December travel news: editor's picks

Black Hills Wine Experience Centre, British Columbia, Canada

Just as the wines of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley have improved immeasurably in the past few decades, standards are now being set for the architecture of its wineries. CEI Architecture's Nick Bevanda - one of the area's lone modernists - has augmented his award-winning Black Hills Winery with a new Wine Experience Centre. Located in tiny Oliver, BC, - touted as Canada's new wine capital - the centre is a sublime yet cosy ode to the ethos of the region. A gently sloping cantilevered roof hovers towards the arid ochre hills that surround it, while a palette of steel and glass is softened by wood heavy interiors. Fir acoustic panels on the ceiling mimic the grid like patterns of the vineyards, and a pool in the back adds Mediterranean flair. Built on the bones of a 1960's bungalow, the 1200 sq ft building has a residential feel that makes you want to sit a while, take in the view, and sip some Black Hills syrah.

4318, Black Sage Road, Oliver, B.C. V0H 1T1; Tel: 1.250 498 0666; www.blackhillswinery.com

Writer: Hadani Ditmars

25hours Hotel Zürich West, Zürich, Switzerland

Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli counts Camper and Volvo among his clients, and accordingly he's fashioned 25hours Hotel Zürich West like a perfectly formed product. Häberli's smooth, contemporary spirit is present throughout the hotel's bright public spaces and innovative built-ins in the compact rooms, graded by metals: silver, gold and platinum. He's chosen a canny palette of blues, yellows and browns that reflects the landscape outside, and scribbled sightseeing recommendations across random walls, adding a treasure-hunting element that goes further to bring the outdoors in. Soft furnishings and hand-tuffted carpets create a relaxed, warm stay, while the gritty façade blends seamlessly into the industrial heritage of the area. The Baulthaup-designed KitchenClub is available for culinary workshops and private parties.

Pfingstweidstrasse 102, Zürich, Switzerland; Tel: 41.44 577 2255; www.designhotels.com

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Baystone Boutique Hotel & Spa, Grand Baie, Mauritius

Mauritius' latest destination, overlooking the affluent inlet of Grand Baie, breaks the resort mould. Inspired by the shimmering turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, Baystone boasts a fantastical décor designed by New York-based architect Albert Angel. It features furnishings, walls and false ceilings with undulating contours and rippling relief, highlighted by electric jellyfish-like chandeliers. Three Sky Suites, located on the top floor, offer dramatic views over the bay and access to the island's only rooftop swimming pool. Entrepreneur Jean-Pierre Vissuzaine conceived of the place with celebrated local chef Franco Salon. Salon operates the two restaurants, which serve seasonal dishes changed daily to complement the catch of the day. The Sky Spa offers a range of treatments using French cosmetic brand Thal'ion's fresh seaweed and active ingredients.

X Club Road, Pointe Aux Canonniers, Grand Baie, Mauritius; Tel: 23.0 263 1300; www.baystone.mu

Writer: Lauren Ho

Gail's Kitchen, Bloomsbury, London

Gail's Kitchen is a new venture for the founders of the hugely successful Gail's Artisan Bakery: Israeli entrepreneur, Ran Avidan; banker turned baker, Tom Molnar; and marketing director, Emma King. It serves up wholesome food made from fresh, seasonal produce. The menu - conceived by head chef, James Adams - is hearty and ingredient-focused: try the slow-roast pork loin on sourdough trivet with potatoes, carrots and seasonal greens. Designed by Louise Davies of Box 9 Design Ltd, the interiors are an understated mix of warm greys and muted silvers, with reclaimed oak furnishings and pale brown leather details. On the walls are contemporary artworks from the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, which is just down the road. The focal point of the room, however, is the bread oven, which has pride of place in the open kitchen. We recommend the potato and rosemary bread.

11-13 Bayley Street, Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3HD; Tel: 020 7323 9694, www.gailskitchen.co.uk

Writer: Romy van den Broeke

Höst restaurant, Copenhagen, Denmark

Norm Architects and Danish design house Menu have joined forces with Copenhagen-based restaurateurs Cofoco to bring us an urban eatery with rustic references. The interior features, raw wooden planks, woollen blankets, eco-friendly vintage lamps and reclaimed windows from an old hospital. The food, served on new dinnerware designed by Norm especially for Höst, is a modern take on traditional Nordic dishes, including 'Jonfruhummer' - a Norwegian lobster served with warm salad of brussel sprouts, hazelnuts, crispy potato chips and a wispy sauce of chicken skin.

