SANTIAGO CHILI

We are still under the charm of this ultra clean and save city..I will describe it at the Swiss of South America.
There is plenty of excellent restaurants mainly serving Peruvian cuisine. Most of them have terrace.
The local drink Pisco Sour is excellent but very very strong! We also enjoy the local wine specially Altair.
I will recommand to stay at the Ritz Carlton. For its location at El Golf, for its swimming pool and gym on the roof top. For the service and mainly because its is relatively small . A "W" hotel is suppose to open soon.

Restaurants:
Puerto Fuy. Sea food. Modern cuisine
Cuerovaca. Meat restaurant
Astrid&Gaston. Peruvian cuisine. Same owner as La Mar more up market
La Mar. Peruvian cuisine. Great terrace

We also recomand Ox and Tierra Noble, which we did not have time to test.
You will find also many nice restaurants on El Bosque, around El Golf which is the Business district.

Winery: you can take a priviate car to bring you to some winery.

We visite one near Santa Cruz, Neyens. Which we enjoy as it was absolutly not a tourist attraction.
Lunch at Asador Del Valle. Chilien Barbecue . The chef is a "Toque Blanche"

Shopping & art gallery: Av. Alfonso de Cordova - Av.Nueva Costanera.

Don't miss the Animal art gallery.
Also very nice shop Sarika Rodrik in El Golf

Market: we really enjoy visiting local market when we visit a city.

You will discover plenty of fish and sea food at Mercado central .

Fruit & vegetable can be seen at local outdoor market twice per week

Sao Paulo
Best choice for Hotel : Fasano

Right in the best district of Sao Paulo (very very save) Oscar Freire
The design is very Brazil 30' . you will admirate many piece of furniture from Sergio Rodrigues, a famous Brazilian Designer. And some spectacular piece of wood from Tora Brazil.
Excellent restaurant

Nice Jazz Bar Barretto

Breakfast: Emiliano Hotel (nice selection of Brazilian modern furniture)
Lunch : have look and lunch at the special Hotel Unique...

completly over the top in design. Red swimming pool.....
Spectacular view of Sao Paulo

Figueira Rubaiyat

Dinning: if you like meat a typical Brazilian Churrascaria is a must go . I recommend Barbacoa for they amazing selection of 20 differents meats and cuts. Delicious. The service is also very special they come and cut the meat at your table.

SHoppoing: Oscar Freire street - the Melissa shoes shop is a must go. I love the way they display the shoes. very innovative. You will find also plenty of ohter local brands like Osklen.

Daslu -amazing shopping center very very up market ultra chic
NK

Rio

Fasano : This place! Exceptional location at the start of Ipaneam . Make sure you have a Suite with a Ocean view.

Newly Decorated by Stark. You will fine a lot of his own design as well as furniture from Brazil designers and some spectacular wood piece from Tora Brazil

The swimming pool is on the top floor as well as a bar and restaurant. The place to be to see the beautiful people of Sao Paulo in vaccation or on Week end! Amazing view....

In the evening the roof bar is the Best place for a Caipirhina and sun set watching before diner
Great Restaurant on the main floor

Nice Night bar (in a Cuba meet London design)

Other Restaurant: Zuka.

You will find plenty of nice restaurant in Leblon

Aprazivel in Santa Thereza for a more Brazilian meal.

Shopping : Rua Maria Quitéria and around in Ipanaema.

Buzio

Pasada Casas Brancas Boutique Hotel

Excellent Restaurant

Best Position in Buzios. Walking distance to the center of Buzios

Make sure you rent a Buggy to go the the beachs.

Beach restaurant: Geriba Fish Bone

Brava Camaree Preto

Joao Fernandes Cleopatra

Courchevel France

You will find many luxury hotels in Courchevel. It is probably one of the chicest ski resort.


We choice Hotel Saint Roch and we absolutly adore it. Small, very boutique hotel. Right in the center.
In the morning your ski will be waiting for you on the slope...and they will be picked up for you want you finish. Boots, gloves will be warm and dry every morning!
Warm and trendy design. The interior designer plays on "materials" wood, fur, velvel, glas, leather (adore the radiator in the bathroom)...spectacular. The Spa is also incredible with fiber optic light diving almost in the pool...
Excellent service, but we are in Courchevel in one of the most expensive hotel so I guess itis what you are expected. Go creasy and book a Suite.
Great restaurant: the chef is good and very sympatic. They change the linen on the table : light in the morning dark in the evening (very good simple idea, which create a different vibe for different time. The breakfeast buffet is very tempting

Lunch: on the slope Chalet de Pierre, Cape Horn

SHopping: plenty...best choice of Jetset

For furniture: La boutique du Chamois

For a hot chocolate: Le Chocolathé

SKI: 3 Vallées a great ski safari (Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Courchevel, La Tania en more)

Up date on Milan

This definitly the best shopping place and it is very chic.

I will suggest to stay at Bulgari Hotel. We loved it. Excellent service, nice room. Good point : no buffet for breakfast but instate a lovely breakfast.
Nice spa, fitness and swimming pool.
The bar is also very nice for a glass of Champagne before diner.

