Eating out has become an integral part of our culture, with endless food options and higher quality than ever before. But with the rise of an increasingly dynamic dining scene, what helps distinguish a restaurant is its design and atmosphere—and lighting plays a key role in creating the distinctive ambience that today’s diners crave.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite international restaurants where stunning lighting design deftly enhances the culinary setting, producing a complete sensory experience.

Situated in Florence’s historic Renaissance Palazzo, the Strozzi Caffé-Colle Bereto Winery offers a relaxed yet refined environment for contemporary Tuscan fare. Vibia’s Wireflow Chandelier pendant by Arik Levy hangs over the bar, casting a moody, ambient glow that mirrors the space’s intimate atmosphere. Amid the 16th-century architecture, the fixture’s black electrical cables play crisp counterpoint to the gentle curves of barrel-vaulted ceilings.

At Valencia’s Komori restaurant, Japanese cuisine is served in a modern setting that’s as streamlined and elegant as the food itself. Vibia’s Match pendant designed by Jordi Vilardell and Meritxell Vidal serves as a sculptural element suspended over the marble communal table. The bespoke fixture features slender rods of aluminum tipped with LEDs, its jagged silhouette directed downward in a striking, illuminated focal point.

Panama City’s Brutto, shared plates and cutting-edge international cuisine have earned accolades. The dazzling, expansive space is an equal draw, distinguished by its bold co-mingling of pattern, color and form. Suspended from exposed concrete ceilings, Arik Levy’s Wireflow Free-Form features electrical cables that match the industrial mood, its simple silhouette offering a restrained complement to the room’s riotous display of geometric designs.

A chic sushi restaurant in Rome, Shinto features sleek contemporary décor that includes Arik Levy’s Wireflow Chandelier pendant. Its geometric design traces spare, spiderweb-like silhouettes against the backdrop of ancient, exposed-brick ceilings. Other tables are illuminated by Levy’s North pendants, their dramatic dark shades casting a contained pool of light that helps define each table.

The Riviera in Ottawa resides in a 1920s Art Deco building. Distinguished by soaring 50-foot ceilings, its swanky design features a brass bar, leather banquettes and marble accents. Highlighting the vertical space, Vibia’s 2- and Wireflow pendants by Arik Levy dangle dramatically over the bar, its long, lean lines echoing the grand scale of the space and the neoclassical columns behind it.

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Vibia for Foodies: A whistle stop tour through the world’s restaurants with great lighting