Mmm - worth the wait [Photo by Paris by Mouth/Flickr]

After 2 years of red tape and countless hurdles, Spring has finally sprung and bon vivants in Paris are joyfully rejoicing the unveiling of American chef Daniel Rose’s beloved Spring restaurant now located in a roomier and refined locale just steps from the Louvre.

Spring has sprung  [Photo by Paris by Mouth/Flickr]

Standing in a tri-level former skateshop a street up from another foodie fave Yam’Tcha, the new digs seats 22 people in full view of a large stainless steel open kitchen so that diners can peek in on live cooking action. Also in the works is a tapas and wine bar soon to be opened in the lower level, plus a well-stocked wine cellar in the basement.

[Photo by Paris by Mouth/Flickr]

Though it may seem like a drastic change from the humble 16-seater in the 9th, the difference is in appearance only. Much like its predecessor, the contemporary French four-course dinner is still as honest and unpretentious as it used to be. Driven by fresh market ingredients and Rose’s own vision, the changing menu showcases delightful dishes such as a medley of eggplant – croquette, pickled and mashed, and pigeon with ris de veau, while dessert might be as simple as black cherries with fresh almonds and apricots with a lemon verbana syrup. The lunch menu on the other hand centers around a fixed price bouillon that can be accompanied by complementing small plates if the diner so chooses.

[Photo by Paris by Mouth/Flickr]

Already earning a rep as one of Paris’s most sought after meals, avoid disappointment and get your fingers on the dial to make your booking quicksticks.

6 Rue Bailleule. T: +33 1 45 96 05 72. W: springparis.blogspot.com

Espadrille express at La Manual Alpargatera

Summer’s nearly over, you protest! Well, here’s a not-so-little-secret - September is fabulous in the Mediterranean, not to mention swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, when there’s plenty of warmth left so you can keep your twinkle toes on show, and the August hordes have thinned. Besides, they’re gearing up for spring down south, from Sydney to Rio. To make sure you’ll always have your breeziest foot forward, we’ve uncovered these darling cobblers in Barcelona and Miami cranking out beautiful handmade footwear for your sand-exfoliated tootsies, plus there’s one just for you too, fellas. Best of all, they won’t cost you any of your tanned arms or legs.

Natural foot candy

Barcelona-bound? What would a Spanish holiday be without espadrilles? La Manual Alpagatera has been around since the 1940s, and for those in the know, is the classic. Penelope Cruz has a pair to match each shade of lip gloss, as does Ralph Lauren for his linen shorts.

From Barca, con amor

Utilitarian and stylish, these all-natural lovelies are still made by hand by artisans using hemp, jute and canvas, and they’re perfect for keeping your trotters cool while wandering around ravishing Gaudí town. They’ve got styles for gals, tykes and guys too, so pick some up for the fam. And if anything toasts, it’ll be your ankles, not your credit card.

Find your soles at Tuccia di Capri

Make South Beach your first stop when you touch down in Miami – not for the Baywatch bods [Ed. well, maybe them too] – but for a pair of strappy leather sandals from Tuccia di Capri. The shoemakers here were all trained in Capri, whence these goodies came, so you know you’re getting the real thing.

Put a little bling in your slingback

There’s the Classics collection for those subtly chic, evergreen styles, or the Riviera collection for a touch of bling. Choose from myriad leathers and designs, and you can even have an identical pair made for little Jackie. Just hop in, have your measurements taken, hop out for a beverage and your brand new, custom-made foot candy will be ready before you can say “mojito”. ¡hurra!

