milk + honey

We’re always delighted when a trip involves staying at the Four Seasons. Who isn’t? And to be clear, there are things to love about the Four Seasons Austin. The grounds are beautiful, the cocktails have alcohol in them, and the lake-view rooms have views of the lake. Then there are the things that are harder to love. A recent renovation transformed the property from charming Texas hotel to soulless Texas hotel—with overall décor that is somehow a combination of greige and lonely. Even the suites feel impersonal and corporate—and showers are unreliable at best. But all that failed water pressure doesn’t come cheap: A suite for one night will run you a few thousand dollars.

This boutique hotel is set in a 1925 Craftsman bungalow (with two levels, and just seven rooms, each uniquely furnished), but don’t let the old-school edifice fool you: The interiors of this historic house have been totally refurbished and renovated for a polished, modern look. Married partners George Reynolds and Kathy Setzer opened up shop in East Austin in 2012—the up-and-coming area has since grown into a happening, but not unruly destination. You can borrow bicycles for free to explore the area—bars, galleries, food trucks, and some excellent taquerias are all within striking distance.

This historic mansion-turned-boutique hotel is all about Texas charm, from the grand wraparound porch, to the meticulously manicured grounds in the pool area, to the plush upholstery in the well-appointed rooms. The best part: it’s all newly renovated and totally up to modern luxury standards. The outdoor pool is lined with cabanas where you can enjoy complimentary 24-hour guest services (the fitness center is also open round-the-clock), making it the perfect place to rest and recuperate while on a business trip. Their on-site bistro, Goodall’s Kitchen, covers brunch, dinner, and dessert. The juicy burger, Tavern Steak with roasted bone marrow, or simply a few snacks to share, mean Goodall’s is worth a visit even if you're not checking in.

In the hospitality world, hotelier Liz Lambert is known for her Midas touch. Case in point: She hand-picked every item—from the silky drapes to the giant chandeliers—in this fourteen-room Victorian mansion with visiting musicians and creatives in mind. (The South Congress Hotel also happens to be named after the patron saint of music and poetry.) There are five suites, six poolside bungalows, and three studios—all outfitted with turntables, monogrammed bed linens, and Le Labo products, although each one has its own distinct character. Guests can borrow LPs from the library too. The hotel bar (for guests only) has a gorgeous view of the grounds—go at sunset and order a margarita. (Lambert's other hotel in South Congress, Hotel San Jose, also has great cocktails, and is a good option if you're looking for a busier atmosphere.) Bonus: The Hotel Saint Cecilia's fifty-foot pool is heated and open around the clock.

Smack dab on South Congress Avenue and originally built in 1939 as an old motor lodge, the 40-room property was revamped by hotelier Liz Lambert in the late 90s and has since developed something of a cult following along the way. Here, her minimalist aesthetic translates to a cool gray stucco façade, terra cotta roofs, a bamboo-lined lap pool, and Eames arm-shell chairs. The concrete-floored rooms are sparsely appointed (Sferra linens, Malin + Goetz products), but thoughtful. Slip on one of the custom striped kimono robes—conveniently also for sale at the hotel’s gift shop—and you’ll be hard pressed to take it off. An added perk: Jo’s Coffee next door will deliver your daily Iced Turbo or a breakfast taco right to your room.

Part of the appeal of Hotel Van Zandt is its location in Rainey Street Historic District, and close proximity to the Austin-specific, easy-going, bungalow-turned-bars there. The Kimpton hotel has 300-plus guest rooms, decorated in the brand's signature smart style, and a handful of fabulous suites, which have views of downtown, Rainey Street, or Lady Bird Lake. Van Zandt's chic pool and deck also overlook Lady Bird.

While it’s billed as a design-centric boutique hotel, Frame Hotel's seven mid-century modern guestrooms, minimalist courtyard, and common area, complete with kitchen, office, and fancy coffee station, strike us more as the trappings of a really well-appointed guesthouse. Its central location and not-too-big size not only makes it the ideal home base from which to explore the city, but a great option for hosting birthdays, family reunions, even weddings—reach out well ahead of time to book the entire space.

The pillows at the hypermodern LINE Austin are the soft landing we all need after a day (and night) of downtown revelry. The 1965 building housed a former jazz club, and thanks to art from local creatives on every wall, stunning views of the Town Lake, and arguably the prettiest pool in Austin—complete with its own fireplace—the Line has personality in spades.

This boutique hotel is a modernized revamp of a retro motor court motel—its live music, bonfire parties, and dipping pool reminiscent of a classic Texas swimming hole have made it a destination for the young and hip. This is the place to stay for quirky Americana touches without skimping on quality, cleanliness, or luxe amenities (including a supply of bath-and-body products made in California by modern apothecary, Lather). Located in North Austin, the vibe here is definitely social—all the outdoors activities make great opportunities to meet fellow travelers (and locals), have a drink, and hang out. The on-site food truck court, in true Austin fashion, is a big bonus.

Fittingly located on South Congress, the street’s namesake hotel is as much a destination for locals as tourists, thanks to a comprehensive collection of restaurants (Cafe No Se, Otoko, and Central Standard) a low-key coffee shop (Mañana), and some of the city’s best stores (Sunroom and Revival Cycle), all under one roof. Design-wise, the rooms and lobby have a warm-but-modern Texas vibe, comfortably decorated with felt headboards, midcentury furniture, and leather poufs. Make time for a drink at the rooftop pool and bar.

Barley Swine works its magic with fresh-off-the-farm Texan bounty like no place else. And we’re obsessed with the locally made Sunset Canyon pottery each dish is served on. A healthyish dinner could look like this: bean salad with masa-infused mayo, shishito pepper mousse flecked with puffed grains, and a bowl of shiitake dumplings with grilled squash to share.

If you’re after something substantial, Café No Sé is open all day, but the weekday breakfast is our favorite. The space is big and bright, with wooden tables, wicker chairs, and outdoor seating. The menu falls somewhere between healthyish and decadent, so you can order, say, the gluten-free paleo granola one day and ricotta pancakes with pecan butter the next.

If they weren’t already, Clark’s cemented the place of restaurateurs Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman (owner of the uber-popular Perla’s) as the utmost authorities of Austin’s seafood scene. The small space has a clean, nautical vibe that’s faintly reminiscent of the Hamptons, with a subtly East Coast menu to match; ideal for a more intimate dinner or brunch. Our suggestions? Cold water oysters (a must) and their famous fries, ceviche, the cooked kale salad, and the wood-grilled shrimp toast (a divine compilation of aioli, smoky shrimp, and crunchy sourdough). In our humble opinion, this is by far one of the best Bloody Marys in the city.

Austin's South First is a gem of a street and this is one of the top highlights. A Vietnamese café plus French bakery, Elizabeth Street Café combines the best of two worlds. The bakery makes two different kinds of baguettes daily (order the bánh mì to try), croissants, and a variety of pastries including macarons. Stumptown is the house coffee, and you can get traditional Vietnamese coffees with classic café du monde chicory. In addition to bánh mì, the restaurant also serves spring rolls, pho, and spicy curries. The interior is exquisitely pretty, clean, and bright, decorated with oversized framed mirrors and divided by an open arch. The chic neon touches on the side patio follow suit.

El Primo is a member of the old guard. Reliably good, affordable, and unchanging, the breakfast tortas and salsas served out the hatch of this teeny-tiny south Austin trailer are the stuff of local legend. Michoacán chef Humberto Reyes has been flipping tacos here for thirteen years, and unlike at many of the other city trucks, the meat to cheese ratio sandwiched into every tortilla is always just right. Stop by for breakfast, pick up a cold brew next door from Once Over coffee like the Austinites do, and take note: El Primo is cash only.

Emmer & Rye is an unusual, heavy-on-heritage-grains concept we cannot get enough of. New American cuisine is served dim sum–style, which translates to best-of-the-farmers’-market small bites that come around on a cart as you work through your mains. Chef Kevin Fink cut his teeth at Copenhagen’s Noma, which is reason enough to come here, and the resolutely seasonal, farmers’ haul influence is apparent on every plate. Menu standouts include a peppery-to-the-point-of-spicy (we’re not complaining) cacio e pepe with heritage Blue Beard durum wheat pasta, and a buttery Carolina Gold rice pudding.

Fonda San Miguel underwent a renovation in the last decade, but the bright decor here still speaks to its impressive 1970's roots. Of course, though, the mouthwatering Mexican food is the reason this restaurant is still open forty-plus years later. In fact, they make the same tortilla soup recipe from 1975; locals love everything from the classic enchiladas to the chile rellenos and Gulf shrimp dishes.

This is the kind of legendary BBQ joint that can only exist in Texas. Run by Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue has been selling out daily since it opened in 2009 (at the time, in a trailer). The line, which starts forming around dawn—for lunch—is easily a few hours long. The now well-known way around it is to pre-order online for pick-up— which you can do up to six months in advance—provided you are ordering between 5 and 30 pounds of meat. As for the food itself: Suffice it to say there is nothing lean about the menu or the meat. The slow-smoked brisket is insanely tender; it's regularly described as "melt-in-your-mouth" good. Same goes for the pulled pork and ribs.

For Armando Vazquez, tacos are a family affair. His two daughters run the outrageously popular Veracruz, while he and his wife, Maria Rios, turn out their own version of the food they grew up with. In this case: Granny’s chilaquiles taco is a breakfast special we—and pretty much the rest of Austin—happily stand in line for. Tender shredded chicken, cheese, spicy jalapeños, and a smattering of onions are liberally drizzled in Rios’s grandmother’s secret mole sauce.

Güero's is one of those places that's on every visitor's hit list. In a town where margaritas, tamales, and enchiladas are fuel, this South Congress taqueria doesn't disappoint. (It helps too, that they've been around since 1986.) Service is friendly and the vibe is lively and casual. On Sundays, it's practically a ritual to nurse a hangover in the restaurant’s Oak Garden with an order of migas—a plate of scrambled eggs, tostadas, and pico de gallo. There's a vegan menu, too.

