Latest News – Page 16

Four Seasons Private Residences to open in Istanbul

November 22, 2023 No Comments

Four Seasons Private Residences Istanbul is a new project featuring 82 homes comprised of penthouses, a sky loft, garden suites and apartment residences that will welcome residents in 2024.

Located at the meeting point of the Ulus, Etiler and Levent neighbourhoods, Four Seasons Private Residences Istanbul will be located next to the city’s best upscale shopping districts, renowned culinary destinations and dynamic entertainment options.

About Four Seasons Private Residences Istanbul

The new Private Residences will feature a modern, yet classic design. Spread across four blocks, Four Seasons Private Residences Istanbul will offer an array of floor plans, each complete with premium finishes, open concept living spaces, and intelligent building design.

Along with elevated and elegant design throughout, the residences will also feature electric vehicle charging stations, 24-hour surveillance, noise-cancelling technology and insulation, under-floor heating and environmentally friendly VRF air conditioning.

Onsite amenities exclusive to Four Seasons residents will include a kids play room and young adults room; indoor swimming pool with an outdoor garden deck; multi-purpose room perfect for meetings, events and entertaining; and a private cinema.

Wellness amenities will provide residents with rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, including a sauna and steam room, spa facilities for private treatments, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, private yoga and Pilates room, and golf simulator suite.

Bahamas bound: life on the island beyond swimming with the pigs

November 20, 2023 No Comments

It’s my first day in Grand Bahama — the northernmost island of the Bahamas archipelago — and I’m already ignoring the age-old advice not to be lured into a complete stranger’s house.

Tempted by the promise of a home-cooked meal, I’m here to meet Colette Williams, a host with the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism’s People-to-People program, which is all about pairing travellers with a local ambassador for an authentic Bahamian experience.

“I think that’s what I was made to do — just to welcome people to our sun, sand and sea,” said Williams, who has been a host with the program for 19 years.

“I love people. I feel that if I can make one person have a memorable experience of the Bahamas, I would not have lived in vain, so my goal is to make sure everyone has a memorable experience of my home and to share the authentic experience of Grand Bahamian hospitality.”

Bringing authenticity back

In her backyard, Williams proceeds to set up an elaborate spread of stewed chicken, steamed fish, peas and rice, warm potato salad, baked macaroni and cheese and homemade iced tea. Today’s batch is infused with hibiscus. A yellow tablecloth spread across the dining table echoing the words Bahamas matches her blue dress, which also has the words Bahamas printed all over it.

Williams, who formerly worked in the hotel industry, said tourists rarely get a chance to see how Bahamians live.

“You can drive around the tourist route and never even see a house,” she said, noting that she enjoys sharing authentic Bahamian dishes with visitors. “When you get food in a hotel, it isn’t as authentic as home cooking. There’s no cooking like home cooking. You put a face to the food, there’s a story behind it.”

The immersive program pairs interested travellers with locally-vetted ambassadors who are matched based on various interests.

“It’s a program that’s been in place for more than 40 years,” Latia Duncombe, Director General of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, told Offshore. “It’s a day in the life of a Bahamian. You’re moving away from the commercial, touristic components and you’re getting immersed into culture — whatever the local does is what the visitor does. It is true culture; it’s who we are as a people. It’s being prepared to share that authentic element of being a Bahamian, something you can’t find anywhere else in the world.”

Connecting with locals

Thirteen kilometres off the shore of Grand Bahama, I’ve connected with another Bahamian resident who is just as passionate about the destination and sharing his knowledge.

Although the Bahamas is known around the world as the place where tourists can come to swim with pigs, I’m here for a different kind of wild encounter — to meet the man known as the pied piper of stingrays.

From the moment Keith Cooper of West End Ecology Tours steps off the boat at Sandy Cay, a dozen stingrays with names like Stubby, Hard Wire, Lunatic, Scratch, Big Momma and Little Momma, instinctively swarm him.

“They’re touching my leg with their sensors because they know who I am, they remember who I am and because of the special bond I have with them. They trust me as much as I trust them,” he said, adding that stingrays often get a bad rep for being dangerous. “More than 9,000 visitors have participated in the Stingray Experience Tour and no one has ever been stung by a stingray… when the protocols are followed, guests will have one of the most unique encounters with marine life they have ever experienced.”

Before launching West End Ecology Tours, Cooper stumbled upon the stingrays by accident during a fishing expedition in 2006. “During the stopover, I discarded unused fishing bait over the side of the boat and within minutes the boat was surrounded by 15 stingrays feeding off the bottom of the shallow water where the boat was anchored at the beach,” he explained.

