Amelia Allen

Half a century ago, bottles of bubbles, fizz, champers, whatever you prefer to call it, were predominantly stamped with “Product of France” or “Produced in France”. That is, until producers such as Nyetimber, now practically synonymous with English sparkling wine, struck (liquid) gold when they discovered that Champagne's chalk soil snakes beneath the English Channel and resurfaces across Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire.

The Costa Brava – not to be confused with Costa Blanca, where our cigar correspondent smoked out the tobacco shops – is a 220km ribbon of Spanish coastline that stretches roughly from Blanes (near Barcelona) to the French border. It conceals over 200 beaches and coves, receives 2,500–2,800 hours of sunshine per year, and, for those who keep tabs on the UV index like stock markets, an average of 8 in the summer months.

If you thought regular omakase menus were extravagant, wait until you hear about a niche experience that transforms the centuries-old tradition of tuna carving into multi-course ceremonies. The experience entails a whole bluefin tuna being wheeled into the dining room and broken down before your eyes, before spooning the meat straight from the bone alongside many, many courses. A small wave of Japanese restaurants in London has caught onto the trend – here's our top pick of the best.