Located in the stylish Bairro Alto, this lively restaurant draws a well-heeled crowd for the modern Portuguese dishes of Bosnian-born chef Ljubomir Stanisic. Stanisic creates intriguing tasting menus that change constantly, but run to dishes such as sautéed foie gras in chestnut flour with a Muscatel-pineapple reduction, and pistachio-crusted goat with quinoa.
Overview
From Andrew Harper
Even in an age of globalization, the great cities of Europe are more than mere tourist destinations; they are integral to American history and culture. Many of us fall hopelessly in love with the street market on the Rue de Buci, Sunday strolls through the Jardins des Luxembourg and the incomparable view upstream from the Pont des Arts. But for others, it is the shimmer on the surface of the Venetian lagoon, or the wisteria-draped townhouses of London’s Georgian squares that generate the same visceral attraction.
But despite the ancient stones, time on the old continent moves at the same restless pace as elsewhere. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, Europe has changed dramatically. Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltic States are now part of the European Union, the boundaries of which stretch from Portugal to the western edge of Russia. For the American traveler, this has brought a wealth of new opportunities. There are now luxury hotels in places as far apart as Tallinn and Dubrovnik. And Berlin itself, the Reichstag now crowned by Norman Foster’s extraordinary glass dome, has recovered its place as one of the continent’s most important and culturally vibrant cities.
Hotels
All recommended hotels in Europe
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Hotel Schloss Monchstein Romanic 24-room 14th-century manor house-hotel surrounded by a wooded park and gardens atop an escarpment overlooking the old quarters of the city (reached via a nearby funicular). |
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Imperial Hotels Austria AG - Hotel Goldener Hirsch Patrician 69-room hotel in a structure dating from 1407, ideally located at the heart of Salzburg with immediate access to the maze of shopping promenades by Festival Hall, and near Mozart’s house. |
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Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa Stunningly sited and newly renovated resort enclave crowning wooded peninsula of scenic alpine lake, 30 minutes east of Salzburg. |
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Gasthof Post Captivating chalet-style hotel surrounded by alpine meadows in a scenic Arlberg mountain village near St. Anton, 90 minutes west of Innsbruck. |
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Hotel Tennerhof Family-owned hotel overlooking the resort town of Kitzbühel. |
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Hotel Zur Tenne Refined manor house-hotel in the heart of renowned winter/summer resort near fashionable shops and sporting facilities. |
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Hoteldorf Gruner Baum Hospitable village-style enclave in a striking mountain setting bordering Hohe Tauern National Park, 90 minutes south of Salzburg. |
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Hotel Bristol Beautifully appointed Old World hotel opposite the Opera House and next to Vienna’s main pedestrian-only shopping zone, as well as near many of the city’s attractions. |
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Hotel Imperial Stately and elegantly refurbished Italian neo-Renaissance palace-hotel adjacent to the Musikverein Concert Hall, in a fashionable downtown district near the Opera House. |
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Hotel Sacher Wien Evocative 152-room hotel (home to the original Sachertorte) facing the Opera House, within easy walking distance of many of Vienna’s attractions. |
Villas
All recommended villas in Europe
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Villa Jasmine An impeccably presented and stylish villa located just outside of St. Tropez. Cote d'Azur |
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Vue de La Mer The impressive five-story, contemporary villa, set in an exclusive position on the Côte d'Azur with breathtaking views of the Cap d'Antibes, is fully air-conditioned and well-equipped for a stylish gathering with family and friends. Cote d'Azur |
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Mas du Luberon This private villa in a fairy-tale Provence setting is ideal for both small and large groups. Provence |
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Villa Barbet A charming Provencal villa set in its own private grounds, within walking distance of one of the region's most famous villages, Bonnieux. Provence |
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Villa del Mare Wonderfully maintained coastal retreat with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Naples and Capri Island. Amalfi Coast |
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La Fornace La Fornace is a stunning farmhouse with spectacular views over the Tuscan countryside. Tuscany |
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La Limonaia This pair of charming converted farmhouses with beautiful gardens is centrally located to explore the wonders of Tuscany, and offer flexible accommodation ideal for a group of friends or a family villa holiday. Tuscany |
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Villa di Panzano Villa di Panzano lies deep in the Tuscan countryside in the Chianti region amid vineyards, cypress trees and rolling green hills. Chianti |
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Villa Il Sogno A beautiful country road with pristine views leads up to the two-story villa situated on 3 acres of property. Fiesole |
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Villa La Tenuta A charming Tuscan farmhouse ideal for a family villa vacation. A generously sized interior and large grounds easily accommodate up to 12 guests and the services of a cook for six days every week make for a very comfortable holiday villa. Tuscany |
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Dining
All recommended restaurants in Europe
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100 MANEIRAS
Rua do Teixeira 35
Lisbon
1200
Portugal
US$100
21212
The restaurant’s name comes from Chef Paul Kitching’s five-course menu, which offers two choices for starter, main course and dessert, with one selection each for the intervening soup and cheese. Representative dishes have included, as a starter, slowly baked smoked haddock with smoked salmon, Thai sweet corn and saffron-egg pancakes; and as a main, roast lamb with lentils, leeks, mushrooms, merguez sausage, morels and glazed lemons. The restaurant is set in a restored Georgian townhouse and there are four handsome rooms upstairs for overnight stays.
