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One of Cancun’s newest restaurants, Julia Mia (My Julia) serves Mexican nouvelle cuisine, with traditional favorites at affordable prices. This downtown restaurant is definitely worth a trip from the Hotel Zone. Julia Mia reflects the belief of sisters Lupita and Irma Chavez that: “A woman is not afraid of anything or anyone. She enjoys life and her traditional Mexican drink, tequila, as well as the best selection of recipes from Mexico that integrate tastes and smells, always respecting and honoring each ingredient.” The menu features favorites with a twist, such as sea bass tacos, blue crab taquitos, roast corn soup, and salmon and garlic octopus fettuccine. For dessert, try the chocolate volcano or the chocolate truffles with mole and churros. On Fridays, Julia Mia features live Mariachi music, and in September, a special menu and events celebrate Mexican Independence.

Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku grew up here, and you can dine amid his memorabilia at this kitschy Waikiki classic. Pair one of the restaurant’s signature mai tais with a pupu (appetizer) like ahi poke or panko-fried calamari. Move on to dishes such as Korean-style steak tacos or a fish sandwich on Hawaiian sweet bread. Leave room for the Hula Pie: macadamia nut ice cream heaped atop a chocolate-cookie crust! Duke’s Waikiki remains one of the best venues in Oahu for traditional music, especially on Sundays. The eatery also is typically involved in springtime’s Waikiki Spam Jam—a celebration of the state’s favorite canned meat—and, in the summer, Duke’s OceanFest, which honors the sports dear to its namesake waterman.

Once a grand harem, this luxurious riad in the medina’s Andalusian Quarter is as enigmatic as its past. Interiors are peppered with worldly artifacts and contemporary furnishings, but all blend harmoniously with traditional handwoven rugs, bejmat tiles, and ornate lanterns. Seven lavishly chic suites are equally full of character: vintage Moroccan wedding shawls and antique Berber wardrobes offset modern amenities like high-end organic toiletries, walk-in rain showers and sunken stone tubs, and terraces wreathed in rose bushes and lush greenery. No less romantic is the hammam, complete with vaulted ceilings and graceful columns. There are also plenty of charming corners to settle into with a mint tea and homemade pastries, be it in the serene library courtyard, the umbrella-dotted rooftop lounge, or the hotel’s elegant crystal-chandeliered restaurant.

You’ll feel like royalty from the moment you touch down at the 19th-century Palais Sheherazade, a traditional Moroccan palace with zellige tiling, sculpted plaster, and stained glass. A massive courtyard patio lies at the hotel’s heart, with a pool bordered by 100-year-old palm trees, Andalusian-style greenery, and elegant black-and-white seating from the adjacent restaurant, where you can sip mint tea from etched-glass cups as the scent of jasmine wafts through the air. The 24 chandeliered suites are regal in size and decor, bedecked in sumptuous textiles, handpainted cedarwood ceilings, and gleaming copper sink basins. But the true star here is the Anne Sémonin spa, a palace unto itself with an array of decadent rooms, an Aquatonic pool, and a traditional hammam.

Formerly Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley.

Located just a short walk from the downtown area of the charming small town of St. Helena, Alila Napa Valley blends old and new in totally indulgent ways. The center of the 64-room property is a Victorian-style mansion that dates back to 1905. The house has been renovated and is now home to Violetto, an intimate, fine dining restaurant led by award-winning Executive Chef Thomas Lents. The nightly tasting menu, inspired by Northern Italy and Southern France, highlights local ingredients from Napa with items like homemade pastas, fresh salads, and duck confit. Guests can also join for a la carte snacks in the lounge and bar or on the beautiful, wrap-around veranda (don’t miss the chickpea panisse).

Behind the old mansion is the spa, whose building was designed to replicate an old barn with clapboard walls and high ceilings. The vibe is distinctive yet without pretense. Angled around these buildings are stand-alone, three-story structures that house the majority of the guest rooms. Featuring a warm, minimalist aesthetic that highlights, rather than distracts from, the beautiful vineyards it overlooks, each of the spacious guest rooms are decked out in natural materials such as oak, jute, and Carrara marble. Rooms come with cozy bathrobes, well-stocked mini-bars, and inviting balconies with fire pits that will make you want to lounge and linger.

All of this is centered around a large, open-air bar, event reception area, and swimming pool. Though compact, the pool is nestled in an exquisite setting with vineyard views. If you can manage to peel yourself away from the hotel, the property also has bicycles that guests can use to get around town or pedal around the newly built Napa Vine Trail. Or, simply walk a few hundred feet to the winery next door, Beringer, for a sampling of their world-renowned wines. Whatever you choose to do—be it lounge with a glass of wine at the new poolside bar, or retreat for a massage in the on-site spa—you can’t go wrong at this beautiful Napa wine country resort.

Superstar chef Ed Kenney tucked his fourth restaurant inside the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, a funky Waikiki outpost that pays homage to the area’s 1960s scene. The eatery sits beside the pool, where period films screen (sometimes against a background of live music or a DJ spinning albums). The vibe hits all the right notes, from the Hawaii Potters’ Guild bowls to the custom Tori Richard fabrics for the banquette cushions. Kenney—a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist—serves elevated home cooking that draws upon the best of local farms as well as sustainably caught seafood. Fan favorites include a tangle of bright veggies topped with perfectly charred he’e (octopus) and deep-fried avocado on tacos with smoked yogurt, shishito peppers, and pickled red onion.

