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The main challenge when visiting Berlin’s hippest vegetarian restaurant is finding the place—it’s hidden in an unglamorous backyard behind the Westin Grand Hotel, and a nondescript door lit by a telltale bulb marks the entrance. Once inside, though, guests are greeted by a chic, loftlike interior with exposed brick walls, gentle lighting, and low ceilings, and simple white tablecloths contrast with dark red chairs and banquettes. The trendy staff are both efficient and attentive in serving food that takes vegetarian dining up a notch: Gone are the usual staples of pasta, tofu, and rice, replaced by sumptuous, imaginative ingredients such as beluga lentils, Parmesan dumplings, and wild herb salads. The wine list is also excellent, or you can head next door for a cocktail at Crackers, a restaurant and bar.

A quick bus ride from the city (or a refreshing end to the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk), Coogee Pavilion is one of the most happening beach bars in Sydney. The downstairs area is home to a wood-fired pizza oven, oyster bar, juice stall, and kids’ zone with giant Scrabble, pétanque, ping pong, and nautical books, while the breezy rooftop features four different bars, outfitted with love seats and wire-frame stools for taking in the breathtaking bay views. Aussie wines and beers plus fruity cocktails shaken with house-made juice pair with Mediterranean-themed tapas like chargrilled lamb chops and blistered Padrón peppers.

Mole Creek Karst National Park, along with the surrounding Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, offers subterranean streams and pools, plus at least 300 caves. At Marakoopa Cave, you’ll feel as though you’re in mother nature’s planetarium—the walls are lit up by Australia’s largest colony of glowworms. Caves like Honeycomb and Westmorland are best explored during a half- or full-day trip with Deb from Wild Cave Tours. Unlike most guides, she holds a PhD in speleology. But if one day is not enough, make it a wild caving weekend to progress from walking and wading to scrambling and squeezing through tight crevices. Local beer and wine await you at Mole Creek Guesthouse.

Located across the way from Half Moon Resort, Sugar Mill Restaurant is set on the grounds of an old plantation. Couples and small groups dine at candlelit tables either on a covered terrace or out on the lawn, and the splashing of the mill’s waterwheel and the chirping of crickets are an accompanying sound track to the top-notch service and Caribbean fusion menu. Order a bottle from the well-stocked wine cellar, visible as you enter the restaurant. For special occasions, a private table beside the waterwheel can be reserved. (In the mood for a lighter, slightly more casual meal? A tapas menu is available in the restaurant lounge.)

This is a peaceful spot to land when you want to soak up the tranquil breezes off the Chesapeake Bay. Head down south and enjoy a quaint stay in this hopeful little town still showing forth the glory of its historic roots. Grab a bicycle from the Hope & Glory Inn’s bike stand and head on over to their namesake vineyard. Taste a few of the delicious wines and dine at the Inn’s restaurant where the grub gives ‘country’ food a new meaning.

Rolf and Daughters opened in 2012 in the midst of a restaurant boom, but even with all the new options in Nashville, it has remained one of the hottest tables in town. Located in the 100-year-old Werthan factory building in Germantown, the restaurant feels welcoming with its dim lighting, brick walls, and locally made Holler Design furniture. Chef Philip Krajeck and team have called what they do “modern peasant food,” which feels a bit humble for dishes prepared so well. Options range from superb pastas like squid ink paccheri with octopus, chili, basil, and bread crumbs, to classics like chicken with preserved lemon and garlic confit. The cocktails are interesting and the wine list quirky, making this an experience that’s at once comfortable and exciting.

Before taking the train to Rome, we picked up a spread of antipasti at Peck, a vast and pristine food shop in Milan. In addition to a huge selection of cheeses, fruit, salumi, and bread, Peck sells prepared specialties like meatballs, potato croquettes, and caprese salad.

The perspective from Gary Farrell Winery, on the outskirts of Healdsburg, is distinctive. Perched high on a ridge above Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, you get a sense of the fog that makes this growing region so perfect—the clouds trap cool air and moisture down below, enabling pinot noir and chardonnay grapes to mature slowly. This general understanding of the microclimate only enhances your enjoyment of the wine itself, which winemaker Theresa Heredia has made with a deft touch since 2012. After extensive renovations to the main tasting salons in 2017, the visitor experience at Gary Farrell now ranks as one of the best in the county, especially if you reserve a spot on the covered patio outside. All the tastings are seated; the Inspiration Tasting matches six wines with three small bites from chef Didier Ageorges, while the Exploration Tasting includes a tour, five wines, and a cheese-and-nuts plate. Both experiences take about 90 minutes and reservations are suggested. In case you’re wondering, although his name is still on the wine and the winery, Gary Farrell himself—a true pioneer of pinot noir in the Russian River Valley—hasn’t been involved in day-to-day operations since he sold the winery to the Vincraft Group in 2004.

Visitors to this modern Russian River Valley winery receive a personal greeting and a glass of sparkling wine as they walk up—an appropriate welcome for a relaxed-yet-sophisticated few hours. Most tastings take place in the comfortable and airy Estate House, where all guests enjoy seated tastings under soaring wood ceilings, or outside, on one of three patio terraces overlooking 13 acres of vineyards. Some tastings feature only wine; others incorporate a tour and food and chocolate pairings. Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen specializes in bordeaux-style varieties, which means she only makes chardonnay and pinot noir. Year after year, the wine earns high scores from experts, and the winery garners accolades for mixing estate-grown grapes with some of the best fruit the Russian River Valley has to offer from farming families such as the Duttons, Sangiacomos, Martinellis, and Bacigalupis. The highlight of the in-person experience is the view; the Estate House sits atop a hill, offering visitors panoramic vistas of Sonoma County in just about every direction. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount St. Helena, more than 40 miles east. On gray days, you can look into the fog—the natural feature responsible for keeping temperatures cool and making Russian River wines so good.

