- eating
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If you are a vegetarian desperate for some French-tasting sustenance, try Le Potager du Marais near the Pompidou Centre, Metro Rambuteau.
It is a wonderful change to eating pizza or falafel and really makes you feel like you are taking part in France's famous cuisine.
This small pub was build in 1720. Right on the riverfront of the Thames. Excellent views of the river - good food and beer.
76 Narrow Street Limehouse E14 8BP
www.hotelara.com/england/2007/10/inns-and-pubs-of-river-thames.html
The Hospederia Zacatin in a family-run hostel, immaculately clean and very friendly, bar stays open until all hours and there is a roof terrace on the third floor as well, which does barbecues. There is also a good restaurant so lots of food choices.
La Parqu is the restaurant/bar in the middle of Alacala square. It is a beautiful area where all the family stroll in the evening. La Parque is a lovely friendly bar doing tapas and where you can watch the world go by.
Just off the central square
zacatin@hospederiazacatin.com,
www.hospederiazacatin.com
Vidilica is a cafe/bar on the edge of the wooded Marjan peninsula, at the north/west edge of the town centre. It has a large shaded terrace with fantastic views over the whole harbour, Diocletian's palace, the old and new towns, mountains and islands beyond.
Comfy chairs and sofas, good for photos.
From the Riva walk towards the little church near the start of the marina, Close to Marmontova and the red-arched Trg Republike. Take the small road to the right of the church (Sperun) and follow it up - the name changes to Senjska and it becomes steps that go straight to the cafe. Alternative steps lead back down from the other side of the terrace.
This is a very cheap solution for a pub lunch at the Opera bar on the first floor.
29 St Martins Lane WC2N 4ER
Food and drink festival between 5 &15 October 2007. Thirty five bars, restuarants and shops around Chorlton and Whalley Range are taking part. Chorlton joins other areas of Greater Manchester for the annual Manchester Food and Drinks Festival.
All over Chorlton-cum-hardy. For more information pick up a festival brochure from outlets including - Barbakan, Pad-chorlton, Unicorn and Wild at Heart
For a glimpse of the Paris of Toulouse Lautrec visit Chartier, a restaurant which looks as if it hasn't changed in a hundred years. It's cheap, cheerful and full of Parisians. Find it in the Rue du Faubourg de Montmartre
It's a chain but the seafood is so good it's unmissable.
The absolute must eat in Strasbourg, or anywhere in the Alcace region, is Tarte Flambe.
It's a kind of thin pizza like thing, but minus tomato and tadtionally made with a topping of cream, bacon and onions.
There are two things not to be missed in Lille.
The first is the Palais des Beaux Arts. On my first day trip to Lille I stayed there so long that, when looking for a restaurant for lunch, it was too late, "Désolé, Monsieur..." the kitchens were all closed. I had to grab a snack in a "quick".
But this was more than made up for by discovering the magnificent Pâtisserie Méert in the rue Esquermoise. In a magnificent fin-de-siècle tea room you can taste the most sublime cakes I have ever had the good fortune to find.
Though it may lack fine churches, Lille has a magnificent collection of 17th century buildings, incredible shopping and is an easy city to walk about. An under-rated gem.
In Brussels you must visit Cirio’s Bar in the Rue De La Bourse.
Founded by Italian magnate Francesco Cirio in 1903 it remains much as it was a hundred years ago - dark wooded panels, marble and shining brass.
Be sure to try the house speciality of a “Half and Half” - equal measures of champagne and white wine filled to the brim by bustling ultra efficient waiters.
Say hello to the cat “Minou” (French for “Kitty”) and lastly don’t forget to visit the magnificent turn-of-the-century toilets!
You simply must eat at the fishmonger’s pavement bar, the Mer Du Nord on the corner of Place Sainte Catherine and Rue Sainte Catherine.
It’s perfect for a delicious tapas style seafood lunch particularly if you are on a tight schedule, it’s also excellent value: small glass of Muscadet €2 (we had several).
This is the ultimate real food, real ale pub with roasts that will blow your socks off. In the middle of essentially not a lot in Lancashire, it's a cosy log fire and half of cider affair, but with exceptional food courtesy of Nigel Harworth.
Based on classic British cooking and local produce, the roasts are great, but more than that try out the local specialities, including my favourite, the Lancashire hot pot with pickled red cabbage. It's not only better than mum's, its better than any roast hands down!
Mitton Road, Mitton, near Whalley, Lancashire.
www.thethreefishes.com
One of the most charming small museums in Birmingham with a recently added visitor centre and tea room. A real Brummy gem. The house itself is very small, but taken together this is a real treat.
Opening Times:
Open from 31st March to 28th October
Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am - 4pm
Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays
Blakesley Road
Yardley
Birmingham
B25 8RN
Tel: +44 [0]121 464 2193
www.bmag.org.uk/index.php?type=element&maincat=1&subcat=2&subelement=2
This historic Grade 2-listed building is Birmingham's finest example of Victorian pub architecture, resplendent in decorative tiles and stained glass.
The pub serves Oakham's award-winning real ales, guest ales from the region and across the country and imported bottled beers from around the world. Authentic freshly cooked Thai food is served from 12 noon-2.30pm and 5.30-10pm Tuesday to Sunday.
One of Birmingham's true gems.
144 High Street
Aston
Birmingham
West Midlands
B6 4UP
0121 333 5988
Brilliant old fashioned curry house with slow service but excellent, excellent food - subtle, restrained and delicious unlike most in-your-face curries that seem to be all the rage nowadays.
www.rajpoot.co.uk
4 Argyle Street
Bath
Somerset
BA2 4BA
It's a fantastic cafe and deli on the wharf in one of the most picturesque spots you can imagine.
Everything is locally produced and smoked in-house, from tomatoes to fish to meat, you name it they smoke it. The café is on the wharf itself so you sit with the water gently lapping beneath your feet.
www.smokehouse.co.nz
Sheds 2&3, Mapua Wharf
Nelson Bays
Burger joint in Queenstown. The tagline goes that Ferg gives good burg. Well, he certainly does.
42 Shotover st, Tel: 03 441 1232
www.fergburger.com/
A local hotel with plenty of different beers, decent service and an interesting food menu.
157 Moray Street, South Melbourne Tel. 9690 4511
www.melbournepubs.com/v/59/
Restaurant Chartier, 7 rue Fauburg Monmartre in the 9th Arrondissement. This is the most special restaurant in all Paris. Not because of the food: it is no more than adequate and reasonable value-for-money.
No, it is something else that makes it unforgettable. It is the fact that you are seated in a massive, atmospheric dining room that has not changed in its 110 years.
And seated on tables for four. So if there are just two of you, expect to have two strangers seated next to you! And then when you ask for the bill, the waiters will write it on your paper tablecloth!
You won't find this in any of the other six cities!
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