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Founded in 1879, Confitería Torres is Santiago‘s oldest restaurant still functioning, and a popular lunch destination. Housed in the Palacio Íñiguez on the stately Alameda avenue, the restaurant was saved from closing nearly a decade ago and completely restored to its former glory, with green-and-white hand-painted tile floors, lace curtains, and elegant waiters. It’s located near the government palace, and frequented by many politicians and presidents; former president Barros Lucos always ordered a steak and cheese sandwich here (the sandwich was christened with his name). The menu sticks to traditional Chilean cuisine and the bartender whips up some delicious pisco sours. Crowded at lunch time so reservations a good idea. Alameda 1570, Santiago Centro Phone: 56 (2) 2688 0751

As you drive into Leavenworth, you’ll see a steep drop on one side of the road, and below it, a golf course. The Enzian Falls Putting Course features 18 holes of natural bent grass greens with panoramic views of the river, waterfalls, streams and the surrounding mountains. It’s owned by the Enzian Inn, and guests of the Enzian Inn and Alpine Rivers Inn receive a complimentary round of golf. The course is open April through October, seven days a week, weather permitting, but more experienced golfers may prefer to head to the nearby Leavenworth Golf Club for a bigger challenge.

Situated to the south and east of Lake Hoan Kiem, the French Quarter has a different feel from the rest of Hanoi—one characterized by a profusion of space. The French began shaping this part of the city in the late 1800s (in part by knocking down Vietnamese buildings and monuments), and by the early 20th century had firmly established their imprint. Today, the district retains the broad avenues, wide sidewalks, and colonial architecture from the era of French rule. Highlights include the Sofitel Legend Metropole, with its distinctive white facade and green shutters, and the iconic Hanoi Opera House, modeled on the Palais Garnier in Paris.

The food truck revolution is coming to Brussels and a great introduction is Keep On Toasting. Keep On Toasting travels around Brussels, serving up gourmet toasties, toasted sandwiches inspired by the traditional croque monsieur. These are far from your Mom’s grilled cheese sandwiches though. Owner and chef, Jean Baptiste Nyssen, creates four new sandwiches a week. He hand picks the best local and organic ingredients he can find. Pictured here is his Croq-British - A perfect breakfast sandwich, containing chopped up boiled egg, lardons (bacon), green beans and Stilton cheese. His veggie goat-cheese and lentil sandwich blew my mind and with inspirations from the Alps to India, there is sure to be a sandwich for you.

There are many excellent restaurants in Florence, but this one was recommended to me by a local, and I’m so glad it was. Alessandro, the chef, recently returned after working in New York City for eight years. Located on a small street near the Duomo, La Cucina del Garga offers so much for a small restaurant: recipes inspired by the chef’s father (Garga), art covering the walls, friendly staff, great Tuscan wines, funky menu designs, and reasonable prices. A seemingly simple salad of greens, tomatoes, pine nuts and cheese was the best salad I’ve ever had. Other great dishes were the fresh twisted penne with pistachios and cherry tomatoes, and creamy pasta with scallops. If possible, make a reservation and ask for the “painted room.”

El Charro sits in a converted set of historic houses & buildings a block off Tucson’s old town district—the same location where it began serving food in 1922. We had lunch here, at a big old wooden table in a warmly decorated dining room. Ask to be seated inside, or else in the garden, if the weather’s amenable. It’s a bit cold and dim in the front of the restaurant. I had an amazing vegetarian burrito, stuffed with roasted veggies, avocado and a green corn tamale. The others went for the excellent chimichangas, reputedly invented here (you can read the story on the menu). The special-brewed beer, an amber, was great, the salsa verde addictive, the decor a great talking point.

“Alon and I are regulars for Friday breakfast. We love their take on the Arab dish shakshuka. In the original, eggs are poached in a sauce of tomatoes and red peppers, but here they use green peppers instead of red, and they add goat cheese.” —Architect Irene Kronenberg

Seoul’s Folk Flea Market is a place where you can buy anything, I mean anything! This scary contraption looks like an invention of a comic book super-villain, but for the small price of 5 dollars you could be tightening those crow’s feet and zapping imperfections in no time! Huzzah! This is truly a special market—with more random wingdings than your grandparents’ attic. To get to the flea market, head to Sinseoldong Station on the light green line, Line 2. I recommend exit 10. After exiting, execute a U-turn, then walk straight for about 20 feet, take a right and walk straight for 280m. Along the way you will see vendors on the street and signage guiding you to the main building.

While modern Halifax has grown beyond its nautical roots, the 109-room waterfront Muir—a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of independent hotels and part of the city’s new $200 million Queen’s Marque district—offers a peek into its maritime past. In the lobby, walls of glass from an art installation glow like a lighthouse, and more works continue the theme throughout. Rooms are outfitted with midcentury modern–inspired furniture and custom-designed tartan blankets that nod to the province’s Scottish history. The restaurant serves Nova Scotia classics such as hodge podge, a hearty stew, and the hotel’s speakeasy BKS references the region’s rum-running past in cocktails like Her Majesty’s Displeasure.

