I am young, cultured, and something of a foodie. If you’re going to take me to dinner, I want it to be somewhere original. So here are some of my suggestions for “Places to take a 20 year old woman, whom you wish to impress, on a date.” Most of them I would consider relatively inexpensive in their own right (maybe $100 for two, if you both enjoy food and have a high alcohol tolerance), though if you add in the flights to some of the farther-flung places, it may be more of an anniversary gift…

This list is by not means exhaustive, nor necessarily indicative of the best a city has to offer; they are simply ones which have stood out for me.

Brick, San Francisco, USA
(1085 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109)

(Photo opposite: Brick) In just over a week in San Francisco, we ate three times at Brick, newly opened when I visited in summer 2007. The interior is, unsurprisingly, bricked, but large windows and warm woods ensure that one does not feel like one is sitting inside a chimney. There is a large bar in the middle at which people can sit, separating the dining and drinking areas, about ten tables in each. Brick has an arty, youthful feel, but is not terrifyingly “trendy”. In a place such as this one might expect the staff to be achingly hip and just a touch disparaging, but the opposite is true. As a Brit I am always easily impressed by the American hospitality industry, but I found them to be friendly in that rare and lovely way where one doesn’t feel patronised, and they were really knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the food.

Ahhh the food. The menu, like the wine and cocktail lists, was short and punchy. Appetisers and entrees fitted on a piece of A4 card, the dishes a select few, always with equally enticing meat, fish, and vegetarian options, and varied every time I was there. Standout memories are a carpaccio of raw tuna (on which note I am going to very quickly sidestep and give honourable mention to the diced yellowfin tuna on the sushi platter in the bar of the Four Seasons hotel not too many blocks away), a cut of pork coated in cocoa beans, and the “Soft Dark Chocolate with Green Cardamom, Mint, and Cocoa Nib Soil”…the waitress raved about how excited the chef was about this new creation - how right he was to be so.

Bait Sissi, Aleppo, Syria
(Sharia’ as-Sissi, Jdeida)

Any guidebook on Syria will point you to this Aleppan restaurant (even the shoestring ones, such is the beauty of the prices in Syria). However, they will also point you to about 5 other very similar sounding ones, and don’t necessarily give Sissi top billing; a big mistake if you ask me. A very large percentage of restaurants in this country are ensconced in beautifully restored Arabic-style houses (i.e. built round a courtyard), and Sissi is no exception; there are lovelier and uglier, but you will rarely find better food. Apart from a (surprisingly good) “French cuisine” section (featuring a killer onion soup) the menu differs little from other decent Aleppan restaurants, but the selection is wider and the food is simply of a different class. The “Aleppo” Kebab is famous, but the Cherry Kebab is the real gem (as a vegetarian I didn’t order it myself, but spent most of my evening stealing the sauce from my companion’s plate), and the usual Syrian dips/salads selection is expanded and improved upon from most of Sissi’s competitors.

Do not expect to find yourself surrounded by locals; this is resolutely a foreigner’s spot, the separate bar on the lovely Jdeide Square full of Dutch and French travellers having a gin and tonic without feeling too heathen in the otherwise conservative city. If you want a “Syrian” experience, go to the fuul/fatteh/falafel conglomeration by the ultra-glamorous tyres-and-car-parts section of Aleppo. Though your accompanying lady friend may not thank you for it.

Hare & Tortoise, London, England
(11-13 The Brunswick, Brunswick Square, London WC1 1AF)

The cheapest on my list, this quick and easy Japanese restaurant serves huge bowls of hot food at fantastic prices, especially given its central London location. Most conceptions of Japanese food are of tiny portions of sushi for less-than-tiny prices, but not here. Speedy service by an all-Japanese staff brings you bowls of Curry Laksa, Ton Katsu Curry, Salmon Teriyaki, Cinnamon Duck, and Vegetable Satay. These are just a few of the dishes on a pan-Asian menu whose main challenge to you is picking just one thing to eat. There is a decent selection of Asian beers, and if you fancy impressing your date with your worldliness, you might try ordering a Japanese drink such as calpico. It’s usually pretty busy, but there are booths around the back if you’re looking to keep your conversation private…

Carnivore, Nairobi, Kenya
(Langata Road, past Wilson Airport)

Granted, this restaurant is not as unique a concept as I first thought when I visited. I have since encountered a fair few “Churrascarias” in the States (and there is apparently a magnificent Brazilian one on Upper Street in Islington, London), but personally I enjoyed knowing here that the crocodile and hartbeest (no, I don’t know what one is either) on the massive cylindrical barbecue could have been plucked from the backyard…

For those unfamiliar with the concept, you have a little card/flag/etc. in front of you. Place it one way up and waiters carrying an array of meat in copious quantities (here on swords) will load their wares onto your plate. When you’re all steaked-out, turn the card around and they’ll leave you alone for a while. There’s also baked potatoes, local salads, and the like. Carnivore is squarely on the tourist track, but it’s hard not to be in Nairobi, and the meat selection really makes this place. And who knows – the sight of you tearing cave-man style into skewered meats may just give her ideas…

Meson de Candido, Segovia, Spain
(Azoguejo, 5, Segovia, 40001 España)

(Photo opposite: Meson de Candido is situated next to a Roman aqueduct.) This is not the time for my thoughts on northern Spain being under-visited, but I will take this chance to wax lyrical about Segovia, a hilltop town with a beautiful cathedral, café-lined square, and castle, the Alcazar, the silhouette of which will be familiar to any girl who’s ever watched a Disney film. Perhaps the most famous sight, though, is the Roman aqueduct, which still traverses the town. Situated next to its tallest section is Meson de Candido, a restaurant apparently famed throughout the country. A sort of “Ye Olde…” affair, the menu feels like something that would have been served as a banquet in the Alcazar 600 years ago. You can even get a roast suckling boar or half a lamb for your trouble. People not partial to entire farmyard animals on their dinner table should not be put off, however. The menu is extensive, and includes impressive amounts of fish, shellfish, and vegetable dishes. Also appreciable is the fact that the dessert menu extends beyond flan, usually the only sweet dish to be found (don’t despair though fans, they have it here as well!)