There’s something timeless about skewered meat. At a primordial level, meat on a stick calls to mind meals shared around a campfire among early hunter-gatherers, and that spirit of hearty simplicity has continued through millennia—albeit with increased flavor complexity. Across the world, different cultures have refined their own versions, with the proteins, preparation and seasoning running the gamut.

And just as skewers can be a blank canvas for any cuisine, they’re also right at home in any dining environment. Food stalls still hawk kebab, yakitori and satay, but those dishes also appear on fine-dining menus. The following five restaurants demonstrate the humble skewer’s staying power—and its still unexplored potential.

It is this versatility, in terms of both flavor and format, that provides menu developers with ample room to play with a dish that’s as old as cooking itself. Flavor trends come and go, but a universal dish is reinvented time and again.