Not the greatest views in the Alps but the warmest atmosphere and the most delicious food. Startgels is in a league of its own in the Weisse ski area of Eastern Switzerland. Watch the owner Ueli Grand (known to us as the 'bearded man') grill your lunch over a roaring open fire. A wonderful haven for that final hot chocolate and cake on the last run home, but our friends also enjoy walking there from the top of the Foppa chairlift. Never been in summer but it would be equally lovely.

www.startgels.ch/contact_ustria_startgels_en
Postfach 79, CH-7017 Flims-Dorf
+41 81 911 58 48
The Startgels restaurant is open when the Weisse Arena ski lifts and cable cars are in operation.

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Slope side hole in the wall snack bar with prices to reflect. BUT has fantastic spicy home made soups. "La patronne" travels to India a lot and brings home stocks of exotic spices. The soups are a welcome break from the usual resort offerings of saucisson and fromage and really hit the spot at lunch. Great for a quick aperitif too. Try Peche mignon (like a kir but with peach liqueur)

Place du Tour, Le Tour, near Chamonix
Google map: bit.ly/10ks8zM

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Rustic slope side restaurant for fondue and house specialty "croutes aux fromages". Run by the Ravanels for generations. The fondue is the best you will get and the service is super friendly. A genuine hang out for the locals. Great value (12 euros for a fondue made with beaufort cheese, wine by the "pichet" from four euros) and quality all round.

www.lacremerieduglacier.fr/
766 ch. de la Glacière, 74400 Chamonix
+33(0)4 50 54 07 52
Google map: bit.ly/VO0MiM

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Slopeside in that it's right at the bottom of the home run in Les Houches so you can literally ski onto the top terrace. Funky, kitsch, big and a large inside area for apres ski make it a great stop. They do lunch specials and though evening meals maybe push towards being a bit pricey its all wholesome English/French fusion cuisine so there's a lot more choice than just tartiflette and variations there of.
Live bands play regularly and if you're down in family-friendly Les Houches as opposed to knees-up Chamonix, you'll be thankful for the Kitsch Inn offering a bit of liveliness!

www.kitschinn.eu/
77 Place de la Fruitière 74310 Houches (Les), France
+33 4 50 34 41 74
Google map: bit.ly/Xa7xI6

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This is the alpine restaurant you secretly dream of owning. With the most wonderful views of the Alps all around you, it beckons you in from the (blue) slopes. Choose whether to curl up in front of the log fire, or sit outdoors in the sunshine ordering from a huge range of home-cooked food, watching in disbelief as expert off-pisters descend vertically in the distance. The food is delicious, the service relaxed, the bill very reasonable and the experience will stay with you for a long long time.

Opposite the St Esprit chair lift about 2km below Arcs 1950.
chaletpresaintesprit@orange.fr
+33 4 79 07 44 18

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Bistro in Paris 15 - open all day until around 11pm. Very varied menu with some interesting and unusual daily choices. Large terrace. Friendly service. Nearest metros Charles Michels and Boucicaut. Has a very good, reasonably priced, wine list. Lots of people and a really good atmosphere

167 Rue Saint-Charles, 75015 Paris, France
+33 1 45 58 31 63
Google map: bit.ly/X0asSV

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Small restaurant with a menu that changes weekly - rare for Honfleur - friendly service and very good food at reasonable prices - 24 euros fixed price three course menu - à la carte around 35 euros. Is also a wine bar and so has some really good wines to choose from.

58 rue Haute
Google mp: bit.ly/13ybrRp

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Go on a week day to avoid the amazing mass of crowds pouring outside onto the street beside Omotesando Hills. If you’re a fan of the American branded ice cream then this shop wont disappoint. If you’ve never tried it you might want to dip in and see. I recommend getting your hands on some of the more daring and unusual flavours. Couch potato, a sweet potato based flavour, is definitely something I’ve yet to see on another menu in Tokyo ice cream shop menu!

Google map: bit.ly/UMwyub

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here:
www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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This stylish restaurant in Tokyo’s Daikanyama is decked out in dark wood, lending to the feeling of sitting out on the veranda of a holiday home. The restaurant is mid range with a modern European style menu. Think salads, fish plates, cheeses, pizzas and pasta. The portion sizes aren’t big, so in usual Japanese style I recommend ordering a few plates to share between two. With a great wine list and friendly, approachable staff this place makes for a great date spot or a posh lunch with friends.

