Café Cultures

Great Book Stores and Libraries

Here is a collection of many great and exceptional book stores and libraries in Canada, U.S., Europe and around the world.

 

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Rooftop Bars and Restaurants 

One of my favourite things to do while travelling is to have a cocktail somewhere with a nice view, preferably high up, from where you can see the whole city. Here are some of the best rooftop bars and restaurants I’ve tried in the US, Canada, and Europe. If you have any tips for other nice rooftops, please let me know!

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Copenhagen Highlights

I have been living and working in Denmark for almost a year now and have been going to Copenhagen for work and for fun almost every month. I collected a few recommendations that I checked out myself, and will keep adding to this list as time goes by (as I do with all the places I revisit regularly and recommend here). Enjoy this lovely city!

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Helsinki Highlights

Last summer I got a chance to explore Helsinki and other cities, and trace all the location of  artist and writer Tove Jansson all across Finland. Even if you haven’t read any of her Moomin Troll books as a kid, you will come across Tove’s art and books everywhere you go in Finland. Don’t miss the lovely Moomin Theme Park in Naantali, close to Turku on the West coast, about a 2-hour drive from Helsinki.

 

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Kiel Highlights

Kile is a lovely norther German city – very progressive, liberal, and sustainable. It’s particularly nice in the summer when you can swim in the fjord, go to all the great beaches, and bike along the promenade. It was a great gourmet foody culture and very good restaurants and cafes.

 

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Aarhus Highlights

After moving to Denmark for work, I started exploring different Danish cities and beaches, and can report that Aarhus is my favourite city in Denmark! It reminds me of Montreal and has so many different music and art scenes, great museums, great beaches, and really great food!

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San Francisco Highlights

Exploring the West Coast, don’t miss this progressive U.S. city with great book stores, restaurants, beaches, and mountains! Here are some of the highlights organized by neighborhoods!

 

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Honolulu Highlights

Honolulu is one of the best vacation destinations in the world! It offers some of the best beaches as well as amazing restaurants and many cultural attractions on Hawaiian and American history.

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Maui Highlights

If Honolulu is like Vancouver or Seattle, Maui is more like Victoria, smaller and quieter. It has some great food, and amazing, pristine beaches with the clearest water. There is a North Shore with all the surfers and some less touristy corners here and there, and some surfer villages that are fun to explore and walk through. But need to rent a car to get around the island.

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Bellingham Highlights

Bellingham is only a 20min drive south of the border from Vancouver and is a great small city with amazing food (all local, fresh, organic) and really nice bookstores! I went for a conference at the Western Washington University for a few days and really enjoyed exploring the downtown, Fairhaven, and the university neighbourhoods. Definitely will go back again!

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Seattle Highlights

I’ve been to Seattle five or six times and each time I discover a great new place I want to return to and recommend to friends. I finally took the time to write them all down here.

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Florence Highlights

This is my second time staying in Florence for a week at a time, and this time I wanted to find the good places that most tourists don’t know about. With the help of my friend Federico and some other local recommendations, here are some of the gems that I found.

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Vienna Highlights

I spent some time in Vienna one summer working on research for a book sequel to Berliner Chic. I met different local designers, journalists, academics, and many other people in the fashion industry. I also had a chance to explore the culinary treasures, and show them off to friends who came to visit me there. Here are some of the most memorable ones.
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Berlin Highlights

Last summer I got to discover some more hidden and known treasures in Berlin, and I hope you like the recommendations (please send me your feedback). Thank you to everyone who suggested these places to me while I was there, and to everyone who came with me to discover them! I also decided to add some book stores to the list because there are so many great ones. Here are just a few that I got to hang out at the past summer.

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St. Pete Highlights

St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it has also become one of the most gourmet places for Russian and international cuisine, with the most roof-top restaurants in a European city.

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Toronto Highlights

I’ve lived in Toronto for a year when I did my Masters, and now I go there at least once a year. It is always a pleasure to visit old favorite places and discover new ones. Friends always take me to amazing places, and I thought I will share the culinary wisdom.

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Montréal Highlights

People often ask me for restaurant recommendations in Montréal. Here are some of my favorite places (in alphabetical order to avoid hierarchies). In selecting these places, I have a very basic but stern selection criteria. I have been to all of these places multiple times and had a great experience every time. I will be updating this list every time I discover a new favorite, so please feel free to check back, leave comments, and let me know about your favorites!
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Vancouver Highlights

I come to Vancouver at least once or twice a year, and love to try out new cafés, pubs, and restos, or go back to old favorites. Vancouver has some of the best pubs and breweries. And lots of outdoor patios and terraces in the summer. Here are some of the best I’ve found so far. It is primarily limited to the downtown areas, but I will try to branch out in the future.

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Victoria Highlights

I’ve lived in Victoria for over 15 years and know its café and food culture quite well. I come back once or twice a year, and I am always pleasantly surprised by new quality food places and coffee shops. Of course there are also the good old favorites, like Spinnakers that never lose their charm. Here are some of my recommendations.