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At Brussels Bistro, best friends Thomas and Nicolas bring a taste of Belgium to Laguna with everything from Belgian beers on tap to large pots of mussels and fries double-cooked in beef fat. Also on the menu is a hearty beef stew served in a traditional Le Creuset pot, and a divine roasted salmon with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and Belgian stoemp (a type of mashed potato). Stop by on a Tuesday night and you can get all-you-can-eat mussels and fries for just $29, meaning you’ll have money left over to sample Belgian brews like Bavik, Houblon Chouffe, and Hoegaarden.

A Buffalo mainstay, Chef’s has been serving heaping plates of spaghetti since 1923. Situated on the outskirts of Downtown, the Italian spot offers homestyle fare that works for everything from family gatherings to romantic date nights. Favorites include the stuffed shells, veal scaloppini with spaghetti, and chicken broccoli Alfredo with fettuccine, but the dish that made Chef’s famous is the spaghetti Parmesan—a mess of noodles smothered in cheese and broiled to perfection. Due to its popularity with locals and expat Buffalonians, the restaurant can get pretty packed, so it’s best to make a reservation in advance (especially on the weekends).

It’s the chef who has carte blanche at this aptly named eatery, which feels more like an intimate dinner party than a restaurant. There’s just one seating each evening (except Sunday and Monday) for 14 guests, who each take a spot along the curved bar facing the open kitchen. Chef Dennis then prepares and plates a five-course tasting menu before diners’ eyes, with dishes changing nearly every night. Expect anything from ceviche as an appetizer to seared beef tenderloin for a main course, plus creative desserts. Note that Carte Blanche cannot accommodate vegans or vegetarians.

La Topa Tolondra is so focused on dancing that the cocktail menu feels like an afterthought (so much so that it mostly features beer). The lack of variety in the beverage category is amply compensated by the mad range of music you’ll hear. The bar is perfect for those ready to show off their tightest moves—and great for those still learning; there’s no time for judgment when everyone’s busy shaking their tailfeathers. You’ll find some turistas, but mostly fun-loving locals. Check their social media updates to catch live-music nights.

Dinner at The Kitchen Table is best described as a “culinary journey.” Here, the experience of lingering over seven to eight courses is limited to just 16 diners a night. Meals begin with a sunset cocktail, during which guests are encouraged to mix and mingle. Then, it’s time for artfully presented dishes made with local ingredients and homegrown produce. The dynamic menu changes often but usually includes standbys like salt-cured tuna with native greens and Creole sauce, and black salmon topped with mango chutney, saffron sauce, pickled squash, and curried popcorn. Vegetarian menus are also available.

Rooftop cocktail bars are a new craze in Athens, but this place was 20 years ahead of the curve. A prime Athens spot on a hot summer (or spring, or fall) night, Bios is a hybrid of watering hole and cultural center—the rooftop bar is legendary for perfect Acropolis views, but there’s a lot more going on inside: two music halls, a theater, rehearsal rooms, exhibition areas, and additional hangout zones. Events are well-visited by the Athenian cool crowd, but the atmosphere is relaxed, not contrived. Come for culture, company, and sweeping views over the city’s rooftops, under the stars of the warm Greek sky.

Hotel Atarazana is a simple, airy, and clean hotel a stone’s throw from Plaza España at the north-east of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial. There is a cute walled courtyard where you take breakfast, and an open rooftop (with some shade) for sunbathing, reading, and rum; drinking water is included; and the staff are friendly and some speak English. All the Zona Colonial’s sights are within easy walking distance; the pedestrianized El Conde is a ten minute saunter south. (Note: The hotel is so close to the bars / clubs off Plaza España that it can get noisy at night.)

24/7 is fine dining in the exclusive LaLiT Hotel near Connaught Place. It is also the only space in the city where you can order drinks at any time of day or night - hence the name 24/7. A buffet is offered during breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a-la-carte options served the remainder of the day. Cocktails served anytime, including during Sunday brunch.

The Butcher Shop in Wynwood is a concept that blends retail, restaurant, and biergarten into a top-notch venue selling and serving quality meats, sausages, and burgers. They have the best craft beer selection in Miami, with 15 permanent taps, a rotating draft lift, and varying styles from IPA to saison to hefeweizen. Bar snacks range from German pretzels to Mongolian duck wings. This is a chance to enjoy a night out trying something new in a relaxed spot.

Presiding over Stanley Park, Canada’s largest aquarium houses more than 50,000 creatures, from penguins to sea otters to three-toed sloths. Don’t miss the star turns from the rescued Steller sea lions Izzy and Rogue, who swoop gracefully under the water and bask on sun-warmed rocks. Afterward, be sure to visit the theater, which goes beyond 3-D with mist, scents, wind, and even lightning. Adding substance to style, the aquarium is also the headquarters of Ocean Wise, a global conservation initiative dedicated to increasing the understanding, wonder, and appreciation of our seas.

