Search results for

It’s often a surprise for visitors to Berlin to discover that Turkish postwar immigrants created the popular döner kebab here. The city takes its kebabs seriously, and there are several hot spots whose reputation precedes them. One such is Mustafa’s in West Berlin, which has reached a kind of cult status as much for its vegetable (gemüse) kebabs as for its chicken ones. Every day around lunchtime the modest stall has lines that stretch along the road, as people wait patiently for a crispy pita filled with the special mix of vegetables, salad, and homemade sauces, topped off with crumbled goat cheese. Get here outside peak mealtimes if you want to avoid the crowds.

Wong Kei is a place all Londoners know. It’s the go-to restaurant in Chinatown when you want a big plate of noodles or sweet-and-sour pork, and you don’t want to pay a lot for it. The service was legendarily rude. In the old days you would arrive at the door and be barked at: “Upstairs!” The multi-level restaurant is always busy, so you’re sent to whichever level currently has space. Then you sit at a table with others, and you order your food, which will be brought to you when the waiters can be bothered. Disappointingly, the service is now thoroughly civil; I can only hope it’s a temporary blip. Either way, this is a must-have London experience, and you’ll easily come away with leftovers.

The Huntington is a beautiful, cultural destination. The library exhibits are wonderful, and include famous titles like Audubon’s Birds of America. The art collection features well-known paintings, architectural pieces, and a sculpture garden. The Botanical Gardens boast extensive aloe and cacti collections, an assortment of fruit trees, a lovely rose garden, a bonsai collection, and cultural beauties such as the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden. The Huntington also has a conservatory and a sweet children’s garden with ivy-covered pathways, miniature furniture, and fountains galore for playful kids. If you’re hungry, the High Tea by the rose garden is everything high tea should be; there is also a cafe, coffee shop, and a food pavilion on the property, as well as a gift shop. Don’t miss out on beautiful, historical, and cultural experiences at The Huntington!

The terraced organic garden that steps down the hillside in front of the Stanford Inn (above Mendocino Bay) provides some of the vegetables and herbs for the innovative cuisine in the hotel’s Ravens’ Restaurant. A stroll through the farm, with a visit to the donkeys and horses and llamas, helps work up an appetite for the vegetable-based whole-food meals that raise the bar on all-vegan fine dining. Innkeeper Jeff Stanford puts his ethics on the plate: Vegan for both health and philosophical reasons, Stanford collaborates with certified nutrition consultant Sid Hillman and the Ravens’ chefs to create dazzling meals, including one of the most innovative and tempting brunch menus I’ve ever encountered. The Inn, a large boutique hotel with panoramic ocean views, an organic farm, luxury amenities, and a bookstore and wine shop, gains additional points for being dog-friendly--even in a special dining area.

You’ll feel zen from the moment you drive in from nearby Kyoto, along a narrow road through Japanese cedars and past temples and shrines, to the moment you sink into a hot bath at this intimate ryokan. Refreshed and relaxed, you’ll then sit down to an exquisite kaiseki meal of freshly foraged food prepared by a Michelin-starred chef. Oversized windows bring the outdoors in to the immaculate and simple tatami rooms, which come with both lunch and dinner. Book well in advance, given the inn’s small size and low-tech reservation system.

Set on what was once the original campus of the University of Washington, this downtown landmark was opened in 1924, and now sits on the National Register of Historic Places. Its stately spaces have played host to generations of weddings, proms, banquets, and other opulent events, as well as a number of notable guests; John F. Kennedy stayed in the Presidential Suite during his visit to Seattle, for example.

Following a renovation in 2016, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel now features 450 rooms and suites with sophisticated décor, comfortable furnishings, and Le Labo products. Among the dining options are the elegant Georgian, a much-lauded favorite for breakfast, lunch, and the famous Afternoon Tea; The Terrace Lounge, for great drinks and live music; and Shuckers, one of the city’s oldest (and best) oyster bars. The latter pairs fresh seafood with local microbrews, including the hotel’s signature honey ale, made using honey from the building’s rooftop hives. Other amenities include a day spa and salon, and a health club with Jacuzzi, sauna, and indoor pool.

The popular Gros Islet Fish Fry, also known as the Jump Up, is one big neighborhood party. The narrow streets of Gros Islet fill up with locals and tourists by 7 p.m., and by then the food shacks are busy: Hungry patrons shout out their orders and wait impatiently as the seafood steams and fries. While you wait for your food, grab a seat at a picnic table and throw back some Piton beers. Dance it all off after dinner as DJs blast soca, reggae, and international music. Whether you’re a dancer or not, stop here for your Friday dinner and some Saint Lucian vibes.

Located an hour’s drive from Negril on the southwestern coast, Bluefields Bay is a popular beach. It’s crescent-shaped and rocky on the left hand side, but sandy on the right, and the water is an iridescent turquoise. You’ll find more local families than tourists here, as it’s a convenient pit stop on the road between the west and the south to cool off on a hot afternoon. The beach has a handful of food vendors but not much else, and that’s also what makes it special.