The renowned Meadowood Resort mixes the grandeur of a chalet with the amenities of a five-star resort—located in a private canyon within minutes of downtown St. Helena. The shaded, secluded property revolves around 99 rooms, most of which have high and exposed ceilings, private patios or balconies, wainscoted walls, and beds so comfortable you may never want to get up. Other amenities make Meadowood distinctive, too: Many rooms have heated bathroom floors; some also have deep soaking tubs. Elsewhere on the 250-acre property, all guests have access to the on-site spa, which was renovated in 2017; an on-site fitness center; hiking trails; tennis courts; and a daily wine reception. There’s even a croquet lawn—feel free to grab a mallet and hit some balls or sign up to take lessons with the Napa Valley’s only croquet pro. Of course the on-site restaurant, The Restaurant at Meadowood, is another big draw. More casual meals can be ordered from The Grill. Guests are entitled to a complimentary house car for transport into St. Helena or Yountville.

This all-but-plain-Jane spot—in Clavería, a neighborhood “no one” knows—is in fact among the most delightful lunches in the city, the project of architect turned chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, who decided to take the neighborhood restaurant his parents had run for decades to the next culinary level, yet without ever losing touch with his roots. The queen-bee hostess and waitstaff make sure every diner feels special, with plenty of talk about what’s fresh this season—and what’s so good it’s about to run out. Items on offer cover everything from refined versions of street classics to exquisite, almost exotic, wild-game preparations whose recipes come from some of Mexico’s remotest corners. Live music and an excellent mezcal cart sweeten the already delicious deal.

Tucked in a lush canyon perfumed with the smell of eucalyptus, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is one of the San Diego area’s most sublime getaways. Even if you’re not staying there, you can experience the magic by dining at the property’s signature restaurant, Veladora. Its hacienda-inspired dining room, with wrought-iron chandeliers and a Damien Hirst original, is a fine setting for enjoying dishes like a Chino Farm corn soup with vanilla popcorn and Alaskan king crab or a Brandt beef tomahawk steak for two served with duck-fat potato fondant, marinated ramps, and heirloom carrots. A deep wine cellar means an impressive selection of wines by the glass, from a chablis 1er Cru to an Andrew Rich pinot noir from the Willamette Valley.

The spirit of Jacques Cousteau is very much alive at this Encinitas restaurant, which specializes in tacos filled with local fish, organic meat, and fresh vegetables. The Cousteau taco—featuring catch of the day (like California halibut) with cumin-lime crema, mango salsa, and cabbage slaw—should be in the running for San Diego’s best fish taco. Equally delicious are the Azul (grass-fed flank steak, caramelized onions, mushrooms, blue cheese, arugula, and cilantro) and the vegan Veronica Corningstone (red quinoa, sweet potatoes, garlic, Daiya vegan cheese, avocado, and cilantro). One look at the menu and it’s easy to tell the owner is a movie buff—many of the items are named after famous characters, from Ron Burgundy to Kelly Leak from The Bad News Bears.

Part of the Dorchester Collection, this Palace-designated hotel is deeply connected to its setting on the avenue Montaigne, the historic home of haute couture in the Triangle d’Or (Golden Triangle). Just across the street, Christian Dior opened his first shop in 1946 then showed his inaugural collection at the hotel. To this day, the subterranean Dior Spa (currently under renovation before a September relaunch) celebrates the link to the designer. The 154 guest rooms and 54 suites are likewise imbued with a chic couture vibe, whether you choose the classical style or newly renovated art deco rooms, punctuated with pops of red to echo the facade’s geranium-filled window boxes.

I forgave the service (slow as molasses) at Donald Link’s newest seafood spot, Peche, where highlights included crab-and-chilies capellini, fried bread, and fish sticks. Go with a crowd and order everything.

Before I went to Belize, anyone I spoke with who had already been told me that I had to have a meal at Elvi’s Kitchen. What started out as a take-out burger window in 1974 eventually became a sit-down restaurant serving lovingly prepared Caribbean dishes such as conch soup and fritters, mojo de ajo, fried green plantains, and street corn. During high season you might have to wait in line to eat dinner at the restaurant, but most of the time, there isn’t much delay. Save room for dessert. Elvi’s Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Although you can find most cuisines in Berlin now, Jamaican food is nowhere near as ubiquitous as it is in, say, London, and it’s mostly relegated to shacks or pop-up stalls at festivals. Enter RosaCaleta, a full-service restaurant run by two transplants from Jamaica via New York who have created a perfect balance of traditional Jamaican dishes playfully reinvented for a European palate. White walls and a wood floor set the stage for a menu that includes oven-roasted pork fillet, fiery jerk guava chicken served with fluffy dumplings, and vegetarian dishes such as vegetable stews and lentil salads mixed with mango and ginger. The restaurant also has a superlative rum collection, used for an inspired cocktail list that is as fruit-filled as it is potent.

By name alone this sounds like a wine bar, but it’s actually a welcoming izakaya, albeit one that has a good selection of wine, as well as sake, shochu, and of course Asahi beer. Vin Vie is on Nongzhanguan Bei Lu, hidden away through a gate and behind a Sichuan restaurant. Dinner here is a cheerful, languid affair as you order a few dishes and drinks, eat and imbibe, and then repeat. Like any izakaya worth its salt, the menu has enough variety to satisfy vegetarians and carnivores. A perfect square of soft, creamy tofu, beef tendon marinated in wine and miso, sardines served warm and in their can, and pickled shishamo (fish) are among the can’t-miss dishes. Reservations are recommended.