Since then, he’s returned to the spot to study the stingrays. In 2009, Cooper turned it into a business that now offers multiple tours, including snorkelling trips to underwater boat wrecks and reef fishing experiences. The Stingray Experience Tour remains his best-selling excursion.

According to Cooper, stingrays can display sentient behaviour and will show off their unique personalities. “There are two alpha female stingrays that dominate the fever. Big Momma is the most dominant member of the group and often displays her displeasure when too many rays come near me during the introduction and demonstration phase of the tour,” he said, noting she’ll use a decoy tactic to draw the other stingrays away so that she can consume the fish provided during the demonstration phase.

Another stingray, Hugger, got its name from the “hugs” she gives Cooper upon approach. “Guests watching from the boat are awestruck when they observe Hugger sitting in my lap, waiting patiently to receive a fish,” he said.

It’s Junkanoo time

On Nassau, New Providence, where major resorts like Atlantis, Goldwynn Resort & Residences, Sandals Royal Bahamian and Baha Mar are located, Arlene Nash Ferguson has made it her life’s mission to showcase the longstanding Bahamian celebration known as Junkanoo.

Based in her childhood home, the Educulture Junkanoo Museum is lined with colourful displays and costumes displaying the evolution of the cultural affair. A former British colony from 1629 to 1973, in the Bahamas, Junkanoo began roughly 200 years ago, when members of the African diaspora, including enslaved Bahamians, were granted three days to observe Christmas.

“They said, ‘let’s use these precious three days to recreate our festivals from home. It’s time to renew the spirit and just in case anybody tries to stop us, we will wait until the night and off we go,’” said Nash Ferguson, who has been taking part in Junkanoo since she was four years old.

Although the residents of the time were mixed by culture, she said the festivals wound up sharing several things in common, including instruments like goatskin drums, bells and elaborate costumes. “When you covered your face, it symbolized the presence of our ancestors,” Nash Ferguson said. “In these isolated islands, leaves, feathers, shells, seaweed, anything Indigenous becomes your decoration.”

Nash Ferguson shared that costumes continue to be made from paper as an original sign of defiance because in the time of slavery on the islands “by law people were not permitted to learn to read and write.” More than just a tradition, she said Bahamians are passionate about Junkanoo and work on their costumes all year long in their spare time once the theme for the following year’s festival is announced. Typically, the costumes are made using a cardboard base that’s covered in layers of tissue paper and often include elaborate headpieces.

“Two hundred years ago in the dark of the night at Christmas time, Bahamians said ‘Man, we survived, let’s celebrate life’ and they told their children never to forget,” she explained. “And ladies and gentlemen, right up to Christmas gone, we who are their children, we continue to do it. Today, we call it the Junkanoo festival — at 10 o’clock Christmas night we shut down Bay Street, hit the road dancing, still to the music of drums and bells.”

After outfitting my small group of travel companions with cowbells, whistles and drums, Nash Ferguson led us into a practice run of a Junkanoo simulation.

“The costumes are magnificent; we have worked months on them and we can’t wait to get out there to show them off. We’re going to out music and out dance every other group because we are going to win,” she said, before blowing her whistle loudly. “Line up, everybody ready? Who we is? Junkanoo! Bark like a dog. Woof, woof.”

The end result is a far cry from the organized rhythm of an actual parade, but we give it our all, joining in with off-beat drumming and what could only be described as tone deaf whistling. What we lack in musical ability, we make up in spirit and effort.

This story first appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of OFFSHORE. To read the full version, click here.

Five trends upscale travellers are embracing for 2024

November 17, 2023 No Comments

Global travel agency network Virtuoso says that its clients are prioritizing travel, despite inflation and global unrest. They remain insatiably curious and willing to pay for new experiences.

These findings come from the company’s 2024 Virtuoso Luxe Report, which included input from 2,000 travel advisors who shared their extensive knowledge, professional experience and client requests to offer insight into 2024’s top trends.

Five luxury travel trends

The Luxe Report identified five key trends upscale globetrotters are embracing in 2024.

New places

While preference for European favorites remains, the desire to visit dream destinations, under-the-radar locations or the drive to be “first” to a destination, has luxury travellers increasingly intrigued by the unexplored. The cultural richness of reemerging travel must-sees such as Japan offer unique itineraries for those seeking a departure from the norm.

