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I was amazed to find this relic of the old South Africa not only still standing but serving exactly the same banana malts (with fresh fruit) and hamburgers as in 1949, when I lived here as a kid with my American family.
Louis Botha Avenue, Highlands North
This is one of the better old style pubs in inner Melbourne. Many types of beer and good grub.
Its specialities are the chicken parma and a good serve of fish and chips. Some decent pizzas as well as a kids menu. The rooftop bar and beer garden is the place to be on a warm night.
The Corner Hotel is also well known for its entertainment and is open until late...
57 Swan St
Richmond
Phone: 9427 7300
www.cornerhotel.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/lt42wn
This is a Mexican themed bar and restaurant in the heart of Borovets. The food is great and quite reasonably priced, but the main reason to visit is the atmosphere. The live band, who are known as Sound Forge, are superb. They cover old rock (think Hendrix, Led Zep, Black Sabbath) as well as some more up to date stuff like Oasis and Green Day. The bar staff are also fantastic - the last time I went I ended up behind the bar learning to mix cocktails. Any trip to Borovets must include a drink (or several) here.
Halfway up the hill between the gondola and the Rila square
It was my first time in Japan, and I was looking for somewhere cheap to eat that wasn’t a burger joint. I happened upon Yoshinoya (they’re everywhere, look for the bright orange signs). The menu is mainly rice-based: the dishes include pork, beef etc. with ginger, curry etc. The dishes cost from 360 - 630 yen (approx. £2-4) including rice and miso soup - fantastic value for money. I ate there four times in a 10-day holiday, and every time we were the only westerners there; as they say, if it’s where the locals go it must be good!
Everywhere in the major cities
The best vegetarian restaurant in Lisbon (and one of the very best I've ever been to).
Amazing buffet with vegetarian versions of traditional Portuguese food. It is like being at home with a very talented Portuguese friend!
They have a wall full of awards and press clippings. Moby has been there and praised the place, as have several other very well-known artists.
It can get crowded, especially on weekends.
Rua da Palmeira, 15 1200-311 Lisboa
near garden of Principe Real and Barrio Alto
www.terra.vg
Melbourne is undoubtedly the foodie capital of Australia and the choice of restaurants is overwhelming. Should you find yourself out of the CBD's foodie haven and in the suburb of Camberwell, seek out the Afghan kitchen. I started with a platter of starters to share, which consisted of north-west frontier lamb dumplings, roasted aubergine and flat bread. For mains I had the bamia - okra cooked the Middle Eastern way in a tangy, tomato sauce and to finish off, a trio of mini desserts consisting of barfi (pistachio cake), firni (rosewater and cardamom custard) and Baklava. Pleasant ambience, a culinary experience that's a bit different and friendly service make this place a winner. And the icing on the cake - averagely priced!
923 Burke Road, Camberwell 3124, Melbourne
Phone (03) 9882 2775
The easiest way from the CBD is to take the train from Flinders Street and get off at Camberwell station, which is on Burke Road and minutes away from the Afghan kitchen. There also is a tram route that services Camberwell.
Google map: tinyurl.com/qv8mbd
Start off at Bill's Produce Store on North Road, where you can enjoy colourful platefuls of homemade pizza, quiche and salad in a huge room lined with delicious-looking preserves, pickles and other goodies. You'll be near North Laine now, so go for a post-lunch potter amongst the shops selling anything from vegetarian shoes to kooky sex toys.
If you have any space left after Bill's, a visit to the Bar du Chocolat on Middle Street is a must. Run by the iconic Brighton confectioners Choccywoccydoodah (Duke Street), the hot chocolate is top rate. For one last gastronomic treat, make sure you book a table at Terre a Terre, one of the top vegetarian restaurants in the country, and one of the few to serve up 'haute cuisine' vegetarian food. After all that indulgence, Sunday morning can be a bracing walk along the seafront towards Hove, past the dejected looking West Pier and towards the ice-cream coloured beach huts.
Try Bill's Produce Store for a spot of lunch. It’s ‘the in place’ at the moment but it still feels very genuine. Good prices, friendly service. The North Laines area is also worth a visit particularly for last-minute funky presents. The new library building should also be seen (Carluccio’s café and shop is just around the corner too).
I cannot recommend the Caribbean city of Cartagena, on the north coast of Colombia, enough. I went for two weeks with my girlfriend and we never wanted to leave. Within the fortified old city are charming cobbled streets lined with immaculate Spanish colonial architecture, statues of fallen heroes and smiling people talking in the squares. Overhead will be baroque church steeples and domes, punctuated with colour spilling out from window flower boxes. There are superb restaurants offering fine seafood and other local specialities, a thriving, but not intimidating, nightlife and the full spectrum of accomodation, all enclosed within the walls. And the sun will be shining, but not so that you have to stay indoors, and advantage of the gentle Caribbean breeze.
Outside the old city are the white sands, green waters and palm trees the area is worshipped for. Take a boat trip to the offshore islands and see the island you'll both buy when you win the lotto! It is remarkably safe, and don't assume you will be queuing the entire time either - this is no Disneyland - you can have sweet little restaurant all to yourselves, or a park with a fountain, or a stroll atop the city wall, so romance is hard to avoid. However, if you feel like a film and a pizza, just grab a cab over to the new city and send an email home while you're at it. Definitely a winner - the most romantic place in the world.