Situated on top of a hill overlooking downtown, this former 1950s pharmacy has been turned into a farm-to-table hotspot with a line on the weekends that wraps out the door. Thankfully, the owners restored many of the old pharmacy’s charming details: there’s a pentagon-patterned floor, antique wooden display cases, and a photogenic tin roof. The breakfast menu is deceptively simple: the fried egg sandwich features avocado, aioli, fried green tomato, and eggs in a bowl, which includes mozzarella curd, sautéed kale, and zucchini. Local pride extends to its produce as well—many of the local veggies are picked from nearby Eastside Urban Farms so it’s all very fresh. During the day and into the evening, the raw bar, with its mix of East and West oysters, is a happy hour favorite, especially when paired with a grapefruit jalapeno margarita.

Husband-and-wife duo Bay and Lindsay Anthon melded their love of craft beer (him) and French background (her) into Hopfields, a sophisticated neighborhood gastropub, which opened in Austin in the fall of 2011. The rotating tap list is a big draw (but there's also a wine list), and regulars love the steak frites as well as the Pascal burger served with camembert, cornichon, whole grain mustard, and caramelized onions.

Irene’s is the epitome of a neighborhood joint: housed in a former auto body repair shop and named for one of the proprietor’s beloved grandmother’s, it’s the kind of spot locals flock to thanks to its wraparound outdoor patio, and a walk-up window counter that serves breakfast pastries and coffee from 7am on. Inside, a neon sign, salvaged airplane panels, and, yes, an upright piano greet diners who appreciate a little kitsch, but you should really come here for the comfort food. Think: sea-salt popcorn and pimento cheese snacks, pulled chicken and avocado sandwiches, and farro and mushroom salad.

The team behind Josephine House is responsible for some of Austin's best eats, including Lamberts and Elizabeth Street Café. Situated in a bungalow cottage with a blue exterior, and bright, white interior paired with dark hardwood flooring and an intimate marble bar, Josephine House is designed to feel like a (gorgeous) home kitchen. The locally sourced menu features signature dishes like the Josephine Rice Bowl, along with seasonal salads, soups, and meat mains like braised short ribs with grits.

With the style of an old-timey diner—only much more polished—June’s (which owner and renowned restaurateur Larry McGuire named after June Rodil, their master sommelier) is a lighthearted spin on French bistro cuisine. From breakfast to dinner, their offerings are all fresh, delicious riffs on classic French comfort foods like bone marrow bolognese and steak-au-poivre, adding into the mix quintessentially Austin touches like chalupas for breakfast. And of course, their wine-and-beer list is on point—and abundant—with selections from all over the world, as well as local brews. (P.S. Their patio is dog-friendly.)

Downtown Austin fixture, La Condesa, has gone through a series of kitchen staff changes in the past few years, and is now helmed by Texas native, Chef Rick Lopez. The food—a combination of small plates and a tight edit of Mexican-focused entrees—remains excellent. Start with the guacamole tasting, a sample of all of La Condesa's seasonal salsas and guacamoles (there's one with chipotle purée and another with jumbo lump crab). The tacos (which come in two's) are nice for sharing, and add the elotes side (authentic Mexican corn) to whatever you decide to order for dinner. If tequila is your thing, they've got a solid selection, and their signature margarita with fresh pineapple and lime juice is very satisfying. The atmosphere is lively whether you're sitting on the outdoor patio or at a table inside the split-level restaurant; there's also a gorgeous private event space.

Imagine a mashup of hot Malay, Thai, and Chinese smoked meats paired with Texan BBQ. That’s Loro. Run by Austinite food-scene veterans Tyson Cole (Uchi) and Aaron Franklin (Franklin Barbecue), standouts include the Thai green curry sausage and charred pork shoulder with a heaping portion of garlicky rice noodles to soak up the juices. While Loro isn’t necessarily the spot for the meat-averse, sides like Texas sweet corn, zesty papaya salad, and the grilled Asian pear with kale hit the spot for herbivores and carnivores alike. Stools and long wooden tables built for communal feasting set a picnic-for-the-adults vibe, and twinkling skylights and long hanging lamps strung from the barn-style roof add atmosphere in spades to this casual dining spot that is so thoroughly at home in Austin.

Owned by James Beard Award-winning chef Edgar Rico and his wife Sara Mardranbigi, this little indie restaurant serves some of America's best artisinal tacos. The tortillas are made in house with heirloom corn they nixtamalize themselves.

Like many of Austin’s most beloved food spots, Odd Duck started out in a trailer—a Fleetwood Mallard camper, specifically. The menu is, at its base, Southern, but the flavor combinations and resolute use of local produce add an element of farm-to-table California. Lunch could be a chopped smoked chicken salad, while dinner might be delicate roasted quail with collard greens or meltingly tender bavette steak with charred-onion salsa. Plan for a long, lazy evening out on the patio and start with a cocktail. Drinks here are good—really good—and all the classics have an Odd Duck spin to them. The Paloma, made with a hint of tarragon and topped with a salty foam, is our standing order. Be smart and come for happy hour: Many of the entrées are half-price, so you can justify ordering double and leaving stuffed.

Go to Perla's on South Congress for seafood and top-notch oysters. (It's run by chefs/restauranteurs Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman and their Austin power group that's responsible for Lamberts, Clark's, and Josephine House, to name a few.) The inside of the restaurant is beautiful, but if you want to people watch while you're in Austin, sit outside here.

This truck was a local secret for a while. But places this good don’t stay secret for long. Pueblo Viejo’s breakfast taco is nothing short of an institution in Austin: a perfect egg, potato, spicy chorizo, and a generous amount of cheese. For an indulgent treat or a little soakage after one too many margaritas (the margaritas tend to taste better when you’re this close to Mexico) the chicharron taco—crispy pork rinds with salsa verde and heaps of fresh cilantro—hits the spot.

Chef Fermín Núñez did the rounds in Austin, cooking at La Condesa and Launderette before striking out alone. The menu champions traditional tacos, tamales, and tostadas, all made with what is the foundational ingredient of Mexican cuisine: masa. A soft flour of finely ground, presoaked corn kernels is prepared daily, using local white, green, and red heirloom corn. The nutty, slightly sour flavor of the doughy wrap is worlds away from the chewy, prepackaged tortillas we’ve become accustomed to. Be sure to order the suadera taco—fork-tender brisket, avocado salsa, and Suerte’s black magic oil (smoky Morita chili, a little sesame, and other secret, transporting flavors we can’t quite put our finger on). The drinks list is a thing of beauty. Mezcal and tequila are, of course, in abundance, but the Oaxacan whiskey was a first for us, and a good first at that.

James Beard award-winning Chef Tyson Cole serves small and inventive Japanese dishes using a mix of local ingredients according to what's in season, and fresh fish flown in from everywhere. Order the Hot Rock (they bring wagyu beef and a hot rock—hence the dish name—to your table and cook the meat in front of you), and the madai from the sushi menu. If you're a peanut butter person, you have to get the peanut butter semifreddo with apple-miso sorbet for dessert—the combination of flavors sounds strange but taste amazing. If you don't have time for a full-on dinner, come between 5 and 6:30 for sake social, during which a limited, but noteworthy, selection of the menu is on offer (and for a fraction of the cost).

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, sisters Reyna and Maritza Vasquez grew up helping out in their family restaurant. Veracruz All Natural (and mostly organic) started as a food truck back in 2009 and was an immediate hit. Nowadays the sisters have five locations, including a brick-and-mortar spot in north Austin. We go weak for flautitas de papas (potatoes wrapped in a corn tortilla, deep fried, and served with beans and salsa)—the ultimate comfort food. Al pastor tacos are freshened-up with seared sweet grilled pineapple, while the vegan “furioso” (cauliflower, black beans, spinach, salsa) has as much flavor as any of the meat dishes. Fruity aguas frescas are the norm around Austin, but Veracruz has added to its arsenal a slew of healthy juices and smoothies (with the option to add hemp protein, and nut milks), which are ideal to go.

Austin has its fair share of high-end Chinese restaurants but Wu Chow has made a something of a name for itself thanks to the mix of solid regional dishes, tiki décor touches, and hip-hop soundtrack. Classic dishes are reinterpreted with local ingredients. For example: traditional Hong Kong honey prawns with pecans shows up on the Wu Chow menu as gulf shrimp with Texas pecans; there’s also Shanghai soup dumplings and Cantonese lobster with ginger and scallions. Don’t miss the dim sum, served on Sundays from 11am to 3pm.

Antone’s reopened downtown last year three blocks from its original 1970s location. Inside, the show posters lining the walls from the likes of B.B. King and Ray Charles read like a Blues Hall of Fame. Now the two-story venue aims to not only bring in big-name acts coming through town, but to introduce showgoers to great music, including artists they may not have heard of. It also helps that hometown hero, musician Gary Clark Jr., who played some of his early gigs here, is also a partner.

The house-brewed beer at Blue Owl is sour—in the best way—due to their signature all-natural fermentation process, fittingly called sour-mashing, which results in lower acidity content and a tart, hoppy taste. (Staff on hand can provide you with a tasting guide to start, or opt for their $15 self-guided tasting tour.) Along with the unique texture/flavor medley of their distinctive brews, the bar itself is an elevated experience compared to your typical brewery: It is lofty, whitewashed, and fun.

Since opening its doors back in 1955 the Continental Club has made a name for itself as one of the oldest continuously running clubs in Austin, hosting acts like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Sonic Youth through the years. Nowadays, this South Congress pioneer is known for bringing on up-and-coming local talent and hosting secret shows for bands like Arcade Fire.

Tucked inside a parking garage at the corner of Sixth and Colorado, this bar usually takes a few extra minutes to find. The interior is surprisingly sleek, and the craft cocktails are artfully designed with small plates to match. Order a signature cocktail, starting with the Indian Paintbrush.

The back patio at Lucille’s is outfitted in twinkling lights—which makes it totally magical. Also on the patio: They’ve converted a former garage into a second bar, where people perch at the open windows. The interior is designed to be reminiscent of the 1920’s without trying too hard; the menu is expertly curated and highlights local, handcrafted liquor (and beer).

This pre-Prohibition-style, New Orleans-inspired craft cocktail bar is a great option for drinks and light dinner. Though it began as Austin’s first absinthe bar (the infamous green liqueur was legalized in the U.S. in 2007), their dinner menu, curated by executive chef John Lichtenberger, is worth a trip, too. The riffs on French standards like duck confit, bouillabaisse, and escargots are beloved, as are their only-in-Texas specialties, like Texas wild boar with polenta, braised short ribs with duck-fat mashed potatoes, and lamb bourguignon sourced from a nearby ranch. As for the cocktails, the go-tos (besides absinthe, of course) are gin, whiskey, vodka, and rum concoctions—some original, like the Fig Manhattan (rye, sweet vermouth, house cherry vanilla bitters, fig foam), some reinterpretations of tried-and-true favorites, like Sazerac (a New Orleans classic).