Time to celebrate

Post-pandemic festivities continue with celebration travel making the list of top trends for 2024. Travellers are committed to sharing life’s most important moments with loved ones – travel with immediate family and multigenerational travel are also among the top trends.

Respecting the plant

Travellers are hyper-aware of the fragility of the world. Virtuoso advisors say clients are pushing geographical boundaries to witness nature in its pristine form for fear it will diminish or become inaccessible.

Greece, Morocco and Hawaii are also top-of-mind for travelers who want to support destinations recently impacted by disaster while remaining respectful of their recovery.

Small ship cruising

Favouring less-crowded, more intimate settings, small-vessel cruising is on the rise. River cruises remain popular for the casual atmosphere, proximity to major cities and wide-ranging itineraries.

Popular routes include the Danube River, Mekong River and the Nile. Adventure cruising is also trending due to increased accessibility to places like Antarctica, 2024’s leading adventure destination. And yacht charters are on the rise, offering privacy, flexibility and a customized experience.

Custom comfort

Increased demand for custom trips made easy, from exclusive-use experiences to booking half days at hotels to fit their needs, has today’s traveller maximizing comfort. Their desire to leave nothing to chance has increased motivation for using a professional travel advisor to simplify bookings and enhance the overall experience.

On a trip to Coastal Mississippi, explore 100KM of the best seafood

November 15, 2023 No Comments

Indulge your senses and embark on a delectable journey along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where culinary creativity meets coastal, southern charm.

From sizzling grills featuring unique seafood combinations to the elegant ambiance of fine dining establishments, Coastal Mississippi has become an epicenter of delight. Across the three vibrant counties along the coast of Mississippi, culinary masters blend local flavors with international flair – creating a symphony of tastes that reflect the region’s distinctive style.

“Across our 62-miles of shorelines, there are many culinary gems including flavors from around the world,” said Judy Young, CEO of Coastal Mississippi Tourism. “From fresh-caught seafood to international cuisine and southern favourites, visitors have an array of options to choose from.”

World class seafood

Nestled on the serene banks of the Jourdan River, Jourdan River Steamer offers an enchanting dining experience, combining vintage elegance with contemporary culinary artistry.

With its panoramic views of the river, guests can indulge in a menu featuring fresh Gulf Coast seafood and other culinary delights, such as Royal Red Shrimp, Snow Crab and more.

Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine portrays culinary excellence on the Gulf Coast, offering a remarkable dining experience that seamlessly blends coastal charm with gourmet innovation. Located in Pass Christian, this restaurant boasts a menu brimming with locally sourced seafood, featuring fresh catch escabeche, pecan crusted mangrove snapper, seared Tuna, and more – all capturing the region’s rich culinary heritage.

Southern favourites

Inside a beautiful replica of an 1820s style historic home featuring salvaged bricks and a grand central chimney, The Chimney’s Restaurant in Gulfport is known for its fresh seafood & steak dinners.

Travellers can gaze upon the lush greenery, majestic oaks, and Gulfport waterfront – all while enjoying an extensive menu of southern comfort favorites and chef specialties.

In Bay St. Louis, travellers can visit The Sycamore House, a pair of 19th-century Acadian cottages on the National Register of Historic Places, for delectable dinner, brunch, and dessert options. Chef’s Stella LeGardeur and Michael Eastham have curated a menu to tempt every guest with dishes like their savory crab meat and mushroom cheesecake.

To plan your perfect Coastal Mississippi culinary escape,
visit coastalmississippi.com to learn more.

These are our best 7 gifts for travellers this year

November 13, 2023 No Comments

From stocking stuffers to thoughtful statement pieces, here are our top picks for gift giving this holiday season.

Life of the party

Throw the perfect holiday party with a little help from Eataly. Stuffed with high-quality ingredients like balsamic vinegar of Modena, essentials for cooking a restaurant-worthy risotto, decadent chocolate truffles and of course, a traditional panettone, the Entertaining All’Italiana gift box is the perfect present for the hostess with the mostest. — $189.90, shoptoronto.eataly.ca/

Messenger muse

For travellers on the go, Espe’s River messenger bag is a stylish solution. Female-owned and designed in Canada, all of Espe’s vegan leather pieces retail for under $100. The River messenger bag is available in black or tan and is outfitted with antique bronze hardware. Decked out with plenty of pockets and zipper closures, plus an adjustable shoulder strap, this unisex bag provides plenty of storage for securing your valuables while adding a smart and practical look to any outfit.