If you only have a few days and are starting in New York City, I might suggest following US 1, a highway which goes from Maine to Florida Where available, you can choose to take US 1A (also known as Alternate US 1 - it's not a contiguous highway) for a more scenic coastal route. From New York, you can head north into New England (cool days, chilly nights in April). Or, for warm weather, head south from New York along the Mid-Atlantic coast into the South and all the way to Key West, if time permits.
Some of the best American regional cuisine is located along the East Coast. Most of the seasonal diners, crab shacks and lobster pounds will be open by April, but not yet crowded. My personal favorites include: the Maine Diner in Wells, Maine; Essex Seafood in Essex, Massachusetts; Durgin Park in Boston, Massachusetts; Mrs. Wilke's Dining Room in Savannah, Georgia; the Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, Florida; and Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House in Miami Beach, Florida. There are simply too many to list; you need to get the Roadfood book or see their website. Happy travels and happy eating.
It's tough to beat driving up the Pacific Coast highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Stop in Big Sur on the way and glory in the scenery. Otherwise, if you want to stay on the Eastern edge, it's worth a trip down at least part of the Blue Ridge parkway. The actual parkway has a 30 mph speed limit (if I remember correctly), so it gives you time to take it easy and enjoy your classic car!
One thing I would definitely recommend is the book (and website) Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern. They're a husband and wife team who specialise in writing about food and travel. They also file regular reports for the radio show 'The Splendid Table' broadcast by Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW (which you can podcast from kcrw.com). They're constantly in search of wonderful holes-in-the-wall, diners, shacks or anywhere else that serves good American "classics" - from clam chowder to hot dogs to meatloaf to pecan pie, and everything in-between. The book is organised geographically, so wherever you end up driving, it's likely that they'll have covered the area and will offer some good choices.
As a long weekend break I would highly recommend Istanbul. If the stunning mosques and Ottoman architecture don't fascinate you, there is always the grand bazaar or spice markets. Ferries run up and down the Bospherous, constantly connecting the Dead Sea with the Sea of Marmara. The food is exceptional. Whether you'd like to try a real kebab at the top of Istekal where the stall sells over 10,000 per day, or sit in an outdoor restaurant overlooking the sea drinking very quaffable Turkish wine and eating freshly caught fish, the food will never disappoint. Turks love to dance, and the clubs rival anything in London. In the summer the parties move onto the roof terraces. Locals tend to be warm, friendly and helpful to the point of bending over backwards. I came out here for a weekend earlier last year and now I live here. You can't get a better recommendation than that!
I live in Girona, a Ryanair hub (with flights to and from Bristol) which many people use to get down to Barcelona. However it is a great town with plenty going on, top class restaurants, easy access to Barcelona by train (€12 return) or if you hire a car, to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the nicer bits of the Costa Brava. Not necessarily a huge amount warmer than the UK, but generally a lot brighter! The only downside is that it is a bit short on hotels, so you need to book early.
For those who love quality Japanese food, this is the place to go in Rio. I recommend it because of the great atmosphere and Benkei's fish which is always very fresh!
Rua Henrique Dumont, 71 - Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
(55) (21) 2540-4829
www.benkei.com.br
Barbecue, samba and beautiful women - that's what I loved about Rio!
I had dinner at this barbecue place called Porcão and it was great. Their picanha is out of this world - very tasty meat.
Av. Infante Dom Henrique S/N - Aterro do Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
(55) (21) 3389-8989
www.porcao.com.br
When in Cape Town, enjoy the V&A waterfront, which is wheelchair-friendly and take a harbour cruise for magnificent views of Table Mountain and the wharf. Also, the cafes and restaurants on Long St are usually quite friendly!
N. America's Disabled Adventurer
www.bluechairbook.com
Casa Rosa is a great place to go in Rio. There you can try real Brazilian food and music. On Sundays they have feijoada (a traditional Brazilian plate). There are lots of beautiful and young people there too.
Rua Alice, 550 - Laranjeiras, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.
Phone: (55) (21) 2557-2562
www.casarosa.com.br
Boni used to be located at 21 rue Barla in Nice but has moved to 15 rue Tonduti de l'Escarene - a bit closer to the centre of Nice and easier to access either by tram, bus or car.
The place is great and the decor is superb. The floor staff (Igor and JP) is the same as at the former address. They do speak English
fluently which is a great help if yours is basic.
The food is simple and yet full of flavours, taste and colour. The service is excellent and the desserts are... out of this world.
Boni restaurant
15 Rue Tonduti de l'Escarene, 06000 Nice
Bus N°7: Stop Hospital St Roch
Tram: Stop at Gare routière
Car: Nearest car park Marshall - 1h20 min for free
It’s impossible not to fall in love with this restaurant. The decor is amazing, original and really romantic.
My boyfriend and I had a great time there. A good tip is to stay on the upper floor and have dinner at those lovely low tables with pillows. The food is quite exotic and very tasty.
Another recommendation to add to the 'used by Bondi locals' list. Full breakfast here comes on two plates for the really serious to keep your toast free of egg or tomato leakage. This is the king of breaky that keeps you going all day - the veggie one comes highly recommended as well... Mmmmm.
The menu for the rest of the day is pretty good too, but in Bondi breaky is king - after a swim and before a trip to the Sunday markets.
Gould Street Plaza (leads onto Campbell Parade), Bondi Beach
Google map: tinyurl.com/pfh6yn
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