Nicely decorated cafe restaurant on a quiet street in the Chueca district in Madrid is a great spot to stop off for a bite to eat. Go for the homemade cocido madrileño(type of stew) or the brunch banquet with its four+ courses made with artisan and fresh premium ingredients. If you like you can continue and have a cocktail and let your thoughts wonder listening to the great tunes.

Calle Pelayo, 60, Chueca
+34 911694179
Google map: bit.ly/M65wc5

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If you go to Cadaques, probably the most unspoilt coastal village in Spain, there are two main pleasures: food and sea. Food: skip the tourist restaurants, and walk round the Punta de Sa Costa on the eastern side of the town centre – you’ll find much more authentic beach restaurants frequented mostly by local people and pungent with the smell of delicious frying fish. Sea: kill three birds with one stone by taking your swimming gear and a picnic and setting off in the morning for the thirty minute walk towards the Cala Nans lighthouse. You get vigorous exercise, beautiful national park scenery, and a magic little cove (Sa Sabolla) where you can spend the day, snorkelling in limpid waters with almost no one else around.

www.visitcadaques.org/?lang=uk&sec=
Google map: bit.ly/NCT5D8

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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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Hot, spicy, sweet and sour food – try it all at this year’s 15th annual Hot & Spicy Festival, taking place from July 20 – 22, 2012. Serving up diverse flavours from around the world, entertain your tastebuds with food paired with samplings of the hot sounds of the region.
Highlights include an International Chef Competition, featuring a Taco Takedown where
each chef serves their own individual dish - purchase a sample platter of these creations and determine yourself who the winner should be; the Red Hot Market offers some of the spiciest hot sauces available; learn about the slow food movement and how to smoke fish at the “Hot & Spicy” smokehouse; or attend one of the canning workshops and the farmer’s market.

www.harbourfrontcentre.com/summer/hotandspicy/
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay West
Toronto, Canada
Google map: bit.ly/L60lak

How to get there: Take either the 509 Exhibition or 510 Spadina streetcar west from inside
Union Station (to exit from the subway platform by the correct stairs, look for the Harbourfront
signs). Both streetcars stop directly in front of Harbourfront Centre.

* 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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It would be a crime against gastronomy to visit Normandy without sampling the local delicacies: the famous cider and galletes (savory crepes). Nestled between the scenic 'Vieux Bassin' harbour and wooden Sainte Catherine cathedral, La Cidrerie bar and creperie offers the perfect environment to try both. The service is friendly, the prices affordable and the crepes are fantastic. This is the perfect place for a light lunch or a sight-seeing break. If you have a sweet tooth the 'crepe caramel au beurre salé', salty caramel, is surprisingly tasty and is also considered a regional delicacy.

creperie-lacidrerie-honfleur.com
26, place Hamelin - 14600 Honfleur
+33(0)2 31 89 59 85
Google map: bit.ly/NmKXu2

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Taking inspiration from the picturesque beauty of it its location on the banks of the River Serthe, artists flock to Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei all year round. When you have scoured the galleries, walked through the medieval lanes, stared at the frescoes in the ancient church and prayed for a miracle in the saint's chapel, take a break for lunch at L'Auberge des Peintres. More bistro than fine dining room, it's a friendly place to while away a couple of hours over a bottle of wine. As you happily chat to competent waiters in the relaxed atmosphere, it's not a bad idea to try the local Calvados either.
This is a popular place, so book before you go.

Le bourg, 61250 Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerei, France
+33 (0)233264918
Google map: bit.ly/MidK1w

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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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Bardolino celebrates the grape harvest each year with this five day food and wine festival. Stalls are set up along the side of the lake, each one selling their own wine and a regional speciality, for example risotto with radicchio or salt cod with polenta. You buy a tasting glass for a few euros at the start and keep it round your neck in a special box. You then visit the many stalls, sampling their wines and trying some of the dishes. Local bands and dancers provide entertainment and there are fireworks over the lake every night. It's a fantastic experience and all quite cheap too. Just make sure you don't have to drive anywhere afterwards!

www.bardolinotop.it/
83rd Festa dell'uva e del vino, Bardolino, 4th-8th October 2012
Google map: bit.ly/LTuARD

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By night Dragon-i is home to the rich and the beautiful. Models prowl in packs, the finance boys compete to buy ever bigger bottles of ever more expensive champagne, the It Girls lounge at tables resting their Louboutin clad feet while they sip grey goose poured from a bottle so big that it makes them look the size of Borrowers... By day though, Dragon-i is a whole different story. Book for lunch for a table full of not Dom, but dim sum. If it's cool enough to sit outside, bag a table on the large terrace perched just above Wyndham Street which you share with a flock of twittering birds housed in a giant black birdcage. If the mercury's rising, seek sanctuary inside the sleek, glossy restaurant decked out with sunken leather sofas and red Phoenix print lanterns - the perfect fusion of East and West.

