Originating in Paris, bistros are small neighborhood restaurants, usually specializing in (but not limited to) French home-style cooking. They mostly serve simple, reasonably priced meals in a cozy, casual setting.

Bistro

This style of eatery specializes in a cuisine related to a particular nationality, using ingredients and cooking techniques that belong to that specific culture. Among the most widespread are Chinese, Greek, Italian, and Mexican. The majority of ethnic restaurants are independently owned and situated in big cities or areas with vibrant immigrant communities.

Ethnic restaurant

The highest rated type of restaurant, often characterized by elaborate menus, attentive service, and sophisticated decor with crisp white tablecloths. These upmarket full-service restaurants cater to a wealthy clientele, sometimes requiring formal dress code and reservation in advance.

Fine dining restaurant 

A Japanese restaurant, where the chef prepares and cooks your meal (usually consisting of steak, seafood, and vegetable) on a hot iron griddle (teppan) right in front of you. Many teppanyaki restaurants combine sensational live cooking shows with premium ingredients (think Kobe beef) into an exclusive, one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Teppanyaki-ya

Originally a simple wine bar where patrons would bring their own food, osterie have evolved significantly over the years. Nowadays, the term is mainly used to describe a casual and unpretentious Italian eatery (cheaper and less formal than a trattoria) serving simple home-cooked fare, though it’s not uncommon to see it attached to elegant restaurants that want to evoke a sense of warmth, quaintness, and familiarity.

Osteria

Though not so popular nowadays, drive-in restaurants refer to classic American establishments where customers order and eat their food while sitting in their cars.

Drive-in restaurant

Less formal than a restaurant, a trattoria is a traditional, often family-run, Italian establishment devoted to rustic local cuisine.

Trattoria

Slightly different than a drive-in, a drive-through or drive-thru restaurant allows clients to place the order at a microphone, and then drive to a window where they pay and receive their food. Major fast food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King often offer drive-through service.

Drive-thru restaurant

As you would have thought, a pizzeria is an establishment where pizza is baked and served. In Italy, where they originate, you’ll find two different types of pizzerie – one is a traditional sit-down restaurant, which may also serve wine, salads, and pasta dishes; and the other one, born in Rome, is some sort of bakery or take away joint selling pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice).Established in 1830, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples is widely regarded as the world’s first pizzeria.

Pizzeria

Not to be confused with tavern, a taverna is a small, traditional Greek restaurant, characterized by rustic decor, authentic atmosphere, and a limited inexpensive menu – usually consisting of simple local dishes such as grilled meats, fish & seafood, and, of course, their ubiquitous dips and spreads. As well as being Greece’s most popular and iconic eating establishment, the taverna is also an integral part of the local culture.

Taverna

A new breed of eating establishments, where the food and service are slightly more upmarket than fast food, yet lower than casual dining. Chains like Chipotle, Panera Bread, or NYC’s Shake Shack fall in this category.

Fast casual restaurant 

A growing trend in the hospitality sector, pop-up restaurants are temporary eateries that operate in unexpected places for a limited time. They’re an excellent opportunity for young, talented chefs to showcase their skills or test a new culinary concept before investing in a brick-and-mortar establishment. Needless to say, they provide patrons with a unique dining experience, often involving a theme and innovative, original food.

Pop-up restaurant

Ranging from casual neighborhood hangouts to trendy establishments, the café is probably the most common eating establishment out there. Also known as coffeehouse or coffee shop, it first appeared in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) in the 17th century, and has served as a social gathering place ever since. While focusing on coffee and other hot beverages, frequently they also offer pastries, cakes, and other light meals/snacks. The menu varies greatly from country to country.

Café

A casual sit-down American restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Taking inspiration from the old rail dining cars, their typical retro design often includes neon lights, leather clad booths, and long counters running the length of the interior. Diners frequently stay open 24 hours a day (especially those along the highways) and serve classic American fare such as burgers, sandwiches, fries, and pies.

Diner

Also known as ramen shop, this is a popular restaurant type in Japan, which specializes in wheat-flour noodle soup dishes. Each region across the country has its own broth variation, so expect anything from miso to tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Not all ramen-ya restaurants provide sit-down service.

Ramen-ya

 While teahouses are primarily places to drink tea, some of them also serve light meals typical to the local tea culture. You’ll find tea sandwiches and small cakes in a British tea room; an assortment of pastries in a French salon de thé; and noodles in a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong tea restaurant).

