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Reykjavík’s Dill restaurant, run by chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason and sommelier Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, is the first venue in Iceland to win a coveted Michelin star. It specializes in New Nordic Cuisine, which means that the kitchen updates traditional dishes such as arctic char, pork belly, and lamb shanks in highly creative and ultradelicious ways—often pairing them with healthy ingredients like barley, berries, and kale. The restaurant is open four evenings a week, and the seven-course menu changes regularly based on availability of local ingredients. Food can be paired with a fabulous selection of champagnes and wines. It’s not the cheapest choice in town, but it is one of the best.

Although you can find most cuisines in Berlin now, Jamaican food is nowhere near as ubiquitous as it is in, say, London, and it’s mostly relegated to shacks or pop-up stalls at festivals. Enter RosaCaleta, a full-service restaurant run by two transplants from Jamaica via New York who have created a perfect balance of traditional Jamaican dishes playfully reinvented for a European palate. White walls and a wood floor set the stage for a menu that includes oven-roasted pork fillet, fiery jerk guava chicken served with fluffy dumplings, and vegetarian dishes such as vegetable stews and lentil salads mixed with mango and ginger. The restaurant also has a superlative rum collection, used for an inspired cocktail list that is as fruit-filled as it is potent.

The melodious invitations of “irasshaimase” (“welcome”) from all the staff at Ippudo NY as I walked into the restaurant quickly transported me back to Japan although I must admit it seemed to me slightly dissonant, almost like a dubbed movie, when I heard the phrase perfectly uttered from some of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed waiters. But the welcome was a nice touch, an additional layer of the place’s verisimilitude. We waited for our table in the busy bar area where ramen bowls lined its red walls like trophies in a hunting lodge. The glowing reviews and reasonable prices make Ippudo NY a very popular choice even at six in the evening - presumably just a late lunch for New Yorkers. The restaurant does not take reservations so expect a little wait. We sat in a narrow wing filled with a concentrate of small tables: You are close enough to your neighbors to smell what they ordered and be influenced by their decisions. We started with the pork bun, a popular choice: It was smooth and creamy but not as sweet as the ones I had in Japan. My wife and I both ordered ramen, she the miso tonkotsu and I the traditional tonkotsu, and we delighted in its milky oil-dappled broth, the telltale soft boiled egg, and the freshly pulled ramen. We finished with the matcha (green tea) ice cream and soft tofu, a distinctively Japanese combination, and it completed our reintroduction to the dining experiences we so loved in Japan and we were left to reflexively whisper to ourselves “oishi.”

At the Hyatt Centric, luxury amenities meet front-door access to 7,300 acres of ski terrain, including the 314 trails, 40 chairlifts, and six natural half-pipes that make up the Park City Mountain area of Canyons Village. For even more adventure, the hotel’s in-house activities company, Wasatch Adventure Guide, can arrange for dogsledding, fly-fishing, heli-skiing, hot-air ballooning, and even ice-climbing excursions. If you’d rather soak up some culture, there’s complimentary seasonal transport to Park City’s charming Main Street and its dozens of galleries. After a long day of exploring, guests can unwind in the resort’s heated outdoor pool, or in front of their own stone fireplace. The 120 guest rooms and apartment-style residences offer a home-away-from-home feel, with even the standard rooms featuring a partial kitchen stocked with china for four. In case you don’t feel like entertaining, the on-site Escala Provisions Company Restaurant & Bar offers après-ski fare like classic fondue as well as a dinner menu with dishes like a grass-fed beef burger with tomato jam, pork belly, and pommes frites.

This property hits the sweet spot for Yosemite lodging—it’s conveniently located in the heart of the valley, is more affordable than the Majestic, and has better views than any other accommodation, looking directly out to Lower Yosemite Falls. All 241 rooms, spread among 15 two-story buildings, were recently updated to include TVs, mini fridges, phones, coffee makers, and Wi-Fi. While not air-conditioned, they come with fans and some even have patios or balconies. There are also four larger family rooms, complete with a king bed and two bunk beds. The lodge has its own pool, gift shop, and outdoor amphitheater, where rangers and naturalists give presentations during warmer months, as well as two restaurants. The more formal Mountain Room features soaring ceilings, waterfall views, and dishes like lobster beignets and grilled pork mole, while the Mountain Lodge—popular with the valley’s climbers—serves beer, cocktails, and a small but tasty bar menu, which can be enjoyed either inside by the double-sided fireplace or outdoors on the deck. There’s also a food court, which is slated for a complete makeover in the spring of 2018.

Outdoor enthusiasts with a penchant for luxe living will feel right at home at this Brooklyn Heights stunner, which takes much of its inspiration from adjacent Brooklyn Bridge Park—the neighborhood’s very own opportunity to commune with nature while embracing the big city. Find natural elements in details like original heart-pine beams from the former Domino Sugar Factory, walnut from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and pine flooring from the Old Crow Distillery in Kentucky, along with plenty of living green elements.

