WHEREVER Magazine – The Food Issue

Moving to or living in Portugal?

The Blevins Franks Guide to Living in Portugal is considered the definitive guide to the tax and wealth management issues facing UK nationals moving to and living in Portugal. This 150-page book is based on our 40 years’ experience in cross-border financial planning and will answer your questions on a range of topics.

You may purchase this very useful guide from our website.

www.blevinsfranks.com/product/ living-in-portugal

Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts, retirement schemes and companies. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

Algarve!

This issue of WHEREVER is all about food and indulgence. After all, ‘tis the season to enjoy the finer things.

We’ve been talking to chefs and leaders in the foodie industry both locally and globally, to find out what’s hot, what’s new and what’s on the table from Lisbon to Loule and beyond.

We’ve met the chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, talked to the globe’s best pastry chef, interviewed trailblazing women in the kitchen, and much more.

We are delighted to talk to golfing legend, Greg Norman, about yachting and style guru, Anouska Hempel about her life in design. Also, in our Homes section, there’s more Christmas inspiration and a peek into Tom Cruise’s ranch in Colorado. What else? There are also fascinating expat profiles, a beautiful gift guide for him, her and junior, as well as all the

Find Us. Follow Us.

miss out!

wherevermags.com @wherevermags

@wherevermags

regular columns from our friend FiftySister and our own Car Geek on the Tesla Cybertruck. Luxe pro Lucia Van Der Post gives us the lowdown on how to have a stress free Christmas and Adrian Mackinder spills the beans on struggling to learn a new language. And, if you’re looking for travel inspiration, our roving reporter Lee Cobaj shares her inside guide to Thailand’s finest beaches. Prefer something more adventurous? James Stewart defies gravity to camp, cliffside. Rather him than me!

We’re a little lighter than planned, due to global paper shortages, but we still have heaps of great content to share. Have a read and let us know what you think.

Want to be featured in our pages? Contact us, we’re always looking for good stories!

Editorial & Content

E hello@wherevermags.com

T +351 910 200 272

Advertising & Business Development

Cascais and Algarve

E Zoe@wherevermags.com

T + 351 938 429 753

Lisbon and International E Hajer@wherevermags.com

T +351 934 826 083

E Joao@wherevermags.com

Design & Production Richard Grace

E richard@wherevermags.com

Rowena Carr-Allinson CEO + Editor in Chief WHEREVER Magazines

With special thanks to family and friends, without whom this project would not have been possible, especially Mike Evans.

Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose other than short extracts for agreed review purposes is strictly forbidden. WHEREVER does not accept liability for loss or damage to any materials submitted for publication. Or claims made by advertisers. The views expressed by interviewees or contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or WHEREVER Mags. WHEREVER is published quarterly by GreyMatter Lda. 25,000 copies across Lisbon and the Algarve. Distribution in collaboration with CTT, by hand and with handpicked outlets. DL No: 485025/21. Printed by Graficas Piquer. Almeira. ES.

Founding editor of the Financial Times’ How to Spend It magazine, Lucia Van Der Post also contributes to Spears and Country & Townhouse.

An accomplished author and one of the world’s foremost writers on luxury lifestyle, she will be sharing her Luxe Edit in every issue. This winter she gives her tips on how to make Christmas cooking less stressful.

@luciavanderpost1

Ex-Londoner Rooksana Hossenally writes about art, culture, design, food and travel for everyone from The New York Times to The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller, Forbes and Wallpaper*.

She talks to the man with the most Michelin stars in the world, the ultimate chef, Alain Ducasse.

@roxy_in_paris

James Stewart writes for The Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian amongst others.

Freelance writer of the year in 2020, he is most at ease in the water. Some even say he has saltwater for blood. He is our resident ‘Thrillist’ and in this issue he goes cliff camping. Rather him than me.

@itsjamesstewart

Adrian Mackinder is a writer and performer. He has twenty years’ experience scribbling for just about everyone from The Guardian to the BBC and The Beano!

A professional improviser, actor and comedian, he was also Head Writer at Comedy Central UK, before moving to Copenhagen with his family.

@adrian_mackinder

Kasia Dietz is a freelance writer from the Hamptons, New York who followed her heart to Paris.

A born traveller, Kasia contributes to international titles from Architectural Digest to the Evening Standard and The Independent amongst others. In this issue she investigates the story behind the Veuve Cliquot brand.

@kasiadietz

Gail McNeill is a blogger and influencer positively embracing midlife with silver hair, sassy wrinkles, cruelty free make up and lifestyle.

A woman of many skills, she’s an ethical T shirt designer and mum to Seb and doggies Ginger and Bird! She shares her trials and tribulations building her dream home in the Algarve.

@fiftysister

Lee Cobaj is a regular contributor to some of the world’s most prestigious travel publications, including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, National Geographic Traveller, Tatler, Conde Nast Traveller and part of the judging panel for TTG Luxury and National Geographic Traveller’s Big Sleep Awards.

She finds the Best Thai Beaches for WHEREVER. Hard life.

@leecobaj

Nada Farina MSc

is a nutritionist and microbiologist, and the author of Gluten, Dairy, Soya, Nut Free Cooking.

She gives us her take on current food trends and covers the reasons behind a surge in the ‘free from’ products on our market shelves. nutrivisia.com

Contributors Philip Ruskin lives in Paris where he teaches at the ESSEC Business School, writes about food, travel and culture, consults on food, hospitality and travel communications, and sits on several advisory boards. He’s been a television producer, an entertainment marketing executive, and ran a NYC-based PR agency for nearly twenty years. He’s a drummer, and an avid chocolate lover.

@nutrivisia

@philipruskin

Contents

10. Europe’s finest Michelin starred restaurants

Restaurants worth travelling for from Paris to St Mortiz via Rome.

16. The chef with the most Michelin stars in the world

Alain Ducasse, the world’s most famous chef shares his secrets with WHEREVER.

20. Kitchen all stars

Helene Darroze, Dalad Kambhu and Elizabeth Haig are putting women back in the kitchen. In a good way.

26. The orange widow

Kasia Dietz tells the story behind the iconic Veuve Cliquot brand.

28. Caviar’s new kids on the block

Ovea Aura - a new caviar house blending French chic and Persian heritage.

31. #FoodPorn Mouthwatering insta inspiration.

32. Sweet, dude!

The world’s best pastry chef on cakes and patisseries.

38. What’s on the table?

Food industry experts tell us how our eating habits are changing.

42. Shopping - Christmas inspiration

A brilliant gift guide, for him, for her and for junior.

45. Competition

Win a 2 night stay for two at the InterContinental Cascais/Estoril including breakfast, dinner and spa a treatment.

46. X-Pat Files - Jess Pryles

Hardcore Carnivore Aussie in Texas.

50. X-Pat Files - Carrie Solomon

Bringing a taste of Baja to the hottest new restaurant in town, the Montecito at the Kimpton.

51. X-Pat Files - Adrian Moore

The co-author of Inside Chefs’ Fridges, spills the beans.

54 X-Pat Files - Jamie Schler

Hotelier, cookbook author and influencer (amongst many other things) shares her expat journey with Philip Ruskin.

58. X-Pat Expert - Mackinder

A British Dad on breaking down language barriers in Copenhagen

59. X-Pat Expert - Fiftysiter

The realities of being vegan in the Algarve.

60. Luxe Toys - Yachting with Greg Norman

The golfing legend tells WHEREVER about his second passion.

64. Luxe Toys - Tesla Cybertruck

Our very own Car Geek on the face of change in the automobile industry.

66. Luxe Toys - Golfing

Steve Orton reports on junior golf in Portugal.

68. Luxe Toys - Christmas spirit

Lucia Van Der Post on how to make the most and have yourself a stress free Christmas.

70. Homes - Anouska’s magic touch

Design guru Anouska Hempel on leaving Australia, her style inspiration, her journey and Alice Cooper’s python.

the magazine for expats everywhere

74. Homes - Christmas interiors

It’s the little details that make all the difference.

78. VIP Cribs - Chez Tom Cruise

Taking a peek inside Tom Cruise’ Colorado ranch. Because we can.

80. Travel - Go Travel Could it be time to grab your passport?

84. Travel - Thailand’s best beaches Lee Cobaj on the Land of Smiles’ finest.

88. Travel - Thrillist

James Stewart spends a night on the edge in Wales.

91. Travel -My Cascais

Take a tour of Cascais with Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore, author and expat blogger.

92. Food - Wine guide

Mario Marques, sommelier at the Ritz Four Seasons in Lisbon shares his festive favourites.

93. Food - Meet Mr Ocean

Talking to Hans Neuer, the Austrian expat in the Algarve with a reputation for excellence.

96. Food - Asian influencers

From Lagoa to Lisbon, tried and tested Asian eateries for sushi and so much more.

100. Business Listings

Your expat friendly businesses and services. .

you choose to be iswhere you belong...

the magazine for expats everywhere

© Photo by Annie Spratt at Unsplash.com.

Europe’s finest Michelinstarred tables

Restaurants worth travelling far and wide for.

Anne-Sophie Pic at Hôtel Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland

The Beau-Rivage Palace has placed renowned chef Anne-Sophie Pic at the helm of its fine-dining restaurant.

Anne-Sophie is the third generation in her family to obtain the coveted Michelin Guide three stars. This venture opened in 2009, and quickly gained two stars for itself. AnneSophie adapts the menu at the restaurant according to the seasons and her personal inspiration –which she draws from walking outside, from meeting local artisans and gourmets, and even from her dreams! The “Pic Collection” menu focuses on family classics, dishes that evoke tradition in their tastes and values. To complete the menu and the view, there is nothing better than a bottle of wine chosen from the 75,000 bottles collected in the Beau-Rivage cellar, one of the largest wine collections in Europe. brp.ch

©

Photo by Nathalie RouxLausanne Tourisme

Cail Bruich, Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow’s only Michelin-starred restaurant won its star this year, and is the first restaurant in the city to be awarded one in 18 years. Head chef Lorna McNee was appointed in August 2020. With a newly-launched chef’s table experience, Lorna offers a bespoke tasting menu for two overlooking the kitchen. Every detail of the table, which was specially commissioned and handcrafted by local company Tabula Rasa Design, evokes the restaurant’s commitment to excellence, from the Scottish Wych Burr Elm wood to the hand-drawn drawer liner depicting the seasonal produce. Lorna says: “We see the Chef’s Table experience as a unique way of showcasing all of the talent throughout our team. There are few industries in the world where guests can get a front seat in the heart of the engine room and experience our craft first hand.” cailbruich.co.uk

Akelarre, San Sebastian, Spain

Three Michelin-starred Akelarre is only three miles from San Sebastian, but the high private enclave on Monte Igueldo Hill, overlooking the Bay of Biscay, feels worlds away. Overseen by one of Spain’s top chefs, Pedro Subjiana, he is credited as one of the founders of ‘new Basque’ cuisine and has held three Michelin stars since 2007. His show-stopping tasting menus include local seafood, Iberian meats and unusual ingredients. Akelarre offers its guests stunning views across the bay, delicious food and an exclusive wine cellar, stocked with Pedro’s most treasured wine collection. For a slightly more relaxed setting, guests can try Otezia, named after his friend, the renowned Basque sculptor Jorge Oteiza. akelarre.net

La Dame de Pic – Le 1920, Megève, France

Admire Alpine views while dining under the vaulted wooden ceiling or on the outdoor terrace. Head chef Anne-Sophie Pic is the world’s most Michelin-starred female chef, with eight Michelin stars across five restaurants in France, Switzerland and the UK. At Le 1920 she imagines a new culinary experience by combining Savoyard produce with her signature quest for new, complex flavour combinations. Guests can take in the energetic atmosphere and aromatic smells coming directly from the open kitchen. Signature dishes range from Savoyard Berlingot to Alpine Omble to Alpine Lamb and White Millefeuille. She says: “I enjoy introducing our customers to new taste sensations and exploring more unusual cooking methods, to create dishes that are rich in powerful and unexpected flavours.” fourseasons.com/megeve

Alma, Lisbon, Portugal

Two Michelin-starred Alma is set in the heart of the Chiado district in an 18th century building that once housed the famous Bertrand bookshop. The restaurant is headed up by Executive Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, who also earned the number 38 spot in the Top 100 of The Best Chef Awards 2021, as well as the “Best Entry” award. The basis of his culinary philosophy comes from his influences and references: his travels around the world, his passion for Asia and his knowledge of traditional Portuguese cuisine and life in Lisbon. Alma, which means ‘soul’ in Portuguese, offers seasonal à la carte options and interesting set menus such as ‘Costa a Costa’, five courses inspired by the local coast, and ‘Alma’ with Portuguese-Asian signature dishes. almalisboa.pt

ION – The Harbour, Iniala Harbour House & Residences, Valletta, Malta

A chic, rooftop restaurant with a unique fine dining experience surrounded by world-class design and unrivalled views of the fortified walls, from the Grand Harbor to the Three Cities and beyond. Headed up by chef Alex Dilling, it received its first Michelin star within six months of opening. Bespoke breakfasts involve a versatile mix of seasonal, regional and international dishes. The four-course à la carte experience is full of surprises, each dish with an unlikely and unexpected ingredient, based on season and availability. A unique and produce-driven cuisine highlighting the freshness of the ingredients.. iontheharbour.com

The K at the Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland

The K at the Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz is only open during the winter season (December to April). Run by Mauro Colagreco, the restaurant received its first Michelin star in early 2021, a mere two months after opening in December 2020. Mauro has created a style of his own that focuses on a personal interpretation of local ingredients and spectacular flavour combinations. His cuisine is inspired by his roots, his travels and surrounding nature. His food philosophy is all about freshness, simplicity, balance of colour and authentic flavours. Lemon makes his anchovy fillets set on fried anchovy skeletons pop and sing, while his ‘Luxus beta vulgaris’ combines the everyday (saltencrusted beetroot) with the luxurious (Oscietre caviar cream). kulm.com

Luce d’Oro, Schloss Elmau, Bavaria, Germany

Luce d’Oro, situated in one of the most beautiful valleys of the Bavarian Alps, received its second Michelin star in 2019, and has retained the double stars ever since. Executive Chef Christoph Rainer came on board in 2018, and his careful preparation and curiosity to experiment have played a huge role in the restaurant’s star status. His culinary style highlights French cuisine, infused with Japanese aromas and techniques. His team focuses on the essentials, the product and its taste – their creations often use only three main components and ‘aroma bridges,’ which are showcased by surprising preparation techniques and flavour combinations. An intriguing interplay of sour, sweet and spicy, combined with different textures and consistencies, turns the dishes into thrilling culinary experiences brimming with complexity and surprises. shloss-elmau.de

St. Hubertus, Rosa Alpina, Cassiano, Italy

Dinner by Heston, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

The idea for double Michelin-starred Dinner sprang from Heston Blumenthal’s fascination with culinary history, from the savoury ice creams of the late 1800s, to the theatre of the Tudor dining experience, and the dishes featured in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Heston worked with food historians and historical cookbooks by royal chefs resulting is Dinner’s thrilling menu, fusing the historic with the contemporary in a uniquely exciting manner. The restaurant itself is contemporary yet traditional, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls to view of the kitchen and its unique pulley system, modelled on the royal court’s, rotating a spit over an open fire. mandarinoriental.com

At St. Hubertus at Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites, Chef Norbert Niederkofler bagged three Michelin Stars in 2021. The restaurant has even earned a green star, represented as a leaf, Michelin’s newest distinction designed to recognise sustainable gastronomy and eco-responsible practices. Norbert has been at the helm of St. Hubertus for over 26 years. His firm commitments to sustainable food and fine dining shine in his ‘Cook the Mountain’ concept. When creating menus, he focuses on three main points: the mountain, the season and no waste. Using seasonal products from the heart of the Dolomites, available at 2,550 meters from local farmers, means the dishes are constantly changing. rosalpina.it

Pavyllon, Paris, France

The most recent addition to the collection of restaurants by multiMichelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, Pavyllon was inaugurated in October 2019, and received its first star three months later in January 2020. From the large gourmet counter, guests have front row seats to the action in the kitchen, where multi-cultural culinary traditions are blended. Yannick’s dishes start with French influence as the foundation, then are mingled with flavours, cooking styles and inspirational touches from Japan, Italy, Nordic countries and beyond. Though the majority of seats in the restaurant are to be found at the counter, guests can also enjoy nature on the outdoor patio or from interior tables with views onto the garden. yannick-alleno.com

Imàgo, Hotel Hassler Roma, Rome, Italy

With iconic panoramic views of the Eternal City from the top of the Spanish Steps, Imàgo is led by talented Chef Andrea Antonini, who hails from Rome himself. The young and dynamic team all under 30 years old gained its Michelin star in 2019 . The background music and the stunning view of historical landmarks are complemented by the taste, texture and Chef Andrea’s re-interpretation of Italian cuisine. Seasonal dishes are carefully prepared and presented. Conceived for each type of palate, expect an explosion of flavours from the most refined combinations as well as traditional Italian cuisine. hotelhasslerroma.com

Marsan Restaurant & Lounge, Paris, France

Named after her family’s home town, Marsan, Helene Darroze calls this restaurant in rue d’Assas her ‘home’. Focusing on producers and recipes that sublimate without cheating, her instinctive cuisine is all about tastes and stories.

