Freelance writer and editor, London
Home to Europe’s biggest food market, its oldest zoo and its finest collection of art nouveau buildings, Riga is a city of little-known superlatives. Its compact center is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site packed full of architectural treasures and there’s plenty to explore on both sides of the river Daugava, including topnotch restaurants and buzzy creative quarters. Here are seven reasons to put this Baltic beauty on your bucket list.
Regardless of whether you have something to celebrate, a glass of champagne is always a good idea. And you don’t have to look far in London to find a stylish bar in which to sip fine fizz. We’ve highlighted a glamorous range of options to toast the city’s excellent champagne scene, from Europe’s longest champagne bar to its highest.
London’s King’s Cross neighborhood has undergone a complete reinvention over the last 10 years. Its canalside warehouses have been transformed into hip restaurants and bars and some of the world’s leading tech companies occupy sleek new skyscrapers. Here’s our pick of the best things to do in the area.
Museum shops offer so much more than magnets, bookmarks and novelty pens these days. They’re stores in their own rights, stocked with the kind of interesting finds that could fill a thousand Pinterest boards. We’ve browsed London’s best museum shops to give you the lowdown on where to shop for cool gifts, fun toys and iconic souvenirs. We won’t tell a soul if you skip the museum.
Known as the ‘City of Baths’, Budapest sits on a fault line and its thermal baths are naturally fed by 120 hot springs. The city is home to an impressive selection of thermal baths, many of which date to the 16th century. We’ve rounded up the best of the bunch including a sprawling neo-baroque palace, a rooftop pool overlooking the Danube and an ancient Ottoman bathing house that’s open until 4 a.m. every Friday and Saturday.
It may be one of the world’s most expensive cities, but many of London’s Michelin-starred restaurants are surprisingly affordable, especially if you take advantage of set menu lunch deals and early bird dining offers. If you’re flexible with your time and can dine midweek, you could make substantial savings at the city’s finest restaurants. Read on for our tips on where to book a table if your appetite is healthier than your bank balance. All 7 restaurants below offer multi-course meals for less than £30 a head.
Drink up and bed down in one of London’s best pubs with rooms. We’ve rounded up a selection of the city’s finest watering holes including a 16th-century boozer with boutique rooms in the heart of the city and a cozy urban ski lodge near Oxford Street.
My pick of the best free things to do in Budapest, from the city’s highest peak to its underground art scene.
