Cafe and bar with a stupendous view of the beach. Great tapas, hearty lunches and snacks, comprehensive wine list.
Five of us ate for £77 including three bottles of wine.

www.porthmeor-beach.co.uk/cafe/
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1JZ
01736 793 366
Google map: bit.ly/slWw2m

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Community cafe with attached art studio, serving homemade, vegetarian and organic food. They also do a full Cornish breakfast for carnivores. Great atmosphere, lovely staff and reasonable prices, sort of place you could spend all day at. I loved it!

www.theappletreecafe.co.uk/contact-us.html
Trevescan, Sennen, Penzance, TR19 7AQ
+44(0)1736 872753
Google map: bit.ly/t4IMJR

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Free House, wide range of beers, with a very wholesome and home cooked menu. Has food theme nights eg curry night, choice of curries and drink for an inclusive price. Also has an extensive and reasonable menu. Well used by locals and tourists. The landlord comes from Bury and has a very dry Northern sense of humour. Loved the place.

Botallack, St. Just, Penzance, Cornwall TR19 7QG
+44 1736 788318
Google map: bit.ly/tSb7YY

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The First and Last might be the first or last pub in England, depending on which way you approach it. Fair sampling of locals and loads of tourists, football screen and pub food. The food is ok but as its a managed pub its a bit like cookingbynumbers and corporate food.

www.firstandlastinn.co.uk
Sennen, Cornwall, TR19 7AD
+44(0)871 720 0066
Google map: bit.ly/vKXw9p

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A really chilled out restaurant in Wahchai. Great for Sunday brunch. Fabulous old building and close to Wanchai MTR.

62 Johnston Road, Hong Kong
+852 2866 3444
Google map: bit.ly/sEZ6NY

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The Skylounge is a cool bar-restaurant on the top floor of the Mint Hotel. The terrace gives an amazing view of Amsterdam whilst enjoying a cocktail. Free entrance, cocktails were about £12 each.

www.minthotel.com/skylounge
4 Oosterdoksstraat Amsterdam, Netherlands , 1011 DK
+31 (0)20 530 0800
Google map: bit.ly/rogQUj

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Found by the picturesque harbour of Solva, an inlet that fills and drains completely of water, depending on the tide.
The Harbour Inn is a great place to sample Brain's bitter, a creamy, nutty brew. We enjoyed the fish and chips out in the sheltered beer garden and soaked up the last rays of the October sun while admiring the little boats stranded high and dry at low tide.

www.harbourinnsolva.com
31-33 Main Street, Solva, Pembrokeshire SA62 6UT
+44 1437 720 013
Google map: bit.ly/pG6cDA

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The Boathouse Tearoom is a little National Trust cafe, located by the world's smallest harbour and offering a great selection of hot and cold food to sustain visitors on the half-mile trek to Barafundle Bay. We tried the scones with home-made jam and clotted cream and bought some locally produced honey.

beta.nationaltrust.org.uk/stackpole
Stackpole Quay, Stackpole, SA71 5DE, Wales
+44 1646 672672
Google map: bit.ly/nIN09e

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Cromwell's Tavern is a friendly local pub, found near the castle in the heart of Pembroke.
It's a great place to try Welsh bitters and admire all the music memorabilia: framed pictures of Kiss, Jimi Hendrix and others line the walls and we didn't dare take on the locals at pool, after spotting all the trophies in a glass cabinet!

2 Westgate Hill, Pembroke, Dyfed SA71 0NU
+44 1646 682718
Google map: bit.ly/qC3vOO

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Charlie's Bar is the place to go for a great night out in Milford Haven. Situated near the docks and the marina, it's a small bar with several rooms, a pool table, pub quiz machine and very loud music blasting out on a Friday evening.

