Chaophraya- Edinburgh

Ahhh to be back in Edinburgh after a year and a half away felt so good. The moody city sprawled between small hills always manages to look cold while giving the chilled visitor a cozy feeling. Despite an eight hour plane delay, I was greeted with blue skies and stunning castle views from Chaophraya, the…

Antinoos Lounge- Venice

A hidden gem on the opposite side of Dorsoduro is the Sina Centurian Palace. I sneaked a peak during a leisurely stroll from the Guggenheim and pegged it for the perfect dinner or drink not so far from Il Palazzo Experimental. The entrance was rather grand and you could imagine how lovely this terrace would…

Il Palazzo Experimental- Venice

After falling hard for Experimental Chalet, Hotel des Grands Boulevards, and then maybe even a little in love at Menorca Experimental (it remains only a memory rather than a review), that I’ve been on a quest to check out and check in to all of the other properties of the Experimental Group. After a few…

Ristorante Riviera- Venice

After a 2:30AM wake-up call in rainy Switzerland, pushing through to a sunny arrival in Venice, I was in dire need of lunch! Nothing too heavy as I’d booked a nice dinner that evening, but just enough. My hotel restaurant’s tiny terrace was full, so I did the next best thing and just plopped down…

Macarons and Mayhem Guide: Paris

MACARONS La Grand Epicerie: Extensive upscale food hall and grocery with a truly impressive pastry case. Popelini: Choux pastry delights filled in a wonderful array of sweetness. MAYHEM Hotel de Crillon: My go-to bar when dressed for an occasion. Classically modern music and cocktails with excellent people-watching. Little Red Door: Consistently one of the best…

Mountain Burger- Villars

On an unusually sunny Friday in Villars, I was wondering the cutie little ski town seeking the best looking menu and spot to sit in the sun and devour a book I’d just started on the train. Ok, ok in reality I was also looking to devour some lunch and landed at Mountain Burger where…

Viu Villars

Hotel Viu Villars was the perfect jumping off point for a first ski weekend. Well situated by the center of town and train station, it made going back and forth, and storing luggage a breeze. The hotel was totally booked for the half-term school holiday and felt a bit like Lord of the Flies, but…

Villars-sur-Ollon

Bretaye, the ski station, and Villars will always have a special little, frozen, slice of my heart as it’s where I learned to ski- even after a icy-pants filled tumble down a giant hill.

Steinhalle- Bern

While you can find my musings on travel, food, hotel reviews, and recipe testing on this gorgeous blog, I don’t often leave feedback directly to establishments unless it’s particularly incredible or awful. In the case of Steinhalle Bern, I thanked the chef, waiter, and host directly, lauding the experience as my favorite meal in Switzerland…

Noumi- Bern

On a city break where you’re logging 25K-30K steps a day, I subscribe that you can eat anything you want, life is short, right? So after traversing the city, the hill behind it, and back again, I landed at the oddly situated Noumi, in the basement of the Bellevue Hotel. The vibe was not at…

Hotel Bristol- Bern

Ah, that January to April time period where literally nothing happens every year. You have to convince yourself to get back into the swing of things for work and stop drinking champagne at all meals because you’ve now entered the dullest part of the year. May as well surrender your passport for renewal, right? With…

Jaya at The Setai- Miami

On our final evening in Miami, we celebrated my 40th birthday with a very upmarket dinner and an “Asian Bazaar Night” which was meant to have some sort of performances. Sounded kind of weird, we were in! Having dined and enjoyed drinks around the elegant Setai lobby in years passed, I was absolutely shocked when…