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The Mediterranean hot list
April 2025

The Mediterranean • Insider guides • The Mediterranean hot list April 2025

What we’re loving in April 2025 (and you will too)

Stay informed and stay inspired! The Mediterranean hot list is your monthly dossier of what’s shaping the cultural and creative landscape across the Mediterranean. From smart new openings and design-forward projects to events worth pencilling into your diary, we spotlight the ideas and initiatives that matter. Whether you’re a local with a keen eye on your surroundings or a traveller seeking authentic inspiration, this is your curated guide to the things that are getting our attention (and deserve your’s, too).

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Top photography courtesy of Casa Brera

Marlow: Monaco’s new golden hour hotspot

Monaco has a new golden-hour rendezvous and its name is Marlow. Located in the Carré d’Or, this restaurant is the latest project from the Giraudi Group, masterminds behind some of the Riviera’s most stylish dining spots. French architect Hugo Toro has created a space that glows. Earthy terracotta, honeyed woods and sculptural wicker pendants cast soft shadows, echoing the play of light on the Côte d’Azur’s cliffs. Arched doorways frame glimpses of the sea and the breeze carries the scent of citrus and salt. It’s polished but playful, with a touch of undone elegance that invites you to stay awhile. The menu leans into fresh, coastal Mediterranean flavours with cosmopolitan polish. The wine list? A love letter to sun-soaked vineyards, with crisp whites and rosés begging to be sipped slowly as the afternoon melts into the evening.

Marlow
Place Princesse Gabriella
Monaco

Photography courtesy of Marlow

Experimental Marais: a Parisian hotel with edge

Paris has no shortage of beautiful hotels, but Experimental Marais isn’t trying to impress with grandeur – it’s here to make you feel at home, in the most distinctly chic way possible. Set in a 17th-century hôtel in the heart of the Marais, this flagship hotel from the Experimental Group is everything the brand does best: impeccable taste, a buzzing social heartbeat and cocktails so good they’ve redefined drinking culture. French designer Dorothée Meilichzon has woven together textures and tones that feel both effortless and intimate – arched doorways, sculptural lighting and a warm, intimate palette of mustard, deep green and soft neutrals. The real soul of Experimental Marais lives in its bar and bistro. By day, the restaurant serves classic produce-driven French dishes. By night, the dimly lit cocktail bar fills with locals and in-the-know travellers. The drinks? Pure alchemy – elegant, unexpected, always a little playful.

Experimental Marais
116 Rue du Temple
Paris
France

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Photography courtesy of Experimental Marais

The Verse: Lisbon’s refined aparthotel

On Lisbon’s Rua de São Bento, where antique shops and design studios jostle for space, The Verse has redefined the art of the aparthotel. Set in a restored building by architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça, with interiors by Studio Astolfi, the 15 apartments mix warm oak, limestone and microcement with sculptural furniture and custom lighting. From compact studios to two-bedroom suites with terraces, each space feels as considered as a private residence. Downstairs, a lobby-meets-cocktail bar draws locals in for a drink, while a discreet concierge service arranges private dinners, market visits and museum tours.

The Verse
R. de São Bento 39
Lisbon
Portugal

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Photography courtesy of The verse

Galerie Objets Inanimés: Marseille’s most poetic design space

Founded by Julie Pailhas, Galerie Objets Inanimés curates design with feeling, celebrating the poetry of form, texture and time. Pailhas likes to bring together vintage treasures, contemporary design and one-of-a-kind artisanal pieces that share a quiet beauty. Galerie Objets Inanimés features light sculptures by designer Adélie Ducasse, an exclusive ceramic collection crafted in very limited editions, alongside creations from Claire Cosnefroy and Olivia Cognet. The gallery’s spring exhibition explores stillness and form, where muted tones and organic textures create a hushed, almost meditative atmosphere. Sunlight shifts across linen-draped windows, casting soft shadows on sculptural works that seem to hold their own quiet weight. Get in touch with Julie via the Objets Inanimés Instagram or the website to arrange your visit and to find out the exact address of her gallery.

Galerie Objets Inanimés
Marseille
France

Photography courtesy of Galerie Objets Inanimés

Merci #2: Paris’ best-kept secret unveiled

Merci, the beloved Parisian concept store, has expanded its horizons with a second location at 19 rue de Richelieu in the 1st arrondissement, housed in a beautifully renovated former post office. Inside, the atmosphere is almost monastic – minimalist yet warm, with raw wood, soft textiles and sculptural ceramics arranged like a still-life painting. The selection features handcrafted furniture, timeless fashion and objects that exist beyond trend cycles. Merci #2 also houses an invisible café, hidden behind a sliding door, where you can sip espressos at beautiful stone tables. It’s a place designed not for the rush of retail, but for discovery, conversation and the kind of quiet luxury that Parisians master so well.