Join throngs of locals on the five-minute ferry ride across Victoria Harbour between the Tsim Sha Tsui cruise pier in Kowloon, on the mainland side, and the Central Pier on Hong Kong Island (a slightly longer ride goes to Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island). This is not just any ferry: The historic green and white Star Ferries have been moving the masses back and forth for decades, with the origins of the company going back to 1880 with the service of a single steamboat, the Morning Star. Today, the classic wooden boats make the trip many times daily, and a ride provides a great view of the city’s famous skyline and a whiff of nostalgia to boot.

The Place Bonaventure is widely recognized as one of the most important buildings constructed in Canada in the 1960s, though that’s not to say it’s universally loved. It’s a regular contender for the title of Montreal’s ugliest building. For the student of architecture, however, whether armchair or otherwise, it’s worth a visit to see an outstanding example of brutalist architecture. Architect Raymond Affleck’s vision was to turn the city inside-out in a building appropriate for its location in a cold climate. The Place Bonaventure was designed to include a conference center, hotel, and several floors of retail space, all along internal streets while the building presents a foreboding exterior of ribbed concrete (echoing the design of the seminal Architecture School at Yale University by Paul Rudolph) to the street. The entire complex included 3.1 million square feet of floor space, making it the largest building in the world when it was completed (in 1967). Much of the retail space was converted to offices in later renovations, though the conference center and the hotel (now the Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal) remain. The photo here was taken inside the hotel—a walk around their common spaces will give you a taste of Affleck’s vision for a new urban architecture.

Drive down a country road in County Donegal toward the sea, and you’re likely to find miles of unspoiled golden beach – and if there are waves, the water might be filled with surfers. Pounded by the big swells of the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest of Ireland is one of the best surfing spots in Europe and surfers take to the waves year round, with the biggest swells during winter. The unofficial surf capital is Bundoran in south Donegal. Tullan Strand is a popular beginner spot – you can rent boards or take lessons from one of the town’s four surf schools – while the reef break at The Peak is for more advanced waveriders. The 3km beach at Rossnowlagh, 20km up the coast, is reliable for regular waves and home to one of the country’s first surf clubs. Further north in the county, there are more challenging surf spots at Dungloe, Dunfanaghy, Inishowen and Fanad Head. The Bridge Bar in Bundoran town is the ideal post-surfing recovery spot for bowls of creamy seafood chowder, pints of Guinness and a surf cam so you don’t miss any of the action on The Peak, or walk up the cliff road from Rossnowlagh beach to the Smuggler’s Inn for reviving post-surf refreshments.

Despite its size (10 square miles) and population (fewer than 170 permanent residents), Little Cayman enjoys a worldwide reputation among serious divers. The island is renowned for its exceptional underwater visibility and vertigo-inducing walls, especially north-shore Bloody Bay. Dive boats flock to Three Fathom Wall, where bulbous coral heads teeming with fish rise to within 10 feet of the surface. Snorkelers are likely to encounter schools of blue tang and stoplight parrot fish, as well as hawksbill turtles and nurse sharks.

Why we love it: A quirky stay full of historic details, local art, and top-notch cocktails

Highlights:
- A collection of local art that’s all for sale
- An on-site lounge with creative cocktails by Donald Murray
- Fun amenities like record players for checkout and a curated vinyl library

The Review:
No property captures Tucson’s funky, laid-back vibe better than this hotel on historic Stone Avenue, right on the edge of the Barrio Viejo in the artsy Armory Park neighborhood. Set around a central courtyard strung with Edison bulbs, the Downtown Clifton keeps it real with local art, vintage furnishings, and mid-century modern curios. The hotel was built in 1948 but found new life in 2014 after undergoing a $4.5 million upgrade. The 10 bunkhouse rooms now include original wood-beam ceilings, saddle blanket bedspreads, polished concrete floors, and 1940s tilework in the bathrooms, all paired with modern touches like 42-inch smart TVs. For a little something extra, book one of the señorita rooms, which up the ante with exposed brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, hand-painted bedframes and vanities, spacious seating areas, and, in numbers 29 and 30, spectacular views of the mountains.

The hotel’s expansion also added the Red Light Lounge, where mixologist Donald Murray, formerly of Tuscon favorite the Dusty Monk, holds sway. Expect unusual offerings like a margarita made from Bacanora (agave-derived liquor) and The Inglaterra, featuring tequila and Pimm’s. The bar also serves innovative Tucson cuisine like chorizo fry bread topped with queso asadero, spicy greens, pickled hibiscus onions, cilantro-lime aioli, and a sunny-side-up egg. Should you wish to cook your own grub, make use of the on-site grills and then dine in the outdoor seating areas.

Combining fine-dining flair with the relaxed ambience of a mountain resort town, Rata in Queenstown is one of the New Zealand eateries operated by well-known Kiwi chef Josh Emett. With a CV that includes cooking stints in the United States and London, Emett has crafted a menu that deftly marries a range of international influences to proudly local produce. Sharing plates include New Zealand octopus with saffron aioli or Marlborough salmon with horseradish and green apple, while local venison and merino lamb are standout main courses. The colors and feel of the forest inform the stylish decor—the eponymous rata is a tree native to New Zealand. Two- and three-course lunch menus are both a good value.