Ahhhh, summer. For many of you, that means travel! And where might you be going this summer of
2014? Well, read here for advice from
experts (courtesy of the Wall Street Journal "Off Duty" section) on their favorite choices for these selected destinations ... anything shown below in hot pink is a link to their website.
1. MADRID, Spain
Decorator/Madrid native Lorenzo Castillo:
Power Lunch // El Qüenco de Pepa. Serving traditional cuisine, it's famous for harvesting its own vegetables, including tomatoes and delicious artichokes. The crème de la crème of Madrid society dines there. Henri Dunant, 21-23; quenco.com
Enchanted Evening // El Landó. This restaurant is reminiscent of what Spain once was. The waiters wear white uniforms, the décor is all woodwork and wall sconces. The meat entrees are excellent and their stews are superb. It's a personal favorite of our king.Plaza Gabriel Miró, 8; casalucio.es
Star-Studded Cocktails // Museo Chicote. For after-dinner drinks, follow in the footsteps of two Americans forever linked to Spain: Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner. They both frequented Chicote, a 1930s bar on the Gran Vía, a Spanish version of Broadway.Gran Vía, 12; museo-chicote.com
Local's Museum // Museo Cerralbo. A Madrid insider cannot be worthy of that name without recommending this museum near the Plaza de España. It houses what was the personal collection of the 17th Marquis of Cerralbo—everything from sculptures and paintings to coin collections and tapestries. Ventura Rodríguez, 17;museocerralbo.mcu.es
Fabulous Flea // El Rastro. On weekends I love to shop in the barrio de La Latina. It has antique shops and a Sunday flea market. Afterward, enjoy tapas at El Viajero. El Rastro: Plaza de Cascorro; El Viajero: Plaza de la Cebada, 11; www.elviajeromadrid.com
Ramon Freixa, Chef/Owner of namesake restaurant (two Michelin stars) and three other restaurants in Spain:
Gastro Bar // Le Cabrera. I eat here after going to the cinema or theater, or even when I finish working at my restaurant. I am thrilled by the bravas fries and the chicken wings.Calle de Doña Bárbara de Braganza, 2; lecabrera.com
Pantry Purveyor // Delishop. This is a gourmet shop that sells every kind of food for your kitchen. One recently opened in the Salamanca neighborhood. Multiple locations, including Calle Argensola, 16; delishop.es
Magic Martini // Gran Meliá Fénix hotel's Dry Cosmopolitan Bar. For a perfect cocktail, I recommend the dry martini created by Javier de las Muelas, probably the most famous cocktail man in Spain. The bar has a digital counter that keeps track of drinks, and they've logged every martini sold in the bar. If you purchase one, you receive a certificate documenting the number. Calle Hermosilla, 2; melia.com
Sunday Spot // Luzi Bombón. This is the ideal place to go with friends on the weekend. It's a modern brasserie in the middle of the Castellana with enormous windows, high ceilings and a modern décor. I recommend the oysters and the royal crab as starters.Paseo de la Castellana, 35; grupotragaluz.com
Show Time // Microteatro Por Dinero. When I'm in the Malasaña neighborhood, I like to see a short play. Calle Loreto y Chicote, 9; teatropordinero.com
Carolina Herrera de Baez, Creative Director of Carolina Herrera fragances; Madrid resident:
Green Go-To // El Retiro Park. A walk in the park is one of my favorite things to do in Madrid; this one is walking distance from my home. I enjoy going with my children to play. The main entrance is Alcalá gate, near the Plaza de la Independencia.
