This is your last chance to see Helsinki, the 2012 World Design Capital, before the snow arrives. Explore the fascinating Design District (www.designdistrict.fi), including the Design Museum’s new ‘The Home – A space and a state of mind’ exhibition (www.designmuseum.fi). Visit Kiasma, the museum of contemporary art (www.kiasma.fi), to see Kaija Papu’s life-size knitted police car. Rest your legs in Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall cafe or spend a quiet moment in the stunning wooden award-winning Kamppi Chapel of Silence. If you fancy seeing some older Finnish architecture while enjoying the trees in their autumn colours, the Seurasaari open-air museum (www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/sights-and-attractions/seurasaari-open-air-museum) is the perfect place to spend a bright autumn afternoon. For evening entertainment, take advantage of the Finnish National Opera’s low prices (as little as 14 euros) and enjoy The Magic Flute, Don Carlos or Tosca (www.opera.fi).

Flights to Helsinki by Finnair (www.finnair.com), Blue1 (www.blue1.com) and Norwegian (www.norwegian.com)
Google map: bit.ly/PTj5hR

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The best thing to do when it's nippy is go for a long walk to get a flush in your cheeks then curl up in a cosy cafe and drink coffee. This is something the Swedes do very well and Stockholm, with its archipelagos, is the perfect place. The city is made for walking with its islands all manifesting a different kind of attitude from cobbled streets to the hipster hangouts of Sodermalm. My favourite cafe is Gildas Rum which looks a bit like it was interior designed by Helena Bonham Carter in terms of clashing eccentricity but that cakes are great, it's suitably cosy with big backed armchairs and if you sit at the window you overlook a little city park perfect for people watching.

Skånegatan 79 116 35 Stockholm, Sweden
Google map: bit.ly/StkNFe

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The Burrell, Kelvingrove, Mackintosh, lots more free galleries/museums, amazing architecture, sensational shopping, vibrant culture and cafes and a suburban transport network that takes you to the shores of Loch Lomond and the slopes of the Arrochar Alps - where else but Glasgow?

www.seeglasgow.com/
Google map: bit.ly/SXDwbQ

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Good place for food and drink on a buzzing corner on Dizingoff street. We ate and drank here twice during our time in Tel Aviv.
Had two mains, three beers, two wines and one coffee for 240 NIS.
Later in the evening queues form, a testament to the popularity of the place. An added bonus is that there is free wi-fi. Some seating outside with more seating inside.

Dizengoff 306, Tel Aviv, Israel
+972 777931840
Google map: bit.ly/RtZoib

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An artisanal bakery which boasts quality breads and cakes almost too beautiful to eat. There are various different breads to try, from traditional baguettes to olive, walnut, apricot and hazelnut; but I’m told that once they’ve found one they like customers tend to stick with it. Even the Neptune restaurant I’ve featured before buys its own particular type of loaf from here. The bread is made upstairs and allowed to rise 24 hours before baking. It’s a process that takes time and space, but here production is limited by the premises rather than number of personnel. So after 26 years with the shop and atelier in the same building, the Saint-Aulaye has just moved to a new building which has the same surface area, but will no longer require its 12 pâtissiers to traispse up and down four flights of stairs.

www.saintaulaye.be/
Rue Vanderkindere, 377, 1180 Uccle
Google map: bit.ly/Qr1Sex

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“Photo? Of course, je vous en prie!” He says, as he hands me my box of strawberry and raspberry tarts. “Everyone in Brussels knows about this atelier”, he adds. “Oh?” I say. I hadn’t known, and I only wish I’d been told about this place earlier – it has been here for 60 years, after all. Now there’s no need for that sinking feeling as you plod home after a late night at the office and remember that the fridge is bare, or wonder what to eat after an impromptu gathering leaves you unexpectedly drunk and ravenous!
Here’s what I suggest: head down the long corridor that opens out into the cavernous atelier, weigh yourselves on the huge and antique scales. So that’s 20 bags of flour…. Re-emerge from there. Enjoy some beers and frites in the bars around Place Jourdan. Return several hours later for bread, rolls, croissants or tarts. Weigh yourselves again. From Midnight the cocoa-buttery smell of fresh pain au chocolat will waft down the corridor to entice you in – for this is the hour of the first fresh pastries of the day. What a great idea in a land where supermarkets generally close at 8pm! Open every day from 19:00 to 7:00. From 7:00 the actual bakery on the square takes over, but that is not so much fun.