She says “I wanted to synthesise my knowledge and give meaning to my dreams by imagining new gastronomic experiences, as demanding as they are lively... An open kitchen, a chef’s table, an exposed cellar, spontaneous and shared tastings... as many moments to live, pleasures to discover and tastes to transmit.” And, all the more good reasons to visit, on top of the Michelin star stamp of approval. marsanhelenedarroze.com

The chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, Alain Ducasse

The chef with the most Michelin stars in the world needs no introduction. Alain Ducasse might not be one to entertain on social media, as his critics have recently highlighted, but his visions and verve still inspire respect from chefs across the industry. And while his lack of interest for social media might have cost him his place at the Plaza Athénée Hotel in Paris last June, he’s onto better things. Because for Ducasse, the two most important principles guiding his career have always been freedom and creativity.

One of the most prolific chefs in the world, Alain Ducasse, 64, is often cited by culinary experts as one of the world’s greatest, on par with Escoffier and Bocuse, for his contribution to French cuisine. However, with a huge appetite for new horizons, the industrious chef is also a brilliant businessperson.

As well as a training and consultation branch, a cooking school, a couple of inns, a coffee roasting business and more recently an ice cream parlour, not forgetting his takeover of the Hotels & Chateaux Collection, Ducasse Enterprise currently operates 36 restaurants in nine countries earning Mr Ducasse a total of 20 Michelin stars and just as many chocolate shops. And he isn’t letting up.

The world’s most famous chef talks Michelin stars, memories and more with Rooksana Hossenally.

© Photo by Pierre Monetta.

This year, he oversaw the opening of his new restaurant at the Grand Contrôle in Versailles, one of the most awaited hotel openings on this side of the globe and he started his own ice cream parlour in Paris. He also opened Sapid last September, a farmto-fork restaurant with a focus on sustainability with young chef Marvic Medina who trained under Ducasse. He partnered with the seriously creative chef Albert Adrià, brother of famed Spanish chef Ferran of El Bulli success on the Costa Brava,

Your earliest foodie memory?

I grew up on a farm where my grandmother would cook for the whole family. I still remember the flavours of the roast chicken she would prepare for Sunday lunch. Most of the produce we ate came from the farm, particularly the vegetables, which I picked from the kitchen garden.

The restaurant where you won your first set of three Michelin stars?

The Hôtel de Paris in Monaco in 1990. Six years later, I opened another restaurant in Paris which was also awarded three stars the next year.

What you miss the most about cooking?

and Roman Meder, his former Plaza chef, to launch ADMO, a pop-up restaurant on the roof of the sublime Quai Branly Museum in Paris that will be open for 100 days with an exciting concept rooted in French and Spanish cuisines.

Ducasse talks to me about his global success underpinned by creativity and good oldfashioned hard work.

Cooking is much more than peeling and mincing turnips. It’s about creating recipes, it is about sourcing the produce, it is about working with interior designers, choosing tableware, defining the style of service, etc. So, I still cook – this is in fact what I do all day long. Yet I concentrate on what is the most important: creation.

Advice to young chefs starting out?

To work more, better and faster than the others. I may also add a key ingredient: to be detail-obsessed. Here lies the difference between good and exceptional. What is important is that each restaurant must tell its own story. Each restaurant must be true to the location where it is situated, must fit with the expectations and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the city and of the visitors.

Favourite dish at home?

I spend my time tasting recipes. Therefore, back home, I am rarely very hungry and I look for very light, simple and healthy food.

The main difference on the Paris food scene with when you started?

The key word is diversity. This applies to the entire global culinary scene. New countries emerge, discovering and reshaping their food culture, young talents blossom everywhere, the dialogue between chefs is becoming more intense. This result is a much more diversified offer and a buoyant culinary scene that encompasses different culinary styles and a multiplicity of ways of eating from street food to brasseries. The best thing for diners!

Follow Alain Ducasse @alainducasse

“A restaurant must be true to its location, it must fit with the expectations and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the city and of its visitors.”

Source:

Kitchen All Stars

These trailblazing women can stand the heat. Helene Darroze, Dalad Kambhu and Elizabeth Haig are leading a quiet kitchen revolution.

Helene Darroze is a French chef who has often been dubbed ‘the world’s finest female chef’. She earned her first three Michelin stars at her London restaurant, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught and also runs Hélène Darroze in Paris, as well as Joia and Marsan which has two stars, and now Villa La Coste in the Luberon too. She appeared in Top Chef and even had a chef Barbie doll created in her honor!

With a family restaurant in the background, was it a natural progression?

“I am the fourth generation of my family to cook. My father, grand-father and grandmother, great grand-father and great grand-mother were all chefs. Also, my great great grandmother on my mother’s side.

Food is in my DNA, and my mother told me that I understood how to taste before I could even walk. I started to cook when I was very young and began with cakes like most children”.

Alain Ducasse convinced you to move from office to kitchen - how did that happen?

“I realised that I wanted to be a chef quite late. I was 24, and it was after studying at university. In fact, I started working for Alain Ducasse in his office and not his kitchen. When he saw my passion, he encouraged me to work as a chef. To this day, I have never regretted my choice. I am lucky enough to transfer my passion into a job, and there is not a single day where I am bored to go to work.”

A restaurant in Paris, in London and in the Luberon - how do you juggle all this?

“My focus and motivation every day is to give joy to my guests. People come

to our restaurants to have a beautiful experience, to be happy, and it is our responsibility to deliver. I travel between Paris, London and Provence regularly and am in constant communication with each restaurant.

My team is also, of course, an integral part of this. I have a very stable and loyal team who completely embrace my cuisine, my vision, and I can count on them to relay who I am.”

“The advice I’ve always given to female chefs is: be yourself, be a woman; embrace your femininity; and cook as a woman. “

If they choose, women can play an integral role in the culinary and gastronomic scene; great examples include Dominique Crenn, Elena Arzak, Anne-Sophie Pic, Clare Smyth, and more. I always remember Alain Ducasse’s advice when I first started; ‘there is a place for women’. He was right and is great at supporting women to succeed.”

What is your motto in life?

2 stars in Paris, 3 in London - do the Michelin stars still have the same effect on you or are you becoming ’used’ to them?

“It is always very special. This year, the third star was the most emotional moment in my professional life. Since childhood, I have admired these chefs, and suddenly I joined them amongst this small world of three Michelin star restaurants. For sure, it is a big team achievement, and I was so happy and proud of the team; 3 Michelin stars is the holy grail for a chef. But it should not be the end, and we must continue to improve and do better. Every day is a new day. I now say to the team; we need to invent the fourth star.”

Any mentors or any special people that helped you make your choices?

“My family. They’ve certainly influenced me to be in line with their philosophy and spirit towards ingredients.”

What advice would you give other young aspiring women chefs? Is it still a man’s world?

“To be yourself. Not to try to be someone else or look like someone else. It is so important to be in harmony with yourself. As a person, as a chef and for women as a woman.”

How would you describe your cuisine in one sentence?

“Regarding my way of cooking, I have chosen to cook with instinct, generosity and emotion and forget technique a little. That is not my priority. I am not in my restaurant to showcase specific skills; I am just here to give pleasure to people.”

As someone who travels the world, what did you take from each destination?

“Travel hugely influences my cooking. On any of my trips, I explore the markets, visit the restaurants, and engage with the locals. So many of my dishes were inspired by my travels including, Coquilles Saint-Jacques with tandoori spices and Le Retour d’Hanoi, which stems from my time in Vietnam.”

Follow Helene @helenedarroze

“I am lucky enough to transfer my passion into a job, and there is not a single day where I am bored to go to work.”

On top of the world Helene Darroze

Dalad Kambhu

Although she was born in Austin, Texas, Dalad grew up in Bangkok learning all about Thai food. After a stint in New York, where she worked as a model and in hospitality. She moved to Berlin in her late twenties and opened Kin Dee in February 2017 earning a Michelin star within three years propelling 33-year-old Dalad to the rare elite of the world’s top Michelin starred female chefs.

Dd the always have your heart set on becoming a chef?

“I actually wanted to be an artist. Before I dreamt of becoming an interior designer too. Then, later I wanted to design the interior of airplanes, then it was window displays! But, it’s always been on the creative side!”

What prompted you to switch careers and start cooking?

“I became a self trained chef to follow my passion. I really always loved food so much and when I missed my home food, I had to cook it myself. It started there.” She adds: “my first year in New York wasn’t easy. I wanted to give up.

It was hard for me as I didn’t speak English very well. Things were tough. My mother asked me if I wanted to give up everything and come home. She sort of pushed me, knowing my inner fighter would come out and that I would not giving up.”

Who else gave you a helping hand along the way?

“Of course, it takes a village to raise a child and a country to help them become an adult. There are many people I needed to be thankful for as

well as my mother, particularly, Rirkrit (her business partner), Doug and my grandfather.”

You have been quoted as saying “You decide for yourself what you want your future to look like.” Is that why you left Thailand for the US, and then Germany?

“A sense of learning and seeing the world and to see what else I could become. It’s great to experience new cultures and learning to see new perspectives. I would not be who I am had I only lived in one country in my life, but it can be really stressful too, when your future or well-being is at the mercy of others. To tell you

are basically male chefs in women’s bodies. They are so mean and brutal to other women and it was because they were trained in the men’s world and accepted the stupid rules.

In life and in the kitchen I believe it’s important to be honest to myself.”

So, where is home now - Berlin or Bangkok?

“They can’t be any more opposite!

Bangkok life is like walking on a canal in Kreuzberg on Sunday and you end up at Berghain. You never know what to expect and full of surprises. Warmth, love, welcoming and generosity. I was lucky to have that for 20 years. I hope to visit my family between Christmas and New Year, but given the current covid situation, it’s very hard to plan.

the truth, she says “I’ve had very mixed experiences with the German authorities.”

How did the idea of Kin Dee come about ?

“Like its name - Kin Dee translates as ‘eat well’. Eat thoughtfully created, sourced and made in an ethically run restaurant. Well, at least we try! Our cuisine is honest and thoughtful”

In a traditionally male dominated food industry, you have been vocal about how tough it is being a female chef. Is it still a man’s world?

“It is- and let’s change it. Don’t play by the rules that don’t make sense to you. I have met some women chefs that

Berlin isn’t really home yet. I tried to learn the language but it has been difficult. I work so much and it’s the first Language in my life I can’t naturally pick up from living in the city. I think I was yelled at by many Germans when I first moved here my brain shut itself off.

The meaning of “Home” is changing. Honestly, covid has changed my perspective of what is home. Home is where my heart feels safe and serene. I think my friends and community give me that feeling”.

What’s next in 2022?

“I think I am ready for the next chapter of my life!”

Follow Dalad @daladk

“Honestly, covid has changed my perspective of what is home. Home is where my heart feels safe and serene. I think my friends and community give me that feeling.”

From Bangkok to Berlin

© Photo by Robert Rieger.

Mei Mei Masterchef Elizabeth Haigh

Elizabeth Haigh is a Singaporeanborn chef who became a household name after competing on MasterChef UK in 2011, then won a Michelin star at Pidgin in Hackney. Today she runs the kopitiam Mei Mei in Borough Market in London, focusing on Peranakan and Singaporean dishes.

What did the young Elizabeth Haigh dream of becoming?

“I dreamt of being an architect and designing buildings when I was younger, so I found my way into University to study it.”

What prompted you to sign up for MasterChef?

“I was dared by my university colleagues to apply, and I ended up doing quite well, but it was extremely daunting being the youngest in the series, and learning, trying to cook in a studio rather than a proper kitchen. It was totally out of my comfort zone and I felt it showed in my food.”

Having bagged a Michelin star at Pidgin - why leave to go it alone?

“I felt I achieved what I set out to do there, and that was to really refine and define my cooking style that I love and wanted to focus on. The star was a bonus and I’m incredibly proud of that achievement.”

How do you juggle your new venture Mei Mei with new motherhood?

“Motherhood came first, before we opened Mei Mei, therefore I felt we had enough time to spend with our family before the craziness of opening the restaurant. My close family help us a lot and it really benefits that my husband

and business partner shares the parental duties and work with me!

Which 3 decisions would you say changed your life path - for the better?

“1. Deciding to change careers from Architecture to the food industry.

2. Sticking it out in a new industry, despite it being extremely difficult as a young female chef.

3. Sticking to my gut and opening the restaurant at the right time. We tried to open many other projects but it wasn’t the right time, and now we’ve learnt a great deal opening Mei Mei, and doing it all on our own, we can’t replace that experience and knowledge.”

mentor that can help you, guide you or even just give some advice at a time you’ll find you’d need it most.”

Why did you train in butchery?

“I wanted to learn butchery because I felt it was something I’d like to learn more about. I’ve spent a great deal in the “pastry section” which meant I worked on a lot of desserts, which isn’t my favourite as I don’t have a sweet tooth and the hours are much longer. What fascinated me about butchery is understanding the animal and product, learning how to minimise waste by using every part of the animal and giving it the respect it deserves.”

How would you describe your cuisines in one sentence?

Any mentors who had a hand in your destiny?

“I’ll always credit Neil Rankin of Temper Soho and Temper City for helping push me into becoming a stronger chef that doesn’t take any bulls*t, but also my mother for giving me the knowledge and respect of our heritage that I love cooking and representing now.”

What advice would you give other aspiring women chefs? Is it still a man’s world?

“It’s never been a man’s world. It’s always been portrayed as a man’s world. There are so many incredible female chefs that are doing amazing work, and it’s just about helping the media change their narrative and focusing more on their work. My advice would be to any young woman in any industry, listen to your gut and intuition. Don’t be pressured into doing something you aren’t comfortable with and find yourself a

“I’m a storyteller. I want my food and my work to share the knowledge and experience of many who’ve lived and shared with us in the past, so it won’t be lost forever. Like a timekeeper!”

What’s next?

“My plans are to spend a great deal of time with my young family and take them travelling when we can again. We also have plans to expand and grow mei mei over the next five years.”

Are there any places still on your ‘bucket’ list to visit in Europe ?

“I’d love to visit Portugal. My husband has been, but I’d love to visit.”

So, do you feel like an expat or a Londoner?

“A local. I’m a North of the river kinda Londoner! But, I do miss Singapore a lot as we used to visit annually to see family, friends and food.”

Follow Elizabeth @the_modernchef

“Let the food tell the story, it should sing with passion and love, and if it doesn’t, it won’t taste as good!”

© Photo by Gareth Sambidge.

Madame Clicquot

Orange Widow The

Kasia Dietz finds out how a young widow revolutionised the world of champagne.

In early 19th century France, a woman of any status was considered the responsibility of a man, either her father or her husband. Their role limited to the household, it was only widowed women who had control of their lives and were permitted to work. One such case is the woman who became known as the ‘grande dame’ of the Champagne region.

After Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin’s husband, François Clicquot, died of typhoid at the premature age of 30, Madame Clicquot did what was unheard of at the time. The 27-year-old, inexperienced young mother and widow bought shares from her husband’s family and dedicated herself to running the champagne business. Perhaps it was the passion she shared with her husband that drove her, or it was a way to keep his legacy alive. Or maybe it was her desire not to rely on anyone and to be independent? After persuading men to assist her financially, Madame Clicquot fought against all odds to maintain and expand the champagne house. She changed the name to Veuve ClicquotPonsardin – translated to Widow of Clicquot – and kept the anchor symbolising that her father-in-law, founder of the House in 1772, had chosen. In one of her letters, Madame Clicquot was noted for saying: “If in the search of perfection, we must take two steps at a time, I do believe that we should not be content in only taking one.”

