hong kong: bo innovation

One of Hong Kong's most prominent purveyors of molecular gastronomy, Bo Innovation in Wan Chai is a bright, bustling New York-style restaurant. The staff are attentive, eager (over-eager?) and clearly very excited by the food. While my dining companion has since declared himself "over" molecular food, I enjoyed the meal, although I didn't find any dish to be particularly mind-blowing...

warsaw: u kucharzy

U Kucharzy, or the Kitchen, is just that, a restaurant set up inside the kitchen of the old Hotel Europjski in downtown Warsaw. One of the Gessler family venues, this bustling eatery is an homage to the frenetic energy and hard work that goes on behind the scenes in any restaurant kitchen. Here the cooks are the stars...

new york city: kava cafe

New addition to the far West Village, Kava Cafe is located just across the street from the stairs leading up to the Highline. It's a very stylish Art Deco-rated coffee bar that serves up a mean cappuccino- perfectly balanced and not bitter at all, as well as a small menu of pastries and sandwiches. The true test, (although certainly not one for the purists) the de-caf latte, was also delicious, creamy and rich without any hint of that awful de-caf taste.  Check it out...

barcelona: ohla hotel

We were lucky enough to christen Barcelona's Ohla Hotel with a stay in its very first week open. Located in the heart of the city, it's a beautiful space with a sleek bar and restaurant on the ground floor and a rooftop pool. The staff were eager and helpful, particularly the bartenders who whipped up a killer pisco sour. Rooms were nice but... 

barcelona: the mandarin oriental

Like walking into an elegantly design spaceship, the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona is smack in the middle of the Passeig de Gracia. The lobby is a beautiful version of what hotel lobbies will look like in the space age- warm, modern and sleek.  The bar is a bit cramped but it's dark and sexy, and serves up the best mojito I've ever tasted...