Stay: The Zillers Boutique Hotel: A restored Athenian townhouse with an Acropolis-view roof garden; some 2,000 hanging plants dress the restaurant’s walls.
thezillersathenshotel.com

Shop: Parthenis:The clothes are minimal in design but a certain Greek grandeur is at the label’s core of tasteful men’s and womenswear in white, black and navy.
orsalia-parthenis.gr

Service: Talkin’ Heads Hairdressers & Barber shop: Inspired by the theatre where the owners once worked, this pharmacy-turned-hair studio is dramatic in its own way: there are 130 wooden frames floating from its ceiling.
talkinheads.gr

Breakfast: Meliartos: A traditional café – think pies with homemade filo pastry. Don’t miss the Greek amigdalota (macaroons).
meliartos.gr

Drinks: The Clumsies: This place is anything but careless. Among its cocktails is the Sangre y Arena made with white tequila, mezcal, pomegranate juice and dried orange flakes.
theclumsies.gr

Stay: The Wittmore: This 22-room, semi-secret hotel in the Gothic quarter blends old-school elements with a modern feel and solicitous staff.
thewittmore.com

Shop: Shon Mott: Brothers Kiko and Pep Buxó weave their family’s textile heritage into this Catalonian fashion brand. Their debut collections are unashamedly Mediterranean in appearance.
shonmott.com

Service: La Ganiveteria Roca: Their clear-cut expertise in blades dates back to 1911 and, with more than 6,000 products, you can buy a new razor or or sharpen your old one.
ganiveteriaroca.com

Breakfast: Federal Café Gòtic: A second Barcelona location for the Federal group cooks up Spain’s best Antipodean breakfast and boasts an unusually quiet (for Barcelona) terrace.
federalcafe.es/barcelona-gotic

Drinks: La Dama: The modernist entrance hall is inspiring enough but upstairs the refurbished La Dama mixes tasty tipples inside an age-old restaurant and bar.
la-dama.com

Stay: Chao: Chao, or “nest” in Chinese, is a 180-room stopover in the heart of buzzy Sanlitun. A cinema, regular live events and a budding in-house radio show draw in Beijing’s creative crowd.
ilovechao.com

Shop: Triple-Major: A brand and retailer that stocks independent foreign and local labels alongside its own cutting-edge creations. A Beijing fixture for men’s and womenswear since it opened in 2010, it has since expanded to Shanghai and Chengdu.
triple-major.com

Bookshop: Book Design Shop: This snug bookshop run by Taiwanese bibliophile Tony Li packs a punch when it comes to specialist publications. Pick up bilingual magazine Bajia for the latest on Chinese art and culture.
bookdesignshop.org

Coffee: Soloist Coffee Co: What started out as a pop-up during Beijing Design Week in 2013 has become a favoured pit-stop in the Dashilar hutong, south of Tiananmen Square.
soloistcoffee.com

Drinks: Jing-A Brewing Co: A selection of Beijing-brewed craft beers served in a leafy courtyard taproom. Head here when there’s a rare blue sky.
jingabrewing.com

Stay: The Silo Hotel: Expect glittering views of Cape Town’s harbour from this new 28-room hotel. It’s atop the soon-to-be-opened Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in a grain silo redesigned by Thomas Heatherwick.
theroyalportfolio.com/the-silo

Dinner: Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia: Overseen by ex-Test Kitchen chef Ivor Jones, the suburban sister restaurant to tapas favourite Chef’s Warehouse has sweeping vineyard views and excellent estate wines.
beauconstantia.com/eat

Drinks: Taproom: Try some of Cape Town’s finest craft beers at Devil’s Peak Brewing Company’s pub as you take in views of the mountain that inspired the brewery’s name.
devilspeakbrewing.co.za/our-taproom

Bookshop: The Book Lounge: Set over two storeys, this shop close to parliament is crammed with local titles and gems from abroad.
booklounge.co.za