Rue Général Leman, 8 1040 Etterbeek
Google map: bit.ly/VjxshK

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Garcia’s tearoom is packed on a Sunday morning, but in the adjoining blue and white tiled bakery business is slower and you can call in and pick up your sweet Portuguese pastries at any time. On a quieter weekday morning I had my first sampling of savoury Portuguese treats in the tearoom – including mini shrimp croquettes, cod and chicken pastries. Now I’m hooked, but that’s okay
because I can still have one of everything available and it will still be as cheap as Belgian chips.
The owner is from Lavre in Southern Portugal, but left to see the world. To remind him of home, and us of sunnier Mediterranean climes, we sit next to a recreated façade of his house, happily caffeinating ourselves. Hearing Portuguese spoken on the terraces around Place Flagey, it seems like a large proportion of Brussels’ Portuguese community must have settled in this area, but no, they’re everywhere, says the guy serving my pastries. What a lovely language, and what lovely pastries!

Avenue de la Couronne, 75- 77, 1050 Ixelles
Google map: bit.ly/VjwfXv

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This world famous Madrid institution has been serving its famous chocolate con churros since 1894 and trying it is a must do experience when you are in Madrid. Dip your churros in the hot chocolate. Chocolate con churros is served all day and night (including during the early hours of the morning as is traditional for the clubbers of Madrid). It is a great cure for a sore throat and cold symptoms. A chocolate con churros costs three euros 80 cents which is actually very cheap.

Pasadizo de San Ginés, 11, 28013 Madrid
+34 91 365 65 46
Google map: bit.ly/W6LQtW

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While Leipzig is worthy of a short break itself, a little over an hour by train, it is also a managable day trip from Berlin. Plenty to do day and night, it's a city full of history, proud of it's leading role in the 1989 revolution. There's an interesting array of museums, including the former Stasi headquarters, now documenting the history of the Stasi. It also has some great nightlife with fab cafes and bars to kick back with a beer or cocktail.

www.leipzig.de/int/en/
Google map: bit.ly/QEmErh

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Food trucks have become very popular in Toronto over the last year, with over 12 vehicles
located anywhere in the city at any given time. And while they are all the rage, locations are often announced at the last minute.
The best way to find out where any of the city’s gourmet food trucks are located is to visit
www.torontofoodtrucks.ca, or follow the trucks on Twitter via @ontfoodtrucks.
Items served from these trucks are not strictly hamburgers and hotdogs. Options include fish tacos, Southern barbeque, brisket sandwiches, eggplant manicotti, lobster, and empanadas, just to name a few.
There’s lots of ethnic food to be had, including the Blue Donkey Streatery, specializing in
Greek cuisine, with items like souvlaki, gyros, fried calamari and feta fries, all under CDN $10; Gourmet Gringos offers tacos, arepas and homemade empanadas; and Fidel Gastro sells unique items such as the Sloppy Jose: cola braised brisket with home style baked beans and a roasted corn aioli, Sgt. Slather: BBQ pulled pork, guacamole cream and crushed tortilla chips and Cheekita Cheekita: beef cheek with pineapple salsa.

www.torontofoodtrucks.ca

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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My Earl Grey order appeared in a small glass tea pot, from which it was poured into a mismatched bone china cup and saucer in hues of green. This is not the kind of family-run café to serve bags filled with factory sweepings; my tea had been made from the finest leaves in the eastern Himalaya, then massaged with bergamot oil by local virgins. But the full fat blast of texture and flavour from my "Pastel de Nata" (egg custard tart to the rest of us) swept away any pretensions. My partner's mocha was "the creamiest mocha I've ever tasted; 60% chocolate," and his pastry had the right balance of short, cake and chocolate. The waitress – who seemed to have taken a break from the local bridge club to come and help – topped up my pot and chatted to us about sailing round the world and the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.
This is a lovely little bakery-cum-café-cum-restaurant. Don't miss it if you're ever in Orford.

pumpstreetbakery.com/
1 Pump Street, Orford, Suffolk, IP12 2LZ
+44 (0)1394 459829
Google map: bit.ly/QBp1Ny

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The Weir Cafe at Whalesborough Farm now offers a 'Tramper'scooter to hire which enables wheelchair users and those with difficulty walking to the farm and Bude canal. It can go up and down slopes, over bumps and tree roots, through shallow puddles, mud and soft ground at a top speed of four miles per hour.
The cafe is in a beautiful setting and offers great food day and night.

www.weir-restaurant-bude.co.uk
Whalesborough Farm, Marhamchurch Bude
Cornwall, EX23 0JD
+44(0)1288 362 234
Google map: bit.ly/NjyLYm

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I love this place, which offers much more than the name suggests, including baguettes and gâteaux and a wide selection of filling and tasty pastries. My favourite savoury snack is the totally un-pc Sýrový šnek (literally "cheese snail"), a pastry spiral made with mozarella and gouda, making it slightly gooey. The sweet pastries are excellent too!
Rembrandt Donuts is a little more expensive than the average Prague bakery, but the higher prices are definitely worth it.
After 6pm, you can buy many items are at a reduced price. Some branches are little more than holes in the wall, but others have seating areas.

