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Boubalé, Paris

One Saturday evening, we arrive at a quintessentially French 14th-century building in Paris’s Jewish quarter to visit a restaurant that serves Ashkenazi cuisine from Eastern Europe in a setting designed to look like a Russian summer house. Still with us? It’s a niche concept, granted, but one that has every table full and the airwavesContinue reading “Boubalé, Paris”

Palazzo Segreti, Milan

Rarely is something that calls itself a ‘secret’ actually a secret. But in the case of Palazzo Segreti, an 18-room boutique hotel right in the centre of Milan’s fashion district, we really have found a hidden gem. Located between the Sforza Castle and the Duomo – less than ten minutes walk from both – PalazzoContinue reading “Palazzo Segreti, Milan”

Bodegas Binifadet, Menorca

Spain’s Balearic islands sit directly in the path of the Tramontana wind – a northerly gust so powerful that it’s made its way into Catalan vernacular; the phrase “tocat per la Tramuntana” (touched by the Tramontana) is used to describe someone who is acting in an odd or disturbing way. The cold front also happensContinue reading “Bodegas Binifadet, Menorca”

Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh

In the world of luxury services, the Gleneagles brand needs no introduction. Hotel lovers everywhere waited with bated breath when Gleneagles announced the opening of a city centre outpost in Edinburgh in 2022, and the Gleneagles Townhouse has fast become one of the UK’s favourite boutique destinations. We wanted to see for ourselves what allContinue reading “Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh”

Raphaëlle’s B&B, Bruges

On this trip to Bruges we are staying with family. It’s not our own family though; we’re staying at the family-run Raphaëlle’s B&B, located mere steps from the main market square of Bruges. Raphaëlle’s is a super boutique hotel with just five rooms and sits within a traditional Bruges townhouse and former doctor’s surgery. AContinue reading “Raphaëlle’s B&B, Bruges”

Pollicastro Boutique Hotel, Puglia

Pollicastro Boutique Hotel is one of those places you know is going to be special before you’ve even stepped through the door. It might be something to do with the hordes of tourists leaning over a stanchion rope to take pictures of its impressive atrium lobby. From the outside, Pollicastro feels more like a museumContinue reading “Pollicastro Boutique Hotel, Puglia”

Villa Montesquieu, Laudun-l’Ardoise

Sometimes the most pleasant experiences are those which happen upon you by surprise, when expectations are particularly low. One such happy accident was a stay at Villa Montesquieu in the sleepy town of Laudun-l’Ardoise, l’Occitanie in the south-west of France. Having arrived at our rented villa to find that it wasn’t as described in theContinue reading “Villa Montesquieu, Laudun-l’Ardoise”