Stubb’s is famous for its barbecue, but maybe even more famous for the live music performances that happen (almost) nightly. Legends like Joan Jett, Willie Nelson, and The Killers are among the many that have entertained here. Be sure to buy tickets in advance for the concerts, as they are likely to sell out early. On Sunday mornings, there’s a live gospel music brunch with a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar.

Speakeasy vibes meet modern street-art at this cocktail bar, where the tall, vaulted ceilings, stone walls, and rustic-chic decor spill out onto the laid-back patio. Here they serve up a great list of signature cocktails (like their Oaxacan Prayer with mezcal, cocchi rosa, and Spanish citrus liqueur; Bossa Nova with gin, genepy, and coconut milk; and Chapado with barrel-aged cachaça, créme de cacao, and blackberry), as well as all the classics (rum and rye are featured heavily), and a respectable wine list. It’s the perfect balance of well-heeled and unpretentious—hence why their happy hour ($7 for a curated list of classic and creative cocktails) is so popular with the locals.

This east-side music venue is a tried-and-true honky tonk—meaning it’s a great, no-frills, super-social show-bar to go for a good time. The drinks are cheap and the pours are generous, with live music that—even if it can be hit-or-miss depending on the night—is pretty much guaranteed to be a weirdly fun, authentically Austin experience. A little rough around the edges and charmingly, endearingly gritty, you’ll want to come dressed for fun and comfort; we’re talking a flannel shirt, tee-and-jeans, and cowboy boots.

Established in 1984, Amy’s is a bit of a hometown hero in Austin; everybody came here as a kid. The setup is Coldstone-style, so you pick your flavor and choose from plenty of toppings or “crush’ns,” which the employees will mix in for you on-site. If you only go once, the famous Mexican vanilla is the thing to order. There are now twelve locations in Austin, but this outpost on Guadalupe was the original.

The food trucks of Austin deserve their own guide. Boteco is just one (really noteworthy) highlight. The yucca fries here get a lot of well-deserved praise, along with the empanadas and feijoada (a hearty Brazilian stew). Boteco catered the birthday party of Austin local Camila Alves, whose insider tips have helped us find many of Austin's other gems (e.g., the margarita at Hotel Saint Cecilia, the peanut butter dessert at Uchi, and the Zilker Park train ride).

Whether you never eat meat, or you're just looking for a break from brisket and BBQ, Bouldin Creek is an easy choice. The cafe serves appetizing all-vegetarian fare with vegan options and mostly organic, local ingredients. Come here for salads, sandwiches, breakfast all day—or just a coffee as you meander down South First. (If you are spending some time in the area, after Bouldin Creek, go to Sugar Mama's across the street for a cupcake.)

Chi’lantro BBQ’s most famous dish is their kimchi fries—classic french fries topped with caramelized kimchi and melted cheese that taste as good as they sound. The rest of the menu offers comfort food inspired by Korean BBQ, including a rice bowl, an asian salad, an excellent burger, and more. Cubicle types, take note: Their online ordering system is really easy and streamlined.

Francesca and Marco Silvestrini are Italian immigrants (Francesca’s fiancé Leo is also involved in the business; he’s another Italian native) who were dismayed that they couldn’t find great gelato in the states. One hot summer in Columbus, Ohio, Francesca quit her doctoral program and bee-lined it for Bologna to attend the Carpigiani Gelato University, which is, in fact, a real place and every bit as wonderful as it sounds. Francesca makes authentic, Italian-style gelato using the mantecazione vertical batch method, which contributes to its creamy texture. While she does the basics like chocolate and stracciatella really well, there are some great Texas-inspired flavors like peach and sweet potato on the menu too.

This isn't exactly the classic working coffee shop, but the dual-experience concept behind Easy Tiger is pretty cool. Upstairs, there's a bakery with amazing Bavarian bread; downstairs, you'll find a beer garden with a mile-long beer list and rows of picnic tables. The downstairs is definitely a party in the evenings, but it's quiet upstairs, making it a good choice for an afternoon of work.

Figure 8's serious business La Marzocco Italian espresso machine draws a loyal crowd that also appreciates the lack of pretension at this small neighborhood spot. Texas roasts (like Tweed Coffee and Wild Gift) are highlighted, along with West Coast offerings (like Four Barrel in California and Coava Coffee in Oregon).

Austin is one of the few cities that can pull off a really well done drive-through. Fresa's is all about chicken—tacos, bowls, salads, wings—although there is usually a beef and shrimp plate, and you can order the salads sans meat. The have a handful of grilled sides, including, of course, Mexican street corn. The Downtown location is the original one and is to-go only; in addition to lunch and dinner, they do breakfast tacos until 11am on weekdays and until noon on weekends. The second location in Bouldin is larger; it has a dining room and outdoor patio (plus a full bar) in addition to a go-to window, so you have the option of eating there. They do lunch and dinner here only—the take-out window opens at 8am, though, with dine in starting at 11am.

This hole in the wall specializes in Mexican street food like elotes (corn with cheese and spices) and sour hot Cheetos (a bag of Cheetos smothered in onions and other sauces—we dare you). In the summer, the lines build up for their mangonadas, which are frozen mango towers topped with strawberries, sour power belts, and a drizzle of Chamoy—a savory Mexican condiment that adds loads of complexity. None of it is like anything you’ve ever tried before.

It’s easy to fall for the décor in Houndstooth, which features a wooden herringbone bar, Scandinavian-style furniture, and clusters of Edison bulbs. The overall effect is really minimalist, which is great, because it lets their extremely well-researched and perfectly executed coffee shine. Nice touch: the coffee cups have adorable silhouettes of Texas that you’ll see when you make it to the bottom of the cup. There is another location in Rosedale.

Tucked into the parking lot of the Hotel San Jose, Jo’s is a South Austin go-to for your morning coffee and breakfast tacos (this is Texas, after all). They’ve become social media famous for their signature #IcedTurbo, which is a delicious milky coffee with crushed ice. Another thing they’ve become famous for: “I love you so much” graffitied on the side of the building—reportedly a love note from musician Amy Cook to her then-girlfriend and Hotel San Jose owner Liz Lambert. There's a second location Downtown.

Everyone has different (and equally passionate) views on where to find the best barbecue in Austin, but no matter who you ask, Lambert's inevitably comes up. For starters, the convenient downtown location is really easy to find, and the enormous, two-story building frequently hosts live bands. For the barbecue, you'll line up cafeteria-style and select your meats from a wide, sizzling skillet. The brisket is the must-get item, but you can't go wrong with any of the meats: The chicken is ridiculously juicy, and the sausages, which are stuffed with cheese, are great. Do your best to save space for the cobbler, which is served with a peel-top ice cream in a styrofoam cup.

Real-life couple Anthony and Chad met in New York in the early 2000s, bonding over the fact that they were both from small towns. As Chad waxed poetic about the ice cream he ate growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (a.k.a. hand-made with locally sourced ingredients), Anthony began imagining the types of flavors he could create with ingredients unique to his hometown in Texas. Today, their ice cream shop has stores in San Antonio and Austin, with inventive, Texas-specific flavors like cilantro lime, dewberry corn cobbler, and sweet persimmon.

This adorable shop, owned by couple Alison and Michael Vaclav, has a few locations in Austin. The coffee is all French pressed, with the rich, earthy taste that comes with it. The vibe here is decidedly unpretentious, making it a comfortable place to unwind and dig into some work.

Austin is arguably home to the finest food trailers in the world, and Micklethwait Craft Meats (located less than a half-mile from famous Franklin BBQ) is among the very best. The menu has all the classics plus specials like Brisket Frito Pie and occasionally more rare cuts of meat. Everything is made on-site, mostly using Micklethwait's unassuming-looking pit, which sits next to the main yellow trailer where you place your order before taking a seat at one of the scattered picnic tables.

The enormous outdoor patio at Mozart's is on a dock that extends out onto Lake Austin, marked by a few big, mature oak trees that give lots of shade. Between that, and the fact that you can get a bottomless mug of coffee for just $3.50, there's almost no reason to leave. If you're not in the mood to work, stop by on the weekends for live music or during the holidays for an over-the-top Christmas light display.

The latest eatery from local restauranteurs Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman (Josephine House, Elizabeth St. Cafe, and Clarks), Pool Burger combines beef and booze right by the historic Deep Eddy Pool. Peeler Farm's burgers and crispy crinkle fries are cooked up in a 1968 Airstream parked alongside the small, but very on-theme tiki bar (think: carved stools, Mai Tai's, and ample grasscloth). Aside from the classic beef, cheese, and bun combo, you'll find riffs like The Blue Hawaiian (griddled pineapple, bacon, blue cheese, guac) and the Deep End (Swiss, jalapenos, bacon) on the menu. Save the best for last and order their home-made soft serve with all the fixings.

In what seems to be the Austin way, this coffee shop also has a craft beer list for the after work crowd. The rustic interior boasts reclaimed wood floors and walls, while the outdoor space is marked by a roofless tent-pole barn; sitting under the twinkle lights in the evening makes you feel as though you've landed in someone's backyard for the night.

There is a lot of awesome Tex-Mex in Austin but most people would agree that you have to go to Torchy’s at least once every time you find yourself in Austin. (If you're only making one trip, make it in the morning for a breakfast burrito.) Torchy’s, which started as a taco trailer in 2006 in the Bouldin Creek food truck mecca, now has several regular locations in Austin (in addition to the still-operating trailer), plus dozens of others around Texas and in a couple of other states. Sure, this makes Torchy’s seem less special, and many of the locations look no more remarkable than your average fast food joint—but the food here says otherwise.

Whole Foods is a lunchtime staple no matter where you live, but the flagship Austin location sort of takes everything to the next level. Inside, you’ll find 80,000 square feet of fresh, local, and organic goodness, and a prepared food section that matches. HQ is right upstairs.

While Allen's could be considered a bit touristy (you'll know it from the enormous red cowboy boot affixed to the front awning), there's nothing more fun than perusing their shelves, which are jam-packed with every style of boot imaginable. If you do decide to invest, they stock everything from shiny black Luccheses to Fryes with red leather and white stitching.