After creating the first known vintage champagne in 1810 using only grapes harvested that year, Madame Clicquot shipped the 1811 ‘comet vintage’ to Saint

Petersburg, Russia in 1814. This sparkling success for Veuve Clicquot led to further demands in Europe and an increase in sales. Madame Clicquot also invented the riddling table to improve the wine’s clarification and get crystal clear champagne while speeding up production. This innovation meant turning the bottles upside down to rid them of their yeast. Another claim to fame for this bold businesswoman who set out to carve her own path was the creation of rosé champagne by combining red and white wines. Madame Clicquot believed that rosé champagne should have its own distinct style.

As business expanded and global subsidiaries were established, Madame Clicquot continued to work tireless hours visiting the vineyards and tasting the wines. Her generous spirit even helped injured workers by continuing to pay their salaries. She was also known for her honesty as was evident in one of her letters.

“Sincerity and honesty have always been and will ever be the base and rule in my dealing with things.” It wasn’t until 1841 that she officially introduced associate Edouard Werlé as her successor-to-be. They worked together until Madame Clicquot passed away in 1866 and Werlé took the reins.

Well over a century later, with her champagne house recognised around the world, Madame Clicquot remains an icon and an inspiration. Just pop the cork on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and there you’ll find the image of Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, forever immortalised.

“If in the search of perfection, we must take two steps at a time, I do believe that we should not be content in only taking one.”

Caviar’s new kids on the block

Discovering Ovea Aura, a new House of ‘Black Gold’ where French gourmets meet Persian legacy.

The history of caviar begins with the sturgeon, the fish from which eggs are collected to create the delicacy. The sturgeon first appeared 372 million years ago during the Paleozoic era. This steadfast survivor has inhabited waters, particularly those of the Caspian Sea, for eons, surviving dinosaurs, natural disasters and every other major change in the history of life on our planet.

Human consumption of caviar is little known but remains a testimony of past civilisations and cultures. Some 6000 years ago, caviar first appeared on plates as fish eggs prepared with salt and left in clay pots to marinate. Its etymology comes from the ancient Persian Mâhi-e khâya-dâr, which means ‘fish carrying eggs’.With such a rich history of inception and cultivation, caviar is a true ancestral treasure, unparalleled by anything else in the culinary world.

A new dawn

But, thankfully there is always space for innovation. Ovea Aura is a new caviar house founded in 2016 by Master of Caviar Ahmad Shiroudian who holds the title of Ostade Khâvyâr Sazi, or Persian Master of Caviar.

Shiroudian is the veritable custodian to a unique and timeless heritage, with a remarkable level of expertise he has spent 55 years refining. A true ‘child of the Caspian Sea’, from the age of three he accompanied

his father, a captain and sturgeon merchant, on the pale blue fishing boats traditionally used by Persian sailors. After years obtaining the ancestral know-how to cultivate and refine the precious eggs, he entered the world of commerce. Having worked for several decades for Persian production house Shilat Trading, the most prestigious caviar producers in the world, he brings his unique

network of recognised Masters, privileged relationships with the best producers and irreproachable credibility to the table.

Teaming up with French expat businessman Michel Ferreira they founded Maison Aurea Ova, the proverbial new kid on the block. Passionate about gastronomy and rare products, they fuse east and west, complementing each other’s know-how.

Ovea Aura is committed to introduce rare and exceptional Caviars to a clientele of connoisseurs,

Shiroudian is the veritable custodian to a unique and timeless heritage, with a remarkable level of expertise he has spent 55 years refining.

novices, and demanding professionals thanks to a more-accessible price points. In a typically extremely exclusive industry, democratising the knowledge and consumption of caviar is a noteworthy and noble goal. Modern consumers will be pleased to know that the House prioritises not only the quality and fidelity of their caviar, but also emphasises environmentally-friendly practices.

After cultivation, the caviars are refined in the utmost secrecy and freshness until they reach optimal ripeness. Mr. Shiroudian surveys this process: “You have to give them time, care and patience for the chemistry to happen,” he says. In the field, Ahmad is a Master of Caviar, but in the laboratory, he is master of time and preparation, with the knowledge and ability to refine the Golden Eggs.

Aurea Ova offers a collection of 11 types of caviar with various taste profiles, from the inimitable nutty flavor of the Royal Kaluga Amour(R) to the dazzling intensity of the Imperial Sevruga.

Timing and patience

As for the caviar cultivation process, timing and patience are the name of the game. It takes several years of dedicated care for a female sturgeon to reach the Golden Eggs age, then a delicate few minutes of collection time. Boxes are labeled with variety name, origin, ingredients, hygiene requirements and CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) approvals.

Available for purchase at various gourmet counters around the world, as well as directly from the Aurea Ova website, European customers can expect to receive their orders in 48 hours or less.

This new and intriguing House undoubtedly brings something fresh and exciting to the world of caviar, for everyone from long-time connoisseurs to curious novices. From the start of the cultivation process to the caviar’s ultimate arrival on one’s plate, Maison Ovea Aura’s caviar is imbued with the delicacy’s mysterious history, as well as its Master’s ancestral savoir-faire.

In a typically extremely exclusive industry, democratising the knowledge and consumption of caviar is a noteworthy and noble goal.

Because a picture speaks a thousand words

Sweet, dude!

Cakes and patisseries have been enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with pastry chefs upping the stakes considerably. We take a quick look at what’s on the desert trolley from Loule to Lisbon and beyond.

Xavi Donnay, The Best Pastry Chef 2020. 3 Michelin stars @xavidonnay

“This was one of the petits fours that caught the attention of the general public, and that opened a whole range of possibilities for me, after the cherry we made the mandarin, the beetroot, the apple, the pear or the pineapple.”

Pierre Herme at Maison Pierre Hermé Paris, France.

Pink is back thanks to Pierre Herme’s Parisian ‘Ispahan’ creations. Red berries inspire acclaimed chefs like Antonio Bachour to Amine El Makoudi, and new Loule favourite L’Atelier Gourmet.

Atelier Gourmet Loule

Aminel Makoudi @aminelmakoudi

Antonio Bachour

Atelier Gourmet Loule

Antonio Bachour Author of 6 books

Best Pastry Chef 2018.

Pastry Chef of 2019

Mon P’tit Chou is the sweet result of Julien’s childhood memories and a hommage to his grand mother - who really supported him with great enthusiasm, whatever his endeavours.

The aim was always to create an elegant desert, filled with tenderness, fresh and light just like this person who was so important in his life. Today it’s part of the treats we share with friends and family - a delicate envelope of pastry filled with a light, delicious cream and crispy topping.

“It’s a classic and irresistible desert that transcends generations.”

Julien Letartre at Eric Kayer, Lisbon, Portugal @erickayser.portugal

Glee Cafe at Tivoli Vilamoura, Portugal

David Vidal at Scandic Laholmen, Sweden @vidal31

Brigadeirando Lisbon @brigadeirandolx

“I used to make traditional macarons with modern flavour mixes but one day I thought I had to go further and create a collection of ‘open’ macarons with just the base and finishes in different ways.”

Xavi Donnay, Best Pastry Chef 2020. 3 Michelin stars. @xavidonnay

What’s on the table?

Very Vegan1.

“There is a huge amount of evidence which shows that interest in vegan diets is increasing year-on-year – and this shows no sign of slowing down. Consumers say they have cut back on products from animals since the start of the pandemic, with many of these people having tried vegan alternatives such as vegan meat, plant-based milk and even vegan eggs for the first time. In much of Europe, this lifestyle change is also gaining traction, with Austria, Germany and Poland leading the way in terms of sales growth. The global Vegan Trademark (which currently has nearly 54,000 products registered) is also seeing interest in regions much further afield. We are seeing a surge in interest from countries such as South Korea, the United States, Russia, Japan and Australia and this signals great things to come in the future for the vegan movement. There has really never been an easier or better time to be vegan!”

Louisianna Waring, Senior Insight and Policy Officer at the Vegan Society.

The way we eat is changing. But how so? Food industry experts tell us what is making our diets evolve in 2022.

Photo by Nordwood-Themes on Unsplash.

Cannabis Power2.

“Cannabis is an all-natural super power, but a lack of education around its versatility and the range of benefits means it is still largely misunderstood. I’ve spent the vast majority of my professional life learning about its 25,000 uses and how humans have used it over the last 2,500 years for health purposes. We have

Food for Therapy3.

“A lot has changed in the way we look at food since I was a kid, and my grandmother used to give me egg yolk with sugar to make me stronger. We are now more aware of the power of food to make us healthy. We’ve come a long way and we are now aware that food can be therapy too. Food should be as good as it tastes. Good, sustainable food and a conscious way of eating has a physical, emotional and energetic impact on us which is why the food we eat should be local, balanced and make us feel good. Our relationship to food has changed and is still in flux which is why at The Therapist Lab and Restaurant we are all about natural light, fresh air and local, seasonal ingredients.”

seized an opportunity to unlock nature’s best kept secret and offer a credible new consumer experience. By using just 30mg of CBD in our drinks products we ensure that consumers feel the real health benefits of the cannabinoids – offering a healthy alternative to caffeine and alcohol, to unwind from the daily stresses of the modern world with help from a very ancient ingredient.”

Eoin Keenan, Co-founder and CEO, Goodrays.

Joana Teixeira, Founder, The Therapist Lab and Restaurant, Lisbon.

© Photo by Una Create

“We’ve come a long way and we are now aware that food can be therapy too.”

Allergy Driven

“Food allergies and intolerances amongst adults and children are currently at an all-time high. Recent evidence shows that food allergies affect four percent of adults in Western countries and between six and seven percent of children under the age of three. However, it is important to note that the prevalence of self-diagnosed food allergies is substantially higher – approximately 35% of adults self-diagnose this condition, which is a cause of concern. Food allergies are much too serious to assess and manage without an expert allergist and nutritionist. Consequently, a gluten-free diet has become one of the most popular trend diets in the world. The food sector has seen the emergence of the millions of consumers choosing a gluten-free lifestyle. We’re also seeing ‘free from’ products as staples on our mainstream supermarket shelves. ‘Free from’ products are also deemed to be ‘healthier’ by many. This simply isn’t the case for most of the products as many still contain very high amounts of sugar, salt or saturated fats. Don’t just follow the trend – be wise and, most importantly, don’t self-diagnose. Talk to an expert first to formulate a healthy diet and lifestyle changes that are sustainable, practical and achievable.”

Author, allergy expert and Harley Street nutritionist, Nada Farina.

“Allergies and intolerance amongst adults and children are at an all time high.”

Firmly Fermented

“Kombucha is on everyone’s lips these days. It feels good but tastes even better. It is part of a huge movement that sees consumers turn to our roots, where a more natural way of eating and drinking proliferates, without processed foods and full of live foods, aka fermentation. The growing popularity of kombucha in the West, but also the world, reflects the rise of a greener consumer that cares about their wellbeing, but also the world’s. Generally a product packed in glass bottles or aluminium cans and distributed locally through artisanal brands, it can have a lower carbon impact, particularly if bought in bulk! Kombucha is a product that ticks all the boxes. It is healthy, low sugar (needed for fermentation to occur), it feeds our gut flora with natural-occurring

probiotics (if non-pasteurised) and its sour taste can feel like magic to some!

Kombucha is, essentially, positive. When you drink a kombucha, there is only the good side: you are investing in your health, supporting a meaningful project and our millennial roots in fermentation. Making peace and embracing the micro-organisms present in raw foods, especially in fermented ones, is a powerful act since we are connecting with the mother earth that keeps on giving. It is the time for fermentation revolution, the best one so far!”

Provenance, Method and Supply Chain6.

“Our international customers provide us with a real insight into global food trends. They are definitely interested in knowing more about the production and farming of the food, so checking its provenance, and also prefer environmentally safe and organic methods – be it wild salmon or organic garlic.

We have also noticed an upturn in the consumption of fresh organic milk, packed in glass bottles that are recyclable, over packaged long-life milk. Meanwhile, fruit and vegetables are preferred fresh and grown close by. It’s all about local, homegrown and seasonal produce.”

Tiago Pinto, Marketing Director, Apolonia.

Maria Lima, founder Aquela Kombucha.

“Embracing the micro-organisms present in raw foods, especially in fermented ones, is a powerful act”

© Photo by Debby-hudson on Unsplash.

Alpaca Fur Luxury Slippers

Beautifully made by skilled artisans in Peru using Alpaca fur for the tops, merino lambskin for the upper sole and soft natural suede for the under sole!

Annabeljames.co.uk €88

Bracelet Rosace

Handmade in France using ancient and traditional techniques such as lost wax casting, planishing, chiselling

Bottle Holder

The perfect whimsical bottle holder!

redcandy.co.uk €24

Rocking Red Bag

Best known for her jewellery Maria João Bahia also makes beautiful leather bags. Case in point this red beauty. mariajoaobahia.pt

For her... Christmas Inspiration

Pale Blue Cashmere Mix Wrap

Wraps Clothing –Maxi wrap, pashmina, travel wrap… call it what you will but this luxury blue accessory with cashmere, is fabulous!

90% Fine Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere tollymcrae.co.uk €104

Lava Stone Earrings

Beautiful, timeless earrings with midnight blue feathers, snowwhite lava stones & azulejos pearls

littleseasidecottage.com €58

©NataliaWillmott

Mariajoaobahia

Little Dutch Gitar

Call all future rock stars! Cool blue guitar for kids, over 3. Takatomo.de €27

Red And White Knitted Christmas Stocking

Ginger Ray

A traditional Christmas stocking with a pocket

Blue Piggy bank

Beautiful wooden crafted piggy bank by Kinder Räume Kinderraeume.com €20

For the kids...

Circu Bun Van Bed

This bed is perfect to bring some fun and imagination to rooms! It comes with a bed, a TV, a desk, a mini bar and a sofa. Circu.net € price on application.

Dinosaur Pencil Case

Perfect for kids who love dinosaurs!

A colour-in dinosaur pencil case comes with a set of ten wash-out fabric pens that fit neatly inside. Eatsleepdoodle.com €15

Bashful Bunny

Beautiful blue JellyCat bunny. Resistance is futile. 27 cms head to toe. yellowOctopus.com.au €26

Wooden StoryNatural Bowling Set

A classic wooden bowling set for kids and adults alike. For every order, atree is planted with reforestation partner Ecologi. Buy one, get one tree! Bluebrontide.com €66

Brontide

©Circu

©Yellow Octopus

Risdon & Risdon Denim Street Apron

As worn by the coolest baristas, artisan bakers and gardeners Hand made and designed to last a lifetime. sirgordonbennett.com €97

Ways Blue Jeans Trainers at Be We

These Wanderer Blue Jeans shoes are comfortable, fashionable and made responsibly. beweconcept.com €140

Orient Star REND0102R

An elegant, sophisticated design that embraces the Japanese school of design. It's a classic, with extras like the genuine diamond at 12 o’clock and open heart window at 9 o’clock! seriouswatches.com

Sahara Leather Weekender Bag

A timeless, ultra-luxurious elegant weekend bag, made from the highest grade premium leather, sourced from one of the finest tanneries in the world in Spain. stowlondon.co.uk €812

Stan Smith Book

Symbols Concept Store stocks the coolest gifts. @symbols.lisboa €125

MasterClass Salt or Pepper Mill

A high performance nonrust ceramic grinding pepper or salt mill. It combines classic capstan design with a high gloss coloured finish.12cm. kitchencraft.co.uk €6

Grey Striped Oxford Cotton Lounge Pants

Lovely soft cotton lounge pants for cosy winter nights. savilerowco.com

Bamboo Bar Set

Complete Bamboo Bar Set rebeccaudall.com €88

WIN A LUXURY BREAK FOR 2 AT INTERCONTINENTAL CASCAIS-ESTORIL

InterContinental Cascais-Estoril is an upscale 5-star hotel, set in the oceanfront of the Atlantic, on the “Portuguese Riviera”, a region full of beauty, history, and warm weather.

Set in an unrivalled location, in the heart of Estoril,the hotel invites you to experience the serene views and glamour of the bay, the fascinating coastline and also to experience the local gastronomy, famous for its fish and seafood specialties.

Start at our Lobby Lounge that offers you an incredible view over the Atlantic Ocean. Whether you are enjoying our lavish breakfast, taking a time out from your touristic tour or simply indulging one of our cocktails at sunset, this is the perfect place to share authentic moments.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for a more exquisite and elegant experience, our Bago Du Vin Gourmet Bar and Terrace offers an exclusive menu by our highly regarded Chef Pedro Lopes, allowing you to relish not only our regional modern cuisine flavors but also our local wine selection that can be found at the cellar.

