Sweet dreams are made of these...

Sitting pretty at the heart of Singapore’s haute-cuisine scene is Restaurant ANDRÉ, a three-story 1920s shophouse that houses chef’s tables, main dining room, private atelier and wine cellar. Man of the moment André Chiang turns out dégustation lunches and dinners following a self-developed “octaphilosophy,” meaning that each meal revolves around eight key characteristics: unique, texture, memory, pure, terroir, salt, south and artisan. If that tells you nothing, picture dishes like rabbit loin with pancetta and mustard seeds (terroir) and chef staple foie gras jelly with black truffle coulis (memory). It’ll cost a pretty penny and something like a month’s wait to get in, but you just can’t resist, can you?

41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore. T: +65 6534 8880 W: restaurantandre.com

For the complete guide to what’s sweet in Singapore, check out the LUXE Singapore guide or download the handy mobile app with maps.

Why camp when you can GLAMP

Dear nature-loving hearts, has anyone else noticed a global explosion of luxury tented resorts? LUXE loves the great outdoors, but the idea of getting out in the elements with a flimsy, barely weather-proof tent and a Garden of Eden-esque loo situation has always made us decidedly queasy. But that all seems a thing of the past now, with ‘glamping’ spots cropping up all over the place. Check out Montana’s rustic-chic Paws Up ranch. City slickers can get away from it all without leaving behind ‘bare necessities’ like a king bed, heating/fans, slate bathrooms, WiFi, housekeeping and a ‘camping butler’. There’s a range of seasonal activities and hands down some of the most spectacular scenery you’re likely to find anywhere in the world. So what are you waiting for? Go see a man about a horse.

Or, try tiger-spotting at Aman-i Khas, Rajasthan, or elephant-riding at Four Seasons’ Tented Camp, Golden Triangle.

Sure beats a flimsy two-man

Not a port-a-loo in sight

Delish dining and a damn fine view, yes please

Starry, starry night

From Roppongi to the 101st floor of Hong Kong's ICC

Good news for Hong Kong foodies: triple Michelin starred RyuGin from Roppongi, Tokyo, has landed in the landmark ICC. Chef Seiji Yamamoto has transferred his top apprentice Hideaki Sato and five chefs from the Tokyo original to head RyuGin’s first overseas branch. Diners can try the famed 10-course Kaiseki menu ($1,980 per pax), which offers traditional dishes like premium monkfish liver from Hokkaido and special miso sauce (pictured below) alongside molecular dishes like the chef signature “-196 degree candy strawberry served with +99 degree strawberry jam”. All premium ingredients are flown directly from Japan, plus there are exclusive Japanese liquors hand selected by the in-house sommelier. Mmm… Kanpai, we say!

Best bring your appetite, as you've 8 more courses to go!

RyuGin Hong Kong. 101/F, ICC, 1 Austin Rd West, Kowloon. T: +852 2302 0222.

Still making noise after all these years

Amsterdam’s haute-est hotel has arrived, risen from the ashes of the iconic music academy Conservatorium van Amsterdam. The Conservatorium Hotel is all that jazz plus a design conscience, a groovy pad fit for businessmen and fashionistas alike. Conceptualised and designed by visionary owner Georgi Akirov and Milanese starchitect Piero Lissoni, the hotel pays homage to the hallowed halls of its history, but revamps the interiors with Dutch-meets-contempo-Italian gusto.

A modernist’s natural habitat goes glam

Step inside to 129 sleek suites and duplexes bathed in cream and brown, with wooden-planked floors and oriental embellishments like tribal masks, delft plates and vintage Asian rugs. Ranging from 30 to 170 sq m, each suite has comp Wi-Fi, espresso machines, mirror TVs and funky custom-made Lissoni furny.

Swank central at Tunes by Schilo

Goedeavond, hungry? Trot on down to Tunes Restaurant by Schilo for Dutch delectables whipped up by chef Schilo van Coevorden. If you prefer a casual nibble or tea and cake, head towards the hotel’s Brasserie and the Lounge. Too stuffed for food? Simply get comfy on the oversized plushy sofas at the Atrium and soak up the delightful ambiance.

Mix business with pleasure

Let’s say you’re not in Amsterdam for the dykes, bikes, waterways or cycleways. Bizzy-bees get perks like six meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the-art devices, signature Schilo cocktails and jam sessions at the intimate Tunes bar, and the largest cigar humidor in Europe, La Casa del Habano.

Time for a serene swim

The canal capital worn you out? Head to the spacious Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Retreat, a 1000 sq. m escape where you can eat organic at ‘Earth’, sweat bullets at ‘Fire’, ohm the day away at ‘Air’, and lather and dive at ‘Water’. Finally, proceed with the signature hammam treatments for stress relief. Bliss!

Van Baerlestraat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T: +31 (0) 20 570 0000 W: conservatoriumhotel.com

To discover more of Amsterdam’s fabulous stays, check out our LUXE Amsterdam guide.

