Katz’s Deli – the best pastrami in New York

In New York City, Katz’s Deli has become almost as much of an iconic landmark as the Statue of Liberty. It opened on the Lower East Side in 1888 with a hand-painted sign simply stating, “We are famous for the best sandwich in town.” Katz’s has stuck to its bold claim for over a century, standing as the oldest delicatessen in Manhattan today. Everything outside Katz’s has changed since its humble beginnings, but not much has inside, where the carvers’ old-world attitude towards hearty grub pays homage to its immigrant past.

Five reasons to visit Brooklyn

Breuckelen, a 17th century Dutch settlement on the western end of Long Island, is now Manhattan’s stylish, easy-going next-door neighbour. A short subway ride from Midtown reveals hip nightlife, brownstone apartments with covetable views of the Manhattan skyline, charming tree-lined streets and steadfastly independent boutiques. Here are five reasons why you must go:

Le Bain at The Standard, High Line - hip rooftop drinking in NYC

It really is all about the rooftops in New York. This is a city with one of the most insane skylines in the world and when you're in central Manhattan, surrounded by towering neckbreakers, there's no better way to survey it than by ascending. It’s hardly surprising then, that a number of cloud-skimming bars have sprung up; one of the most notorious being Le Bain at The Standard, High Line, in the viceland that is the Meatpacking District.

24 hours in: New York City

Welcome to part one of four in our series on the Big Apple - the ultimate reference for eating, drinking, dancing and exploring the USA's most iconic city. First things first: how to make savvy use of 24 hours, by native New Yorker Stephanie Cavagnaro.

9am: The High Line. Escape the crowds and traffic on this elevated urban park. Once an abandoned freight rail line, this aerial greenway now offers expansive views of the Hudson River, the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. Start at the southernmost entrance at Gansevoort and amble along what feels like a digitised, sliced image of the city, making a quick stop at Chelsea Market to taste your way through the food stalls. 

Drink like a local in Europe - what to order and where

When it comes to Euro-hopping, we intrepid travellers have to keep our wits about us if we don't want to stand out like an inexperienced sore thumb. But how to go about blending into the background like a globetrotting pro? Well, more often than not, a little glass of something local is not a bad place to start. Read on to swot up on what you should be guzzling and where...

Five minutes with: Laura Jean from In Our Nature

It goes without saying that, here at Secret Escapes, we love to travel. There's nothing more exciting than the anticipation of your next city break or a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to a far flung destination. But what if travelling was your life?

This year, Laura Jean Sargent gave up her life in London and envied job working in fashion PR and marketing to travel the world; seeking out and working with people from all over the globe that are contributing to the sustainable future of the planet. She publishes her thoughts and findings through In Our Nature, an online platform she set up with ex-colleague and close friend, Filippa Harrington-Griffin. However, coming from an online-based background, theirs in a most unique approach...

Through the wonderful medium of Skype, we took five minutes with Laura Jean - currently in Argentina - to find out more.

The Turner Contemporary art gallery (and four other reasons to visit Kent)

1. Whitstable

Whitstable is a dinky little seaside town that blends traditional charm with a modern arty vibe. Considering its size, it's brimming with modish boutiques and an excellent selection of places to eat, including the Salt Marsh, who pull an incredible daily menu out of the sea. If you care to try Whitstable's most famous fare, get yourself some oysters from the vintage pink Wheelers Oyster Bar, then stroll past the quirky beach huts until you reach the Old Neptune, a pub whose foundations went askew in the great flood of 1953.

Best afternoon tea in London. Part three: The Dorchester

The Dorchester is one of the most famous old dames in London. This 1930s Park Lane hotel is dripping with wealth - expect decor you'd see in your posh aunt's sitting room and cars parked outside that could possibly belong to Batman. The waiting list for afternoon tea at weekends can be several weeks, but midweek sittings are easy enough to come by. At £39 per person, it has a fancy price to match the fancy setting.

