There can be very few diners whose heart isn't warmed by the phrase "No, I insist. It's my treat!" If you're keen to bestow a truly memorable culinary present, how do you go about picking a venue? The company, location and environment can all dictate the experience more than simply the ingredients on the plate. Perhaps the perfect meal is one that not only combines these qualities in the right balance but also knocks you sideways with the caliber of the cooking.

These five restaurants all offer surprises, even for the most jaded palate. They also represent in microcosm the differing schools of cuisine to be found in Europe, with Mugaritz the most avant-garde and Le Cinq representative of classical tradition. Fäviken and Mirazur are both great expressions of what can be sourced locally in locations as diverse as the Mediterranean and the lower reaches of the Arctic Circle, while Sonnora is a slice of perfection in a remote part of Germany. They are all, however, places that can change the way someone thinks about food—and that is a real treat.

Mirazur, France

Foie gras, confit lemon and beetroot Mirazur

Located within a few meters of the Italian border, Mirazur offers a classic vista of the Riviera, with a bay in the foreground, framed by the town of Menton on the horizon. Argentinian-born chef Mauro Colagreco speaks daily on his mobile with the local fishermen to see what catch they are bringing in, and travels to the best local markets in Menton and nearby Ventimiglia in Italy. The result is simple perfection, aided no doubt by his apprenticeship with Alain Passard of L'Arpège. in Paris With a set dinner costing less than €100 a person, it is also one of the cheapest haute-cuisine options in France.

Mugaritz, Spain

Candies of frankincense (perfume of eucalyptus bark) Mugaritz

With last year's closure of El Bulli, Andoni Luis Aduriz has taken on the mantle of Spain's most adventurous chef. While he certainly pays homage to the Modernist tendencies of Ferran Adrià's restaurant, there is a greater respect for the actual produce. The experience can be challenging, but he offers stimulating dishes that still have identifiable ingredients. It may sound obvious, but his food is also enhanced with wine, which again, for me, shows it is the right side of Modernist cuisine.

Fäviken, Sweden

Poached skate and steamed shallots Faviken

Arguably the world's most remote serious restaurant, Fäviken is in the middle of a 20,000-acre private estate just beneath the Arctic Circle and sources virtually everything except the sugar and coffee from its surroundings. It isn't for the fainthearted—during the meal in the tiny, 16-seat restaurant, chef Magnus Nilsson may saw up cow's leg bones before serving bone marrow with raw beef heart. The pristine langoustine comes from nearby Trondheim in Norway, but otherwise meat, vegetables and herbs are carefully stored from the brief summer season, to sustain diners during the winter and spring.

Le Cinq, France

Game pie glazed with honey, autumn fruit Le Cinq

There are a number of grand hotel restaurants in Paris, including some with three Michelin stars, but none exudes the sensation of calme et luxe more than Le Cinq at Hotel Georges V, which currently holds two Michelin stars. The dining room overlooks an interior courtyard and is a combination of chandeliers, classical pillars and elaborate flower displays. Eric Briffard pays homage to his Burgundian roots but with a lightening of style, thanks to the time he has spent in Japan. His other big influence is Joel Robuchon, one of the greatest French chefs. The cuisine emphasizes bold flavors, with a healthy degree of seasonality.

Sonnora, Germany

Breton lobster with autumnal vegetables, apples, celeriac, grapes and nuts Sonnora

Located in the Eifel mountain range an hour from Luxembourg, the Sonnora is the perfect place to surprise someone who imagines Germany is incapable of delivering superb cuisine. Chef Helmut Thieltges is a retiring person with virtually no media presence, as he prefers to remain in the background, creating superb French-inspired classical cuisine. There is nothing unimaginative about his food, though, and cosmopolitan diners frequently consider his dishes—like a tartare of tuna with veal and caviar on a crunchy rösti, or timbale of pasta with girolles and sweetbreads—peerless.

Write to Bruce Palling at