Search results for

Unexpected as it may be to some, Kenya has an excellent food scene—particularly in the capital, Nairobi. On offer is everything from Thai food to freshly baked doughnuts, in venues ranging from high-end gastropubs to leafy garden cafés. As many of these delicious dining spots are hidden away, it’s hard to know where to go. No longer! Here are some of the very best restaurants in Kenya to get you started.

There’s more to the Smoky Mountains than black bears and hiking trails: in this neck of the woods, you’ll also find genteel former mansions turned hotels and chic farm stays with world renowned food, surprising vineyards, and woodland diversions. Here’s your Appalachian getaway guide.

Celebrity chefs, award-winning eats, a surprising history of agriculture, and local specialties all conspire to create a terrific and booming food scene.

From the cool cafés on Bree Street to the refined dining rooms along the V&A Waterfront, you’ll find Cape Town’s food scene almost as thrilling as its dramatic setting. The freshest ingredients—harvested from surrounding farms and wine estates and from the Atlantic itself—give every tasting menu or just-baked croissant an almost unfair advantage. With every bite, you’re tasting South Africa.

From street food to white-tablecloth restaurants, Mexico City has a meal for every palate and budget. Plus, local, fresh, and heritage aren’t just buzzwords here—they’re a way of life. Come taste for yourself.

Whether you’re looking for laid-back two-steppin’ or a splashy night out, you’ll be in good company in Scottsdale.

Until recently, all the best coffee produced in the region was destined for export. That’s changing, and now there are many places in Oaxaca where you can find a good cup of coffee—along with delicious snacks and the all-important Wi-Fi.

Good breakfast spots are on the rise in San Pedro, but one of the most beloved places to grab a bite will always be Estel’s Dine by the Sea. Aside from its perfect beachfront location where you can eat with your toes in the sand, the food is pretty darn good as well. At Estel’s, you won’t find menus on the table; you must walk inside to check out the board. Don’t be surprised to find a crowd on the weekends, especially Sunday mornings. Just follow the smell of Charles Jr.’s famous BBQ specialties cooking on the grill, and you’ll understand why people are ordering plates of ribs first thing on Sunday! Aside from some impressive barbecue, Estel’s has a number of dishes that might leave you feeling the need to return once or twice more for breakfast. Personal recommendations include the Mayan Eggs, which is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and sausage, served with a side of refried beans and fry jacks, or try the breakfast burrito. Don’t forget the Marie Sharps hot sauce on top! Breakfast is served all day. Closed Tuesdays.

Off of busy West Peachtree is Cypress Street Pint and Plate, a neighborhood bar surrounded by apartment buildings. The welcoming patio and weekly specials make it a favorite of locals. On Mondays you can get their tasty Philly cheesesteaks for only $5 and brunch is every Saturday and Sunday. There are 14 draft beer and 40 bottled selections as well as wine and spirits. Every Tuesday is Beer Geek Tuesday, where the experts at Cypress Street celebrate one brewery or style of beer. The food menu is delicious, especially the aforementioned cheesesteaks, buffalo chicken sandwiches and meatball sliders.

Part restaurant and part performance venue, the Rendezvous is a full night out in one cozy spot. The restaurant has typical bar food (burgers, salads, deep-fried snacks) that’s basic but good; happy hour goes from 3-6 pm daily with food specials. The tiny Jewelbox Theatre is an intimate cabaret-style theatre, where you’ll find everything from burlesque to comedy variety shows to live music and theater. They also have two excellent private rental rooms for parties. Upstairs, the Red Velvet Lounge looks out onto the main dining floor and has its own sound system. Downstairs, the basement-level Grotto is a dark, red-lit cave with its own private bar and plenty of room for dancing.

The southern city of Dubrovnik in Croatia is the most visited city in the country, and with good reason. As one of the last remaining walled towns in the world, a walk through town is a walk through time and along with the views and weather, Dubrovnik is truly an amazing travel destination.

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel sits on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. Beautiful sandy beaches cater to sun worshipers while the proximity to Waimea and Kailua-Kona make it a great place for travelers who seek ocean sports, coffee culture, or horseback riding. After absorbing the sun, snorkeling, and surf, a trip to the beach bar is the perfect place to enjoy a bit of shade while sipping on cold, refreshing, tropical drinks. An evening at the beach bar with a Dirty Hula Girl may be the perfect ending to a day at this beach hotel.


