14.04 2026 Feels like we’ve been bombarded with Americana lately (of the Bieberchella kind). You’ll see we’ve been influenced; we even have pimple patches in our product picks (from DSM, is our only redeemer). This week we have our usual mix of global oddities, as well as our Lisbon pod/vodcast episode, which is filled with gems. We hope you like it. Have great weeks all. xx Taryn and Team UJ xx Focused Memberships NY seems to be leading the next wave of clubs, with focused offerings that know exactly who their members are. For work spaces: The Lighthouse in Brooklyn is re-imagining the studio system for creators and have taken over an 1872 pencil factory and turned it into a ‘playground’ with a test kitchen, podcast and recording studios, and a theatre, meaning you can create and then launch all under one roof. For music lovers: on the Lower East Side, you’ll find ‘acoustic salon’ Stylus, with a sound lounge, double-height listening room with analog system, sound-based wellness, and a restaurant led by a Michelin-starred chef. For fun foodies with deep pockets: Chez Margaux, the sultry dining room and good times space with a Jean-Georges restaurant, caters for those who want a little caviar with a side of fiesta, which sounds perfect. Balanced Wellbeing We sensed it when it launched: Diplo’s Run Club felt fresh, in a sign-of-the-times kind of way; running, but with an element of party. Tramp’s new, chic wellbeing space, Tramp Health, at The Chancery Rosewood may be wellbeing, but at least they have hedonistic roots; and in NY, Moss might have a two-floor aquatics and athletics space, Bedrock, but it also has elevated dining options and a few bars with great cocktails. Also in NYC, if you must padel, Kith Ivy looks like a great place to do it, with a plush gentlemen’s club-inspired dining room included, and there also seems to be a global movement towards wellbeing spaces starting to look more like nightclubs (in a more luxe than Barry’s kind of way – see Australia’s Saint Haven)… and we’ve come full circle. Brights We’re very happy that Smythson has decided to bring some brights back for S/S; the things that excite us! SHOP NOW Lisbon Episode For our 6th Dialled-In Travel episode we’ve mixed our format up a little bit to interview four brilliant Portuguese creatives to get their Lisbon picks – bars and restaurants, culture, music and nightlife, wellbeing and fashion, and a hotel overview – covering what’s there and what’s coming. We hope you like it and we’d love to hear any feedback or thoughts! Around Town – Our Picks LDN New/ Just In JUL’s Ibiza, known for their open-air dining with big tables and good vibes, has just launched at a former bank in St James’. At JUL’s London, the décor is dark and stormy, with warm woods and a wine wall, and the menu is Greek-Med. Berenjak’s Soho spot is bustling and overflowing with diners with counter, tabletop and windowsill dining; now, they’ve grown up and opened a new Mayfair location. Expect modern Persian dishes and plush surroundings, with the vibe of “a family villa on the Caspian Coast”, as they put it. Also in Mayfair: there’s many a sushi lover who used to go to Brixton for the sole purpose of securing a handroll from Temaki, and now, they too have grown up and moved into Maddox street, with their signature hand rolls and a new menu of Japanese small plates. There was a time when La Bodega Negra was one of London’s hardest tables, but of course, the tides have turned, and it’s been replaced by a fast and furious Maki Nori bar upstairs (with 15-second hand rolls) and Maki & Ramen downstairs. Under El Pastor on Brewer Street you’ll now find El Siete, a subterranean den with Mexican small plates and a great agave-led drinks list, including three spicy margaritas (of varying levels of spice) and the OTT Cantaloupo, a frozen marg served in a whole melon. Martin Kuczmarski’s excellent Martino’s is now offering breakfast with an Italian touch – cacio e pepe scrambled eggs with focaccia soldiers, ricotta pancakes, baked eggs arrabbiata – and is open from 8. Coming Soon Launching 23 April, Jolene is opening a bakery and café in Aries’ (we love) flagship Soho store. East London’s Papi team are opening in north London’s historic Golden Tooth pub