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One of Budapest’s best known and most ornately decorated coffeehouses—as well as one of Europe’s oldest—Café Gerbeaud has been satisfying the city’s sweets cravings since it opened in 1858. The decor in the cafe’s various rooms is pure decadence, with chandeliers, stucco, original exotic-wood panelling, and antique furniture; the traditional cake selection comes with slices of the café’s three most iconic cakes, including the both the Esterházy cake (buttercream and cognac) and the Gerbeaud, a cake layered with ground walnuts and apricot jam invented by Emil Gerbeaud, a Swiss national who took over the patisserie in the 1880.

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’s a little slice of New Brunswick, Canada, off the coast of Maine, and it’s well worth a visit. Grand Manan Island is accessed by ferry from Black’s Harbour NB. The island is only 34km long and 18km wide, so it doesn’t take long to explore by car. Another popular option is to walk onto the ferry and rent bikes on the island. The main sights on Grand Manan are the beaches, rocky cliffs, and lighthouses. It’s a haven for artists, bird-watchers, and hikers. It’s also a great spot to enjoy fresh seafood. The journey to the island is one of the best parts as you often see whales, seals and other sea life from the ferry decks.

A boon to taco-starved expats when it opened five years ago, this taqueria-meets-cocktail lounge has been consistently good since day one. Tuck into tacos, tostadas and deliciously chunky guacamole in the narrow taqueria, then head past the unmarked door at the back of the kitchen for prohibition-style cocktails and great music. Tight quarters—one large communal wood table and a handful of bar seats—demand early arrival. Upside: stop by anytime during the day for a quick bite if claustrophobic dining doesn’t suit you. Why opt for Mexican fare on a trip to Paris, you may be wondering? It’s one of the best spots to mingle with locals and offers a true glimpse into the modern Parisian hangout.

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.”

The Grill is the only restaurant in Arizona to receive the “Award of Ultimate Distinction” from Wine Enthusiast. History, quiet service, and the most romantic dining in Tucson are all here. For the best dinner-with-a-view, ask for a table in the West Patio where you’ll have a panoramic view from the city lights to the peaks of the Santa Catalina mountains. The ranch on which The Grill is located, Hacienda del Sol, began in the 1920’s as an exclusive private girls’ school in the still-wilderness foothills above Tucson. In the 1940’s, the 34-acre estate became a guest ranch popular with the Hollywood stars of the time—Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, and Clark Gable.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon was my first introduction to any slot canyon and was such an amazing experience. This particular one is off the beaten path so there was hardly anyone on it except for a few hikers here and there. You can walk for hours all along the river taking amazing photos of the slotted canyon walls created by wind and water, the rock formations and textures are truly fascinating. You will capture heady whiffs of the Cliff Rose since the scent is trapped in the rocks - I can still conjure the sweetness! The best time to go is early in the morning or late afternoon when the light on the canyon walls is a beautiful golden shade perfect for photos!

When the southern Arizona desert gets just the right mix of rains at the right time in fall and winter, the following spring can produce a riot of wildflowers. People around Tucson said that the spring of 2010 was one of the best displays in decades--poppies and lupine for miles...perhaps the most vibrant ‘show’ in a generation.

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.

Hungry travelers have a few options, including the hotel’s signature modern French brasserie and café, Venteux, but the real action is upstairs at the French-inspired rooftop, Château Carbide. Set in what would be the cork of this (literally) gilded bottle-shaped tower, the secret plein-air space had never been open to the public until 2021; in June 2023, it was reimagined as an absinthe bar, where the plant-based liquor takes center stage on the cocktail menu, with spectacular city views as the background.

Housed in a refurbished building on a four-acre private peninsula, this all-inclusive luxury resort is far more expensive than most hotels on Lake Titicaca, but it’s well worth the splurge. Not only are all of your meals, cocktails, and most excursions included, but the lodge invests deeply in the local community—it hires more than three-quarters of its staff from the surrounding area, sources as many ingredients as possible from regional farmers, and turns to nearby artisans for its textiles and other crafts. Additionally, the on-site restaurant is one of the best in the area. If you’d prefer a more private dining experience, take your meal on one of the hotel’s wraparound terraces, or order 24-hour room service.

All 18 rooms face the lake and feature heated floors (it can get chilly at night at 12,500 feet of elevation), a banquette overlooking the water, a free mini-bar, and deep bathtubs. King rooms are the most economical, but the two corner rooms—with their spacious layouts and panoramic views of the lake—are the most requested. For the best sunrise or sunset vistas, choose either the “Dawn” or “Dusk” rooms.

• Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
• Why we love it: Recently renovated—and thoroughly stylish—public spaces that attract the best and brightest
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $215
• Book now

Fortunes and friendships change quickly in D.C., but the Dupont Circle Hotel has yet to go out of style. Set right on the roundabout itself, the eponymous hotel assumes a place of pride. Within, the site’s Martin Brudnizki–designed restaurant, The Pembroke—with its coral velvet banquettes, marble tables, and expansive outdoor terrace—has birthed a scene. Thanks to its location around the corner from Embassy Row, everyone from tony locals to visiting diplomats gather here to enjoy its mid-Atlantic-inspired menu, while the walnut-and-brass-clad Doyle is a whiskey bar fit for Ireland (home base of the Doyle Collection).

The 327 sleek guest rooms take similar advantage of their surroundings, most with large windows overlooking the circle. Upstairs, Irish designer Clodagh refreshed the penthouse suites, where spaces for relaxing include deep soaking tubs and private terraces with sun loungers. Clodagh also redesigned the lobby, which has the look and feel of a high-end apartment, thanks to details like a cozy fireplace and a look-through bookcase with brass accents. Best of all, though, is the feeling of walking out the front door in the morning and knowing that the capital is at your doorstep.

Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Washington, D.C.

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.

The line for burgers and fries at Gott’s Roadside (formerly Taylor’s Refresher and don’t you forget it) in St. Helena can be ridiculous in the afternoon, but if you go in the morning, you’ll have your choice of picnic tables—either in front where you can watch the morning traffic funnel into town or on the grassy lawn out back. From the simple egg and cheese to a fried chicken mess nicknamed the Paula Deen, Gott’s may have the best egg sandwich in the Valley (although, granted, there isn’t a lot of competition). Plus, a Trumer Pilsner makes a great breakfast beer.