Search results for

Founder’s Note: Betting on Africa

These hotels are located in Portugal’s best wine regions— from the Douro Valley and Alentejo to other Portuguese wine regions—and offer guests a chance to stay near (or even in) the country’s incredible vineyards.

Purely based in small eateries, some of which are over a century old, this city has become a foodie beacon in Europe. A much deserved change of the long lasting impression that Porto was only about Port Wine. The truth is that these places are not fancy. Not by any means! They are frequented by all social classes and nowadays it is common to see a banker sharing elbow room with a mail man at some of these tiny little places

Known locally as Jozi or Jo’burg, South Africa’s largest city embodies modern Africa. The town’s most famous resident, Nelson Mandela, lived just up the road from the stylish Residence Boutique Hotel and penned his autobiography at the Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa. For a different side of the city, visit the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel for high tea or the Clico Boutique Hotel for a break from the hustle.

Born free, today’s post-apartheid generation asks, what’s next?

Cape Town’s Mount Nelson Hotel is a city icon. And who better to preside over the entrance than another icon? Mahatma Gandhi, who had a strong connection to South Africa (he worked in the country as a young man, and developed his political views and thoughts on social injustice and civil rights here), is immortalized in a statue at the hotel. Say hello as you visit the Mount Nelson — affectionately known as the Pink Lady, for its rosy hue — for its celebrated high tea.

Located close to the town hall, it’s known as the “Casa das Bifanas” (Bifana house) ever since it opened in 1978. In the menu you can find a lot of Porto’s and Portugal’s delicacies, but you have to try the house specialty: Bifana. It’s a pork meat sandwich, in which the meat is cooked in an incredibly spicy sauce. This sauce is the most important piece of the sandwich and its recipe a true hidden secret. I can imagine that it has tomato sauce, beer and ultra-powerful bell peppers. If you like spicy food then Conga is your place.

Mr. Armando and Mrs. Francisca run one of the hidden gems of Porto’s gastronomy - the Adega Vila Meã. The restaurant is located close to the São Bento train station, and inside you can sample Portugal’s bold flavors, from codfish to roasted veal and from hake fillets to grilled pork. On top of these delightful options, this restaurant is known for the “Cozido à Portuguesa” – a Portuguese food culture landmark! This traditional Portuguese dish is prepared with prime quality meats - sausages, veal and chicken, pork belly, bacon, all kinds of smoked meat, and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, turnips and potatoes. The portions are huge, so remember that this will probably be the only meal you will need to eat during the whole day.

The actual name of the place is Adega Rio Douro (since it’s facing the river) but everyone knows it by Tasca da Piedade, named after the owner Mrs. Piedade. It’s also known for having “fado vadio” - traditional Portuguese music, here sang by non-professionals every Tuesday in the afternoon from 4pm until 7pm. While the music flows you can try a lot of Portuguese “petiscos”, such as stewed chicken guizzards, meat croquettes, “bifanas” and the crown jewel “iscas de bacalhau” - boiled codfish loin enveloped in a parsley omelette. The symbiosis between food and music is guaranteed, as everything here is done with passion. You might even be lucky to listen to the owner singing a few “fados”.

The 162 year old restaurant, one of the firsts in downtown Porto. Still ran by the Dourado family, it is the place to try one of the most exquisite sandwiches in Porto: Terylene sandwich. A double decked sandwich with roasted pork loin and smoked ham, taking over 24h to be prepared. Yes, you read me right, over a day! The pork loin is marinated in wine, garlic, onions, tomatoes, rosemary, oregano, chili peppers and a hint of magic for over 20 hours. Afterwards it will be roasted in a wood oven for over 3 hours… It is then served in a double sided bread bun, with pork loin in the lower level and smoked ham in the upper level. Porto’s own version of Slow Food. Have it with a glass of red sparkling wine from Bairrada and you’ll see why I love this sandwich so much!

If you ask anyone in town where you can eat the best fried octopus fillets, the answer will be: Casa Aleixo! Facing Campanhã train Station, you can’t miss it, and you shouldn’t! Founded by a gentleman from Galicia, it was later bought by Ramiro Gonçalves and is now run by his son, Ramiro Gonçalves. Mr. Ramiro Gonçalves (the father) came up with the idea of doing the fried octopus fillets and to ensure quality he would go daily to Povoa do Varzim (35km North of Porto) to purchase the freshest octopus. And the tradition is kept by his son! Every meal is prepared in the “laboratory” (the kitchen) and wine comes from the “pharmacy” (wine cellar) and at the end of the meal you’ll be asked to move to the “torture chamber”, where you’ll drink coffee and pay the check!

It is a fairly recent place, opened in February 2013, located close to Ribeira, in Largo São Domingos. This restaurant aims to bring to Porto a little bit of each region of Portugal. Focusing on small scale producers and in working directly with them, Joana and Sofia (the owners) managed to have a wide selection of traditional food items from all over the country. There are three things here that makes you have to go there: wine, muxama and cheese. “Muxama” is smoked tuna fish, coming from Algarve, and it’s quite hard to find it in Porto. Have it with scrambled eggs and tomato jam. Their selection of cheeses covers the entire country, including the Azores and its São Jorge spicy cheese. One of the most incredible chesses for me is “Caganita”. A buttery and flavorful cheese from Alcains, that here is served hot with olive oil and herbs…

Trafalgar Square dominates the landscape at Charring Cross. It was made to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. At the centre is Nelson’s column, which includes a statue of Horatio Nelson, the vice admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. It is flanked by 4 majestic lions. Around the corner, the historic National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery occupy pride of place. They house masterpieces by famed artists including Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, and J.M.W. Turner. The area around the galleries is full of tourists and locals unwinding after a long day. It is crowded during the day but it is absolutely magical at night once the crowds disperse-perfect for a walk after dinner.

Even during Antigua Sailing Week, when English Harbour is chock-a-block with yachts from all over the world, the 28-room Inn at English Harbour remains serenely detached from the chaos. The inn is five minutes by water taxi from the center of things at historic Nelson’s Dockyard, but its tucked-away location on a white-sand beach backed by 19 leafy acres (and a no-kids-under-10 policy) ensures tranquility. Four snug rooms, with marble floors and queen beds, occupy two beachside cabanas, while 25 more generously proportioned suites, all with dark mahogany floors, four-poster king-size canopy beds, and verandas or balconies, are in three wooden buildings sitting farther back among the tropical greenery. Although the Terrace Restaurant and Stone Bar are in the property’s original stone house, the rooms, despite their colonial look, are relatively modern, which means there is a flat-screen TV, an iPod docking station, and Internet access.

English Harbour is one of Antigua‘s crown jewels, so it should be no surprise that Fort Berkeley was erected to protect this excellent protected bay. Placed on the peninsula on the western entrance, this fort has been enforcing entry to the anchorage for nearly 300 years. Today, the fort is mostly ruins, but it still supplies visitors with stunning views of the harbor. From Nelson’s Dockyard it’s a fairly short 10-minute stroll to the ramparts and well worth the walk. From here you can see the dockyard’s waterfront, every boat that enters the bay, and beautiful Galleon Beach on the opposite shore.