ByGeorge opened in Austin 1979 but in 2014 the clothing and home store came under new ownership—it's now helmed by Austin restaurateur Larry McGuire (of Josephine House, among others). There are two locations in Austin: The Clarksville ByGeorge actually combines two shops next door to one another—a women's store and a men's store. On the women's side, you'll find designers like Chloé, Marni, Saint Laurent, and a good selection of bags and shoes; and on the men's, Brunello Cucinelli, Common Projects, and Levi's Vintage. The South Congress store carries clothing as well (A.P.C., FRAME, Outdoor Voices, Jenni Kayne, and more), but it's also known for its home goods and decor, furniture, ceramics, books, and great gift-y items.

Just a stone’s throw from Hotel San Jose, the sprawling two-story Cove is a new kid on a much-loved block of South Congress. Here, University of Texas alum Rebecca Yanoff assembles a roster of brands “Austin women like to wear,” including Rebecca Taylor, Mara Hoffman, Sundry, and Current/Elliot in a light-filled setting accented with palm leaves. A highlight: there’s a wraparound patio with white mid-century Acapulco chairs so shoppers can socialize between fitting room deliberations.

Along with Tex-Mex and live music, there's a big vintage scene in Austin. Aficionados will want to comb all of South Congress and South First Street, but if you're looking for a really great edit, go to Feathers. The shop, which has been open since 2005, is neatly organized, beautiful, and well-run (by two women, one of whom is a Texas native). It's worth a stop for vintage-virgins, too—the clothing and jewelry selection is very accessible, and there are always pieces here that are conveniently easy to work into an everyday, modern wardrobe.

Wendi Koletar knows a thing or two about what Austin women want to be wearing. For more than a decade, the Texas native’s unerring edit has made way for wearable, up-and-coming labels like Jesse Kamm, Demylee, and Apiece Apart presented in a raw, light-filled space. She takes particular (and well-deserved) pride in her shoe selection—look for mules by Mari Giudicelli, Chelsea boots by Common Projects, and slides from Maryam Nassir Zadeh. The jewelry is a mix of earthy designs by Lizzie Fortunato and sculptural cuffs from Sophie Buhai.

Service Menswear is a long-time tenant on South Congress, occupying their bright, clean-cut space for over a decade. Founder Kirk Haines' buy kind of epitomizes the straightforward style that most Austin guys subscribe to, stocking Steven Alan shirts, Eastland boots, RVCA graphic tees, and plenty of Levis. He's also got a great selection of accessories (Steven Alan sunglasses, Nixon watches, Faribault blankets) and grooming products (Juniper Ridge, Marvis, etc.) to round things out.

The vibe here might be described as high-end with a twang. The owners don’t let trends influence the buy too heavily, so it’s a good place to update a guy’s wardrobe, whether you’re looking for a professional look, a pocketknife, or just a pair of jeans. The clothing selection is really classic, and there’s also generous shelf space devoted to clean grooming products. Keep an eye out for Ralph Lauren’s Double RL Line—a rarity even in Austin.

Religious paraphernalia, old scientific posters, cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry, Mexican striped blankets, horseshoes, and a good amount of taxidermy, give this antique curiosity shop a particularly Southwestern feel. The seemingly endless, happenstance groupings and displays that line every nook and cranny of this quirky old shop mean you'll likely feel a bit lost.

In addition to Lake Travis and Lake Austin, Barton Creek Greenbelt is a fun place to swim when the weather is warm in Austin (and there's been enough rain to fill its swimming holes). You can also come here to bike, hike (there are several miles' worth of trails), or just wander around. The Greenbelt is a several-mile, several-hundred-acre stretch that begins at Zilker Park, which is the best playground in the city for littles. There's a train ride that goes around the park—get a popsicle before jumping on. You can also paddle-board or rent kayaks to take out into the lake that crosses the middle of the city. (The baby turtles always keep the kids entertained.) In the center of the park itself is Barton Springs Pool, a three-acre pool that is fed from an underground spring; you pay a small fee to swim. The water in the natural watering hole is kept around 68-70 degrees, which feels just right on a scorching day. The pool is open daily, but closed most of Thursday for a weekly cleaning.

This gorgeous, open-air, Spanish-style chapel is a free (except for a $200 reservation deposit for Monday-Thursday weddings and $400 for Friday-Sunday weddings) and, naturally, very popular venue for small, intimate wedding ceremonies. But if you’re just in for a visit, it also makes a great hiking destination. Perched on the precipice of an ancient walking trail in Texas hill country—on the grounds of the nontraditional business school, Wizard Academy, about 20 minutes south of Downtown Austin—the sweeping panoramic views from the chapel are stunning. Check in at the visitor’s welcome center to access the trails.

A collective of twenty Austin-based visual artists converted a recently vacated auto shop into a cooperative gallery in 2016. Visually, the space is impressive: The edifice opens garage-door-style onto the open-air, 1,500-square-foot interior. But what really impresses here is the work on display, created largely by local contemporary artists, the proceeds of whose sales also help support the space. From astounding sculpture to vibrant, abstract paintings, their holdings are right on the edge of the indie-to-emerging art world—there’s always something incredible by an up-and-comer to take in during the Saturday open-to-the-public hours (they’re open by appointment 12-5 on weekdays), plus community-focused events on the regular.

Lady Bird Lake is a refreshing nature break smack in the middle of all the city action. Central to this park on the Colorado River, flanked by the towering high-rises of Downtown Austin, is the reservoir—a local favorite for everything from rowing to paddleboarding to a leisurely picnic. (Just don’t try to go for a swim.) The newly constructed boardwalk across the water, and the trails that circle the namesake lake, make this the place to go for walking and biking.

This is a nice getaway from the city; the Pennybacker Bridge is an iconic landmark, which locals will tell you is best viewed by boat. A day out on the water (boats can be rented from multiple outfits) is a quintessential Austin experience, and you’ll find plenty of company ranging from families waterskiing and tubing to twenty-somethings overflowing anchored party barges. It’s worth seeking out the high, very fun rope swing on the south side of the river. Photo credit: 1nativeTexan, MisterDavidC.

This museum, an Austin establishment for over 30 years, celebrates Mexican and Mexican American fine art. Its offerings range from contemporary art—their shows are culturally on point, illuminating perspectives on the human toll of the conflict in the borderlands—to community engagement events, like its annual Día de los Muertos exhibitions, and its annual Young Latino Artists showcase. The contemporary works span from impressive, imposing sculpture to street-art-style murals to super-modern mixed-media works—truly an immersive experience, essential to understanding what Austin is all about.

This trendy movie theater downtown right by the Colorado River is a great date spot (obviously), and so much more: The Violet Crown is set up to make it enjoyable if you show up early, not just to save the best seats, but to take full advantage of their next-level concessions: Their full bar and modest-but-excellent food menu is the perfect companion for the latest blockbusters, though they also show select classic films. Here you’ll find healthier alternatives to buttery popcorn—think hummus and veggies, cheese and fruit, and a cranberry-kale salad—made from locally sourced ingredients, as well as your traditional comfort food like pizza, hot dogs, and french fries. Their artisanal cocktails and local craft beers are satisfyingly extensive, as is their wine list, from which you can order either by the glass—there’s also a “large pour” option—or by the bottle. If you’re up for a matinée, they also have a café serving espresso, coffee, tea, and treats.

Austin is one of the more bike-friendly cities, and this is a great way to cover a lot of ground and get your bearings around the various neighborhoods. While you don’t want to attempt riding through Dirty Sixth at happy hour, you should cruise around UT’s campus (kids and sports fans will want to stop and see the football stadium), and definitely head to the generous paths threaded throughout the parks bordering the Colorado River. There are numerous bike rental options in Austin, but the city bike program is actually really well done, easy to use and affordable, with locations all over. You can check out a bike with a credit card at any of the conveniently placed stations for a twenty-four-hour period, or purchase access for a longer time period—three days, a month, one year—online.

Replenish your electrolytes at Juiceland on Barton Springs Road. We’re partial to the Blue Hullabaloo, a blend of hemp milk, banana, Blue Majik spirulina, lemon, and coconut oil.

Forty minutes from downtown on a particularly spectacular bend in the river, Lake Austin is as amazing a day spa as it is an overnight retreat. Either way, you can use all the spa facilities, the restaurant (many ingredients come from an on-site organic garden) and participate in daily fitness activities from water yoga in the stunning, barn-enclosed warm pool, paddle boarding, and hikes to river-based workouts). There are more than 100 services on the extensive mind- and body-nourishing spa menu—everything from standard Swedish to Chinese-medical cupping treatments—with specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. The facials are particularly incredible: herbal enzyme peels, fractionated laser treatments, and luminizing vitamin C therapies, plus specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. Post-treatment, you can lounge by the series of swimming pools in the large hillside garden.

LOVE's bread and butter is a 45-minute spin class—there's one aimed at beginners and another for more experienced riders. They also have a family class (ages twelve and up). Classes end with the popular, cooling, eucalyptus-spritzed face towel.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Wagner, who also moonlights as a painter, is chill and wonderful, meaning that an hour spent with her skilled hands is kind of like hanging with a friend. A recovering tanning junkie herself, Wagner is nothing short of a magician when it comes to banishing sun spots and UV damage. Product-wise, the focus here is on holistic and organic ingredients–she uses her own skincare line made with a white turmeric and tiger grass stem cell complex.

This serene French-inspired oasis is tucked away in Beverly Hills. Caglia herself has over twenty years of experience and a touch that’s both soothing and assertive, and she customizes her facial to suit any concern. Microphoto treatment tightens pores, radiofrequency lifts, peels help tone and soften discoloration, and a massage with a rose quartz roller helps drive in Caglia’s beautiful botanical infusions. You amble out completely rejuvenated.

Legendary naturopathic doctor Nigma Talib approaches the skin through the gut, the mind, and some superstar clean skin essentials (we’re obsessed, more on those later). She’s starred on an episode of The goop Lab, and appeared in person at In goop Health. A session with her can start with face mapping, where she takes a long look at your skin to discover what’s happening within (dairy-, wine-, and sugar-face are all common diagnoses), along with blood tests, stool samples, and a deep but gentle line of questioning to get at underlying issues before she works her magic. What follows is customized to your skin and body: radiofrequency, bespoke peels, LED, oxygen-infused antioxidants, vitamin or peptide infusions, and more. You’ll walk out of the treatment room looking fresh and renewed, but note that these are no ordinary facials or one-off treatments. Talib gives each of her patients “homework”—lifestyle and dietary changes to make and maintain for long-term healthy, beautiful skin. (If you can't see her in person, you can also follow her tips on Instagram.)