Four Seasons might have spruced up the property slightly when it took over management from Viceroy in 2016, but the original clean lines and sharp angles of the midcentury modern architecture coupled with Kelly Wearstler’s playfully eclectic interiors are still unmistakable at this stunning property overlooking Meads and Barnes bays. Epitomizing tropical modern luxury, the property is awash in marble, natural stone, and wood, with dramatic views of the Caribbean Sea from dining rooms and infinity pools that seem to hover from their cliffside perches. Spanning 35 acres, the resort is home to 166 spacious, serene, and stylish accommodations ranging from suites to townhomes and private villas. Indulge at five dining venues, including the aptly named alfresco Sunset Lounge for sushi and the fine-dining Cobà, where fresh seafood is paired with choice cuts of meat and an impressive wine list. With three swimming pools and two distinct beaches to choose from, the most stressful part of the day is deciding where to lounge.

The Rex Hotel remains the most historic hotel in District 1. It’s undergone massive renovations since its heyday as a hangout for journalists during the war, including the addition of a luxury ground floor filled with pricey shopping. Skip that and head to the hotel’s rooftop bar. Some of my favorite memories have been talking to visitors who were here in the 1970s back to the setting of so many of their evenings. Everyone has told the same story- Saigon has changed but the roof remains frozen in time. The same kitschy elephant statues, stiff drinks, small steaks and the rotating golden crown illuminating the local Vietnamese band playing some pop love ballads. The Rex Hotel 08038292185 141 Nguyen Hue, Quan 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Cicada Lodge is run by the native Jawoyn people and is the only luxury accommodation in Australia’s awe-inspiring Nitmiluk National Park, roughly four and a half hours from Darwin. The word Nitmiluk (pronounced nit-me-look) means “cicada place” and refers to an Aboriginal creation myth where a Jawoyn man hears the sound of cicadas from deep within a gorge. That’s only the beginning of the indigenous influence here. Aboriginal dot paintings hang on bedroom walls; unheard-of ingredients flavor the foods; and indigenous stories and traditions enliven tours that local guides lead throughout the park’s 13 gorges. The wood-paneled restaurant and pool deck, connected by glass doors, form the centerpiece of the lodge. They serve as the communal gathering place for meals, sunset drinks, and leisurely downtime. In 2014, the lodge won the prestigious Gold Plate award for its modern twist on “bush tucker” (indigenous food).

You’ve likely seen the main attraction of Tulum in a travel ad, a postcard, or a friend’s Instagram feed, but there’s still nothing like witnessing first hand the only Maya site that overlooks the Caribbean Sea. Standing before the 13th-century structures will leave you feeling awed by the Maya’s archaeological achievement and its resilience—still standing after being hundreds of years of being buffeted by salty water and wind. True, it’s the main attraction here, but it’s not the only one. With a quirky backstory and a lot of international press, more and more foodies are making their way to Hartwood, a restaurant that lacks electricity. The chef prepares all dishes—made with local ingredients—on an open fire.

The best time to hit the mineral-fed pools at Indian Springs is just before closing, right around 9:30 p.m. Grab a float noodle, place it behind your neck, float on your back in the 102-degree water, and look up at the stars. No matter how cold the air might be, you will immediately relax. The Calistoga resort has been offering guests a similar experience for more than 150 years, though recent renovations have modernized the offerings and brought a new level of luxury and sophistication. The main attractions are the pools: one for all ages and another only for adults. Elsewhere on the property, an expansive spa offers massages and mud treatments; a restaurant—dubbed Sam’s Social Club—serves healthy California cuisine along with house-brewed beer. Accommodations vary widely, ranging from two-room cabins and expansive one-bedroom suites to multi-room bungalows and full-scale houses. Once you’ve had your fill of shuffleboard and bocce, walk into downtown Calistoga to shop at the local boutiques, or take the short trail to the top of the hill for a stellar view of the north end of the Napa Valley. Don’t miss: Perhaps the most spiritual part of the Indian Springs experience is the Wishing Tree in front of the spa. Write your wish on a card and tie it to the tree with the hundreds of others already there.

West Randolph Street in Chicago’s West Loop has become a new home to the city’s culinary talents. Stephanie Izard first drew crowds cooking dishes like roasted pig face at Girl & the Goat (the restaurant pictured above). She then opened Little Goat, a retro diner, across the street. Graham Elliot Bowles keeps it simple at his casual g.e.b, where each dish has no more than three ingredients. On a more elegant note, the prix-fixe menu at Grace, from chef Curtis Duffy, features dishes such as kampachi with coconut, lime, basil, golden trout roe, and pomelo presented in a cylinder of frozen ginger water.

Just 20 minutes by car from central Paris, the Saint James Paris feels like another world: A stone-gated driveway opens onto a 19th-century private mansion that resembles a bucolic countryside estate. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, this family-owned hideaway is both a private members club and a boutique hotel. The 50 guest rooms were renovated in 2021 by designer Laura Gonzalez in eclectic, mix-and-match styles to resemble a collector’s home.