GQ Australia - 08.2018

EAT

NOBU SVETI STEFAN

There’s a unique joy to

sitting down to Nobu in

a country like Montenegro.

Just across the water from

Aman, it’s wonderfully out

of place. Sure, the Black

Cod needs to be flown

in, but it’s wholly familiar

and uncompromised.

NOBURESTAURANTS.COM

GALION

On the water near

Budva, you owe it to

yourself to find Galion:

pull together a friend or

five for an impossible array

of delectable seafood

that’s only topped by the

astonishment that the

minuscule bill brings.

+382 32 325 054

CONTE

Little surprise Conte

has views that will floor

you. Yes, the seafood

is wonderful. But it’s the

wine list that’s more likely

to linger in your mind,

weeks after the holiday’s

over. Get a taxi, arrive at

dusk – you don’t want

to skip the sunset.

HOTELCONTE.ME

AMAN SVETI STEFAN

The in-house restaurant

at Aman ranks as one

of Montenegro’s best.

Happily, it totally defies

what a hotel restaurant

can be. The views here

warrant a lengthy pre-

dinner drink, and the

taking of a very slow

appetiser. We suggest

working your way

through any number

of the tremendous hero

dishes – and a bottle of

Montenegrin wine.

AMAN.COM

DO

DURMITOR NATIONAL PARK

Itmayfeelcounterintuitivetofly

totheAdriaticCoastandrentskis,

butDurmitorhasaformidable

skiresortinthecoldermonths.

If you’re visiting in summer (which

you should), explore the Tara

Rivercanyonbyfoot,andhopon

araftifyou’resoinclined.

OSTROG MONASTERY

Ostrog is maybe the most

revered building in Montenegro.

Comeforthehistory–itdates

back to the 17thcentury. But

what’s more likely to sear itself

into your memories is the sheer

marvel of its architecture.

THE BLUE GROTTO

Ye s , yo u r eye s w i l l b e s a t u r a te d by

impossible shades of teal and blue

while driving around Montenegro

–butthismighttopallofthem.

LocatedinHercegNovi,thisblue

cave is stupidly pretty, and well

worthalazydaytripandswim.

SVETI STEFAN

You’renowkeenlyaware

thatyoucanspendanight(or

three)ontheislandofSveti

Stefan. But, let this be our final

suggestion for inclusion in your

Montenegrin itinerary: if you’re

looking for your Instagram

moneyshot,you’vefoundit.

FROM TOP

The spa at Aman Sveti Stefan;

the old town of Kotor, overlooked by

fortress ruins; Ostrog monastery,

located in a near-sheer cliff face.

AMAN SVETI STEFAN
Wind around the mountains,
the coast on your right. Find
the island. Once you see it, it's
unmistakable: Sveti Stefan, perhaps
the most exclusive resort island in
the world. It’s difficult to convey
exactly what makes Aman Sveti
Stefan so wonderful, but the word
‘private’ comes close. There’s a
sense of seclusion on this island, one
that’s regularly exaggerated by your
getting happily lost while navigating
the ancient streets that criss-cross
from villa to pool to restaurant.
Sveti Stefan is quite the coup
for Aman, the opulent hotel group.
The island dates back to the 15th
century, and the cobbled streets
and stone buildings have been
faithfully maintained – including
several rustic chapels. Rather than
augmenting the island’s history with
brutalist structures and floor-to-
ceiling windows, Aman have, wisely,
only made it more elegant, nipping
and tucking with nuance and polish.
The result is a hotel that’s wholly
distinct: a refreshingly memorable
space in the world of generic hotels.
AMAN.COM

KOTOR

Might we make an unusual

recommendation? In Kotor,

skip the hotel all together.

Montenegro’s luxury

accommodation scene is up

and coming, to be sure (Europe’s

first One&Only opened here this

year). But, post Sveti Stefan,

there’s a smart argument for any

one of the new, affordable, coastal

Airbnbs that have popped up.

Part of the fun will be guiding your

teensy rental through the narrow

cobbled streets, with leather-

faced locals speeding recklessly

past you, a cigarette hanging

out of their mouths.

Montenegro may be the ideal

destination for those who love a

hike, sans the giant backpack and

specially issued boots. No, these

walks are simple and satisfying, and

their payoffs outsized. Kotor’s old

town was walled by the Republic

of Venice centuries ago, so once

you’ve scaled its heights, and taken

in the immensity of this cobalt

cove, you ought to take a moment

to thank the Venetians – they did

us all a favour.

AUGUST 2018 GQ.COM.AU 75