Looks like it's happy hour in Hanoi

Got a hankering for an Old Fashioned in Hanoi? Trot on over to Tong Duy Tan Street, also known as “Food Street”, where you’ll find Southgate Bar tucked away near the end. Unlike its neighbours, this is no spot for plastic stools on the street; instead it’s a cozy Mediterranean-vibey hangout with an outdoor terrace to boot. Southgate’s cocktail menu offers classics like Pimms cup and Negronis, but the spicy guava margarita gets rave reviews. Another tip: there are bloody marys at weekend brunch. Just a thought.

28 Tong Duy Tan Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. T: +84 4 3938 1979 W: southgatehanoi.com

For the complete guide to what’s happenin’ in Hanoi, check out the LUXE Hanoi Guide!

Take a bite into the Big Mango

Imagine kicking back at the Metropolitan Bangkok, temple of cool for the style set, in ultra-simple elegance of dark woods, stone and glass. Well, one lucky lady is going to do just that. Ms Indra Waty from Indonesia has won our fabulous competition with COMO Hotels and Resorts and will be spending three nights in Bangkok, treated to star Thai eats from David Thompson at nahm, and pampered with a 90-min spa sesh at COMO Shambhala Urban Escape Spa. All that plus a LUXE City Guide to Bangkok, of course, so she’ll be strolling Sukhumvit like a local and steering well clear of the tourist rubbish. Lesson one: Mah Ha Sah Han (how fabulously amazing)!

Missed out on the grand prize this time? Not to worry, we’ve got a bevy of swag and hotel goodies coming your way soon, so keep your eyes peeled on luxecityguides.com, LUXEtasy, Facebook and Twitter. Santa doesn’t just come at Christmas you know.

Nestle amidst palm trees in busy Bangkok

Soi 45 Sukhumvit has a new tenant that has set all its neighbours atwitter. The newest on the Bangkok boutique hotel circuit, Cabochon Hotel, is brought to you by none other than Eugene Yeh of Eugenia Hotel, who personally appointed each of the 8 suites/studios in this new venture. Seeking to “recapture the Shanghai chic of yesteryear in Bangkok”, Cabochon boasts a rooftop garden, 22m swimming pool, “Thai-Lao-Yeh” resto serving Laotian and Thai cuisine, plus a bar, lounge, and two salons filled with antique traveller memorabilia. Glamorous yesteryear indeed, but the hotel stays 21st-century-chic with comp WiFi, Flamant linens, and private balconies. Par-ahh-dise! See more photos after the jump.

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Panda-monium

Welcome back to our weekly LUXE Links, in which we source some of the week’s best reads from around the web and around the world. This week, optical illusions in New York, Dover Street Market hits Tokyo, and floating beds in Singapore. Get clickin’, chickens!

Now you see him, now you don’t–finding human chameleon Liu Bolin at this must-hit exhib in NYC [We Jet Set]

Inside Singapore’s New Majestic Hotel, featuring floating beds and outdoor tubs [Hotel Chatter]

Eight hidden dining and retail treasures to seek out in hectic Hong Kong [Coolhunting]

Hello, hotel room: behind the “Do Not Disturb” sign at two new European photo exhibs [Tablet Talk]

Kawakubo brings Dover Street Market to Tokyo, causes a fashion Commes-motion, sets sight on New York next [T Magazine]

The birthplace of skyscrapers, Chicago is one hell of a looker

Dear globetrotting hearts, in case you’ve been stuck under a rock and missed the memo, LUXE has partnered up with Singapore Airlines to bring you a monthly travel column on their brand new silverkris.com website as well as the inflight mag (which can also be viewed in full online), and share how to spend 24 LUXE hours in some of our favourite cities.

This month, we turn the spotlight on Chicago, the city of skyscrapers, culinary wizardry, Lloyd Wright, Obama, Capone, Pullman, The Cubs, The Bears, The Bulls, the blues, and much, much more. It may be called the Second City, but don’t be fooled, Chicago is a first-rate desti and everyone’s kind of town.

What’s more, silverkris.com readers get an exclusive promo code to score 15% off LUXE guides and box sets. Get ready, jet set, go!

The Venus Suite: Donatella Versace's former bedroom

Calling all Versace lovers—is this your dream destination or what? The Villa by Barton G in Miami, a.k.a. the mansion where Gianni and Donatella used to live, is a 10-suite boutique hotel with features like a 24-karat gold tiled pool and a formal supper parlour, The Dining Room. Of course, this mind-blowing opulence and a South Beach postcode mean that staying here will cost you a cool $1,000 USD (per night). More, if you want to sleep in Donatella’s bed with direct views of the ocean – but hey, you can’t put a price on getting in bed with a Versace, right?

1116 Ocean Drive, South Beach, Florida. T: +1 305 576 8003 W: thevillabybartong.com

For the complete guide to what’s hot in Miami, check out the LUXE Miami guide!