- eating
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It's a lovely pub on the backstreets. Its owners are very friendly and the atmosphere is just magic and there is great music.
Market Square, Kinsale, Ireland
The Café is the best in Calais for lunch or for a wee drink. The staff are friendly and professional - it is not sloppy student service. Okay, Calais is definitely not the most beautiful place in the world but this place makes you really feel that you are in old France. It is simple and unpretentious.
Fantastic mussels and chips (and the chips are hand cut, none of the frozen crap), excellent steak tartare and plat de jour/ grillade.
The square in front of the café was partly destroyed twice in the two world wars and they threw up bits of concrete, but the café is an original - benches and wood panelling. We go every time we visit our journalist friend who works for the local tele.
The staff try their best to speak English, although a svp and a merci goes a long way.
They have a simple kids' menu but I really advise mussels. They might find it strange, but they will always remember it. My kids eat anything, at least once without force - then it gets more complicated.
I'm sort of regretting this as it has almost been an English free zone.
Watch out for the lovely old girl who drinks a coffee and then sings a chanson or two on Sundays - she loves Scots.
All in all, if you have an afternoon or a booze cruise - this is the best of Calais. And you can walk along the front after and see the White Cliffs of Dover on most days. Go up to the lighthouse!
Place Armes. Walk down from the station towards the sea and after the "grey" tower (not the townhall)on your left.
This place is awesome, and so is the food. This was one of our first dinner stops and we still have fond memories of it.
But the cuisine is just the first chapter of the house, the other side of the thing is a great night! The cool and trendy DJs spin the latest e-music hits, while a crowd of young and beautiful people makes things even more interesting. Should you come down to Rio, give it a try. Zero Zero is located in Gávea, near the Planetarium.
Av Padre Leonel Franca, 240 Gávea.
www.00site.com.br/
I'm absolutely crazy for Brazilian food and I've been around the country to enjoy all types of different dishes, from carne de sol (sundried meat) to feijoada carioca (black bean stew with meat).
One of my all-time favorites, though, is moqueca de camarao, a stew made from shrimps and coconut milk. It's a typical dish that originates from Bahia, but you can find it in Rio, in an excellent restaurant called Azul Marinho. It's right at the Arpoador in Ipanema, so you'll be privileged with a breathtaking view while eating this amazing food!
Avenida Francisco Bhering, Arpoador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tel.:(21) 2513-5014
www.cozinhatipica.com.br/ver_restaurante.php?id=1
I really enjoyed this Mexican joint over in Leblon. The food's great and cheap, especially on weekends where they have an all-you-can-eat buffet with a wide variety of goodies.
I didn't run into any other Mexican restaurants around Rio (and trust me, I looked), so I imagine this is the one to go to. You'd better skip breakfast if you plan on spending an afternoon here!
Rua Rainha Gulhermina, 48. Leblon
2495-2995
www.guapoloco.com.br
Some of the best Japanese food I've ever eaten is in Rio, and this place doesn't fall behind those standards. It actually raises the bar.
I went in for a buffet and stuffed myself silly. In fact, so silly that I wasn't hungry for a good eight hours later or so. If you're into Japanese, this place is worth the trip.
The menu is totally diverse, with original options, and great ambience and decoration. The staff are all very nice, and the thing that amazed me the most, despite coming straight from the beach, with beachwear, flip flops and sand on my feet, they said there was no problem at all!
Rua Henrique Dumont, 71
Loja A e B
Ipanema - Zona Sul - 2540-4829
An area of Brooklyn full of small retro clothes shops, record shops, cafes and restraunts. Great to wander around and get the feel of a New York neighbourhood.
Take the L train over to Brooklyn.
Pasta Moon in Half Moon Bay, which is on Hwy 1 just a short drive from San Francisco, serves some of the best Italian food to be had anywhere.
It is not cheap but for Brits with the exchange rate as it is now, it is very inexpensive. Go for the seafood/fishy options. Seafood risotto is superb.
I could go on and on, but if you appreciate great Italian cooking - GO THERE! It made a great start to our Pacific Coast Hwy trip.
I guess some things in life you just have to try, and when it comes to food, I have no restrictions. I was staying at a hotel in Copacabana which was near an Arabic restaurant called Amir. The people at the reception told me it was a great place to dine, so naturally I went. Boy were they right!
I tried a lamb steak sandwich and that's all it took. For starters, pita bread with hummus and a hint of lime. Very good stuff indeed!
Rua Ronald de Carvalho, 55
Copacabana - Zona Sul - 2275-5596 / 2275-4488
First off, you don´t have to be a carnivorous meat lover to enjoy a meal at this place, but it helps.
They also offer fish, sushi, plenty of side dishes and various salad items to suit even the pushiest of vegetarians.
The service is excellent, since the waiters pretty much have everyone covered (no matter how crowded the establishment looks), and are constantly looking out for their customers. The restaurant has a nice vibe to it and a beautiful view of one of Rio's many classic locations, the Sugar Loaf (which is a welcome sight after a few beers).
1)Rua Barão da Torre 218, Ipanema
2)Porcão Rio's - Aterro do Flamengo
3)Av. Armando Lombardi 591, Barra
For reservations call 3389 8989
A trendy but not pretentious place. Zuka, in Leblon, is a magical restaurant to have an exotic and tasty dinner in. The chef's creativity amazes all senses. I was really surprised by the ambience - cosy but modern, full of hip and interesting people. Definitely a must-try.
