Lisbon legend
Pigmeu, Guana, Chez Lili, Barcelona properties, The Cottages at Little Saint, Restaurant Naides, Château Voltaire, MORE
ASK FOUND
First, select subscriber answers to our prompt, Tell us about your favorite hotel in the world, one worth booking an entire trip around:
Ett Hem in Stockholm. That hotel as home base is the reason I want to go back, soon.
Hotel Monverde in Teloẽs, Portugal. My partner and I loved with this hotel so much, it became our wedding venue. As a “wine experience” hotel in the vino verde wine region, it’s nestled in a vineyard surrounded by rolling hills of vines and just 1hr from Porto to the west; infamous Duoro Valley to the east. The quaint & charming Amarante is the closest town to the hotel, and totally worth a visit too.
What’s yours? Hit reply or email found@itsfound.com.
REAL ESTATE • Spain
Three for-sale properties in Barcelona in the 2-4M € range.
→ Quadrat d’Or (Barcelona) • 5BR/4BA, 2378 SF apartment • Ask: 2.195M € • renovated flat with contemporary style in stately building • Agent: Sotheby’s.
→ Rambla Cataluña (Barcelona, above) • 3BR/3BA, 2153 SF apartment • Ask: 2.59M € • duplex penthouse in fully renovated 1900s modernist building in the heart of the action • Agent: Max Ricart Luxury Properties.
→ Heart of Eixample (Barcelona) • 4BR/3BA, 2400 SF apartment • Ask: 3.45M € • contemporary design with original elements, in Catalan modernist building dating from 1905 • Agent: Sophie Chapier, Barnes.
GETAWAYS • The Caribbean
Slow motion
We arrived at the Beef Island airport cranky after a missed connection and were quickly whisked away on a 15-minute boat to Guana. A host of employees greeted us with cold eucalyptus-scented towels and fresh fruit punch, and immediately our travel woes were a thing of the past. My second time to the area in two years (the previous trip was on a catamaran through the British Virgin Islands), I believe the best way to experience the BVIs is by boat, but if you must remain on land, Guana is it.
The 18-room boutique hotel embodies much of what’s been stripped from Caribbean beach destinations over the last decade: bamboo rattan furniture, doors that don’t lock, staff who know you by name, rooms without TVs, and a beach bar where you can grab your own Carib as you please. It’s old-school Caribbean, as it’s meant to be.
Our room was simple, sitting atop a hill with an unobstructed view of the Atlantic from our porch. The interiors are nothing special, comfortable but lacking the bells and whistles contemporary counterparts may have (this is by design). For example, the minibar is only stocked with cold, filtered water. It seems that at Guana, you can get almost anything you want, you just have to ask. –Sylvie Florman
GETAWAYS • Normandy, France
Between sea and sky
Right by the fish market in Le Havre, Chez Lili sits almost pressed against the rhythm of the harbor. A small terrace faces the fishing boats, tucked into a corner that catches the sun just right. On bright days, the pale blue-grey façade of the building seems to dissolve into the sky itself.
In the morning, it feels like an intimate bistro terrace, perfect for a locally roasted coffee, a glass of wine, and the newspaper. Almost without noticing, it stretches into lunch, guided by a short menu: three starters, two mains, two desserts. It changes weekly, but also subtly day by day, following the chef’s mood and what’s available.
By evening, the terrace expands, spilling gently toward the canal. The light softens, the mood turns more subdued, almost tamisé. Glasses clink, a carefully chosen playlist sets the tone, and on certain nights, live concerts — soleil couchant — carry the place into something more vibrant, without ever losing its sense of ease. Inside, the space is small but immediately welcoming, the kind of place you instinctively want to settle in, to return, to build habits. –Candice Chemel
AROUND FOUND • Other Notable Intel & Recs
→ Napa Valley: Inside The Cottages at Little Saint, everything is not as it appears. Open the wardrobe and find a wallpapered wet bar. Push on the mirrored armoire and discover a secret entrance connecting rooms. No, this isn’t a page out of Alice in Wonderland — it’s a look inside the new hospitality extension from the Little Saint team next door. A quiet oasis located on a side cul-de-sac just a block off Healdsburg’s main square, it’s a private retreat adjacent to all the action. It showcases the vision of creative mastermind Ken Fulk, offering a small-scale, experiential alternative to more traditional Wine Country lodging.
→ SF: The first spot from Sons & Daughters sous chef Patrick Gabon and partner Celine Wuu, Restaurant Naides launched after they realized there were few Filipino fine dining restaurants in the region. Located in the original Sons & Daughters space on Nob Hill, the restaurant serves the only Filipino tasting menu experience in the Bay Area, incorporating European technique with the bright, pungent flavors of the Philippines.
→ Paris: Between Rue Saint Honoré and Rue De L’Opéra sits Château Voltaire, a refined 31-room hotel offering luxury hospitality without the frills. The basement houses the spa, which is booked by reservation only. Spa access is included for guests, while non-hotel visitors can reserve via phone or the hotel’s website. Encased in white stone walls, the spa feels like an ancient cistern, separate from the hustle and bustle of the city just above.
GOODS & SERVICES • Big Ticket
Select answers to the FOUND Routine query, What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
→ JARED MEISLER, co-owner, The Benjamin et al (LA): The Frame TV. Great for watching movies and really into their art collection. I also love my SunnyFit treadmill. I run on it every day and it’s very nice to my flat feet and old knees.
→ JESSY DOVER, co-founder & chief creative officer, Dagne Dover (NY): The new Dyson Air Wrap Co-anda 2x. It’s incredible. They added new barrels and improved the air technology plus the buttons are easier to use, so it gives an even better blowout than the last version. Obsessed with tools that make my life easier, and this one is at the top of my list.
→ BAPTISTE BEAUMARD, sommelier, Restaurant Daniel (NY): My recent big purchase wasn’t a material one, but an experience. I went with some friends to the last 3 Michelin star restaurant, Jungsik. And for sure, I didn’t regret it.
GETAWAYS • Portugal
Fat of the land
In Lisbon’s residential Campo de Ourique neighborhood, Pigmeu is an unfussy, compact, white-brick-and-wood restaurant rife with unicorn wines that almost always has a line. It’s also entirely focused on pork.
More than a decade ago, Pigmeu opened as a small spot known for sandwiches built from varied cuts of pork. Over time, it evolved into a destination for ingredient-driven small plates (still largely pig-centric) paired with terroir-focused, low-intervention wines.