3 Royal Terrace
Edinburgh,
SC
EH7 5AB
United Kingdom
See map: Google Maps
US$100
ABAC
Chef Jordi Cruz was the youngest Spanish chef ever to win a Michelin star, at the restaurant Estany Clar. In this sleek, stylish space, Cruz, a culinary celebrity in Catalonia, showcases local produce in dishes such as scallops on potato blinis, lobster Bolognese, roasted octopus with a shrimp emulsion, and roasted baby lamb with vanilla.
Avenida Tibidabo 1
Barcelona
08022
Spain
US$125
AGATA E ROMEO
Husband-and-wife team Agata Parisella and Romeo Caraccio fuse contemporary cuisine with venerable Roman traditions. Dishes include ravioli filled with braised oxtail, the simple yet simply delicious spaghetti with grated Pecorino cheese and black pepper, Mediterranean scorpion fish with a potato foam and sea urchins, and rich braised veal cheek with a parsnip purée.
Via Carlo Alberto 45
Rome
00185
Italy
US$110
AKELARE
Chef Pedro Subijana Reza was one of the founders of the New Basque cooking movement. We sampled the “Arakori” menu, which began with oysters in an edible “shell,” and continued with a fricassee of wild mushrooms with powdered nuts and a soy mayonnaise, turbot with mussels and lentils, succulent Iberian pork, rhubarb sorbet with candied herbs, and a rolled cake with a mulberry sauce and milk meringue. The contemporary dining room offers memorable views of the Bay of Biscay.
Paseodel Padre Orcolaga 56, Igueldo
San Sebastián
20008
Spain
US$145
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée
Featuring a glamorous dove-gray décor and a ceiling glittering with 10,000 suspended pieces of cut crystal (the work of young French interior designer Patrick Jouin), the Paris restaurant of globe-trotting chef Alain Ducasse offers a grand slam experience of contemporary French haute cuisine, with some of the best service in the world and a remarkable wine list. Ducasse himself is not in the kitchen, but his lieutenant Christophe Saintagne creates delicious dishes such as langoustines napped with crème fraiche and caviar, turbot with shellfish and Swiss chard, and one of my favorite desserts in the world, caillé de brebis, caramel, poivre, or fresh ewe’s milk cheese with caramel and pepper. A real pomp-and-circumstance address with an international clientele, it’s also ideal for a special-occasion meal or a long, leisurely lunch.
Hôtel Plaza-Athénée, 25 avenue Montaigne (8e)
Paris
75008
France
US$250, with fixed menus priced higher
ALATSI
The famously healthy cooking of Crete, with its use of olive oil, vegetables, fruit and yogurt, is popular in Athens, and Alatsi is the place to sample this cuisine at its finest. Watch for chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos’ fine dolmadakia (grape leaves stuffed with rice and Cretan herbs); gamopilafo, a pilaf made with chicken and lamb in a rich stock and ewe’s milk butter; snails boubouristi (fried in olive oil, vinegar and rosemary); and cabbage rice with smoked pork.
Vrasida 13
Athens
11528
Greece
US$50
ALTA TABERNA PACO MERALGO
Conveniently located in the central Eixample neighborhood, this attractive modern tapas bar with oak tables and good lighting takes reservations and most of the staff speak English, making it much easier to enjoy the excellent selection of tapas. Try the pan con tomate, the delicious Catalan specialty of toasted bread dressed with olive oil, crushed fresh tomato and a little garlic; sautéed baby clams; tortilla Espanola (potato-filled omelet); and tuna belly dressed with sesame oil and soy sauce.
Muntaner 171
Barcelona
08036
Spain
US$50
Amaya
This elegant restaurant draws a well-dressed crowd for some of the very best Indian food in the world. Chefs working in the attractive open kitchen prepare wonderful dishes such as lobster in masala sauce, chicken biryani, and a sublime pomegranate sorbet for dessert.
Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street, SW1.
London
SW1X 8JT
United Kingdom
See map: Google Maps
US$65
ANTICA TRATTORIA DELLA PESA
With a handsome Belle Epoque interior, this friendly restaurant with professional service is where the Milanese come for local comfort food such as riso al salto, a crispy pancake of saffron-flavored rice; osso buco; and a first-rate cotoletta Milanese (a flattened veal chop dredged in bread crumbs and fried). Desserts include caramelized apple cake and an excellent zabaione.
Viale Pasubio 10
Milan
20154
Italy
US$65
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Special Offers
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