Then for the main event, time to get stuck into the dim sum... For the bargain price of HK$188 you get as much dim sum as you can manage and unlimited tea. And we're not talking low grade, buffet eat-all-you-can, this is little parcels of deliciousness ordered straight from the a la carte menu. Don't miss the Shanghai Dumplings with Ginger Vinegar, the Baked Barbecued Pork with Sesame Puff or the Steamed Rice Paper Rolls with Fresh Prawns. Dragon-i is the ideal stop off to refuel after a hard morning's antiques shopping on Hollywood Road giving you the sustenance to tackle an afternoon's sightseeing or an excuse to do nothing but lie by your hotel pool like an overstuffed dumpling.

Be sure to return after dusk to see all evidence of dim sum swept away, and the Jeroboams of Champagne being wheeled out complete with sparklers to a soundtrack of cooing models and thumping music spun by the best DJs in town.

www.dragon-i.com.hk/
UG/F The Centrium,, 60 Wyndham Street,
Central, Hong Kong.
+(852) 3110 1222
Google map: bit.ly/MLFcHM

* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/

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Valtenesi is a beautiful green valley full of groves and vineyards along the West shore of Lake Garda. It is perfect for cycling - try the 20km stretch between Lonato and Salo' and stop midway at La Cantina del Vicolo, in Padenghe sul Garda. You will enjoy tasty homemade cakes and jams or if you prefer savory, ask for a selection (un tagliere) of hams and local cheese.

La Cantina del Vicolo
Piazza Caduti 9, Padenghe sul Garda
+39 030 9900024
For the cycling path go to www.piste-ciclabili.com and enter "Valtenesi" in the Search engine.
Google map: bit.ly/LwtL7U

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Isola dei Pescatori (the Isle of the Fishermen) on Lake Maggiore is strung out like an extended teardrop in the wake of the Baroque battleship of Isola Bella. Its attractive informality is a breath of fresh air after the formal gardens that almost choke the larger island.
Head for the Belvedere restaurant on its northern shore, where the more formal seafront gives way to gardens and terraces – of which, the Belvedere has just about the best, with a spacious veranda overlooking the lake. We arrived unannounced in a sizeable party late in the afternoon, but were swiftly made to feel welcome and served a sumptuous feast at the terrace’s grandest table. ‘Fish from the lake’ is their disarmingly simple pitch, but the mixed pickle lake fish is an eye-opener of a dish.

www.belvedere-isolapescatori.it
Via di Mezzo, Isola Pescatori, 28838 Stresa (VB)
+39(0)328 2185706

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We discovered Agli Angeli in 2005 and have made it a must visit each time we return to Lake Garda. This gem of a family run restaurant and hotel is perfectly located in the romantic picturesque village streets above Gardone Riviera on the west shore of Lake Garda. Combine fine dining in a friendly local atmosphere with a visit to the adjacent Vittoriale Degli Italiani, the home and spectacular gardens of controversial poet and eccentric Gabriele D'Annunzio, or alternatively stay in one of the seven beautiful individual rooms within the main house or in the adjacent dependance and use as a base for exploring the Lake. There are a couple of suites within the house which can accommodate up to four people and also a pool to relax by.

www.agliangeli.biz
Via Dosso 7, Gardone Riviera, Lake Garda
+39(0)365 20991

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The westernmost of the major lakes, Orta is a (relatively) undiscovered gem. Car free, the town's steep and narrow cobbled streets create an entrancing atmosphere. The lake itself contains the serene Isola San Giulio, dominated by an exquisite medieval basilica. Multiple excellent restaurants are situated on the main square overlooking the lake - a personal favourite was Leon d'Oro. Scrumptious local food served in the most delightful of settings; the best recommendation is that we returned twice!

www.orta.net/leondoro/gb_pagina.htm
Piazza Motta, 42, 28016 Orta S. Giulio (No) Italy
+39(0)322 911991
Google map: bit.ly/LUSNLP

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Lovely coffee shop on the main drag in Morzine that serves something very rare in France - iced coffee with caramel syrup in a big glass mug. Free wi-fi, muffins, bagels and a cosy atmosphere. If you're craving a large coffee and a place to chill on a comfy sofa, this is it.
Owner Mel is super friendly and keen to make you feel at home.

