Island life
Grain de Sel, Eden Rock, Sun Valley ski houses, Le Jardin de Verre by Locke, anticipated new restaurants, best Comporta spots, MORE
GETAWAYS • The Caribbean
St. Barths, revisited
On our first day back in St. Barths, my wife, Yaz, stopped to visit an old friend, an island hairdresser, Bruno. I drifted off when they began to gossip in French. His big takeaway: “They want to turn it into St. Tropez,” he warned.
Travel alert: Those foreboding words can be code for the demise of a beloved destination.
Over the next 24 hours, we scouted for signs of the end but came up empty-handed. The island’s beauty, French hospitality, and authentic island vibe still outweigh any evidence that this French collective is giving way to a Eurotrash, electronic-music listening, mid-rise-condo occupying scene.
If you are up for that mood, however, you can still order a bottle and dance on a tabletop at legendary Nikki Beach and other hot St. Barths clubs and make some fun memories.
Admittedly, a new wave of visitors can sometimes camouflage the heartbeat of the island traditions. At the fabulously refurbished Eden Rock, room rates are eye-popping. During the peak week between Christmas and New Year’s, the average rate is $7,000 per night, a small price for crypto queens, nepo-babies, or M&A beneficiaries to fork over for unmatched opulence.
Our go-to sanctuary is only a few blocks away: an upgraded, high-ceiling little home designed by a local architect. Complete with chickens, turtles, and cats in the spacious yard, it’s the kind of place where you walk through the front porch straight into the kitchen. The cost? $7,000 for two weeks, including daily maid service.
We can walk to Eden Rock for the best cocktails on the island, or rent a front-line beach chair for $250. Usually, though, we prefer our plastic folding chairs, which we set up just a few feet from the Rock for free.
Despite its global fanfare, St. Barths feels intimate and unmistakably self-contained. The coastline is deeply indented and irregular, lined with more than a dozen natural harbors and coves. These bays create the island’s famous string of beaches, each with a distinct character, from wide crescent-shaped strands to small, secluded coves framed by cliffs.
Settling into a chill pattern, we pick a new beach each day, bringing our funky chairs, an umbrella, and packing a picnic — sometimes “Caribbean to Go” barbecue across from the Oasis Market, or poke bowls from Heiko’s for a day at Shell Beach. The beach crowds are mannered, sparse. I presume everyone else is at a spa or a gym, passed out, shopping, or drinking. Island life!
The island is undergoing an infrastructure makeover. Flush from a luxury villa boom, new stone walls, streets, and sidewalks are being laid with the kind of taste found in Palm Beach. Several new restaurants are popping up with generic international menus.
The old favorites include Eddy’s Ghetto (Gustavia), Maya’s (Public), Le Tamarin (Saline), Santa Fe (Lurin), and La Langouste (Flamands). Or munch on a hot dog with a pint of Kronenbourg 1664 at dive bar legend Le Select (Gustavia), an open-air garden setting with wobbly plastic chairs where locals and “yachties” hang out.
For something new and refreshing, straddling the old and the new, visit the beloved and refurbished Grain De Sel. Native Margaux Potier (above) reopened the restaurant last month with a fresh look, a new chef, and an authentic French Caribbean menu. Located near Saline Beach, where the enchanting lagoons lead to the sea, Portier created something special. It’s difficult to believe it’s her first restaurant — and proof that the magic of St. Barths endures. –Brad Inman
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three for-sale properties in Sun Valley, Idaho.
→ 101 Blue Grouse Rd (Sun Valley, above) • 4BR/5.1BA, 4759 SF house • Ask: $4.5M • modernist in Elkhorn Village with hot tub and sauna • Agent: Stephanie Reed, Keller Williams.
→ 194 Fairway Rd (Sun Valley) • 6BR/7BA, 4609 SF house • Ask: $7.95M • ski lodge vibes with separate 2BR guest house connected via breezeway • Agent: Evan Wyman, Compass.
→ 1 Monarch Ln (Sun Valley) • 3BR/3.1BA, 4346 SF house • Ask: $13.5M • captivating single-level modern with expansive views • Agent: Alex Higgins, Sun Valley Associates.
BARS • New York
Starry night
On the first Saturday of 2026, my wife and I figured we’d throw caution to the wind and attempt a pre-dinner drink at Stars, the new wine bar on East 12th Street from the Claud and Penny team.
After ordering two glasses, we relaxed and took in the scene. The room is tiny (450 square feet), and the lighting is, appropriately, celestial. Soft light emanates from glowing panels on the ceiling and seeps in from the street through the frosted glass windows, further enhanced by the warm glow of sconces perched on the zinc bar. It’s a perfect winter bar, the kind of place you want to settle in for a few glasses over a deep conversation.
Penny and Claud, which have brought considerable joy to the NYC dining scene over the past few years, are both described by their proprietors as wine bars, even though they are, in reality, restaurants. Stars is a wine bar that’s actually a wine bar, and it shines — dimly, softly, and promisingly. –Lockhart Steele
HOTELS • Paris
Amongst the plantes
Not far from the Sorbonne, near the Jardin des Plantes, a new hotel has emerged, quietly turning up the volume on light and space in the oldest neighborhood in Paris. The 5th arrondissement may not have been looking for a hotel this airy, but six months ago, Le Jardin de Verre by Locke arrived, and somehow, it feels right at home.