The sweet smell of plumeria floats on gentle trade winds into each guest room at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. When entering the room, you may be surprised that floor-to-ceiling picture windows and a beautiful private lanai (patio) beckon you to step back outside—closer to the rhythmic surf and paradise in nature. In the hotel’s main building, each morning you can wake up to warm accent colors in your room that recall the previous evening’s sunset. Natural light fills the entire space and you can brew a lovely cup of Kona coffee before leaving your room to face the world. A 2009 remodel of the main building rooms along with a 2013 beachfront wing renovation enable guests to unwind in the comfort of updated interiors that still remain true to Laurance S. Rockefeller’s original vision.


Local beach access at the Mauna Kea Resort: If you go early (7:30 a.m.) there are only 40 parking spots open to get to this hidden gem. Locals know that you say “beach access” at the imposing gate for those who want to swim in its clear blue water; check it out in North Kohala. Spectacular white sand beach with some shade trees. The 40 parking spots get filled by 9 a.m. or sooner so go early. It’s also good for boogie boarding.

PropertyThe architecture at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel certainly evokes Laurance S. Rockefeller’s sense of outdoor space with breezy landscaped covered walkways and a sparkling blue tile floor in the lobby that seems to bring the calm waters of Kaunaoa Bay right into the hotel. Another not-to-miss feature on the grounds includes the Collection: a fascinating assortment of Pacific and Asian art. More than 1,600 museum pieces blend into the hotel’s ambiance so well that you will always find new treasures on each visit. Better than a museum, these pieces of history are tangible to guests who want to inspect the stitches in a quilt, photograph the colors in a carving, or feel the texture of embellishments on a statue.


After absorbing the sun, snorkeling, and surf, a trip to the beach bar is the perfect place to enjoy a bit of shade while sipping on cold, refreshing, tropical drinks. An evening at the beach bar with a Dirty Hula Girl may be the perfect ending to a day at this beach hotel.
Vino and Vinyasa (Friday evenings): Follow your sun salutations with sauvignon blanc and your planks with pinot noir at this weekly class-slash-happy hour held ocean-side on Friday evenings. It’s only fitting that the sessions focus on Vinyasa, a yoga style that synchronizes movement with breath, because you’ll want to inhale the salty sea air deeply as you gaze at a fiery Big Island sunset.


Glow Stand-Up Paddling and Canoeing: Kauna’oa Bay’s large plankton population attracts manta rays, and you’ll find yourself gliding alongside them during this nocturnal excursion. Thanks to LED lights carefully strapped on your board, your hour-long jaunt may also include a parrotfish sighting (they’re intrigued by the boards’ shimmery glow.) You can treat stand-up paddle boarding as a workout, or simply stargaze as you float. New paddlers can take an introductory canoe ride while more seasoned guests can explore the Kohala Coast’s caves and coves on a private group charter.

“Seattle’s best happy hour” is not a title to be bestowed lightly, but List has more than its share of devotees. And with good reason: their happy hour features half off the food menu, plus discounted beer and wine. List serves Italian food with a focus on seafood, and it’s an excellent value at happy hour. We loved the gnocchi with black truffle cream, spicy meatballs, and cannelloni with spinach and ricotta. Unsurprisingly, List fills up quickly on the weekends, but if you stop by early, you can settle in, admire the modern decor and striking red chandeliers, and watch the plates pile up with delicious deals. Their happy hour is all day Sunday and Monday, and 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (with a late happy hour Tuesday through Thursday from 9 to midnight).

Devout foodies flock to the hawker stands in Singapore, one of the world’s cleanest cities. Check out the tasty Hainanese Chicken Rice at the famous Maxwell Food Centre; you’ll want to find the Tian Tian stall. Explore the other stands and salivate over the combination of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European flavors with such items as barbecue pork, steamed pork buns, fish cakes, and Hokkien mee (seafood pasta infused with special flavors). —Susan Sparks This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

An hour’s cross-island drive takes you to Kalinago Territory, officially established in 1903 as the Caribbean’s only autonomous enclave for indigenous people. The settlement covers six square miles, and many of its 3,000 inhabitants live in traditional wooden huts. Guests are welcome at a model village, where they can watch dance performances and shop for reed baskets and other crafts.