A small, intimate restaurant set in a 17th Century townhouse that fits beautifully into the medieval atmosphere of Dinan.
Grilled meat is cooked on an open fireplace within. Flames and delicious aromas add to the all important 'je ne sais quoi.' Although fully booked we were left unhurried and had plenty of time to savour delicious local wines while drinking in the period details of the setting.

6 rue Sainte-Claire, 22100 Dinan, Brittany
+33(0)2963 90252
Google map: bit.ly/14jZMmB

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As you drive through the tall fir trees along the winding hilly roads in search of Les Chalet du Tarn, where to your side rolls the calm, serene Tarn river, you can't help feeling as though you have escaped. Escaped the busy day-to-day hassle of life, the crowds and heat of tourists and have discovered a wonderful retreat in the heart of the French countryside in the Midi-Pyrenees.
The road curves and you cross a small, stone bridge and crawl across taking in the breathtaking views up and down the Tarn. A quaint church sits at the opposite side and as you reach this you take the lane to the left, following alongside the river again, driving carefully between it's banks and the Chateaux on your right. This is a place of heritage and original architecture.
Les Chalet du Tarn is a campsite, but there are chalets you can hire. Before you have even pitched your tent, with views that are hard to put into words, the friendly owner invites you to dine tonight - what's on the menu? "Ce soir", he says, "Moules frites". Heaven to my senses.
Each night the owners create a new menu, everything is home made and served fresh to your private, if basic, table.
Imagine: you are sat back, relaxed, with a glass of locale vin blanc/rouge/rose in your hand; the quiet hush surrounds you, a slight rustling of the trees and background run of the river; a few children play over in the park while on the other tables couples sit and converse in their mother tongue. The owner stands command over the hot coals, stirring and lifting the steaming moules in a home made garlic and white wine sauce. The smell is phenomenal. He is a master of precision, carefully watching and marinading the most incredible moules you will ever eat (and that is some claim).
As they are served, straight from the huge wok style pan, to your table the traditional skinny frites are rushed from the kitchen by his wife and staff where you are left to dive in and devour these delights.

www.leschaletsdutarn.com/
Lincou, 12170 Réquista, France
+33 5 65 72 34 84
Google map: bit.ly/15sYx7b

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At one end of this historically fascinating town is a river and by the bridge there you will find, tucked away, 'Le Pain Sur La Table'. Organic, original and fantastically priced - a three course lunch accompanied by delicious wine comes in at a cool 16 euros each - you can rest and refill after your cultural explorations. And don't leave without buying, from the in-house bakery, one of the best croissants you will ever eat, for tomorrow's breakfast!

1 Pont de l'Etang, 71250 Cluny, France
+33(0)385592450
Google map: bit.ly/XkTFPy

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How fresh is fresh? As fresh as the newly harvested shellfish served up by the Demoiselles de Dupuy restaurant which is hidden away in the little Languedoc village of Bouzigues. With your feet lapped by the saltwaters of the enormous lagoon which is the Etang de Thau, marvel as it yields up the platters put before you.
The handsome young patron is also a 'producteur' , a farmer of the fresh shellfish which are some of the most delicious in France. So as you sit at one of the little tables in the tiny courtyard, or under the shady sail canopy, the oysters and mussels are being brought ashore before your eyes.
The menu here is short - platters of shellfish to start, the catch of the day grilled on a wood fire, and a choice of two or three deserts. The value is amazing, the local wines are superb, and if you choose the right day, Monsieur may be cooking a brasucade - a sort of clam bake but with mussels cooked on the beach, flavoured with fennel.
The village of Bouzigues is itself a feast for the eyes, full of shellfish restaurants of all quality, but 'Demoiselles' is tucked away at the western end, away from the village. But you will always need to book, as the locals know it and love it. Sublime.

lesdemoisellesdupuy.fr/
+33(0)4 67 74 03 46

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Very straightforward, if slightly old fashioned, restaurant. I've eaten here a couple of times when I've been visiting CERN for work - it is just across the border. Better value than restaurants across the border in Switzerland, and very friendly when I visited.

1 Place Fontaine, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France
+33 4 50 42 20 50
Google map: bit.ly/XNR6oF

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Since 1869 they've been preparing decent French food at decent prices, with phenomenally good service here. The first time I was taken there I was as a 9 year-old on a "Paris Travel" coach holiday to the city and it made a lasting impression on me. The elegant dining room with its hat stands and mirrored walls, the cramped tables where a stranger is likely to be sharing a table with you once it starts to fill up and the waiters memory skills and tradition of annotating your order on the paper tablecloth, then jotting down the addition to work out your bill. When I went there last year, over 30 years since my first visit, none of that had changed and I sat with a smile on my face through the whole meal. It is all standard French fare, but well cooked and reasonably priced and I could happily spend a whole week going back every day to work my way through the menu. The wine by the glass, pichet or bottle is tasty and inexpensive.
Trying to expose my children to maximum Frenchness they started with snails, while I ordered the steak tartare last time I was there and we all loved it. I suspect it'll still be unchanged when my kids are taking their own children there in 30 years time.

www.bouillon-chartier.com/
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France
+33 1 47 70 86 29
Google map: bit.ly/WDcABe

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On a recent travel forum, somebody asked ‘ Is Marseillan in the Languedoc really as lovely as people say it is?' The answer is a resounding yes. Just walk down to the pretty little port and take in the view - sail boats bobbing on the silvery waters of the saltwater lagoon, and holiday cruisers drawn up to the moorings where a choice of restaurants awaits the lucky traveller. The impressive Chateau de Port, now a restaurant, looks out to sea, flanked by the cellars of local winemaker Henri de Richemer.
Your choice for lunch – Rive Gauche or Rive Droite ? Go left and a dozen waterside restaurants await, offering you everything from fresh shellfish to crepes and fresh salads. Go right, and choose from the fine dining at the Chateau to pizzas or oysters and a glass of Picpoul at the tiny fish stall.
But the really great thing about Marseillan is that it isn’t just a chic tourist façade, but a proper working town. The church square buzzes on Tuesday with the street market, the little indoor Halles opens daily for fruit, veg, fish and cheese. The Boulevard Hotel in the town centre offers steaks cooked on an open fire, or go to the Table d’Emilie for Michelin-style dining. The Bar Marine is where the local stop to people watch over a coffee, a Ricard, or to watch the evening footie on big screens. The Delicatessen restaurant is decorated with retro furnishings, and spills out into the shadow of the church on summer days.
Plunge into the narrow lanes of the pedestrianised old town for shady relief from the sun, where visitors and locals live happily side by side. And when you need a dip, clean, sandy uncrowded Mediterranean beaches are just five minutes away.
Throughout the town, tiny shellfish stalls packed with freshly harvested oysters and mussels raise their shutters at lunchtime and evenings. Locals queue for a kilo or two of oysters – this isn’t overpriced food for the few, but the local diet, cheap as chips. The Picpoul de Pinet wine which is only grown in this area is the perfect accompaniment – sit in any local restaurant and watch the two being enjoyed together. Visit the Picpoul domains which dot the area, and marvel at how many labels can thrive in such a small locality.
Marseillan really is a French town like no other, worth a visit at any time of the year. Buses connect with Beziers Cap d’Agde airport for the princely sum of 1.5 euros making it an easy place to visit for a short break without a car.

www.holidaylettings.co.uk/photodisplay.aspx?home_id=5150
Google map: bit.ly/X6tFUA

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Near the very Abbey where Dom Pérignon perfected the art of Champagne-making, is the lovely Restaurant de l'Abbaye. As a break from visiting the champagnehHouses in Épernay, we took a short taxi ride to the small town of Hautvillers, where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch surrounded by locals and history.
Tender scallops dressed in the compulsory French cream sauce, served with fresh white asparagus and delicate mushrooms, were accompanied by champagne of course!. This bottle was from a boutique champagne house owned by the Chef’s Father. Followed by Petit Fours and coffee, it doesn’t get much more French than this.
After lunch we strolled through the town of Hautvillers visiting a quaint antique store and then admired the view of the valley, overlooked by one of Moët & Chandon’s premier cru (vineyards).
With friendly service and a reasonable price tag, this restaurant sits right at the top of our most favourite dining experiences in France.

www.abbayehautvillers.org/
rue de L’Eglise 51160 Hautvillers
+33 3 26 59 44 79
Google map: bit.ly/ZVB1fP

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If you find yourself stuck in the culinary desert that is the glass and steel void of Potsdamer Platz, then a short stroll down Potsdamer Strasse leads to one of the cheeriest restaurants in town. Set in an unpromising commercial block almost opposite the Wintergarten Theatre, it's known as a book cafe but is also a terrific place to stop for an evening meal. Named after the 19th century Jewish author Joseph Roth Diele, who apparently wrote Radetzkymarsch in the locale, its calming, quirky decor is the work of the owner, film director Dieter Funk. The ludicrously good value menu is German with spatzle with cheese and bacon as well as a nicely cooked schnitzel all washed down by some terrific beer. On the downside, it's closed at weekends.

www.joseph-roth-diele.de
Potsdamer Straße 75 10785 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 2636 ext. 9884
Google map: bit.ly/VKmljV

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Awesome vegetarian restaurant with brilliant delicious food and a great atmosphere. Very good value and friendly staff. They are a Dublin institution.

www.cornucopia.ie
19-20 Wicklow St, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 1 677 7583
Google map: bit.ly/Z5DJyn

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Set just behind the main shopping high street of Briggate on Central Road is another edition to the thriving independent coffee scene of Leeds.
Walking into Mrs Atha's feels like you have just entered a downtown New York coffee house. Exposed brickwork, high ceilings, and mood lighting add to the feel. The guys who work behind the counter are all really well informed about the coffee served. Along with the regular house blend each week they have a guest coffee. The all day breakfast menu has mostly sandwich fare along with pancakes. Pastries and cakes are also available from the counter. Nearly everything on the menu comes in around the £3 50p mark.
The atmosphere is friendly with sofas and communal tables giving an informal air to the place.

18 Central Rd, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DE
Google map: bit.ly/ZVFGOt

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In one of the early scenes in the film 'Once', Glen and Marketa are seen chatting over a cup of tea in the window of Simon's Place Coffee Shop on George's Street. Later they cross the street to Waltons music shop. The café is located within George's Street Arcade, one of Dublin's oldest indoor markets, dating back to 1894. Simon's Place attracts a bohemian mix of artists, students and musicians and is always at its busiest during lunchtime hours - it's not unusual for queues to spill out the door. The café prides itself on its freshly made soups and thickly cut ‘doorstep’ salad sandwiches - get here early if you plan to dine-in for a bite.

22, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2
+353 1 679 7821
Google map: bit.ly/XqR1Eb

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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On a recent travel forum, somebody asked ‘ Is Marseillan in the Languedoc really as lovely as people say it is? ‘ The answer is a resounding yes. Just walk down to the pretty little port and take in the view - sail boats bobbing on the silvery waters of the saltwater lagoon, and holiday cruisers drawn up to the moorings where a choice of restaurants awaits the lucky traveller. The impressive Chateau de Port, now a restaurant, looks out to sea, flanked by the cellars of local winemaker Henri de Richemer.
Your choice for lunch – Rive Gauche or Rive Droite ? Go left and a dozen waterside restaurants await, offering you everything from fresh shellfish to crepes and fresh salads. Go right, and choose from the fine dining at the Chateau to pizzas or oysters and a glass of Picpoul at the tiny fish stall.
But the really great thing about Marseillan is that it isn’t just a chic tourist façade, but a proper working town. The church square buzzes on Tuesday with the street market, the little indoor Halles opens daily for fruit, veg, fish and cheese. The Boulevard Hotel in the town centre offers steaks cooked on an open fire, or go to the Table d’Emilie for Michelin-style dining. The Bar Marine is where the locals stop to people watch over a coffee, a Ricard, or to watch the evening footie on big screens. The Delicatessen restaurant is decorated with retro furnishings, and spills out into the shadow of the church on summer days.
Plunge into the narrow lanes of the pedestrianised old town for shady relief from the sun, where visitors and locals live happily side by side. And when you need a dip, clean, sandy uncrowded Mediterranean beaches are just five minutes away.
Throughout the town, tiny shellfish stalls packed with freshly harvested oysters and mussels raise their shutters at lunchtime and evenings. Locals queue for a kilo or two of oysters – this isn’t overpriced food for the few, but the local diet, cheap as chips. The Picpoul de Pinet wine which is only grown in this area is the perfect accompaniment – sit in any local restaurant and watch the two being enjoyed together. Visit the Picpoul domains which dot the area, and marvel at how many labels can thrive in such a small locality.
Further afield, visit Bouziques, an even bigger oyster producer, where restaurants line the shores of the Etang de Thau, Pezenas for amazing architecture and great shopping, Meze for a great Sunday market and Montpellier if you long for small city chic.
Marseillan exerts a real magnetism, with people buying there, holidaying there, and returning year after year. The locals are friendly ( though you will need to use whatever French you have) , and the calendar is peppered with amazing little festivals, where enthusiastic amateurs throw themselves into everything from water jousting to hauling a giant polar bear through the streets to herald the arrival of the Christmas market.
Marseillan really is a French town like no other, worth a visit at any time of the year. Buses connect with Beziers Cap d’Agde airport for the princely sum of 1 euro 50, making it an easy place to visit for a short break without a car.
Families love it for it's safe, easygoing culture, and couples love it for the great food and wine. Perfect for everyone, and it won't break the bank.

www.ruedelamour.com
Google map: bit.ly/YaVcdJ

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This is an excellent, authentic Czech bar/restaurant, out of the city centre, but not so far. You can eat your fill for a very modest outlay.

www.zlatyklas.cz
Plzeňská 609/9, 150 00 Praha 5-Smíchov, Czech Republic
+420 251 562 539
Google map: bit.ly/12AIg1j

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Menza is my recommendation around the Liszt Ferenc area, great Hungarian food at very reasonable prices. Then get along to one of the many cafe’s or pastry houses and eat the best croissants in the world filled with the most delicious apple, curd cheese or walnut, or combinations of a couple, with a good coffee and a swig of Palinka, the national drink.

www.menzaetterem.hu/
1061 Budapest Liszt Ferenc tér 2, Hungary
+36 1 413 1482
Google map: bit.ly/WgALHD

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Less than 100 miles apart, these South Moravian towns are linked by good cycling routes, vineyards around the River Morava, the heady smell of flowering lime trees, buildings of Baroque splendour, palaces and gardens, and market square cafes. In Kromeriz the highlight was Radnice restaurant serving a degustation menu with samples of local wine. In Mikulov, the Hotel Templ provided a comfortable room and excellent food, and was a good base for a day’s circular cycle route exploring the former Liechtenstein palaces of Valtice and Lednice, and the former Jewish area of Mikulov itself.

Radnici restaurace, Kovarska 20, Kromeriz
Google map: bit.ly/150TB9g

Hotel Templ:
www.templ.cz
Husova 50, 692 01 Mikulov
+420 519 323 095
Google map: bit.ly/WF75UJ

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La Posada is a beautiful hotel, the last to be built on the Santa Fe railroad, in the 1920's. Designed by Mary Colter, it was used as a launchpad for tourists into the Indian lands of northern Arizona. The hotel was beautifully restored in the 1990's after 40 years of closure. In addition to the beautiful Southwest interiors and art collection, the hotel offers, perhaps the finest dining in northern Arizona, in its restaurant, The Turquoise Room.

www.laposada.org
303 E. 2nd Street (Route 66), Winslow, AZ 86047
+1 928 289 4366
Google map: bit.ly/YnGWYz

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A hidden gem where you can lose a couple of hours exploring rooms crammed full of art nouveau treasures, followed by the chance to enjoy the finest Hungarian coffee and cake among the collection. You can even buy the displays, if you can fit them in your suitcase!

www.magyarszecessziohaza.hu/mainen.php
1054.Budapest, Honvéd u.3
+36 1 269 4622
Google map: bit.ly/X2jArn

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Restaurant near the park. Great food, lovely courtyard, quiet and good prices. This was the first restaurant I ate at on my trip to Bulgaria and I don't think I topped it for the rest of the trip. A really beautiful place to stop for lunch.

47 Primorski Blvd, Varna, Bulgaria

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After years of skiing in Canada, France and Switzerland, this was a totally unexpected mountainside gem. This restaurant/cafe is right at the top of the Pamporovo mountain resort in southern Bulgaria.
After a hard mornings skiing we walked in to find a roaring fireplace by which we hung up our jackets, gloves and hats so they were warm and dry by the time we left. We settled ourselves at a characterful log table close enough to the fire to feel the warmth thawing our bodies and ordered a spit roast chicken and chips from the menu. A limited number are roasted at lunchtime daily, and this was genuinely some of the best chicken I've ever had, served by very friendly locals, and for the astonishing price of about £4!
The Rhodopi mountains themselves offered a great number of slopes for beginners, which made up the majority of skiiers on the mountain when we were there. The runs were well graded and signposted clearly, and at the end of the week there were still new (parts of) red and blue runs we were discovering.
It was only on the penultimate day that we first plucked up the courage to tackle the (appropriately named) 'Wall' - a very steep black run with some fantastic moguls to challenge us! From the top the views were breathtaking.
Get there as soon as you can!

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