South Park residents get ready. A hungry stampede has begun invading 30th Street near Juniper with the arrival of Vagabond, a divinely chic restaurant that fits squarely into your neighborhood’s keenly hip culture. And the fanfare will likely persist.

Though the restaurant opened only a couple of weeks ago, it gives the impression of a well-established operation that has already been through a battery of full dress rehearsals. Given its Euro-bistro spirit and hyper-global cuisine, Vagabond could potentially serve as the area’s nexus for more cool businesses to come.

The owners hail from divided sections of Paris. Jerome Gombert is considered the “money guy” behind the venture. He’s from the Right Bank. His work partner, Philippe Beltran, quips, “I’m the concept guy from the Left Bank.” He was also the owner of French Side of the West, which enjoyed a successful four-year reign in San Diego until the early ’90s. Yet it is Beltran’s former globetrotting days through Vietnam, Europe and the Caribbean that have ultimately shaped Vagabond’s name and menu.

Once an empty shell, the interior is dressed smartly with conversation pieces collected from all over the world – opium pipes, Vietnamese lunch boxes, French antiques and enticing paintings, all set against brick and sharply colored walls. And though the tables are tightly arranged, and a zephyr of air is needed when the place fills up, Vagabond’s vibrant quaintness makes it easy to linger.

Arriving not so hungry, my appetite expanded on cue as we dabbed organic ciabatta table bread into a ramekin of saffron-spiked aioli. My jaws kept moving when I beheld the Assietté Française platter, although my vegetarian dining companion didn’t join me on this French picnic fantasy replete with duck mousse, country and rustic pates and garlic salami. He did, however, playfully partake in the accompaniments – imported cheeses and those little missile-shaped pickles known as cornichons – all of it a dandy bargain for only $7.50.

We also “appetized” over the Piatto Italiano, featuring bruschetta with cured black olives, and Caprese, constructed with golden tomato slices and fresh mozzarella buried under a mantle of diced basil. I can’t wait, however, for the return of summer’s yield of riper, more succulent tomatoes.

Toasted pine nuts, chives, scallions, black olive croutons and bleu cheese mingled fondly throughout my companion’s Vagabond butter lettuce house salad, as I pondered the faint Caribbean touches injected into a sweetly dressed salad that came with tender chicken medallions resting on the rim of the plate.

Our entrées were particularly noteworthy. The Casablancan Couscous is a Tunisian dish brimming with caramelized vegetables and accented by harissa, a puree of hot and bell peppers. Here, it’s toned down a smidgen for sensitive American palates. “I normally find couscous boring, but this isn’t,” my companion commented as aromas from ginger, garlic and rosemary wafted out. The dish is topped with a gob of yogurt to add creaminess and is served in an attractive clay tagine.

I headed for South America, choosing the Peruvian Seco de Carne beef stew that I still haven’t stopped thinking about. The meat and potatoes are simmered to full tenderness in onions, garlic, cumin, coriander and lime juice. Not a single flavor is lost in the process. Marinated onions and a bright orange pepper sauce that’s hotter than the harissa added the final perk. So savory is this stew that you’ll feel cheated for having grown up with the standard American recipe.

Other entrées that seem too good to pass up include Caribbean Rack of Lamb baked in garlic cloves and dark rum, Marinated Salmon served with Souza tequila vinaigrette, and Prosciutto and Pesto Cheese Tortellini in fresh garlic and basil. There’s also classic Coq au Vin, which I’m guessing is foolproof given the owners’ French heritage and the wonderful homey quality of food they serve.

Wines by the glass and bottle are reasonably priced, and, like the food, they wander the globe in origin. The drink list also presents some obscure beers from countries such as Costa Rica, Morocco and Tahiti.

Desserts, outsourced from Opera Patisserie, left fine impressions from a Raspberry Mousse layered with mascarpone cheese over sponge cake, plus a similarly shaped puck of triple chocolate mousse.

In a single visit, Vagabond takes you to latitudes and longitudes that other restaurants don’t. You need only a passport to South Park to start the journey.