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Jade Bar regularly tops the local “Best Of” lists for places to drink. It’s a modern, cocktail-focused bar with sips like the Old Fashioned Whiskey, bourbon, simple syrup, bitters and citrus oils, and the Honeydew Liverthump made from gin, fresh lemon and honeydew juice, and sliced cucumbers, among other things. It’s the kind of place where bartenders are called mixologists and it actually means something. For a drink with a view, take it outdoors to Edge, the fashion-forward patio bar that juts out just below Elements restaurant.

Jewelry designer Michele Mercado’s showroom and work space in Boston‘s historic South End is filled with metal treasures. Her award winning designs feature 100% recycled Harmony Metals and she is a big champion of up cycling clients old pieces into new designs that will fit with their lifestyle. The timeless styles are minimal, clean and modern. Also on display is a unique grouping of handcrafted pieces of fellow jewelry artists. During my visit the hammered wall compositions of clouage artist Robert Kobayashi were incredibly detailed and meticulously constructed out of old metal.

White Rabbit has caused a clamor among Santiago foodies for its stripped-down approach to good, wholesome food. Using all organic ingredients on a short but sweet menu, this is the kind of food that your soul craves. Mac n’ cheese with black truffle oil and a touch of smoked pancetta. Classic steak tartare. Artisan fresh mozzarella in a Caprese salad. A gooey chocolate brownie for dessert, or even baked Alaska! All served in a small, modern restaurant with a young, cool crowd. Reservations essential. Antonia Lopez de Bello 118, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2503 4246

The Tubman African American Museum, named for abolitionist Harriet Tubman, is Macon’s educational resource for school groups and curious visitors who want to learn more about African American history and culture. The first exhibit displays the mural pictured above, which tells about African American history from African heritage to the slave trade to modern-day America. In addition to information on Tubman, many prominent African Americans are featured, as well as those who helped advance civil rights. Work by artists and African American inventors are also on display.

Chattanooga’s Hunter Museum of American Art is set against a cliff overlooking the Tennessee River. If the view doesn’t draw you in, it will be the collection of American art from Winslow Homer to Andy Warhol. The museum is made up of a historic mansion, pictured above, a modern 1970s structure and a sleek contemporary building that looks like at any moment it could plummet into the water. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children and free on the first Sunday of every month.

I just love the huge space and the glass ceiling of Galleria Umberto. It is located across from Teatro di San Carlo and despite its modern look, I was surprised to find out that it was built between 1887–1891. The Galleria was named for Umberto I, King of Italy at the time of construction. It was meant to combine businesses, shops, cafes and social life — public space, with private space in the apartments on the third floor. Don’t miss it! The architecture is breath taking all year long.

Located near Dundee’s now-thriving waterfront, the Michelin-starred Castlehill Restaurant serves sophisticated Scottish cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. In the elegant dining room, guests enjoy a seasonally changing menu of modern dishes, like Scrabster hake with roasted garlic purée, and pork belly with chorizo, butternut squash, and crispy monkfish cheek. A wine list curated by specialist merchants rounds out the offerings, providing the perfect complement to Scotland’s natural larder.

Amsterdam isn’t known for great service, but this casual restaurant inside the Kimpton De Witt hotel is a welcome exception. In the spacious, modern dining room, the friendly, attentive staff serves up an international menu that particularly excels at wood-fired dishes, including octopus, swordfish, and steaks. An American-style Sunday brunch includes chicken and waffles, avocado toast, and unlimited Bloody Marys and Mimosas.

Equal parts fine-dining restaurant, cocktail bar, and antique gallery, Ji blends Chinese, Japanese, and Balinese culture with modern Japanese cuisine and cocktails. The restaurant is located in Hotel Tugu, one of the first luxury hotels in Canggu. An Indonesian collector rescued an ornate 18th-century Chinese temple from destruction in Java and had it rebuilt here to house the restaurant. Ji’s menu features exquisitely prepared sushi and sashimi platters, as well as items that reflect influences from Japanese communities in Peru, China, Korea, and other countries outside Japan. The Dragon of Ji roll is a showstopper. As for cooked seafood, you’ll be torn when it comes to the smokey salmon zaru soba with home-smoked salmon belly and citrus broth. Be kind and share the delicate dish with your travel companion? Or keep it all to yourself? An extensive sake, wine, and cocktail menu is available.

