Savour Sri Lanka: sights, sunshine and beaches – away from the crowds

Sri Lanka is on the brink of a tourism boom with hotel chains rushing to open luxury resorts. But venture off the beaten track a little and you will find deserted shores, natural beauty and little-visited temples

Laura Cumming: best art of 2016

Portraits woke up, the tiny Goldfinch flew in, the Switch House switched on, and junk art triumphed

• Observer critics’ reviews of the year in full

Osteria Francescana: does the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype?

Tanya Gold goes very, very fine dining in Modena, Italy

In praise of … Top Chef, the Michelin-starred reality TV show

Heading into its 14th season the reality show for real foodies doesn’t need to deal in wine throwing and hissy fits, it’s far too good for deep-fried cliches

Ischgl, Austria: great partying, great off-piste

Ischgl’s wild après is legendary, but if you can resist the lure of the resort’s party scene and hit the piste with a clear head, there’s pristine powder and untracked terrain to be enjoyed

Chiara Ferragni – how a ‘crazy blogger’ turned her life into a shop window

With her blog The Blonde Salad, the former law student has used her social media style posts to create a multi-million pound business. ‘People like my story as a self-made woman,’ she explains