16-15 Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
+81 3 6415 3232
Google map: bit.ly/VQXPe8

* Hollie is our Been there local for Tokyo. You can check out her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/tokyo-local-hollie-mantle.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/HollieMantle

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Budapest is one of Europe's great cities. However it is actual two for the price of one. Buda & Pest sit opposite one another with the river Danube separating them. The river is at the heart of this old and historic city and many tourist cruises take advantage of this fact. Taking in the views from the river itself is a great way to introduce yourself to the capital of Hungary. With the Parliament building complete with amazing spires on one side, and the Buda Castle sat on the other side with a majestic eagle statue keeping watch, my camera hardly stopped. However even these regal and wonderful landmarks are over-shadowed by the awe inspiring Statue of Freedom which towers over the city from a perch on top of a very large hill situated right on the banks of the Danube. Once you reach the summit you may be out of breath with the climb, but the views WILL take your breath away! On a clear day you can see for many miles in all directions and being able to see almost the full city in one place is a pleasure not to be missed. At night most of the main attractions are lit up which add even more beauty to this dazzling city. A walk over one of the beautiful bridges once darkness sets in is highly recommended.
Budapest, like any capital city, has many wonderful places and lots of wonderful dining, too. Food quality in Hungary is top notch with many mouth watering dishes to tempt the pallet. Catfish from Balaton is a firm favourite of mine followed by a slice of Retes which is a type of fruit pie with sour cherries. Regardless of what you eat or do in Budapest you will leave feeling richer for exploring this unique place. To see a city as vibrant and impressive is a wonder you will want to re-live again and again.
Nice photos on
cheaptravelphotos.blogspot.co.uk

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Kerala is renowned for its food, and Fort Cochin is home to some smart and some simple places for its famous fish curry and other local specialities. Looking like the worst kind of tourist trap, the Hotel Cochin Fort (“Hotel” in this context meaning “restaurant”, as so often is the case in India) stands on a corner opposite posh Brunton Boatyard hotel. We had dropped in a few times for cups of tea and cold beers in the past and were always given fast and helpful service, so we took a chance and booked a table outside for new year's eve. We didn't expect much, just somewhere to stay up late with a few drinks and a place where our friends visiting us from the UK would be able to smoke. But it was so much better than that. The restaurant had quite a few foreign tourists, and I was interested to see some domestic tourists and even some Keralan families there too. Although Cochin Fort offers Italian and continental dishes, we played it safe with the local cuisine. Tiger prawns, seerfish (local name for Spanish Mackerel or Kingfish), chicken and vegetable dishes filled the table and were light, fresh and spicy. My Chemmeen Mango Curry (made with green mangoes) was scrumptious. The wine wasn't bad (Banyan Tree), the beer was cold and the seven of us chatted to the watchful waiters as the clock ticked towards 2013.
Then it all went a bit bonkers: one of the waiters had brought some tunes which he added to an mp3 player belonging to one of the guests and an instant party was born. The doors were barred and we had a lock-in until 2.30am. An impromptu Gangnam Style dancefest to a sound system was so distorted we each danced in the rain to our own rhythm (oh yes, it rained like the monsoon and we all thanked our own gods for bringing some sorely needed water to Kerala). The chef danced on the tables, the waiters and owner's family danced in the rain, my friends danced in the fountain and I danced with a chair on my head.
The next day we passed the guys and had a big hug. It seems that after seven years of being open they had never had a party before this new year's eve. Good times, and hopefully the first of many more.

Bellar Road, Fort Kochi, Cochin 682 001
+91(0)484 2216355
cochinfort@gmail.com

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If you want to feel like a hip New Yorker and enjoy some fabulous and unique food, try this restaurant on the trendy Lower Eastside. The owner/chef greets you and her staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. You can't go wrong with any of the choices; especially the ribs. Reasonable prices for quality and inspired cooking.

www.zoerestaurantnyc.com
245 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002
+1 646 559 5962
Google map: bit.ly/UlAvtn

