Hotel Adlon Berlin Berlin’s top hotel ranks as one of the finest in Europe. A reconstruction of the historic Adlon hotel, it opened in 1997 and has become popular with celebrities and politicians from around the globe. Even if you are not going to stay here, you could have a cup of tea or coffee … Read more
Villa Borghese Extensive, elegant and full of shady glades and beautiful fountains, this is a great park for a stroll, a picnic or a jog. You can also go boating on the artificial lake, rent a bicycle or in-line skates . Villa Borghese Pincio The traditional time to enjoy the most famous panorama of Rome … Read more
Bolinas Beach This hidden-away Marin beach tends to be windy and is mostly used by dog-walkers, and kayakers. It’s sandy, with a backdrop of rocky cliffs. If you walk north, you’ll find warmer nooks and crannies out of the wind, where some sun-worshipers bask in the nude, although there is a rarely enforced city ordinance … Read more
Restaurants Lei Garden This multi award-winning restaurant serves modern Cantonese as it should be – light, delicate and subtle. 3/F IFC Mall 2295 0238 The Mandarin Grill & Bar The interior may have been revamped by Sir Terence Conran, but the menu still features English classics and premium seafood. Mandarin Oriental 5 Connaught Rd 2522 … Read more
St. Patrick’s Day Parade With its large Irish population, not to mention the 25 or so Irish pubs scattered around town, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the revelry that follows deep into the night is one of the city’s largest celebrations. The parade journeys from 5th and Market streets to the Embarcadero. Sun before … Read more
Bars and Clubs Dragon-i The most happening club in Central, where models, movers and shakers, and celebrities from Jackie Chan to Sting, have been spotted. UG/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham St 3110 1222 Club No. 9 One of the cocktail-drinking set’s favourite venues – grab a sofa on the balcony and enjoy the view. 3/F … Read more
Restaurants Canoe Upscale Canadian dishes – think caribou and Arctic char – are the pièces de résistance from chef Anthony Walsh’s kitchen. Views from this 54th-floor room are stunning. 66 Wellington St W 416 364 0054 Bymark Some of the freshest fish in town and extravagant foie gras attract a well-heeled crowd. Top selection of … Read more
Anse la Raye Fish Fry, St Lucia Lobsters at Anse La Raye Fish Fry – Anse La Raye Every Friday night in the west- coast fishing village of Anse la Raye, the waterside main drag, Front Street, transforms into a full- on party from 7pm to 11pm. Hundreds of locals and visitors turn out for … Read more
Up-Market Malls and Boutiques The Landmark Centre It’s impossible to miss this smart, modern mall, with its conspicuous consumables from the likes of Chanel, Dior, Zegna, Versace, Prada, Vuitton, Bulgari and Tiffany. Pedder St Harvey Nichols in the Landmark Centre Seibu Four floors of designer clothes, cosmetics, gifts, household items and food. Pacific Place, 88 … Read more
Theaters Canon Theatre Big musicals have replaced vaudeville on the bill. The 1920s interior is a fantasy of gilt-framed mirrors and chandeliers, a magnificent staircase and dome. 263 Yonge St 416 872 1212 Royal Alexandra Theatre Saved from demolition, this 1906 theater has been returned to Edwardian finery. A lovely mural tops the dramatic proscenium … Read more
Ivan’s Stress- Free Bar, Jost Van Dyke Ivan’s Stress- Free Bar Imagine a front- porch hootenanny on a slice of sand: that is happy hour at Ivan’s. Run by seventh- generation Jost Van Dyte resident Ivan Chinnery; this beachfront empire consists of an open- air shack, a few cabins and some tents. What it lacks … Read more
Looking for somewhere to celebrate a family anniversary, a landmark birthday, a reunion of old friends? Travel editor David Wickers offers a grand selection of big houses to rent, at home and abroad Beside the sea Pickleridge View in Dale, Pembrokeshire Sleeping up to 10, with outstanding views across the lagoon to the sea, Pickleridge … Read more
Bars & Clubs Crush Wine is king at this hip loft-space bar/restaurant, but other, equally delicious, libations are also poured . 455 King St W 416 977 1234 Closed Sun in winter Bar at Canoe It’s a heady experience sipping the perfect martini while gazing at the city from the top of a skyscraper . … Read more
Lone star, Barbados A deeply alamorous vibe and clintele defly mask the fact that this St James haunt was once a garage. Now a four- room inn and beachside restaurant, it has crisp blue awnings, white tablecloths and alick crowd of European guests. In a destination known for inspiring indolent days, the Lone Star actually … Read more
Warm and wild the island of Crete In spring, the island of Crete, which has 2,000 species of trees and plants (some 160 found nowhere else on the planet), is coated with wild flowers. They even have their own dedicated website: www.floersofcrete.info. If you want to stay in style, consider the newly opened Dai os … Read more
Places to Eat Isami One of the best Japanese restaurants in the city, but tiny so book ahead. Good choice of sushi. 4 quai d’Orléans, 75004 01 40 46 06 97 Closed Sun, Mon, Aug (3 wks) No disabled access Le Fin Gourmet Excellent bistro in a 17th-century building. Expect dishes such as scallops with … Read more
A Day on the Paseo del Prado Morning Begin at Plaza de Cibeles and take a peek at the palatial central hall of the Town Hall . Plans to redirect traffic away from the Paseo del Prado have been frustrated, but the central boulevard still makes a pleasant walk, with plenty of shade in summer. … Read more
A Day on the Islands Morning Arrive at Notre-Dame by 8am to beat the crowds and appreciate its magnificence, then head for the fragrant Marché aux Fleurs. As well as flowers, you can buy all kinds of garden accessories and seeds. Return to Notre-Dame if you want to ascend the towers, which open at 10am. … Read more
This imposing tree-lined avenue,adorned with fountains and sculptures, is home to no fewer than three worldclass art galleries: the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. In the 18th century the prado was a meadow, crossed by a stream, but the bucolic surroundings were deceptive, as the area was acquiring an unsavoury reputation for muggings … Read more
Paris was born on the Ile de la Cité. The first settlers came to this island on the Seine in 300 BC and it has remained a focus of church and state power through the centuries, with the great cathedral of Notre-Dame and the law courts of the Palais de Justice commanding the island. This … Read more