The Old Sail Loft, The Docks, Milford Haven, Dyfed SA73 3AF
+44 1646 690098
Google map: bit.ly/o1ndu7

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We spent a fabulous afternoon with Taro and his family, learning to prepare a typical Japanese dinner. Taro responded to my online booking enquiry immediately and I was really excited about the experience. After all the temples, eating out, navigating Japanese menus, sightseeing etc it was lovely to spend a cosy afternoon in Taro's family home. We prepared a two course vegetarian lunch and were given recipes to keep. Taro has a genuine enthusiasm for Japan, cooking and meeting new people. If you are curious to know more about Japanese food and culture and want to see another side to the wonderful city of Kyoto, I highly recommend booking this class. Also, Taro's daughter is adorable and his wife is a lovely lady too.

www.vegetarian-food-kyoto.com/index.html
+81(0)90 4284 7176

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This family-run ice cream parlour, cafe and restaurant is something of an institution and THE place to be seen in The Mumbles.
More than 30 varieties of Italian ice cream are produced each day - I wolfed down a divine selection of three sorbets: lemon, creamy strawberry and raspberry, served with a crisp wafer. There is great coffee and a fine dining menu, chalked up on the blackboard, offering pasta, pizzas, soups, stews and salads.
The cafe is always full and visitors gaze through the vast glass windows at the view of Swansea bay; it's almost like being in Naples on a cloudy day!

www.verdis-cafe.co.uk
Knab Rock, The Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4EN
+44 1792 369 135
Google map: bit.ly/pK8STM

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We arrived in Swansea at 11pm, long after everything in Swansea, bar the kebab shops, had closed.
After several days of bland burgers and delicious, but samey fish and chips, Rose Indienne offered a wake-up call to the tired taste buds.
Everything about Rose Indienne breathes class. The service is polite and friendly without being overwhelming. The decor is delightful and the selection of starters contained some spices I had never experienced before. The vegetarian dishes were top-notch and I would dare to recommend this place as the best Indian restaurant in Swansea, maybe in all Wales?

www.roseindienne.co.uk
73-74 St Helen's Road, Swansea SA1 4BG
+44 1792 467 000
Google map: bit.ly/okkSQR

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Desperate for an early-morning, wake-up brew, we found this tiny cafe quite by chance on the corner of a back street, ten minutes' walk from Swansea town centre.
It's located in a sweet former cobbler's workshop, and you can still see the gorgeous greeny-yellow stained glass sign reading 'Leonard's, for good boots and shoes' while you're perched on one of the three high, tractor-style metal (but surprisingly comfy!) stools. The coffee maker in the window is an authentic Elektra and there are sweet touches like the cobbler's wooden shoe mould in a frame and the little boot holding the door ajar.
Oh, and did I mention the coffee?
Smooth cappuccinos, rich dark espressos, lethal mocchas...all you could ask for, plus panini, home-made browies and bacon butties.
A real find.

1 King Edward Road, Swansea
+44 7543 439 595
Google map: bit.ly/qW43nF

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Unforgettable fondues, served by Denis himself and lovingly prepared with home made cheese, home cured meats and unidentifiable Alpine liquor. Just the thing after a hard day on the Portes du Soleil circuit which takes you right into Switzerland and back.

info.chatel.com/english-version.html
Plaine Dranse, 74390 CHATEL
+33 (0)4 50 73 36 29

Google map: bit.ly/nHKPre

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In my neighbourhood there is a bistro sheltering in a former umbrella shop: it’s called Le Neptune. Each week there is a five course set menu listed on a blackboard, which I ate accompanied by a bottle of Bourgogne picked, after some deliberation, from two lengthy chalked lists for the serious-sounding connoisseur. The combination of choice and no choice was intriguing. I waited. It became clear that for the diners in this 25 cover restaurant, this was to be an experience to last the whole evening. As each course arrived, it was described to us at table by one of the young staff. We listened intently, and then dutifully savoured every mouthful, identifying the flavours of all the ingredients we had been instructed were present. And it was only a few mouthfuls before our well-presented, delicate dishes were dispatched! But then we had only to wait again, nibbling on delicious bread, wondering what would come next. If we were curious, we could walk through the kitchen and see for ourselves.
When I return a few days later, chef Nicolas is in the process of gutting a tuna. He’s forgotten our appointment, so I ask my questions while he prepares his fish: this way I’m learning by watching and listening. I discover that there is no English translation for the Lake Geneva fish I ate on my visit; that Nicolas’ favourite ingredients are seasonal vegetables; we debate the colours (and English translations) of yellow courgette, marrow, pumpkin and squash; and I try to persuade him of the merits of swede. He looks at me quizzically. Even if he doesn’t know my favourite vegetable I cannot accuse him of being boring. After all I enjoyed his mystery Geneva fish (Féra) with sage, melon and dill; followed by ray poached in bergamot broth; beef cheek with root vegetables; a quince compote and a chocolate mousse. “Why five little plates?” I ask, “Surely that’s more work?” “No, it’s more fun”, he says. “And this isn’t work!”
Nicolas’ weekly changing menu is all about delicate flavours: nothing dominates. It’s about tempting your tastebuds rather than overpowering them: “I like to take my customers on a journey through several dishes”, he says. This means no butter, no cream, locally produced food and organic wines – “fins et légers”, to match his cooking. This former wine bar owner is inspired by childhood memories, markets and eating round his grandparents’ table in the Haute-Savoie. And he dislikes too much formality: customers see him at work, sneak a glance in his fridge and wander through his kitchen.

The five course tasting menu costs 39 euros a head, not including wine. A three course lunch menu costs 25 euros Book at least a week in advance.

Rue Lesbroussart 48
+32 489 303 350
Google map: bit.ly/otdZWl

* Bec is our Been there local for Brussels. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/brussels-local-rebecca.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/Becinbrussels

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Love going to the movies, but hate the gross concession stand? The new Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn serves dinner and a movie at the same time. There are even specials in different theaters related to whatever movie's being shown. General admission is $11 and food and drinks (yes, they serve alcohol, too!) are extra. Arrive about a half-hour early, so you can find a seat and table and order your meal.

www.nitehawkcinema.com
136 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States
+1 (718) 384 3980
Google map: bit.ly/ow9NVU

* Amanda is our Been there local for New York. You can check out her page here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/new-york-local-amanda-green.jsp and her own NYC blog here: www.noisiestpassenger.com/

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Here's another sweet treat on the Upper West Side. 16 Handles is a frozen yogurt chain that gives the power to the people. Customers get free reign over 16 different flavors of yogurt and myriad toppings to make their own unique dessert combos. You might go a little crazy there, so be ready to eat. The Upper West Side location is at 325 Amsterdam Avenue between 75th and 76th Streets. All locations in the city are open late -- until 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on weekends.

www.16handles.com
325 Amsterdam Avenue (Between 75th & 76th Street) New York, NY 10023
+1 646 861 1281
Google map: bit.ly/nhyXer

* Amanda is our Been there local for New York. You can check out her page here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/new-york-local-amanda-green.jsp and her own NYC blog here: www.noisiestpassenger.com/

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Momofuku is one of the "it" Japanese restaurants in NYC, but it also has a sweeter, more accessible offshoot called Momofuku Milk Bar. There are locations around the city, and they specialize in interesting yogurt, pies, and cookies. Two famed desserts are the crack pie, which has an addictive cookie crumb crust, and the compost cookie containing chocolate and butterscotch chips, potato chips, and pretzels. You can also order hot pork buns or pastrami croissants.

www.momofuku.com/restaurants/milk-bar/
The newest Momofuku Milk Bar is:
561 Columbus Avenue, 10024
Google map: bit.ly/r9u7zV

* Amanda is our Been there local for New York. You can check out her page here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/new-york-local-amanda-green.jsp and her own NYC blog here: www.noisiestpassenger.com/

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Very friendly bar/restaurant which serves a variety of open toasted sandwiches. Wonderful desserts as well as very friendly staff.

2, rue de la Monnaie, Lyon, France
+33(0)4 78 37 70 85
Google map: bit.ly/qlneo0

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