The friendly neighborhood of Rue des Martyrs is a favorite destination for buying edible souvenirs of Paris. To get started, head to No. 9, where the beautiful Chambre aux Confitures stocks endless jars of jam for your morning tartine as well as chutneys and caramel spreads and honey. Première Pression Provence bottles the sunny taste of Provence into excellent olive oils for the larder. The pastry shop Sébastien Gaudard has sweet treats for consumption now or later. Down the street at No. 30 is a honey shop, Famille Mary, which sells ultralocal honey produced by three apiaries around Paris. Order vacuum-sealed cheeses to be sent home from the extraordinary displays at Fromagerie Beillevaire. A walk along this street offers many culinary temptations—go discover some on your own.

On most days in Prague, it feels like every tourist in town has gathered on the Charles Bridge. And for good reason — this 14th-century cobblestone span crosses the Vltava River, connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and providing picturesque views of both sides of the river, medieval churches, towers, and Prague Castle on the hill. King Charles IV commissioned the bridge in 1357. The bridge has 16 arches and protected by towers on either end: the Old Town Bridge Tower in Old Town and the Judith Tower and Lesser Town Bridge Tower on the Mala Strana side. The bridge is lined with 30 large statues of religious figures and luminaries, dating from the Baroque era to the present day The best time to go is at dawn, sunset or after dark after the crowds have thinned and romance is in the air.

Completed in 1916, this Italian-inspired villa on Biscayne Bay was the home of the early 20th-century industrialist James Deering and is now a National Historic Landmark. The house was modeled after historic villas and country estates in the Veneto region of northern Italy. The heart and main living area of the house is the Courtyard, which was originally open to the sky. Diego Suarez, who had worked in Florence, designed the gorgous formal gardens with classic Italianate flair, but modified for the heat and humidity of southern Florida. Thousands of varieties of orchids flourish in the greenhouse, while subtropical trees, palms, and low hedges highlight the lines of the gardens’ layout.

We arranged a private tour of the Mekong River Delta through the Park Hyatt Saigon. We were driven from the hotel to Cai Be in a Cadillac with snacks and drinks, then escorted to our private river boat (also loaded with fresh fruit, coffee and tea, and other snacks). Our english-speaking tour guide brought us onto a small rowed boat through the smaller channels of the delta, explaining local life and the various trades of the people who live there. We saw a floating market and had lunch at Mr. Kiet’s historic house. Highly recommend spending the morning and afternoon on this tour.

Why we love it: A food-focused retreat in the scenic Willowemoc Valley

The Highlights:

• 600 acres of private land for hiking, fishing, and more
• A nine-course dinner included with each stay
• Cozy common spaces for soaking up the peace and quiet

The Review:
Set on a ledge overlooking the Willowemoc Valley and its namesake river, The DeBruce brings a touch of sophistication to an otherwise quiet corner of the Catskills. Here, in a restored inn from the 1880s, guests find 14 modest rooms spread over three floors. Designed to create a sense of calm, all feature down duvets, Sferra linens, and tile-and-marble bathrooms stocked with Malin & Goetz toiletries, while some also include clawfoot tubs and expansive views of the surrounding scenery. Guests spend little time in their rooms, however, as The DeBruce is home to several cozy common spaces, including the Great Room (filled with antique couches and wingback chairs), the Conservatory (with an original fieldstone fireplace and comfy reading chair), and a serene pool (surrounded by lounge chairs, a firepit, and manicured gardens). The property also sits on nearly 600 acres of private land, which spans two mountains, a river, and several ponds. Simply walk over the private bridge for access to trails for hiking, birding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, as well as a half-mile of river for fly fishing.

At the center of all of this is the restaurant—a glass-walled dining room overlooking the valley, where guests enjoy the a la carte breakfasts and multiple-course dinners included in their stay (one night is always a nine-course tasting menu). Chef Aksel Theilkuhl, formerly of BLT Steak Group in New York City, draws from a bounty of local, seasonal products for every meal, impressing with dishes like smoked trout and mushroom three ways. Should guests prefer something more casual, there’s also the Club Room in the basement, where Theilkuhl serves bar classics and small plates in an intimate setting. For more insight into The DeBruce’s culinary program, sign up for sessions with Theilkuhl and help with kitchen prep, sample new dishes, or forage the hotel grounds for ramps and more. Other activities like Pilates and yoga classes, exploratory nature walks, and fly-fishing lessons are also on offer, giving guests plenty of ways to while away their days in the Catskills.

Overall:
Housed in a restored 19th-century inn, the 14-room DeBruce is a warren of cozy common spaces that invite travelers to linger in wingback chairs next to stone fireplaces or chat on porch swings hung from the verandah. Guests may take a dip in the outdoor pool or join a fly-fishing or foraging excursion, but the main event is dinner. Chef Aksel Theilkuhl, formerly of BLT Steak Group in New York City, serves a nightly tasting menu in a 32-seat dining room facing the lodge’s ponds and rolling hills.