Where We're Eating: Our Favorite Culinary Experiences Around the Globe

From cheese hiking treks in Switzerland to a hidden whiskey bar in rural Ireland, here’s what you should experience on your next culinary adventure.

When it comes to picking a stellar restaurant or cocktail bar, it’s not only about the food or drink. Travelers are looking for experiences to remember, ones that stand out from the rest.

Over the years, we’ve increasingly seen travelers seek out the more obscure. World-class cities like New York, London, and Tokyo will always be favorites, but people are looking to break the mold a bit when planning their trips. Rather than hit up the top visited attractions in a locale, opt to dive deep into the more unique. Our editors and correspondents travel the world in search of these unforgettable drinking and dining opportunities and have rounded up some of their favorites.

In Tokyo, visitors can experience world-class cocktails at a six-seat bar tucked away in the Shinjuku district. At one of the smallest bars in the world, the experience is intimate, allowing guests to have a nearly personalized introduction to Japanese cocktails. And further south, there are more spirited cocktails to be had at the Four Seasons Osaka, where visitors can sip on a rare Japanese whisky from one of the largest collections in the country. In Ireland, there’s a hidden “whiskey library” in a former manor in the countryside where visitors can sample from the hundreds of bottles displayed in the two-floor space.

In Morocco, the Royal Mansour, known as the epitome of a grand and relaxing retreat, has just opened a second location that’s centered around hospitality and delicious food, but with a very different approach from the brand’s first hotel. And in Mexico, celebrated chef Curtis Stone has opened his newest restaurant in a luxury hotel, where the focus is on live-fire cooking.

For the more adventurous, the Tschuggen Grand Hotel offers a cheese hike where guests traverse snow-covered roads on a two-kilometer stretch of rural countryside for an outing that culminates in a wine and cheese tasting. And in New Zealand, a train will take visitors throughout the country while sampling some of the best local food and drink. On the other side of the world, in Cáceres, Spain, cloistered nuns operate a bakery out of their convent, where guests can purchase delicious cookies through a hidden window.

Whatever your interest is, from the posh to more casual, we’ve covered our favorite places worth adding to your bucket list. So the next time you’re planning a culinary journey, there’s plenty of inspiration here to explore.