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Widemouth Bay is quintessential English seaside. A huge expanse of sea and sand welcomes you as you drive into the bay. The Bay View Inn is a great, friendly pub/restaurant and has good reasonably priced rooms, including family rooms with DVD players, comfy beds and terraces overlooking the ocean. It's a popular place for the locals and gets busy but at 11PM all goes quiet and a good night's sleep can be had with just the sound of waves to help you drop off. The Bay has a surf school, local shop selling fresh seafood, good cafe on the beach and a charming old-fashioned 50's fresh fish and chip van for cheap and cheerful evening suppers.

www.bayviewinn.co.uk/
Widemouth Bay, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 0AW
+44(0)1288 361273
Google map: bit.ly/12QoY6t

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Restaurante Patria in Patria is the best restaurant in or near Vejer. The quality of the food is always excellent, the trilingual (or more) owner manager is charming and her husband, the chef - very talented in the kitchen. Faultless!

www.restaurantepatria.com
c/ Patría 48, La Muela, 11150 Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz, España
+34 956 44 84 63
Google map: bit.ly/WZZhMB

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Great food, staff, decor and views - from the terrace you can see Africa, the Atlantic, Cádiz - just stunning! The menu caters for all tastes and budgets. A great find!

www.lavistademedina.com
Plaza de la Iglesia Mayor No.2, 11170, Medina Sidonia, Cádiz, Spain
+ 34 956 410 069
Google map: bit.ly/10MOfyR

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The cheapest Michelin starred food in the world at Tim Ho Wan's restaurant in Mongkok, Kowloon may not be a secret - you will be able to identify the small restaurant by the queue outside - but what I did discover this year was that you could get takeaway. The pleasure I took in walking past all the outraged queuing tourists to pick up my freshly baked pork buns was only topped by the pleasure of sitting by the side of the road eating the delicacy.

2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok
Flat 8, Ground Floor, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen, Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St
+852 2332 2896
Google map: bit.ly/X010Bv

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Great "new wave" tapas at Torre de Sande, in the old part of Caceres. What a wonderful surprise of flavours and superb value. This is definitely going to be a repeat visit next time we visit this special city in Spain.

www.torredesande.com/
Calle de los Condes, 3, 10003, Cáceres, Spain
+34 927 21 11 4
Google map: bit.ly/X01UOf

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I would really like to recommend a new restaurant in Barcelona called Llamber. It's situated in the new hip area of Born. It's one of the few places in Barcelona, where you get a free pitxo (mini tapas) with your glass of wine. For the wine lover they have 150 different wines, 30 by glass and they start from only 2,5€. Also they have a really good a la carte menu with different kinds of tapas, tables of cheeses and Spanish ham, dessert etc., all served in a creative and beautiful way.
I love to go there because the food is delicious and it's a really friendly and informal place with beautiful decoration.

www.llamberbarcelona.com
Carrer de la Fusina 5, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
(+34) 933 196 250
Google map: bit.ly/UcViNJ

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It is an international kitchen but with a Turkish touch. Open kitchen with a large menu and small prices for big plates!
Nice decoration and it was comfortable and cosy.
Child friendly atmosphere and very nice service.
The owners are from the Netherlands and the coffee they serve is fair trade with about 20 different types.

www. hotplate.com.tr
Büyükdere Cad. Eczacı Ali Kaya Sok. No. 4 Levent (Pol Center Kapı No. 35), Istanbul 34394, Turkey
+90 212 324 5588
Google map:

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One of my favourite places in Toronto to go for afternoon tea is the King Edward Hotel. A tradition since 1903, the afternoon tea menu changes depending on the season, and the Nutcracker Tea, offered until the end of December, is not to be missed.
From 2:30pm to 5:30pm every day (except December 24, 25 and 26), tea is served at Victoria’s Restaurant in the hotel. The Nutcracker Afternoon tea is CDN $39 per person and offers delicate finger sandwiches, some of which are duck confit and smoked turkey, gorgeous pastries, including the mincemeat crumble tart and finally, my favourite, warm scones served with imported Devonshire cream and homemade strawberry preserves. And of course, there’s the tea. Only in December, you can choose the Nutcracker tea, which is infused with hazelnuts and vanilla or the Gingerbread House tea, a black tea with ginger root, nutmeg, vanilla, licorice, cinnamon and allspice.

Le Royal Méridien King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East
Toronto, Canada
+ 1 416 863 4106

Google map: bit.ly/Sob896
* 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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