When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, he made enemies of that entire country—and much of the world—but the Russian president has an equally dedicated foe much closer to home. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny hasn’t backed down despite a near-fatal poisoning and, at the moment, imprisonment. So this is the ideal time to watch Navalny, a documentary about the assassination plot that almost killed him and his defiant return to Russia, where the authorities recently added nine years to his 30-month sentence in a labor camp. His trajectory is chilling, but Navalny, who is still posting protest messages on social media, turns out to be surprisingly likable—determined but not fanatical, serious but also good-humored. His wife and two children are as attractive and appealing as he is—perfect foils to the icy, paranoid, and isolated Russian president. At a time when Ukraine’s very existence is in peril and Russia’s future seems so bleak, Navalny provides a glimmer of hope. (cinemark.com) —Alessandra Stanley

Copenhagen is full of restaurants and bakeries started by chefs trained at Noma—the city’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant that’s currently ranked as the best in the world. The latest addition to the group is Popl Burger. In the summer of 2020, after the pandemic had closed Noma’s kitchens for several months, the chefs started a temporary burger pop-up. The food was so popular that the one-off became a full-time restaurant. Unlike its big brother—with its 16-course tasting menu to be reserved six months in advance—Popl is a casual shop with a limited menu. Their regular burgers are made with organic Danish beef, while their vegetarian and vegan burgers use quinoa and take two days to prepare in Noma’s fermentation lab. Patties are served on pillowy potato buns made at Hart Bageri, a bakery started by another former Noma chef. (poplburger.com) —Jensen Davis

The bookstore Three Lives & Company is resilient. Opened in 1978 on the corner of West 10th and Waverly, the West Village shop quickly became a neighborhood staple. Even with ever increasing rent costs and a temporary pandemic closure, the shop still stands. This past week, after months at an interim location, the store finally moved back to its original—and just renovated—home. It’s still small and intimate, and has a highly knowledgeable, warm staff. Stay tuned for their soon-to-relaunch in-store readings. (threelives.com) —Gracie Wiener

I’m aware that Washington, D.C., is hardly a savvy traveler’s idea of a good time. It’s a government town swarming with sightseeing school groups. But with Trump out of office and cherry-blossom trees reaching peak bloom, it seemed like the right time to revisit our nation’s capital and check into the Riggs Washington DC. The swanky 181-room hotel occupies the former headquarters of the Riggs National Bank. While most D.C. hotels fall back on bland, uninspired décor (call it aesthetic bipartisanship), the Riggs takes a stronger stance with its design. Soaring and ornate barrel-vaulted ceilings reflect the building’s original Romanesque architecture, and the guest rooms and suites are resplendent with vivid colors and many textures. For a truly well-spent stay—and delicious cocktails—head down to the vault, where world-renowned British barman Ryan Chetiyawardana (known as “Mr. Lyan”) has opened the handsome and buzzy Silver Lyan. (Starting at $429 per night, riggsdc.com) —Laura Neilson

The rumors about Ludmila Daletskaya are true. She is, in fact, one of the most skilled facialists around—and the best one this tired and world-weary specimen has encountered in quite some time. The aesthetician now brings her three decades of experience to the latest outpost of Knockout Beauty, Cayli Cavaco Reck’s jewel box of a beauty shop on Madison Avenue. (Find their other locations in Bridgehampton and Brentwood.) Try the Knockout Beauty Facial, which begins with a dermaplaning treatment to exfoliate skin, increase collagen production, and promote cell turnover. Next there’s an elaborate series of anti-aging cleansing, masking, and hydrating, accompanied by massages that left this verifiable stoic nearly levitating. The most difficult part of the experience is booking the appointment. There are loads of facial aficionados but only one Ludmila. And she travels. (From $225, knockoutbeauty.com) —Ashley Baker

It’s been a decade since the reimagined Islamic-art wing opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. To commemorate the occasion, the Met Store has enlisted artisans from Egypt, India, Morocco, Turkey, and Afghanistan to bring their heritage craft to discerning shoppers. Called the Heirloom Project, it’s curated by textile designer Madeline Weinrib and includes fine jewelry, fashion, tableware, home accessories, and much more. There’s a lot to love, and new products keep dropping. For now, we’re partial to Blooming Poppies, their fine-bone-china collection from Good Earth, a sustainability-minded Indian pottery studio founded by Anita Lal. It’s well worth a trip to the Met to look through everything the project has to offer, but the china, along with a few other items, can be found online. ($38–$200, store.metmuseum.org) —Ashley Baker