Even one trip to skin guru Kát Rudu’s sleek Venice studio can change your skin. (The gorgeous Rudu, with her impossibly poreless complexion, is her own best advertisement.) Combining the purest healing botanical ingredients—soothing chamomile extracts, brightening papaya enzymes, hydrating aloe—with corrective modalities like CO2 lasers, microneedling, and radiofrequency, the facials here are deep and utterly transformative.

Mila has been taking care of many high-profile LA women for decades, all of whom swear by her skin and body treatments. More specifically, it's her European facials (tack on a dry contouring session for a bit of extra lift), "face-changing" line of skincare products, and discretion that keep everyone coming back.

Shani is a name you hear whispered around Los Angeles—usually by those friends who have particular glowy skin. The aesthetician opened a beautiful, neutral-toned studio in Beverly Hills to perform those dewifying facials as well as microcurrent and LED treatments.

Perhaps the most luxurious part of the exquisite, Kelly-Wearstler-designed Proper Hotel is the adjacent, also-Wearstler-design Surya Spa. The cleansing Panchakarma detox wellness programs that last anywhere from 3 to 28 days are the biggest draw: For up to four hours a day, you go for custom restorative treatments, detox, and healing experiences like private yoga, sound baths, Qigong, breathwork, energetic healing, and more. The Nasya treatment isn’t like any facial you’ve had before: You sit as your face, neck, and shoulders are cleansed and nourished with herbalized oils, vigorous massage, aromatic steam (to help clear nasal passages), and the wood and bone tools of traditional Ayurveda. The treatment can help relieve brain fog, stagnant energy, tension, headaches, and congestion. The spa shop is worth a few moments on the way out: The collagen cream is hands down the richest cream we’ve ever tried, the bath soaks are the ultimate luxury (the whole box equals one fantastic bath), and the almond-flour-based spa breads are the among the most delicious things you’ll ever eat.

The signature treatment here, the Tina•K facial, uses dermaplaning and a diamond-encrusted pad developed by spa owner Tina K. O’Brien to remove the topmost layers of your skin for a truly deep cleanse. Next, layers of oils, serums, and masks are massaged into skin, cocooning it in a deep layer of moisture and nutrients. You’ll walk out undeniably fresh-faced—skin looks even-toned and glowy.

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare has made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA—so much so that she’s added five other expert aestheticians to her studio. The treatments range from microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy to vitamin infusions to customized facials.

Perched on a hill above an endless, undulating view of beautiful vineyards, Auberge du Soleil has set the standard in Napa luxury for thirty years. The property’s incredible spa is replete with light-filled treatment rooms overlooking an olive-tree-flanked courtyard. The Best of Auberge Facial spoils you for life, fortifying skin with nourishing, collagen-infused serums, hydrating masks, balancing botanical enzymes, a powerful dose of antioxidants via the deservedly obsessed-over Vintner’s Daughter, and pure olive extracts sourced from the property’s groves right outside.

We love this sleek, supremely restful spa. The facials are superb; the In Fiore Facial starts with a deep cleanse, followed by their coveted Slap, Tap, and Roll facial massage and a brightening peel.. And we’re equally obsessed with Bright Eyes, a powerful collagen-supporting therapy for the undereye area that soothes and tightens. The lounge has a cozy fireplace, as well as organic teas and delightful chocolates to nosh on while relaxing. The outside deck, with its lounge chairs and incredible view of the bay, is a blissful way to ease back into reality post-treatment.

Walk into this crisp white studio adorned with lush flowers, exquisite trinkets, and Monastery’s line of gorgeously scented, super-effective skincare, and instantly, you feel restored. A facial with founder and formulator Athena Hewett takes you to a new level, however: She customizes each step to your skin, deftly combining the traditional exfoliation, cleansing, and extractions with high tech treatments and ancient techniques. Athena’s personally trained every one of the expert estheticians on staff; you saunter out sculpted, glowing, and completely rejuvenated.

As a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and therapeutic massage practitioner for the past twenty years, Gia DiMatteo is impressively intuitive when it comes to skin, and so is the rest of her team. Their holistic approach even includes sound therapy: Aestheticians begin and end treatments with tuning forks, and the vibrations reverberate through your body, easing you into relaxation mode. They vet all the products they use and sell for synthetic fragrance and potentially endocrine-disrupting ingredients. The treatments, too, are serious business: There’s facial cupping, an ancient massage technique believed to support circulation and nutrient supply; facial acupuncture, in which ultrafine needles are inserted into the face at synergistic points to help support collagen production and wake up skin; and sessions involving extractions, calming LED light therapy, and potent masks for breaking up congestion.

A giant indoor lap pool set about with cushy chaises is where you wait for your treatments at this sleek, chic, Bergdorf- and Central-Park adjacent hotel and spa. They offer just about everything: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling, total health resets with functional doctors, sessions with visiting wellness leaders, special “Banya Houses” where couples or groups can spend the day getting treatments together, access to plastic surgery services, vitamin and NAD infusions, cryo-therapy, and much, much more. The Advanced Aman Facial, which uses all Aman products specially made in Japan, combines ultrasonic exfoliation, electric muscle stimulation, face and scalp massage, cryo bulbs, a marine mineral mask, and Aman x 111Skin Nourishing Gold Algae hydrogel face and eye masks for the glow of your life.

Tucked inside the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the Bamford Haybarn Spa is a 5,000-square-foot oasis marked by hand-carved doors and branch shelving. Here, in the nine treatment rooms, Lady Carole Bamford applies her "global wellness" approach to the menu of treatments which range from massages to facials—all of which are guided by Ayurvedic principles and use the brand's in-house line of skin care.

This impossibly lovely, holistic spa-grocery-apothecary is serious about skin—and offers some of the most exquisite complexion-perfecting treatments: The Integrative Therapy for Biome Rehabilitation balances the skin’s ecosystem with a bespoke pre- and probiotic mask, herbal compression, blue-light therapy, and more, while the Integrative Therapy for Reducing Redness and Reactivity incorporates infrared phototherapy, lymphatic drainage, and herbal treatments to soothe inflamed skin. If you’re not too blissfully relaxed post treatment, peruse the store, which stocks everything beautiful, organic, and small-batch you could ever want—local honey, health-supporting herbal teas (their chrysanthemum-infused Rest & Digest blend is next-level), the crispiest apples, and the brand’s own skincare line that’s hand-crafted right here. There's a second location in Carroll Gardens.

Christine Chin is a celebrity in the realm of skin care, and with good reason. Her sessions are intense in the best way: She will target every pore on your face, delivering the sort of thorough cleanse that has some clients digging their fingers into their palms. Steaming, rigorously energizing facial massage, extractions, a variety of detoxifying masks, glycolic peels, and collagen treatments are her specialties.

Get a facial with aesthetician Crystal Greene at her serene Madison Avenue studio and walk out looking—and feeling—fantastic. Her treatments are a beautifully pampering haze of face massage, firming laser (she uses the obsessed-over LYMA), gentle exfoliation, powerful masks, and a custom blended serum infusion she concocts on the spot for clients’ specific skin concerns. She’s intuitive, radiates calming energy, and her hands—not to mention the results you see—are pure magic.

Louise’s skincare philosophy is straightforward—energize skin cells, tone muscles, and stimulate the lymphatic system—and translates to treatments that include stem cell application via micro-needling, firming galvanic current, lifting microcurrent, and sculpting facials. Every session, whether it's a cryo facial or a radiofrequency session, starts with an in-depth consultation. There's a lengthy waitlist to get in with Louise herself, but a session with a member of her team is an exquisite, skin-perfecting experience.

Legendary Hungarian skin guru Ildi Pekar draws on the healing botanical remedies her grandmother used to concoct with the herbs from her garden, along with high-tech therapies and treatments from all manner of traditions. Microneedling infuses skin with botanical stem cells and supports collagen, the acupuncture facial is as dramatically tightening as it is anxiety-easing, and Pekar’s magnetic cupping stimulates blood circulation.

The fact that sought-after NYC aesthetician Jessica Bowers never wears makeup is proof of her skill. Her hidden West Village skin studio (she refers to it as her “skin-care speakeasy”) opened in October 2020 and has been booked solid ever since. Bowers offers customized facials (we love the classic illuminating facial), as well as treatments like microcurrent, scalp massages, and lash tints, which can be booked alone or as an add-on to any facial. What’s surprising is not that she’s busy, but that her super-simple skin routine yields such incredibly glowy results.

Scoring a facial with the actual Joanna Czech is like hitting the skincare lottery—though one with any of her personally-trained aestheticians at her new, soaring downtown studio is, too. Famous for her signature, manual sculpting massage which includes intense massaging and “slapping” (which is more invigorating than painful), Czech’s seemingly-simple methods keep her extremely well-known clients’ skin glowing and healthy. Every facial focuses on skin support at every turn, starting by treating the lipid (top) layer of skin, and moving on to microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as needed. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in Dallas (and a residency at Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee).

Joanna Vargas first moved to NYC in hopes of pursuing photography, only to discover that she actually cared a lot more about skin. Perpetually on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest in skin-enhancing treatments, Vargas is brilliant at collagen mask therapies, resurfacing via nutrient-rich liquid exfoliation, cryotherapy, and glowifying oxygen modalities. The microcurrent-, microdermabrasion-, oxygen therapy-centric Triple Crown Facial, one of her hero treatments, smooths lines, brightens, lifts, and some clients say, accentuates cheekbones without ever having to go under the knife.

Every facial from Madalaina Conti really delivers. The esthetician specializes in inflammatory skin conditions and integrated wellness, so her treatments incorporate modalities ranging from gua sha to radiofrequency, microcurrent, buccal massage, and more. She’s best known for the Synergistic Signature Qi Facial, a treatment that uses 24K gold-plated micro magnets to create an electromagnetic matrix that helps sculpt, depuff, and repair. It’s brilliant for all skin types, but especially fantastic if you’ve got sensitive or blemish-prone skin.