Best afternoon tea in London. Part two: Dean Street Townhouse

Both established and off-beat, Soho House’s fashionable Dean Street property serves a modern afternoon tea. The full, three-tier experience here is pleasingly priced at only £16.75 and, since it’s not listed in London city guides, same-day bookings are not out of the question.

Best afternoon tea in London. Part one: Claridges

This is part one in a series of us risking the onset of diabetes or a higher-than-recommended BMI. From The Dorchester to The Sanderson, we've scoffed their scones and drank their Darjeeling to bring you honest reviews of the best afternoon teas in London. First up: Claridges at £39 per person.  

A five-star art deco stalwart in Mayfair, Claridges is one of London's afternoon tea big guys. You'll need to book weeks and sometimes months ahead to get a table on a Saturday. If you're looking for one at short notice, Mondays are your best bet.

Coming soon: Five overseas restaurants with new outposts in London

Balthazar, WC2

15 years ago, restaurateur Keith McNally transformed a leather wholesaler’s warehouse on Spring Street into what is now one of New York’s most beloved institutions. Some say this Parisian-style brasserie is more French than its French counterparts; romancing a nightly throng of diners with buttery steak frites, fruits de mer and côte de boeuf in an ambient dining room. The demand for reservations at the mother restaurant is such that you can expect a table the size of a side plate and a coat hook in the nape of your neck, but it's worth it. Look out for the iconic red awning outside the former Museum Theatre in Covent Garden – le grand opening is expected in November.

Vintry Fine Wines - NYC's most futuristic place to buy your Sauvignon Blanc

In downtown Manhattan - just a short walk from Soho - lies a brand new designer wine store. Gleaming white, curvacious and modern, Vintry Fine Wines is the creation of Rogers Marvel Architects and is a far cry from the dusty bottles and creaking floor boards of your typical wine merchants. But that's not to say it doesn't hold the same swagger in terms of expertise and stock. In fact this store has bottles from 34 different countries, including Japan, Martinique and Bermuda.

Pop-up hits. Catch some of London's best before summer ends

Once a way for struggling artists to display their work cheaply in unused spaces, the pop-up concept has evolved over the years into a way of promoting luxury events, shops, restaurants and experiences which offer customers an exclusive, grab-it-while-you-can opportunity to experience something unique and special. Whether it's an experimental dinner in a portable glass cube, a one-of-a-kind hat, a movie on a warehouse rooftop or a luxury holiday (ahem); the appeal of the pop-up concept is that feeling of smugness you get from discovering something that's brand new and may disappear any day, the feeling of getting in there before anyone else and then spreading the word about your new find. Here are three pop-up hits to be found around London from now until September.

Alesund, Norway - home to an annual food festival with one heck of a setting

The unique town of Alesund in Norway is a thriving fishing port spread across seven islands, with a remarkable concentration of listed Art Nouveau architecture. Tall, brightly coloured houses with a backdrop of green fjords and the peaks of the Sunnmore Alps create a spectacular setting for the annual Norwegian Food Festival, which is held each August and is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe.

JK Iguatemi - luxury shopping in Sao Paulo

If you're planning a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest and most populated city, don't miss the opportunity to visit JK Iguatemi - a brand new state-of-the-art mall which has recently opened in the Vila Olímpia neighborhood.

Its exterior is asymmetrical with two shimmering glass towers jutting out of a sleek white base. Inside you'll find a bright open plan design with soaring ceilings and a healthy scattering of designer boutiques including Gucci, Prada and Christian Louboutin.

Five minutes with: The Treasures - hip tailor-made tours in Barcelona and Madrid

For most of us, unearthing the heart of a city is somewhat challenging. You can research all you like, but there's nothing better than an insider's perspective for seeking out all of its best kept secrets in one short stay.

This is why, when pals Carolina and Marianne (pictured below) were strolling through Barcelona one day, both musing how great it would be to have a best friend in every city to show all of its hidden addresses, best places to eat and coolest shops - a glance was exchanged, a little spark flew, a seed took root and 'The Treasures' emerged.