Search results for

The Electric Pickle is a boutique entertainment and music venue located in downtown Miami‘s Design District/Wynwood area. This area is the most popular location for those wanting to escape the velvet rope of South Beach. The beats pump inside the diverse bar filled with crowds from every Miami background. The Pickle was named #8 Bar that Rocks by Rolling Stone. If you like to dance, this is the place. Celebrity DJ’s take the stage from time to time and there are always specials on drinks. Step away from your regular rum and coke to try one of The Pickle’s specialty drinks, they are full of flavor and fresh ingredients.

La Piazza is regarded as one of the finest Italian eateries in New Delhi. And rightly so. It’s been highly ranked by various local magazines year after year. Every bite of every dish oozes with freshness and is cooked to perfection. It’s one of the few restaurants where I found that they offered healthy substitutes such as whole wheat pasta. The ambiance is dimly-lit and romantic, mimicking somewhat of a sidewalk Italian cafe with cascading white pillars, stone tiles, and wooden louvres. Top off your experience with scrumptious desserts and crisp Italian wine…and VOILA, you’re in Italian heaven! As expected, the dress code is upscale and classy. They will refuse service, so dress up! To try: the wood-fired pizzas!

There are certain touristy things that one must do while traveling. And some places are so great that even locals flock to them despite the fact that they’re heavily trodden. The Opera Bar at the Sydney Opera House is one of those places. There really isn’t a good reason not to hit happy hour at the Opera Bar. The drinks are reasonably priced, and the selection is impeccable. There is live music every night of the week and the vistas offered by the bar are some of the best in all of Sydney. Transportation options to and from the Opera House are plentiful not to mention that site-seeing and drinking almost always go good together.

It’s not done idly when they eschew the term “distillery” in favor of “rum factory and heritage park” in the case of Foursquare. As a “rum factory” they produce tremendous amounts of some of the most loved rums from Barbados. Naturally, you can find the exquisite Foursquare Rum here, but they also produce an exceptional line under the Doorly’s label, plus another hard-drinking favorite named Old Brigand, among others. And when it comes to the “heritage park” part, the grounds boast a kind of museum in the form of a field littered with antique rum manufacturing equipment, plus a rum educational pavilion, and most uniquely, an amphitheater for local musical and theatrical performances. When you stop in, ask for a corn ‘n oil!

In true Berlin fashion, flea markets are not hard to find. One of the newer fleas takes place every Sunday at Mauerpark. I arrived on the early side, around 10am, and the space was already buzzing with locals on the hunt for vintage items, second-hand bikes, and inexpensive clothes. I wandered aimlessly through the park for about an hour, just taking in the sights and sounds of the city. At 3 p.m., a live karaoke party breaks out. It’s the perfect place to release your inner diva. Both the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn stop at Schönhauser Allee, as does the M1 tram.

For an authentic Houston experience, head to the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, where the food is always top-notch and the longtime servers are revered as rock stars. With chef Alex Padilla at the helm, you can expect everything from handmade tamales and grilled octopus salad to mole grilled salmon and oven-roasted chicken enchiladas. Don’t miss the tacos al carbon with a margarita on the side—both are legendary with locals. Grab a patio seat and see who you see—it’s not unusual to notice a celebrity or two. Houston has a booming Tex-Mex scene, and Ninfa’s can show you why in a single bite.

Centrally located in the fjord region of Western Norway, the 124 room Stalheim Hotel has a tremendous view and a wonderful history. This isn’t an intimate hotel experience, meaning that with that many rooms and this being the perfect central location for adventures by land or nearby fjord, there are a lot of bodies from bus tours at breakfast. But the charm of the hotel that dates back to 1885 lies in the warmth of the staff, the pride and presentation of the local folklore and the unbeatable view from your room and the back terrace garden. Don’t miss the chance to have a tour of the on-site Stalheim Folk Museum and ask the front desk for directions to the start of their favorite hikes nearby.

Most garden-lovers have heard of the Dutch tulip garden, Keukenhof, a few hours north of Belgium. Few, however, have heard of Belgium’s own wonderful spring tulip garden at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle. Also called Grand Bigard (in French), the castle gardens are home to 1.5 million spring bulbs, including tulips, hyacinths, crocus and daffodils. Parts of the castle are open to the public, during this time, and each room hosts a different flower display, such as an orchid exhibit in the chapel. Two large greenhouses, on the grounds, host exhibitions by local flower growers ranging from roses to lilies and even rare tropical blooms. It’s a paradise for garden-lovers and photographers alike. You can even purchase bulbs to take home and plant for yourself.

When it opened in June 2021, Resorts World Las Vegas became the newest casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip—a title it will hold until the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opens at the end of 2023. The hotel, owned by a Singaporean company, has established a reputation for its food and beverage options. The star of the show is Crossroads Kitchen, the first fully plant-based fine-dining restaurant in town, with such highlights as a “foie gras” made of chestnuts and a vegan caviar made of kelp. Another standout is Brezza, an Italian juggernaut from local slow-food celebrity chef Nicole Brisson. The food court—dubbed Famous Foods Street Eats—is designed to replicate a Singapore hawker center; most dishes are woefully overpriced but include delicious versions of Hainanese chicken rice and laksa curry soup.