Slip into Fin's

As for guys with gnarly toes where slides are a no-no, you can still pull off the dashing Continental look with these juicy, tootie-fruity yet manly loafers from Fin’s. Stylin’.
La Manual Alpargatera. Avinyó, 7, Barri Gòtic. M: Jaume I. T: +34 93 301 0172. W: lamanual.net
Tuccia di Capri. 1630 Pennsylvania, South Beach. T: +1 305 534 5865. W: tucciadicapri.com
Fin’s. W: finsforhim.com

Trig suits for dapper chappies

Seize Sur Vingt, Paul Stuart, Thom Browne, Barker Black – it’s a roll call of essential style addresses for the modern (and in the money) dandy. Well, we were trembling with excitement in our hand-stitched wingtips when we heard that Kirk Miller, who’d earned his stripes at the above mentioned establishments, has gone out on his own with Miller’s Oath tailor and menswear in downtown New York, inspired by and a tribute to Kirk’s great granddad’s store in South Dakota.

Strewth, Bruce, we'll take this oath

Kirk learned the ins and outs of measure and fit at cult shirtmakers Seize Sur Vingt, before moving on as a buyer to New York’s own Charvet, Paul Stuart. He then helped set up a custom atelier with a budding designer called Thom Browne, before partnering with his brother to create Barker Black, English bench made shoes with an edge and trademark skull and crossbones logo.

Rack it up, fellas

Miller’s Oath brings all those elements together in a simple, dapper, rustic store of floorboards and exposed brick. Classic style for today’s gentleman – a well-cut shirt, immaculately fitted suit, and the accoutrements necessary to complete the look. It’s contemporary without being fashion forward, traditional without being stuffy or boring. There’s ready-to-wear and tailor made, and while it aint’ cheap, it’s a damn sight more affordable than his mate Thom, whose prices could make your eyes bleed (ed. if they aren’t already watering from those short shorts). The store is by appointment and suits take around 6-8 weeks to make, so button up and take the pledge, Reg.

Made to measure pleasure

510 Greenwich St (at Spring St). T: +1 212 219 9965. W: millersoath.com

Genever, Dutch gin, whatever, just drink it in

Genever, it could be the name of your last European flame, or your next, and most probably ours. For it’s Dutch gin, and it, along with akvavit, is the essence of the tipple list at Vandaag, an airy and sunflower bright, day until night bier restaurant in New York’s East Village.

A corner of Holland in the East Village

Perched on a prime corner, this cheery, yet cool as a cuke local has Holland at its heart, with strong nods to the Nordic and Germanic. Inside is an offbeat mix of rustic and minimalist, with oversized windows, white and yellow tiles, concrete floors, wooden benches, leather lounges, plywood chairs and steel swivel stools around a counter.

Take a seat and tuck in

The food, courtesy of Phillip Kirschen-Clark, who cheffed at Pegu Club (ed. and to think we only drank there) and fine diner Corton, is made with locally sourced ingredients where possible. There’s the mandatory preserved and pickled offerings like halibut and sausage, or salmon gravlax and leg of lamb sarnies (Smørrebrød), and comfort fare such as bitterballen (braised oxtail croquet) and hete bliksem ‘hot lightning’ (crisp fingerlings with bacon and apple), plus sweetbreads, roast cod with boiled spuds and pork chop with toasted barley.

Line 'em up, fellas

The wines are Austrian and German, the beers from the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia, and it would be terribly remiss not to sample their signature genever and akvavit cocktails, like the Vandaag Gin with Bos genever, golden ale reductions, bitters and absinthe, or Pack Mule with strawberry peppercorn akvavit, ginger, Pimms, Campari and lemon, or even beer cocktails like the Radler, with pineapple-infused akvavit and Belgian witbier. Now if that’s not enough to give you Dutch courage, nothing will. Proost!

103 2nd Ave (6th St ). T: +1 212 253 0470. W: vandaagnyc.com

Less razzle, but lots of Andaz-zle

It’s New York week at LUXEtasy and while our previous posting on The Chatwal is all well and lovely, what of the other new hotels in New York? The good news is that you’re getting more stylish choices to lay your head all over town, including an eagerly anticipated boutique pad in Nolita, while Midtown and Times Square may be having their moment in the sun, but the bad news is, them rooms ain’t getting any cheaper, with the magic $300 line for a decent bed staying in force, and even facing upward pressure.