and west, the family behind Rochelle Canteen and Caravel are taking over The Latimer, on 274 Latimer Road, a venue that was ripe for a little TLC from the right hands – and the Notting Hill’s gloss-up continues… Lastly, after his smash hit with Lupa, Theo James is opening another Italian restaurant in London Fields at the end of the month, called Ornella. International NYC Keith McNally’s son George has just announced that he is opening a French Coastal restaurant with a basement bar in Tribeca this May; we can’t wait to see how this takes shape. PARIS UJ fave Giorgos Samoilis, chef and proprietor of the award-winning Cantina in Sifnos (listen to our podcast with Giorgos here), is popping up at Hôtel Grand Amour for a two-night residency at its BookBar on 22 and 23 April (for reservations: +33 144160330). Giorgos has also just announced that he’s opening a new all-day deli, Lamarina, beside his seafront restaurant Pelicanos in Sifnos – book those tickets now. See Giorgos’ Sifnos recommendations here. LA The brothers who redefined Indian cuisine in LA, Nakul and Arjun Mahendro, have launched the ‘next era’ of BADMAASH in Venice on Abbot Kinney – expect Indian steak frites, naan toast with ricotta and jam, and chicken tikka poutine. Salone del Mobile 21-26 April Take Three The Eames Houses Triennale Milano A show with two life-sized constructions of Eames pavilions and eight model homes designed by the founders, Ray and Charles Eames. Food for Thought by Ikea Move over meatballs, this one is a reimagined Swedish indoor food market, with live cooking demonstrations by designer and chef duos, including chef Ben Lippett and London designer Charlotte Taylor. Salone Satellite Emerging talent Over 700 designers under 35. Hotel News Le Sirenuse Mare Opening 23 April, the iconic Positano hotel is launching a beach club, with three bars, a restaurant, and sun loungers. It’s accessible from Positano via a 25-minute boat ride. Shall we bet on sun lounger prices? The Hôtel Lili In a town where hotel parking alone comes in at around $100 per day, a cost conscious (nice) room is never a bad thing, and the recently opened Hotel Lili in Beverly Hills is just that: sleek, chic, and well located. The Rome EDITION Rome is definitely calling this spring, and we’ll be heading straight to The Roof at The Rome EDITION for poolside drinks with skyline views. Coya Beach Ibiza It’s always interesting to see how a restaurant translates to a hotel; Coya Ibiza is Coya’s first hotel. Located in Playa d’en Bossa (they’re really trying hard to luxe up this area!) it’s powered by Spanish hotel brand BLESS, who also have another hotel, BLESS Ibiza Cala Nova, on the island. The rooms look nice, we’ll give them that! And the menus will of course be great, too. The Hoxton This is kind of fun (and a smart PR idea from The Hox and, we assume, their partner Bacardí)… have an idea for a party? Then pitch it to them. If you’re one of the three parties chosen, they’ll cover all costs and host your party in one of their Apartments, with GREY GOOSE, Patrón, and Bacardí rum drinks (you must enter by this Thursday, 5PM ET). This comp highlights their new initiative – Hox Hosts – where they’ll lend a hand with organising any event you’re having in one of their spaces. Mo' Wellbeing Rome and Paris Continuing on our wellbeing news, New Balance recently ran pop up run houses for runners during marathons; in Rome, they transformed the historic Corsie Sistine into an oasis of recovery (which looked incredible), and last weekend in Paris, they similarly reimagined an industrial warehouse that was once used to build the Eiffel Tower. Melbourne Another business that’s moving into wellbeing, The Commons, a leading co-working business in Melbourne, is opening two wellbeing emporiums; the first, in South Yarra, is now open. Billed as a bathhouse and coworking club, the building looks like a regal residence and highlights include red light treatments, magnesium pools, and a Margiela fragrance bar. Mexico City Opened at the end of March, OWA is a new wellbeing club and boutique hotel, Casa Owa (with eight rooms) in Roma Norte. They have several recovery-focused treatments and tools including vibroacoustic therapy, which is great for a post-flight