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NIGHT+DAY Ins and Outs (IOs)

Whether you are keeping a dogeared Night+Day guide as your bible to exploring a city, or just relying on NightandDayGuides.com, you’re in the right place for the latest and greatest happenings. Herewith are hotels, restaurants, nightlife, and attractions that have been open long enough to be tested and earn our recommendation.

June’s Top 5 New Recommendations

AMSTERDAM • SPA ZUIVER • Spa
Time spent at the Spa Zuiver (the Dutch word for “pure”) is a refreshing and relaxing self-investment. Upon entrance, guests are greeted with the vast spaciousness and sense of serenity that many spas promise but few actually deliver. The architecture is brilliantly modern and perfectly compliments the magnificent pool, beautiful garden, and outdoor spa. Services range from kayotima shiatsu massages to full-body vegetable wraps. The restaurant serves wonderful French-influenced cuisine and the wellness bar makes fresh smoothies and juices. For those looking to extend their retreat from hectic city life into an overnight stay, the Spa Zuiver is also a hotel with rooms that pamper just as effectively as the spa services. Spa 10am–midnight. Kitchen 10am–10pm.
€€ Koenenkade 8 (Amstelveenseweg), 020.301.0710
spazuiver.nl

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ATHENS • PHILLIP CHAMPAGNE BAR • Bar
Located in a renovated Athenian house in a working-class downtown neighborhood, Phillip draws hip late–20-somethings and 30-somethings with exceptional champagne cocktails. Bartender Lefteris proposes concoctions made with Dourdon Vieillard cuvée traditionelle brut Champagne, imported directly from France. The Baroque main room is filled with Art Deco elements and contrasting heavy red Viennese curtains, while the bar offers a view of the largest aquarium in town. Cool lounge music sets the scene on Wednesdays; jazz and soul sounds dominate on Thursdays. Weather permitting, the rooftop garden is the perfect spot to mingle. Weekends bring DJ KG with house music, ‘90s, and the hits of the season, so reserve a table unless you prefer to circulate. Wed–Sat 9pm–4am, Sun 9pm–midnight.
3 Tompazi 4 (Psirri), 213.032.5624
philipp-bar.com

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LONDON • GALVIN LA CHAPELLE • Restaurant
The Michelin-starred celebrity status of the Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff, sets the tone at this chapel-like restaurant, where staff offer well-choreographed but slightly serious service. To create La Chapelle’s atmospheric interior, the brothers transformed St. Botolph’s Hall in Spital Square into a vaulted space featuring a mezzanine-level gallery, where groups of up to 12 diners can peer down at the main restaurant. The menu is essentially French, with nods to other cuisines, such as cannelloni of creamy ricotta with pine nuts and Parmesan, one of the simpler choices (there ’s also a lovely North African tagine of squab pigeon with harissa sauce). Desserts are huge, so be sure to leave space for delights such as the rum baba crème Chantilly or the champagne-poached Yorkshire rhubarb sorbet.
Mon–Sun noon–2:30pm, Mon–Sat 6–10:30pm, Sun 6–9.30pm.
££ 35 Spital Sq., E1 (Liverpool St.), 020.7299.0400
galvinrestaurants.com

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PARIS • LE METROPOLITAN • Trendy Hotel (48 rms)
Designer François Champsaur must have been dreaming of Coco Chanel when he planned this exquisite boutique hotel’s black-and-cream interiors, which pay homage to the purity of Art Deco and the nearby Trocadèro. The narrow entrance to the flatiron-type building opens up into surprising volume, with a monumental fireplace stealing the focus of its double-height reception area. Guests and staff alike seem dressed to match in the Parisian uniform of charcoal gray, black, and white. Brushed brass tabletops in the restaurant, a glass temperature-controlled wine cave, and original art from the owner’s personal collection unfold on the ground floor, while the first floor contains an intimate cocktail bar in International Klein Blue. The biggest surprise is that this hidden square enjoys a perspective that slices through Paris to the Eiffel Tower, best savored through the huge oval window of the sixth-floor suite. Best choices for non-suite rooms are those on either side of the front façade, such as 417, where the balcony offers a glimpse of the monument. All rooms feature tropical hardwood and fine marble bathrooms. Below ground is a sublime pool and hammam, exclusive to guests.
€€€ 10 pl. de Mexico (Mº Trocadéro), 01.56.90.40.04
radissonblu.com

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SYDNEY • RAVÁL • Lounge
Above Sydney’s historic Macquarie Hotel—newly reopened as the Econo Lodge—Ravál has quickly become a firm favorite in Sydney’s live entertainment scene. Inspired by its infamous namesake, Barcelona’s cabaret-filled red-light district, this intimate cocktail lounge features everything from cabaret and burlesque to theater, smooth jazz, and comedy. Tipping its hat to the 1930s speakeasy vibe, Ravál features a gorgeous Art Deco interior, sumptuous upholstered furniture, subdued lighting, and killer cocktails. For the peckish, traditional pub fare is served, melded with exotic flavors, while pale ale fans have a choice of eight award-winning beers from the in-house microbrewery.
Mon–Thu 11am–4am, Fri–Sat 11am–6am, Sun 11am–midnight.
42 Wentworth Ave. (Goulburn St.), 02.8262.8800
raval.com.au

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