In a valley only five miles from the Pacific Ocean, Folktale Winery lives up to its name: The Old World French-style château appears like a castle from childhood fables amid the vineyards and oak trees. On arrival, visitors are greeted with a taste of sparkling brut (NV). Like many winemakers in the area, Folktale focuses on chardonnay and pinot noir, but its wines stand out for their bright acidic style and the minerality of the terroir. Daily tasting hours run into the early evening, and individual glasses and bottles are available, as well as flights of Folktale and reserve wines from single vineyards. The restaurant serves such seasonally inspired small plates as brie and pear bruschetta, shared plates (the crispy octopus is a local favorite), salads, and cheese or charcuterie boards. Pro tips: Save room to sample wine ice cream pops, made of rosé or grenache. Tours (which require reservations) include visits to the vineyards, cellar, and barrel room. And check the winery’s events calendar for yoga classes in the vines, special workshops, and concerts.

With the smallest room a sprawling 400 square feet, and suites and public spaces filled with original 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques, the George V, flagship of the Four Seasons chain, lives up to its billing as a palace, an official tourism category introduced in 2010 requiring establishments to “embody French standards of excellence and contribute to enhancing the image of France throughout the world.” Set in a 1928 art deco building, the Four Seasons Hotel George V boasts a regular clientele of bona fide royals, including Saudi princes who rent entire floors for six weeks at a stretch. The staff includes a team of flower designers led by an art director who worked on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. There’s also a dedicated concierge for children ordering up pint-sized bathrobes and private pastry-making lessons in the Michelin-starred kitchen.

Opened in 2015, this colorful spot from NYC-based The Library Collection celebrates music—and music lovers. Set in the historic city center, near pedestrian dining and shopping streets, the restored 19th-century bank now houses 48 rooms and suites spread over four genre-themed towers. Each accommodation is named for musical legends in that theme, so think names like Puccini in the Opera tower, Billie Holliday in Jazz, Prince in Contemporary, and Chopin in Classical. The decorative style and details vary slightly depending on the genre (Classical rooms have Murano glass chandeliers, for example, while Jazz ones have Art Nouveau-inspired furniture), but aside from caricatures of the featured artists and related books and CDs, the vibrant décor isn’t kitschy or themed. Instead, guests can expect luxurious comforts like high-end (and customizable) bedding, home theater-grade entertainment systems (linked to a digital music library), onyx-lined bathrooms, and Handy 4G phones for complimentary international calling.

Downstairs, the glass-roofed Music Garden courtyard is the place for breakfast, daily afternoon wine and cheese hour, and live music performances (all complimentary), while the fireplace- and terrace-equipped Satchmo’s lounge pairs cocktails with jazz, and the Stradivari Restaurant serves Hungarian-inspired farm-to-table menus amid strikingly bold décor. The underground Harmony Spa relaxes with holistic therapies, a heated pool, and saunas and steams rooms, while the rooftop High Note Sky Bar—open year-round—has become one of the hottest hangouts in town for its spectacular views (get there early to snag one of the floating “love nest” seating nooks). Don’t miss a visit to the lobby-level office of the in-house Musical Director, who can help plan itineraries, source tickets, create city-themed playlists, or lend you a concert DVD to watch in the hotel’s private screening room.

A key component to the mastery of a skill is knowing when to break the rules. As its name implies, Jovanina’s Broken Italian breaks away from the traditional rules and expectations of Italian cuisine with the measured confidence of a master. Owners Jennifer and Jake Linzinmeir bring years of restaurant experience, both in the kitchen and in management, to Jovanina’s, which allows them to find an approachable balance of new flavors and classic dishes to the menu. The airy ground-floor space feels festive, with whitewashed brick walls along one side and a bar running the length of the other; a downstairs wine-bar dining area has a quieter, more intimate vibe. Try any of the handmade pasta specials or go with the favorite: a brick-oven pizza topped with fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella, and caramelized onions.

This elegant family-run restaurant in the charming village of Sulzburg was founded by Hans-Paul Steiner and his French wife, Claude. Today, it’s helmed by their daughter, Douce Steiner, who, after learning the ropes from her father and then training in France, is now the only female chef in Germany with two Michelin stars.

Simply decorated with antique furniture, cozy carpets, and wooden walls hung with photos, the restaurant keeps the focus firmly on the food. The traditional menu ranges from fresh sea bass, turbot, and red mullet to duck, quail, and desserts like a divine chocolate cake with locally grown cherries, while the wine list showcases some 500 labels (Claude still works as the sommelier). Should you want to make a weekend out of your visit, head upstairs to the associated hotel, which offers comfortable rooms and breakfast in the restaurant every morning.

Built in 1703, Heidelberg’s oldest and most famous tavern has certainly had some illustrious patrons. Mark Twain, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne are just a few of the celebrities who drank and dined here—a fact that’s proven by the many photos of famous faces hanging on the walls. Notable clientele notwithstanding, Zum Roten Ochsen is all about simplicity. Still run by the same family that opened it hundreds of years ago, it serves rich local dishes, from goulash soup and bratwurst to Swabian Maultaschen (meat-filled ravioli) and Käsespätzle (cheese-covered noodles), as well as fresh herring, boiled beef, and several vegetarian options. Also on offer is a drinks menu heavy on regional wines and local Heidelberg beer, all of which are complemented by the restaurant’s old-fashioned interior, friendly service, and live piano player in the evenings.