The directory
Where to sleep, eat and shop this month.
Caracas
Stay: The VIP Caracas: Limited options in crisis-struck Venezuela mean that this 51-room hotel has felt a little empty of late. But if the lack of guests has you feeling lonely, rest assured that the adjacent restaurant still attracts plenty of locals.
Transversal 3, Altamira
Shop: Hacienda la Trinidad: This renovated 18th-century tobacco-drying farmhouse now houses a cultural space that stocks books, soft furnishings and some of the country’s finest homeware.
haciendalatrinidad.org
Service: Jardín Altamar: With calla lilies, birds of paradise and spectacular bouquet presentation, this tropical florist supplies the city’s top establishments.
Transversal 4, Los Palos Grandes
Breakfast: Mercadito Los Palos Grandes: This street market next to Parque Cristal takes place every Saturday and serves hot cachapas (cheesy corn pancakes) and strong coffee from a long line of colourful stalls.
Avenida 3, Los Palos Grandes
Lunch: Altamar: This Portuguese seafood spot will take you back in time with its linen tablecloths and dessert trolleys. Look out for the cars with blacked-out windows parked outside.
Transversal 3, Altamira
Coffee: Centro de Arte Los Galpones: Lounge in the garden of this converted arts space and sample some of Venezuela’s most hard-to-source beans.
centrodeartelosgalpones.com
Drinks: 360: Best known for its panoramic views and rotating cast of expats, this rooftop bar has seen better days but still makes top – and potent – drinks.
Transversal 1, Los Palos Grandes
Geneva
Stay: Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues: The city may lack independent options but its Four Seasons outpost is a frontrunner with five-star service and lakeside views.
fourseasons.com
Buy: Bongénie Grieder: This outpost of the Swiss-owned luxury department store opened in 1891 and stocks a full wardrobe of men’s and women’s brands.
bongenie-grieder.ch
Service: Foound: A concept shop that also comprises a top hair salon, as well as an art gallery, bar and the Cla’Cycle bike workshop.
foound.ch
Breakfast: Chou: A pretty neighbourhood stop-off known for its choux pastries but also a purveyor of rich pour-over brews and perfectly judged eggs.
chougeneve.ch
Coffee: Café Paradiso: This handsome coffee-shop-cum-bar on the ground floor of a Rue des Bains townhouse stays open until the small hours on occasion.
cafeparadiso.ch
Drinks: Bottle Brothers: These twin bars sitting side by side – Petit Bottle and Grand Bottle – serve some of the best cocktails in town and offer a cracking selection of plates too.
bottlebrothers.ch
Philadelphia
Stay: WM Mulherin’s Sons: This hotel is tucked away in a 19th-century whiskey-bottling plant. Book early to nab one of their four rooms and be sure to stay for the homemade pizza.
wmmulherinssons.com
Buy: Rennes: Originally a small linen-and-leather-goods outfit, this atelier has grown to a bricks-and-mortar shop in the city’s Old Town and stocks a decent range of homeware.
rennes.us
Service: Vault + Vine: You’ll leave this mix of café and floral studio in the East Falls neighbourhood with a bouquet of local flowers, as well as a perfect flat white.
vaultandvine.co
Breakfast: Hungry Pigeon: Don’t let the name fool you: breakfast at the Hungry Pigeon won’t leave you peckish. Be sure to sample their scrapple: a Philadelphia delicacy that’s a Pennsylvania-Dutch riff on meatloaf.
hungrypigeon.com
Lunch: High Street on Market: The well-known – and well-loved – Eli Kulp spot has an in-house bakery and offers a selection of sumptuous sandwiches.
highstreetonmarket.com
Coffee: La Colombe Torrefaction: The flagship of a now beloved roaster and coffee shop is well stocked and boasts a refined menu.
lacolombe.com
Drinks: Hop Sing Laundromat: This upmarket Chinatown speakeasy may not be easy to find – or get into – but once you do the cocktails will win you over.
hopsinglaundromat.com
Phuket
Stay: Tha Naka Phuket: The resort’s cantilevered villas with private pools, designed by Duangrit Bunnag, overlook evergreen hills and a white-sand beach.
thenakaphuket.com
Service: Bookhemian: Pick out a title from the bookshop to peruse at Bookhemian’s café – a perfect post from which to admire the picturesque Sino-Portuguese architecture outside.
bookhemian.com
Breakfast: Chino Café Gallery: Try one of Chino’s plentiful breakfasts before browsing the knick-knacks for sale, and the contemporary artwork in the small gallery out back.
4 Thalang Road, Talad Yai
Lunch: Tu Kab Khao: Reservations are advised – as are the braised pork belly and crab curry with noodles. Expect long queues.
8 Phang NGA Road, Talad Nuea
Dessert: Torry’s Ice Cream: With a vast selection of flavours of the soft stuff on offer, including variants inspired by Thai desserts and seasonal fruits, there’s plenty here to keep you cool.
torrysicecream.com
Coffee: Hock Hoe Lee: The café began as a pit-stop for Phuket’s tin-mining workers in 1958. Today its third-generation owners continue the legacy of fresh-roasted coffee made with Thailand-grown beans.
hockhoelee.com
Drinks: Chalong Bay Rum Distillery: Follow the hourly tours to learn about Thai sugarcane, used to make Chalong Bay rum, which is distilled here. The journey is topped off with a cocktail infused with lemongrass, Thai sweet basil and kaffir lime.
chalongbayrum.com
Porto
Stay: My Home in Porto: This elegant three-room guesthouse boasts large, tranquil bedrooms festooned with family heirlooms, mementos and cute keepsakes. Plants abound and there’s a pretty garden in which to enjoy those warm spring breakfasts.
myhomeinporto.com
Buy: Earlymade: Run by brother and sister Emanuel and Patrícia Sousa, Earlymade clothes are either designed or made in Portugal, with labels including Maison Kitsuné, Folk and You Must Create.
earlymade.pt
Service: Lotarias Atlantico: Designed by architect Agostinho Ricca in 1959, this bijou newsagent retains its original black-and-white striped marble floor and offers a wide selection of international magazines.
8A Rua Sampaio Bruno
Breakfast: Zenith Brunch & Cocktails: A Portuguese breakfast is typically little more than a strong coffee and a sweet pastry. For a wider range try Zenith, where the menu includes pancakes, açaí bowls, smoothies and eggs any way you want them.
86 Praça de Carlos Alberto
Lunch: Casa de Chá da Boa Nova: A must for architecture fans and food-lovers alike, and one of Álvaro Siza Vieira’s first major commissions sits on the rocks by the shore and its seafood menu perfectly complements the location.
casadechadaboanova.pt
Coffee: Café Progresso: Founded in 1899, this is one of the oldest cafés in the city but it’s been tastefully updated and turns out excellent coffee.
cafeprogresso.com