Our rooms offer total comfort together with elegance and sophistication, the perfect combination for a pleasant and relaxing stay. End your journey in the most peaceful, quite and inviting place of our hotel – SPA InterContinental by L’Occitane. Let yourself be carried away by the sensorial textures, relaxing music, and herbal teas inspired by Provencal traditions that will engage all your senses. Just as Provence is the land of beauty,

L’Occitane SPA is a sanctuary of tranquility that will refresh your senses and restore your inner balance and peacefulness.

Q: The SPA InterContinental by L’Occitane is inspired by which French region?

Email your answer to competitions@ wherevermags.com by 28th February 2022 to win a two-night package including breakfast, dinner at our Bago du Vin Gourmet Bar & Terrace and a treatment at our Spa InterContinental by L’Occitane for two adults.

The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. This offer is subject to availability. For more information contact InterContinental Cascais-Estoril Hotel. For reservations email liset.reservations@ihg. com or 218291100.

Jess Pryles

The live fire Aussie cowgirl

Jess Pryles describes herself as an Aussie originally from Melbourne, turned-Texan meat expert whose cuisine is inspired by the ingredients and flavours of her new home state.

WHEREVER catches up with the selfconfessed meat nerd.

food and flavours, it wasn’t until I got interested in grilling and BBQ after visiting Texas that I developed such a keen interest in the ‘how’ not just the eating part!”

How did ‘Hardcore Carnivore’ come along?

“I had already established a large online following for my recipes, and I wanted to take things to the next level in terms of people being able to try something the way I thought it should taste. I had an idea to use activated charcoal in a seasoning, sort of like ‘meat cosmetics’.

What brings you to Texas, such a long way from ‘home’?

“I think Texas has always been a fascinating destination for a lot of people. The idea of longhorns and cowboys and the wild west, and a state with such a big reputation. I visited for the first time as a tourist and fell in love with it – the people, the lifestyle, the rustic beauty.”

Was it a childhood dream to become a grilling’ cowgirl?

She laughs: “Definitely not! I had pretty typical little girl dreams – to be on stage as a singer. Unfortunately I have a terrible voice so that was quickly ruled out. I always assumed I’d be in a white collar office role –boy was I wrong! Although I always loved

I constantly learn from friends and mentors, and every eating experience is a learning opportunity to be inspired or understand new combinations or techniques. We always have new products in R&D for Hardcore Carnivore. I’m planning new partnerships, and more travel to inspire more great recipes... it never stops!“

Can you pinpoint key turning points in your life?

“Moving from Australia to Texas and taking the plunge on turning my food writing and recipe testing into a career.”

Any words of wisdom?

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be too arrogant to listen to advice. Billy Durney from Hometown BBQ in Brooklyn stands out as someone who offered real guidance to me. As long as you have the talent and drive, it’s

“I got interested in grilling and BBQ after visiting Texas and developed a keen interest in the “how” not just the eating part!”

A meat science grad student, author and boss of seasoning brand Hardcore Carnivore based in Austin, Texas.

“Life is strangely similar yet vastly different here. I’ve never felt anything but welcome.”

there for the taking. “Oh, and don’t settle for mediocrity,” she says, adding: “I’ve never taken ‘no’ for an answer, or thought that I couldn’t do something. So, confidence is key.”

I’ve found myself naturally replacing my native words – so I’ll say ‘trash’ instead of ‘rubbish’ now, etc. Texans are super warm people, who love anyone who loves their state as much as they do, so I’ve never felt anything but welcome. I have definitely been inspired by access to Mexican ingredients like dried chiles, achiote, fresh peppers, tomatillos, etc, and it’s influencing my cooking. I pride myself on my version of Texan classics like brisket, chilli and chicken fried steak. But, I’ve also taught my friends and husband to love Aussie staples like Pavlova and sausage rolls!“

How is life in Texas?

“I ADORE living in Texas, it’s definitely home now. But I miss Australia terribly – especially at the moment not being able to go back. All my family is back in Australia, but I do have a pretty good vegemite supply!

“Life is strangely similar yet vastly different here. My accent is now a total mishmash and

Expat or a local?

100% local.

Follow Jess @jesspryles

“As long as you have the talent and drive, it’s there for the taking. Oh, and don’t settle for mediocrity.”

Pryles

Moving to Portugal?

be your guide.

Moving to Portugal is the website for expats in Portugal. Be it housing, administrative issues (taxes, social security, pensions), investments or, of course, leisure and tourism, you’ll find all the answers you are looking for on this novobanco website. Through Moving to Portugal, thousands of expats living in Portugal can share their experiences. So, come and join us and “Welcome to Portugal.”

Carrie Solomon

Paris’ new American star

What brings a girl from Michigan to Paris? “I came for the food, without a doubt. But I never realised it would become my career. At first, I was more into image making –photography and styling. I worked in the food business as a means to an end to pay my bills, but after a while, I realised that it was really where I wanted to be, I just didn’t know in what capacity or form.”

techniques and flavours. In those days you had stagiaires (interns) from all over the world in the top kitchens, but the menus were still resolutely French. Now many of those stagiaires have gone on to take on bigger roles, opened their own places and that is reflected in the new variety and outside influence we see on menus all the way from hotel palaces to bistrots.”

How did you transition from food stylist to chef?

Was it a childhood dream to become a chef in Paris?

“I never would have imagined that I would end up living in Paris let alone hanging out in the kitchens and writing about some of the most crazily-acclaimed chefs in the world. I still pinch myself! And because neither cooking or living in Paris was what I set out to do, it kept it from becoming intimidating or daunting.”

Is Paris still a foodie’s dream?

“On my days off I tend to eat out a lot. Some 20 years ago when I arrived here it was hard to find French cooking that wasn’t traditional, now it’s about exploring different

“One day my editor at Editions La Martiniere called me and told me that she had a new cookbook that she wanted me to work on. When she told me the subject – Une Américaine à Paris, I made some stupid jokes and reminded her that I was Américaine. She said she knew very well and that was why she wanted me to actually write the book itself. After that book came out I started working as a chef consultant. Soon after I began writing recipes for French ELLE; that brought a lot of visibility and more consult gigs.”

How did you get into those Chef’s Fridges? “I like being an outsider in Paris, it makes getting inside a circle or writing about a circle all that more interesting – like Inside Chefs’ Fridges. Sometimes it’s the outsider status that actually opens doors.”

How do you juggle your life as a chef / author and motherhood?

“I definitely juggle a lot – but in doing so, oddly enough, multiplies the possibilities.

“Parisians are so hard on each other, being from somewhere else and playing by different rules is a surprisingly good way to open doors in this city.”

Bringing her American ‘je ne sais quoi’ to Paris, Carrie Solomon is a consultant chef at the hottest new restaurant in town, the Kimpton’s Montecito, and co-author of Inside Chefs’ Fridges

I think there is a seismic shift happening in Paris and the French culinary scene. Outsiders and their cuisines and ideas are not only more and more accepted but suddenly sought after.

For example a standard full-time chef position wouldn’t give me flexibility to pick my kids up from school, it would probably even be a struggle to sit down for dinner together most nights – although I do think at some point it will be inevitable as I really, really do want to open my own place, just once my daughters are a little older. But because I wear a lot of different hats, this gives me flexibility with my hours and even lets me spend most Wednesdays with my daughters.”

Any key encounters along the way?

“I met Alain Passard really early on when I was about 23. He invited me to eat at L’Arpége. I never would have been able to afford it if not. I was stunned by the procession of vegetables, the daily shipments that arrived from his farm via TGV and of course the astounding price of the prix fixe menu. Back then it was a struggle to find anything remotely vegetarian aside from a frisée salad without the bacon. Now so many city chefs have their own gardens, but he was really ahead of the game. And still, he decided to stay small, remain focused, he has never opened restaurants all over the world, he has always played his own tune and done his own thing.”

apprentice. But I worked on so many cookbooks alongside incredible chefs that I got a sort of crash course in cooking.”

Do you feel like an expat or a local? Are the Parisians as bristly as they are made out to be.

“I feel like a ‘center of Paris local’ but I definitely feel more ‘expat’ in smaller towns. I do think Parisians are a little bristly. Honestly, I adored it when I first moved here – now it frustrates me more and more, but I just try to laugh it off. They take themselves too seriously! A little self-deprecating humor could really go a long way.”

What’s new?

How is an American received in Parisian kitchens?

“I know that I’m seen as a curiosity sometimes but probably more so because I didn’t climb up the kitchen ladder, I didn’t go to cooking school or start as an

“I’m currently chef consultant for Montecito, the restaurant in the new Kimpton Hotel at Opéra. I created a coastal, west coast-inspired menu alongside the executive chef Nicolas Pastot. It is really fitting for a brand of hotels that is based in California. It’s been a really exciting collaboration. In Californian cooking there isn’t a fear of going outside the box and you can take a lot of liberties due to the proximity and people coming from South America and Asia. I think this element has been exciting for the team I work with. And this type of cooking is so complementary to the range of produce, dairy and fish that’s available in France. For example, the menu that we created brings a lot of Baja peninsula flavours to the forefront while using local seafood such as the langoustine. That is really emblematic of the way the chef and I created together ‘à quatre mains’, as they say in French – meaning we created together, each bringing all we had to offer.”

Follow Carrie @carrie_in_paris

Inside Chefs’ Fridges features Joan Roca, Massimo Bottura, Fergus Henderson, Yotam Ottolenghi, Marco Pierre White, Hélène Darroze, Inaki Aizpitarte, Mauro Colagreco, Thierry Marx and Christian F. Puglisi, amongst others.

“The menu that we created brings a lot of Baja peninsula flavours to the forefront.”

Adrian Moore

Gourmet behind the scenes

Co-author of Inside Chefs’ Fridges, Adrian is also Assistant Chef Concierge at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris.

Alife-long expat, Adrian Moore might be British but he was born in Toronto and raised in the US before arriving in France. Co-author of Inside Chefs’ Fridges, he is also Assistant Chef Concierge at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris.

“I was born in Canada and raised in the US in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. My parents are English and emigrated there many years ago. I had also been obsessed with French literature and imagined myself living in Paris from my teens. After travelling around Egypt and Crete, I was working a summer job in Brighton, UK and saw a recruitment ad for Eurodisney (now Disneyland Paris) and was hired to work in their hotels.”

Once a foodie, always a foodie?

“I’ve always loved eating, but there wasn’t a lot of gastronomy where I grew up in North Western Pennsylvania. The town where my family lived had a population of 600 and restaurants were few and far between. I remember burgers and ice cream after playing baseball games, milk and cheese we got from local farmers, and summer BBQs with corn on the cob and melted butter. And raw hot dogs I snuck when no-one was looking.”

Is being a gourmet in Paris all it’s cracked up to be?

I think Paris has a great lifestyle in general, but it’s an expensive city and not always easy Although I speak French, living here is like being a perpetual tourist, I think that’s fun.

What comes first Paris or food? Or is it irrevocably linked?

“Paris came first because I was always enamoured with the culture and didn’t

know much about food when I first came to live here. But now, food is inexorably linked to the city I now call home.”

How would you describe yourself and your life as a Parisian food guru?

“I’m just a curious and enthusiastic person who goes to the logical and creative end of my ideas. I’ve been lucky to be able to help people discover new places in my day job and in my writing and love to share my discoveries with people who appreciate them.”

How did the idea of ‘Inside Chefs’ Fridges’ come along?

“I’d been wanting to write a beautiful book on the chefs around Europe who fascinated me and had decided with my co-author, Carrie Solomon, to do it. We spent weeks curating a list of the most relevant and interesting chefs, but still didn’t have the idea that would tie them all together, although we knew it would be more of a home chef book with simple recipes and great photographs. The ‘aha’ moment came to me one morning when opening my fridge and wondering what chefs would have in theirs. We developed the idea together from then on, and started to contact culinary masters, all of whom thought the idea was really fun.”

What’s next?

“I’m waiting on word from a television show project, again with co-author Carrie Solomon. I’ve tentatively started a fiction book, but can’t say anything about that at the moment, but I think my writing future lies in not just focusing on food but other aspects of interesting, hidden and unknown subjects. But food will always have a top spot in my life.”

Follow Adrian @adrianelvn

A Floridian foodie en France

WHEREVER she goes, this former culinary guide and milliner turned cookbook author, jam-maker, blogger, influencer, journalist, podcaster and hotelier, always cooks up something good. And chances are, you’ll want to try some. By Philip Ruskin.

It’s hard to believe that Jamie Schler wasn’t always a foodie. That all started when she became an expat. A Francophile and Francophone who studied French in high school and college, Jamie was working in the world of art dealers in New York City, when, in 1985 she decided she wanted to leave the US and move to France.

In the first two years as an expat, Jamie was shuttling between her native Florida’s space coast and France. That is, until she fell in love with Jean-Pierre, got married, and shuttled no more. His work took them to Milan, where the language barrier made the kind of work Jamie enjoyed in Paris challenging to find, so she decided to train as a milliner at one of Italy’s oldest ateliers. Creating something by hand deepened her sensibility to artisan craftsmanship, and has stayed with her, and would later inform her work as both a hotelier and a food writer.

As serendipity would have it, the first job she landed in Paris was with Robert Noah’s Paris En Cuisine, a high-end culinary tour operator. Jamie’s four-year tenure working alongside Noah included acting as interpreter at the world-famous Ferrandi luxury hospitality and cooking school. The birds-eye view of chefs at work here was one of the triggers of a life-long appreciation and celebration of the artisan skills of the kitchen.

A few years after moving the family back to France in 1998, they settled for a time in Nantes where she created and ran a hat label for the next two years. With her boundless enthusiasm, Jamie is not one to do things half-baked. When she hung up her hat business, she threw herself into cooking and baking so totally that she found herself speaking constantly about food. This did not go unnoticed by her supportive husband and son, who had trouble keeping up with her increasingly detailed accounts, and encouraged her to channel her food passion

“With her boundless enthusiasm, Jamie is not one to do things half-baked.”

Jamie Schler

and creativity through a food blog which they helped her build.

It wasn’t long before the likes of Huff Post took notice and offered her a column in their recently launched food section. As one can imagine, the domino effect that followed has led to a stunningly long list of food journalism ever since.

She and Jean-Pierre had been toying with the idea of starting their own business for a while. When they took stock of the things they loved – like food, people, travel, France –running a boutique hotel made sense. After an enormous amount of soul-searching, research and due diligence, a lucky call from

Jean-Pierre and I tried to pick the best of our respective cultures to raise our children. We encouraged them to ask questions, which is not common in French schools. We created our own culture within the family. As a result, our children are completely unafraid of picking up and moving, adjusting to different cultures, and embracing challenges. It instilled them with a wonderful sense of curiosity. They weren’t typically ‘French’ in school, which sometimes got them in trouble. But it’s become part of their strength. One is an architect in Brussels, the other is a UX designer in Zurich.”

“Raising our two sons in a multicultural home and school systems (French and Italian) shaped them and our family in ways I hadn’t expected.

an enterprising realtor came in about “a property going up for sale soon that I think you might be interested in.” The owners of the twenty-six room Hotel Diderot in Chinon put the prospective buyer finalists through a vigorous review process. In addition to maintaining the hotel’s values, one key criteria was that the new owners continue the tradition of making and serving the house-made jams. “Are you willing to do this?” he asked. True to her can-do spirit, Jamie replied without hesitation a resounding, YES!.

an extra five or so jars per batch to sell to a lucky few hotel guests. In fact, Jamie has a Jam Cookbook in the works, a follow up to her highly acclaimed, five-star Amazon review cookbook, Orange Appeal: Savory & Sweet. During lockdown, the perennially productive Jamie Schler published a digital cookbook as well.

After a brief jam-making apprenticeship with the owners, Jamie quickly got the hang of it, and became better rather than just good. It’s taken on a life of its own and has reached the point where she can’t meet the enormous demand beyond what they serve at the hotel. But she does push the limits to make

Jamie’s inspiring positivity also enabled her to turn the obstacle presented by the lockdown into another opportunity. A serendipitous twitter exchange –“if you could start a food podcast, what would it be?” – led to a production team getting behind her concept for “Stir Crazy.” Like many, during the isolation, Jamie cooked. A lot. The podcast and webcast is in part a response to the condition that the lockdown has fueled, and in part a nod to the power of food to bring people together as they stir up good things in the kitchen or across a table. Jamie will cook and bake remotely with guests from different fields who are food enthusiasts , but not food professionals. “Food, preparing it in a kitchen, sharing it across a table, brings people together and always leads to interesting conversations about food, life, fun,” she notes.

