Some of our personal favourites.
The hotels, restaurants and experiences we’d happily send our own friends to. Short notes, just the basics and the highlights.
Every entry is written by us from the venue’s own published information and recognised independent guides. Each page lists its sources and the month its facts were last checked.
137 places
7Pines Resort Ibiza
Every terrace faces Es Vedrà. Sunset is effectively on the agenda.
Airelles Courchevel, Les Airelles
Painted murals, Nobu on the menu and the piste outside. Alpine restraint, it isn't.
Airelles Palladio, Venice
A Palladio facade, four star chefs and St Mark's across the water. Subtle, it isn't.
Akademie Street Boutique Hotel
Nine suites, four pools and a breakfast with a reputation. Dinner is a stroll away.
Three Michelin stars (2026)Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen
Three stars upstairs, eight salons for everyone else. A Paris table that scales.
Amalur
A 1981 institution, redressed by a Starck. Open when everyone else isn't.
Amante
A clifftop table above a cove. Lunch may become dinner.
One MICHELIN Star (2026 guide)Andreu Genestra
Mediterranean tasting menus, picked that morning from the chef's own garden.
Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel
Orange groves, a 43-metre pool and a farm that feeds the kitchen.
Biolea Astrikas Estate
Stone-milled olive oil, a chef's table and a lesson in liquid gold.
Bodegas Can Rich
Vines, olive trees and a terrace tasting. Ibiza, slowed right down.
One MICHELIN Star (2026)Bohemia
Twenty-two years of Michelin stars, and still showing off nicely.
Cabrera National Park by boat
Spain's largest national park, a hilltop castle and very few other people.
Cala Bassa Beach Club
Three restaurants, one turquoise cove, and no good reason to leave the beach.
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)Can Ferrereta
Seventeenth-century bones, Miró and Plensa in the house, market day outside.
One Michelin Key (2026)Canaves Oia Epitome
The rare Santorini address where the sunset comes with elbow room.
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)Cap Rocat
A sea fortress that never saw battle, now winning every argument for staying in.
Two MICHELIN Keys (MICHELIN Guide)Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel
Still Cape Grace, now under Fairmont. Same private quay, same mountain in the window.
Listed in the Michelin GuideCasa Jondal
A beach bar in name only. The fish is the headline act.
One MICHELIN Key (2026)Castell Son Claret
A castle, 132 private hectares and a Michelin star. Discretion included.
Champers
South-coast seafood with the surf below and a gallery upstairs.
Château de Versailles: private hire and after-hours events
Dinner for 650 where Louis XIV once held court. The seating plan is the easy part.
Château Lynch-Bages: cellar visits and tasting courses
A Pauillac grand cru with a village attached. Lunch is never far from the tasting.
The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 …Claridge's
Two centuries of practice at making very important guests feel slightly more important.
Classic Harbor Line
Teak, mahogany and the Statue of Liberty at sunset. The 1920s never looked so sober, or so well stocked.
Five AA Red StarsCliveden House
Built for a mistress in 1666; discretion has been house policy ever since.
Cobblers Cove
Forty suites, one Great House, and absolutely no reason to leave.
Colony Club, a Luxury Collection Resort
A 1930s seaside house, newly polished, with a rum vault downstairs.
Coral Reef Club
Family-run since the 1950s, and every guest is treated like a cousin.
Three Michelin stars (2026 guide)Core by Clare Smyth
Three Michelin stars, zero stuffiness, and British produce treated like visiting royalty.
Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villas
A whole cove, two ballrooms and nobody wondering where the beach is.
De Tokio a Lima Valldemossa
Ceviche, pisco and a front-row seat on the Cartuja.
Three MICHELIN Keys, MICHELIN Gu…Delaire Graff Estate
A diamantaire's wine estate, where even the cheetah in the garden is a bronze.
Two Michelin stars (MICHELIN Gui…Delta
Twelve courses, two stars and a view that does the small talk for you.
Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Corfu
The Onassis family's old summer playground, now strictly for grown-ups.
Listed in the Michelin GuideEs Boldado
Fish, rice and Es Vedrà, at the end of a dirt track.
One MICHELIN Star (2026 guide)Es Fum
A sea-view terrace, a forty-country tasting menu and cheese they make themselves.
Estate Argyros
Two-hundred-year-old vines, volcanic soil and a Vinsanto that ends arguments.
The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 …Estelle Manor
Members' club glamour, Cotswolds-edge parkland, and a Roman bathhouse for the hangover.
Four FNL Guide stars (2024, 2025…Etrusco
Greece's best restaurant, by popular verdict, under an old mulberry tree.
Forbes Travel Guide Recommended …Fairmont Royal Pavilion
Every room on the sand, so nobody argues about the sea view.
Ferrocarril de Sóller
Wooden carriages, a mountain tunnel and Sóller's orange groves since 1912.
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (f…Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
A private peninsula, three beaches, and the Parthenon half an hour away.
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor
A pine-fringed peninsula, a kilometre of beach and a ballroom for 400.
Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró a Mallorca
Miró's own studio, his tools still in place. Bring the board.
Galimard Studio des Fragrances: perfume-creation workshop
Everyone leaves with a signature scent. Nobody leaves with the same one.
Goodwood Motor Circuit
Where the board finally settles who really is the fastest decision-maker.
Tassili listed in the MICHELIN G…Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa
A seafront grande dame with a private cinema up her sleeve.
Grand Prix Plaza
The Formula 1 pit building, with karts, simulators and a grid you can dine on.
Le Cap: one Michelin star (2026)Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel
Seventeen acres of gardens, one seawater pool, and absolutely no reason to leave.
Listed in the Michelin Guide's h…Hacienda Na Xamena
A cliff, a sea view and hot tubs that cascade into each other.
Two Michelin Keys (2026)Ham Yard Hotel
A Soho hideaway with a bowling alley, a cinema and zero sense of restraint.
Harrison's Cave Eco-Adventure Park
Ride a tram through coral limestone caverns, then zip-line over the gully.
Harry's Bar
The small Venetian room that gave the world the Bellini, carpaccio and a very long guest list.
Two Michelin Keys (2026)Heckfield Place
A Georgian country house that grows its own dinner and hosts your board.
Three Michelin stars (2026 guide)Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
Gascon soul, Mayfair manners and three Michelin stars on one very polished plate.
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
A neo-Gothic flour mill that now runs Venice's biggest conferences, with the highest bar in town for the debrief.
One Michelin star – OroHotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel
Five minutes from St Mark's by boat, and a world away from the queue for it.
The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 …Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
An eighteenth-century palace that still knows exactly how to throw a party.
Jersey Seafaris
Seals, sandbanks and a reef with a population of roughly nobody.
Jersey Walk Adventures
Walk on the seabed to an 18th-century tower. Back before the tide, ideally.
Juan y Andrea
Arrive by boat, order the fish, forget the time.
Three Michelin stars (2026)L'Assiette Champenoise
Three stars, one family and the best excuse yet to stay another night in Reims.
L'Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa
The tide comes in, the tide goes out, and nobody checks their email.
Three Michelin stars (2026)L'Oustau de Baumanière
Eighty years of three-star Provence, served under the limestone cliffs of Les Baux.
One Michelin star (Michelin Guid…La Gaia
The island's Michelin star, served with a view of the marina.
La Mare Wine Estate
Wine, gin, cider brandy and black butter. Designate a driver early.
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel
Where Deià's artists once lingered, and your leadership team will too.
Three Michelin stars (2026)La Vague d'Or – Cheval Blanc St-Tropez
Saint-Tropez after dark, with three stars and the sea doing the background music.
Lake Vouliagmeni
A warm, mineral lake under a cliff, twenty kilometres from Syntagma.
Three MICHELIN stars (MICHELIN G…Le Bernardin
Three Michelin stars, four New York Times stars, and the fish is still the star of the plate.
Leiths School of Food and Wine
Team building where the KPIs are crisp pastry and a properly rested steak.
La Grand'Vigne: two Michelin sta…Les Sources de Caudalie
Grand cru vineyards outside, grape-seed scrubs inside. Bordeaux takes its wine seriously.
Two Michelin Keys (2026)Lime Wood
A Regency country house deep in the forest, with one of England's great spas.
Lío Ibiza
Dinner at nine, a show by dessert, and a dance floor by midnight.
MICHELIN Key (2026)Longueville Manor
A manor house that has had several centuries to perfect the welcome.
One MICHELIN Star (2026 guide)Maca de Castro
No background music, no fashions, just the north of Mallorca on a plate.
Macià Batle
Wine with Gilbert & George on the label, a short hop from Palma.
Maison Ruinart: crayères visit and private tastings
The oldest Champagne house, forty metres down. Bring a jumper and an appetite.
One MICHELIN Star (2026 guide)Marc Fosh
A 17th-century convent, Michelin-starred tasting menus and a patio built for long lunches.
Listed in the MICHELIN GuideMark Jordan at the Beach
Sand on the shoes, skate on the plate, and the bay doing the rest.
Maverick Helicopters
Champagne on the canyon floor, home in time for dinner on the Strip.
Member of Relais & ChâteauxMirador de Dalt Vila
Twelve rooms inside a UNESCO fortress. The neighbours are very old.
Three Michelin stars (2026)Mirazur
Former world's best restaurant, current owner of the Riviera's most persuasive view.
Mont Orgueil Castle
Eight centuries of defending Jersey. One evening of hosting your dinner.
Mount Gay Rum Distillery and Visitor Centre
Rum since 1703. Consider it research.
Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2…Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay
Nobu for dinner, Dalt Vila across the water, sand underfoot.
Listed in the MICHELIN GuideOcean at The Atlantic Hotel
White tablecloths, rolling waves, and a dessert worth rearranging flights for.
One MICHELIN Key (MICHELIN Guide)One&Only Cape Town
Table Mountain out front, a private island out back, and Nobu in between.
