Six Great Dining Destination Cities
Virtuoso, The Magazine’s new culinary-focused story collection is for travelers who wake up thinking about dinner, pocket restaurant recommendations like the treasure they are, and always say yes to a nightcap. Inside, there’s a rundown of six cities – a tapas champion, an avant-garde darling, a pastry powerhouse, and more – where eating is a bona fide adventure. Cheers to the next great meal!
Three Days in Lima, One Great Chef-Approved Dining Plan
Few cities have climbed as high and fast in the global culinary zeitgeist as Lima. Today, Peru’s capital stands alongside Paris, Tokyo, and Copenhagen as one of the world’s most influential dining destinations – its rise fueled by chefs who, in the early aughts, began making the country’s gastronomy a source of national pride and global fascination. Chef Pía León rose to prominence at the fine-dining establishment Central (owned by her now-husband Virgilio Martínez) in the 2010s before opening her own Lima restaurant, Kjolle, in 2018. Now, she stands at the forefront of this movement alongside Martínez, Mitsuharu Tsumura, Gastón Acurio, and others. In 2021, World’s 50 Best named her the World’s Best Female Chef.
In Barcelona, Classic Tapas Reign Again
Like hemlines and hairstyles, Barcelona’s tapas bars have weathered their share of trends. Culinary lore traces tapas back to early-twentieth-century barkeeps placing a slice of ham or cheese on a small plate and resting it atop a glass to keep flies out of the drink (tapa means lid). Over time, those simple covers became snacks in their own right, evolving into bite-size versions of everyday home cooking: deep-fried calamari or whitebait, a piece of omelet on bread, or a plate of cheese and crackers, served alongside drinks in working-class bars that doubled as neighborhood gathering places. As the popularity of tapas grew in the 1990s, increasingly elaborate creations – tuna tartare, foie gras on toast, and the like – helped transform tapas bars into dining destinations. Another pendulum swing began in 2011, when El Bulli, the cradle of Catalan molecular gastronomy, closed in Roses, two hours north of the city, and its protégés fanned out across the world to launch their own restaurants, including some that would transform Barcelona’s tapas scene.
A Bartender’s Guide to Chicago’s Top Cocktail Bars
Everyone’s taking Malört shots when the Cubs win, but Chicago’s cocktail scene brings way more to the plate than sports bars and a slightly bitter aftertaste. A night exploring some of the best bars in Chicago reveals meticulous cocktail programs, neighborhood watering holes, hidden speakeasies, and memorable bites. In 2025, four Chicago bars earned a place on North America’s 50 Best Bars list for the second consecutive year, but locals have long known the area’s cocktail culture is special. “It’s a city with tremendous soul, and the hospitality here feels genuine and welcoming,” says Jérémy Foissac, lead bartender at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago.
CHECKING IN
Mexico City-based artist Citlali Haro, artist-in-residence at the upcoming Virtuoso Travel Week, shares what she’s been loving lately.
Shopping: Everything at Safe Place by Girl Gang in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighborhood is handpicked. Sometimes you can even find a couture-level treasure.
Reading: Things I Don’t Want to Know by Deborah Levy.
Watching: Obsession.
Listening to: Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
Dreaming of: Vietnam.
OUTBOUND
Some seaside must-haves: a conch clutch, a portable fan with 25 hours of battery life, and a reimagined Mini Mojito beach car. Next year’s debut Gstaad Wine & Food Festival – with culinary greats Albert Adrià and Alain Ducasse already expected to attend – might just be the season’s hottest ticket. An exhibition fit for royalty at San Francisco’s de Young Museum displays ancient Egyptian jewelry, art, furniture, and more, now through January 31, 2027.
Questions?
We hope you enjoyed the information shared in this article. If you’d like to explore one of these destinations, we would love to assist you with a quote. If you have any other questions, we’d love to help.
The Remarkable Honeymoons Team
Luxury Travel Designers
1-866-614-1803
request@remarkablehoneymoons.com
Planning Your Perfect Honeymoon?
Let our travel specialists craft an unforgettable, tailor-made trip just for you.
