Search results for

Downtown Bryson City is home to the welcoming Everett Hotel and its restaurant, the Bistro. Although famous for its crepes, the Bistro’s mountain trout preparations rival the finest riverside camp cooking, including, notably, the trout cakes, a highlight of the Southern cuisine–driven tapas menu. Ingredients are sourced locally and seasonally, and many are organic. Although the rustic, candelabra-lit atmosphere is relaxed, reservations are recommended, especially during summer and on weekends. Guests at the Everett enjoy complimentary breakfast and weekend brunch, and many eat here multiple times during a visit to the Smokies.

Scuba divers flock to this diving paradise, as the island sits right on the cusp of “wreck alley.” On shore, the island is home to a handful of private homes and one seriously cool eco hotel (the Cooper Island Beach Club) that makes their own micro-brewed beer with solar power at the Cooper Island Brewing Co. on site.

The fabulous restaurant at Hótel Grímsborgir, Selfoss, Iceland. I love it when the people at a restaurant take the time and make the effort of decorating with pieces that mean something. The blue plates on the walls are Norwegian Porsgrund Christmas plates and every year they make a new one and the people at the restaurant add it to the wall. I am a huge Christmas fan and collect ornaments from all of our travels so this to me was so nice. Also they had displayed such cute presents from people around the world...like the Matryoshka dolls on top of the piano from a couple in Russia who stayed at the hotel. It makes the place have a soul, in my mind. The food served here was amazing, service was excellent....best lamb I’ve ever had and hubby had some amazing cod.Not on the cheap side but oh so worth it.

Billed as a city resort when it opened in June 1994, this 480-room property beckons to leisure and corporate travelers, the former attracted by the property’s proximity to Universal Studios Japan, the latter by the extensive meetings facilities and incentives options. The hotel comprises two towers, one with banquet facilities, the other with guest rooms; more than 2,000 works of art are peppered around both, including in the large, showy public areas. Rooms generally have a look that hovers between corporate and leisure—not surprising given the target audience—with furnishings that are comfortable and functional. The views of Osaka Bay are fabulous.

This surf-style restaurant elevates local food-truck fare at the new Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. Expect ahi poke, wild-boar hot dogs, and the coolest French fry innovation out there: A heaping platter of slender spuds topped with Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and wilted arugula for that “It’s healthy, really” feeling! Wash it all down with kombucha on draft—with flavors like pineapple ginger or liliko’i (passion fruit)—and cocktails such as the Castaway, featuring melon vodka, coconut water, and lime juice. Come prepared to lounge outside, as the Waterman wraps around the family pool and also serves its exclusive beach. Food is served 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Located atop The McKittrick Hotel—site of the immersive theater experience “Sleep No More"—Gallow Green is a beguiling outdoor space overgrown with flowers and vines that offers up views of the Hudson River and the High Line. It’s as popular for late-night drinks as it is for weekend brunch; art lovers can fuel up here and then hop around the Chelsea neighborhood afterward. During warmer months, the rooftop hosts “Potions and Plantings,” a monthly tea party for kids (ages 5-10) and their adults. The event outshines all other kids’ tea times in the city (and there are many) and will make the grown-ups want to return for their own happy hour.

The isolated, car-free island of Käringön is a 40-minute ferry ride from Orust, and has less than 100 full-time residents who stay year round, even through the long winter. But it’s a different story in the summer. In the 19th century, the middle classes in Sweden became enamored with the benefits of fresh sea air and started flocking to the small islands along the coast. Today about a thousand visitors arrive daily by ferry or private boat to enjoy the island’s relaxed vibe. Come for a lunch of fresh-caught seafood at Petersons Krog or watch children on the pier trying to catch the little crabs crawling through the seaweed down below. In the cold weather, visitors can take a lobster fishing tour or sample fresh oysters at the Käringö oyster bar, which also has a hot tub that seats six.

Anguilla’s most social beach is full of local flavor. From visiting boats to residents who flock here for the best island-style bar-and-nightlife atmosphere—home to Johnno’s, Elvis’ Beach Bar, and the Pumphouse—there’s never a dull moment on Sandy Ground’s long, soft strand. The water here is calm, making it an ideal stretch of sand for families as well. Sandy Ground is also the site of Anguilla’s August Monday, the most important day of the summer carnival season, when the entire country seems to be in the same location to celebrate J’ouvert: some folks on the beach, some on boats blasting music. By 1 p.m., the August Monday sailboat race kicks off—the first round of qualifying for the final carnival boat race at week’s end.

Whether you’re up for the adventure of a mobile tented camp, or would prefer a private house staffed with personal chefs, Singita Grumeti is the place for the ultimate safari experience and unbeatable Great Migration views. The 350,000-acre protected nature reserve is home to five distinct properties (plus an exclusive private villa option), ensuring there is an option for any traveler—though luxury, service, and attention to detail are constants across the board.

