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One of the best things about Barcelona is its many delicious cafes, offering strong Spanish coffee and rich, flaky pastries. I’ve found the best cafes to be concentrated in the city’s enchanting Gothic Quarter, or “Barri Gotic.” As in a lot of other European cities, you can linger over a cup of coffee, chocolate croissant, and the morning paper for as long as you’d like without risk of being bothered to give up your table. When you’re in Barcelona make sure to enjoy a leisurely breakfast followed by a stroll through the charming Gothic Quarter, where you’ll find everything from entertaining street performers to fun little shops to the obvious highlight, beautiful Gothic architecture.

For something different from Laguna’s typical California fare, head to Starfish, where you can get dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, and India. The menu ranges from sushi and satays to dumplings, noodle dishes, whole fish, and more—all perfect for pairing with signature cocktails like the Whiskey Blossom, with bourbon, orange bitters, clover honey, and egg whites. Beyond the delicious food, Starfish is known for its upbeat atmosphere. DJs spin well into the night, while guests linger on the outdoor patio, sipping drinks amid tropical foliage.

Located in Allentown, down a quiet, tree-lined street, Betty’s is the perfect spot if you’re searching for simple, comforting fare. While the restaurant is open for all three meals, breakfast takes top honors—the Luv Sandwich (a toasted bagel with bacon, cream cheese, pickled onions, sprouts, and tomatoes) is simply the most delicious way to start the day in Buffalo. During the warmer months, guests can grab a table outdoors and people-watch while they eat. The restaurant’s residential location is ideal, as it’s away from the noise but still immersed in the neighborhood atmosphere.

One of the world’s best beaches according to UNESCO, this beautiful palm-lined stretch of golden sand 40 minutes north of Punta Cana is known for its top-rated surf school and its oceanfront restaurants that serve delicious, Dominican-style fish plates. Catch some waves at one end of the beach, then swim in the calm water at the other, where fishing boats loaded with red snapper and lobster pull ashore. Mid-beach, you’ll find food and drink stands alongside activity concessions, from buggy rides in the dunes to stand-up paddleboarding, horseback riding, and surf lessons.

The charming Róże i Zen (Roses and Zen) is a café-restaurant, located between two neighboring buildings on a somewhat-secret garden patio that can only be described as magical. In this enchanted setting, guests sit comfortably and take their time, whether in the company of friends, chatting with colleagues, or enjoying a romantic date. Beyond its atmosphere, Róże i Zen is known for its short but delicious menu, filled with freshly made dishes and desserts like homemade pastries and cakes. Whatever you choose, pair it with something from the extensive coffee and tea selection.

“Ristorante da Ivo is where George Clooney famously likes to dine, but it’s still completely charming. It’s a tiny trattoria and very expensive, but the food is stunning. The kitchen is still family-run and it feels very local, not at all pretentious. You can get dressed up or go in jeans and a jumper. Do try the baccala, which is salted dried cod that’s been soaked in milk and whipped up with olive oil. It’s creamy and delicious.”

Read about more of McAlpine’s Venice favorites.

A local favorite on postcard-pretty Piazza della Passera in the Oltrarno neighborhood, Il Magazzino serves up delicious Florentine food with a special emphasis on offal. If you are up for it, there’s no better place to sample stalwarts of the indigenous cuisine in dishes such as grilled udder or classic trippa alla fiorentina, or tripe stewed in a tomato sauce topped with grated Parmesan. If offal’s not your thing, opt instead for the mouthwatering linguine with kale pesto. The great wine list offers some affordable choices.

This favorite spot turned what used to be a dismal block on Avenue du Parc into a happening strip, inspiring a wave of restaurants and businesses to open around it. The bar’s stylish interiors are characterized by narrow, long tables for intimate group gatherings around drinks and one of their delicious roast chickens, served without pomp or circumstance on a wooden board. The constantly evolving wine list is superb and varied in terms of pricing, and their cocktails are straightforward but scrumptious. This is a popular after-work and weekend spot, so expect to wait a bit for a table.

The customary dessert of Puerto Rico, the brazo gitano (gypsy arm), can be found at Franco’s in Mayaguez. This place has been around for generations, preparing the rolls for local markets and grocers and also for their own store. The cake is rolled into a log shape and then pumped with a filling. This one is a zanahoria (carrot) cake with a cream cheese filling. You can find many types of rolls, with all sorts of fillings. The traditional ones contain fruit jams. When in Mayaguez, be sure to stop here for this delicious roll.