Food, fun, conversation and discovery can be experienced in real time and in person at Hotel Diderot. Pre-Covid, seventy-five percent of the guests were international, many from the US, UK, Australia and Germany, many drawn by the Loire bike trails). Over the past year the majority are French, many who hadn’t considered local holidays and by her account are thrilled and surprised to discover the region. While international guests are starting to trickle back, Jamie feels a positive outcome of this year is the newfound love of the French, particularly Parisians, who are already booking ahead their return stays.

For those who aren’t quite ready to travel to France, check out Jamie’s two-minute walking-tour videos of Chinon on twitter @ lifesafeast. She captures the charm and beauty of her adopted hometown as she takes viewers on a personal tour in these bite-sized clips. Be sure to book a room to get full serving of this Loire Valley experience from these extraordinary expat hosts.

Stay with Jamie at hoteldiderot.com Follow her @lifesafeast

“Food, preparing it in a kitchen, sharing it across a table, brings people together.”

THE FIRST GIN SHOT IN THE MARKET

Superior spirit, refined flavours and the extract of a secret plant create a taste experience of the highest level.

CLEAN VIBRANT SENSUOUS DISTINCT

BORN IN EUROPE PRODUCED BY WATTSHOT

INTERNATIONAL PLY(LTD), MALTA. CONTACT DETAILS : hello@wattshot.club, +351 967 785 206

Mackinder in DK

@adrian_mackinder

Breaking bad barriers, expat style.

Iwrote before about my struggle learning Danish. Well, I had an epiphany the other day that reduced my stress levels no end: I am no longer going to feel guilty about the fact I still don’t speak Danish. I’m going to let it go.

Some people say to me I should speak Danish. Like it’s an easy task. Like it’s not a hard language to learn. Well it is. It really is. I mean, there’s a reason it never caught on. I work full time, I perform in the evenings, I’m writing my second book and we’re raising two tiny kids. I’m not going to dedicate what precious little down time I have to myself by sitting in a classroom of an evening learning Danish. I’m too tired.

Other people say to me that the fact I don’t speak Danish is disrespectful. I’ll tell you what else is disrespectful. Trying to make me do something I don’t have the time, money or inclination to do right now, just to make you feel a little more comfortable. Me not speaking Danish is not going to undermine Danish culture, tradition and heritage. I’m polite and courteous to others, I work hard, I obey the law.

I pay my taxes and I love my friends and family. I’m just trying to get through the damn day.

And if you’re not comfortable speaking English? Well that’s fine. I’ll meet you halfway. We can still converse. Because I guarantee your English will always be better than my Danish.

Others say to me I’m arrogant. How dare I come over here and not speak the

language? I’m not arrogant. I’m just honest and realistic. I do understand some expats here feel they should learn Danish. They see themselves as guests in this country.

Well here’s a hot take. You’re not a guest. Anywhere. You come here legally and pay your taxes? You’ve got as much right to be here as any Dane. And you have the right to conduct yourself in a way that gets you through the damn day!

I’m not patriotic. As you can tell. Take my own country. There are things I love about Britain. There are things I’m not so keen onespecially right now. Britain has a great pub culture, wonderful social inclusivity based on humour. Never thought I’d miss small talk with shop assistants, but over here, no one talks to anyone! It’s odd, and strangely alienating.

But I loathe nationalism. It’s dangerous, it’s divisive and it’s destructive. I don’t care where you’re from. Just be kind, be generous of spirit, and be open to others’ differences. That’s enough surely? We don’t all need to be waving a flag.

I love being a part of the expat community. Because here, we interact with people from all over the world, bringing with us a veritable multiverse of culture, history, customs and experience. Denmark is a monoculture. The expats bring diversity. They bring vibrancy. This is not a ghetto, it’s a wonderful rainbow of inclusivity, splattering colour over all over the place. I’m proud to call myself an expat. And if you’re reading this and are in the same situation, so should you.

The struggles of becoming a bilingual family in Copenhagen.

Adrian is a part time actor, author, comic book fan and father of two.

“Others say I’m arrogant. How dare I come over here and not speak the language? I’m not arrogant

I’m just honest and realistic.”

Gail McNeil

FiftySister in Algarve

The trials and tribulations of renovating a property in Portugal.

@fiftysister From foodie dreams to vegan realities

Gail is a self-made social media star, vegan and mum of one growing older gracefully.

Before moving to Portugal, I day dreamed of gathering fresh oranges each morning wearing my pyjamas and flip-flops, and snacking on sticky, sweet figs, straight from the tree whilst hiking the rugged mountain trails with my dogs.

In reality, finding good vegan places to eat can be very challenging. Even though there are mangoes, avocados and figs in abundance, it’s very hard to find a mountain restaurant which serves a tasty vegan meal. The chef will always oblige, but don’t be surprised if you receive a bowl of hot cabbage stew on a summer’s day, gazpacho with cheese and ham generously sprinkled on top, or avocado toast topped with two perfectly fried eggs. I did.

Luckily, the local markets are filled with fresh produce, grown, picked and sold directly by the farmers. Honey is available in every shade of amber, gathered from bees feasting on carob, rosemary, orange blossom and wild herbs. Summer fruits and salad are grown and harvested all year round. Crumpled skinned ‘Rosa’ tomatoes are huge and heavenly. It really is a foodie paradise!

And, in late summer, the fig trees are heavily weighed down with an abundance of soft, ripe, delicate fruit. Some are drying naturally on the tree, others are simmering perfectly in the warmth of the day, oozing sweet, blushing, jam-like goo, completely beyond comparison to shop bought fruit.

Ask most people about the best Portuguese food, and they will tell you all about the ‘Porco Preto’ (Iberian black pig) and ‘Javali’ (wild boar) or the huge variety of delicious local, cured, or smoked cheeses. For me, as a vegan, it’s all about the fruit, veggies and wild foraging. On the trail, there’s easy pickings of black mustard, wild asparagus and nettles, and herbs such as thyme, fennel, rosemary and water mint.

Saturday mornings in Olhão market you’ll find chillies in every shape, colour and heat for around €4 per kilo. I use a handful of freshly pounded chillies and plump purple garlic to make Sambal Belacan. I discovered that chillies dried at home for a few weeks, chopped and then scalded with peanut oil, make an ideal coating for noodles or blanched carrot tops.

Inspired by all the wonderful, fresh, vibrant Portuguese produce, I’ve just started sharing my vegan recipes online, as so many followers are looking for ways to improve their health as they hit the magic 50 milestone. It’s essential to invest time in your health, as well as your lifestyle dreams.

Now, my fantasies have become reality. Living in the mountain village just north of Loulé, we enjoy beautiful crisp, frosty, early mornings and I can pick my breakfast straight from the heavily laden orange trees. The good news is that when it’s minus 2ºc, the juice is already chilled to perfection! Trust me, you can truly taste the sunshine all year around here.

Oh, did I mention the wine? Maybe next time!

“Summer fruits and salad are grown and harvested all year round. It really is a foodie paradise!”

From the greens

to the deep blue

Golf legend, athlete and businessman Greg Norman tells WHEREVER about his second passion: Yachting.

Australian-born Norman started golfing at the age of 15 and joined the PGA tour full-time in 1983. He went on to hold the second-longest reign as world number one and win over 90 PGA tournaments, becoming a golfing icon and earning the name ‘Great White Shark’.

Now a successful entrepreneur, Greg is chairman and CEO of the Greg Norman Company, which owns over a dozen businesses worldwide – encompassing golf course design, global real estate awardwinning wine, lifestyle apparel, and a diverse investment division. He lives with his family in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he continues to be involved in sporting, business and charitable endeavours.

Were you connected to the water from an early age?

“I grew up in Townsville, north Queensland close to the beach, and my family had a holiday hut on Magnetic Island, only eight kilometres from the shore, so the Great Barrier Reef was in my blood! Every day as a young kid, I would come home from school and we would go out fishing, surfing, snorkelling and diving. I would ride my horse bareback along the beach, skimboard and fish in a little boat with an 18-horsepower motor on the back. My sister and I grew up sailing a little boat called Peter Pan with the Townsville Sailing

Club. I was very fortunate – I had a wonderful childhood.”

Where did golf fit in?

“At age 15 we moved to Brisbane because of my dad’s work. I lost all my mates, though I was still surfing a lot at Sunshine Beach and Byron Bay. My golf really came on around the age of 16 after caddying for my mum one day. She was a four handicap, so I figured if she could do it, so could I. After that everything else got tossed aside, including watersports, cricket, rugby and Aussie Rules.

How did you come to superyacht ownership?

“It came out of my love of the ocean. My dad built me a boat with wood framing when I was about 11 years old, and I thought the woodworking process was amazing. I had watched my dad working under our house and was fascinated by how much work was involved in shaping, and the tools involved. This whole experience really stayed with me.

The first AUSSIE RULES was a 27m sports fishing boat, built by Oceanfast in Australia. My passion for deep-sea fishing and scuba diving were the motivators behind this build: I wanted a platform that would allow me to do both. I shipped it over to the US, and quite honestly it was one of the biggest sports fishing boats there at the time – I was ahead of the game. It was the platform I wanted with the four state rooms and plenty of dive rooms. Great for the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

“You have to be a forward thinker. I never look to the past, always to the future.“

© Photo by Lindsey Potter

“I got involved with the tank testing, the stringers, all those engineering things – I was fascinated with the build process and I really studied hard. I wrote the specification book before I even went to the yard.”

Then I bought a Feadship, which I enjoyed, but at the same time I knew there was something missing. I needed to have another sports fishing boat to go diving and fishing. I designed it to circumnavigate Australia, which I really wanted to do. It had a flat bottom, because tidal flows in the northern part of Australia are 45 feet. I got involved with the tank testing, the stringers, all those engineering things – I was fascinated with the build process and I really studied hard. I wrote the specification book before I even went to the yard.”

sophistication in the late 1990s, we had to be innovative in our mindset. We won the Showboats Yacht of the Year award. It is very important to remember that the yacht is a testament to Oceanfast, my captain (who was present throughout the build), and all the engineers, the sparks, and the skilled people who did a phenomenal job in Australia. This yacht was ten years ahead of her time. I really couldn’t get to enjoy her as much as I wanted as I was still playing golf. If I had the yacht now, you would never see me working. I regretted the day I sold her!”

Any highlights or favourite adventures on AUSSIE RULES?

What did you like about the building process?

“All of it! I loved understanding the engine room and the working spaces, the generators, centrifuges and water-makers, all that stuff.

There was the question of where we were going to put everything. There is a refrigerated trash compactor in the transom. The boat just grew and grew to be the 230. To build something of that magnitude and

“I remember a month in French Polynesia with my family. We almost ran out of fuel as we got back to Bora Bora. We held like 285,000 litres and used the lot on the most amazing experience I’ve ever had: the most beautiful water, great experiences with oceanic white tips and bottlenose whales. Amazing!”

Have your businesses been affected by the pandemic?

“My businesses are global, so it’s not a onesize fits all answer. I think the world is in a confused place right now. From a geopolitical standpoint, there’s so much white noise and media bias. I have this saying: ‘The voice of the critic is far louder than the voice of the advocate’. Nowadays, one person challenging and complaining about a company can change everything. You have to be extremely sensitive to those situations and demands from customers. Through my travels, I love seeing what happens in different countries. Take Vietnam, a communist country loving free market capitalism. It is a red-hot country –great people, great food, great cities and very safe. The Vietnamese recognise that market capitalism is as good as gold. I was asked to be the Golf Tourism Ambassador in Vietnam, and I accepted wholeheartedly. All of that being said, I love where we are at and I think we’ve done a very good job of managing the whole process with my consumer products during the pandemic. We are in a strong position. Now we are looking into expanding further into the health and wellness space and looking at new opportunities – you have to be a forward thinker. I never look to the past, always to the future.“

“We grew up sailing a little boat called Peter Pan with the Townsville Sailing Club. I was very fortunate – I had a wonderful childhood.”

1965 © Jane MacNeille

Tesla’s Cybertruck

Courtesy of Tesla, Inc for image use.

What the knife is to Rambo, David Traver Adolphus is to automotive journalism. Since 2005 he has developed, photographed, researched and written feature stories, editorial and content, specializing in transportation and automobiles, as well as consulting about old-car matters.

Ican’t think of another industry more conservative than the automotive one. Aircraft perhaps, but the traditionally huge profit margins of cars have allowed automakers to innovate even less than aircraft, which run on thin margins and almost have to be on the technological bleeding edge.

The reasons for the two to be risk-averse are obvious — if you make a mistake, people die. The effect is magnified in cars because in 2017, the last year for which statistics are available, Americans moved themselves 4.8 trillion miles by passenger car and truck which is seven times more than by air.

looking at — Corvair had no front grille, a low hood and trunk in the era of tailfins, and flat floors. Without a driveshaft running from the engine in front, it was able to have a different set of proportions than anything else coming from not just the Big Three.

When Tesla introduced their long-promised pickup, the Cybertruck, the general reaction was uncomfortable amusement. Was this a real thing? Was it a joke? It rapidly became obvious that this was a production vehicle and the consensus turned to scorn. It had none of the reference points for automotive styling that we’re used to seeing so it had to be interpreted through whatever lens that journalists could come up with.

Combine seven times the exposure to risk with a market that seems happy to drive five-year old F150s, and you’ve got a recipe for stagnation.

The car industry is so hidebound, in fact, the last car which challenged the status quo in any significant way was introduced during the Eisenhower administration. Chevy’s 1960 Corvair was an answer to the need for a smaller, more economical car with a rear engine. It came with turbocharging (eventually), an air-cooled alloy flat six, rear transaxle and styled like a European sports car. Aside from some passing layout similarities to a VW Beetle, or the related Porsche 356, it truly broke the mold.

And in doing so, it looked...alien. People literally didn’t understand what they were

Usually, that was a sort of free association with the shape, which generally reminded people of building blocks and was equated with ‘childish’ or ‘primitive.’ But that wasn’t what was going on. Not at all. Aside from four wheels at the corners, it shares almost nothing with any car, let alone any truck. And yet, it fills all the necessary functions just fine.

Its coefficient of drag is probably not wonderful, but will still be better than a Dodge, Ford or Chevrolet. You can see out of it and drive it comfortably and the tetrahedron shape is certainly going to be exceptionally strong and rigid. It is truly a reinvention, asking us to reshape our ideas around it, instead of conforming to them.

In releasing the angular, unrecognisable Cybertruck, Tesla has done something that few people under the age of sixty will remember ever seeing before, a radical reimagining of what a vehicle can be.

It looks like a joke, but it’s the most important car in 60 years says our car geek, David Traver Adolphus.

“The reaction was uncomfortable amusement. Was this a real thing? Was it a joke?”

is the face of change. No, really.

Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

“Tesla made a deliberate decision, based in part on the practical considerations of the stainless steel structure, to ignore all the conventions of automotive design.”

Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

The future’s

bright on the green

Steve Orton reports on the new opportunities for junior golfers throughout Portugal.

When the European Tour’s Portugal Masters returned to the Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura in early November it meant fantastic news and a massive boost for golf in the Algarve. The tournament was last year played behind ‘closed doors’ due to Covid restrictions. This year saw the return of passionate spectators to the event. The tournament always has a strong European tour field and this year’s spectacle was no different.

Vila Sol Golf Club was one of those clubs quick to act. The club was founded in 1990 and through the years, has gained a reputation as being one of the most friendly and family-orientated clubs in the Algarve. As a result many families with junior golfers decided to join. With that in mind, the only facility missing was a Junior Academy. That’s when the Club, backed by a group of enthusiastic parents, and head coach of Vila Sol Golf Club Eddy Charnock, decided to open an academy for young golfers. The academy was launched just recently, aiming at introducing kids into golf, with the added advantage of the club’s amazing facilities and professional coaches’ guidance,

After a long period of Covid restrictions, golf courses around the country are experiencing an influx of players taking up the game for the first time. One of the reasons is that golf is clearly an outdoor sport for the young (and the not so young!) and having been through a lockdown period, it is a perfect way to experience the great outdoors with picturesque scenery and a little exercise to boot. From top to bottom Portugal boasts some of Europe’s finest golf courses. The country is constantly winning awards for its contribution to the global game and is recognised by the industry as one of the best places to come and play.