Homey Haunt // Murillo Café. To meet with friends, I go to Murillo. The food is delicious and the space is so cozy. I love the mini hamburgers, the tuna carpaccio and the "ladies lunch" (thin, grilled chicken paillard with arugula and cherry tomatoes). The natural juice special of the day is great. I especially like the maracuyá (passion fruit). Ruiz de Alarcon, 27; murillocafe.com
Best Hotel // Casa de Madrid. Whenever a dear friend comes to visit, I recommend this small, unique hotel right next to the opera, the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. It's so charming and just like home. Calle de Arrieta, 2; casademadrid.com
Walking Shoes // Castañer. The best women's espadrilles are from Castañer. They are so chic and so comfortable. Several locations, including Calle Almirante, 24;castaner.com
Haute Décor // Isabel López-Quesada and Federica & Co. // The showroom of Isabel López-Quesada is a great place for furniture and unique pieces. I love Federica & Co. for antique items. Isabel López-Quesada: Calle Alfonso Rodriguez Santamaria, 22;isabellopezquesada.com. Federica & Co., Hermosilla, 26; federicaandco.com
2. MUMBAI, India
Madjur Jaffrey, Actress/Foodie
(Cookbook Writer/Author):
Bric a Brac // Chor Bazaar. When I first came to America, I went back to Bombay to Chor Bazaar to buy everything. It is filled with an endless amount of things, and wonderful antiques. You'll also find vintage Bollywood movie posters here. Mutton Street, Byculla
Madjur Jaffrey, Actress/Foodie
(Cookbook Writer/Author):
Bric a Brac // Chor Bazaar. When I first came to America, I went back to Bombay to Chor Bazaar to buy everything. It is filled with an endless amount of things, and wonderful antiques. You'll also find vintage Bollywood movie posters here. Mutton Street, Byculla
Rare Eats // Britannia & Co. Parsi food is hard to find outside of private homes. Order the fish patra; and berry pulao, a rice dish made with barberries. And you must have a fresh lime soda. S S Ram Gulam Marg, opposite New Customs House, Fort, 91-22-2261-5264.
Bazaar Fruits // Crawford Market. It's basically a market of seasonal produce. If you're there in April or May, you should buy the Alphonso mangoes. Near Abdul Rehman Street, South Mumbai
Coco Central // Konkan Café. Beautiful fish with coconut and red chilis. Everything is shipped from the Konkan coast—they have more than a 100 coconuts shipped in every day. Taj President, 90 Cuffe Parade, vivantabytaj.com
Street Sweets // Bhendi Bazaar. This area is home to the Dawoodi Bohras, a Muslim community whose roots trace to Egypt and Yemen. You will find the most amazing sweets, such as halwa and jalebi (a sweet and crispy pretzel-like disc), in the lanes here.Near Mohammed Ali Road, Bhuleshwar
Sound Stage // Blue Frog. Surreally modern in its décor and design, it's the only place in India that combines a music-centered auditorium with the casualness of a bar. There are international and Indian artists; usually it's a live act followed by a DJ. Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, bluefrog.co.in
Super Sands // Juhu Beach. I try to spend a minimum of an hour here. It's a place where you really get the vastness of the people that call the city home. Everyone lands up on the beach to have an ice cream with their family. You see quite a variety of people. West Mumbai
Star Grazing // Indigo. This restaurant is in a restored bungalow and feels really warm and swanky at the same time. You can do that usual actor spotting, but the food is actually really good. 4 Mandlik Road, Colaba, foodindigo.com
Street Style // Fashion Street. Miles and miles of market stall shopping. I tend to buy several of those simple kurtas (cotton tunics) to wear over jeans, and stop and have street food. MG Road, South Mumbai
Cheeky Chic // Bombay Electric. This shop has really unique clothes and cool accessories, kitschy Indian things. Definitely for people who like clothing with a twist. 1 Reay House, Best Marg, Colaba,bombayelectric.in
Raymond Bickson, Managing Director/CEO Taj Hotels:
Culture Cool // National Centre for the Performing Arts. There is a great mix of established work and experimental, Indian and Western classical. You cannot go wrong. NCPA Marg, Nariman Point,ncpamumbai.com
Abundance of Dishes // Trishna. We bring guests here, and they are stunned by the hundreds of items on the menu. The garlic-butter king crabs are the reason people return again and again. Birla Mansion, Sai Baba Marg (next to Commerce House), Fort, 91-22-2270-3213
Old Worlds // Phillips Antiques. I love to gaze at their beautiful treasures and maps, and check out any new collectibles. From carved cupboards to Gauri heads to oil lamps, it's an authentic slice of the past. Madam Cama Road (opposite Regal Cinema), Colaba,phillipsantiques.com
Snack Attack // Camy Wafers. My daughters and I just love the fresh potato chips from this Colaba snack shop. 5-6 Oxford House (off Colaba Causeway), Colaba, 91-22-2282-8430