— $98, espe.ca

Winter wedge

Cougar’s Villa boot is a super lightweight, easy-to-wear wedge. The boot is available in four beautiful shades in sizes six through 11: cream, almond, cognac and black. Always waterproof, the boots will keep your feet snug up to -24 C, making them an ideal choice for both fall and winter. The polar plush lining ensures your feet stay dry and warm, while an anti-slip rubber outsole provides protection against wet or icy conditions.

— $200, cougarshoes.ca

Believe in Miracle

Sick of compromising on your skincare routine while on vacation because of size restrictions? This customized collection contains a four-week supply of five essential skincare products (cleanser, serum, toner, day cream and night cream) in 15 and 30mL containers. All of Miracle 10’s products are fragrance-free, paraben-free, not tested on animals and are made in Canada. Perfect for frequent jetsetters or for those simply looking to try out a new line, these collections conform to airline carry-on regulations and fit neatly into your purse or luggage.

— $145, miracle10.com

Suit up

Look smart season to season. Perfect to pair with pants or layered on top of a dress, the Veronica Beard Dickey Jacket is a versatile wardrobe staple for any occasion. Available in sizes 00 to 24, the jacket comes in black or navy with gold or silver statement buttons. Made of a cotton and polyester blend, the relaxed fit allows for comfort and flexibility, while the shoulder pads add a touch of drama.

—$780, veronicabeard.com

Sweet dreams

After a long day of travel, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. Henrie is a new, Vancouver-based, female-founded luxury pillow brand. Their signature adjustable pillow is filled with a blend of chopped memory foam and premium kapok, a natural fluffy fibre. Suitable for all bodies and sleeping positions, the Henrie pillow also features a removable, organic 450 thread count cotton outer cover that’s machine washable and each pillow comes with a storage bag to keep any excess pillow filling.

— $199, henrie.com

Set the table

Come home to a good meal — and dine in style! Meticulously crafted in Portugal, the charcoal grey dinnerware set by Canadian cookware company, Kilne, is a beautiful, 16-piece addition to your kitchen. Handmade of recycled clay, each piece is slightly imperfect, giving off a rustic chic feel. Dishwasher safe, each plate and bowl is also oven-safe up to 250°C and freezer safe down to -20°C.

— $326, kilne.com

Jetsetter java

Pilot Coffee Roasters’ holiday gift set is the perfect stocking stuffer for coffee-loving travellers—and let’s face it, most of us are! The set includes a 300 gram bag of their signature holiday blend roast (cranberry, cinnamon and chocolate notes) as well as a one-of-a-kind ceramic cup in collaboration with Paule Vezina, who runs a local artisanal ceramics studio, Poterie Vez, in Quebec.

— $60, pilotcoffeeroasters.com

This cruise line is now offering 22-day trips in South America

November 10, 2023 No Comments

Bookings are now open for Holland America Line’s 2025-2026 South America and Antarctica season.

Featuring a series of longer cruises up to 22 days, guests can experience the region’s captivating blend of diverse cultures, breathtaking natural landscapes and rich historical heritage — including 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

From November 2025 through March 2026, Oosterdam cruises between San Antonio (Santiago), Chile, and either Buenos Aires, Argentina, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Iconic sites

The itineraries offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for travellers, showcasing the iconic sites of South America like Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu and Torres del Paine National Park, along with Antarctica’s memorable scenery and wildlife.

Holland America Line 2025–2026 South America cruises visit 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, including major tourism attractions like the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu.

Authentic experiences

On South America and Antarctic cruises, Holland America Line brings local flavors on board. Guests enjoy fresh, locally sourced specialties such as Chilean salmon, stuffed empanadas, and world-renowned wines including Malbec, Carménère, Torrontés and more.

On immersive shore excursions, guests can visit an indigenous Emberá tribe, meet a real Chilean huaso (cowboy), learn to craft a traditional Panama hat or enjoy an intimate dinner at an Argentine “closed-door restaurant.”

For more information, visit hollandamerica.com.

Luxury market to hit €1.5 trillion in 2023—and travel is a big factor

November 8, 2023 No Comments

The global luxury market is projected to reach €1.5 trillion in 2023, an 8-10 per cent growth over 2022, setting a new record for the industry and proving its unparalleled resilience.

These are among the findings of the latest Bain & Company report with Altagamma, the Italian luxury goods manufacturers’ industry association. Spending on experiences, particularly, recovered to historic highs, fueled by a resurgence in social interactions and travel.

