Architectural Digest's picks for most beautiful restaurant designs

Restaurants spanning Doha, Paris, Berlin and Vietnam have made Architectural Digest’s top 10 list of the most beautifully designed new eateries in the world.

Chosen for “going beyond the ordinary,” the magazine shines the spotlight on recently opened dining destinations such as The Troll Wall in Romsdal, Norway, which does an architecturally admirable job of competing against its stunning backdrop, a location set against the highest vertical rock face in Europe.

At the foot of the towering slate grey Norwegian mountain, a pyramid-like structure of dramatically angled glass walls rises out of the ground – angled deliberately so as not to impede any sight lines to the sky.

Other restaurants that got an AD nod include the Astor Grill at St.Regis Doha, a steak and seafood restaurant where guests are greeted with a striking 5-meter tall, curved, silver sculptural art piece that wraps around the entrance wall.

Philippe Starck-designed restaurant Ma Cocotte, located in the biggest and most famous flea market at the edge of Paris the Marché aux Puces Saint-Ouen, was also singled out for its eclectic interior, furnished with vintage and modern finds from the surrounding minefield of antiques.

The 1,000-square meter restaurants seats 250 guests between two floors.

And French chef Michel Roux’s Vietnam outpost La Maison 1888 at the International Danang Sun Peninsula Resort also made the list for its stunning, contemporary take on French Colonial architecture.

Guests take their seats on opulent Louis XVI-style chairs, and dine on classic French dishes in a clean, black and white setting with leafy green plants which never let diners forget they’re in tropical Asia.

Other addresses which made the top 10 list include NoMad and Atera in New York; 5-Cinco, Berlin; Brasserie Zédel in London; Volkshaus Basel in Basel, Switzerland; and French Blue in St. Helena, California.

Meanwhile, last year, UK-based Restaurant & Bar Design Awards named Spanish eatery A Cantina the Best Restaurant overall for its minimalist design, soaring ceilings, and matchstick-like architecture.

For the full "Architectural Digest" list, visit http://bit.ly/13TjAS5.

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