This particular area of the Gold Coast is jokingly nicknamed the Viagra Triangle, but the Thompson Chicago doesn’t discriminate by age. The 247-room hotel is dark and moody, drawing artists of every generation to its swanky lobby bar at the back, peppered with colorful canvases and couples sneaking a snuggle in a booth. The whole town is awaiting the opening of Tavern on Rush, a reboot of the beloved steak house that used to reside just up the block. Rumors say this hangout will become a dining destination, what with its cocktail lounge, main dining room, patio, and private rooms spread across 16,000 square feet and multiple levels.


Set among all the best shopping in the Midwest, the Thompson’s midcentury-style guest rooms with hardwood floors provide the perfect minimalist location to unbox those favorite finds from Michigan Avenue around the corner. Digital nomads can book their work meetings in one of the rooms named after the Chicago Seven: countercultural anti-war protesters charged by the U.S. federal government with conspiracy and intent to incite a riot to stop the Vietnam War. The Abbie Hoffman room is a favorite.

First opened in 2004 in a former office building in the Central Business District, the Loews New Orleans Hotel completed a $4 million renovation in November 2014. The new look is modern, but with a nod to the Big Easy: rooms and suites (which, by the way, are among the most spacious in town) are done up in soothing blues and grays, and feature local photography on the walls, and the carpets have a wrought-iron fence motif. Large picture windows afford vistas of the city or the Mississippi River.

Run by the legendary Brennan family and named after the vivacious Adelaide Brennan, the hotel restaurant also got a makeover—think canary-yellow seats, teal tufted banquettes, and Andy Warhol–esque pop art of its namesake.

In the heart of the city’s business district of Taksim, Barceló is a modern example of Istanbul’s contemporary face. Designed by Zeynep Fadillioğlu, the interiors balance both classic and contemporary features, offering a warm, modern feel. Spacious rooms amply utilize shades of blues and purples, while oversized (and extra-long) beds will please taller guests. Suite rooms offer a hint of old Ottoman luxury with traditional Turkish bath basins and also allow access to the private top-floor Lounge 11, where complimentary drinks, snacks, and cocktails are served throughout the day.

A favored destination for business guests, the hotel provides state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and a business corner on the mezzanine floor offers 24-hour service. When work is done for the day, guests can relax with a traditional Turkish scrub-and-soak treatment at the Marti Istanbul Spa or sip cappuccinos or cocktails at Mixo Terrace—Taksim’s largest rooftop restaurant. For guests on the go, the hotel’s Gourmet Stop café serves takeaway sandwiches and cakes.

The W Santiago is where the cool kids stay. Which other hotel would dare to have a sign reading “WHATEVER” at the entrance? Since opening in 2009, the hotel has earned a strong following, both from locals and visitors. Dimly lit with a color scheme of purples, greens, and black, the rooms are modern, with full-length windows overlooking the city. Located in Santiago’s financial district, officially known as El Golf, the W is part of a large skyscraper (hotel reception is on the fourth floor) filled with restaurants and shops. The 196 rooms reach to the 21st floor, and the W has arguably the best roof terrace in town (Hotel Noi Vitacura being a close contender). The roof terrace has an infinity pool, knockout city views, and a heli-pad for those who want to whiz off to wine country or hit the ski slopes in speedy style.

Sucré opened a couple of years after Katrina swept through a bustling stretch of Magazine Street not far from the Garden District. It quickly established itself as the city’s premier destination for chocolates, macarons, gelato, and, well… basically anything with sugar. The original shop is bright and modern rather than cluttered and fussy, and the intricately decorated confections are neatly housed in chilled cases, like jewels in a vitrine. But there’s nothing precious about the tastes here—it’s all big, bold flavors. If you’re here around Mardi Gras season, ask about the seasonal king cake, all lustrous and gilded. Sucré also recently opened a French Quarter outpost with an upstairs tearoom.

There is perhaps some irony that one of the most distinctive contemporary buildings in the historic heart of Montréal is a showcase for some of the city’s oldest artifacts. The modern structure that houses this archaeology and history museum opened in 1992, to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the establishment of Montréal. The highlight is its crypt, where you can wander through the digs of the city’s 18th-century market. A new pavilion, “Where Montréal Began,” opened in 2017 on the occasion of the city’s 375th anniversary. Its display of artifacts emphasizes the spiritual traditions of both the French settlers and Québec’s Algonquin, Huron, and Iroquois peoples. Temporary exhibitions on subjects like hockey and the archives of Bell Telephone help bridge the gap between Montréal’s early history and the present day.