Nørre Farimagsgade 41, 1349 Kbh.K, Denmark; Tel: 45.8 993 8409; www.cofoco.dk/hoest

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Juvia, Miami Beach, US

Restaurateurs as well as husband and wife Jonas and Alexandra Milan traveled the globe to source inspiration for their new Miami venture. They commissioned Venezuelan architect Alejandro Barrios-Carrero to design this open-air penthouse - perched over the 1111 Lincoln Road office building and Herzog & de Meuron parking garage - who mixed a tropical flavour into the massive concrete structure. A private elevator featuring a colourful video by artist Lorenzo Bustillos, leads to the retractable rooftop space where a 22-foot Amazonian-inspired plant wall by botanist Patrick Blanc welcomes visitors into the restaurant overlooking Miami Beach. The décor features white oak tables by Piero Lissoni, hand-woven chairs designed by Patricia Urquiola and lamps by Thomas Patterson. The menu combines Asian cuisine with French techniques and South American ingredients, such as the Salmon Nashi served with truffle oil, truffle salt, dry miso, and micro arugula or the Causa Croquet served with tuna, Peruvian potato and ají Amarillo.

1111 Lincoln Road, South Beach, Miami; Tel: 305.763 8272, www.juviamiami.com

Writer: Sara Henrichs

Little Italy, Jerusalem, Israel

Daniel Oman, owner and chef of Little Italy, has put together a creative Italian menu with a modern interpretation, boasting everything from lamb pizza with pumpkin and rosemary to white fish cerviche with focaccia. The design, led by Tel Aviv-based Studio OPA, incorporates natural materials and a monochrome scheme for a calm, harmonious space, though iron details, which connect the beams in different angles, create a break in the traditional structure. An impressive wine selection features prominently within the design; rows of bottles are showcased within the walls, the pine tree beams used as a bottle and light fixture display.

38 Keren Hayessod Street, Jerusalem, Israel; Tel: 97.2 2561 7638

Writer: Nathalie Hallam

Macalister Mansion, George Town, Penang, Malaysia

A grand, century-old colonial mansion in the northeast corner of Penang has been given a decidedly modern new look. Macalister Mansion, named after Colonel Norman Macalister, who governed the area 200 years ago, has been a labour of love for husband and wife owners Dato Sean and Datin Karen H'ng. Restaurateurs by background, they have made a successful foray into hospitality here with a dazzlingly offbeat interior full of unexpected twists by Colin Seah of Singapore's Ministry of Design. While reinstating the building's former grandeur and sympathetically preserving its original elements, Seah has managed to give each room a different design story, from chrome canopies and Bisazza-tiled bathrooms to painted-iron spiral staircases and sculptural art. Naturally, the restaurants have been given equal focus, and the mosaic pool offers guests the option of swimming up to the bar for a drink.

228 Macalister Road, 10400 George Town, Penang, Malaysia; Tel: 604. 2283 888; www.macalistermansion.com

Writer: Lauren Ho

Restaurant Numéro 7, Fez, Morocco

At risk of being eclipsed by Marrakech, Fez is a well-preserved medieval gem not to be missed. Tucked away on a dead end in the heart of the Medina lies Numéro 7, the restaurant adjoining the guesthouse Riad Numéro 9. This is where American-born Stephen di Renza and French chef Bruno Ussel have realised their vision of merging traditional and contemporary Fez. Di Renza, onetime creative director of Dunhill and Bergdorf Goodman in Paris, has restored the bones of this capacious villa and decorated it with graphic, monochrome tiles and large-scale photography by artists Keiichi Tahara and Maïmouna Patrizia Guerresi. Ussel sources the freshest produce from local markets for the creation of his light dishes, which give Pan-Mediterranean cuisine a Moroccan twist.

7 Zkak Rouah, Fez, Morocco; Tel: 212.679 442 522; www.restaurantnumero7.com

Writer: Micha van Dinther

Newman Street Tavern, London, UK

With London's Soho bursting at the seams with good eateries, restaurants are now heading north into Fitzrovia, as the boys at Newman Street demonstrate. Headed by Peter Weeden, previously at the Paternoster Chop House and Boundary, Newman Street sources food from all over the UK but prepares it on site - this includes the maturing and butchering of speciality meats from Scotland, hanging game, smoking fish and baking all bread and pastries. The results are simple and elegant, much like the a light Scandinavian-blue dining room. In the more traditional pub downstairs, the focus is a 2m enamel trough repurposed as a 'raw bar' and filled to the brim with seasonal catch including sea urchins, clams, whelks, langoustines and oysters.