Teahouse

Synonymous with McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, fast food restaurants distinguish themselves through the speed of service, convenience, and affordability. They are normally part of major international chains or franchises, and feature limited, not-so-healthy menus, usually consisting of hamburgers, French fries, pizza, and soft drinks.

Fast food

A self-service facility where various types of food are displayed on counters/tables. Most buffet restaurants are all-you-can-eat affairs where customers are charged a flat rate, but the concept has several variations depending on which country you are in.

Buffet-style restaurant

Small restaurant where light meals are cooked and served at lunchtime. Typical characteristics include counter seating and simple, limited menus.

Luncheonette

A staple of Spanish culture, tapas bars are lively establishments where the drinks come accompanied by small plates of food called tapas. Ranging from humble tascas (traditional Spanish taverns) to gourmet venues, they are less formal than restaurants, yet much more than just simple bars, providing not just drinks and small bites to eat, but also a convivial place for friends to relax, socialize, or watch a football game.

Tapas bar/Tasca

A restaurant specializing in grilled prime cuts of beef (strip, rib eye, tenderloin). Most of the times, the menu will also include veal, pork/lamb chops, and roasted chicken, plus good wines and a variety of side dishes.

Steakhouse

Eatery where customers pay a fixed fee and then serve themselves to as much food as they wish to eat. They usually feature multiple food stations, with everything from salads to hot items and desserts.

All you can eat restaurant

Whether it’s a pizzeria, a fast food, or a bakery, a kosher restaurant will always serve food that complies with the regulations of kashrut (Jewish religious dietary laws).

Kosher restaurant

An innovative Belgium-based restaurant concept allowing a fixed number of guests to enjoy their gourmet meal at a table suspended in mid-air. Dinner in the Sky is available in over 45 countries throughout the world.

Dinner in the Sky

This is a relatively new and unusual type of restaurant, where patrons eat in complete darkness, often served by blind waiters. The concept of dining in the dark is meant to awaken the other senses through the elimination of sight.

Dark restaurant

Any type of restaurant where patrons can order individual dishes from a menu.

À la carte

 Coined in 1991, the term gastropub originates in Britain and describes a type of food venue that combines the charm and character of a pub with upscale food and better beer. The first ever gastropub is The Eagle, London.

Gastropub

A classic French eating establishment serving traditional food, coffee, and drinks all day long. Though the cooking style is similar, brasseries tend to be bigger and livelier that bistros, and with more extensive menus.

Brasserie

A typical Spanish bar providing shade, refreshing drinks, and tapas by the beach. Though ranging from humble shacks to proper restaurants, chiringuitos are generally seasonal establishments decorated with simple wooden furnishings. Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere is delightfully laid-back and the menu centers around grilled fish and seafood.

Chiringuito

A licensed vehicle equipped with a kitchen to cook and serve food at temporary sites. Unlike the average hot dog carts or taco wagons, these restaurants on wheels travel on their own power and are packed with more sophisticated cooking appliances, providing a superior street food experience.

Food truck

 A steakhouse restaurant in Brazil. The name derives from churrasco, the Brazilian style of grilling meat. In rodízio-style churrascarias, an assortment of grilled meats on skewers are brought to the table and the server slices off thin slices onto your plate.

Churrascaria

 A collection of small restaurants or fast food stalls sharing a common eating/seating area. Also known as food halls, these are usually located in shopping malls and airports.

Bistro - (4)

Ethnic restaurant - (5)

Fine dining restaurant - (7)

Teppanyaki-ya - (2)

Osteria - (0)

Drive-in restaurant - (1)

Trattoria - (0)

Drive-thru restaurant - (0)

Pizzeria - (2)

Taverna - (1)

Fast casual restaurant - (1)

Pop-up restaurant - (0)

Café - (4)

Diner - (11)

Ramen-ya - (0)

Teahouse - (0)

Fast food - (3)

Buffet-style restaurant - (0)

Luncheonette - (8)

Tapas bar/Tasca - (1)

Steakhouse - (4)

All you can eat restaurant - (0)

Kosher restaurant - (0)

Steakhouse - (4)

Dinner in the Sky - (1)

Dark restaurant - (0)

À la carte - (0)

Gastropub - (0)

Brasserie - (5)

Chiringuito - (6)

Food truck - (1)

Churrascaria - (0)

Food court - (0)