Take the Plunge at Gansevoort Park Ave

First up, Trump Soho, which launched back in April has us worried that The Donald is going mellow with age, with its 391 spacious, demure rooms with svelte Fendi Casa furnishings, plus just opened pool and Bar D’Eau, though true to form, it’s in a towering edifice. Next, the much hyped Gansevoort Park Ave in midtown, with its 249 contemporary rooms is for the bling and bare it crowd - ostentation is back on the menu, and it’s not afraid to flaunt it. The hotel’s pool and multi-level, multi-zone Plunge Rooftop Bar + Lounge is certain to be a see and be scenester.

W New York Downtown - all we need is a pun

If chains do it for you, then consider Hyatt offshoot Andaz Fifth Ave at 41st St, opposite the New York Public Library and designed by Tony Chi. Combining business sensibility with a boutique/design edge, this property looks to be Andaz’s best yet with sleek loft-style rooms, travertine marble bathrooms and a host of inclusions like WiFi, non-alcoholic minibar and snacks, local calls, iPod docks and CO Bigelow products. The InterContinental Times Square has a whopping 547 rooms and suites, and possibly best of all, boasts burger king Shake Shack and a Todd English brasserie, Ça Va, giving you more palatable dining options amongst a sea of mediocre offerings in the area. Heading down to Wall St and just steps from Ground Zero, the newest W continues to work its ‘wow’ puns, and delivers 217 white and red space-age rooms over 58 floors, as well as a BLT Bar & Grill and Living Room Bar with outdoor terrace.

Sky high at The Setai

Opening 1st September, Chicago import The James brings Windy City cool to Soho, though we’re not keen on the “luxury liberated” tagline. We’re also awaiting the opening of The Nolitan, in, err, Nolita, running behind schedule but coming any day now, we hope,  while some time in November, The Setai Fifth Ave at 37th St, all 60 storeys of it, and managed by the Capella group, is sure to give the uptown big guns a run for their money. Night night, sleep tight, and don’t let those bedbugs bite.

The Donald comes up Trump in Soho

Trump Soho. 246 Spring St (at Varick St). T: +1 212 842 5500. W: trumpsohohotel.com
Gansevoort Park Ave. 420 Park Ave (at 29th St). T: +1 212 317 2900. W: gansevoortpark.com
Andaz Fifth Ave. 485 5th Ave (at 41st St). T: +1 212 601 1234. W: andaz.com
InterContinental Times Square. 300 W 44th St (at 8th Ave). T: +1 212 803 4500. W: ichotelsgroup.com
W New York Downtown. 123 Washington St (at Albany St). T: +1 646 826 8600. W: starwoodhotels.com
The James. 27 Grand St (at Thompson St). T: +1 212 465 2000. W: jameshotels.com
The Nolitan. 30 Kenmare St (at Elizabeth St). T: +1 212 925 2555. W: nolitanhotel.com
The Setai Fifth Ave. 400 Fifth Ave (at 37th St). T: +1 212 695 4005. W: setaififthavenue.com

The Chatwal - take a bow

New York City has been awash with hotel launches this year, with more to come, but if you think more beds and more competition means lower rates, think again. One of the most anticipated, as well as most delayed openings, has been The Chatwal, a ticket stub away from Broadway and 42nd St, with entry prices nudging US$600 for a 300 sq ft chamber. Now, before you throw yourself under a yellow cab at the thought of 600 big ones for a Times Square address, read on…

Just like a gorgeous Goyard trunk, only comfier

The Chatwal has the sort of colourful history that becomes legend. Originally home to the notorious Lambs club, America’s first professional theatrical club, and designed by equally notorious architect (and lech) Stanford White, everyone who was anyone in theatre passed through its doors since opening in 1905. John Barrymore, John Wayne, Douglas Fairbanks, Fred Astaire and so many more, partied, slept and no doubt christened the furniture here.