48 Newman Street, London, UK; Tel: 44.20 3667 1445; www.newmanstreettavern.co.uk

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Twelve at Hengshan, Shanghai, China

Situated in the heart of Shanghai's cosmopolitan French Concession, Twelve at Hengshan offers guests a chic oasis from the bustle of China's most vibrant city. The modern terracotta building, designed by Italian architect Mario Botta, contrasts wonderfully with the charming restaurants, boutiques and galleries of the surrounding area. Hidden behind the hotel walls, an elliptical 'Secret Garden' awaits, providing guests with a soothing, romantic ambience. Hand-painted wallpaper and bed-head screens echo the leaves from plane trees along Hengshan Road, bringing nature into the hotel - much like the mural of a traditional Suzhou garden scene that stretches the length of the main dining room. Canadian design duo Yabu Pushelberg have followed with a soft, natural colour palette, incorporating bespoke and distinctive Asian and contemporary furnishings in order to create an 'East meets West', 'past meets present' style.

12 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China; Tel: 86.21 333 83888; www.luxurycollection.com/12hengshan

Writer: Nathalie Hallam

Opium Cocktail & Dim Sum Parlour, London, UK

A small sign next to an unassuming jade-green door is the only hint of this new cocktail and dim sum parlour's presence in London's Chinatown. Set over the top three floors of a ramshackle Gerrard Street townhouse, the cocktail lounge is inspired by the Opium dens of the late 19th Century. Designed by local firms, Kai and Office Sian, the interior is a nostalgic collection of ornate furniture and Far East paraphernalia. The eatery is set within nine atmospheric rooms, with one holding an intimate 'bartender's table' and another featuring the Chinese Apothecary bar, stocked with unbranded bottles (in which various spirits have been decanted) identifiable only by their labels baring Chinese characters. The brainchild of Hong Kong-born, London-based Eric Yu, and celebrated mixologist Dré Masso, Opium offers a cocktail list - conceived to match the menu - that changes seasonally, depending on which ingredients can be found within Chinatown. Meanwhile the cuisine is a modern take on classic dim sum, incorporating ingredients such as razor clams and langoustines. 'Food is such a huge part of culture across China,' says Yu. 'Opium is a first in that it brings together high-end oriental cooking with the high-style London cocktail-scene.'

The Jade Door, 15-16 Gerrard Street, Chinatown W1D 6JE; Tel: 44.20 7734 7276; opiumchinatown.com

Writer: Lauren Ho

Sal Curioso, Hong Kong

Proverbs on the menu like 'Cheese: milk's leap to immortality' let diners know they are in for an unusual experience. This is the second venture by Woolly Pig Concepts, creators of the wildly popular Madam Sixty Ate. Both restaurants focus on a whimsical gourmet narrative in a vein reminiscent of London's own Bompas & Parr. The industrial interior features striking floor-to-ceiling windows, casual wooden furniture and quirky mechanical drawings on cement-washed walls. The menu reinvents South American, Spanish and Italian classics, with a few gastronomical surprises: the 'Guacaloco' chicken lays avocados, which tumble down chutes to become guacamole, and a machine turns squid into fresh hot popcorn. Smoked peanut butter pâté with bourbon marshmallows exceeds the imagination of even the most progressively minded sweet tooth. There's ale from boutique breweries - like the cheekily named Oregasmic Bomber - and cocktails dedicated to Prohibition-era gangsters. The '1951 Chicago martini' is finished with anchovy stuffed olives.

2/F, 32 Wyndham Street, Hong Kong; Tel: 852. 2537 7555; www.curioso.com.hk

Writer: Jessica Klingelfuss

Spiler, Budapest, Hungary

Despite only recently opening within the historic Gozsdu Udvar arcade, this casual bistro is already proving itself a firm favourite with locals. Creative chef Zsolt Litauszki has devised a menu that offers high-quality street food made from scratch, including grilled chicken sausages and jacket potatoes heaped with fresh toppings. The bar, meanwhile, serves some of Hungary's best beers and wines. Collecting furniture from flea markets, warehouses and apple farmers, owner Roy Zsidai designed the site himself. He fused the concepts of old local pubs with New York bars, throwing into the mix the high-end feel of his family's 30-year-old restaurant. Exposed pipes and brickwork give the venue a raw, urban feel, which is reinforced by the young, vibrant crowd which arrives on weekends to enjoy the roster of DJs.

