Because if you don't read it and you are moderately naive like me, 'Happy Curry' is just another colourful south-east Asian turn of phrase....rather than an opium & pot laced journey into neurosis and paranoia, culminating in a night sleeping with a knife under the pillow, keys stuffed in the top of the bedroom door and the contents of my backpack on the floor in order to wake me (like I ever fell asleep) when the cooks were going to come in and steal my kidneys. Not recommended eating by accident.
Surprisingly on the main menu of a Lonely Planet recommended hostel.
Alex is a great place to meet up with people for a drink or a snack. Sit outside for a great view over the Binnenalster on one side, or watch the shoppers go by on the other.
Alex, Alster Pavillion, Jungfernstieg 54. The nearest subway is Jungfernstieg.
From the outside it looks very nice and same can be said for the inside. It can be a little cold for my liking. The service is excellent and very professional. The meat somosas are very tasty and same can be said about the seekh kebabs which are brought out sizzling with fried onions.
The mint sauce is excellent with the starters and the main course. The other half didn't like the aloo tikkas. She found them abit tasteless.
Can't comment on any of the vegetable range as we didn't try any. They also do sweets and the prices are very reasonable.
You can also try Anam's which is up the road. They also do a buffet. It is a bit too pricy although the service is very good. They do excellent starters and dessert. The main meals are not quite the same. They taste as if no one has put any effort in them. (I'm asian so I know what I'm talkin about)
You can also try Mumtaz, which is further up the road. This is very nice from inside but the service is terrible and you have to wait quite a bit to get seated.
Ambala
205 Great Horton Road
Bradford
BD7 1RP
01274 579 374
Anam's
211 Great Horton Road
Bradford
01274 522626
Mumtaz
286-300 Great Horton Road,
Bradford,
BD7 3HS
01274 571861
You must not under any circumstances pick up a quick bite to eat at the snack shack in the park near the baths. It is without doubt the worst food I have ever tasted (if only briefly).
Berets and wristbands abound in the the place my mate Matt calls "Ebelingo" because there's so much chalk that the whole place is chattering. He's great. Anyway, come to the Ebeling for great service and even better house DJ's. A must.
Overtoom 50/52
1054 HK
Tel: 020 689 45 58
www.cafeebeling.com
Very good steakhouse. Bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. Very generous portions, good waiting staff. I had Steak Wollensky which comes with onions and mushrooms. Beware the size of the steak, they are large! We had the onion rings which were fab. I got my steak cooked exactly how I asked for it - very very well done. My mum had salmon which she said was beautifully cooked. The liquer coffee was not short in liquer and we had to take a cab back to the hotel as we were a bit squiffy!
49th and 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10022 www.smithandwollensky.com
Good food, but the really good part is the singing waiting staff. Some very talented singers here who interact with the diners.
1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 www.ellenstardust.com
They are both restaurants that cater well for veggies and are really good value too. I had THE best curry at Amrit and Cafe V is fantastic - very bohemian with very helpful staff.
Cafe V - Lausitzerplatz 12,Kreuzberg
Amrit, Oranien Strasse 200,Mitte
Cafe and coffee lounge. Great coffee, wonderful cakes and a very inventive and stylish meal menu.
12-14 Rochdale Road, Royton, Oldham, England
+44(0)1616335818
Google map: bit.ly/10iTHZI
This tiny bakery tucked away at the back of Feria Market (on Calle Feria) does the best bread I've tasted in a while. You can get organic molletes (Andalucian bread rolls) for just 50 cents - white or wholemeal - a decent-sized ciabatta for just €1, and great baguettes too. If you're lucky your bread will come straight out of the oven that sits just behind the counter. Impossible to wait till you get home to tuck in!
elrinconorganico.wordpress.com/
Mercado de la Calle Feria, Calle Feria, 41003 Sevilla
Google map: bit.ly/12JeZzm
*Eloise is our Been there local for Seville. You can read her bio here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/seville-local-eloise-horsfield and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/EloiseHorsfield You can also catch her on Twitter at @EloiseHorsefield
A superb vegan restaurant in hipster Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Very close to the L train so it's about a 10 minute journey from Manhattan's Union Square and then you can walk down Bedford Avenue past thrift stores, bookshops, boutiques etc. The food is amazing! I had a jackfruit burger which was just the same texture as pulled pork, marinated in a delicious sauce with sweet potato fries. Or you can go for much healthier stuff - steamed greens, seaweed, tempeh, the works. Our server was super nice and welcomed us back when we went in again a couple days later. I really do recommend this place.
191 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
+1 718 599 2547
Google map: bit.ly/16DabAl
By far the best tapas bar in Nerja. Cool stainless steel counter serving Cruzcampo, various wines and much more.
Order a small cerveza at the bar and you are asked 'tapas', then feast your eyes on the array of fresh seafood and meats for you to choose from free of charge with your drink. Choose from the sweetest clams and prawns, sardines, red mullet, pork fillets, chorizo sausage - the list goes on. All the food is cooked on the plancha by a Torres lookalike.
We sat there for three hours watching the Spanish football one night and we made our way through their entire tapas collection twice and all free with each drink ordered. The bill came to 25 Euros! Try and do that in the UK...