It's in the detail, darling

Now, architect Thierry Despont, no stranger to giving a spit and polish to icons like the Statue of Liberty and Claridge’s in London, has restored this neo-Georgian landmark to glory, transforming it into a deluxe 83-room bower. There’s sweet nostalgia to spare, as sepia-tinted, art deco glam fuses with gleaming 21st century essentials and comforts, and we like what we’re seeing.

I say, it's Asprey in the bathroom

Rooms, inspired by the golden age of travel, are akin to a beautiful Goyard trunk, featuring taupe suede walls and carpet, leather and chrome door handles, leather lined closets, vintage prints, playing cards and backgammon sets. Beds are handmade Shifman mattresses, linen is 400-thread count Frette, and you get down comforters and pillows, Kashwére robes, comp WiFi, HDTV, Blueray DVD and stereo with iPod dock. Black marble and mirrored bathrooms, many with twin vanities, also sport rain showers or jacuzzi baths, LCD TV and delicious Asprey amenities. Access to your own private terrace can also be arranged at a charge.

It's a ram's world at the Lambs Club restaurant

The spa, by Oprah fave Kashwére, features three treatment rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, saltwater lap pool and 24-hr fitness centre. The Lambs Club is honoured as a restaurant and bar overseen by lauded NYC chef Geoffrey Zakarian, who’ll be dishing up American classics and grills to hungry theatregoers, while the bar will feature classic cocktails made with fresh pressed juice and hand cut ice. With such a pedigree, the hotel also promises to get you seats at the hottest shows, so it’s bottoms down and curtains up!

The Chatwal. 130 West 44th Street. T: +1 212 764 6200. W: thechatwalny.com

White nights at Wanderlust

Singapore’s hot right now. Not its usual year round wretchedly hot and humid, or humid and raining hot, but in-the-spotlight hot. Gone are the doldrums of 2008-2009 as the Lion City roars back as an Asian Tiger, with a slew of noteworthy celeb chef and hotel openings and the F1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix just around the corner. Here’s our pick of the most head turning new beds for you to lay your head. Go on then, pop yourself into the lion’s jaws, you’ll be glad you did.

It's just a front for Wanderlust

Local hotelier Peng Loh has been an extremely busy man in 2010. First came Town Hall Hotel and Apartments in London’s East End, quickly followed by The Waterhouse at South Bund in Shanghai, and now comes the barely opened Wanderlust. Set in a restored former 1920s schoolhouse in thronging, kaleidoscopic Little India, Wanderlust showcases the work of four different Singaporean design agencies in its 29 rooms and public areas.

Scatological humour?

Self-described as “left-field and totally experimental”, it’s definitely not for everyone, but targets “madcap voyagers and curious travellers”, and probably wanton Lilliputians too, for the lurid, compact Pantone rooms have fishbowl showers and loos that’d make a stripper blush. Ready soon will be slightly larger origami and Pop Art-inspired Mono and themed Whimsical loft rooms, sure to also push the envelope. Coming back down to earth is the hotel’s communal, industrial farmhouse bistro Cocotte, serving comfort French fare that’s made to share.

The Fullerton Bay Hotel's Bobby dazzler lobby

If avant-garde is all too hard, it’s time to turn your attention to the waterfront, 106-room, glass façade The Fullerton Bay Hotel in the central biz district, also still in soft opening mode but with plenty of pleasure points at the ready. The glammy, richly textured 17m-wide lobby was designed by Hong Kong star Andre Fu, who also tapped his style stick on the hotel’s F&B venues: drama queen Euro brasserie Clifford, with its 10m-high floor to ceiling windows, tea and cocktail lounge The Landing Point, complete with 13m bar, and panoramic rooftop Lantern next to the glorious 25m pool [Ed. sheesh, does size matter or what?].