Diner: Cracco 2 michelin Star. Modernist tradition Italian cuisine.
Lunch: 2 traditional Milanese restaurants : Dal Bolognese ,sister restaurant of one in Milan. Same crowd businessmen, politician...excellent cuisine. The closed on week end. La Briciola.

Shopping Must go:
Peck, the temple of Gastronomy. The service is top luxury. The selection is the excellent. Amazing wine cave. Never see so many Petrus bottle in my life! Most beautiful "Bolets" (king of forets mushrooms) on the planet. Large selection of cheese, ham, coffee, tea, Olive oil and Balsamic ... Have a look at the spectacular kitchen!

The concept store 10 Corso Como is very special and they have an amazing selection for men and women . Nice place for a coffee. Excellent peolpe watching!

Up date on Amalfi Coast

Our favorite place to stay on these very special untouch coast line is Positano. From there you can go to Ravello, Almalfi. You can skip Sorrento. The road is an experience! The driving also....

Hotel: Siranuse of course. For the smell of it "Eau d'Italie", which I decide is my summer perfum. For the whole feeling of it. For The restaurants, the oyster bar, the amazing view from everywhere, the service, the special bed. And finally, for the thousaunds steps you have to climb back to the hotel.

Lunch: by boat Taverna del Capitain for the very interesting dessert "egg plant with chocolate", I recommand if you are a bit aventurous. Plenty of other more casual restaurants are available per boat, we pick La Gavitella

Chez Blake. Siranuse : "Spagetti Vongole" on the pool terrace overviewing Positano and the coast is a must.

Dinner: Don Alfonso (near Sorrento), one of the best restaurant in Italy.

The dinning room is a very trendy room which is unusual for this part of Italy. The "Sommolier" is the best we have meet so far. Great personnality. The cellar is spectacular.

Villa Cimbrone (Ravello) Wonderful spot, great food. Make sure you wear flate shoes , there is a 15 mn walk to get up there.

Siranuse: Don Alphonso is the executive chef since 2 or 3 years. We discover the 25 years old Balsamico...cann't really use the normal stuff any more. The view, the Italian singers, the Italian cuisine very Romantico

Shop : one shop on 3 floors men & women designer clothes, bags and shoes....don't remember the name. Nice art galleries

Capri

What we like about Italy is that it doesn't change. It's caught in time. We also love the food, the wine, the designer . Not to forget the people, who I find very cool, relax, sympatic and most of the time stylish. The service is usually impeccable. we Adore Capri and the Amalfi coast. Not so sure about the beachs and the cheap cruises who invide the Island, Sorrento, Amalfi with they name or sticker stick on they body. To avoid them go early of after 4 or 5 pm.

Hotel: Capri Palace for the swimming pool, the gorgeous room with a sea view. For all the modern art. For its spa if you are an adept of it. This one is supposed to be special almost clinical. For The hotel in general and its design. For The service. Because it is in Annacapri and so you can take the so special Capri Taxi. For its 2 restaurants.

Beach: if you like the 50's you will enjoy Marina Piccolo or Faro, we prefer the mozaic pool at Capri Palace

Drink : Bar Tibero on the Piazza for a Granite Lemon, the people watching is excellent. Hotel Quisiana for a glass of champagne with wild stawberries.

Lunch : La Fontelina, accessible by taxi boat at Marina Piccolo. You should try the raw shrimp: delicious.

Anacapri Add'o Riccio Good family Italian restaurant with an amazing sea view

Diner: Aurora very tasty fine pizza. Set in one of the little street of Capri. Make sure you reserve. Looking at the pictures on the wall its probably where the rich and famous go, haven't seen any !

JK pLace : astonish view, nice Capri home with a square pool. In the same vibe of the Florence one but more aery. It a shame it was smelling food all over. I do not recommand to stay there for this. Have a drink before diner is a great idea.

L'olivio restaurant gastronomique of Capri Palace.

Shop: Grey Flannel (men&women designers clother), L'officina (shoes), Dsquared2....M. Russo own arounf 30 designers shops on the island...

Back to Rome

Rome is really one of my favorite city. Every thing is beautiful. I specially enjoy it in the morning when the wave of tourist have not arrived.

We stay at Hotel de Russie. Not so please with the room, over price for what we get. however, the breakfast is one of the best we had so far. The worldwide trend for breakfast is unfortunatly : buffet. In hotel de Russie, they had improve it : whole excellent salmon and harm, homemade minute omellette.
The location is very convenient and we adore the café on the terrace for a Piscine (Champagne in a big glace with ice your favorite drink).

Restaurant for lunch:
Dal Bolognese is still our favorite.


We suggest also Obika a mozzarella bar











Gusto which propose 4 differents restaurants.

Restaurant for diner:
La pergola : in summer you can eat outside and profit from the breath taking view over Rome and its 7 hills.
The cuisine is excellent and the most amazing is that the chef is Bavarian ! Of course I was expecting an Italian one. Does not really matter as soon as the moment is magic.