Despite challenging macroeconomic conditions, the market registered robust growth of 11-13%, at constant exchange rates. This is consistent with last year’s growth rate and translates to a ~€160 billion increment in spending across luxury categories.

Amid pronounced geopolitical and macroeconomic shifts, the luxury market has proven unparalleled resilience this year. The key segment, personal luxury goods, has experienced continued growth in 2023 and is projected to reach €362 billion by end of year, 4 per cent higher than 2022 at current exchange rates.

European tourism rebounds

The study shows global luxury tourist purchases have nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, with untapped potential remaining in many areas.

Europe has enjoyed a progressive pickup in tourism, driving growth across countries, with long-haul resort locations attracting high spenders alongside key luxury cities. Even if local aspirational customers were impacted by macroeconomic instability, stable top-customer pools maintained positive momentum contributing to market growth.

American tourism dwindles

Alternatively, the Americas have seen a deceleration throughout the year, posting an eight per cent drop from 2022, as widespread uncertainty continues to impact aspirational customers’ spending.

Top customers remain confident but have maintained their spending abroad, as the US dollar remains strong against the Euro and price differentials favor oversea purchases.

Other regional trends

Saudi Arabia is accelerating, attracting investments of major luxury brands; and Australia has provided fertile ground for growth.

Mainland China posted a strong performance after its first quarter reopening but slowed progressively as new macroeconomic topics arose. Hainan is poised to grow as a bright luxury hub, set to become an entire duty-free island by 2025.

Japan is booming, thanks to sound local customers and the weak Yen, favoring touristic inflows. Conversely, South Korea is facing a challenging year, with unfavorable macroeconomic headwinds impacting local consumption and strong currency leading tourists to buy elsewhere.

Southeast Asian countries experienced positive momentum, thanks to strong intraregional tourism and growing interest from local consumers, especially in Thailand.

Four Seasons is opening a second luxury hotel in China

November 6, 2023 No Comments

The bustling downtown core of Hangzhou, China, will soon welcome a Four Seasons hotel as part of the highly anticipated Hangzhou Centre mixed-use development project.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre will offer a luxury hospitality experience inspired by the timeless elegance of the city’s natural landscape. Characterized by Hangzhou’s islands, historic temples, expansive parkland, freshwater lakes and rolling hills, the hotel will provide a peaceful contrast to the city’s busy downtown district. The 150,000 square metre (1.6M square foot) complex consists of two 130 metre (426 feet) towers and 8,500 square metres (91,493 square feet) of vibrant outdoor green space throughout.

About Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou

The new hotel features 214 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites with river and West Lake views ranging from 54 to 300 square metres (581 to 3,229 square feet).

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre will feature an array of restaurant, lounge and event spaces. With panoramic city views, the culinary offerings will include a signature Chinese restaurant with five private dining rooms; a glamorous rooftop bar with gardens to enjoy whiskey and artfully crafted beverages; a garden tea pavilion for serene afternoon refreshments and an all-day dining outlet featuring a globally inspired menu with an interactive hot pot experience with live stations for seafood, butchery and snacks.

our Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre will be joining the existing Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake as well as a growing collection of properties throughout China including the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel Dalian, Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou and Four Seasons Hotel Xi’an.

These are Canada’s top 10 best new restaurants

November 3, 2023 No Comments

The 2023 Canada’s Best New Restaurants Top 10 were recently unveiled by Air Canada, with Toronto restaurant Kappo Sato taking the coveted top spot.

Led by chef Takeshi Sato, Kappo Soto is a Kappo-style Omakase restaurant where the tasting menu is prepared entirely in front of guests. In second place, the lavish steakhouse Wild Blue elevates fine dining in the mountain ski town of Whistler through its prime selection of meat and seafood. This year’s third-place winner, Marilena Café and Raw Bar, serves upscale seafood in a relaxed environment in Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2023 highlights the top restaurants that have opened across the country between late spring 2022 and May 31, 2023, and deliver exceptional experiences through the quality of their food, level of service and commitment to culinary creativity.

It is the only cross-country restaurant ranking to use a single, anonymous reviewer, and now in its 22^nd year it is also the longest running. From the culinary vision and quality of ingredients on the menu to the team spirit that surrounds it, every element factored into an equation to determine the Top 10 list.

About the top 10 restaurants

The Top 10 were selected by food critic and author of Canada’s Best New Cookbook, Amy Rosen, who returns to the program having been the program’s first anonymous writer from 2002-2003.

Over the course of a secret month-long cross-Canada journey, Amy dined anonymously at more than 30 establishments that were nominated by a panel of food industry experts.