Pokhara, located in the center of the city, has one of the best ambiences around. The quintessential European café, with a touch of Paris and a touch of Spain, it attracts a younger, hip crowd. Don’t expect food beyond the obligatory croissants and tortilla española, but do try their carajillo. They put special care into this boozy alchoholic drink. First vodka or whisky (your choice—but choose whisky) is set aflame. Then a shot of espresso is pulled while the bartender whips body into cool, fresh cream. All of this goes into a glass to form the carajillo, one of the most delicious drinks known to man.

On arrival at Terranea, it’s natural to release a big, tension-melting sigh. The resort occupies 100-plus acres along the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, providing expansive views of the Pacific and a sense of spaciousness that’s rare in the city. The Mediterranean-style resort hotel spent $40 million in 2017 to upgrade the property, which includes 582 guest rooms and suites, eight bungalows, four swimming pools (take the kids to the 140-foot waterslide at the Resort Pool), and one acclaimed golf course. At its upscale wellness-minded spa, ingredients grown on the grounds go into the treatments, which are designed and timed to improve the body’s circadian rhythm.

Pure pampering aside, regulars return in part for the unparalleled access to dozens of postcard-pretty hiking trails, including a naturalist-led walk (there’s also a falconry program). One of the resort’s nine restaurants can meet virtually any craving that hits, but the mar’sel‘s scallops with basil risotto should be non-negotiable. Pro tip: Book a visit in December or January to watch the sun rise and set from the same vantage point—and maybe even spot some humpback whales.

The Baccarat Hotel takes its crystal so seriously that it has white-gloved “glass attendants” tending to its champagne flutes, wine glasses, goblets, and more, keeping them sparkling night after night. That same assiduousness extends to the rest of the property—the French crystal house’s first venture into the hotel business—which opened in 2015 in a 50-story glass skyscraper, built by noted architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill, with 114 guestrooms and 60 residential apartments. As expected, the highlight here is crystal: custom chandeliers abound, Baccarat table lamps and sconces adorn the rooms, and, in the lobby, there’s a mesmerizing LED-lit display of nearly 2,000 Harcourt glasses, the brand’s most iconic design. Lavish elements extend beyond what shimmers and shines, however. Rooms and suites feature plush, four-poster beds topped with custom linens, as well as red-enameled minibars stocked with Maison Ladurée delicacies. Those in need of even more pampering can head to the hotel’s spa, the first-ever from luxe skincare company La Mer, with treatment rooms accented by hand-painted murals. While the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is just across the street, the hotel has an impressive collection in its own right, with photography by the likes of Slim Aarons, Ellen von Unwerth, and Nan Goldin.

You don’t know you need a paperweight shaped like a dumpling until you see it. Hidden behind sliding doors on an unassuming street corner in Shanghai‘s Jing’an District, Spin is the best place in the city to buy modern Chinese ceramics. The shop works with artists in Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, to make original, limited-edition works of art at competitive prices, from a small porcelain and wood display table to delicate celadon-green teacups and dainty chopstick rests shaped like chili peppers. Spin ships worldwide at a reasonable cost, so you don’t have to worry about lugging a vase the size of a small child through Asia.

On the site of a former brick windmill in what is today central Auckland, an old Sheraton tower underwent a $9 million renovation in 2006 to become one of the city’s most luxurious hotels: the Cordis. Across the common spaces and 411 guestrooms, this property is draped in fine silks and velvets, appointed with antiques fit for royalty, and crowned by gilded dome ceilings and chandeliers. It’s a popular meeting place for the corporate elite, featuring a striking ballroom that seats 860 people, banquet style. High-tech conferencing equipment and an in-house audio-visual team create a seamless experience, which has helped the hotel earn Earth Check certification. When work is complete, there are ample options for unwinding, from the high tea at the elegant lobby lounge—a more delicate version of the London lobby—and the Chuan Spa, which specializes in traditional Chinese medicine. Also on site is an exclusive Club Lounge, a fitness studio, a swimming pool, and the renowned Eight restaurant, which offers an interactive dining experience with eight specialist kitchens, each dedicated to a different cuisine and led by an expert chef.

Perhaps it’s more interested in diner loyalty than in snagging prizes, but chef Elena Reygadas’s original Mexico City restaurant is still beloved—and busier than ever. So while a few greatest hits linger season to season, there’s always something new to try, inspired by food of the Mediterranean (or the Middle East, or Paris) but supported by the just-picked ingredients only Mexico knows. It invites repeat visits where patrons count on impeccable breads and pastas, delicate greens, and sauces that never cloy or overwhelm, plus some of the freshest fish and tenderest viands to be had in the city. The setting—a venerable town-house patio and parlors, decorated in florid, provincial filigree and anchored by lovely vintage furnishings—is one of the city’s most romantic.