Comporta has spent the last decade earning its reputation as the Hamptons of Portugal. Thirty minutes south, in the wild scrubland of Melides, its sister town is quietly building its own following, minus the crowds. Rice fields roll toward hidden beaches, the pace slows even further, and Quinta Amala has planted itself right in the middle of it. It gives rise to a new kind of interest in discovering this stretch of the Alentejo. Photo courtesy of Quinta Amala. Atmosphere…
Lisbon has a way of getting compressed into a layover. Two days, tacked onto a Porto trip or a Sintra day-trip base. Ticked off before people realize what they’ve skipped. But, this is a city built for lingering — not checking off. Seven hills of cracked pastel façades and azulejo tile, moving at the pace of a beach town that just happens to be a capital. Locals call it tranquilo, and you feel it everywhere. It’s in the friendliness of…
No matter if you fly commercial or private, air travel can be a little soulless. Sometimes it’s just a means to an end. Long-distance train travel, however, is the opposite. It’s slow, but it’s got heart and charm. And it’s memorable. You won’t remember a six-hour flight, but you’ll never erase the memories of spending several days aboard a train. Luckily, there are plenty of luxury train journeys on offer, including traveling from Paris to Istanbul on board the Venice…
Celebrity wines are everywhere. Celebrity-owned wineries are something else entirely. A famous face can bring attention to a bottle, but building a respected winery requires more than recognition. It takes land, patience, agricultural expertise, financial commitment, and a willingness to invest for decades, rather than chase a quick return. The owners on this list chose the more demanding path. They purchased vineyards, restored historic estates, planted vines, hired respected winemakers, and immersed themselves in the long process of winegrowing. Some participate…
Some of the world’s most memorable hotel experiences happen below ground. Hidden beneath grand lobbies and Michelin-starred restaurants are extraordinary wine cellars filled with rare vintages, legendary labels, and centuries of winemaking history. Many have evolved beyond simple storage into destinations with private tastings, guided tours, and intimate dinners among the bottles. From Monaco’s vast underground caves to a safari lodge built into South Africa’s granite boulders, these luxury hotel wine cellars have become defining attractions in their own right.…
Travelers who seek out a vacation that combines outdoor adventures with luxury lodging, exceptional food and drinks, and generous wellness offerings tend to have their work cut out for them. It’s hard to have it all. Very few properties can cover all your specific needs and wants and make your dream trip come true – and Awasi Mendoza is one of them. The lodge, located at the foothills of the Andes, will have you sail, hike, or bike in the…
We know you pride yourself on uncovering those gem restaurants before they end up on social media. We’re all for that. But sometimes, all you want to do is stay put at your $5k-a-night hotel, and head to bed after one too many dirty martini sessions. For when that mood strikes, here are the hotel restaurants that are gems in their own right. No scouting required. Just an elevator ride. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London. Photo courtesy of The…
I feel lucky that I’m at a stage where I’ve been to Paris more times than I can count. So nowadays, when I arrive into Paris, I don’t feel the need to hit the ground running. Instead, I opt out of reserving the room the night before, and opt into a spa appointment, shortly after I land. In my consumer opinion, it’s only fiscally responsible not to pay for a room just to check in early and instead, allocate those…
If you’ve lived in New York for at least twenty years, Babbo probably has a place in your heart. I know that it does in mine, as a restaurant that represented everything cool about New York. After all, what was better than walking into Babbo in the early aughts with AC/DC blasting on the speaker system and Bono eating a plate of pasta in the front bar? The answer is nothing, and that was just Babbo NYC on any given…
If you’ve ever eaten at a roadside stall on the Thai-Myanmar border and wondered why no major city has bottled that energy, the answer in London is Kiln. This is a case where something is seemingly low-brow, but so brilliant it becomes high-brow. On its appearance, Kiln looks like an old-school diner, with just a counter for meals on the first floor. It’s tucked into a sliver of a space on Brewer Street in Soho. If you don’t know about…
