STAY > Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastián Spain (18/20)

The Maria Cristina is a grande dame whose very walls seem to hum with the glamour and history of San Sebastián’s Belle Époque. Built in 1912 and named for the Spanish queen who summered here, the Maria Cristina is more than a place to sleep: it’s a living stage for the city’s most elegant moments.…

ByCrispyJuly 26, 20250Comments

DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir DRINK > WINE

WINE > Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago NZ (2021)

There are Pinots that gently introduce themselves, and then there are Pinots that make the room go quiet for a moment: Valli’s Bannockburn sits firmly among the latter. Bannockburn, the original Central Otago subregion for Pinot Noir, is famed for clay-schist soils and sun drenched, cool-climate vines—and winemaker Grant Taylor’s assured touch means every bottle…

ByCrispyJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > NYC

EAT > Cosme, New York (18/20)

Some restaurants in Manhattan are just looking for a crowd. Cosme, though—Cosme feels like it was built with the city in mind: restless, inventive, and impossible not to love, at least if you know what you’re looking for. Step into this Flatiron institution, the music’s up, the crowd’s dressed, the mezcal’s cold—and you just know…

ByCrispyJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Maison Bâtard, Melbourne (16/20)

Aspiring to Parisian grandeur is some what expected in Australia's French restaurants, but Maison Bâtard takes it to a new level, four of them actually. An unabashed, four-level reverie to la belle France, right on Bourke Street. It is here, amongst velvet, marble, and spirited conversation, that a chap might imagine himself on the Right…

BySimonJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld VIC (19/20)

There are restaurants that feel like a pilgrimage—Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel is one of them. Set at the foot of the Grampians in Dunkeld, Wickens is not just a meal, but a masterclass in the art of place-driven dining. Here, the landscape is more than a backdrop: it’s the main ingredient. AMBIENCE > Descending…

ByCrispyJuly 14, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Kafeneion Emeis, Melbourne (15/20)

Once upon a time Lonsdale Street was home to Melbournes Greek community and was thick with restaurants and cafes. Today however most are gone, out to the suburbs leaving most people to believe that there are few choices in the CBD other than Stalactites (the greasy late night diner). Kafeneion Emeis, perched…

ByCrispyJuly 12, 20250Comments

EAT > ATHENS EAT > GREECE

EAT > Wine is Fine, Athens Greece (14/20)

Wine Is Fine, is a French-inspired wine haven tucked into a sidestreet in the heart of Athens’ historic triangle. This is where the city’s new wave of food and wine lovers gather: a place that feels both cosmopolitan and quietly local, with a crowd that spills from white-clothed tables onto the pavement as the evening…

ByAngieJuly 6, 20250Comments

EAT > ATHENS EAT > GREECE

EAT > Merceri, Athens Greece (16/20)

There are restaurants in Athens that lean on nostalgia, and those that chase the latest culinary trends. Then there’s Merceri: a quietly confident bistro in the heart of Thissio, where Greek tradition meets cosmopolitan flair and the result is something genuinely memorable. AMBIENCE > Tucked away on the pedestrian stretch of Iraklidon Street, Merceri…

ByCrispyJune 29, 20250Comments

DRINK > ATHENS DRINK > GREECE

DRINK > Materia Prima, Athens (15/20)

Tucked away in the lively neighbourhoods of Koukaki and Pagrati, Materia Prima is the kind of wine bar that quietly redefines what it means to drink well in Athens. Here, the city’s creative pulse meets a deep reverence for the craft of wine, making it a must for anyone who believes a glass should…

ByAngieJune 21, 20250Comments

EAT > ATHENS EAT > ITALY EAT > GREECE

EAT > Gallina, Athens Greece (16/20)

There are restaurants in Athens that lean on history, there are restaurants that lean on the view, and then there’s Gallina—a cosmopolitan newcomer that stands at the intersection of art, design, and gastronomy. Tucked away in the Acropolis-adjacent neighbourhood of Koukaki, Gallina is the kind of place where every detail, from the marble mosaic floors…

ByAngieJune 21, 20250Comments

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