152 Rue de Bourg, 74110 Morzine
+33(0)9 66 84 23 36
Google map: bit.ly/M3wKAL

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Tucked up in the olive groves at the back of Limone sul Garda, this quiet, unpretentious, little osteria with it's laid back, friendly service is a great place for lunch in the shade of the vines and olive trees or just for lingering over a bottle of wine in the candlelit garden in the evening. Walk a few metres downhill to the ancient chapel of San Pietro which has 13th century frescoes and notes on the portico recalling the plague, bad olive harvests and the defeat of Napoleon. This incredibly peaceful spot is only about 20 minutes walk from the centre of Limone but you're likely to have it all to yourself.

www.osteriadalivio.it
Via Tovo, 4, 25010 Limone sul Garda (BS)
+39 0365 954203
Google map: bit.ly/M3q4CL

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The highlight (and without doubt the biggest bargain) of our recent visit to Lake Como was a brilliant cookery lesson at ristorante Il Caminetto in the tiny village of Gittana (about 3km up a windy mountain road from the beautiful lakeside town of Varenna).
This traditional restaurant has been run by the owner Moreno's family for nine generations and he has a fantastic passion for food which shines through in his cookery classes.
The five-hour lesson is a combination of cooking demonstration and hands on learning. We made our own pasta (both tagliatelle and tortelloni), we ate lots (the aformentioned pasta, a stunning mushroom and apple risotto, local salami and gran padano cheese), we drank lots (Moreno ensures the wine keeps flowing), we listened to Moreno's fascinating stories, and we met new friends. All of this for the bargain price of 45 Euros!!
Then there's Moreno and his wife Rosella's beautiful neigbouring B&B (Ca'noeva) with unbelievable views of lake Como for just 65 Euros a night (which is almost unheard of in Lake Como), and their generous hospitality in providing us with unlimited free drop-offs and pick-ups in Varenna, and their fantastic recommendations of local castles and friends restaurants to visit. The list goes on...
Who needs expensive lakeside hotels and fine dining, when you can have a much more memorable experience for a fraction of the price!

www.ilcaminettoonline.com
viale Progresso 4 - 23828 Gittana di Perledo
+39 0341 815225
Nearest train station: Varenna
Google map; bit.ly/NcTNJb

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If you are going to, or passing through, Milan make time to get the train to Como (just over an hour) and then the slow ferry to Bellagio. Perch yourself by ancient cobbled streets at the Trattoria San Giacomo and feast on freshly made pasta washed down with exquisite local Bardolino wine. Heaven.

www.trattoriabellagio.it/
Salita Serbelloni, 45 22021 Bellagio Province of Como, Italy
+39(0)31 950329
Google map: bit.ly/NURWaX

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Beginning July 12 until August 30, 2012, a variety of restaurants – American, Mexican, Peruvian and Thai, among others – will serve food at Nathan Phillips Square for $7 CDN or less.
Located in front of Toronto City Hall, join Torontonians as they leave their office towers for the lunch hour to grab items such as pulled pork sandwiches, empanadas, oysters, jerk chicken – you get the idea – all while taking in free live music featuring Canadian artists playing music from around the world.
How to get there: Take the subway to Queen (Yonge line) or Osgoode (University line) and walk on Queen St.

www.toronto.ca/special_events/thursdays/2012/
100 Queen Street West
Google map: bit.ly/LI6yPV

* 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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Like most Toronto foodies, I look forward to Summerlicious, a celebration spotlighting some of Toronto's best restaurants, where you can sample a wide variety of original and delicious cuisine through three-course prix fixe menus. Available at over 180 of Toronto's restaurants, like its counterpart, Winterlicious, this event offers very large discounts from the usual pricing, with lunch ranging from $15, $20 or $30 and dinner for $25, $35, and $45.
Summerlicious runs from July Friday, July 6 until Sunday, July 22.
Several new restaurants this year are sure to draw a crowd, especially Colborne Lane, www.colbornelane.com and La Societe, www.lasociete.ca, both great spots for food and value.
There is usually a mad rush to secure reservations, especially in the evenings, so call soon.

To review the list of restaurants, menus, and their locations, and then book online, click the link: www.dine.to/toronto_summerlicious_restaurants.php

* 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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Sardinia has a bit of a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous, but don’t let this put you off. Head for Alghero - fly into its airport and it’s only a euro to take the bus into town. It might not be one of the more glamorous spots on Sardinia but it has a delightful old town with well preserved bastions, excellent restaurants specialising in seafood and plenty of places to sit with a cocktail watching the sun go down. There is a working harbour and port and the town is not reliant on tourism, although it does get busy in July and August. An excellent large gently shelving sandy beach stretches the length of the bay, making it an excellent choice for families.

North west coast of Sardinia
Google map: bit.ly/QgnVWe

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