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Hillside Farmacy is a farm-to-table restaurant in Austin built around a pharmacy theme. While it may sound odd, the execution is brilliant, with incredible food and wonderfully eclectic design. The restaurant space was formerly the home of a 1920s pharmacy owned by Austin‘s first African-American pharmacist. The decor features authentic apothecary items (from a different 1920s drugstore)—a vintage collection of medicine bottles, antique cash registers, tin ceilings, and wooden cabinets. But it’s the “F” in the deliberately misspelled Farmacy that nods to the emphasis on simple, fresh food. The restaurant works with local food purveyors and regularly changes the menus around the highest-quality seasonal ingredients. Local cheese, homemade pate, artisinal breads and pastries, raw bar, charcuterie are all available here. Dishes include bangers and eggs, buttermilk bisquits and gravy, and bison tartare. Other perks include an old fashioned soda counter and a shaded outdoor patio. If I were a local here, this would definitely be one of my favorite go-to places.

Breakfasts are little godsends after a big night out, and Post at 70 Juta Street in Braamfontein is just the place to revitalise after a big night out and before working on your weekend party habits again. The Big Bomber is a drink combination of condensed milk and Espresso topped with cream and will definitely jumpstart your hungover ass back to reality, while the devine French toast with bacon topped with Fig preserve will fuel your tank for another round of weekend madness. The cozy corner spot has a well rounded menu which prides itself on using all locally produced, organic ingredients. Order something delicious and watch the world go by from the window counter seat or enjoy the cool breeze in the courtyard outside You’d be doing yourself a disfavour by not trying out something from this little spot! post is open all week from 8:30am, except Sunday when they are closed.

Usually, when you travel, it’s to experience a different side of yourself. The more adventurous side, the slightly less scheduled side, the sleep-in-without-guilt side. And when you stay at the Drake Hotel in Toronto, you can’t help but feel like your cooler side is making a much-needed appearance. The recently renovated property on Queen Street West features the kind of interior design that radiates style whether it’s in the kaleidoscopic lobby, the next door theater, or in two wings of suites. That’s because the hotel commissioned artists to showcase their work on plenty of open surfaces — from a black-and-white squiggle accent wall in guest rooms to personality-driven drawings in the elevator — and the results make for surroundings that are the material equivalent of black sunglasses. Paired with of-the-moment details like pink terrazzo showers and wraparound midcentury sofas, and the Drake Hotel is meant to cultivate a see-and-be-seen vibe.

But that’s not to say that the hotel sacrifices comfort for being camera-ready. The staff is kind and always available through text, the beds are soft and squarely stationed in front of a well-appointed bar and flatscreen television, and designer toiletries are filled to the brim. It’s also possible to eat throughout the day at the hotel’s delicious cafe and patio (get the French toast), and then spend the night at its second-floor bar or ground floor lounge. On weekends, even if you’re not a guest, you can stop by for regularly scheduled events including a DJ who spins old and new tunes. If you do plan on leaving the hotel to see the city, then you’re right in the midst of it, and the surrounding neighborhood can keep you readily entertained.

When you stay at the Drake Hotel, don’t be surprised if you feel relaxed, in-the-know, and decidedly cooler once you check out. These are sides of yourself the hotel may have encouraged, but feel free to hold on to them after you return home.

Crashing waves serve as the soundtrack to your stay at Elbow Beach, situated on 50 lush acres along Bermuda’s rose-hued southern coast. Decorated with exposed beams, tiled floors, and neutral color schemes, the spacious cottage-style rooms are the portrait of coastal elegance—think coral-emblazoned throw pillows, wicker benches at the foot of the beds, and ocean or garden views through French doors. Polished-pebble paths lead the way to the spa, which offers treatments inspired by local ingredients, from a ginger-and-coconut scrub to a hibiscus bath. Grab a rum swizzle in the lounge, relax by the curving perimeter of the pool, or snorkel, swim, and kayak at the hotel’s private beach. You might also prefer to hit the pavement: Elbow Beach is mere minutes from the capital of Hamilton, Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, and four 18-hole championship golf courses.