How suite it is

And to the rooms, all of which look out to the city or bay. Think demure luxury and plush furnishings, polished rosewood and latticed screens, leather and chrome, carpet and padding, and champagne, platinum, amber and dark chocolate hues. Each comes with a balcony, goose down duvet and choice of pillows, Nespresso machine, Molton Brown toiletries and LCD TVs in room and bathroom, but sadly no free internet.

Hip sip, sup and sleep at The Club

Another newbie however, The Club, in a renovated heritage building on hip Chinatown shopping and nightlife strip Ann Siang Rd, gets bonus points for doing the right thing by offering comp WiFi in all of its 22 minimalist, black and dazzle white and bright rooms from the Philip Starck school of interiors (but actually done by home grown talent Ministry of Design).

It's a black and white world

Whether you choose from the standard Club or Signature rooms, the latter sporting unique design features such as pillars or wraparound curtains, in all you’ll get LCD TVs, iPod docks, rainforest showers and bird motifs. There’s a vibrant tapas bar and terrace, but if we’re not heading out on the town, you’ll find us chillaxing, cocktail in hand at the Sky Bar and Garden.

Coming soon - Hotel Fort Canning

But wait, there’s more. Keep your peepers peeled for the 86-room Hotel Fort Canning, in a renovated 1926 colonial landmark in Fort Canning Park smack bang in the heart of town, due to open before the year is out.

It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Marina Bay Sands

Oh, is there an elephant in the room? How could we forget, casino megaplex Marina Bay Sands. It’s certainly made its mark, with three towers, over 2,500 rooms, a huge sky park with 150m infinity pool, and culinary stars in the kitchen - Oz-Japanese Tetsuya Wakuda’s Waku Ghin, French Guy Savoy’s eponymous fine diner, Catalan Santi Santamaria’s Santi and opening soon, New Yorker Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne, Mario Batali’s Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, and Californian Wolfgang Puck’s Cut. Is that a mouthful or what? We’re also eagerly anticipating Bali good times institution Ku De Ta lounge opening on the rooftop, but that’s another post. P-A-H-T-A-Y!

Wanderlust. 2 Dickson St. T: +65 6396 3322. W: wanderlusthotel.com
The Fullerton Bay Hotel. 80 Collyer Quay. T: +65 6333 8388. W: fullertonbayhotel.com
The Club. 28 Ann Siang Rd. T: +65 6808 2188. W: theclub.com.sg
Hotel Fort Canning. Fort Canning Park. T: +65 6559 6770. W: hfcsingapore.com
Marina Bay Sands. 10 Bayfront Ave. T: +65 6688 8868. W: marinabaysands.com

Garden + terrace + moonlight = romance    [Photo by John McDermott]

Once upon a time in the faraway Kingdom of Angkor, there was a popular chef called Pascal Schmit, who ran an equally popular restaurant called Abacus, housed in a charming two-storey villa. As night fell, all of Siem Reap’s well to do Khmers and expats would gather in the lantern-lit garden, on the verandah or in the bar to eat, drink, chill and make merry. Then one day Pascal shut up shop and went to try his hand in a hotel kitchen, at La Residence D’Angkor, and the people followed him there. But Pascal wanted more, a restaurant of one’s own again, so now Abacus is back, and his loyal followers couldn’t be happier.

Saladicious Abacus

The restaurant, set just outside the city center, is in a modern, verdant garden villa that’s swish for Siem Reap, if a tad less quaint than before. If you can’t stand the heat, you can sit in the glass walled, tiled floor and somewhat stark red, black and white air conditioned indoor dining room, but the place to be is out on the romantic, leafy terrace, surrounded by palm fronds, mango trees and candlelight.

Just a moment on the lips...

