I loved Edinburgh before it was cool. I spent most of my upbringing there learning to talk and developing motor skills, way before any of the wonderful establishments open today were a twinkle in Auld Reekie’s eye. Today, I work as a wine writer in London — generally regarded as the place to be for all things food and drink. However, an exciting string of new openings has propelled Edinburgh to the forefront of the UK’s hospitality scene. Some of the best wine lists I’ve seen of late have been in Auld Reekie. But it's not all about dining and drinking. It’s a historic, grey yet gorgeous city to discover year-round — not just for The Fringe. Wherever you’re reading this from, as a new generation of laptop-wielding WFHers, we have no excuse not to visit London’s goth cousin for at least a long-weekend getaway. Here are five reasons why.

Few Westerners understand ramen like ebullient New York chef Mr Ivan Orkin. After all, it was the self-confessed Japanophile and star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table who – after dedicating himself to the intricacies of the craft 20 years ago – took the bold move to launch his debut ramen restaurant not in the US but in Tokyo’s Setagaya district in 2006. It swiftly proved a success and – having wowed the Japanese crowd – his Ivan Ramen empire later expanded to New York, establishing Orkin as a charismatic authority on all things noodles.

Ah, the Hamptons, that bucolic, beachy paradise on the east end of Long Island where posh New Yorkers decamp in search of surf, sunshine and fresh air. Dotted with villages and hamlets, each of which has its own character, this 118-mile stretch of sand and farmland has long been home (or second, third or fourth home) to some of style’s most enduring icons, including Mr Truman Capote, who entertained society ladies over in Sagaponack; Mr Ralph and Ms Ricky Lauren, who luxuriate on Further Lane in East Hampton [chk Montauk?]; and Mr Andy Warhol, who hosted the Rolling Stones at his clifftop estate in Montauk.

Landing into Cancún airport in 2022 is a bit like queuing for a nightclub. The pulse of dance music that hits you as you go through Arrivals, not to mention the throng of scantily clad people milling around outside with the taxi drivers, is presumably an amuse-bouche to what will, for most visitors, set the tone for the rest of their holiday. Tourists – the women invariably in leggings and crop tops and the men in muscle tees – are funnelled straight from baggage collection to Coco Bongo like a line of wobbly ants that have been dipped in mezcal.

I loved Edinburgh before it was cool. I spent most of my upbringing there learning to talk and developing motor skills, way before any of the wonderful establishments open today were a twinkle in Auld Reekie’s eye. Today, I work as a wine writer in London — generally regarded as the place to be for all things food and drink. However, an exciting string of new openings has propelled Edinburgh to the forefront of the UK’s hospitality scene. Some of the best wine lists I’ve seen of late have been in Auld Reekie. But it's not all about dining and drinking. It’s a historic, grey yet gorgeous city to discover year-round — not just for The Fringe. Wherever you’re reading this from, as a new generation of laptop-wielding WFHers, we have no excuse not to visit London’s goth cousin for at least a long-weekend getaway. Here are five reasons why.

Few Westerners understand ramen like ebullient New York chef Mr Ivan Orkin. After all, it was the self-confessed Japanophile and star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table who – after dedicating himself to the intricacies of the craft 20 years ago – took the bold move to launch his debut ramen restaurant not in the US but in Tokyo’s Setagaya district in 2006. It swiftly proved a success and – having wowed the Japanese crowd – his Ivan Ramen empire later expanded to New York, establishing Orkin as a charismatic authority on all things noodles.