Get the low-down from the original style-seekers' latest good-time hunting expeditions, find destination inspiration and insider tips from around the world. Welcome to the official Smith blog: we hope you enjoy your stay
At twice Michelin-starred Ria restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, chef Danny Grant serves elegant French fare, presenting a symphony of flavour and texture from only a few carefully chosen ingredients. We’re not the only ones in Grant’s fan club: the chef has just been named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs. [...]
How far are you willing to travel for a good feed? The Smith team has planned holidays to Shanghai in search of xiao long bao soup dumplings and lost countless hours in Ho Chi Minh alleyways hunting bánh xèo pancakes. We also think nothing of making a six-hour round-trip for dinner, recently setting out for [...]
Less hotel of the week, more ‘Bush & Breakfast’ of the week – if struggling with a tent holds no appeal but you still fancy the idea of communing with nature, pitch up at Luxury Swag Camp, an open-air boutique hotel in the Blue Mountains, just two hours’ drive west of Sydney. Style Intimate upscale bush [...]
For the ultimate Bali bar crawl, we recommend heading to chic shoreside Seminyak, playground of the Indonesian island’s style set. On a recent hotel-hunting jaunt, we checked out some of Seminyak’s best bars: fabulous cocktails, delicious dishes and beach views made for a seductive night out. Don that designer kaftan, and go… Relative newcomer Potato Head [...]
Stylish bar 1105 mixologist Gromit Eduardsen – inventor of the delicious Copenhagen Cocktail – knows a thing or two about where to go for a good time. He shares his recipe for a top night out with Smith reviewer and travel blogger Heather Cowper… If you were taking friends out dinner in Copenhagen, where would [...]
On a recent weekend away in the Queensland capital, we hit up some of Brisbane’s best bars and restaurants before our heads hit the pillow at designer haven Spicers Balfour Hotel. Here are our tips for eating and drinking in Fortitude Valley, just a short hop from this hip urban bolthole. If you’re staying at Spicers [...]
If you’re planning your diary and looking for things to do in Melbourne, take a peek at the Malthouse Theatre’s sensational season opener, The Wild Duck. Running from 17 February to 17 March, this cutting-edge play has picked up a slew of awards, including three Helpmanns and four Sydney Theatre Awards (that’s serious stuff down [...]
Diving in Fiji will blow you away. This beach-blessed South Pacific archipelago is considered one of the world’s best dive destinations, and whether you’re a qualified scuba diver or a first-time snorkeller, the rainbow-bright tropical fish and vibrant coral will leave you breathless. On a foray to find new boutique hotels in Fiji, Smith took [...]
Good grief: death finally got its own festival in the UK last weekend. Since we hate to miss out on under-the-radar activities in London, we sent a spy. Bon viveur Bruce Traynor’s verdict was that Death: Festival for the Living at London’s Southbank Centre was definitely worth writing home about… London Southbank’s artistic director, Jude Kelly, [...]
When the Colombo Art Biennale hits town next month, two of Smith’s Sri Lanka boutique hotels will be front and centre for the line-up of exciting events. Capital Colombo will swap colonial grandeur for cutting-edge cool from 15 to 19 February, as artists, curators and performers gather for exhibitions, talks and dinners across the city. [...]