Larissa Thomson was a fashion editor in her previous life, so her take on clean beauty is one of the more gorgeous we’ve ever seen. Everything from Vintner’s Daughter and Tammy Fender to True Botanicals and...goop skin care is beautifully laid out and easy to shop for. The treatment rooms are stunning—we want the wallpaper, the mirrors, everything. And the treatments themselves are next-level and nourish, detoxify, and tighten pores with transformative therapies like microcurrent, intense facial massage, and radiofrequency.

You walk out of this sleek acupuncture-massage-wellness studio feeling reinvigorated. There’s acupuncture for fertility support, pain and stress relief, gut health, and more. The 75 minute acupuncture facial starts with a health assessment and facial mapping, so the aesthetician can customize the facial, which always includes some combination of acupuncture, gua sha, microcurrent, lymphatic massage, and an adaptogenic tonic. In the red-light body treatment, you’re splayed out in your treatment room, bathed in red light as you’re guided through a tranquil meditation—and you might feel the calming, centering benefits for days.

Hidden on the top floor of a charming building in Tribeca (the elevator opens directly into an airy, high-ceilinged, all-white oasis), this sleek studio is where Raquel Medina-Cleghorn’s roster of famous clients go for sculpting, high-tech, skin-reviving facials and body treatments. Medina-Cleghorn employs ultrasound, intra oral massage, microchanneling, LED photobiomodulation, and more to bring skin to life. She herself is a calming presence, and when you walk out of a session, the difference in your skin is noticeable.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

The Skin Lab evokes a ramped up version of what you feel slathering on The Rich Cream (or any other totally amazing Augustinus Bader product)—luxurious, refined, completely innovative, and located at the intersection of indulgence and science. The studio is complete with the classic Augustinus Bader–blue, copper detailing, and the most high tech facials. You start off with a skin consultation with an expert and choose your preferred treatment. We love the Ultimate Facial, which combines customized skincare picks, exfoliation, micro current, oxygen therapy, ultrasound, and LED—all completely tailored to your skin’s needs. Even better, they have a three-treatment approach to help you find the best route for your glowiest skin ever.

Sofie Pavitt, a New York licensed esthetician and certified acne specialist, is famous for her no-nonsense approach, inspired by frequent trips to Seoul. So don’t expect sound baths or whispering receptionists: Pavitt personalizes every treatment with high-tech devices, light peels, LED, and many questions about your lifestyle and routine to get you to your glowiest skin ever. Her namesake product line offers the perfect balance between good-for-you ingredients and potency (the Clean Clean Cleanser is a fan favorite).

A boutique facial studio on the border of SoHo, Ställe Studios is one of the most sought out facials in NYC. Founder and head esthetician Elizabeth Grace Hand (she worked previously at L’Oreal and Dr. Barbara Sturm) knows how to transform skin into the glowiest, freshest-looking version of itself. Each treatment starts with an in-depth skin analysis to create a treatment exquisitely tailored to your skin. Whether it’s the buccal massage, sculptural facial, glass skin peel, or signature facial, each treatment is out-of-this-world incredible.

This stunning wellness studio is 13,000 square feet of soothing neutrals and light toned woods. We love the airy wellness cafe, and the seemingly unlimited menu treatments. The facials are some of the best in the city; their signature one, a totally custom, 90-minute experience, incorporates the LYMA laser and a series of Biologique Recherche products to cleanse, soothe, and hydrate. Plus, you bring home a personalized routine recommended by one of their master estheticians.

Many of the treatments here call on the power of Chinese medicine to heal, energize, and enhance skin. Founder, acupuncturist, and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu uses gua sha—an ancient Chinese medical massage technique that incorporates a jade skin-care tool to relieve tension, support circulation, and flush out toxins for a brighter, smoother complexion—in many of her treatments. The Acne Rehab is one of her most impressive: The aesthetician uses botanicals, gua sha, and facial cupping to break up stagnation in the underlying tissues and restore balance. (Chiu emphasizes that fantastic skin happens from the inside out—but that it’s also important to pamper the skin’s surface.) And we keep coming back for the cozy cups of licorice root tea, prized in Chinese medicine for its calming effects.

It’s hard to pull yourself out of your canopied, curtained, supremely cosseting bed at this chic, Celerie-Kemble-restored hotel to walk through the gardens to the Connecticut outpost of The Well spa, but do it. The spa’s airy, enormous and as luxurious as it gets. A gorgeously-tiled, soaring-ceilinged greenhouse surrounds a giant soaking tub; the treatments are next level (try the Reiki under a down comforter, atop a heated bed, in a grove of spruce trees by an ancient pond, for example); and it’s worth coming back just for the bone broth. The Triple Lift facial is epic, layering endless active serums with something called a Remodeling Machine and another called the Micropuncture Lab to help stimulate collagen production for pretty stunning, immediately visible results.

Enormous, airy, and right off Route 27 for easy access, this multi-level spa is famous for its massive blue apothecary cabinets stocked with organic herbs, health-supporting teas, exquisite skincare, and giant glass tincture dispensers. We love the soft linens, textured walls, and the impressive lineup of treatments, especially the facials.

The farm-to-face facials at this 9,000-square-foot, 3-level spa on Lake Massawippi at the exquisite Manoir Hovey in the countryside near Quebec sources ingredients directly from the land nearby. The Honey Bliss facial is our favorite, combining a delicate honey exfoliant (from beehives on site), crystal-infused moon water, snow and reishi mushroom, and botanical peptides for glowy, ultra-moisturized and super-nourished skin. Don’t miss the Nordic thermal experiences, either.

The 30,000-square-foot Seawater Spa at Gurney's Montauk has just been reimagined with help from the team behind AIRE Ancient Baths. This summer, they’re hosting a La Prairie pop-up from June 15 through September 11, with ocean-view facials and body treatments, plus they’re offering new VOYA thalassotherapy journeys built around the restorative power of the sea. The spa also runs a summer workout series with Pilates sculpt, bootcamp, restorative yoga, strength training, and sound baths.

The Eau Naturale treatment is completely restorative, reviving skin with layer upon layer of beta glucans (commonly taken in supplement form for glowy-skin support), fatty acids, ellagic acid (linked to skin elasticity), and antioxidants via beautiful, organic, botanical formulas.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

Surrounded by the vintage stores and oyster bars of Magazine Street, Elisabeth Isbell’s cozy spa and salon is great for glossy manicures and pedicures, as well as blowouts—but the facials are especially fantastic. We love the Classic European facial and the super soothing Revitalizing Eye Treatment, which can be added on to any facial, and includes an undereye mask and a pressure-point massage.

Cocooning robes, a eucalyptus steam room (we recommend sweating it out there pretreatment), and Swarovski crystals lining the ceiling of the reception area set the decidedly plush tone that encourages you to (happily) disconnect. The popular Classic Court Facial is a mashup of rousing face massage, gentle exfoliation, plumping masks, plus add-on therapies like LED lights, microdermabrasion, and oxygen treatments.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

Set in the historic countryside of Franklin, just minutes from Nashville, Southall combines ancient therapies, the newest in tech, and a warm, personalized approach. They use only clean products, like Naturopathica and Seed to Skin, and they incorporate ingredients grown on their farm (just outside) into the treatments. A team of expert estheticians analyzes your skin to create a custom experience, no matter what your skin issue. And steam and sauna sessions—and/or dips in the mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin and the farm’s medicinal garden—are included with any service.

High up in the Great Smoky Mountains on 5,200 acres, Blackberry Mountain (the equally luxurious and rustic sister property to the Blackberry Farm resort) has incredible hiking, next-level fitness, relaxing sound baths, cozy fireside meditation, forest yoga, and more, but leave at least a day on your itinerary just for the gorgeous Nest spa. It’s the first ever Joanna Czech-certified spa in the U.S.—you can get Czech’s famous 80-minute Method facial which includes an incredible sculpting and lifting facial massage, exfoliation, extractions, and Czech’s serums, creams, and masks plus modalities like microcurrent, cryotherapy, radio frequency, and/or microneedling. Each facial finishes with rejuvenating LED light therapy and each esthetician is hands-on trained by Czech herself (Czech also does residencies)—amazing.

Owner Cleise Gomes moved to Chicago from Brazil in 2000, and has been working to bring traditional Brazilian beauty techniques to the U.S. ever since. Gomes is famous for her waxing techniques, but it's her facials that are actually one of the city's best kept secrets. There are glycolic peels, oxygen and LED light therapy, and a face massage-focused session that includes a rousing, heavenly scalp treatment.

Dr. John Q. Cook has 20 years of experience in skincare and has two beautiful Whole Beauty Institutes (one in Winnetka and another in Gold Coast) to show for it. What takes the clinical facials (they also perform fantastic medical-grade chemical peels) to the next level is the meticulously developed Whole Beauty product line; his team of aestheticians will send you home with a set of products specifically picked out to extend the effects of your time in the office. There's also a location in Gold Coast.

Mireille Hamon counts Oprah among her many makeup and skincare clients. The skin guru grew up and received her training in France, which explains her brilliant less-is-more approach. She’s a wizard at clearing blemishes via gentle steams, soothing masks, and careful extractions. Her LED light therapy and microdermabrasion sessions are stellar. And the woman is also an eyebrow genius.

The Few Institute is primarily a plastic surgery center, and a very well-respected one at that (he recently worked with us on our bestselling Youth-Boost Peptide Serum). The Skin Clinic inside is run by a badass team of aestheticians who specialize in seriously effective, medical-grade peels (which they'll customize to your specific skin type), and deeply restorative treatments like the Oxygenating Trio Facial in which skin is flooded with antioxidants to treat and prevent free-radical damage, as well as the 90 Minute Luxury Facial, a combination of steaming, deep exfoliation, microdermabrasion, and heavenly scalp massage. Afore, Few’s skincare line is brilliant; we love the absolutely next-level retinol.

There are only two facials on the menu, but each treatment is tailored entirely to you. Your session starts at their Ritual Bar where you meet with a holistic esthetician for a consult; after that, they mix up a totally custom mask and face oil to be used during the session. You can add on treatments like gua sha or jade rolling, but whatever you choose, you leave feeling (and looking) incredibly refreshed.

The only 5-star spa in Wisconsin and inspired by the rejuvenating properties of the mineral rich waters of the city’s neighbor, Lake Michigan, this spa is filled with deeply restorative amenities such as cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, and transformative facials. The signature is 80-minutes of intense hydration, firming, and toning. The treatment includes cleansing, toning, exfoliation, extractions, and facial massage as well as back, arm, and hand exfoliation. All their expert aestheticians are hydrotherapy and oncology trained.

The same way the spiritual vortex of Sedona draws seekers, it draws healers—and you can work with the best of them at Mii Amo. For 3, 4, 7, or 10 days—no more, no less—visitors follow personalized programs designed by a guide. Depending on a guest’s needs, a journey might include traditional spa offerings, like enzyme wraps and lymphatic facials, as well as specialty services, like shirodhara and Reiki healing. Spiritual treatments—meditation, hypnosis, past-life regression, and more—can be emotionally intense and incredibly cathartic. During downtime, you might explore intuitive watercolor, hikes in the canyon, dry sauna, or private pickleball lessons.

Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval Arizona is a one-stop shop for all things wellness. This 400-acre desert retreat is the kind of place you can go on a friends’ getaway or a solo journey—and return home feeling totally reset. The rugged, cacti-dotted terrain is the backdrop for a huge variety of activities like horseback riding, the Miraval’s famous Equine Experience with Wyatt Webb, hiking, and botany-focused tours. The spa, with its army of healers, wellness practitioners, and massage therapists, is just as fantastic. The most popular treatment is the amazing Cara Vida facial, which starts with a gentle cleansing, exfoliation using chia seed husks, and two masks: one made of comfrey, green tea, citrus, and rose; the other of honey and cold-pressed chia seeds. All programs are fully customizable: Guests can begin their morning with reiki, try an aerial yoga session in the afternoon, and wind down with a hot stone massage in a temperature-controlled outdoor tent.

The chic, intimate Verbena spa is one of our favorite things about the Austin Proper. Get the Proper Facial—a skin-soothing 60 minutes of cleansing, exfoliating, masking, toning, and moisturizing with Monastery Made’s incredible products like the super rich, hydrating Attar balm, hyaluronic-acid-infused Flora Botanical Cream Serum, plus a custom detoxifying clay and hydrating masks (made specifically for the spa). You can also customize your facial with fantastic add-ons like Saint Jane’s featherweight CBD serum and body cream (the latter is for an epic hand-arm massage) or TheraFace PRO’s percussive massage, heat, and cryotherapy treatments.

There are excavated river rocks embedded in the floor of the lounge area, a tribute to the stunning mountains surrounding you. Treatments here incorporate everything your skin needs to thrive—antioxidants, vitamin C, kaolin clay, peptides, enzymes—and aim to support collagen, mitigate free radical damage, target hyperpigmentation, and illuminate.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

Dallas friends swear they’ve experienced the best facials of their lives at the hands of Joanna Czech, who incorporates LED therapy into her treatments. After studying biology in Poland, she made a name for herself in NYC before adding her studio here in Dallas in 2012. Instead of selecting a treatment from a menu, your aesthetician analyzes your skin, discusses goals with you (which could be anything from treating sun damage to glowier skin for an event that evening), and then gets to work. Every facial focuses on treating and supporting the lipid (top) layer of skin, and you can add on microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as you need. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in New York City.

The treatment rooms, as well as all of the massages and facials, are inspired by the sacred kiva rooms used by Pueblos for religious rituals. Start your experience with smudging, chakra balancing, or a mindful meditation while you look out over the serene desert. If your skin is having trouble adapting to the desert climate, try the Moisture Drench Facial which gives skin a bouncy, youthful glow.

Set in the foothills of Santa Fe, this Japanese bathhouse/spa/restaurant/guesthouse is one of the most beautiful, relaxing places on earth. The outdoor baths—an enormous communal one and many private individual tubs—are surrounded by pinyon pines and overlook stunning sunsets and moonrises. All of the facials incorporate a firm Japanese face massage aimed at encouraging circulation and contouring the face muscles. The Japanese Organic Massage facial uses fast, light strokes to remove impurities and encourage lymphatic drainage.

Every treatment at this stunning spa in the middle of the Colorado Plateau starts with a smudging ceremony—a nod to the Navajo, who have lived here for centuries. The swirling smoke clears your head, helping to set the intention for the rest of the experience. Next you get a custom-blended aromatherapy shower, and only after that does the facial begin. The Amangiri Signature is a classic cleansing facial, while the Zone Facial uses targeted pressure-point massage for toxin elimination, and the Hot & Cold Stone Facial, which includes a neck and shoulder massage, is supremely relaxing. Each treatment ends with an incredible crystal sound bath.

This spa’s signature facial isn’t your standard cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. Instead, it’s a four-step treatment that uses vitamins, minerals, electrotherapy, and some Hannibal Lecter–esque equipment to cleanse, brighten, and tighten skin. The sixty- and ninety-minute treatments start with cleansing and exfoliation. Next, a cotton fabric saturated with yucca-root solution is placed over the face. Over that hovers an infrared dome to encourage detoxification, after which the aesthetician does extractions with a small vacuum. Finally, your face and neck are wrapped in cotton soaked in an anti-blemish, anti-aging solution, and a galvanic current is run through the skin. The entire process feels a bit ticklish—and yields bright, bouncy skin.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

Set on a protected cove with gorgeous reefs and warm pristine water, this resort is luxe and deeply restorative—and so is their spa. There is only one facial on the menu, and that’s because the master aestheticians personalize everything to your skin’s needs. After a consultation, there’s cleansing, exfoliating, masks, and serums to get your skin silky-smooth and seriously radiant. The best part is the lymphatic-drainage massage that leaves you firm, sculpted, and walking out in a trance.

Surrounded by white-sand beaches and tropical rainforest, this resort is drop-dead amazing on all counts, but the spa—which uses much-obsessed-over Tata Harper products for all of its facials—is next level. The Remodelage Facial is 90-minutes of remodelage (a sculpting massage technique) and facial cupping that boosts skin detoxification, long-lasting hydration, and some pretty major contoured effects.

Perched on a raw, wild cliff overlooking the Pacific, Mukul Resort brings a dose of open-air luxury to a quiet stretch of Nicaragua’s coastline. The spa’s six gorgeous suites each incorporate a different ancient healing tradition, along with powerfully healing Nicaraguan ingredients. Treatments here are over-the-top 120-minute mashups of herbal steaming, honey-cucumber tonics, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy, and soothing masks made with regional flower essences, volcanic clay, and potent herbs.

Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains are home to two-toed sloths, vibrant pink hummingbirds, and hill after hill of coffee farms—and Auberge resort Hacienda AltaGracia. You could, if you wanted to, come here just to hang in the spacious casitas and enjoy the resort’s leafy, vivid-green surroundings. But we’d argue the real magic happens at the destination-worthy spa, The Well.

World-famous dermatologist Barbara Sturm’s work is incredibly high-tech—her endogenic blood therapy, for example, takes dermal fillers like hyaluronic acid and enriches them with regenerative elements taken from a patient’s own blood. At the same time, she’s passionately clean and nontoxic in her approach—a rarity among dermatologists. After researching both techniques and skin-care ingredients at her clinic, she’s come out with a line that manages to be super effective, luxuriously textured, and chic as hell all at once. Treatments at her clinic run the gamut from low-tech to super advanced, from lymphatic drainage and microdermabrasion to hyaluronic-based mesotherapy, nonsurgical face-lifts, and microneedling.

Right on the Bosphorus, the Peninsula Hotel overlooks Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace along with the wide river. There’s a buzzy rooftop restaurant, but our favorite is the elegant, airy, sublevel spa made with floor-to-ceiling marble, saunas, a luxurious indoor pool, lavish traditional Turkish baths, and calming relaxation rooms. The Holistic facial—60 minutes of brightening, smoothing, plumping magic with botanicals and antioxidants—is a must.

Right on the ocean near Palermo, Verdura Resort is serene, relaxing, and all out luxurious. The stunning Irene Forte Spa, surrounded by olive trees and orange groves, is a playground of thalassotherapy pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, and more, but the facials are next-level. Each one uses Forte’s luxe, clean skin care line—made with botanicals sourced on Verdura’s own organic farm. We love the Etna Age-Defying Facial—90 minutes of cleansing, toning, and exfoliation, face massage, lymphatic drainage (they use cold volcanic stones sourced from Etna mountain), and a moisture-bomb hyaluronic acid treatment to seal it all in. You’ll walk out totally relaxed, refreshed, with a luminous glow.

People have traveled to Fiuggi for centuries just for the natural spring water, which, legend has it, is healing. At Palazzo Fiuggi, you’ll drink it, soak in it, and shower in it. But the real force behind this destination spa is the medical team, who will tailor your experience according to your goals and the health evaluation you take upon arrival. Your results inform the rest of your stay: Will you spend long mornings trekking through the countryside and afternoons in the thermal baths? Or will you spend the week detoxing, following your doctor visits with lymphatic massage and cleansing rituals in the hammam?

This is the woman responsible for helping in-the-know Londoners achieve that glow-from-within radiance. Amanda Lacey's legendary facials are gentle and pleasantly old school—no lasers or needles in sight. Instead, she relies on time-honored facial massage, quality, natural products, and educating clients about preventing future damage. Clients swear by her eponymous product range for at-home maintenance.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Coined “The Bradden Method,” Sarah Bradden’s signature cosmetic acupuncture facial is both a spiritual reset and a sculpting face treatment. Each treatment is tailored to your needs (and every visit is different) and includes a mix of acupuncture (for face, neck, ears, or body), Reiki, reflexology, massage, LED light therapy, and activated oxygen therapy. You’ll leave with a goddess-like glow and a restored sense of balance and relaxation.

London-based Fatma Shaheen’s treatments at the flagship Matchesfashion’s townhouse in Mayfair are booked months in advance (fans include Naomi Campbell, Naomi Watts, Candice Swanepoel, and Irina Shayk). Her most-popular facial, the SDL Facelift, is pricey, but worth it, with ultrasound, vitamin peels, radiofrequency, and something called a Glow Pen—which combines microneedling with electroporation, a form of microcurrent designed to deliver active ingredients into skin. The results—lifted, glowy, sculpted skin—are unmatched. Skin Design London also offers services at John Bell & Croyden and 180 Health Club in London. And in January, they will also be offering an exclusive treatment, called The Freeze Glowlift during a 3-month residency at Selfridges.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

In 2002, pharmacist Margo Marrone and her husband, Francesco, created a beautiful, wildly successful chain of wellness dispensaries in London devoted to their ever-expanding, luxurious, certified-organic line of homeopathic remedies, skin, hair, and body care. Their flagship store also has a gorgeous spa where all of the products are used. The facials are amazing: We especially love the vitamin C and papaya enzyme peel, the express thirty-minute facial with microcurrent, and the amazing Rose Diamond Facial, which combines a diamond exfoliation with an oxygen-infused mask and lifting massage for super glowy skin.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

Much like his culty product range, Hervé Herau's dermatology practice is not widely publicized—in fact it's almost exclusively a word-of-mouth operation. We first heard about his restorative treatments (each one is 100% personalized, which explains why there's no treatment menu on his site) from a friend who swears that a session with him is like hitting the beauty jackpot.

Clients swear that Joëlle Ciocco’s blend of buccal massage (to stretch and tone facial muscles) and product (her eponymous line of cleansers and serums) will absolutely change your skin. What's truly remarkable is that she's actually a biochemist by trade, so there's real science behind her technique. An appointment with Joëlle is not cheap, but the results are priceless. That said, booking with a member of her team is the next best thing and much easier on the wallet.

This is one of those spots that doesn't feel like it could possibly be in a bustling city: Faced with a flowering courtyard, stone walls, and a glass ceiling, La Maison Dr. Hauschka is oh-so-quiet. Fitting really, because the facials and massages are relaxing enough to knock anyone out. Their signature facial, developed by Dr. Hauschka co-founder Elisabeth Sigmund, is two hours of pure bliss—deep cleansing, layers of masks, compresses, and incredibly effective skin care.

Surprisingly, Le Bristol is the only Parisian hotel allowed to perform facial treatments using La Prairie products. Much like the product line itself, the driving force behind the treatment menu is rejuvenation—as evidenced by treatments like the Caviar Lift Facial and the ultrasoothing Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation facial. The best part? You can drop off the littles at the Kids Club for the duration of your treatment.

While there are many reasons we love Douro Valley, the fantastic treatments at the spa are at the top of the list. Many use Seed to Skin products; others use scrubs and salves that are made on-site in the Alchemy Bar from botanicals grown on the property (you can book a session to make your own, too). The signature Warming Schist Vinotherapy, a full-body scrub (with a concoction of grape seeds, oils, and port) followed by a mini facial and a full-body hot stone massage using local schist, is pretty incredible. But don’t miss the Golden Aura Facial—both plumping and glowifying, it leaves your skin sculpted, refreshed, and radiant. (You can also upgrade several of the spa services with a Theragun add-on.)

This enormous spa in the middle of the Alps, high above Lake Lucerne has everything from an infinity pool and private spa suites to 3 different kinds of saunas and a series of Kneipp baths. It also has two facials that are hard to decide between: The Dr Burgener Repairing Gold and Green Caviar Facial, which uses ultrasound, green caviar, pulverized pearls, and gold trace elements to revitalize skin, and the 111Skin Signature Harley Street Facial, which calms and coddles skin to the nth degree. Originally designed to accelerate the post-surgery healing, it works to strengthen the epidermal barrier, tamp down irritation and redness, and super-moisturize skin (unsurprisingly, it’s extremely popular among skiers).

The famed wellness escape tucked in the rainforest of Bali, Shambhala Estate is as luxurious as it is supremely relaxing—especially in the fantastic, open-air spa. Acupuncture, Indonesian massage, and all manner of treatments are all on the menu but we’re especially obsessed with the facials, all which use the clean Ayurvedic brand Sundãri. Opt for the Intensive Healing Facial if you’re sensitive (the star ingredient is soothing neen oil) or if you’re looking for glow, choose the Essential Supplifying facial with nourishing oils and exfoliating—either way, you can’t go wrong.

This spa’s minimalist, plant-filled waiting room is an antidote to the hyperactive Bangkok streets, and the hospitable staff gives you lemongrass tea while you wait for your treatment. And the treatments are efficient: After less than an hour, we left with brighter, glowier skin than we arrived with. It’s a medical spa, so you can choose from basic treatments, like a sensitive skin facial, or more clinically advanced ones that incorporate medical-grade injectables, microdermabrasion, and lasers. You can meet with a staff dermatologist for a skin consultation and help navigating the menu. But the goldmine here is the classic rejuvenation facial—a fifty-minute lymphatic massage/marine collagen mask/radio frequency/oxygen mist hybrid—which leaves you with the kind of soft, springy skin that you can’t stop touching.

Kamalaya, on the lush Thai island Koh Samui, combines Eastern and Western medical treatments for as full a reset as you want. When you’re not busy with past-life regression therapy, Reiki, sound baths, herbal soaks, and massages for everything (head, hands, feet, you name it), spend some time floating around the verdant grounds: You’ll find coastal yoga pavilions, cold-water plunge pools, otherworldly steam rooms, and a contemplation cave once used by Buddhist monks.

Relaxing at a spa set on top of the world’s largest salt lick—the place is absolutely alive with wildlife—it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything besides watch the animals and take in the incredible view, but the hour long “Afrique Arising” facial revives sun-baked, wind-whipped, safari-dry skin like nothing else. Ultra-moisturizing—it incorporates the organic, omega-rich, Africa-sourced Terres d’Afrique line—and peppered with fantastic massage techniques, the facial works to restore elasticity, hydration, smoothness, and glow.

The white marble spa in the exquisite boutique hotel Riad Farnatchi in the center of the medina is just incredible, and the facials are especially great. The Ananda Face Therapy involves an aloe vera and pomegranate cleanse, honey exfoliation, and detoxifying green clay mask, then you’re smoothed down in nourishing sandalwood and rose otto oils during a luminizing marma face massage. Other therapies couple traditional healing treatments with corrective technologies, incorporating essential oils like rare Ethiopian-sourced frankincense and sonic wave therapy.

Just off one of the busiest streets in Marrakech and hidden behind an ornate wooden door is one of the city’s most gorgeous hotels and hammams. The spa is bursting with bright, saturated colors, not to mention all sorts of fantastic treatments. The facials, all of which incorporate locally produced argan oil, are amazing. We love the Purity and Glow facial which deeply cleanses skin using gentle ingredients.

After spending the day driving around in the dry, dusty African bush, treat your skin to this full-on, rehydrating, ultra-moisturizing facial. Overlooking a lagoon of hippos, The Bush Spa offers relaxing facials and body treatments, combining both Eastern and Western techniques to revitalize skin, using products made with local extracts and botanicals. We love the Fresh Up facial to deeply cleanse and moisturize, or the Illuminating facial to wrap skin in a soothing, brightening pink clay.

Set on a private island in the Caribbean (it’s two miles off mainland Antigua and reachable only by boat) and enclosed in lush tropical foliage, Jumby Bay has 4.5 miles of powdery shoreline that are completely surrounded by crystal-blue coral-reef-sprinkled water. Every suite has a private plunge pool, and beautiful winding bike paths (the whole resort is brilliantly carless) take you right to the spa for sunrise yoga or breathwork or a treatment in a room with views of the ocean (you can actually hear the waves and breathe in the salt air). Get the facial (Tata Harper–designed, of course) with face-mapping therapy, exfoliation, massage, skin-reviving botanicals, and deep moisture.

There are just two facials on the menu at this quaint cottage-spa that’s perched on a serene lagoon (you can paddleboard right up to the entrance), and both are fantastic. Inspired by traditional Jamaican recipes and made with healing herbs and roots cultivated at the property’s own farm, the facials incorporate tension-relieving acupressure, cleansing muds, smoothing algae masks, and glowifying wild-harvested seaweed treatments.

The view alone will send you into raptures—the spa overlooks the Blue Mountains of Jamaica—not to mention the heavenly foot soak you get upon arrival. As you soak, an aesthetician determines the best treatment for your skin. They’re experts at tension-relieving face massage, deep pore detoxification, and revitalizing tired skin with island plant essences and unique lymphatic drainage acupressure techniques.

Every corner of this resort and spa on Paradise Island (yes, exactly) is beautiful. The eight private spa suites, all of which have both a lounge and a treatment room, are designed with Balinese accents like ornate wooden carvings and huge double doors that open so you can hear the ocean during your treatment. Facials fuse Asian beauty practices with Caribbean ingredients like algae, red coral, and lupin to nourish and fight sun damage.

We cannot get enough of this gorgeous hotel, especially the mostly-outdoor spa, where you’re surrounded by lush vegetation, palm trees, lava rock, and warm island air (there’s even an open air sauna). The treatments are all amazing, but the exclusive goop Glow facial is the ultimate: Layers of exfoliation, hydrators, and clinically-proven actives combine for a skin-boosting treatment that leaves anyone with the softest, smoothest, glowiest skin ever.

Joali Being, on its own private island in the Maldives, has a guiding philosophy of weightlessness. Here, that means letting go of your regular habits for a more intuitive way of life. It’s easier to sacrifice your attachments here, digital or otherwise, and it’s no mystery why: The island, covered in immaculate palm groves and dotted with modern Maldivian architecture, is so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to miss a moment. There’s an antigravity yoga pavilion, immersive wellness experiences, therapeutic and alternative healing therapies, an herbology center, a hydrotherapy hall that includes a sensory-deprivation room, sound therapy hall, and more.

A thirty-minute consultation determines the oil blends, herbs, food, and treatments most effective for your skin—and your Ayurvedic dosha. You arrive at the spa via a dhoni, a traditional Maldivian wooden boat that slices through turquoise waters. The facials combine high-tech medical therapies with ancient holistic practices; some treatments are even tethered to the cycles of the moon. The Ananda is particularly complexion-perfecting: Sixty minutes of marma massage (a traditional Ayurvedic technique) followed by light massage strokes that leaves you refreshed and drop-dead radiant.

It’s unlikely that you’d fly to New Zealand for the Healing Manuka-Honey Facial at The Spa at Kauri Cliff, but if you make it there, go for the 90-minute version, which is a fantasia of local Manuka honey, Rotorua thermal mud, and crushed paua shells from nearby Pink Beach, not to mention an incredible back massage. The spa itself, set amid fern glens and bubbling streams at the edge of the Totara forest, is pure Middle Earth. If you can, have your treatments done outside with birds singing all around you—heaven.