No visit to Ambergris Caye is complete without an afternoon at the Palapa Bar. Situated at the end of a dock surrounded by turquoise waters and cool breezes, Palapa Bar attracts a mix of locals, travelers, and some of the coolest bartenders on the island. On a warm day, eschew the barstools and opt instead to float in inner tubes beside the dock; you can even have cold buckets of Belize’s Belikin beers lowered down to you. In addition to beer and standard cocktails, fun creations like Scotty’s Palapa Punch (three different types of rum, triple sec, mango, pineapple, and a squeeze of lime) offer some island-inspired refreshment. Up in the palapa, recommended items from the menu include sausage dip, pulled pork sandwiches, and the immense half-pound burger. Palapa Bar is 1.5 miles north of town and easily reached by golf cart, taxi, bicycle, or water taxi, which drops you right off at the dock.

Farmgate Café is a lively spot upstairs at the buzzing English Market, Ireland’s oldest food market, in Cork City Centre, with balcony seating that has great views of the bustling crowds and vendors below. Try some traditional Irish favorites, such as seafood chowder, rock oysters, lamb stew, or a version of bangers and mash—pork sausages with mashed potato, lentils, and bacon. Make sure to try a local black pudding–like delicacy called drisheen, and save room for the delicious cakes.

Why we love it: A peaceful eco-lodge on Dominica’s “wild” southeast coast

Highlights:
- A “barefoot luxury” vibe
- Proximity to the beach
- Villas surrounded by a working fruit plantation

The Review:
An agritourism pioneer, Citrus Creek blends hospitality with a tropical fruit plantation on Dominica’s rugged east coast. In building the resort, owner Hervé “RV” Nizard repurposed parts of his 20-acre farm in Taberi, adding a dozen self-catering cottages and villas. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, the accommodations include a safari tent and a stone tree house. Focused on nature, Citrus Creek trades TVs for rainforest hikes and a swimming pool for plunges in a pristine river. The property also lacks air-conditioning, but shade trees and prevailing winds keep it comfortable year-round and help maintain a “barefoot luxury” vibe.

Each room has a kitchen, stocked with breakfast goodies like tea, coffee, bread, butter, jam, and honey. For those who would rather dine out, a cafe offers half-board plans and operates every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or later with reservations). Take your dinner on the veranda overlooking the river, choosing among French-Caribbean delicacies like onion pie, caramel pork, grilled lionfish, and smoked marlin quiche. Other on-site perks include a tour desk, car rentals, and, soon, a pier set within the jungle that will be equipped to welcome sailboats.

Few restaurants have been immortalized in both a popular book and a movie. Nam Kee, operated since 1981 by the Chan family in Amsterdam’s Zeedijk is one. A Chinatown favorite long before Dutch novelist Kees van Beijnum alerted foodies to oysters’ sensual pleasures in De Oesters van Nam Kee (The Oysters of Nam Kee) in 2000, the Cantonese eatery was named Best Chinese Restaurant in the Netherlands by Lonely Planet. In 2009, Time Out Amsterdam recognized it as Best Chinese Restaurant in Amsterdam. A 2010 renovation has replaced the former cold, white tiles with warm woodwork, stone accents and the obligatory Chinese calligraphy scrolls. The revamp has failed to make Nam Kee upscale or fancy, so don’t expect anything romantic or gezellig (cozy). A brightly lit dining room is simply furnished but filled with the flavors of salty soy and sweet ginger wafting from sizzling dishes of classic Cantonese favorites. The fabled Oysters of Nam Kee arrive steamy in their craggy shells, swimming in pools of silky black bean sauce, garnished with crunchy green scallions. My hot and sour soup with seafood was spicy, laden with chunks of shellfish. Friends shared a velvety corn soup with shrimp and minced pork. For light eaters, dim-sum-size appetizers include renditions of classics like Chinese Spring Rolls, Fried Won Tons and Sesame Prawn Toast. Main dishes are more substantial and include such Cantonese specialties as Salt and Pepper Squid redolent of peppercorns and crisp Peking Duck.

Built in 1919, the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is a Spanish Revival landmark, perched majestically above the Atlantic Ocean. From its opulent lobby to its luxurious guestrooms, the property fuses its storied past—it’s hosted everyone from European and Hollywood royalty to captains of industry—with distinctly modern amenities, making for one of San Juan’s best stays. Spread over a historic building and two towers, the 212 guestrooms feature stone-topped vanities, French windows, and ocean views, while the 107 suites include separate sitting and dining areas, L-shaped balconies, and 24-hour butler service. At the beach club and four pools, guests can also look forward to cabanas, personal butlers to bring refreshments, and assistance from a tanning and hydration specialist.