Branches include at and Jindřišká 24, Na Poříčí 31 and Spálená 16.
+420 224 230 253
Google map: bit.ly/O093KK

www.rembrandtdonuts.cz/Prodejny.html (branches)

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A lot of cafes say they serve the best coffee in town but this one really does.
Owned by Antonio a fantastic host the food is also special.
A limited choice but all prepared fresh daily.
A first port of call for Italians visiting the city and a growing band of regular customers it's a class and much loved place to meet in the city.

The Met Quarter 43 Whitechapel, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 6DA
+44(0)151 236 2611
Google map: bit.ly/RrADEs

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When I’m looking to have an extra special brunch, one of my favourite spots is Dessert Trends. Here, the food is made using high quality ingredients and the presentation is just as important as taste. I’ve had everything on the brunch menu, with all items being delicious and memorable.
For meat lovers, the house made fennel and pork sausage with scrambled egg on cornbread, balsamic onion compote and a side salad is sure to please. On days when I’m not so ravenous, I go for the lemon dill scramble which comes with a buttery brioche, smoked salmon and salad. The salade nicoise is also a lovely choice, especially if I’m brunching later in the day; it comes with seared ahi tuna, fingerling potatoes, eggs, olives, anchovies, French beans and a champagne vinaigrette.
The real reason I come here, though, is for the desserts. The master pastry chef, Donald
Duong, is a classically trained French chef who has won numerous awards, having made cakes for the Queen, the Pope, the Canadian Prime Minister and several other dignitaries. The desserts and cakes are all works of art that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Rows and rows of lovely creations line the glass counter: mini cheesecakes, tarts, cakelets, I can never resist them and have also tasted most of these creations. Happily, though, different desserts rotate every few weeks, so I always get to try something new.
If you’re not able to make it for weekend brunch, I recommend visiting this place for a great cup of coffee and a splendid dessert. Afternoon tea is now also being offered in the newly renovated space upstairs, with the mandatory fresh scones, croissants and clotted cream, as well as other delectables, like melon and prosciutto sandwiches, pineapple and watermelon gazpacho, and various petit fours.

Brunch is available on weekends, starting at 10 AM. Please note this place is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

www.desserttrends.ca
154 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON
+1 416 916 8155
Google map: bit.ly/PlGkxo

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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Oriental tea lounge with charming decor, great atmosphere and a delicious range of teas and pastries.

www.orienthe-aix.com/
5 Rue Félibre Gaut, 13100 Aix-en-Provence
+33(0)4 42 59 20 77
Google map: bit.ly/Qf28iC

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Sit at a cafe table in this small quiet square by the church and watch the storks fly to and from their nests on the church steeples.

Travessa do Ferrador, Alcácer do Sal, Setúbal 7580, Portugal
Google map: bit.ly/Rn4nOz

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A warm welcome after a marvelous walk in Lisbon! Cafe Pois is a very relaxing and friendly place, just what you want after a hot morning of walking around the historic Alfama district of Lisbon. The food is not the traditional Portuguese, it is salads with couscous, smoked salmon and hummus, these are just a few of the delights on offer. I will definitely return to this restaurant on my next visit to this charming area of Lisbon.

www.poiscafe.com/
Rua São João da Praça 93-95, 1100-521 Lisboa
+351 218862497
Google map: bit.ly/NlQ4eE

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A fantastic little café in the lesser known neighbourhood "Der Wedding". Amazing coffee, four different kids of hot chocolate, homemade cakes, müseli for breakfast and potato wedges with Quark for lunch.

www.gilmores-berlin.de/
U-Bahnhof Rehberge, Müllerstraße 70b, 13349 Berlin
+49(0)30 4512090

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Throughout Tokyo (and Japan) there are many, many small, independent coffee shops, normally run by one guy who's the owner and has been running the shop for decades. They often, but not always, have great coffee, often prepared in strange ways (siphon coffee for example) but are usually quite quirky. I've seen everything from old video arcade tables games used as tables to one dedicated entirely to James Brown. As the owners are one man shows, and often quite old, they do what they want and the decor, etc. reflects that. As many of them are quite old, they're slowly disappearing as their owners retire or die, and are generally not replaced so enjoy them while you can.
Smoking is mostly allowed (plus for me as a smoker) but don't let that put you off if you're not. Most have food of the coffee shop variety ( cheese toast, sandwiches, cakes, etc, some have lunch specials). Note: "oyagi" means something like "old, no-longer attractive, man". These are the kind of people who often go to these places, but it's not as bad as that sounds and these guys wouldn't go somewhere for years or decades if they weren't good.

Everywhere, just look for small signs advertising coffee (usually in English) on the street or shop windows. They're mostly on the ground floor.

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