Accommodations at Resorts World—3,500 guest rooms in all—are divided into three different Hilton brands. The Hilton has the smallest rooms and a minimalist design. The more upscale Conrad offers larger accommodations and contemporary-feeling furnishings with splashes of red. At the top end is Crockfords, where the guest rooms are practically palatial, featuring dark tones, plush fabrics, and luxurious seating areas perfect for social gatherings. Food-obsessed travelers take note: You can use the resort’s app to order room service from any restaurant on the property.


Related: 7 Hotels to Book for “Non-Vegas” People

In 1971, squatters moved into the barracks on an abandoned military base and established Freetown Christiania, an autonomous district in the middle of the city. Later, many dwellers built their own homes on the 86-acre property. Although the Danish Supreme Court ruled this year that the state owns the land, the area’s nearly 1,000 residents have yet to be evicted. Today, visitors can bike along tree-lined paths and check out the handmade structures before they disappear. christiania.org. This appeared in the July/August 2011 issue.

As the name suggests, this soaring 44-story hotel from the Ritz-Carlton brand is peppered with high-end artwork, mainly by renowned Spanish and Catalan artists such as Eduardo Chillida, Albert Rafols-Casamada, Perico Pastor, and Luis Feito. But there’s much more to the hotel than paintings and sculptures—such as the peaceful terraced gardens, an outdoor swimming pool that overlooks a large Frank Gehry fish sculpture, a luxury spa offering panoramic views, and several excellent restaurants. The hotel overlooks Barcelona and the Mediterranean from its prime location on the Olympic Port. And, perhaps best of all, the beach is right at the doorstep.

The rooms are a delight, too, with dark-wood furnishings and flooring, flat-screen TVs, and sleek, spacious bathrooms that come with separate bathtubs and Asprey toiletries. The hotel’s penthouses are even more swish; guests who book one of these will not only get their own private elevator and fully equipped kitchen (where the hotel’s chefs will happily prepare meals en suite) but can also book a dedicated butler service.

Praia da Luz is about a 10 minute drive from Lagos. After ancient historic times passed, it was a little fishing village. In the 15th & 16th centuries, there was a large sardine fishing industry in the area of Praia da Luz beach. As I walked along the promenade in front of the beach, I appreciated the low rise development of the area. The view was of the beach, the walkways, the sea, and the palm trees. There are shops, restaurants, cafes, and the beach sheltered under the “Black Rock”. Market and artists’ stalls are prominent. Behind a gate near the Galley Restaurant, there are Roman ruins of a Roman spa and fish salting tanks. At the beach there is horse riding, kayaking, surfing, swimming, and diving. In the village, you can sign up for ballooning or golf. The village has it all: accommodations, shops, a church, and a bank or two. If you are interested in walking and hiking, you can take the trail three km. east to Porto do Mos Beach (Lagos). If you want to view the fantastic Ponta da Piedade, you will walk another five km. (If you want to return to Praia da Luz there is a bus). The Lagos Zoo is a short drive from Praia da Luz. The zoo has small animals and many birds. A stay at Praia da Luz would be a good choice in the Algarve. Or it is a great day trip from Lagos. We enjoyed the day trip with a delicious dinner on the beach at sunset. Info:www.praia-da-luz.com

Visitors take their best Chicago photographs in front of the iconic Millennium Park sculpture called Cloud Gate (known colloquially as the Bean, for its shape). Conceived by British artist Anish Kapoor and constructed from 168 stainless steel plates with no visible seams, the polished surfaces of this 33-foot-tall sculpture reflect infinite variations of the Chicago skyline. The work’s design was chosen from among more than 30 others commissioned by the city, and it was inspired by liquid mercury.

The torrent of Anglo eateries that have popped up across Paris in recent years can largely be attributed to the searing success of Rose Bakery. I had my doubts years ago when I first heard about the internationally-staffed organic canteen - how good could English food be, really? Expensive though it may be, it’s one of my favorite places to go for warm cheese scones, fresh vegetable and a variety of cakes suitable for breakfast or afternoon tea. Rose began in London, hopped over to Paris on rue des Martyrs, expanded to the Marais, settled into a 3rd location within La Maison Rouge foundation in the 12th and most recently took over a 2nd floor corner of the chic department store Le Bon Marché. And that’s saying nothing of their international locations. Its appeal was virtually immediate and RB quickly established itself as the spot among hipsters, artists, celebrities (the likes of Natalie Portman and Julie Delpy, who I spotted last year) and tourists for organic, English fare. They open early, excel at pancakes and healthy veggie options and sell a number of British products to-go. Other establishments may have come onto the scene but Rose is a breakfast mainstay.

The Habsburgs were, generally speaking, lovers of art and many of the works of the Kunsthistorisches Museum come from their collections. While the grandiose interior alone may be reason enough to visit, the collections here are outstanding. The Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities and Coin Library are just a few of the collections to get lost inside. The Picture Gallery includes works by Albrecht Dürer, Jan van Eyck, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens.