space captures the spirit of the sea with natural style. Bringing multiple distinct dining zones together around a central bar, the resulting fluidity is a highlight of the work carried out by Barcelonan designer Sandra Tarruella. The panoramic terrace creates visual continuity between interior and exterior, while the club's signature infinity pool radiates notes of color and joy, like an echo to the location's musical appeal. Inside, materials such as iroko wood, polished steel, and glazed artisanal tiles exude the feel of a summer day at the seashore.
Bouchon Carême in Helsinki, Finland
Bouchon Carême in Helsinki, Finland
Bouchon Carême is a Finnish take on the bouchon, a traditional Lyonnaise restaurant style, complete with a bar and warm, picturesque décor designed by Studio Fyra. It is located in the heart of Helsinki, in a building that dates back to 1900. And like at a classic bouchon, the restaurant's charm resides in its authenticity and its style that fits perfectly into the city. Original features, including exposed brick walls and cast-iron columns, have been preserved and incorporated into a layout that balances openness and privacy. Grand rounded windows looking out onto the street flood the space with natural light and provide a strong visual connection to the urban landscape. Warm, natural tones, combined with a wealth of robust wooden furniture, create a friendly atmosphere that is fully aligned with the cuisine crafted by Chef Hans Välimäki, which revolves around simple dishes of meat and vegetables, inviting you to discover timeless, revisited local flavors.
Ladurée Rue Royale in Paris, France
Ladurée Rue Royale in Paris, France
Welcome to Marie Antoinette's boudoir! Since 1862, the original Ladurée tearoom has stood the test of time. It reopened in July 2024 with a restored décor that is directly linked to history. The hewn stone façade is resolutely Parisian, but once visitors set foot inside the shop, which has been returned to its initial configuration, they are transported back in time through centuries and revolutions. Beyond the fully refurbished Belle Epoque ceilings, the Maison called on decorator Cordelia de Castellane to concoct a whole new interior suffused with delicacy. Each salon, from Chantilly to Napoléon, stands out for its ornamentation celebrating refinement and taste – in every sense of the word.
Ducasse Baccarat in Paris, France
Ducasse Baccarat in Paris, France
Before it became Maison Baccarat, the former home of modern art muse Marie-Laure de Noailles was the scene of sumptuous receptions where high society rubbed shoulders with the artists and intellectuals of the day, from the 1920s to the 1950s. Now restored with respect for its legacy, it houses an Alain Ducasse restaurant on the first floor. The intersection of these two prominent names in French excellence brings the art of crystal glassmaking into dialogue with haute cuisine. Interior architect Aliénor Béchu satisfied in a subtle fusion of raw materials with precious Baccarat crystal. The contemporary artwork, furniture that honors the finest French artisans, and plays of light and shadow that make the experience unique all magnify this culinary destination located not far from the Arc de Triomphe.
Julie's Restaurant in London
Julie's Restaurant in London, England
Located in the Notting Hill neighborhood, established in 1969 by the renowned interior designer Julie Hodges, the restaurant's distinctive, decadent style, enhanced by the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie, enjoyed immediate success amongst actors, fashion icons, artists, and royalty. For its latest reimagining, an exploration of the legend of Julie inspired a modular series of motifs and illustrations, creating a tapestry that represents the site's ties to the history, arts, and culture of West London. Designer Rosanna Bossom and new owner Tara MacBain have blended a sophisticated touch with the exuberance of the 1970s in what was once a sort of gentlemen's club, and that is now open to everyone, with an alfresco terrace emphasizing its unwavering attachment to the neighborhood.
Shell Restaurant in Nusa Penida, Indonesia
Shell Restaurant in Nusa Penida, Indonesia
A key part of the Intaaya retreat complex, which sits atop the cliffs overlooking Diamond Beach, this shell is an example of biomimicry – a design approach where plants and animals inspire architecture. There is no décor since there is never anything superfluous in the shapes created by nature. Innovative bamboo structures with large spans and rammed-earth walls are as intricate as they are intriguing and support a cavernous shell that serves as an irresistible invitation to all pearl fishers. Passive design strategies, including solar and airflow analyses, were the obvious solution here. Not to mention the choice of bamboo as the primary structural material: its rapid growth, renewability, and carbon sequestration capabilities endow it with many virtuous properties. Additionally, reclaimed wood from old Javanese houses (joglos) was repurposed into furniture and carpentry. For this space, Pablo Luna Studio devised a new type of harmony that combines inventiveness with deep roots.
