Nougatine, New York, USA

A complete renovation by New York-based Danish architect Thomas Juul-Hansen has given Nougatine, spin-off of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant, a chance to shine. For 15 years the Trump Tower restaurant, which serves Jean Georges's signature French dishes in a more relaxed milieu, lived in the shadow of the flagship. But Juul-Hansen's flair for custom furniture gives this prime-location restaurant its own cosmopolitan identity. Flooded with natural light from the large windows, the space offers unrivaled views of Central Park along with a landscape of clean-lined furnishings in a palette of chocolate-browns and beiges. The market-driven ingredients - mainstays include salt-and-pepper Maine lobster and Niman Ranch pork chops - are magicked into meals in an open kitchen framed by mirrors.