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Is this polished industrial space, in an odd corner of the Centro, the thinking man’s disco? Organizers prefer to speak in terms of a cultural center, and the installation’s multiple spaces are venues for everything from literary events and screenings to a dynamic agenda of live-music performances. But it’s the DJs and dancing that are bringing in crowds, crowds that are alternative and low-key, creative, sex-pref-neutral, and seemingly little impressed that their hangout has become so fabulous. Priced-to-move libations and overall edginess keep the crowd skewing young; the space’s various environments add variety to your night out—and sometimes there’s even a place where you can chat (or canoodle) without screaming.

Begin your perfect beach day with a stop at this snackbar on Positano’s Spiaggia Grande for a sweet brioche and a cold cappuccino freddo. In the afternoon, come back for a scoop of gelato or a chocolate-dipped ice cream–bar snack. At the end of the day as the sun drops behind the mountain and the day-trippers leave, perch on one of the high stools at the cocktail bar and sip a cold gin and tonic or draft beer. The bar is attached to a formal restaurant that overlooks the beach.

Located a few steps away from the Ponte Vecchio in what was at one time a medieval palace, this restaurant serves a traditional menu of dishes made with regional ingredients. Their beef is sourced from a farm in the Maremma countryside and the wine list highlights Tuscan producers. Even the restaurant’s name is a nod to the local culture—orafo means “goldsmith,” and this neighborhood was where gold workshops were once located. Start with Tuscan white beans drizzled with olive oil, with a serving of fennel salami, then move on to the pasta course. (The taglierini ai piselli freschi, pasta with fresh peas, is particularly good in season.) For dessert, try the pear slow-cooked in wine or cantucci cookies dipped into vin santo, a strong sweet wine.

One of Florence’s traditional cellar restaurants where tables are draped with crisp white cloths in a frescoed barrel-vaulted room, Buca Lapi is famous for its huge bistecca alla Fiorentina. These T-bone steaks are often big enough for two or three people and are served very rare, traditionally accompanied by cannellini beans and drizzled with tangy olive oil.

Chef Rob Gentile has swept a masterful hand through Toronto, wooing foodies with his perfect Italian fare. First came Buca, followed by the more casual Bar Buca, and most recently Buca Osteria, located in the chichi Yorkville neighbourhood. The final chapter in the trilogy aims, like the original, to please the diner looking for a big night out. Menu-wise, there’s a definite seafood focus to the joint, though many of the dishes overlap with Buca the First. Look for raw Gaspé scallops, sardines with Sicilian capers, pizza topped with taleggio cheese and black truffles, ravioli stuffed with Alaskan king crab... The kitchen has also added brunch, so those looking to do a more low key visit can tuck into plenty of eggy — or should I say duck egg — faves paired with amazing coffee and some dulce de leche doughnuts.

Ashley Jacot De Boinod—the former pastry chef at Buca—has taken doughnut creations to new heights. Tim Horton’s tim bits these are not. If you want a peanut butter, bacon, and marshmallow doughnut, order the Elvis. A beer doughnut? Yup, she’s got that, too. Lemon Meringue? Yes, indeed! Go in. Support her. Her shop is super and while the doughnuts aren’t cheap, but the taste is divine and reflects the love and care that she puts in.

I was happy to find a very nice, old bookstore just outside the grand bazaar in Izmir. I always look for unique bookstores when traveling because I love the smell, love to look around and also am continuing my quest to find an Ernest Hemingway book in every possible language.

Chicamocha Canyon, only an hour from the capital of the Santander region, Bucaramanga, is one of the largest canyons on the planet, spanning 270,000 acres. Ride the cable car across the entire red chasm and down to the canyon floor where you’ll find Chicamocha National Park. The park is particularly popular with triathletes, who come for the rugged terrain, steep hills, and desert conditions. Others come to the canyon floor to explore Barichara, a town at the end of the canyon’s floor which seems impervious to time’s passage. Visitors walk along streets lined by whitewashed adobe houses, many of which have been converted into boutique hotels and restaurants. These cafes offer the opportunity to try local specialties like carne oreada (sun-dried steak) and hormigas culonas (or “big-assed ants,” no kidding).

The constantly evolving Seaport District just got even cooler with the opening of Mr. C Seaport, the first New York City hotel from Maggio and Ignazio Cipriani. An intimate 66 rooms make up the seven-floor property, each one showcasing a rain shower, 50-inch interactive 4K television, and fine Italian linens by Casa Rovea. Timeless luxury is the goal here, evident in the rich textures, classic color schemes, and thoughtful collection of handmade Italian furniture. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with an on-the-house Bellini, a gesture that pays homage to the classic cocktail created by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1948. It’s also a nod to the hotel’s restaurant Bellini, which offers an array of rustic Italian dishes (think lasagna Bolognese and bucatini cacio e pepe). When guests feel like venturing beyond hotel limits, they have a couple of options for wheels: a fleet of 2018 Lincoln Navigators for rides within 15 blocks, and a custom collection of Mr. C Seaport bicycles by Fourth Floor Distribution.