Kiraly utca 13, Budapest, Hungary; Tel: 36.1 878 1320

Writer: Nathalie Hallam

TAM Airlines

Brazil's national airline, TAM, recently put its fleet of Boeing 777's through a refurbishment courtesy of Priestmangoode - a London-based multidisciplinary design team. Conceived by a design team headed by one of the company's directors, Luke Hawes, the redesign has transformed the once underwhelming aircraft interior into a stylish and innovative space. The First Class cabin has been furnished with bespoke BE Aerospace seats upholstered in a soft grey material, and Zebrano wood fold-away tables, staying true to their 'home away from home' ethos. A spacious, contemporary interior with seats that can be swiftly converted from a dining space into a bed; a leather-lined wardrobe to stow your shoes and some travel sweets; as well as a mini library stocked with Wallpaper* City Guides, all contribute to TAM's propulsion out of the ordinary into the elite.

Tel: 0800 123 200, www.tam.com.br

Writer: Romy van den Broeke

The Shed, London, UK

Built from reclaimed materials, including a giant eight-foot tractor bonnet, the Shed is the newest project from the Gladwin brothers, whose work to date includes the ever-popular Brawn in London's Shoreditch. Gregory Gladwin supplies the Notting Hill restaurant with produce from his family farm at Nutbourne, West Sussex. Accordingly, the menu emphasises seasonal and foraged food. Chef Oliver Gladwin, who trained with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at the River Cottage, presents food on large platters, which are then led in theatrical procession through the restaurant to their destination. Guests sit at a carefully curated selection of reclaimed furniture, including giant barrels used for transporting orange juice from Brazil (now repurposed as tables). At the back, the Butcher's Table, seating up to 14, provides a more interactive experience.

The Shed, 122 Palace Gardens Terrace, London, UK; www.theshed-restaurant.com

Writer: Alex Tieghi-Walker

Vi Cool, Hong Kong, China

Tucked away in Harbour City's seemingly endless labyrinth of high-end shops and bustling eateries is the vibrant Spanish gem Vi Cool. El Bulli alum Sergi Arola is the latest to join a hoard of celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs who have flocked to the city, where his vision has been realised by Dining Concepts, gastronomic savants who now boast nearly two dozen successful fine dining restaurants in Asia. Vi Cool's energetic chefs work from an open kitchen, which looks out onto a casual dining room, its walls distinguished with a kaleidoscopic mural of traditional Spanish foodstuffs and tinted glass. Culinary highlights include traditional cocas - Catalan style flatbread baked in a coal-fired oven with a choice of toppings that include truffle butter, quail eggs and Iberico ham - and Arola's signature patatas bravas.

Level 2, 2101-2, 3 Canton Road, Hong Kong; Tel: 852. 2735 7787; www.diningconcepts.com.hk

Writer: Jessica Klingelfuss

Workshop Kitchen + Bar, Palm Springs, USA

Visitors to Palm Springs often fall hard for the modernist architecture and Frank Sinatra fabulousness. But Michael Beckman chose instead to open his new foodie destination in the 1920s Spanish-Deco El Paseo building and update it by nearly a century with monolithic concrete panels and 27-foot-high cathedral-ceiling trusses. Manhattan's SOMA Architects brought in sleek light fixtures by Beirut-based PS Lab (likely on the recommendation of Lebanese restaurateur and co-owner Joseph Mourani), which makes the contemporary tableware by Heath Ceramics positively glow. Beckman, who studied at the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon and honed his cooking as a private chef in Beverly Hills, via a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Burgundy, has developed a menu of local, seasonal ingredients - admittedly no great challenge in America's Sunniest City - that entertains eclectic proteins like squab, octopus, lamb sausage and oxtail, incorporated into light pastas and pizzas. Or you can share a whole chicken or rib-eye with the table.

800 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, USA; tel: 1.760 459 3451; www.workshoppalmsprings.com

Writer: Ellen Himelfarb

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