Art tips

Step into the new Pavyllon London restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Laneand it is like stepping into the light – in more ways than one. For foodies, this, the first London restaurant from lauded chef Yannick Alléno, represents the ultimate culinary address in the capital right now– the holy grail in fine dining, if you will (as you step into the bright space, you half expect a heavenly choir to welcome you.) One of the most awarded chefs in the world – with an incredible 15 Michelin stars to his name – Alléno is renowned for his innovative, precision cookery, retelling French classics into decadent plates of beautifully-executed, and absolutely delicious, works of art.

With a bit of planning, visiting the USA can be fun and done on a tight budget.

Three life-changing words: New York City.

From harbor-front Hong Kong glam to old-school European luxury, a just-released list of the best hotels on the planet offers a handy guide to traveling the world in high style – or at least assembling a list of dream accommodations. 

Visitors often come to Portland, Maine, for the first time because they want to spend a summer weekend in a quaint city by the water, or because they’ve heard about the city’s superlative seafood (80 percent of the United States’ lobster comes from Maine). Seduced by the easy access to nature and relative affordability, many return for longer stays or even for good. Between 2020 and 2022, Maine’s population had the highest percentage increase of any New England state.

When Khalil Karawan buys his chickpeas, he does it not in grams or kilos, but in tonnes. It takes such elephantine quantities to keep up with the fierce demand at Abu Hassan, the renowned hummus empire started by his grandfather in the 1950s. The business has grown so much from its humble food cart origins that 27-year-old Khalil can now sell thousands of plates each day across three locations in the ancient district of Jaffa. And when I visit his Shivtei Israel Street outpost one Friday morning, I arrive at peak hour.

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There’s really no wrong time of year to visit Mexico City.

In every corner of Japan, there are echoes of Ghibli film settings. The country’s most successful anime studio launched in 1985, and its films have become emblematic of Japan’s offbeat, inventive character. It’s no surprise the opening of the Ghibli Park in November 2022 proved so popular. Tickets are released three months in advance but, almost a year on, they’re still like gold dust due to high domestic demand. There are no rides at the park either. Instead, it’s been designed as a place to “take a stroll, feel the wind, and discover the wonders”, according to its founders.

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Most visitors to Central Switzerland base themselves in Lucerne in order to explore the glorious landscape that surrounds it, but don’t forget to make some time for the city itself.

New York City evokes both high-rise luxury and savvy deals. But the best offer in town? The number of free attractions the Big Apple has to enjoy.

If there's one thing New York City does better than most other US destinations, it's overloading the senses.

Nobody appointed Doug Michaels to serve as an ambassador of the human race. But the position, which he assumed in 1977, promised to have far greater significance than ambassadorships to China or the Soviet Union. He and co-ambassadors Alexandra Morphett and Robert Perry proposed nothing less than to develop diplomatic relations with a nonhuman species. Their seaborne embassy sought direct communication with dolphins.

There was a time when accommodation options in Japan tended to fall into three categories: glossy international chains, dull homegrown business hotels and basic ryokan (traditional inns), which despite their atmospheric tatami mats and wooden sliding doors were often light on comfort and mod cons. But new options abound, particularly for the cultural traveller. 

An unusual nigiri will soon be on offer at Bar Miller, a new omakase restaurant in New York City’s East Village: the humble bluefish, sourced from the New York-New Jersey coast, served raw. “Bluefish has this reputation as being a lesser tier, like a poor man’s fish. But if you treat it with care, it’s incredible,” says Jeff Miller, the executive chef. “When it’s in season, it’s rich, fatty and buttery, with a little bit of subtle tuna iron quality.” Featuring bluefish on a sushi menu is surprising when the city is awash with omakase that, like those in Tokyo, offer prestigious (but unsustainable, according to Seafood Watch) fish like bluefin tuna, Japanese yellowtail and Japanese eel. “Sometimes I think my life would be so much easier If I’d gone that route,” Miller says in reference to the classic omakase menu for which there are standard suppliers. Instead, through trial and error, he built a menu entirely from domestic fish. Bar Miller, which is set to open on Sept. 27, serves San Franciscan anchovies, Hudson Valley eel head trout, and Long Island porgy. (The latter, Miller says, tastes sweet and “super subtle [with] a deep oceanic flavor.”) Miller’s attention to local delicacies extends beyond marine life: The restaurant’s sushi rice is farmed in the Hudson Valley; its sushi vinegar is fermented in Pennsylvania; its soy sauce comes from Connecticut. Even its sake is hyperlocal, fermented in Sunset Park and Bushwick. For Miller, sourcing locally is about expanding on his lifelong appreciation of Japanese cuisine; sustainability is an attendant benefit.

I’m trying to master the downward dog when a flamingo trots past. The bird stands on the edge of my mat as I eye it from my upside down position. Puffing up its fuchsia feathers, it bends over effortlessly, its beak touching the ground, as if to prove its superior flexibility. Welcome to yoga, Bahamas-style.

Biannual fashion extravaganza London Fashion Week has just wound up after a packed schedule of menswear and womenswear shows, spread across all corners of the capital. Highlights included established designers like Burberry, Paul Costelloe, Molly Goddard, David Koma and Malan Breton’s final show, plus a new crop of designers from BFC NEWGEN and Fashion Scout. London proved its credentials once again as the world’s most innovative fashion hub, with wildly creative designs that included flower pots and bags made from discarded sneakers, laser cut dresses, suits made from upholstery fabric, repurposed army shirts and football jerseys and much more.

Chicago, the city known for its vibrant arts scene and rich cultural heritage, is gearing up for Halloween. LUMA8, an independent not-for-profit organization, is planning its 9th Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade. This family-friendly parade includes unique floats, puppets, and an array of creative performances. The parade will take place on Saturday, October 21st, from 6 pm to 8 pm (CST), along the historic State Street, stretching from Lake to Van Buren Streets. But the fun begins earlier at 5 pm with a pre-parade candy giveaway.

From the shores of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands on the Canadian border, down through the Finger Lakes and the Catskills, and out to the tip of Long Island, New York State has something to suit every kind of traveler.

Recognized as one of the top business hotels in Spain, Hotel Arts Barcelona provides more than 3,000 square-feet of function space overlooking the Mediterranean in Arts 41, for board meetings and conferences as well as social events, weddings and celebrations.