Interest in Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño has only increased since his death at the age of 50 in 2003. Given the amount of time he lived in Mexico City and his reputation as a rebellious anti-establishment upstart, his work has a considerable following here. Not surprisingly, the city is the setting for a considerble amount of his writing, from novels like The Savage Detectives to short stories such as “Mexican Manifesto.” At times, the city even seems like a character. You can’t visit many of the places mentioned in these pieces; most of the businesses’ real names weren’t the ones Bolaño gave them in his writing. But you can visit Cafe La Habana on Calle Bucareli, which Bolaño thinly disguised with the name Cafe Quito, and you can see the outside of the home where he spent his teenage years- Samuel 27 in Colonia Guadalupe Tepeyac. When asked by a local newspaper in 2013 whether they knew the famous tenant that occupied their home before them, the family currently living at Samuel 27 said they’d never heard of Bolaño.

Storico is truly a hidden gem in New York City - a one-of-a-kind, beautiful eatery in a historic museum on the Upper West Side, just steps from Central Park. The newly-renovated New-York Historical Society is located on Central Park West and 76th Street (next to the Museum of Natural History). Chef Matthew Oetting and restaurateur Stephen Starr (Morimoto, Buddakan) deliver beautifully-plated, seasonal antipasti, cicchetti (small plates), handmade pastas, panini and hearty entrees. A recent menu included panzanella salad, pappardelle with duck ragu, frutti di mare bucatini, and roasted organic chicken with oyster mushrooms. Soaring 15-foot high ceilings, shelves lined with white antique dishes, abundant sunlight and bright yellow seating make this one of the cheeriest cafes I’ve seen. The decor and the flavorful food makes for a memorable meal. Eating at Storico does not require admission to the museum, but I highly recommend a few hours educating yourself on the remarkable history of New York City. The museum is a manageable size and not very crowded, which makes for an enjoyable, leisurely visit.

On the non-descript, busy corner of Bucareli and Morelos streets in Mexico City is a café with a famous history: Fidel Castro and Che Guevarra met here at Café La Habana several times, chain smoking and drinking strong coffee, to plan the Cuban Revolution. Nowadays, you can still get excellent coffee—and pretty good food—while you plan something a little less dramatic (but more enjoyable), like your vacation itinerary. Old journalists and businessmen congregate here for hours on end while salt-of-the-earth, slightly surly waitresses take your order and bring you your food and drink. Come for breakfast and order their chilaquiles, motuleños, or molletes, and wash it down with an espresso or café americano.

Finish off a day in Havana Vieja at this new, hangar-style brewery in the city’s revitalized port. Massive and with an excellent patio, Cerveceria Antiguo Almacen de la Madera y El Tabaco is the perfect place for beer drinkers who want to explore beyond Cuba’s two national beers, Cristal and Bucanero. You have your pick of three: a light ale, an amber, and a dark (which looks a tastes more like an amber than a port). You also have your pick of glassware: A modest pint glass or a towering beer dispenser that could easily serve eight. Light bites and regular live music add to the ambience.

The combination of a Top Chef alum slash James Beard Award winner, a buzzing Chicago neighborhood, and an in-house pastificio (Italian for “pasta factory”) was a surefire recipe for success for this Italian hot spot. It’s here that chef Sarah Grueneberg is in her element, serving up pasta-centric fare with far-reaching influences, from gnocchetti con pesto to the Cacio Whey Pepe, which includes Mancini bucatini pasta, pecorino Romano, and ricotta whey. Grueneberg’s prowess extends far beyond noodles, too—take, for example, the Octopus Speidino, a grilled favorite that comes with aioli, leeks, pimentón, and shishito peperonata and that was inspired by Japanese yakitori. In between bites guests can check out the “pasta TV”—an antique mirror that reflects the pasta team’s made-to-order work.

A local landmark, Taverna Trilussa has been a Trastevere hangout for nearly a century. The ivy-covered entrance opens to a lively family-run trattoria where prosciutto and dried herbs decorate the walls alongside the usual trappings of vintage photos, books, and paintings. Taverna Trilussa is most famous for its tableside serving of typical Roman dishes like bucatini all’Amatriciana and cacio e pepe, theatrically tossed about in a frying pan or even a Parmesan wheel. Reservations are a must, or else expect to queue up alongside all the tourists waiting for a plate of mozzarella in carrozza.