Coro Restaurant in Orvieto, Italy
Coro in Orvieto, Italy
Coro was born in Orvieto's historical center, inside a deconsecrated 16th-century church on which architect Giuliano Andrea dell'Uva worked with precision and restraint to restore voice and verticality to a suspended space rich in memory. With its tuff walls, traces of the altar, natural light and contemporary artwork, everything is arranged to strike a balance between the sacred and the everyday. In this place, the service, the atmosphere, and the attention to rhythm all reflect a grounded, sincere ritual. Founded by Chef Ronald Bukri and restaurant manager Francesco Perali, Coro aims to demonstrate that a place can be inhabited with awareness and transformed into something meaningful. Without noise, it immerses guests in the cultural and culinary traditions of Umbria – all in a town with multiple underground tunnels.
Seven Island Restaurant in Busan, Korea
Seven Island Restaurant in Busan, Korea
Located on Gadeokdo Island, off the coast of Busan, Seven Island is a café comprising seven interconnected buildings arranged on different positions to face the seven surrounding islands. This radical design makes it possible to capture a variety of landscapes in a unique series of spaces, all of which boast ocean views. While the dark-colored first floor represents the part of the island below the water's surface, the second story is lighter and brighter, as if the island were floating on the sea. This contrast between shadow and light, as well as interior and exterior, is reflected in the choice of matching furniture. The contemporary, understated design crafted by the Korean firm mttb contributes to the experience of immersion in the site's venerable, age-old nature.
Kimyona Restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kimyona Restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This speakeasy is located in the heart of Riyadh called Kimyona and designed by Azaz Architects who drew its inspiration from analog black-and-white photography. The entrance is a gallery of bright lights and neutral tones, a transitional space as guests leave the glaring light of the outside world. There, they'll find a hidden door that opens into a spectacular dining room resembling a photographer's darkroom, complete with dim interiors, muted lighting, and a few glints of red. In the half-light, the combination of natural stones reclaimed Chinese ceramic roof tiles, opaque glass bricks, and steel – including the ceiling made up of metal sheets – creates a unique interplay of warmth, coolness, and neutrality.
Another Smith Restaurant in Tha Sai Luat, Thailand
Another Smith Restaurant in Tha Sai Luat, Thailand
The name 'Another Smith' is derived from the owner's surname, Smithikorn, a family that has achieved success in Thai Chinese cuisine. The bamboo architecture of this second establishment features an atrium surrounded by rooms and galleries reminiscent of traditional Chinese houses. This collaboration between Thor Kaichon (for the structure) and TasteSpace (for the design) has produced an uncommonly successful result. The restaurant is divided into three main sections: dining rooms, a café, and a jewelry shop, with the kitchen placed at the center. Each space is separate yet connected to the rest and enjoys a bright, and airy atmosphere.
Beefbar Restaurant in New York
Beefbar Restaurant in New York
Originally launched in Monte Carlo, Beefbar has made its first foray into the Big Apple. The new location's décor, designed by the Monaco-based firm Humbert & Poyet, is a reflection of New York: a melting pot of influences that are as original as they are disconcerting. In the trendy Tribeca neighborhood, this building, featuring Art Deco accents, boasts high ceilings punctuated by tall arched windows. The interior is adorned with a variety of textiles and materials. The founder, Riccardo Giraudi, and Tribeca Hospitality Group have brought this concept in a dignified, sleek new space.
Japón Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida
Japón Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida
Japón, is an immersive journey through time where traditional Japanese craft blends with modern elements. Envisioned by Chefs Vijayudu Veena and Iván Monzón, this project contains all the exuberance and playfulness of the city and its multiple influences. The crane – a Japanese symbol of elegance, luck, and natural beauty – is at the heart of the design narrative created by Saladino Design Studios. Its image welcomes diners at the entrance and continues across various materials, from mosaics to fabrics. Wide doors lead into a private dining room where original antique woodblock art and vintage paintings unfold beneath a hand-painted gold-leaf ceiling. Meanwhile, the bar features marble ribs and custom crane-themed wallpaper. The outdoor patio, surrounded by palm trees and murals, is home to a majestic pagoda.
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