Travel
Originally published on Monday, 4th August 2014
TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT SUMMER
Summer’s beginning to ebb away, there’s a bank holiday on the horizon, some hot international openings and new direct flights: here at UJ, we’ve got some serious wanderlust. From a sandy Portuguese getaway and American city break to an unexpected culinary destination, we've got it covered. But for those who want to stay closer to home, Somerset is calling. Happy travels!
Sandy Break: Herdade da Comporta, Portugal
First up, a sandy escape an hour from Lisbon in Herdade da Comporta. The thatched cabanas, sandy tracks and beat up old buggies, mixed with an under-the-radar bar, restaurant and hotel scene has been attracting the Portuguese elite for years now, and more recently an international pedigree (Mario Testino, Patrick Cox, Christian Louboutin and Farida Khelfa…). Dive into the bleached-wood barefoot scene and tuck into the catch of the day at fisherman-owned shack Restaurante Dos Pescadores. For a more up-tempo lunch, try the Sal Comporta before spending the rest of the day at its adjacent bar. Stay at the freshly opened Sublime Comporta, part of the new wave of boutique boltholes dotting the coast, or make like a seasoned Comporta visitor and rent a private villa.
Sublime Comporta, 261-1,Muda, 7570-337 (+351) 269 449 376, rooms from €160
Fly Direct: Austin, Texas
The launch of direct BA flights to the Lonestar state earlier this year means a short(ish) live music pilgrimage is suddenly on the cards. Head over early October for the Austin City Limits festival, a different slice of pie to SXSW that hits Zilker Park for a three-day bash (Outkast, Major Lazer, and Sam Smith will play). Stay at Hotel San Jose, a once sordid motel that has been given a new lick of paint and is now part of the Austin music ‘scene’, with many a muso checking in during festival season. And it wouldn’t be a trip to the neon-lit city without a fill of barbeque. For the city’s best, try Franklin (expect lines: people start queuing at 9am). Otherwise, break away from table service and do the rounds of Austin’s food trucks – there are 1,500 in total. We say make a pit stop at Ms P's Electric Cock and have yourself some authentic chicken and waffles.
Rediscover: Paris, France
Yes, we know… Paris… how original. But the re-opening of the Piscine Molitor, and its transformation from chic Art Deco lido to glamorous hotel, has us upping sticks to the 16th arrondissement. With its rooftop terrace boasting views of the Eiffel Tower, a Clarins spa, and of course, the two swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), you’ll be hard pressed to leave the yellow striped sun loungers. If you want a stay that's less fashion more upmarket, try the newly opened Peninsula Paris and expect the brand's usual high-octane trimmings. On the activities front, make time to visit Pont Alexandre III and sample a taste of the latest Parisian scene. Feast at food trucks (a relatively new trend in Paris), before heading to new bar Faust, where the PYTs of the French capital swing their hips to bobo DJs (last week saw Pigalle hit the decks). And in the pipeline? Come September, Le Pompon, the Parisian club for the cool kids, will be taking up its new residency at Le Pont. Oui oui!
The Peninsula Paris, 19 Avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris, France, rooms from €795
Piscine Molitor, 13 rue Nungesser et Coli, 75016 Paris, rooms from £260
Art in Somerset: Bruton, England
London, Zurich, New York… Bruton? The Somerset town in which the latest Hauser & Wirth gallery has sprung may seem slightly incongruous but it does makes sense. From the bourgeois bohème locals (Phoebe Philo, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Susie Forbes, Richard Pomeroy, Helena Drysdale…), to the boutique wine stores, bakeries and restaurants (At the Chapel combines all three), the gallery was in fact the missing piece to turn the country town into a destination. Durslade Farm is a futuristic gallery with five exhibition spaces to be taken over by big name artists (Martin Creed, Phyllida Barlow and even Paul McCarthy), a garden designed by Piet Oudolf (he who designed New York’s High Line) and a bar and restaurant (Roth Bar and Grill) designed by Luis Laplace, this is now the country escape of the year.
Hauser & Wirth, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0NL
On the up: Malta
Bypass Sicily and instead head to the Mediterranean underdog, Malta. Aside from its UNESCO-listed capital, unspoilt coast and cerulean waters, the once package-tour destination is getting a shake up. Opening in early September, and set to put the country on the culinary map, is restaurant Terrone, via River Café alum. The bartender, sous chef and head waiter (and trained chef) will be serving up southern Mediterranean dishes with a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, much like their alma mater. But unlike The River Cafe (where fresh ingredients are flown in daily), here all ingredients will be sourced from the local fish and farmer’s market next door in Marsaxlokk. Make the most of your visit and stay at Grand Hotel Excelsior, if only for its rooftop pool that offers uninterrupted views of the city.
Terrone, Triq Il Wilga, Marsaxlokk, Malta
Grand Hotel Excelsior, Great Siege Road, Floriana, FRN 1810, rooms from €140
House warming: Chicago, America
If you’re a fan of the Windy City and the Soho House conglomerate, than you’ll want to book a mid-August jaunt to Soho House Chicago. Officially opening on August 11, the former Chicago belting factory will share the same vibe as the other Houses. And it will be big, with 40 guest rooms (small, medium and large), a spa, 20-metre rooftop pool and three restaurants. Alongside this opening comes a host of other Chicago buzz launches, from Dove's Luncheonette - a Mexican-inspired soul food diner – and the latest restaurant from Paul Kahan (the face of Chicago dining) to another highly anticipated hotel launch of sorts just south of the river, where America’s first Virgin Hotel is opening this fall. It’s not quite Soho House but if you’re after a ‘functional’ place to rest your head…
Soho House Chicago, 113-125 N. Green Street, Chicago Illinois, 60607, rooms from $240. Special member's rates from $100 a night plus taxes between 11-31 Aug Virgin Hotel, 203 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago
