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A funky, chilled out bar/restaurant along the jazzy Southbank. The waiters and waitresses drift around clad in uniforms of black, white and tattoos. Great people-watching views from the balcony and a varied and cheap menu to boot.
1st floor, Western end Southgate Phone: 9696 0111 Station: Flinder's St. 7am - 1am
An absolute gem of a 'churrascaria' - a typical brazilian barbecue-house where friendly waiters come round offering you ridiculously succulent and tasty meat until you can't take any more. All for a decent fixed price, there's a salad bar fit for kings and delicious fish alternatives. And as if that wasn't enough, the setting is also unbeatable - you dine with a magical view of the Sugarloaf mountain. They also serve a lethal caipirinha!
Av. Infante Dom Henrique, Flamengo Tel: (21) 3461-9020 www.porcao.com.br
On the opposite bank of the Rhone, this perfect little village is stuffed with amazing Medieval buildings.
For just over €6 you can get an "Avignon Passion" pass ticket which gives you entry to a monastery, a fortified tower (with the best views of Avignon and the Pont Saint-Benezet, the latter being the correct name for "Sur la pont...") a castle, an abbey garden and three other ancient gems.
The village square has several good bar/restaurants serving reasonably priced local dishes (about €8).
From Avignon cross the Rhone on the bridge signed "Ile Piot", turn right on the far bank and follow signs for Villeneuve a few hundred metres along.Map: tinyurl.com/ys3mhj
For some unfathomable reason, the frutos do mar (seafood) restaurant, Marius, at the Leme end of Avenida Atlántica is praised to the skies in certain quarters. Frankly, an evening spent drilling holes in your kneecaps would be a more agreeable experience. Its over aggressive staff are clearly trained to push drinks, t-shirts and anything else on unsuspecting diners. The food is bland and overpriced, and the horribly twee Barnacle Bill ambience make this a place to avoid like the plague.
There are plenty of less touristy seafood options in Rio. For a vastly superior product, at the same price and without the hard sell, go to Satyricon on Rua Barão da Torre in Ipanema. You won’t regret it.
Satyricon is at Rua Barão da Torre, 192, Ipanema, tel. 2521-0627, www.satyricon.com.br. Marius could be on Venus for all I care.
As if the Met wasn't mind-blowing enough (we spent almost a full day just on the Egyptology section) the self-service cafeteria in the basement is just amazing. Help yourself to a massive array of antipasti, salads, cold meats and seafood and then pay by the weight of your plate. If any of London's South Kensington museums dished up this kind of food, Brits would be queuing round the block.
Metropolitan Museum of Art by Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street (86th or 77th Street subway stations and then a walk)
It's an "Amazonian power-berry" (whatever that means) with five million times the anti-oxidants of blueberries and guarana and other good things. I had it from roadside stalls, made into a grainy purple ice-slushy, and it was uniquely refreshing and energizing. It tastes like blackberries and chocolate, mixed.
All over, or ask for ah-sigh-ee
Bright & revamped. Watch the world go by while having a drink or a meal in one of the many bars around the main hall. Idling away the hours you inevitably end up chatting to those passing through - celebrate their new jobs, commiserate that they've missed their train - and enjoy sharing their lives.
The best salad bar in Rio, with consistently good food. You'll often have to wait half an hour for a table, but you'll probably be standing next to a celebrity while you do. Dias Ferreira has become the upmarket restaurant street in Rio so there are also plenty of other choices.
www.celeiroculinaria.com.br/index2.htm Rua Dias Ferreira, 199 - Leblon
The Bilderbuch Café is a lovely café in Schoeneberg. Its unique furniture and delicious breakfast are very well known (and loved) among Berliners. Go to the back of the café, where you will find a huge place that will remind you of some ancient castle's library. The walls are full with bookcases. If you take a book or a board game from the shelves you might happily want to spend a whole day there! Also there are regular readings, concerts and discussions. Check www.cafe-bilderbuch.de for further information. There is a huge breakfast buffet on sundays that is worth a try, too!
Cafe Bilderbuch Akazienstrasse 28 10823 Berlin 030/ 78706057 metro: Eisenacher straße bus 148, 187, 348
Stylish modern restaurant for beautiful food and pretty people. Great to laze away in the sun during the day or party with great music at night, all the while feeling the wind in your hair as you hear the surf break on the shore just metres away.
One of the very few choices for budget foreign travellers, the Captain's hostel enjoys a prime location on the Bund and sports a pretty decent roof restaurant to boot. It's 20RMB for a bunk; best to book. Though it's possible to get 'Chinese' dorm rooms elsewhere it's not recommended.
37 Fuzhou Lu, nearest Metro Henan Zhong Lu (Line 2) Tel: +86 21 63235053 www.captainhostel.com.cn
It's a restaurant called Porcãu Ipanema, only a five-minute walk from the beautiful Ipanema beach. The area is the 'better off' part of Rio. If you are a fan of Gaucho cusine or you just love steak, you will love this place. It has the most AMAZING steak, the best in the world. The Brazilians love eating there. For 44 Brazilian Reals (about £11), you can eat as much as you want and you will not become bored of the food selection as they have a huge array of dishes; a banquet fit for a king! The service is excellent and I was told by many that this is the best place to eat in Rio!
At your table, they provide you with small cards; one side translates as 'Yes please' and the other as 'No thanks'. You have the option of switching to 'Yes please' but be prepared as you will find the waiters almost instantly crowding around your table carving a selection of beautifully cured steak/lamb onto your plate. Plus they have nice South American champagne and wine. Every now and then the waiters serenade their customers with classic Brazilian music, as they form a band.
It's an excellent experience and the service is really good. The Brazilians love eating there, so allow for at least a 10 minute wait for a table in the evenings. They have a champagne lounge where you can wait. Dress smart/casual for admission.
Porcãu Ipanema, 2 blocks from the beach on Rua Barão da Torre, no 218. Ask any of the locals in that area and they will know it. Very easy to find.
Fantastic Belle Epoque restaurant where truly divine cuisine is served in comfortable and beautiful surroundings by friendly and knowledgable staff. Set menu @ Eur32 is very good value.
Nearest Metro - Bienvenue Montparnasse Nearest Railway - Montparnasse. Opposite the 56 storey Montparnasse Tower!
Mr Bartley's is a Boston institution, he has been serving great burgers for four decades now. It does fantastic burgers all named after different celebrities and politicians, one example being the Bill Gates - the best of everything! When you arrive at the restaurant Mr Bartley himself shows you to your table. The restaurant is a bit of squash but that just adds to the character of the place. Be warned they only take cash!
1246 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02138-3820 (617) 354-6559 Nearest Station - Harvard Square
The original lyrics were written by Vinicius de Moraes in a restaurant/bar, past which the eponymous Ipanema-ista walked. Today, it's unpretentious and you can still sit by the pavement and watch the pedestrians. They serve a great steak + papas fritas and sell the best Rio souvenir - a T-Shirt bearing the opening bars of the famous song. By the way, the bar is on Vinicius de Moraes Street (in Ipanema). But when you fly in or out of Rio, you will pass through Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport. That's the guy who wrote the music.
Calle Vinicius de Moraes, Ipanema
Beyoglu District, is the most cosmopolitan area of Istanbul. Full of shops, bars and restaurants. Definitely the best area to stay and then get taxis out to the various sights like the Haghia Sofia and Topkapi Palace.
See this link for a taste of the district www.turkeytravelplanner.com/WhereToGo/Istanbul/Sights/Beyoglu/
Place for cultural programmes, seminars and meetings. Great place to catch a play or an Indian classical music/dance performance for free. There is a notice board in front of the main auditorium for information on events around town. Couple of eateries, but not much to write home about. Weekly information is posted on the IHC webpage.
Near Lodhi Garden, on Lodhi Road. Entrance to car parking from Max Mueller Road side if going in the direction from Lodhi Garden to Nizamuddin.
Small and reasonably-priced hotel in the Les Gobelins area close to Place d'Italie. Off the tourist trail and loads of good restaurants nearby. Rooms small but adequate, staff friendly and multilingual
8, rue Philippe de Champagne, www.hotel-la-manufacture.com, tel.: 33 (0) 145 35 45 25, nearest metro Place d'Italie
The restaurant in the Holland House hotel has received good reviews since it opened last year. The menu contains moderately priced modern Welsh cuisine.
Holland House, 25-26 Newport Road 0870 122 0020 www.hollandhousehotel.co.uk/foodanddrink/index.htm
Award-winning French restaurant that uses the best Welsh produce. A three-course dinner costs around £35 each excluding wine.
Le Gallois - Y Cymro, 6-10 Romilly Crescent, Canton 029 2034 1264 www.legallois-ycymro.com/
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