Bypass the roadside watering holes and take a boat ride to Floyd’s Pelican Bar, instead. This thatched hut stands on stilts out in the water, making it a dreamy spot for an afternoon of swimming and shooting the breeze, solo or with friends. It’s 30 minutes from Treasure Beach (arrange a boat ride through your guesthouse or resort), and you can arrive for lunch and stay until after sundown for the just-caught fish, rum, and chilled Red Stripe on the menu. Inside the tiny shack, the flags of various countries hang and previous customers have left messages scrawled on planks and benches. Sit outside and watch the pelicans flying in formation across the horizon.

I found a new food obsession when I visited Taiwan, Peking duck. This traditional Chinese dish isn’t just served in Taipei–it’s been elevated to a form of culinary art. While you can find several great purveyors of this delicacy in Taipei, my favorite is the Celestial Restaurant in Zhongshan District. The adventure starts by ordering how you want to duck presented. Your options are duck served in one, two or three ways. Option one is the classic serving of the tasty duck, option two involves mixing the meat with scallions and soy sauce and serving it over rice and the third way is making a soup from the stock. Keep in mind, it’s not one or the other, if you order it three ways, you get all three ways. The classic is of course the best and more than enough food for several people. The duck is first presented to the table in all of its roasted goodness before the skin is served to the salivating diners. The proper procedure is to wrap pieces of the skin along with scallions and hoisin sauce in a small crepe. This simple layering of flavors quickly became one of my favorite meals I’ve ever had. After a few quality moments with the skin, the duck meat is then served, diners consuming it again with the scallions and crepes. I feel cheated that this was the first time I ever had an expertly prepared Peking Duck but it is without exaggeration when I say I would fly back to Taipei just for the chance to enjoy this remarkable meal a second time.

Marché d’Aligre is a very special place: Commerces de bouche (mouth businesses!) line up to sell their goods, an orchestra of voices calls out daily specials, and cheesemongers offer free samples. The market’s selection changes with the seasons. In summer, apricots from the Roussillon, figs from Toulouse, and bouquets of herbs from Provence spill from cases and perfume the air. As fall arrives, the butcher will display fresh game from the hunt, and there’s usually at least one stand where someone is shucking fresh oysters. After your visit here, your appetite will surely be piqued; happily the neighborhood is rich in restaurants that base their menus on what’s fresh at the market.

Founded in 1868 by French painters Eugène Boudin and Louis-Alexandre Dubourg, this small museum, housed in a 19th-century chapel, pays homage to the Normandy artists who spent time in Honfleur, like Monet, Courbet, Friesz, and Boudin himself. Here, you’ll find an impressive collection of pre-Impressionist works, as well as several Boudin paintings and drawings that he bequeathed to his hometown. Also on display are more than 1,000 objects, headdresses, and pieces of furniture, providing a fascinating picture of Norman culture.

Housed in the former archbishop’s palace, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tours features one of France’s most extensive art collections, with works by everyone from Rubens, Rembrandt, and Rodin to Monet and Degas. Outside, the courtyard is dominated by a splendid cedar of Lebanon, planted in 1804, and Fritz, a stuffed elephant who was killed in 1902 after a bout of madness during a Barnum & Bailey circus parade in the streets of Tour. After you’ve seen the museum, from its Italian, French, and Flemish galleries to its modern art collection, head across the park and refuel with a coffee and pastry at Aux Délices des Beaux Arts.

One of Shanghai’s most fascinating museums is hidden in the basement of a French Concession high-rise. Yang Pei Ming started collecting Maoist-era (1949–1979) propaganda posters in 1995—first as a hobby, and then to preserve these important historical and cultural relics. (The Chinese government destroyed many old posters for political reasons.) Thanks to Ming’s diligence, the museum has nearly 6,000 originals you won’t see anywhere else, from woodblock prints by Chinese autoworkers to intricate Shanghai Lady cigarette ads and neon-red armbands. The gift shop sells large and small reprints as well as postcards and kitschy souvenirs.

