Bulgaria is a destination that’s been somewhat overlooked thanks to the reputation of boozy Brits abroad, but Sea Sense seeks to repair some of the damage done. Sitting pretty at the southern end of the country along the fringes of the Black Sea, this boutique hotel features just 12 rooms and oozes all the exclusivity that comes with an island retreat.
Each suite boasts a balcony and sea views, and is adorned with rustic furnishings made from natural materials. By day plunge into the infinity pool overlooking the azure waters and golden sands, and by dusk wander the cobbled streets lined with wooden houses throughout this ancient seaside town, once ruled by the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
In the depths of Helsinki, you can meet Jackie, a real Finish beauty. She has a moody aesthetic with steely forest-green walls, marble tabletops and 60s-inspired timber furniture, accompanied by a single tan leather sofa that runs the length of one wall. Her gold-trimmed bar will lead you to her finest poisons, but what you’ll love most about Jackie is her ability to transport you back to the eras of 60s Italian lounge and 70s French cosmic disco.
That’s the true inspiration of Jackie’s sublime design and soul. Jackie offers a variety of wines, accompanied by a selection of pizzas created by Antto Melasniemi, a food visionary who blends his interests of design, music and art and weaves them into culinary masterpieces. And if you were wondering why Jackie…it’s named after 60s pop icon Scott Morgan’s 1967 song.
Plump for a two-headed beast of a night with a visit to the Jane in Copenhagen’s oldest neighbourhood, Indre By. As dusk falls, curl up with friends on Chesterfield sofas in a fireplace-filled corner lined with leather-bound tomes and lit by candlelight. The bar’s wood panelling, leather upholstery, moody tones and vintage-style artwork lend a Mad Men feel – and that is exactly the intention. But when the clock strikes midnight and the expertly crafted negronis are coursing through your veins, compelling you to move, there’s another world to infiltrate.
Creep behind the sliding bookshelf to shimmy up beside the DJ on the dance floor, where it’s modern warehouse rave vibes all the way. Whether you want to chink glasses over quiet D&Ms or boogie while a giant mural of a horned Patrick Swayze stares you down, there’s a space for everyone at the Jane.
No need to scale Everest for a dose of Himalayan hospitality – there’s a Nepalese hill station plonked in the heart of Broadway Market. Tooting’s tiniest tavern pays homage to intrepid trekkers, with a range of cocktails guaranteed to elevate your spirits without inducing vertigo. Reach new heights with Hillary’s Hibiscus (rum shaken with hibiscus syrup and fresh lemon juice, topped with prosecco), or sample some Yak’s Milk (Yunnan tea, whiskey, tamarind paste, egg white, lemon juice and, thankfully, no actual yak’s milk).
Worked up an appetite? Dial the chef directly on the retro Bakelite phone for a flat iron steak burger or mountain cheese platter. If your pockets are almost clean, partake in the Abominable Happy Hour (6 to 7pm) for buy one, get one free cocktail.
Take a step back in time at Berlin’s Paris Bar. Beneath its glowing neon sign, artworks by German artist Martin Kippenberger adorn almost every surface of the bar’s interior, which was once the haunt of many A-list artists, actors and rock stars, including Madonna, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Yoko Ono.
Paris Bar is also the place of the infamous 1979 Rolling Stone interview with an inebriated David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and where Iggy drunkenly rolled around in the snow outside. It serves classical French cuisine and while a visit here is accompanied by a somewhat hefty price tag, it’s still worth sitting with the locals among the bar’s rich old-world glamour, admiring the art that decorates the walls and, if you’re lucky, rubbing shoulders with a celebrity.
Everest and Mont Blanc are synonymous with hiking glory but the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria are not only in league with these champions, they’re also far less trodden. Settle in with a guided tour of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, followed by a light walk up Vitosha Mountain for spectacular city views. From here, the challenge begins.
Navigate woodland to the glittering Strashnoto and Urdini lakes; scramble to the summit of Mount Musala, the Balkans’ highest peak at 2925 metres, where rugged green vistas stretch for miles; and scale the rocky trails of Mount Malyovitsa, bunking down at the legendary Ivan Vazov mountain refuge for the night. Make your final descent to the tenth-century Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and wander among its striking architecture and art while giving thanks for Mother Nature’s incredible creations.
Walking into Amsterdam’s Bar Botanique is like entering a botanist’s paradise; there’s so much green you’d be forgiven for thinking you had left the Netherlands and arrived in the jungle. Designed by interior designers Studio Modijefsky, this Dutch cafe turned all-day bar has been revamped into a chic open space.
Pink feature walls stand in contrast to the myriad greens throughout. Double-storey windows make up the facade of the corner building, allowing light to spill in over the dreamy palms, ferns and monsteras that hang from the railings, ceilings and walls. Open from 9am, Bar Botanique serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with menus that include a healthy array of vegetarian options, accompanied by wine, cocktails, tonics and, of course, plenty of beers.