Rua Dias Ferreira 233, leblon
www.zuka.com.br
This is a small Thai restaurant in the heart of the city. The decoration is less than great but it gives great value for money.
Run by two brothers the welcome is very friendly - the older brother speaks ten languages but not English. There is however a menu in English that explains all.
Lunch menu is good at about 12 euros but even at night it is not expensive. Better than all the options for the price. We go once a week.
Try one of the house cocktails to get you in the mood and if you like chilli just ask. It gets very busy at weekends with locals and the gay set so it may be better to reserve if you want to go on a Friday or Saturday evening. At lunch it is nearly always possible to get a place (even if it is up the stairs). Very small entrance but it is beside the Catholic bookshop.
Just off the Grande Place on rue Esquermois in the old town. Metro Rihour but better just to walk.
This place's food is described as a contemporary combination of Asian, European, and Latin-American influences. It was my favorite restaurant while on my Brazilian vacation and I went there many times. I liked to sit outside.
I remember looking at the menu and thinking that the other daily specials on the other days sound good too. My favorite special was Samosa, tartar, white fish ceviche and tapioca, and salmon sashimi with passion fruit sauce, ginger and ciboulette served with a curry couscous. Their menu has Portuguese on one side and English on the other, which is great for tourists. The lovely, even sexy ambiance is also a highlight of the place.
Rua Joana Angélica 40, Ipanema
www.zazabistro.com.br
tel 2247 9101
I did not know what to expect when I went to CBF with my family, and may I say I was quite impressed! We were told at the restaurant that their main specialty was Portuguese food, from Portugal (duh!) aside from some Spanish dishes, like paella, very good. But the best by far was their cod fish with baked potatoes, olives and shrimp, just heaven! My kids loved it too, but my husband and I enjoyed it the most. It also seemed to have some of that atmosphere based on the country where the food originates from, Portugal. Anyway, quite a family-friendly spot for an afternoon lunch.
Praça Tiradentes 83 Tel: 2232 3215
A simple but great restaurant of Brazilian food. There are just so many options to eat in Rio that it's hard to settle on where to go. During my stay I went to various places around the city, but I was very selective of my choices. I wanted Brazilian cuisine only.
I found the Brasileirinho restaurant at Ipanema on a typical sunny afternoon and went inside to look further. The food is very authentic and so is the restaurant itself, which serves the main Brazilian dish, the feijoada, with accompanying side dishes that go together very well. Fantastic place for lunch.
R. Jangadeiros 10, Ipanema
B2 is a new retail store specialising in selected brands of urban toys, clothing, street art, books and magazines. The shop also houses the UK's first manga library, filled with Japanese language manga books - the store told me that English language books will be arriving January 2008.
B2 is part of Bodhi gallery and cafe. The gallery has a fast turn around of contemporary art shows. It's turning into a nice cultural centre of art, food and shopping.
B2 / Bodhi
214 Brick Lane, London E1 6SA
t. 020 7749 0750
www.bodhi-uk.com
tube: Liverpool St, Aldgate East, Bethnal Green.
Dining at Mirka is a tasty visual experience. Surrounded by murals by Mirka Mora, you dine on food from the kitchen of Melbourne's famed Guy Grossi. Based widely on a mediterranean style (Grossi is Italian), the menu here is about making one feel cosseted and at home.
The wine list is superb with wines from France and South America as well as the best of Australia. Superb service along the art of the dining room makes 'Mirka' one of Melbourne's best culinary experiences. We will be going back.
42 Fitzroy St
ST Kilda
03 9525 3088
100m from St Kilda Light Rail station
Google map: tinyurl.com/pp2mqb
The Sierra de Montánchez is a protected area of granite sierra, holm and cork oak forest, with well preserved villages situated right in the middle of Extremadura so ideal for visiting the world heritage towns of Caceres, Trujillo and Merida.
The main town of the Sierra de Montánchez is Montánchez, a place famous for air dried jamon and the romantic Moorish castle. The hiking in the area is fabulous, a gorge with ruined water mills, ancient Moorish paths through the terraced olive groves, endless paths through the cork oak forest. Bird watching is a delight, nothing to disturb the natural habitat of hundreds of species. Microclimate in Montánchez so very equable weather conditions especially in spring when the mountain explodes with millions of wild flowers.
Could try 0034 678447876 Information about the area (English speaking)
Sitting in the main plaza of Trujillo as the sun goes down with a cold beer is a little piece of heaven. The ancient stone of the 16th century palaces reflects the golden light, a stork flies over the tolling bell tower, slowly the plaza fills for the hour of the passeo. The whole town is a delight, wandering through the winding streets past the palaces and churches built with the riches brought back from Peru by conquistadors such as Pizzaro together with his Inca wife, their portraits carved on the Pizzaro Palace.
Secret gardens glimpsed through closed gates, jasmine spilling over high walls. Check out tips for Caceres, Merida and Extremadura for more ideas on exploring Extremadura.
Trujillo is 40kms from Caceres and the same distance to Montanchez
Casa Luque sits behind Nerja's church in a typically Spanish square just a minute's stroll from Balcón de Europa.
This gourmet Andalusian restaurant, with great contemporary flair, is a second generation family-run business.
The good news is that everything on the menu can be ordered as a tapa. Current dishes include chicken liver pâté with pacharán sauce, ham and wild mushroom croquettes, pork fillet with rioja wine caramel and duck magret with honey and kalamansi sauce. Wonderful wines a- plenty too.
Plaza Cavana 2
29780 Nerja
+ 34 952 521 004
www.casaluque.com
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