What is pleasing to see is the growth of juniors taking up the game. Most golf clubs in Portugal that have a junior programme have seen a rise in interest post-lockdown. This can only be beneficial for the future of Portuguese golf. Even clubs that did not have a junior academy are now looking into the opportunity.

With the focus on providing young golfers opportunities to play in competitions, there are many clubs that host junior tournaments throughout the year. An example this year was Miramar Golf Club near Porto hosting its annual Junior Open, which attracted more than 100 juniors from around the country.

The Federation of Portuguese Golf (FPG) is constantly working to promote the game to juniors with clubs around the country inviting them to play in tournaments throughout the year in their region, with winners participating in a national final held at Jamor Golf Course, Lisbon. These tournaments are part of the FPG Drive Challenge programme. Another programme run by the FPG for the more experienced junior golfers is the Drive Tour. This comprises five tournaments in a season playing all around the country culminating in a final at Jamor.

With so many opportunities for kids to start playing, it’s time to contact the nearest golf club and get involved!

“Most golf clubs in Portugal that have a junior programme have seen a rise in interest since opening” up post-lockdown

It is a perfect way to experience the great outdoors with picturesque scenery and a little exercise to boot.

© Photo by Markus Spiske at Unsplash.com.

© 2021 Vila Sol Golf Club Junior Academy.

“Freedom from stress and time to have some fun with those you love, it seems to me, is infinitely more important than the perfection of every detail.”

Christmas Spirit The Essentials

For many years now I have been bewildered and dismayed by the endless whining and groaning that tends to accompany almost every written feature about Christmas. The work! The worry! The pressure! The expense!...on and on they whinge. And, of course, it is the Christmas meal itself that seems to be the source of most angst.

I long ago concluded that when it comes to food and Christmas some things are more important than others. Freedom from stress and time to have some fun with those you love, it seems to me, is infinitely more important than the perfection of every detail. Besides if you go for the full-on traditional meal with its myriad accompaniments – stuffing, gravy, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, brandy butter, not to mention a celebratory starter – there will almost certainly be no time left for the things that really matter, having a winter walk, doing jig-saws with the young, or any of the myriad activities that are just as much an essential part of Christmas as the food.

So, ages ago, I worked out that in all the razzmatazz of Christmas nobody notices if the brussel sprouts were bought bagged and ready-prepared – in my daughter’s house they are bought from the farmers market on a stalk and have to be cut and hand-prepared, each and every one. Now multiply the work involved with every vegetable – the potatoes come fresh from the earth and have to be hand-scrubbed, ditto the carrots and the parsnips – and precious time evaporates. Few notice if the bread sauce comes from a packet (judiciously enriched with cream and a lingering bayleaf or two), the cranberry

sauce is the local grocery’s finest and the supermarket pudding (not sure homemade ever beats Heston Blumenthal’s one with the orange in the middle) is prepared in the microwave. Now it’s not that I don’t like lovely food – I do very much – but at Christmas we’re at home, not on Masterchef and give me ease and a sweet-tempered cook every time rather than a flustered one all stressed out with the impossibility of doing it all the way the cookery didacts would have us do it.

As for ingredients – here I am all for throwing, if one can manage it – a little money at the problem. Buy the finest truly wild smoked salmon, mi-cuit foie gras, caviar if that’s your bag, the best breads you can find and you have starters that, yes, cost a lot but are stress and trouble-free to deliver and delicious to boot.

And then, of course, most of us need something special with which to celebrate and to wash it all down with. Here, too, I would go for wines a bit above one’s usual station. A good wine merchant is always worth talking to and with some celebratory sparkling white wine (English Nyetimber is hard to beat but then the French grand marques such as Bollinger, Krug, Dom Perignon, add a touch of class) to open the celebrations and a really good claret to wash everything else down with and even the cook should be able to relax and enjoy Christmas day.

Lucia Van Der Post is journalism royalty. The founding editor of the FT’s How to Spend It magazine, she is also an author and regular contributor on luxury, travel, interiors and fashion to some of the globe’s most respected print.

Lucia van der Post tells it how it is, or rather, it should be during the festive season.

“As for ingredients – here I am all for throwing, if one can manage it – a little money at the problem.”

Touch Anouska’s

Anouska Hemple on leaving Australia, her style inspiration, her journey and Alice Cooper’s python.

Lady Weinberg, internationally acclaimed designer and hotelier and figure of London society, arrived in London in 1962 as Anouska Hempel, a Kiwi-born actress with a flair for design. She tells WHEREVER about what keeps her inspired, her style, and what’s next.

Often gracing the pages of ELLE Deco and other design magazines, Hempel was ranked by Architectural Digest as one of the top 100 interior designers and architects in the world. Her work spans restaurants all over the world as well as stores like Van Cleef & Arpels (in London, Paris, Monaco, Beverly Hills, Osaka and Geneva) and Louis Vuitton, for whom she designed their flagship Paris store.

In addition her hotel interests, as well as the famous Blakes hotel which was recently sold, include Blakes in Amsterdam and sister properties in Beirut, Santiago Chile, Lisbon, Istanbul as well as a hotel for Baccarat in Rabat. Back in London she also designed The Grosvenor House Apartments on Park Lane and La Suite West in Bayswater. Other recent projects include Duxton Reserve, Singapore, and Monsieur George, Paris.

“I left Australia in the early 1970s. I have always been an actress and a designer, so it seemed natural for me to do both, and create a career with the two together. It always came naturally to me to arrange things, people, lifestyle and atmosphere to create marvellous spaces and wonderful buildings to admire.”

In 1978, Blakes Hotel put Hempel on the “designer map” and cemented her position on the London scene. A young actress saw an opportunity and made it happen.

“From my work in film and commercials, I was always meeting these people who travelled around the world, and they always said that when they came to London there was no place to stay. I managed to get some backing together through various loans and what I earned from my commercials, and acquired 2 town houses in South Kensington which grew from there.

Singapore to give them the chance to have a bit of the Anouska Hempel’s hotel suite look at home, and it has been!

Her style has been described as both minimalist and theatrical. This seems at odds. How can one switch from one to the other? “Very easily! Use lighting - turn the light on or turn the light off. Theatricality can come from minimalism, it can come from black and white, or whatever you are doing as the designer.”

In this period I spent a lot of time in Portobello, where I had the best time running an antique silver stand and sourcing specialist pieces for my regular clients. I wanted to create a place where people could live in all this magic, so in stepped Blakes, followed by many private homes and mews houses which wanted to recreate the hotels’ sense of magic. One project followed another and once I decide on a concept, I am committed.”

Hotels, homes, yachts, gardens, stores and restaurants - this designer can turn her hand to any space. She confides: “I love every one, just as much as the next, and enjoy mixing between them. Something else I have worked on recently and very much enjoyed is The Hempel House & Hotels collection. This collection was born out of Blakes hotel when clients used to literally pay for their room stay and add two of our signature Yard Stick lamps to the bill, which they wished to have delivered to their homes in New York, for instance. Everyone wanted a bit of Blakes, teapots left the restaurant in people’s handbags. Sometimes I would spot things at friends’ homes whilst Alice Cooper took home a pillow Blake’s had provided for his python to curl up on! Even the couturemade 4-poster beds were ordered on the way out of the hotel. So we sat around the table (remotely during lockdown!) and created a collection which would echo people’s travels to Paris, London and

Anouska credits mentors like Tadao Ando, Thomas Heatherwick and Jean-Michel Gathy and quips “Leonardo Da Vinci comes down on occasion to tell me what to do”. She also admits that travel influences her designs greatly so the pandemic has affected her. “I like to always refer to cultural references when I design a hotel. At the moment I am diving into my library while we wait for travel to come back. The latest Assouline books take me everywhere!”

One of her mottos is “Design follows where imagination goes”, but how does one’s imagination keep fresh over the years? She answers simply “Keep amusing yourself all day and all night, keep yourself young, and plugged into things you enjoy. Inspiration can come from things you really dislike like too, so it is important to keep your eyes and ears open on every level.”

Sound advice, at any rate. She adds, smiling that her best advice is to“follow your nose, and do whatever you think is right. Don’t listen to too much advice!”

Would she ever considered returning behind the camera and mixing both careers? “Yes - I would definitely return behind the camera if the opportunity arises.” And, finally is London now her true home? “Yes, for the moment – but who knows what’s next, I may jump on a boat to Brazil!”

And that could well be. What does the immediate future hold for her? “Keep working, keep pushing, keep training and doing the best I can – to make the world a better place.”

Inspiring, she’s full of spirit and energy. Anouska’s magic is tangible and full of sparkle. The stuff of living legends.

“EVERYWHERE I GO, I TRY TO LEAVE A STATEMENT; CREATING ATMOSPHERE, A BIT OF THEATRE, AND A GOOD DEAL OF MAGIC.”

“ALICE COOPER TOOK HOME A PILLOW BLAKE’S HAD PROVIDED FOR HIS PYTHON TO CURL UP ON...”

Christmas interiors

It’s all in the details

© Annie Sloan.

© Photo by Becky Fantham on Unsplash.com.

It’s time to get out the antique family heirlooms - Antique glassware adds a touch of magic to any table. It’s now or never!

Matching your wrapping to the decor might be a small detail but it goes a long way.

Kids and adults alike are partial to xmas treats. Symbolic but thoughtful gifts are the way to go if you’re wondering what to get the person show has everything. Beautifully wrapped gifts go a long way too.

“Festive scents in the home make the magic of Christmas come alive.”

Lauren Slater, Founder, The Algarve Candle Company. algarvecandlecompany.com

© Ginger Ray.

© Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash.com.

“In the East studio, we love to keep our festive decor as simple and authentic as possible; by mixing natural materials and hand-crafted items” Jo Mitchell, Designer, East. east.co.uk

Wherever you are, it’s always good to bring in your family traditions to the table, whether it’s a pomegaranate infused drink or classic crackers. No Christmas is complete without cranberries.

© Annie Sloan.

© Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.com.

© Photo by Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash.com.

© Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash.com.

“These

are

© Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash.com.

© Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.com.

© Photo by Hello Lightbulb on Unsplash.com.

© Photo by Samuel Holt on Unsplash.com.

© Ginger Ray.

InsideTom Cruise’s

Colorado Mountain Ranch

At the top of Hollywood’s power structure as an actor, producer and celebrity, he has been nominated for three Oscars, is a three-time Golden Globe winner, and his films have made almost $8 billion worldwide.

Cruise began his acting career at age 16 with the lead role in his high school’s production of Guys and Dolls, and got his first movie role at age 19 in Endless Love with Brooke Shields. By 1983, Cruise was a star with his roles in The Outsiders, All the Right Moves and Risky Business. He soon became a superstar in Top

Gun, The Color of Money, Days of Thunder and Rain Man. Tom added the job of movie producer to his resume with his roles as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series.

His Telluride home is located just minutes away from one of the world’s most famous ski resorts and just a 12-minute drive to downtown Telluride.

The first impression of Tom’s home driving up the mile-long driveway from the gated entrance is the staggering view of the mountains and valleys. The 1069 square

One of the world’s most successful and wealthy actors, Tom owns homes in California, Florida and a 320-acre ranch in Telluride, Colorado.

meter living space which Cruise helped design, includes the four-bedroom main house and a three-bedroom guest house. Blending in with its wooded surroundings, the structures are clad in rustic-bleachedcedar timbers and native stone with beamed ceilings and large expanses of glass.

There’s also a gym, recreation room and library. The guest house has an additional three bedrooms, giving the property a total of seven bedrooms and nine full baths. Outside is a sports court for tennis, basketball or ice hockey and a private trail system with access to and views of the mountains in the distance with a private gate into the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Telluride has long been a destination for celebrities who like to ski or just get away and chill far from their stressful professional lives. Other stars you might spot in and around Telluride include Robert Redford, Jerry Seinfeld, and designer-to-the-stars Ralph Lauren.

Tom Cruise’s 298-acre private getaway ranch in Telluride, Colorado, now for sale for a cool $39.5 million with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, Telluride, Colorado.

THE RANCH IS LOCATED JUST MINUTES AWAY FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS SKI RESORTS

yo dream ho e from scr ch

Bear Lodge

A new VIP Ski experience in Les Arcs 1950 wiith a 30-bedroom hotel, 12 apartments, pool, spa, pisteside kid’s space, gym and cinema! vip-chalets.com

Surf in Bali

Follow Kelly Slater to Uluwatu on the southwestern tip of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula. For the greatest waves in the world stay at the Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort with the Ultimate Surf Break Package. anantara.com

Great Plains

For an exclusive personal safari experience escape to Tembo Plains, the newly opened camp in Zimbabwe under the Relais & Châteaux umbrella. greatplainsconservation.com

Xmas all in

Val d’Isere

Lots of news in VDI this winter including 3 new hotels including the 5* K2 Chigori, The Val d’Isère 3* and The Alpine Collection Alaska Lodge Chalet. valdisere.com

The perfect bolt hole to escape to for the festive season! A chic tropical paradise where every whim is taken care of, courtesy of their all-encompassing Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, fully-inclusive concept. Each overwater villa comes with a private butler. kudadoo.com

From the best of the all-inclusives to private safaris, here’s the pick of the world’s finest.

Connoisseur’s Guide

The to Thailand Best Beaches

To celebrate Thailand’s borders reopening to visitors, Lee Cobaj, the reporter who knows no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) checks out the Land of Smiles’ finest.

© Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

Nai Harn, Phuket

Best for... families

Why? Phuket’s south west coast has beautiful beaches aplenty, but they can be heaving with bars and binge-drinkers. Drive 20 minutes south of party zone Patong, though, and you’ll hit Nai Harn, a quiet swirl of creamy beach wrapped in a palm-tipped crescent bay; more of a village than a resort town with just one large hotel and a few stalls selling buckets and spades, fresh coconuts and chicken skewers. Sands slope gently into aspic-clear waters, ideal for learning to swim or snorkel. Walk to Ao Sane bay at the craggy northern end and you won’t even need a mask to spot Nemos and Dorys dancing between corals and anemones.

Where to stay: The Nai Harn (thenaiharn.com), where the actor Sir Roger Moore once unholstered, has huge rooms with balconies, every one with sigh-inducing views of the luminous Andaman Sea, and free bicycles and water sports for family adventures. Or scoot around the coast to glam villas big enough for the Von Trapps at Sri Panwa (sripanwa.com)

type, who doesn’t mind having spiders, lizards and pythons for neighbours, you’ll probably want to stick to two nights.

Where to stay: Taratao has no fancy airconditioned hotels but you can rent simple bungalows through the national park by emailing reserve@dnp.mail.go.th (nps.dnp.go. th). Otherwise, stay in one of the rustic-chic sea view rooms at Serendipity Beach Resort (serendipityresort-kohlipe.com) on nearby Koh Lipe and cruise across for the day.

Or try: Koh Ra, a wild beauty on Thailand’s west coast and one of the country’s most remote islands; you can hire a tent and camp overnight.

You won’t even need a mask to spot Nemos and Dorys dancing between corals and anemones

Or try: Sweeping down Phuket’s sugary north west shores, big broad Bangtao beach has water sport centres, family-friendly beach clubs and golden sands perfect for castle building.

Ao Son Bay, Koh Taratao

Best for... getting back to nature

Why? Languishing on Thailand’s most southerly shores close to the border with Malaysia is one of Asia’s top beauty spots, a wild tropical beach backed by jungle twitching with monkeys, mouse deer and banana-beak hornbills, and fronted by coral reefs trembling with red lionfish, green turtles and bluespotted stingrays. Although it’s part of a marine reserve and only open from midOctober to mid-May each year, there are few facilities – campsites, bicycles and snorkelling gear for rent, a shop, a restaurant which closes at 8pm – but unless you’re a hardy Bear Grylls

Nadan, Khanom

Best for... finding untrodden shores

Why? It’s less than 30km from the ferry port to Koh Samui; it spans more than 10km of broad, bright, white sands striped with rippling palms and gin-clear waters; it’s home to pods of rare pink Irawaddy dolphins – and yet, inexplicably, hardly anyone has heard of Khanom. Their loss is your gain at this sandy sanctuary where life feels like it’s slowed down to somewhere around the 1980s, when Thailand’s beaches were the deserted sundrenched stuff of legend. You don’t want to miss the surrounding countryside either, all secret waterfalls, pretty rock pools and rainforest trails; taxis are scarce and expensive, so pick up a hire car and explore at leisure instead.