In a bid to escape the bedlam of Los Angeles, a move to Berlin in the late 70s would be a pivotal experience for David Bowie. While living on Haupstrasse in the quiet district of Schöneberg, he once described his experience of the city to Uncut magazine as a place of “virtual anonymity” and could often be found popping into cafe Neues Ufer for an espresso. The cafe’s name means ‘The New Side’ (formerly it was Anderes Ufer, aka ‘The Other Side’). Coincidence? We think not. During his self-imposed exile, he penned the enduring hit Heroes, which was inspired by a young couple kissing against the Berlin Wall, a moment he was said to have witnessed from a window in Kreuzberg’s Hansa recording studio (he would later reveal the couple was his producer, Tony Visconti, and his girlfriend).
Today, Neues Ufer is one of Berlin’s oldest gay cafes and retains its original ambience, with the addition of a few photos of the famous rockstar. Join the Bowie Berlin Walk by Berlin Music Tours where you’ll discover his other haunts in the Kreuzberg and Mitte districts before finishing off with a bevvy at this enduring favourite.
Beneath the historic vineyards of Épernay in the Champagne district
is a series of winding tunnels and hidden caves dug into the chalk. Some date back to Roman times and, apart from a period during World War I when the townspeople hid there to flee the conflict, they’ve been used to store and mature bottles of the region’s famous sparkling wine. Until recently this labyrinth below UNESCO World Heritage-listed Avenue de Champagne was mostly off limits to the average punter. That’s now changing, with more maisons opening their doors. That includes Champagne Boizel, which has been in the same family for five generations and offers English-language tours of its tunnels at 11.30am and 4pm from Tuesday to Saturday. When you’re done, head to Atelier 1834, Boizel’s wine bar, where you can sip on its exceptional offerings by the glass. boizel.com
It would take you at least 90 minutes to drive from Darwin to the Lodge at Dundee, the bar at the local holiday park in this remote, seaside town. In one of Airborne Solutions’ helicopters though, you’ll be ordering your first icy beer in a mere 25 minutes having taken in some pretty speccy views of the NT coastline along the way. And that’s just the beginning of your day on a seven-hour Heli Pub Crawl that takes in five memorable Top End establishments. Interesting locals with tall tales, some of the country’s more colourful publicans and even a wildlife encounter – one of the stops is Goat Island Lodge on the Adelaide River, where Casey the Croc often comes for a feed – are guaranteed. airbornesolutions.com.au
What’s better than spending a whole day at a brewery? Staying there overnight. You can now do just that at the DogHouse, a 32-room hotel on the site of Scottish company BrewDog’s Columbus, Ohio, beer factory. The rooms, not entirely surprisingly, have a masculine vibe – some like the Brewmaster Suite overlook the sour beer works – with plenty of suds on offer throughout the stay. It starts at check-in with the lobby bartender ensuring guests enjoy a welcoming ale, while two fridges – one in the room and the other in the shower – are loaded up with the company’s best-known craft beers and seasonal specials. Oh, there’s an in-room tap, too, that can be hooked up to a growler of whatever bevvy your tastebuds desire. Of course, while you’re here, it would be churlish not to do a tour of the facilities and the huge interactive craft beer museum. We’ll raise a glass to that. brewdog.com
Finding a designated driver for a vineyard crawl is always a drag. Even more so if you’re voted it. There’s no need to worry in this part of South Africa, located about 80 kilometres east of Cape Town, because here you can board the Franschhoek Wine Tram. The vintage-style railway employs open-air trams and buses to ferry folks around the region, which boasts fine views and a 300-year history of winemaking. Choose from eight hop-on, hop-off lines taking in all the major estates. We think it’s hard to go past the Red Line, which stops at, among other places, glorious Mont Rochelle, where you can partake in wine and canape pairing. Make sure you get an early start if you want to get up close to a cheetah at Grande Provence or take the cellar tour at Rickety Bridge. winetram.co.za
It’s hard to forget what surrounds you when you settle into your unique accommodations at Quinta da Pacheca in the Duoro Valley. These rolling hills have been home to vines for almost 500 years – back then they were the purview of local monasteries – and nothing about your environs lacks atmosphere. Designed by owners Paulo Pereira and Maria do Céu Gonçalves, each of the 10 mega barrels has a pine exterior and an elegant fit-out that includes a round bed, private bathroom and deck overlooking the vines. Grab yourself a bottle of Pacheca Grande Reserva Tinta Roriz (aged for 18 months in oak barrels) or tawny port, since the region is famous for it, and stare out across the landscape. Otherwise, tour the vineyard, do a tasting, take a cooking class or tuck into a meal of traditional Portuguese cuisine in the restaurant. quintadapacheca.com
Ring the doorbell on the black door and a member of the waitstaff, in full face paint and enchanting costume, will transport you into a world of ‘drink me’ potions. Stepping into this dimly lit bar is a little bit like falling down Alice’s rabbit hole. Taking its inspiration from the Märchenbrunnen (fountain of fairytales) across the road in Volkspark Friedrichshain, this tiny establishment gets full marks for its air of mysticism.
Everywhere you peer there seems to be a secret door, cabinet of curiosities or mirror that contorts facial features so you may not recognise yourself. Or perhaps that’s thanks to the cocktails. Each is expertly crafted and perfectly presented. The Cinderella, for instance, is served in a glass slipper. The drinks lists are fairytale books and when you take a browse, you will be greeted with a special surprise…no spoilers!
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