Listed in the MICHELIN GuideOyster Box
Order the rock oysters, then pretend you came for the view.
Peskesi
Farm to table, table to farm, and an EU Organic Award to prove it.
Three Michelin stars (2026)Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris
Where the sauce gets top billing and the guest list follows.
Pro Gun Vegas
Desert air, mountain views and a safety briefing that comes first.
The World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 …Raffles London at The OWO
Churchill's old office, now with better sheets and a Guerlain spa.
Rainbow Room
Sixty-five floors up, the dance floor still turns. Some traditions are worth keeping.
Rathfinny Wine Estate
Champagne-style chalk, South Downs views, and sparkling wine without the passport control.
Le Royal: one Michelin star (2026)Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
Every room faces the vineyards. Pacing yourself is entirely optional.
Listed in the MICHELIN GuideSamphire
Blue velour, yellow leather, Jersey oysters. Nobody here is shy.
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ho…Sandy Lane
The Caribbean's grande dame, still setting the dress code since 1961.
One MICHELIN Key (2026)Sant Francesc Hotel Singular
An 1860 mansion with a rooftop pool and Palma at your feet.
Santa Marina, a Luxury Collection Resort, Mykonos
Mykonos on your own terms, with a private peninsula as the buffer.
Scorpios Mykonos
Lunch that starts at two and ends with a sunset ritual. Naturally.
Scott's
Oysters, Dover sole and the best people-watching on Mount Street since 1967.
Sea Shed
Toes in the sand, rosé in hand, and lunch that quietly becomes sunset.
Seaduced Barbados
Turtles, bubbles and a crew who know every bay. Consider yourself Seaduced.
Selene
Forty years of Santorini on a plate, now inside a former monastery.
Silver Moon Luxury Catamaran Cruises
Twelve guests, open bar, sea turtles. The maths works.
Six Senses Ibiza
Cave suites, a cliffside spa and a farm near Santa Gertrudis.
Three Michelin stars (2026 guide)sketch (The Lecture Room & Library)
Three Michelin stars upstairs, a pink fever dream downstairs, and nobody leaves early.
Smart Charter Ibiza: yacht day to Formentera
Turquoise water, a crew who knows the coves, and lunch on Illetes.
Sphere
A screen you sit inside, and a building you can borrow.
One Michelin star (MICHELIN Guid…Spondi
Athens' grande dame of fine dining, still holding court under the vines.
St Brelade's Bay Hotel
Five acres of garden, two pools, one beach. Nobody is fighting for a sunlounger.
St Nicholas Abbey
A 1658 Jacobean mansion, a steam train and single-cask rum. Naturally.
Sublimotion
Twelve seats, one table, and a dinner that refuses to sit still.
Listed in the MICHELIN GuideSumas
Harbour views, a heated terrace and a fruits de mer platter. Cancel the afternoon.
Sunset Cala Conta
Facing west, on purpose. The sun does the rest.
The Acropolis Museum: after-hours tours and venue hire
The Parthenon frieze after closing time, then dinner facing the real thing.
The Atlantic Hotel
Golf on one side, the Atlantic on the other, dinner somewhere gloriously between.
The Atlantis Historic Inn
Sunday buffet, Atlantic breakers, and a view that silences the table.
The Chef Exclusive Service: private chef and villa dining
The best table on Ibiza might be the one on your own terrace.
The Cliff
Clifftop tables above the sea. Bring an appetite and the corporate card.
The Crane
Clifftop since 1887, with the island's most photographed beach below.
Three Michelin stars (2026 guide)The Fat Duck
Lunch as a theatre production, with Heston Blumenthal as writer and director.
The Fish Pot
Fresh catch in an old fort, where the tide sets the pace.
The Grill
The room that gave the world the power lunch. The prime rib arrives on a trolley.
The House, Barbados
Like staying at a generous friend's house, with the bar always open.
The London Eye – Private Pod
Thirty minutes, 135 metres up, and a meeting room overlooking Parliament.
The Lone Star
A former petrol station that now runs on rosé and grilled lobster.
One MICHELIN Key (MICHELIN Guide)The Peninsula New York
A Beaux-Arts landmark on Fifth Avenue, freshly polished, with one of Midtown's finest rooftops on top.
One Michelin star (2026 guide)The River Café
London's Italian icon, where a Thames-side terrace table is the hardest-won seat.
The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino
Olive groves, Ionian sunsets and a conference centre hiding in plain sight.
The Royal Yacht
Harbour views, a champagne bar and a nightclub downstairs. Pace yourselves.
The Tides
Dinner at the water's edge, with an art gallery for the interval.
Michelin Guide: Three KeysVilla La Coste
A vineyard, a sculpture park and 31 suites. Culture has never felt so restful.
Two MICHELIN Stars (2026 guide)Voro
Mallorca's only two-star table, and well worth the drive east.
One MICHELIN Star (2026 guide)Zaranda
Eighteen courses, three rooms and one very persuasive Madrileño in Palma.