Restau-Disco // Shiro. This restaurant is a wonderful oasis in midtown. Friday night with music from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s is great fun. And the food is delicious. Bombay Dyeing Mill Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, shiro.co.in
3. MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay
Francis Mallmann, Chef/Author:
Francis Mallmann, Chef/Author:
Modern Flavor // Isla de Flores 1900. Gastón Yelicich is a chef of precise cooking. You can taste the young spirit of the city in his famous bone marrow with coarse salt and toast. Isla de Flores 1900, 02-410-5188 (this location is open from April to December)
Native Art // Museo Figari. Part of the idiosyncracy of Uruguay. Pedro Figari was a post-Impressionist painter who shows us the life and happiness of the country through his depictions of its dances, architecture and lifestyle. The museum opened only last year.Juan Carlos Gómez 1427, 02-916-7031
Vintage View // Plaza Zabala. It's the most beautiful plaza, tiny and romantic, with old buildings and trees. Near the Old Town, which in my memory is linked with my childhood and my grandmother's house. It's a few blocks from the Mercado del Puerto, so stroll it after lunch. At the intersection of Solís, Alzaibár, Washington and Rincón
Intimate Eats // Estrecho. A tiny bar-restaurant—the name means "narrow"—where you eat at the bar looking into a simple, great kitchen. It's French food and the menu changes quite often. My favorite dish is the salmon baguette. Sarandí 460, 02-915-6107
Native Art // Museo Figari. Part of the idiosyncracy of Uruguay. Pedro Figari was a post-Impressionist painter who shows us the life and happiness of the country through his depictions of its dances, architecture and lifestyle. The museum opened only last year.Juan Carlos Gómez 1427, 02-916-7031
Vintage View // Plaza Zabala. It's the most beautiful plaza, tiny and romantic, with old buildings and trees. Near the Old Town, which in my memory is linked with my childhood and my grandmother's house. It's a few blocks from the Mercado del Puerto, so stroll it after lunch. At the intersection of Solís, Alzaibár, Washington and Rincón
Intimate Eats // Estrecho. A tiny bar-restaurant—the name means "narrow"—where you eat at the bar looking into a simple, great kitchen. It's French food and the menu changes quite often. My favorite dish is the salmon baguette. Sarandí 460, 02-915-6107
Eduadro Galeano, Artist/Resident
Scenic Stroll // The Rambla. The city's riverfront promenade—it's an infinite walk of water and sand, the river's edge, where my legs wander without tiring and words wander in my mind.
Day Drainer // Café Brasilero. The oldest café in the city, which keeps surviving various deaths and will always be my second home, the place where I always find time to waste time. Ituzaingó 1447, 02-917-2035
Side Show // Café Bacacay. It is in front of the Teatro Solís, where at night you eat and drink while contemplating the lights from the theater. Bacacay 1306, bacacay.com.uy
Victory Temple // Centenario Stadium.Where the first World Cup, in 1930, was played—and was won by Uruguay—and where the voices of many euphoric victories and crushing defeats echo to this day. estadiocentenario.com.uy
Art Branch // Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales. Take in surprising works of Uruguayan art between walls of glass that let in the greenery of the surrounding Parque Rodó.Tomás Giribaldi 2283, mnav.gub.uy
Jorge Drexler, Pop Star/Native
Drum Roll // Michigan street. Every Sunday at noon in the Malvín neighborhood, a drumming group called La Gozadera walks about eight blocks playing candombe—Afro-Uruguayan folk music. lagozadera.org.uy
Dance-Off // Baar Fun Fun. It's the place where tango singer Carlos Gardel performed long ago. It opened in 1895. Go on a Friday night to watch and listen to a live tango show.Ciudadela 1229, barfunfun.com
Hometown Spin // La Ronda. It's tiny, with a beautiful round bar, and they play amazing vinyl, including Uruguayan indie singer-songwriters. Montevideo is like the Seattle of South America—we have a lot of singer-songwriters and an amazing new generation of musicians. Ciudadela 1182, 02-902-6962
Dough Maker // La Negra Tomasa pizzeria. It's just the most amazing pizza and the chickpea faina is great. You can order the cake underneath the pizza but I order it alongside it. I always order the faina from the edge, the thinnest and crunchiest part.Pedro Bustamante 1165, 02-622-2218
Southern Gifts // Manos de Uruguay. They are beautiful stores with handmade stuff. I buy sweaters and scarves made from hand-crafted natural wool. multiple locations,www.manos.com.uy
Other cities in future posts .. enjoy your travels wherever they take you!
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