Merci #2
19 rue de Richelieu
Paris
France

Photography courtesy of Merci

Hospes Infante Sagres: Porto’s grand dame, reborn

Porto changes, but Hospes Infante Sagres remains – now more radiant than ever. Since 1951, this landmark hotel has been the city’s quiet aristocrat, hosting dignitaries, artists and travellers drawn to its old-world grandeur. After an elegant restoration under the Hospes Hotels banner, it hasn’t lost an ounce of its soul – only gained new life. The hotel’s façade still whispers of Porto’s gilded age, but step inside and the story deepens. The grand ironwork staircase, the stained-glass ceiling and the 19th-century chandeliers remain, casting a soft, golden glow over the lobby’s luxe furnishings. Yet, there’s a new energy in the air. The rooms, now dressed in a richer palette of deep indigos, burnished golds and soft velvets, feel timeless and inviting. The hotel’s famed Barão Fladgate restaurant reinvents Portuguese classics with a modern hand, while its intimate wine cellar serves as a portal to the Douro Valley’s finest vintages.

Hospes Infante Sagres
Praça D. Filipa de Lencastre 62
Porto
Portugal

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Photography courtesy of Hospes Infante Sagres

The Hoxton Florence: a hotel with soul in Tuscany

The Hoxton Florence is set in a 19th-century villa in the San Frediano district and this hotel is all about soul – here history balances with artistic edge. The design, by Ennismore’s Aime Studios, keeps the building’s Renaissance bones intact – arched windows, high ceilings and frescoed walls – while layering in mid-century furniture, terrazzo floors and warm Tuscan tones. Each room balances old and new, with locally sourced artwork, vintage rugs and custom-made headboards giving each space its own personality. Then there’s Cugino, the hotel’s café-bar hybrid, where mornings start with espressos and cornetti and evenings stretch into negronis and small plates. We also love the lush courtyard – perfect for aperitivo hour!

The Hoxton Florence
Via delle Mantellate 2
Firenze
Italy

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Photography courtesy of The Hoxton Florence

Snob: Lisbon’s old favourite refreshed

Snob Bar & Restaurant in Lisbon, has been a cherished establishment since its opening in 1964. Known for its English club-inspired ambience, it has long served as a gathering place for intellectuals, artists and locals seeking a discreet and welcoming environment. And now Snob has reopened its doors after a stunning renovation, done by Ana Krausz from Krausz Studio, preserving its original charm with restored dark green leather upholstery, brass fixtures and wooden furnishings. The menu continues to feature classic dishes such as the popular Bife à Snob, croquettes and the beloved mango mousse. Snob’s bar service has been expanded with the aim of offering a more complete cocktail experience and a real journey back in time to the golden age of the best speakeasy tradition of the 1920s. The bar boasts an extensive selection of over 60 whisky varieties, alongside a range of classic and innovative cocktails whipped up by head barman Manel Frazão.

Snob
Rua de O Século 178
Lisboa
Portugal

Photography courtesy of Snob

Can Pa: Mallorca’s must-visit bakery

In a world of overcomplicated bakeries, Can Pa in Palma de Mallorca strips everything back to what truly matters: flour, fire and time. Opened by Xim Moyà and María Amengual, this minimalist bakery is a quiet revolution – an ode to slow, honest baking in a space designed with the same philosophy. Housed in a 19th-century building, Can Pa is pure, raw beauty. London-based designer Jasper Morrison has left the stone walls bare, the floors simple and the furniture understated. The bread here is a must. Moyà, a fourth-generation baker, relies on organic Mallorcan wheat, long fermentations and wood-fired ovens to produce loaves with deep, complex flavours and a perfect crackling crust.

Can Pa
Avinguda de Joan Miró 37
Ponent
Palma
Spain

Photography courtesy of Can Pa

PNY Reims: a slice of modernist California in Grand Est

In the heart of Reims, where champagne houses and Gothic cathedrals dominate the skyline, PNY (Paris New York) has done something unexpected – transported a slice of 1960s California to northeastern France. Designed by Rudy Guénaire, this latest outpost of the cult burger brand swaps retro Americana clichés for a cleaner, more refined take on West Coast modernism. Featuring terrazzo floors, chrome details and a sea of pastel blue and yellow banquettes that nod to mid-century diners without leaning into kitsch. At the centre, a sculptural stainless-steel bar reflects the neon glow, channelling that unmistakable California optimism. But for all its style, PNY is still about the burger. Here, grass-fed beef from Normandy, pillowy brioche buns and perfectly golden fries take centre stage. The Return of the Cowboy – a towering stack of crispy bacon, melted cheddar and house-made BBQ sauce – demands two hands and zero shame.