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Nestled in charming Bloomingdale, the rustic Red Hen is a golden egg of D.C.’s dining scene. Chef/owner Michael Friedman (also of All Purpose Pizza) has created an inviting home for culinary pleasures like the cool taste of soft, bulbous burrata and classics like an elevated rigatoni pasta with fennel sausage ragu. Inspired by Italian and Jewish traditions, the vibe is familial, and thoughtful attention is paid to each dish, drink, and decor detail. The best seats are at the bar next to the open kitchen, where you can watch the grilling, flipping, frying, chopping, baking, and plating. Don’t leave without dessert—the maple custard with a caramelized hazelnut crumble will transport you.

This craft beer joint set on the high street Laugavegur might be small in terms of size, but it’s big in personality. Having grown from the local Kaldi brewery—famous for creating a tasty line of less chemically laden Czech-style beers, including a very popular unfiltered brew—in 2011, it serves a range of great international artisan beers as well as its own brews. On top of the friendly service, there’s light pub food on offer, comfy couches to relax on, and even a piano to play should you feel the urge (or drink enough). Generally popular with a young, arty crowd.

La Cocina is a Southwestern gem, taking advantage of warm evenings and local culture to produce a truly Tucson experience. Sip at one of their cocktails—made with house-infused liquor—and enjoy a live concert. While you’re here, grab a bite to eat from a menu that includes a number of international favorites.

Take a leisurely day trip (or a couple of days) to drive around Inishowen, the largest of Donegal’s peninsulas and enjoy the rugged scenery, with remote beaches, stone forts, castle ruins and a military museum at Dunree Head to explore. The total drive is 157km (98 miles) and you’ll find plenty of villages, cafes and pubs to stop at for food and refreshments along the way.

You’ll have the most dramatic views on your way to Malin Head at the tip—be sure to stop at the Gap of Mamore, 820 feet above sea level, for panoramic vistas of Lough Swilly and the Fanad Peninsula. Along the way you’ll also see lots of long, golden beaches and coves, sheep-filled fields, traditional cottages, and villages to stop by for lunch or refreshments. Inishowen is also home to some of Ireland’s most fascinating Christian and Gaelic sites, such as Grianan of Aileach (Grianán Ailigh in Irish), a ring fort dating back to the 6th century C.E.

An exploration of Tlaxcala can begin and end in the Plaza de la Constitución, the zocalo in the old town center. Within walking distance are the Plaza Xicohtencatl, often full of crafts and food stalls, the Ex-Convento Franciscano de la Asuncion (built in the 1530s and one of Mexico‘s earliest monasteries and cathedrals, boasting a visually spectacular interior within its stone walls), several intriguing museums, and the municipal market. Around the zocalo itself you’ll find a colonial-style arcade of restaurants, cafes, and shops, the government building with an interior courtyard painted with historic murals, the Hotel Posada San Francisco an appealingly intimate bar, and plenty of places to park yourself and kick back in the shade. Ninety-five percent of the tourists you’ll encounter will be Mexican.

Zum Dürnbraü, one of Munich‘s oldest restaurants, has been serving traditional Bavarian food since 1487. It has retained its popularity over the centuries by consistently delivering homeland classics while adding modern flavors. The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet side street in the heart of Munich, just 10 minutes from Marienplatz. Its main dining room looks like a typical Bavarian beer hall, but for those who seek a quiet daytime lunch spot, there is the very pretty and airy front garden. Bavarian specialities include wiener schnitzel, spaetzle with fried onions, duck with red cabbage, and roast pork marinated in dark beer. Zum Dürnbraü is also known for its pig knuckle, oxtail and ox tongue. Seeking lighter fare, I enjoyed a savory “Housewife Style” herring salad, with apples and potatoes in a sour cream sauce. It gets crowded during prime dining hours, so make a reservation or come for lunch.

On the banks of the Macal River, at the edge of downtown San Ignacio, you’ll find a sprawling Saturday market where everything from shoes and clothing to housewares and fresh produce is for sale. Local people shop for supplies and gather to catch up on gossip at the food stalls. The market is somewhat divided between produce sellers and souvenir vendors, but as the market has grown, the separation seems to have floundered a bit. Leave enough time to wander every aisle and stall to ensure no gem is left undiscovered. Locals recommend the tacos and pupusas as the best choices for lunch, and the snow cones topped with evaporated milk for a snack. Buses also park just next to the market in a dirt lot, so transportation is not difficult if you’re coming from outside of town.

Cramped it may be, but rustic Da Mario, located at the back of the mercato centrale, serves up a menu of consistently reliable Florentine classics to a mix of stall workers, business folk and tourists, and it’s always packed. The choice changes daily, but look out for earthy zuppa di fagioli e cavolo nero and peppato, a kind of beef stew laced with black pepper.

Coco Chanel famously made the Ritz Paris her home for 34 years, but the grandest hotels need a little brightening once in a while. The Ritz, which originally opened on Place Vendôme in 1898, reopened in 2016 after a four-year, $450 million renovation. Starchitect Thierry Despont wisely retained iconic features like the red entry carpet and the hotel’s signature amber scent, but he incorporated brighter fabrics to the public rooms, subtle touches like a heightened lobby ceiling and the addition of peaceful landscaped gardens, and bold statements such as a retractable glass roof on the patio. Overall, too, the number of guest rooms was reduced to 142, and the number of staff was raised to 630. Guest rooms are light and airy, with cream walls, Empire furniture, swags of floral silk fabrics, and marble fireplaces with gilt details. Some rooms have balconies, perfect for morning coffee. Down in the Ritz Club, the pool, serenely set in a columned art deco room, is long enough for laps. The Chanel au Ritz Paris is the brand’s first freestanding spa, with treatment rooms featuring (of course) Chanel skin care and beauty products.