The five main Grumeti properties offer a singular setting and experience, along with the option to visit any of the others for meals, or to make use of their facilities. Choices include traditional tented-style camps like Sabora Tented Camp, with its plush, 1920s-explorer-inspired decor, and Explore Mobile Tented Camp, an eco-friendly setup that can be moved as the migration progresses. Faru Faru Lodge features contemporary interiors and boasts two striking pools, while Serengeti House is a four-suite private house favored by honeymooning celebs. The grande dame of the reserve, Sasakwa Lodge, boasts luxury cottages, a spa, a wine cellar, dining room, a bar and lounge, a billiards room, a conservatory, and even an equestrian center.

With all this to choose from—not to mention the endless panoramas, gourmet cuisine, and unforgettable wildlife viewing—Singita Grumeti has become known as the pinnacle of safari getaways. And with good reason: the experience here is so impeccable, it just might spoil you on safaris for life.

It is all about farm-to-table cuisine at Primo, where two-time James Beard Award–winning chef Melissa Kelly hangs both her toque and her garden shears. Behind the restaurant, in a Victorian house on the Rockland–Owls Head town line, are acres of pastures and organic gardens. Be sure to allow time to visit with the chicken and pigs, buzz by the beehives, ogle the greenhouses, and admire the produce, edible-flower, and tea gardens. Make reservations for the intimate and elegant Parlor dining rooms, or head to the upstairs Counter Room and Bar, where the menu highlights pizza, cheeses, and charcuterie, and tapas-size portions. The flavors are Mediterranean with a Maine accent. Don’t miss the house-made breads or desserts, either.

From the porte-cochère entry at the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, you’ll catch an inviting first glimpse of coconut palms, manicured grass, and a long swimming pool that seems to end at the sea. The view only gets better upstairs, where all 200 rooms—including 16 suites—offer swoon-worthy ocean vistas. On the hottest of days, the high-ceilinged, open-air lobby is a great place to hang with a cold one while catching the ocean breezes. When it’s cooler, have lunch by the pool or at the beachside La Palapa, and plan for dinner at the open-air Brassa. As a guest at the Westin, you also have access to Puntacana Resort & Club’s eight restaurants, two golf courses, tennis center, Six Senses Spa, aquatic center, and Grupo Puntacana Foundation activities.

Of the many draws of this upscale property on 26 pine-clad acres, the biggest is arguably its beach, one of the longest private stretches on Lake Tahoe, where guests can relax in cabanas and lounge chairs, rent jet skis, boats, or kayaks, and even stay in one of the 26 luxury beachside cabins. The lobby, with its massive timbers, flagstone walls and fireplaces, and huge windows, recall some of the great National Park Lodges; the rooms, however, are modern and spacious, swathed in soothing neutral colors. (Rooms on the upper levels of the 12-story tower have the best views.) And because the resort resides on the Nevada side of the North Shore, there’s a 20,000-square-foot casino. Other amenities include a spa, fitness center, and an indoor/outdoor swim-out pool that—along with a lazy river and water fountains—is heated year-round, as well as a kiddie pool and two large whirlpools. And no need to leave Fido behind: the resort accepts your furry friends, too.

Take a two-hour dinner cruise along the Rhône River aboard the charming Mireio, the largest panoramic restaurant boat in the region. On the Saint Bénézet Cruise, you’ll pass the most beautiful sites in Avignon—from the famous Pont d’Avignon and the quays along the Rhône to the Palais des Papes, the clock tower, and the Rocher des Doms—all while enjoying delicious dishes like duck with Provençale herbs and seasonal vegetables, and fillet of beef with jus au Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For something even more lively, you can opt for the Dinner Entertainment Cruise, which includes dancing on board until 1 a.m., or the Dinner Show Cruise, complete with a candlelit dinner and Brazilian entertainment. There are also lunch cruises, though they’re often more crowded than the dinner options.

The largest department store in continental Europe, Kaufhaus des Westens (usually abbreviated as simply KaDeWe) is over a century old and a must for any shopper visiting Berlin. After being largely destroyed in World War II, its reopening in 1950 was not only an important shopping moment but a propaganda one too, an embodiment of the prosperity of West Berlin. Regardless of its Cold War significance, the sixth-floor food hall provides an unforgettable culinary experience with a chance to sample the best German and international products.

For many Charlestonians and tourists, every Saturday is spent in Marion Square at the farmers’ market. Students nursing hangovers wait in line for a crepe at Charleston Crepe Company while farmers from John’s and Edisto islands sell their fresh vegetables. Artists sell their work while children play on inflatable slides and a guitar player keeps the crowd entertained. Between the French, Greek, Cajun, Spanish, Italian, Southern, German, and Indian foods on offer, you really can’t go wrong. Grab an assortment of foods to try and find a nice spot in the shade to eat and people watch.