When hunger strikes, the Vanderbilt is prepared with three different dining options. Hit Tacos & Tequila for escabeche pork tacos and Patron margaritas; Ola Oceanfront Bistro for Puerto Rican cuisine and water views; or, if you’re in the mood to splurge, 1919 Restaurant for sophisticated fare by Michelin-starred chef Juan Jose Cuevas. Also on-site is VC Lounge for expertly mixed cocktails, Marabar Martini Bar and Lounge for live jazz, Veritas Wine and Cognac Bar for rare vintages, and Avo Lounge for fine cigars. When you need to detox, head to the spa for indoor–outdoor treatments, rainforest showers, and hammam rituals.

Total immersion is the draw of the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which sits on a bluff 150 feet above the Pacific’s craggy coastline. The hotel delivers Ritz-Carlton’s trademark luxury—two pools with bucolic garden views, beach butlers on the sand—but also an authentic sense of place. Naturalists lead whale-watching and snorkeling excursions, as well as an ocean-inspired art program that was developed by marine-life artist Wyland. Spa treatments include seaweed wraps, marine collagen facials, and a foot massage inspired by the rhythm of the ocean. Even the resort’s marble-bedecked interiors integrate the environment, including a sculpture in the lobby by artist James Aarons made of 225 ceramic and gold pieces inspired by American cliff swallows, which migrate through the area. Shuttles take guests to and from the swimmable, surfable Salt Creek public beach below. Meals at the six restaurants are indulgent but never fussy, whether it’s pasture-raised beef and artisanal cheese at enoSTEAK, or pan-seared scallops with morita-glazed pork belly at the pan-Latin restaurant Raya. Pro tip: Before the sun dips below the horizon, grab a spot by a fire pit at the lounge 180blu, order a tamarind-togarashi margarita, and enjoy the views of the Pacific.

The 50 best restaurants in the world, the top restaurants in Asia, the best restaurants in India—this elegant eatery has made all those award lists and more, often for several years in a row. Helmed by chef Manish Mehotra—himself a perennial “best chef” winner and MasterChef India judge—Indian Accent first opened at The Manor in 2009, where it quickly garnered acclaim for its modern take on subcontinental cuisine. It moved to The Lodhi hotel in 2017, where—in a striking, contemporary space lined with windows, paneled with mother-of-pearl, and centered around a “floating” glass-box private dining space—the high-quality and creativity has continued to soar. Some dishes skew “new Indian,” while others are more global with an Indian twist; either way, plates are colorful, flavorful, and artfully presented. Don’t miss signature dishes like galautis (kebabs) stuffed with fois gras, pulled pork tacos, butter popcorn upma, and duck khurchan served in a cone and topped with yogurt and chili. Get your carbs on with one of the nine types of bread—some layered with potatoes or Camembert—and wash it down with a “chat” sangria or masala-infused martini. While there are now Indian Accent outposts in New York and London, the Delhi location remains a must-visit—and, as of 2018, is still the one of the only restaurants in India to make all those award lists.

Everyone in Berlin has a favorite place to eat currywurst—tasty chopped pork sausage doused in a sauce made of curry powder and ketchup—but Curry 36 in Kreuzberg (along with Konnopke’s in Prenzlauer Berg) is one of the most consistently popular spots to procure this famous street-food snack. In fact, the place is so trendy that it sells Curry 36 merchandise in the shape of hoodies and even its own branded ketchup. Besides currywurst, the stall serves other sausage-y delights such as bockwurst and krakauers, as well as related meat products like burgers and meatballs. To be extra authentic, order your currywurst ohne darm (without skin) and enjoy it while standing at one of the outdoor tables.

Ducking into the Matador in the alphabet district is a great way to tour the Mexican culture through its tequila and mezcal heritage. Touting over 100 tequilas in a variety of vintages, you’re likely to become a bit overwhelmed by the depth and complexity. This anxiety is generally relieved after a couple of shots. Staff are keen on giving solid recommendations based on your preferences. There are “flights” of tequila to introduce you to the subtle characteristics of this oft-misunderstood beverage. Be daring and undaunted by the task at hand, and try to sip, not shoot. Salt & lime optional. The space is anchored by a large fire pit that is cozy in the winter months. Huge windows open during summer to bring the outside, in. The menu is focused and leans toward the California interpretations of Mexican cuisine. The pork dishes are a bit more traditional, while the fish tacos have a NW flair. The carne asada is nicely done, and there are veggie and gluten-free options all over the menu. Happy hour is a big draw with lots of great dishes and featured drinks on the cheap. While being part of a small chain of restaurants might seem one-dimensional, Matador promotes local sourcing on ingredients and lets each store have its own personality. NW Portland is a great neighborhood for exploring, and a tequila flight at the Matador is an entertaining way to get the party started.