The directory

Budapest

Home to a host of shops, galleries and studios, Hungary’s capital is a haven for design aficionados, especially during the centenary of the Bauhaus (the city is home to countless Bauhaus-inspired buildings).

Stay: Brody House: Built in 1896 in what was then the glamorous Palace Quarter, next to Hungary’s National Museum, this 11-room hotel reflects the grandeur of a bygone era.
brody.land

Coffee: Espresso Embassy: This Scandinavian-style café is the place to go for a fika in the heart of Budapest (the coffee and cinnamon rolls are arguably the best in town).
espressoembassy.hu

Eat: Stand Restaurant: Chefs Szullo Szabina and Szell Tamas reinterpret traditional Hungarian cuisine; signature dishes include duck liver, fish chowder and Bereg chicken.
standrestaurant.hu

Drink: Black Swan Budapest: This art deco-style speakeasy serves an array of cocktails, including classics such as the Old Fashioned.
32 Klauzál Street

Buy: Möbelkunst: This market-like showroom lets you sample Scandinavian furniture from the 1950s to the 1980s, including industrial lamps once used in Socialist factories.
mobelkunst.hu

Browse: Solinfo: A fixture on the city’s design scene since 1990, this lighting and furniture shop stocks brands including Cappellini and Vitra.
solinfo.hu

Culture: Bartok Bela Boulevard: A series of small art galleries have brought new life to this prestigious boulevard on the Buda side of the city.
bartokbelaboulevard.hu

Visit: Ludwig Museum: Hungary’s biggest modern-art collection’s new exhibition Bauhaus100 (influential Bauhaus figures Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Marcel Breuer were Hungarians) rethinks the movement from a modern perspective.
ludwigmuseum.hu

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New York

Finding good design in New York isn’t as obvious as it would be in Milan but look hard enough and you’ll see it everywhere, from hotels to cafés. During May’s NYCxDesign event, here’s where to go.

Stay: Crosby Street Hotel: Nestled on a quiet cobbled street in fashionable Soho, this 86-bed hotel by Firmdale’s Tim and Kit Kemp has its own garden, as well as a screening room.
firmdalehotels.com

Coffee: Happy Bones: The bright white sun-filled space seems industrial but it feels as happy as the name suggests – and serves a fantastic flat white.
happybonesnyc.com

Eat: Atoboy: With its exposed-cement walls, simple wooden chairs and matte ceramics, Atoboy is as unfussy as it gets. The real clincher? A menu that erupts with contemporary Korean flavours.
atoboynyc.com

Drink: Primo’s: There’s no better place for a Martini than at this bar, tucked inside a Downtown hotel. The luxurious art deco space is all marble, velvet and gilded mirrors.
primostribeca.com

Buy: Matter: Designer Jamie Gray’s Soho shop carries an in-house collection, as well as regional and international contemporary-design objects from both established and emerging makers.
mattermatters.com

Browse: Roman and Williams Guild: Created by design duo Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, this emporium stocks homeware from Denmark to Japan. There’s also a gallery, library and café, so be sure to linger and make the most of it.
rwguild.com

Event: NYCxDesign: This annual event (this year it’s from 10 to 22 May) is a celebration of all things design in the form of installations, talks and launches. Exhibitions take place across the city, making good use of the five boroughs.
nycxdesign.com

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Santiago de Querétaro

Santiago de Querétaro is Mexico’s third-largest city and has re-emerged as an affluent cultural hub with a growing design scene.

Stay: Meson de Santa Rosa: The city’s old town boasts stunning 17th and 18th century Moorish-style buildings, one of which is home to Querétaro’s first inn. Recently renovated, it’s a well-designed spot to rest your head.
hotelmesondesantarosa.com

Coffee: Breton: This convivial café offers a variety of drinks and homemade pastries.
82 Andador Libertad

Eat: Restaurant 1810: Enjoy the view of the central plaza from this restaurant’s rooftop terrace and indulge in a bowl of traditional sopa Azteca (a pasilla chile and tomato-based soup with tortilla chips).
restaurante1810.com

Drink: Dodo Café: This intimate cocktail bar is one of Querétaro’s hidden gems. Expect classic cocktails made with a playful Mexican twist.
50 Venustiano Carranza

Buy: Quinto Real: Querétaro is a city filled with exceptional traditional Mexican handicrafts; take a moment to peruse the many craft shops and don’t miss Quinto Real’s beautiful collection.
quintoreal.com.mx

Visit: Galeria Libertad: This is one of the galleries you should visit in the city’s old quarter. Its exhibitions showcase emerging contemporary Mexican artists.
culturaqueretaro.gob.mx

Event: Design Week: This event has flourished as a platform for promoting Mexico’s budding design scene. From 2 to 5 May, Querétaro will be celebrating the country’s creativity – expect everything from shoe design to furniture-making.
queretarodesignweek.com

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Utrecht

Only a 40-minute drive from bustling Amsterdam, the canal city of Utrecht is a design-oriented destination that’s ideal for a weekend getaway.

Stay: Mother Goose: Nestled in the historic city centre, this contemporary hotel offers 23 rooms scattered across four floors. Expect views of the town, as well as its landmark Dom Tower.
mothergoosehotel.com

Coffee: Koffie Leute: In this relaxed café you can grab a coffee (with milk sourced from a local farmer) while browsing vinyl from Dutch music labels.
koffieleute.nl

Eat: Daen’s: This place is a café, a concept store and a one-room hotel. Come for breakfast or a leisurely lunch and enjoy your spring salad on the sunny terrace.
daens.nl

Drink: Simple: The bar of hotel and restaurant Simple is a casual affair where Dutch beer, glasses of pinot noir and cocktails such as Trump’s Nightmare (with Mexican guajillo chilli) are served.
simpleutrecht.nl

Buy: Vaen Vintage Design: Vaen is the place to go for timeless Dutch design classics. It stocks everything from Louis Poulsen lamps to smart Pastoe cabinets.
vaenonline.nl

Browse: H Gallery: This shop sells classy vintage furniture, as well as books and collectables from international designers.
hgallery.nl

Service: Le Jardin: Head home with a bouquet of tulips assembled by the florists at this shop, which also doubles as a plant- focused bistro.
lejardinutrecht.nl

Visit: Workshop of Wonders: This interior-design consultancy and gallery works with national and international brands, including Jasper Morrison and Joost van der Vecht.
workshopofwonders.com

Stop in: Kapitaal: Head to this shop, print studio and gallery where you can etch, riso and screen print. A collection of posters, T-shirts and bags is on sale.
kapitaalutrecht.nl

Images: Alamy