The food has been taken up a notch and is about the only reliable non-hotel high-end diner in town. The frequently changing blackboard menu reflects both his Euro heritage as well as his Asian surroundings. There’s classic French fare such as Côte de Boeuf and a selection of grilled meats, as well as modern twists such as foie gras served on mango and arugula, and Cambodian and regionally inspired dishes like rice paper rolls with marinated shrimps and pork. Desserts range from the less adventurous crème brûlée and profiteroles, to a more exotic pineapple upside down tart scented with star anise. Go on, you know you want it…

Under the mango tree     [Photo by John McDermott]

When you’re done gorging, there’s no need to move far for a nightcap, simply waddle to the bar and order one of their potent G&Ts or a whisky and cigar, and if you haven’t already, you’ll soon see how well things all add up.

Off Road No.6, near the ACLEDA Bank. T: +855 63 966 156. W: cafeabacus.com

Clink & drink!

Choices, choices, some of us thrive on it, while others are paralysed by it, living in fear of missing out, or of making the wrong decision. If too much choice is never enough for you, then head to 28°-50° Wine Workshop & Kitchen, in the basement of an unassuming red brick building smack in the centre of old London town, where every drop on the regular wine list is available by the glass.

Oeno, meeny, miny, moe

Run by the team behind Michy-starred Frenchie Texture, 28°-50° is a green and woody vinoteca with timber nearly everything, from the tables, chairs and stools to shelving and caskets. The main restaurant seats just 40, while 18 lucky sippers can perch at the adjacent bar, and there’s also a private mezzanine area.

The food menu itself is short, with no more than a half-dozen classic bistro starters and mains running from duck rillette to onglet of beef and pissaladière. Oenophiles rejoice however, with every wine on their regular wine list available by the glass, carafe or bottle, meaning a minimum of 15 whites and 15 reds, plus rosé, sweet wines and a winemaker of the month on top of that.

Where's the vino?

The list is largely Euro-centric, covering lesser known names from France and Italy, with a smattering from Spain, plus the odd bottle from Slovenia, Australia and South Africa. Better yet, no bottle on the regular list tops 50 quid, hurrah! Before you sniff, there’s also a pricier collectors’ list, where wines with age are offered sourced from the cellars of bona fide collectors. And if you know nought about vino, they even have workshops - handy, no?

If your head is already spinning from all that choice before even touching a drop, the good news is that pours start at 75ml, so you can quickly work your way through the list without fear of missing out. Oh, and the name? It represents the latitude between which nearly all wine in the world is grown – LOVING those latitudes, darling… Bottoms up!

140 Fetter Lane, EC4. T: +44 020 7242 8877. W: 2850.co.uk

Hyde and Sleek

Two for the price of one, that’s what you get at Hong Kong’s newest private members’ club, Hyde. On one floor is Hyde nightclub, a thumpin’-pumpin’, booty-shaking boom-boom room. On a separate floor is Hyde Lounge, a New York-style loft space for milling, swilling and chilling. On both floors, a parade of slinky minxes and the not-so-stealthy wealthy.

Who's the fairest one of all?

The nightclub, spread over 6,000 sq ft, sports industrial glam metal, concrete, glass and marble interiors, with LED screens, sod-off sound system, exposed ceiling pipes, an island bar and of course, the all important enclosed VIP area, complete with its very own lift and bar.

Hyde inside, Clyde

The upstairs lounge, covering 4,000 sq ft, is a warehouse of exposed brick, hardwood floors, leather sofas and three pool tables, lit with oversized sky garden lamps by hot-right-now designer Marcel Wanders. Smokers can also rejoice, for there are three terraces from which you can puff to your heart’s content.

Is that a cue in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

A split personality can be a dangerous thing, but in this case it’s a bonus for those who want to swing between naughty and nice all at once, without ever having to leave the building.

Membership costs a cool HK$18,000, but fret not pet, if you’re not a member or know one,  a good concierge should be able to get you in. Failing that, gussy up and try your luck at the door, only don’t blame us if a refusal dents your Pryde…

2-3/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. T: +852 2522 2106 or +852 2522 2608 for lounge. W: hyde.hk