Baby: set in a nice terrace inside a hotel. Nice expererience

Shop:
Tad concept store: flowers, furniture, cosmetic, music and luxury clothes. Nice mix and selection. The staff is very friendly
Degli Effetti : Alaï, Jean paul Gauthier...
Gente: at least 5 shops, Balenciaga, Dsquared2, Chloe....the best designer brands for men and women.
Borsalino: the Italian hats shop. absolutly fantastic. Caught in time

London

SAkenohana : excellent Japanese restaurant. They did an excellent job with the place. I like the modern Japanese style which is far from the "Cantine" design of Nobu which I particularly dislike. Make sure you sit on one of those special table with is mix of Japanese and Occidental sitting. The staff is very chic in a Ninja type outfit.

ST Tropez

New restaurants:

La Tour : Provencial cuisine, excellent service, best view of St Topez bay. Clean, simple, stylish place where all the windows can be open which give a feeling of dinning outside right on the see.
I highly recommand the "soupe froide de pomme de terrre aux truffes" hummmm delicious.

L'oriental: first it was suppose to be a Thai gastronomic restaurant in fact it is Marocain restaurant...any way is good. You can eat outside, in one of the little street of ST Tropez.

Both restaurant are own by Joseph....

Hong Kong


Hotel to stay: at the mythic Peninsula in Kowloon. For a full experience ask the car from the hotel to pick you up at the airport..its a Rolls. The transfer also include a very special service, someone is waiting for you at the airport prior to the custom to help you in every thing, specially if your lugage did not arrived! The service of the Peninsula is up to is legend...one of the best in the world. The Concierge is also very efficient.

For a Glass of Champagne: head to SOHO (south of Hollywood) the trendy district. You can stop at Goccia or try an other one. You will find many restaurants and bars. During the day SOHO is the Antique shop district.
In Kowloon....at Aqua 1 Pekin street for the view and the atmosphere.

Restaurants: the new trend in HK is private kitchen. Make sure you try Da Ping Huo. A great experience. The best Chinese (Chechouan cuisine) ever. Very spicy some times but so good. They serve you 14 different dishes. The chef sing opera at the end. Felix at the Peninsula for the view and the Stark total design. Hutong for the view and design. China Club for the colonial vibe.

Place to visit: Macao..you can get there by heli,15 mm fly. Bird Garden, Goldfish Market, Flower Market. Food Market in Kowloon near the Jade market (skip the jade market). Take a boat trip in Aberdeen. Explore Repulse bay and Stanley Market.

Shopping: everywhere...amazing. Chanel at each street corner

Bangkok

Hotel to stay: Peninsula. Located on the river bank. You can from you room watch the amazing boat traffic and get a good feeling of the city vibe. The swimming pool is amazing and if you have extra time you should go to the spa, one of the most beautiful I have seen so far. Open few month ago, in a Thai modern spirit...high ceiling...Magnificent. Overall the service is impeccable and the staff lovely, helful and smilly.

Restaurants: For lunch Celdon at the Sukhotai. For diner the Thai restaurant at the Peninsula...spectacular Thai cuisine best to eat near the river.Eat Me : own by a friendly Aussie...a test of expat fusion food and ambiance .

What to do: Cooking classes : Thai and Chinese with 5 stars chefs..."super genial "at the Peninsula. The best ios to book for a priviate class. A great experience. Spend some time at the Spa its spectacular. You can of course always go and visit all the temples...

Chiang Mai

Hotel to stay: Mandarin Oriental....the service is impeccable. More than 200 peoples are working in this resort imagined as a Royal Palace. The al resort is build around a rice field that they seams to actually take care of in a tradionnal Thai way using Bull. Very impressive. The Spa can be classified as the best Spa worldwide. The swimming pool is also very unique.

For a glass of Champagne: Horn Bar at Mandarin Oriental. Very modern, High ceiling, dark color, amazing horn mask collection on the wall. If it was in London or New York this bar will be the most trendy you can find..

Restaurants: the french restaurant Farang Ses at the Mandarin Oriental fantastic design, divine cuisine, great service

What to do: take a Mahout course a Maesa Elephant Camp, enjoy the Spa an swimming pool at the Mandarin Oriental

Phuket

Hotel to stay: Amanpuri. Serenity , beauty, will be the 2 words I will use to describe this place. Even if the hotel is full to absolutely do not have this feeling at all. You can always find a place there you find alone ...the beach in the morning, nobody really arrived before 11:00 or the swimming pool in the afternoon the one on to of the Japanese restaurant (there is 3 pools).

I recommend that you arrive in good shape...watch out the stairs!!!!

Restaurants : Thai and Japanese restaurants in the hotel (I don't recommend the Italian one)

What to do: relax, swim, snorkeling, boat ride ...Enjoy

St Tropez : Les Voiles de St Tropez

Beginning of October

Fantastic time to head to this gem of the French Riviera. The weather is still sunny and warm when up north it is much more grey and humid. Most of the resort is open. St Tropez is hosting a great sail race. In the harbour, the power yachts are replaced by sail boats.

Place for diner: l'Escale for the direct view on the harbour and all those racing sail boat.

Before and After diner drink: Quai Joseph , for the location, right on the harbour. Excellent live music, 80's revival, Sinatra....super mixture.