Where to stay: Bag one of the chic Scandiinspired villas at Aava Resort and Spa (aavaresort.com) and you’ll be so close to the Gulf of Thailand you’ll hear it splashing from bed. There aren’t any other hotels worth mentioning in the area but self-catering complex Ban Thanyanan has simple, spotlessly clean one-bedroom bungalows skipping distance from the beach (airbnb.com).

Or try: Gorgeous Koh Kood, on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand, where calm crystalclear waters meet untouched amber sands.

Tubkaak, Krabi

Best for... good value

Why? Krabi’s beautiful, karst-backed beaches are on every backpacker’s and honeymooner’s itinerary – which is why prices go through the roof in high season (December to March). But few make the halfhour journey up the coast to laid-back, lowcost Tubkaak, a shining comet of sands washed by calm, cosmically blue-green seas with views out over Phang Nga Bay’s galaxy of limestone sea-stacks. It’s a five-star beach but one with just a handful of small reasonably priced hotels along its shores. You’re not going to find any nightlife but you’ll never have to fight for your share of spectacular sandy square footage, either.

Where to stay: With its prime beachfront location, romantic Thai-style architecture, teak-lined rooms and super little spa, the Amari Vogue (amari.com) is the top pick in Tubkaak. Or scoot a mile down the road to The Elements (theelementsresort.com), for simply styled monochrome rooms surrounded by cheeping, chirping, croaking nature.

Or try: Khao Lak, on the mainland north of Phuket, where butterscotch yellow beach appears to stretch into infinity.

Haad Salad, Koh Phangan Best for... hide-away hippies

Why? And breathe. Haad Salad’s expansive white beach was made for moments of quiet contemplation, from early morning walks spotting farmers taking their prized water buffalo for a dip, to afternoons meditating under casuarina trees, to evenings being lulled to sleep in a hammock by the lap lap lap of the sea. The aura is so peaceful, so serene, you’d never know this is the same island that holds Thailand’s infamous full moon parties. And while you won’t be waving your glow sticks here, you will find a scattering of jovial cafes, seafood restaurants and Jack Johnson-scored bars for some sensible socialising.

Where to stay: Fast, flow and philosophise with gurus at The Yoga Retreat (theyogaretreat-kohphangan.com),

a homely hideaway 15-minutes’ walk from the beach. For plusher surrounds – villas with plunge pools, beach cabanas, spoiling spa –try one of the holistic wellness programmes at the upscale Anantara Rasananda (anantara.com).

Or try: Lovely Long Beach on Koh Lanta; low on tourists, big on blinding white sands and boho vibes.

Lonely Beach, Koh Chang Best for... partying

Why? If you love the all-night, beat-heavy partying on Bangkok’s Khao San Road and your dream beach scene involves all-night dancing with the sand between your toes, the inaccurately named Lonely Beach on Koh Chang is the one for you. This is where Bangkokians come for the weekend, and while the beach is on the narrow side, its velvety yellow sands do stretch for nearly half a mile and are lined with thatched-roof reggae bars; perfect for sunbathing by day and drinking craft rum by night. For something more St Tropez-ish, snare one of 500 tickets for the swanky three-day Thai Break Festival held on nearby Koh Mak each March (thaibreak-festival.com).

Perfect for sunbathing by day and drinking craft-rum by night

Where to stay: If you want to be in the thick of it 24 hours a day, pack earplugs and stay in one of the newly spruced-up navy and white rooms at Nature Beach Resort (naturebeach-resort.hotelsinkohchang.com).

Otherwise head to The Mangrove, a sweet eco-retreat set in a peaceful fishing village a ten-minute tuk-tuk ride away (themangrovehideaway.com).

Or try: Mae Nam, a hairpin of perfect blonde sands and home to the W Koh Samui’s sensational pool and beach parties. Inflatable unicorns at the ready! (wkohsamui.com).

The aura is so peaceful, so serene, you’d never know this is the same island that holds Thailand’s infamous full moon parties

© Vandan Patel on Unsplash

night edgeon the A

Forget glamping, James Stewart defies the laws of gravity to go cliff camping in Wales.

Here’s a tip should you ever dangle off the edge of the world: have a pee before you settle in for the night.

I’ve come to Rhoscolyn, on Anglesey’s west coast, to try an overnight stay on a portaledge. Billed as cliff-camping, it launched as the first trip of its kind in the UK. It’s also the craziest accommodation yet invented. A ripstop nylon tray, tensioned over an aluminium frame then hung from webbing, the portaledge was perfected by climbers in the early 90s for multiday wall ascents. You may have seen photos of Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell lazing above the void on one during their pioneering free-climb of Yosemite’s El Capitan in 2015. For this trip no climbing experience is necessary.

Word on the cliff-dangling blogosphere is that portaledges combine adventure with pure escapism. Two things, however, have fuelled my unease.

First, I made the mistake of typing ‘portaledge’ into Google beforehand. The most popular predictive search was ‘portaledge death’. At least it was singular!

Second, Sam Farnsworth, co-owner of Gaia Adventures, the North Wales mountain adventure operator behind the trip, has explained that to go to the loo you lean out over the abyss. You’re harnessed on, Sam points out, then spoils it rather by recounting the tale of a pal whose portaledge jolted suddenly midflow, cartwheeling him over like a liquid Catherine wheel. He ‘only’ fell 15ft. That’s the thing about climbers. They experience their sport as managed risks. The rest of us experience it as raw fear.

“I have loved many extreme activities in my time, but none has been as soul-searchingly intense as this.”

Poor Sam. He has done his best to put me at ease since we arrived. As we hump equipment across fields, he insists cliffcamping is less a macho day out than an escape from everyday life. Some people love it, others are terrified, he says. I’m a lapsed climber, so my head tells me I’ll be among the former. My heart remains undecided.

Rigging the gear that will secure us to a rocky cleft behind our cliff, Sam urges me to trust in physics: in the angles of pull which allow walnut-sized nuggets of metal to hold 1.5 tonnes when slotted into rock fissures; and in the two non-stretch ‘static’ ropes which can each support a 1.2-tonne Transit van let alone us. Should all that fail, a stretchy ‘dynamic’ rope is attached to the harness I’ll wear at all times on the ledge. “Bombproof,” Sam says. I know he’s right. Yet anxiety gnaws at my guts. The portaledge itself is part to blame. It falls from its bag looking like a family tent that has been through a hurricane. Assembled, it transforms into what appears to be a cheap sun-lounger.

Sam’s right about one thing, though – this is escapism and then some. Look ahead instead of down and a heart-swelling, edgeof-the-world panorama of empty sea spreads before you. Currents swirl. Gulls wheel. It’s beautiful. You can almost forget you’re dangling above oblivion.

We fire a camping stove hung from the frame. Then, beneath a bunting of helmets, boots and mugs clipped into the webbing, we eat ravioli as the sunset melts clouds and gilds the gulls. The sea changes from jadegreen to gold, pewter then burnished steel. Holyhead lighthouse winks out of the haze. Stars appear.

“It’s the craziest accommodation yet invented.”

The temperature plummets as the light fades until our breath plumes in the beams of our head-torches. Finally, the world shrinks to our tiny pool of light suspended on this dark cliff. The sea whispers below. Orion blazes above. It’s almost inconceivable that everyday life continues elsewhere.

I peer down as we lower it over the cliff edge. Sheer rock plummets 100ft to a churning sea. The view telescopes. My head spins.

Still, this is the deal, so it’s hard hat and harness on, climbing boots laced, a deep breath and over the lip we go, abseiling backwards on a belay rope.

Some 20ft down, I arrive. The millimetre-thin fabric sags, creaking under my weight. Clumsy with fear, I scrabble to clip in my safety carabineer. I try moving to one side. The portaledge pitches sickeningly towards the sea. Six million years of evolution drown out the waves and holler: “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Sam bounces down, beaming. “God, I love this,” he says. “Climbing takes you to places you never would have gone to otherwise.”

No kidding. I have done, even loved, many extreme activities in my time. But none has been as soul-searchingly intense as sitting on the lip of a nylon tray 100ft up trying to raise a hammy smile for the photographer.

Engulfed by darkness, we sit in a tiny pool of light above a murmuring sea, drinking tea from enamel mugs, nibbling cheese and biscuits, passing a hip-flask of whisky. It feels joyfully eccentric. I’m still not sure I fully trust the nylon. But, unable to see down, I no longer yelp in fear whenever we lurch against the cliff. Maybe life on the ledge isn’t so bad.

I even sleep fitfully, desperately quelling a terror that I will roll off while asleep and wake screaming as my harness rope snatches. The Plough creeps across the sky. I yearn for dawn.

However, I am shaken awake as Sam clambers away up the cliff the next morning. Soon there’s the smell of frying bacon and a bag descends on a rope with a butty inside. Sam follows and together we eat breakfast in the empty space between a pale blue sky and a silver sea.

“Aren’t we lucky?” Sam says. Yes, we really are.

Every writer needs to know where to get a good cup of coffee, and my favorite place is Lusophonica Café which serves the best flat white. The setting is gorgeous too, right under the Santa Marta Lighthouse, with calming water views.

My favorite park is Parque Marechal Carmona with its birds and beautiful Moorish inspired courtyard, children’s library, museum and cafe.

My favourite street is Rua dos Navegantes where I always admire the blue Azulejos, and love to reflect on how well I’m navigating my own expat life. Another favourite is Rua Amarela where in the summer, the restaurants just spill out onto the streets creating such an atmosphere of hygge, and some great options to eat out. I can never resist the delicious tacos at Malacopa Bar.

My Cascais

Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore.

Author and expat blogger

@andthenwemovedto

Born in Pakistan, raised in Bahrain and the United States, I’m married to an Italian, and Portugal is my latest expat experience. I chose to live in Cascais because it is an ideal place for a globally mobile, multicultural and multilingual family like ours. I fell in love with this idyllic seaside town, with its historic center, medieval castles, sun-kissed beaches, beautiful parks, buzzing waterfront developments and incredible nature.

I particularly love its cosmopolitan side; a wide range of international schools and a thriving hotel and restaurant scene. The vibe feels friendly, laid back and relaxed! Early morning walks on the Paredao are both good for my health and my creativity.

Cascais offers a great mix of local and expat communities for our family of five, making us feel right at home.

We are truly spoiled for beaches. Our favourites are Pria do Poca and Pria Tamariz. The natural pools are great for my kids to splash and play in! Restaurant Supresa is the best for a seafood lunch of jumbo shrimp and peoplewatching on the seafront!

I love visiting Casa da Guia; where you can shop, have lunch, order an Acai bowl, sunbathe, or pick plants for your garden in a 19th century palace. There is so much room to run around in for the kids, I highly recommend a lazy lunch at Palaphita d’Guia here, to indulge in their octopus hotdog while facing the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean.

Wine Guide

Espumante Família Hehn

Reserva Bruto 2013

Távora-Varosa €13.49

From the small sub-region of TávoraVarosa, some of the most well-kept secrets arise. This sparkling wine grants a subtle expression from the soil balanced with the natural acidity of the wine. Fine bubbles and elegance describe this amazing, almost unknown, Portuguese sparkling. vinha.pt

Quinta de Tourais Fúria

2019 - Douro €27.50

Almost unnoticed in the south bank of the Douro river, amazing wines are being made at Quinta de Tourais. This Fúria ‘Fury’ is exactly that, power, poise and presence. An amazing experience given by the tannic profile with spice and ripe fruit. A long finish that will leave you wondering about the next sip and enjoying the full bottle. wineabe.com

Casa de Saima Baga Tonel

10 2019 - Bairrada €10.99

This is the quintessential grape of Bairrada in one of its most prestigious forms. Casa de Saima makes some of the best Baga wines that can be drunk now or in 20 years. Beautiful earthy texture balanced by acidity and tannins, the final result is nevertheless surprisingly pleasant. The Tonel 10 is your gateway to one of the finest grapes of Portugal. vinha.pt

Consorte 2019Minho €19.90

Hidden, but easy to find, a small estate passioned, and focused, in only one grape - Arinto - produces this one-of-a-kind wine. The grapes are pressed in a wooden press from the XIXth century, native yeasts and no temperature control during fermentation grants an uncommon but pleasant experience. A beautiful balance between body and acidity with subtle, but present notes of oak and a fruity finish. downtowine.com

Quinta de Lemos Dona

Louise 2006 - Dão €16.95

Fifteen years have offered us one of the most prominent examples of ageing with grace. Smoky and earthy aromas leave us wondering, but the taste of fresh red berries (cranberry and strawberry) confirm that a wine like this should be at every household where wine is appreciated. Elegant body, balanced structure and long eye-opening finish. merceariacosta.com.pt

Quinta do Javali LBV Port

2014 - Douro €23.09

As of 2022, Quinta do Javali will be the first Port producer Biodynamic certified. This 2014 Late Bottled Vintage resumes a unique approach to Port making. Subtlety, ripe aromas, spiciness and oak integration in a bouquet that will sweep you off your feet and will make you feel like you’ve never tasted Port before. This will be your Christmas wine this year. store.quintadojavali.com

Mario Marques, sommelier at the Ritz Four Seasons in Lisbon shares his festive favourites.

Mr Ocean Meeting

An Austrian expat in the Algarve, Hans Neuner has earned 2 Michelin stars at Vila Vita Parc.

The Austrian chef has a gleaming track record with stints at the Carlton in St. Moritz, the Dorchester in London, and the Tristan in Mallorca. A first star in 2009 was soon followed by another in 2011, making Ocean the second restaurant in Portugal to gain two stars. From Hamburg, Hans took a leap of faith to move to the Algarve.

“Causality and a really good conversation with Kurt Gillig, the General Manager of Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa took me to Portugal. I was in the Seven Seas Restaurant (one Michelin star) in Hamburg at the time and the decision wasn’t that hard to make.” He recalls “I was at a turning point, looking for opportunities to grow and evolve my career. After our first talk, it was clear to me that becoming Ocean’s Executive Chef was an experience and challenge that I didn’t want to miss. I’m still happy I didn’t, the work environment, the team, the amazing and diverse amount of ingredients available for me to work with every day in my kitchen are a true inspiration.”

cost control, etc). Without him, I would not be where I am today.”

And, where he is today, is the Algarve. A fortunate turn of events for the Austrian chef. After London and St. Moritz, southern Portugal is a blessing.

What does he like about it best? “The fabulous weather we can enjoy practically all year round, the beaches, the people and their traditions and the influence of the mixed cultural heritage we find, not only in the villages, but also in the food.” And, he adds: “It feels like home already.”

Hans sees being an expat as a positive thing. “Like anyone else living in a different country, you adapt. Of course there are challenges, sometimes it’s the cultural habits, other times conversations with many lost in translation moments… but well that is part of the fun you can have, don’t you agree?”

He describes his food as a light Portuguese cuisine. “Mainly international dishes inspired by ingredients discovered by Portuguese colonial explorers, celebrating the heritage of navigators who brought back flavours from all corners of the earth: Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Goa, Japan…”

With a family running restaurants for over 60 years this young chef’s path was all set. Hans confirms: “That I would become a chef was always quite clear to me. Growing up in a restaurant environment contributed a lot for me to develop a passion for cooking from an early age.”

It may be in his blood but he credits chef and mentor Karlheinz Hauser for guiding him. “When I first met Karlheinz, I was an impetuous young cook. He taught me so many things (how to lead a team, how to deal with journalists, merchandise control,

Portugal also feeds his adventurous side. “I do a lot of exploration during my days off on my motorcycle, not only landscapes but also finding new places, traditional places to eat, visiting friends and their restaurants. Both Algarve and Portugal, despite their size, have a richness of landscape very different from one side to the other.

Last year, the pastry chef and I went on a road trip from the south to the north. The quantity of different places we visited and discovered was amazing. We met many local producers and suppliers and also discovered regional traditional gastronomy secrets. We came back so inspired that it was the starting point for the menu ‘Discovering Portugal’, where we used produce brought from different areas, giving centre stage to various regions.

It was so much fun and made so much sense that this year we went to the Azores and São Tomé islands with the same purpose. We created this year’s ‘Island Route’ menu and went even deeper learning about all the influences back to the Golden Era of Discovery. For me to learn those new angles brings a great deal of excitement!

“That I would become a chef was always quite clear to me since very early.”

In 2021 Hans Neuer and his team scooped up the much coveted title of Global Restaurant of the Year at the Wold Luxury Awards.

