When I visited Paris last year for the first time, I couldn't wait to eat my way around the city.
21.07.2023 - 08:23 / roughguides.com / Francis Mallmann
Every summer, Argentines and Brazilians flock to Uruguay’s glitzy resort Punta del Este to hang out. This usually means fiestas by night and catching up on sleep on sandy beaches by the day. But Punta isn’t just about partying hard. There’s also a fantastic dining scene to discover, from unpretentious boltholes tucked away in sand dunes, to winery restaurants overlooking vineyards, high-end places with fancy tasting menus and hip beach bars. Here, we reveal 10 of the best restaurants in Punta del Este (in alphabetical order), plus two bonus tips.
Anointed South America’s best new winery in 2019 by Wine Enthusiast, this is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Punta del Este. Bodega Garzón holds a strong hand thanks to direction from top chef Francis Mallmann – who has incorporated his trademark fire-based culinary techniques. Add to this stunning Tuscan-style views over the valley (although palm trees give away its subtropical location), great service, and three fantastic tasting menus executed by chef Ricki Motta. The menus focuses on local products like organic pork, almond-and-garlic gazpacho and local lamb, and each dish is paired with Garzón’s best vintages. Finish a late lunch with a glass of your favourite tipple on the terrace watching the sun drop over the vineyards.
Chef Ricki Motto at Garzon © Garzon
Chef Gastón Yelicich cooked in Europe and the US before returning to his native Uruguay and, after time working at restaurants in José Ignacio, opened Cuatro Mares on the Punta peninsula. Seeking out the best produce to create simple yet flavourful dishes, his menu changes daily according to availability; take a seat at the kitchen bar for a close-up of the culinary action. Start with pork shoulder and bechamel croquettes before sharing Provence-style clams, octopus with olive mayo, brótola, a local and popular hake, or rib-eye from the parrilla. Weekend lunches are all about the abundant buffet; Gastón also serves up feijoada, a weekend tradition for Brazilian diners.
While this luxury Brazilian hotel chain has three restaurants at its Punta del Este location, the best is Fasano. Enjoy spectacular pink-and-violet sunsets across the Uruguayan countryside paired with top-notch Italian cuisine. Suspended in the air and reached by a raised walkway, tempting dishes include beef carpaccio, lamb shank and spaghetti drowning in an abundance of fresh local seafood; definitely order the tiramisu for dessert. The sultry lighting is conducive to romantic occasions; it’s also a magnet for Latin American celebrities such as actor Ricardo Darín in January.
Seafood spaghetti © Fasano
When French transplant Jean Paul Bondoux moved to Uruguay to 1982, he likely never imagined he’d still be serving classic
When I visited Paris last year for the first time, I couldn't wait to eat my way around the city.
Compared to the typical Latin American tamale — a corn-based mixture steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf — the Mississippi Delta’s iteration is smaller, spicier, meatier and often simmered rather than steamed. Some say the dish came from Mexican migrants or soldiers in the Mexican American war; its origins may lie in Native American cuisine, or hail from the African dish, kush — cornbread hash. The flavours are as varied as the backstory — here are some of the best places to try them.
OAG, which dubs itself an “air travel intelligence company,” has released its top-10 rankings of the most and least punctual airlines in 2016. The group analyzed 54 million flight records using full-year data from 2016 to compile the list, and for the purposes of the study defined “on-time” as “a flight that arrives or departs within 14 minutes and 59 seconds (under 15 minutes) of its scheduled arrival/departure time.”
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Mexico and the Caribbean are famous for having some of the most luxurious all-inclusive resorts in the world, but what many people don’t realize is that some of the best all-inclusive hotels are actually located in the United States. You may even find an all-inclusive resort within driving distance from your home, as they are scattered throughout the country.
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When entertaining the thought of travelling in the USA and all its many options, there's one that never fails to produce a frisson of excitement: a road trip through California. The Golden State has everything you'd imagine and more: beautiful beaches, expansive deserts, canyons and mountains, and of course San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge – but that's not where the colour ends. Vibrant cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are home to a bursting array of bars and history; rolling peaks are covered with spring blooms and summer greens, giving way to the trails of snowboarders and skiers. Pacific waves welcome energetic surfers while tranquil, turquoise lakes are speckled with paddleboarders. The best way to see all that Cali has to offer is with your own set of wheels – but which path to choose? Here are some of the best routes for your California road trip.
Buenos Aires has one of the most diverse bar scenes in South America. The last few years the Argentinean capital has become completely obsessed with craft beer and door cocktail hideouts, while still keeping it chic with wine bars as of course, local gems serving ice-cold one litre Quilmes beer bottles with no attention whatsoever to interior design. Add chatty porteños, a young expat community and visitors looking for a good time to the mix and you have an excellent place for a fun night out. Read on for the ten best bars in Buenos Aires.