shake out. LA We couldn’t have a health news round up without something from LA, and Hume LA, a private luxe health club on Venice Beach, which aims to offer everything wellbeing under one roof – physio and nutritionists, acupuncture, B12 shots, pilates, a full-body compression suit, and cold press juices. Beat the traffic and spend time oceanfront instead. London Have you looked at the Six Senses London spa menu yet? Open to hotel guests and the public alike, book one of their science-led innovative treatments and use their bio sauna, and, from 1 May, their lap pool and thermal facilities, too. Round Up London Selfridges has a new personal shopping space, 40 Duke Street, and it looks perfect. Shop, drink, relax – it’s open now for their VVSP key holders (find out more about their membership program here) and up to three guests (feels like Soho House!). Visit their site for full entrance details. NYC Following a pop up, Meta now has a huge new flagship Lab in NYC on Fifth Ave – it’s blue, it’s new, and it’s a five story playground created to show their view of the future… Paris A boutique dedicated to the art of correspondence, at Papier Royal you’ll find pens and pencils from around the world, 500 different papers, pendulum monogram stamping, centuries-old monograms, and custom everything, all in a beautiful boutique in the 1st arrondissement. Global ALD x Technics turntables – smoooooth. Comporta and Melides The area that, not so long ago, was a relatively sleepy seaside town for mostly Portuguese visitors, with only one well-known hotel, has been slowly growing, and it’s now on the cusp of exploding. News includes: Na Praia We’ve mentioned this one before, but a new hotel with residences from the founders of the much-loved inland property São Lourenço do Barrocal, located just after Comporta, is opening this summer. Expect pines, dunes, and the Atlantic breeze. Sublime The OG Comporta design property, Sublime Comporta, has a new Sand wing (opening in May), with 43 new villas and an Italian restaurant, a BeefBar, a new events space, wellness, and additional pool facilities. JNcQUOI Club Comporta Joining their beach club and deli is their new ‘compound’, Club Comporta, which will encase a whole JNcQUOI world including hotel rooms, a beach club, villas, restaurants, athletic and racquet club, two of their Fashion Clinic boutiques, bars, a nightclub, and a wine shop. They seem to be showing villas now, and will be opening in 2027/28. Quinta da Comporta Another one that we’ve mentioned previously, EXPERIMENTAL have acquired Quinta da Comporta, the estate that’s tucked away and surrounded by rice fields and wetlands. We’re interested to see what they do with this expansive property. Spacia Melides Spatia, the architecturally stunning property in Comporta (read our review), will soon have a location in neighbouring Melides; completion is slated for sometime this year. Minimal, spacious, and relaxed, Spatia is one class act. La Salvada, La Maison des Bateaux, and Vermelho Lagoa Adding to his 13-bedroom property, Vermelho, and his restaurant, Xtian, Christian Louboutin opened two new villas in the region at the end of last year, and this year sees the launch of his new hotel, Vermelho Lagoa. Stay tuned. IMS Ibiza We know it sounds elementary, but Ibiza really comes around quickly these days, with the season now essentially opening (since Covid) in April. And it really starts with the annual International Music Summit, 22-24 April: three days of music, tech, wellbeing and fun in the hopeful sun – see you there! READ OUR REVIEWS AND FINDINGS! YAKUZA, LISBON | ASTURIAS | JNcQUOI DELI SUITE COMPORTA Dining Impala Buzzy open-fire restaurant from the chef and co-owner of Kiln and Super 8 (the company behind Smoking Goat, Kiln, Mountain and Brat). Watching MiNeRaL BCN For the opening date for restaurant MiNeRal BCN near the Ninot Market by chef Oliver Peña, who was previously behind Michelin-starred Teatro. Booking British Pullman They’re running a four for three offer for select trips in May and June. FOLLOW US (c) 2026 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free weekly mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. 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