Telluride is blessed with several great coffee shops, but Steaming Bean is special for its world-class loose-leaf teas. Sure, you could come in for the home blend, the local organic roast, the daily drip, or the French press. You could enjoy the peanut butter bagels or the blueberry Belgian waffles. Or you could even drop by late in the day for some homemade limoncello, a vodka affogato, or a Rock and Rye. But what locals return for again and again are the Steeping Leaf earl grey and the magnolia oolong, both of which embody the phrase “good cuppa.”

Located across from Chapultepec Park in the upscale Polanco neighborhood, this 42-story hotel is one of the toniest addresses in Mexico City, boasting not one but three presidential suites that routinely host celebrities and heads of state alike—including President Barack Obama. All 700 guestrooms were refurbished in 2015 so even standard rooms boast sleek, modern appointments, while suites offer varying levels of space and luxurious amenities. Whichever you choose, be sure to ask for a room on the highest possible floor to better enjoy the jaw-dropping views over the park, skyline, and mountains beyond.

The hotel’s main restaurant, Au Pied du Cochon, is open 24 hours a day, just like the Parisian bistro from which it takes its name. Other on-site dining options include the Palm Steakhouse, a hip Mexican restaurant, and an Italian eatery with an outdoor terrace. Guests are also within walking distance of some of Polanco’s trendiest restaurants. When it comes time to unwind, there’s an intimate, Nordic-inspired spa on the hotel’s 10th floor.

The Sugar Palm restaurant is the first Cambodian restaurant that many visitors to Siem Reap try, and it often becomes a favorite. The food is some of the most delicious, traditional, home-style Cambodian food in the country. It also happens to be served in a very traditional, Khmer teak-wood house, with high ceilings and wide verandahs—oozing atmosphere.


Everything on offer is scrumptious, from the amok trei or fish amok, to the hearty Cambodian chicken curry. If you’re not a fan of pungent and sour flavors but want to try one of Cambodia’s quintessential ingredients, prahok (fermented fish), then this is the restaurant to do it. The prahok k’tis (a minced pork dip made with prahok) is a fairly tame albeit still very tasty iteration of the dish. The owner-chef, Cambodian-New Zealander Kethana Dunnett, is often around if you have questions about the cuisine. Kethana is the go-to person for celebrity chefs -- from Gordon Ramsay to Luke Nguyen -- when they are in the country filming food programs, and she certainly knows her stuff.

Inspired by his time in New Orleans, Chef Steve McHugh brought to San Antonio a vision of a modern, welcoming spot with a killer charcuterie program, and that vision became his buzzy restaurant, Cured. Opened in late 2013 and having survived an on-premise fire, the restaurant has drawn discerning carnivores in for plates like monster 2-pound pork shanks, pork cheek poutine and cabrito sliders, all served in a elegantly utilitarian yet warm space. Not to be missed is the fine in-house charcuterie program -- or the see-through curing room front and center as you walk into the dining room. The wonderfully curated beverage menu features craft beers and wonderfully inventive cocktails. Cured is a must-visit culinary experience on any jaunt to the Alamo City.

Delhi Darbar is an excellent Indian restaurant in Xi’an. I usually order palak paneer and malai kofta when trying a new Indian restaurant, because unlike curries, it’s really hard to make these without fresh ingredients. (In China, you either need to make your own paneer or serve something with shelf-stable cheese in it.) The dishes were perhaps a bit bland and safe, but they unambiguously passed the quality test. We also had some veggie raita and garlic naan, both of which were highly delicious. We knew this place was legit when we asked for some pickles and they brought us a half-full jar of imported spicy Indian pickles.