The imposing De L’Europe—one of Amsterdam’s original luxury hotels, a holdover from the late 19th century’s age of Grand Tours and neoclassical architecture—has been thoughtfully restored in keeping with its opulent history and The Netherlands’ artistic tradition. The hotel, a red-and-white brick landmark crowning the intersection of the Amstel River and several canals, bridges old and new visions of luxury. Its extensive art collection, consisting of both originals and copies of Dutch Masters, is curated in conjunction with the Rijksmuseum; many pieces were in the collection of Dutch brewing magnate Alfred “Freddy” Heineken, whose family owns the hotel. The museum-caliber artwork can be found not only throughout the see-and-be-seen common areas but also in many of the rooms, especially those in the gallery-like addition, known as the Dutch Masters Wing.

The 48 rooms and 63 suites have decadent touches, including Carrara marble bathrooms with heated floors, personal iPads, and Coco-Mat beds. But De L’Europe’s crowning attraction may actually be outside: A wraparound terrace offers waterfront dining overlooking the historic city, and many of the best rooms have private balconies with views of the rooftops. When hunger strikes, guests can head to the Michelin-starred Restaurant Bord’Eau or Bib Gourmand winner Marie, then grab a nightcap in the luxurious lobby lounge. For rest and relaxation, the hotel also features a spa with bespoke treatments, an infrared sauna, and a Turkish steam bath.

This Neoclassical building from the mid-19th century stands at one end of a large urban park. The interior of the Capitol is worth a visit—its rotunda and historic rooms reflect the history of lawmaking and governing in this state. The small exhibits from every California county highlight the natural beauty and local specialties from all parts of the state. They line the downstairs addition, which is enhanced with Art Deco details and includes the governor’s office. Outside the Capitol is Capitol Park, one of my favorite outdoor spaces in Sacramento. The paths wind past trees from all over the world (a map is available), memorials, a succulent garden, and a rose garden at the other end of the park.

Part of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ group, Gleneagles is a destination in and of itself for visitors to Scotland. From their website, “Set within the gentle beauty of 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, this five star [resort] is home to three championship golf courses, a sparkling, award-winning spa and an exhilarating array of outdoor activities.” Fancy learning Falconry? You can. Anxious to become an accomplished equestrian? You can do that too. Want to golf in the footsteps of greats like Jack Nicklaus or Adam Scott? Of course, you can do that as well. Fancy a full day being pampered in a spa? ESPA can sort you out. Don’t know how to make traditional Scottish ‘tablet’ or Christmas Pudding? One of the accomplished chefs can teach you with a cooking demonstration in the grand kitchen. Even those who love to shop, and can’t fathom a trip without a few luxury brands, will find the arcade inside Gleneagles well-stocked to please. Built in the decade where Art Deco was all the rage, today’s Gleneagles still exhibits much of its original architectural detail as well as furniture and lighting. Yet modernity and old world details mix reasonably across guest suites as well as common areas to give the hotel a balanced, elegant feel that’s both welcoming and jaw-dropping at the same time. Be sure to leave time for a meal at the Andrew Fairlie-helmed restaurant on site which is one of only eleven restaurants in the UK to have two Michelin stars.

One of the biggest stars of the five museums on Museum Island, the Pergamon was the last to open, in 1930. Built to resemble a Babylonian temple, it houses a trove of ancient treasures from the Middle East, with highlights that include the enormous Pergamon Altar, dating from around 170 B.C.E. and featuring a dramatic frieze showing a battle between gods and giants; the two-story Market Gate of Miletus, built by the Romans in 120 C.E.; and the equally impressive Ishtar Gate, from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century B.C.E. Another poignant highlight, given the large influx of Syrian refugees into the city since 2015, is the 17th-century Aleppo Room, a reception chamber from a merchant’s house with exquisitely carved wall decorations.

If you’re a major foodie, or if you just want a romantic dinner night, Veya is one of the best picks on Anguilla. Set above Sandy Ground, this home-turned-restaurant serves up Caribbean fusion food in a Moroccan-style lounge, and outdoors on a veranda. The breeze, the candlelit atmosphere, the live music—not to mention the menu (which the restaurant describes as “cuisine of the sun”)—more than make up for not being directly next to the sea. Expect unusual dishes like Moroccan-spiced shrimp “cigars,” grilled jerk-spiced tuna with a rum-coffee glaze, and risotto with basil goat cheese, or try the five-course chef’s tasting menu. Veya is also known for whipping up the best desserts on Anguilla, and the list of options is long.

Once upon a time, Europe (mostly Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the UK) dominated the chocolate market and through aggressive marketing and downright colonialist extraction methods, became erroneously known for being the world’s experts on cacao, yet cacao came from South and Central America and didn’t grow anywhere near Europe. Recent years have seen the best chocolate rightfully return to the source where it originated—Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, where a boom of quality chocolate has replaced reimported European milk chocolate sold to those cacao producing countries for generations. But Switzerland is back in the game with this excellent new chocolate shop by local food expert Dieter Meier and his patented cold pressed extraction method that brings out the botanicals and nuances of these sourced cacaos in ways other chocolate manufactures cannot. The results are Cuban, Bolivian, and Guatemalan single bean bars ranging from white to 80% dark that are unlike anything else on the market. The tiny shop overlooking the Limmat River opened in December 2017 and is not cheap, but worth every rappen for its exquisite expression of flavors.