Five European cities for a weekend for two
Some cities are best seen alone. These five are best seen together, with a hotel worth the journey, a table with a view and a bar for the last drink.
Rome
Stay at the Hotel de Russie, between the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, and take your aperitivo at the Stravinskij Bar in its terraced secret garden. Dine at Imàgo, on the sixth floor of the Hassler, with Rome's domes at the window.
Florence
The Four Seasons Firenze is two Renaissance palazzi in the largest private garden in the city. Dine on the terrace of Borgo San Jacopo over the Arno, near the Ponte Vecchio, and end at Locale, in the vaulted rooms of a medieval palazzo.
Vienna
Stay at the Hotel Sacher, opposite the State Opera, and order the original Sacher-Torte. Dine at Steirereck, a glass-walled room on the edge of the Stadtpark, and finish in the tiny onyx and mahogany Loos American Bar.
Lisbon
The Four Seasons Ritz stands above the Eduardo VII Park. Take the lift to Fifty Seconds at the top of the Vasco da Gama Tower for dinner over the Tagus, or stay in Chiado for Belcanto.
Istanbul
The Çırağan Palace is an Ottoman imperial palace on the Bosphorus with an infinity pool at the water's edge. For a story, stay at the Pera Palace, built for passengers of the Orient Express. Dine on the terrace at Mikla.
The addresses
- Hotel de Russie, a Rocco Forte Hotel · Rome
Between the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, with a terraced secret garden and the Stravinskij Bar. - Imàgo · Rome
Dinner on the sixth floor of the Hotel Hassler, at the top of the Spanish Steps, with a panoramic view over Rome's domes. - Four Seasons Hotel Firenze · Florence
Two Renaissance palazzi set in the largest private garden in Florence, a short walk from the Duomo. - Borgo San Jacopo · Florence
A starred restaurant on the river at the Hotel Lungarno, with a terrace over the Arno near the Ponte Vecchio. - Hotel Sacher Wien · Vienna
Opposite the State Opera since 1876, still family-owned, and home of the original Sacher-Torte. - Steirereck im Stadtpark · Vienna
Vienna's most celebrated table, a glass-walled dining room on the edge of the Stadtpark. - Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon · Lisbon
Opened in 1959 above the Eduardo VII Park, famous for its collection of Portuguese mid-century art and its rooftop running track over the city. - Fifty Seconds · Lisbon
Chef Rui Silvestre's restaurant at the top of the Vasco da Gama Tower, newly promoted to two stars in 2026. - Çırağan Palace Kempinski · Istanbul
A 19th-century Ottoman imperial palace on the European shore of the Bosphorus, with an infinity pool at the water's edge. - Mikla · Istanbul
Mehmet Gürs's rooftop restaurant in Beyoğlu, with a celebrated terrace over the Golden Horn and the old city.