My philosophy is to bring the product to the plate in the most genuine way possible. We grow much of our produce on site and at our farm so I have control over the ingredients going into my dishes. The Algarve´s wonderful climate enables us to produce amazing quality produce. And this way it is easy to collaborate with local farmers and fishermen to get the freshest ingredients of the season, there is, however, a selection to guarantee everything goes along with quality standards on which our menus are based.”

Reaching the Michelin stars, he adds, “is more the welcome bonus along the way. I never think about prizes per se, they are not my highest motivation, though I was and am really happy to have won them. Our customers do not expect any mistakes, so we need to reach perfection. Besides, we can always reach higher goals. The most important thing is not to lose our childish curiosity about new things.”

Meanwhile Hans plans are to keep up the good work. “I want us to evolve in a more sustainable direction, delivering experiences that make the clients have a good time while with us, in a way that stays in their mind for a good while.” Creating such memories is even more of our mission over Christmas.

“A special menu is always prepared for the festive season. It usually is one of the busiest times of the year. It is intense, but it is my passion too, so it doesn’t feel like duty when you are doing what you are passionate about.

My kitchen is like home to me.”

“The work environment, the team, the amazing and diverse amount of ingredients available for me to work with every day in my kitchen are a true inspiration.”

ASIAN INFLUENCERS

A new wave of Asian restaurants is opening in upmarket resorts and hotspots across Portugal. Could we be seeing a trend for a more daring, exotic cuisines arriving on our fair shores?

©

Photo by Marine Dumay on Unsplash.

Japan is still on my bucket list, so I can’t comment on the authenticity but I do know when I’m enjoying a relaxing evening with some really good food.

Hop on a golf buggy at the reception and you’ll soon be whisked away into Vila Vita’s beautiful grounds, all mature palms and bougainvillea, and twinkling lanterns. Arriving at Mizu there’s a change of pace. The decor is cosy yet edgy with its dark tables, red velvety seats, hanging paper chandeliers and Asian art. It’s a fine dining experience with a twist.

dreamy. The salmon tartar is also a treat, and the very lightly battered tiger prawn tempura (which I notice everyone around us has ordered too) is another favourite. Each dish is prettier than the next. Presentation on a par with taste.

We take our coffee on the terrace overlooking the sea, the setting is romantic – the atmosphere just right. Yes, the price tag is steep, but it’s not your every-day experience. It’s a treat and to be considered as such. It’s a date night indulgence, a night to remember.

The menu is complicated and getting our nibbles is also a bit of a challenge on the night we visit, because it’s packed. Word has spread about its quality and there isn’t a spare seat in the house.

The vibe is bustling and convivial. It’s even more interactive if you opt for the Teppanyaki experience where the chef treats 10 to a sixcourse set menu, but we’ll have to come back for that another time! We plump for ‘a la carte’ and need help. Thankfully it’s on hand.

Following recommendations we go for a heady mix. First the fresh honey and ginger gyoza that are both crunchy and soft in all the right places and delicately fragrant. Then come the row of ‘Omakase’ or chef’s recommended sushi - an awesome selection of individually made best fatty tuna belly, butter fish and yellowtail nigiri - not to mention melt-in-your- mouth sashimi.

There’s more melting with the kuromaguro, seared bluefin tuna and sumiso that is basically heavenly, if you like that kind of thing. Which I do. Very much. Rumour has it the produce of the local Algarvian tuna supplier is so sought after, he ships to Japan. It definitely feels fresh, and its consistency is

“WE TAKE OUR COFFEE ON THE TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE SEA, THE SETTING IS ROMANTIC – THE ATMOSPHERE JUST RIGHT.”

MIZU, VILA VITA PARC, Lagoa

RITZ FOUR SEASONS, Lisbon

When you enter the Four Seasons expectations abound. The grandiose setting, the gilt, the glitz and the unspeakably oversized orchid tree – or rather flower arrangement – dominating what can only be described as a ballroom, all figure strongly. But what came as more of a surprise was the small sushi bar, tucked away in the corner.

It’s always a welcome surprise to find a hidden gem, and this certainly is.

Once you get past the slight confusion of where the restaurant actually is set, and the quite cryptic menu inspired by Nikkei cuisine, a blend of Japanese and Peruvian dishes, where it’s all about fresh fish, it’s time to enjoy.

Opting for simplicity we ordered several mixed platters reasonably priced at around the 20-Euro mark. A real delight. The trays came adorned with a riot of colour –butterfish, salmon, yellowtail and more flowers, and even gold leaf, much to the younger guests’ delight. It’s not every day you get to eat gold...

The sushi is of the freshest and finest quality, perfectly complemented by the extra touches of soy and sesame, lime and pepper, ginger and flavoursome wasabi. Exotic and so creative, a feast for the eyes and tastebuds. Don’t miss the classic tuna nigiri, with a twist of truffle oil, or the salmon nigiri with tobikko and yuzu roe, or the shrimp tempura with spicy sauce, spicy and crispy. Anil, the ‘sushiman’ is from Nepal and has a reputation for attention to detail, and I’m not surprised to hear that.

No space left for desserts, unfortunately, so discovering the classic mochi rice balls stuffed with yuzu ice cream and chocolate will have to be for next time! RCA.

“DON’T MISS THE CLASSIC TUNA NIGIRI, WITH A TWIST OF TRUFFLE OIL, OR THE SALMON NIGIRI WITH TOBIKKO AND YUZU ROE.”

ALSO ON OUR RADAR…

MIDORI, Sintra

The only Asian restaurant with a Michelin star in Portugal, Midori’s cuisine is Japanese with a hint of Portuguese and set in the very chic Penha Longa resort.

penhalonga.com

ARTIGO TRES, Loule

For something authentic and extraordinarily fresh, try this unassuming Japanese restaurant in Loule’s center. Rumour has it the Japanese owners moved to Portugal for its bluefin tuna and having tried it, we understand. artigotres.eatbu.com

UMAMI, Quinta do Lago

The latest addition to Quinta do Lago’s collection of restaurants, this one is as sophisticated as you’d expect and provides one of the Algarve’s finest Asian dining experiences. quintadolago.com

BAMBOO, Val de Lobo

Whether you choose to come for the sushi or the cocktails, you’ll be wowed by the decor and the vibe, not to mention the DJ who knows how to get the party started. bambooalgarve.com

KAPPO, Cascais

A newcomer to Cascais, this is the perfect place to balance Japanese food and minimalist cool courtesy of chef Tiago Penão. kappo.pt

Business Directory

To advertise in the WHEREVER Directory email hello@wherevermags.com

Restaurants

Eric Kayser Lisbon

Tribulum Algarve

Gifts and more Symbols Lisboa

A taste of France in the heart of Lisbon. Eric Kayser offers traditional French bakery and pastry from Monday to Sunday.

Amoreiras Plaza - Rua Professor Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto 1070-046 Lisbon T +351 211 927 894

The Albatroz Restaurant

A Tribulum - it’s a great place to be! For the warmest welcome in the Algarve, come and meet our team in Almancil. With a creative menu, eclectic wines, inventive cocktails, live music, and special events, there is always something new to discover.

T +351 289 397 784

E info@tribulumalgarve.com

W tribulumalgarve.com @tribulumalgarve

Earth Cafe Carvoeiro

A lifestyle concept store offering a selection of everything from clothes to jewelry to candles, with a bohemian vibe.

Calçada Marquês Abrantes 67 A

T +351 213 960 327 W symbols-lisboa.com @symbols.lisboa

Be We

The Albatroz Restaurant offers signature dishes presented by Chef Frédéric Breitenbucher, created with a fusion of Portuguese and French cuisine.

In the Restaurant, you will find two privileged dining spaces with a panoramic view over the Bay of Cascais.

T +351 21484 73 80

E info@thealbatrozcollection.com

W thealbatrozcollection.com

Nivà Cremeria Gelateria Italiana

All day breakfast, brunch, lunch, with many vegetarian & vegan options. Smoothies, Illy coffee, homemade desserts. Shop quality Portuguese wines, salts, soaps, design ceramics and much more. 2min walk from the Carvoeiro cliff boardwalk Kitchen open.

8:30 am. - 4:45p.m.Closed Tuesdays.

T +351 282 071766.

W facebook.com/earth.shop.cafe

Quinta Dos Santos

Be We offers a space that inspires and supports a future focused on collective consciousness. Relevant brands, products and concepts that maintain a positive relationship with the environment and with everyone who lives in it.

T +351 915 900 473

W beweconcept.com @bewe.concept

Algarve Candle Company

Awarded as one of the best gelato of Italy, Nivà is not only a dessert, but a hard to forget experience.

Rua da Escola Politecnica 41 (Principe Real)/ Rua do Prior do Crato (Alcantara)

W nivagelato.com @Niva_lisboa

Quinta dos Santos is a family owned and operated wine farm, craft brewery and restaurant.

A PLACE TO INDULGE YOUR SENSES!

Tuesday to Saturday 1pm - 10pm Sunday, 1pm - 4pm

T +351 282 343 264

E reservations@quintadossantos.com

Algarve candles are hand poured with a blend of natural soy way and natural fragrance oils. We use a natural wooden wick and they are all vegan friend and paraffin and phthalate free.

E info@algarvecandlecompany.com

W algarvecandlecompany.com @algarve_candle_co

Health and Fitness

Bodyfit EMS Lisbon

The Fit Life

Welcome to BODYFIT EMS STUDIO. We are an Electrostimulation Studio in Lisbon. 25 min = 4 hours of sport. We offer the 1st trial session, book yours now!

Rua Tómas da Annunciation 97A Campo de Ourique.

T +351 213 850 939 / +351 964 684 718

W bodyfit.pt

Clint Goncalves Hair & Beauty Cacais

THE FIT LIFE is the ultimate indoor outdoor training studio. Located just above Vale do Lobo in Almancil, we offer everything from personal training and nutrition services to specialty group classes and wellness workshops.

T +351 910741110

E thefitlifealgarve@gmail.com

Yoga & Pilates Algarve

Bhairdesign

Modern, stylish, client orientated. Striving to bring the latest catwalk trends to you. In the relaxed, friendly yet professional atmosphere, you will be given a thorough consultation so that the service you receive will suit your face and body shape, skin tone, personality, professional and private lifestyle.

T Faro 289828013 / Albufeira 289109486 W bhairdesign.pt

Victor Picardo Styling Group

Clint Goncalves Hair & Beauty offers world class hairdressing and colour services, along with our in-house beautician and manicurist. Clint has styled many international magazine covers, movie premiers, music videos and A-list celebrities.

T +351 915 988 374

E clintgjhb@gmail.com

W clintgoncalves.com

SPA InterContinental by L’Occitane Estoril

Feel strong, get toned, improve your flexibility and feel great in your body with Reformer Pilates, Mat Plates and Yoga in Loule.

E hello@yogapilatesalgarve.co

W yogapilatesalgarve.com

Carvoeiro Clube de Tenis

Victor Picardo is a brand recognised for the quality of personalised service and excellence in customer service. It currently has 5 hairdressing salons located in the Algarve.

T Carvoeiro +351 282 356 894

T Lagoa +351 282 343 358

T Lagos +351 282 768 523

T Portimão +351 282 418 109

T Vale do Lobo +351 289 353 439

Golf and more

Vale de Milho Golf

Carvoeiro Clube de Tenis is more than a Tennis Club. With 8 Hard courts, 4 Padel Courts, fitness classes, fully equipped Gym and pool and 2 trampolines for the little ones... something for everyone.

T +351 282 358 236

E Geral@tenniscarvoeiro.com

W carvoeirovillas.com/en/carvoeiroclube-sports/carvoeiro-clube-de-tenis

L´Occitane follows modest values such as authenticity, respect, and generosity. A commitment to providing an experience of well-being, appealing to all of our senses, through the most relaxing and nourishing treatments.

In SPA InterContinental by L’Occitane, you can find our Indoor Swimming Pool with a dynamic waterfall, Sauna, and Steam Bath.

T +351 218291100

E spaintercontinental.estoril@ihg.com

W estorilintercontinental.com

A beautiful 9-hole course, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, close to the village of Carvoeiro, in the Algarve it’s the ideal Family Golf course.

T +351 282 358 502

W valedemilhogolf.com

Advertise with us from as little as 200 Euros

Cascais Zoe@wherevermags.com Lisbon Hajer@wherevermags.com

Lisbon Joao@wherevermags.com Algarve Chantal@wherevermags.com

Penina Hotel & Golf Resort

The Organic Growshop

Golf & Leisure Villas

Set within 360 acres of natural beauty, the original home of golf in the Algarve has three golf courses - including the Algarve’s first 18 hole Championship course.

T 282 420 200

W penina.com

For the Home

Alquatro

With over 30 years experience, Alquatro offers a wide range of interior design services, adjustable to your needs and taste and to the available budget.

Alquatro Interior Design Studio and Shop. Av 5 Outubro 302, Almancil

T +351 289 395 732

E alquatro@ alquatro.pt

W alquatro.pt

BBQs Algarve

Everything you need for outdoor and indoor gardens, daily skin care and more. In addition, enjoy an organic coffee and cake at The Organic Café.

T 925 229 690 for English

T 911 860 857 for Portuguese

W theorganicgrowshop.online

Property

MAP Martina Lennon Properties

All about property…

We Sell, Rent & Manage

We Design, Renovate & Build

With offices in Almancil Algarve.

T 915322656

E info@golfleisurevillas.com

W golfleisurestore.com

IAD Portugal

Looking for a BBQ? Choose from our wide selection of barbecues in Algarve! We help you find the perfect grill for your garden, terrace or rooftop. As your outdoor living specialists, we will make sure you get the grill that best suits your requirements.

T +351 289 356 233

E info@bbqs-algarve.com

MAP offers a unique and personalized selection of residential and commercial properties in Cascais and Lisbon for all our international and local clients.

T +351 214 821 373

E info@mapcascais.com

W mapcascais.com

Rent Villas Algarve

BUYING, SELLING or RENTING a property? Sales commission from 3%

Advertising on over 200 real estate portals. Professional PHOTOGRAPHY & HOME STAGING. Comprehensive VALUATION incl. sold prices in your area.

T +351 939 091 652

E miriam.naidu@iadportugal.pt

Automobiles

FIAAL Lda

We specialise in quality holiday villas and apartments, providing a personal service to people wishing to rent and offering a property management service to homeowners.

Calçada Marquês Abrantes 67 A

T +44 (0) 208 1248400 / +351 935614473

W rentvillasalgarve.co.uk

Your Jaguar Land Rover Dealership in the Algarve. Effortless Elegance.

T 289 891 770

E jlr@fiaal.pt

Services

Nanny Poppins

the magazine for expats everywhere

The go to agency for international families living in Portugal. We hire only the best childcare professionals including nannies, babysitters, housekeepers and tutors of many different nationalities. Get your very own Nanny Poppins today!

T +351 916 592 174

E emma@nannypoppins.pt

W nannypoppins.pt

Efective Communicators

Communicatos

CAISL

CAISL is a student-centered educational community in which we challenge ourselves and each other to do our best and to make positive contributions to our diverse and ever-changing world.

CAISL is a student-centered educational community in which we challenge ourselves and each other to do our best and to make positive contributions to our diverse and ever-changing world.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF

CARLUCCI AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LISBON

CARLUCCI AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LISBON

American Curriculum

American Curriculum

700 students (3 - 18 year olds)

700 students (3 - 18 year olds)

50+ Student Nationalities

50+ Student Nationalities

American High School Diploma + International Baccalaureate Diploma Not-for-Profit

American High School Diploma + International Baccalaureate Diploma Not-for-Profit

Over 60 years of success

Over 60 years of success

Accredited by MSA

Accredited by MSA

Accredited by MSA

Authorized IB World School

Authorized IB World School

Authorized IB World School

Only school in Portugal assisted by the Office of Overseas Schools of the United States Department of State Permanent License from the Portuguese Ministry of Education

Only school in Portugal assisted by the Office of Overseas Schools of the United States Department of State Permanent License from the Portuguese Ministry of Education

Only school in Portugal assisted by the Office of Overseas Schools of the United States Department of State Permanent License from the Portuguese Ministry of Education

Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, 2710-301 Sintra (25min. from Lisbon’s city center)

Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, 2710-301 Sintra (25min. from Lisbon’s city center)

Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, 2710-301 Sintra (25min. from Lisbon’s city center)

Portugal 351-219-239-800 info@caislisbon.org www.caislisbon.org

Portugal 351-219-239-800 info@caislisbon.org www.caislisbon.org

Portugal 351-219-239-800 info@caislisbon.org www.caislisbon.org