Shop: Missibaba: Appropriately situated on Bree – the city’s hippest street – this is a trove of playful handbags, all made by Chloe Townsend and her team in Cape Town.
missibaba.com

Stay: Tamarind Village: A collection of houses in the heart of the old city nestled within well-tended grounds. There’s an indigo-tiled pool, a good restaurant and top staff.
tamarindvillage.com

Shop: Wit’s Collection: Chiang Mai is known for ceramics so don’t leave without a dainty souvenir. Wit’s mixes Siamese and European objets d’art but ceramics made here are a speciality.
110/5 Nandakwang Garden Mall

Breakfast: Woo: The mix of Thai and western café fodder here features plenty of leafy greens – as does the airy and plant-spotted house, also home to a gallery and design shop.
woochiangmai.com

Drinks: Warm Up: Tourists tend to gravitate towards noisy university bar Warm-Up Café.
40 Nimman Hemin Road

For a more subdued affair consider Sudsanan, located in a traditional wood-framed Lanna roadhouse.
Huay Kaew Road

Lunch: Palaad Tawanron: A treehouse-cum-restaurant next to a waterfall halfway up Doi Suthep Mountain. Order plates to share as portions are very generous.
palaadtawanron.com

Stay: Vagabond Hotel: The 45-room hotel has been restored to its mid-century glory, complete with neon road sign and mosaic-clad pool. The restaurant is superb too.
thevagabondhotel.com

Service: Junior & Hatter: Located in the vibrant Wynwood art district, this barbershop will treat you to a straight-razored shave.
juniorandhatter.com

Breakfast: Threefold Café: On the cusp of Coral Gables, Threefold offers healthy plates including avocado toast and Miami-based Panther’s coffee.
threefoldcafe.com

Drinks: Broken Shaker: Serves great cocktails with ingredients from its own garden. There is little seating inside but the patio is where it’s at anyway.
freehandhotels.com

Lunch: Mandolin: A Greek-Turkish menu that’s made with produce grown just outside the restaurant. Before you leave be sure to pop into the shop for some toothsome take-homes.
mandolinmiami.com

Stay: MOB Hotel: In St Ouen near Clignancourt flea market, this hotel has been dreamed up to look like a home by founder Cyril Aouizerate.
mobhotel.com

Dinner: Anahi: Originally a meat importer, Monaco-born Riccardo Giraudi took over this Argentinian institution and has added tasty dishes including Kobe beef tacos and Wagyu empanadas.
49 Rue Volta, 75003

Drinks: Le Bar des Prés: This bar in St Germain is the new address of chef Cyril Lignac. The result is a Japanese menu with peerless cocktails.
lebardespres.com

Cakes: Stoney Clove Bakery: Music video director Philip Andelman opened this American pâtisserie with Beth Beji and pastry chef Cassandra Choi. The result has risen to the hype around its opening.
stoneyclovebakery.com

Shop: Kerzon: A fragrance firm founded by brothers and located in the Marais. Expect everything from detergents to candles, all made in Grasse.
kerzon.paris

Stay: The Burrard: Refurbished in 2011, this 1956 hotel in downtown Vancouver has 72 berths that face the leafy courtyard.
theburrard.com

Shop: Neighbour: Saager Dilawri opened his Gastown menswear shop in 2011, offering independent international brands. A second location, Neighbour Woman, opened nearby in 2015.
shopneighbour.com

Service: Bloom Room Botanical Gallery: Sarah Spencer Tannahill’s eclectic florist’s shop in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood has an attractive selection of planters for the home.
621 Kingsway

Drinks: Kissa Tanto: This Japanese-Italian bar and restaurant in Chinatown was opened in 2016 by chef Joel Watanabe. Dinner reservations are advised but the 14-seat bar is open for walk-ins.
kissatanto.com

Coffee: Bows X Arrows: This is the first Vancouver location of the coffee roaster founded in Victoria, British Columbia, in 2012. At sundown the coffee space becomes a bar, serving dinner and shareable plates.
bowsandarrowscoffee.com