Here is the complete list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2023:

Kappo Sato (Toronto, ON): Chef-owner Takeshi Sato, who worked at Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Ukai, conducts a two-and-a-half-hour kappo omakase in a tranquil room, where a tasting menu is prepared entirely in front of guests sitting comfortably wrapped around a smooth wooden counter.
Wild Blue (Whistler, BC): The luxurious steakhouse Wild Blue has elevated fine dining in the resort town Whistler. Highlights from Chefs Alex Chen and Derek Bendig include a tender pink ribeye, served with the ocean-deep umami of yakiniku sauce, and buttery pommes purées.
Marilena Café and Raw Bar (Victoria, BC): Chef Kristian Eligh and his team provide a new form of Vancouver Island hospitality that is upscale yet assertively unstuffy. Negroni’s on tap mix well with the Victoria restaurant’s seafood towers, plush pea agnolotti tossed with truffle butter, and ceviche mixto with pomegranate seeds.
Rizzo’s House of Parm (Fort Erie, ON): Chef Matty Matheson’s hometown of Fort Erie is host to his newest restaurant. Hefty mozzarella sticks with a fresh marinara dipper are a must for the table before enjoying the name-sake saucy, cheesy, and broiled Parms, available in chicken, eggplant or veal.
Petit Socco (Winnipeg, MB): The intimate restaurant has 10 seats, an open kitchen and only two employees; co-owners and life partners Adam Donnelly and Courtney Molaro. The four-course dinner includes tempura shishito peppers coated in house berbere- spiced mayo sprinkled with sesame seeds and a giant tostada for two piled high with chopped poached prawns, sushi-grade tuna, Salvadoran curtido and avocado crema.
Bonheur D’Occasion (Montreal, QC): Chef-owner Philippe Gauthier creates one of the most generous meals of the year with a level of hospitality best described as kindness. One of the most beloved dishes is the mille feuille by pastry chef Victor Adnet made with phyllo dough, deeply caramelized with maple sugar and layered with gently whipped clover cream.
Folke (Vancouver, BC): In the hands of co-owner and chef Colin Uyeda, Folke’s vegan food is for anyone who enjoys gorgeous, inventive and extremely delicious food that happens to be plant-based. Co-owner and pastry chef Pricilla Deo bakes a magnificent chocolate cake, layered with mousse, strawberry gelée, Earl Grey custard and fudge crunch.
Le Molière par Mousso (Montreal, QC): Chefs Antonin Mousseau-Rivard, Daniel Vézina and Samuel Sauvé-Lamothe bring the classic brasserie to life in a soaring new Quartier Latin space. Stay for dessert and order the doré meunière that usually is pan-fried in browned butter with hazelnuts and lemon, but here, uplifted with siphon sauce.
Espace Old Mill (Stanbridge East, QC): Jean-Martin Fortier’s inn and restaurant in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, provides visitors the most pleasant of countryside experiences. Guests will enjoy Chef Éric Gendron’s hand-chopped Legacy Speckle Park beef with sweet peppers and nasturtiums from just outside the window.
Darlings (Bloomfield, ON): Jesse Fader left Toronto for Prince Edward County, where he has opened this upscale pizza restaurant in Bloomfield. Dishes worth visiting include the fresh-made Stracciatella made by Fader, which is suggested as a dipping sauce, and slices of sugar pie served in crimson County cherries.

The full Top 10 list is featured in the November issue of Air Canada enRoute magazine and online at CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com.

Canadian airline adds summer flights to Stockholm

November 1, 2023 No Comments

Air Canada is expanding its presence in Scandinavia with new summer seasonal flights to Stockholm.

Three weekly flights from Montreal and two weekly flights from Toronto will begin June 12, 2024. The airline will also be increasing capacity on its year-round Copenhagen flights from Toronto with daily flights beginning May 1, 2024 until Oct. 31, and will resume seasonal flights from Montreal earlier on May 2, 2024, increasing up to five weekly flights in June.

Air Canada first launched service to Scandinavia in 2010 with flights from Toronto to Copenhagen. In 2023, the airline expanded its presence in Copenhagen with the addition of new flights from Montreal to Copenhagen.

Air Canada plans to operate 100 per cent of its peak summer 2019 trans-Atlantic capacity next year, taking full advantage of the robust recovery in its largest international market.

Flights will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft featuring three cabins of service for customers to choose from, including Signature Class with lie-flat seats, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

Seats are available for purchase now at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres, and travel agents.