Step through the courtyard and you’ll find a nearly invisible check-in desk, a pop-up from Klin d’Oeil (whose new boutique is just across the street), and Bibie, the bright atrium restaurant full of greenery that anchors the space with calm and ease. The menu follows the market: fresh, vegetable-forward, and anchored by comforting classics like the volaille du Gâtinais, a chicken that’s full of flavor without being too rich. On the receipt, a little note reads “on est heureux ici.” It’s true, especially when there’s kombucha and an Arnold Palmer on the menu.
Upstairs, there are 145 rooms, including 37 suites, most of them apartment-style with full kitchens and the kind of breathing room Paris rarely offers. There’s a compact gym, a yoga studio (an upcoming sound bath is on the calendar), and a bar serving cocktails built on French spirits. –Sam Brenzel
AROUND FOUND • Other Notable Intel & Recs
→ RESTAURANTS 2026: To kick off the new year, FOUND revealed its most anticipated new restaurants for 2026 in New York City (both above 14th St. and below 14th St.), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and London. Much new ground to be traveled this year!
→ SAN FRANCISCO: Opened yesterday, RT Bistro is the latest restaurant from Evan and Sarah Rich, the couple behind the much-loved San Francisco restaurant Rich Table. While distinct from Rich Table’s menu in some ways — less pasta and fancy snacks, more hearty fare and French bistro twists — the DNA of the two restaurants is clearly linked. There’s a burger, formerly an off-menu item at Rich Table, featuring Parmesan cheese, bistro sauce, and dill-pickled onions, served with beef tallow fries.
→ LONDON: London’s oldest wine bar is an institution. You can practically feel every one of Gordon’s 135 years, from the ancient wax candles and cloistered corners to the old pictures and newspaper clippings adorning the walls. For denizens of the area, it’s hallowed ground, the perfect place to spend a winter’s night.
→ PARIS: After Céline Maguet and Vincent Renault created l’Agence Soif, Héloïse Arnault set out to run their Pigalle cellar Soif, la Cave à Pigalle, showering Paris and its festivals with a sharp and personal selection of natural wines. These epicureans — with an infectious, easygoing joy for life — dreamed of a place where tables could be shared. And once again, they’ve nailed it. At Marnes Bleues (above), a new wine bar opened last month in the 19th arrondissement, they’ve stripped the space back to its essentials: raw concrete, bespoke woodwork, and the 1960s-era terrazzo tiles that give the bar its name. A sublime, rotating display window opens the bar to the park and pivots into an oyster counter in the evenings.
ROUTINES • Restaurants
Select answers to the FOUND ROUTINE query, any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
→ ANGELO SATO, chef-owner, Humble Chicken (LDN): After a Saturday service, we might go out as a team for beer and food. Our favourites include Dumplings Legend and Old Town 97 – they’re still open at 1a. When I’m able to go out for dinner, I enjoy tasting menus. Palate fatigue is real for me, so I prefer smaller portions and a variety of flavours. Kitchen Table is a favourite and I’ve been many times. The service is excellent and the menu interesting.
→ STAN LEE, photographer & video producer (LA): Looking forward to eating and photographing my friend Debbie Lee’s brand new modern Korean restaurant in Highland Park called Yi Cha. This weekend I’m attending Be Bright Coffee Melrose’s 3rd birthday. They serve my favorite cold brew in town. Be Bright Coffee is run by husband and wife duo Frank and Michelle La. Frank is the 2024 U.S. Barista champion. I’ll also visit Steep LA, a tea shop in Chinatown.
→ MINH TA, product designer & co-founder, Atelier Craft (Paris): This week we went to Sobremesa, a place in the 18th where I spend a lot of time. They regularly host chefs in residence, and right now there’s a chef there named Shan Rachel, who has become a close friend. She’s staying for four months. Her cuisine is refined Chinese food, reinterpretations of classic dishes. At Sobremesa, there’s a closeness with the chefs that’s rare. I love being able to talk, to watch, to understand what’s happening — and there aren’t many places where that’s possible, where chefs are open to that kind of exposure. The space is small too, which makes it a real challenge for the chefs. That’s exciting to witness.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Delta opens its first non-airport lounge at Sphere • Free wifi rollout began this week for American Airlines, installation across fleet to be finished by spring • Soho House planning new club in rural Sonoma Valley • On the spa route in Auvergne • Are trains now the most luxurious way to travel?
ASK FOUND
First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on hotels, dining, travel). We all put our heads together (us, FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.
Two PROMPTS for which we seek your intelligence:
What’s your favorite restaurant in the world?
Which city should FOUND launch in next?
Hit reply or email found@itsfound.com with more answers or questions.
GETAWAYS • The Nines
Restaurants, Comporta, Portugal
ALMO (Comporta), laidback open-air all-day spot, natural wines, seasonal small plates, book
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to FOUND Global to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.