Calle del Almirante Ferrándiz, 26 29780 Nerja, Málaga, Málaga, Spain
+34 952 52 13 84
Google map: bit.ly/13FlBjv
If you're looking to escape the touristy centre of Valencia (and the prices that come with it) or want to experience the 'pueblo' feel without having to leave the city, a day trip to Benimaclet would be worth your time. Benimaclet was originally its own village, separated by the river, but became merged into Valencia with the city's expansion. Despite this it has managed to maintain much of the original 'pueblo' feel, something you'd normally have to get out of the city for. The Plaza de Benimaclet is a five minute walk from the tram stop and on the way you'll probably notice many bars displaying 'tercio y tapas 1.50', prices that aren't found in the centre. Many of these bars have live music at night. Once you enter the pueblo part of Benimaclet, it's easy to forget you're in a city owing to many car-less streets lined by idyllic little houses, especially if you stumble across the Plaza de Benimaclet complete with its own church. Once you've worked up an appetite by meandering around the streets, why not pick up a paella or other traditional Valencian cuisine from an asador - the cheapest way (around three euros for a portion big enough for two) to enjoy a home cooked paella. You could enjoy your paella sitting in the Jardines del Real, the main park in Valencia only a couple of hundred metres away.
From here there are three options (not including returning to the city centre). Firstly you could follow the Turia (the old river now converted into a park) down to the City of Arts and Sciences, one of Valencia's landmark features. On the way you'll pass the Palau de la Música and walk under many bridges each with its own feature.
Secondly you could carry on out of the city to Alboraya - the Spanish hometown of horachata, a sweet, milkly, nutty drink. I'd recommend the Horchateria Toni for the best tasting and value horchata in Alboraya.
My final option is take the tram down to the Malvarrosa beach (10 minutes away) and walk along the sea front or relax on the sand in the sun.
After doing all this you'll probably be ready to return to your hostel late in the evening, although Benimaclet is worth the visit, I'd recommend staying in a hostel in the centre for travel convenience.
A tip when travelling around Valencia - beware the road sign names. In the city the road sign names are in Valencian but on many maps they are written in Castillan, they are pretty similar but don't go looking for an exact name if you have the Castillan version.
To reach Benimaclet - from the centre of Valencia take the metro (line 3, 9 minutes) or about 30 minutes on foot from Plaza del Ayuntamiento, crossing the river at Puente del Real and following Carrer de Cavanilles.
The Pueblo part is off to the right of Calle Emilio Baro (facing the direction of Alboraya)
To reach Alboraya - take the metro (Line 3, Rafelbunyol - Aeroport) to Alboraya or walk from Benimaclet (about 1km from the metro stop vía 'Calle Emilio Baro' which becomes 'Avenida de la Horchata')
This website has details of events in Benimaclet:
www.benimacletentra.org/
Google map: bit.ly/1145Enn
A lively bar in the heart of the Calle Laurel gastro-paradise. Situated just south of the Basque country, Logroño's busiest street of bars offers a unique blend of northern pintxos and traditional tapas, and the selection of brochetas in Taberna de los Correos is not to be missed. Add to that the local Rioja wine at 50 cents a glass, it's easy to see why tourists and locals alike start and end their night here.
http://11870.com/pro/la-taberna-correos
Calle del Laurel Logroño, La Rioja, España
Zoë's is the coolest restaurant in New York. You'll find locals and regulars and celebrities all coming for one thing: the good, quality food.
www.zoerestaurantnyc.com
245 Eldridge Street in New York City on the Lower Eastside at Houston Street
+1 (646) 559 5962
Google map: bit.ly/12GjGdi
The 'perfect' European cafe - I haven't found better. Beautiful garden, great food, the kind of service you always hope for, reasonably priced
The one place I always head for.
www.cafeeinstein.com/
Kurfürstenstraße 58 10785 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 263919
Google map: bit.ly/1492tJi
I discovered this place after the gas bottle in our flat ran out one day – right in time for lunch. ‘Go to El Rincón del Búho, you can get a menú del día there for €3.50!’ read a text from my flatmate. And off I toddled. It took me about three goes to find it, as it looks like flats from the outside and you have to go up a corridor to reach it.
Advertised as an ‘artistic and socio-cultural project’, the venue has a small bar and performance space. It offers music events (including flamenco), art exhibitions, children’s theatre and storytelling workshops. Cheap snacks (€1 for a homemade empanada or slice of pizza) and bottled beers are on sale when events are on. The €3.50 deal is available from 2pm till 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays, with vegetarians catered for well.
rincondelbuhosevilla.blogspot.com.es/
Calle Parras, 31, 41002, Seville, Spain
bit.ly/13xEm7l
*Eloise is our Been there local for Seville. You can read her bio here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/seville-local-eloise-horsfield and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/EloiseHorsfield You can also catch her on Twitter at @EloiseHorsefield
Spending 4h in a car with a stranger COULD be awkward, but not with Dave – he is easy company and conversation was never less than absorbing.
We got off to a great start, with an unexpected and rare (for winter) appearance by the Checker. Such a beauty, and we weren’t the only ones who thought so – passers-by would constantly stop to look and take pictures. Disconcerting at first, yet understandable and quite good fun!
As for the food, we placed ourselves in Dave’s capable hands. By continuously gaging our preferences and appetites throughout the tour, he ensured a well-rounded experience. Everything was excellent, from the beautiful Dominican drink Morir Soñando (orange juice, condensed milk, vanilla and ice – it really was as good as it sounds) in Williamsburg, to the moistest and most gorgeous pastrami washed down with Cel-ray Soda at David’s Brisket House in Bed-Stuy. To the flavorsome, spicy doubles and aloo pie at Trini Gul. To the improbable Gargiullo burger (burger, hot beef, onions, cheese, the whole lot dipped in beef broth) at Brennan and Carr in Homecrest. To the chewiest think pizza at New Park Pizza in Queens. I could go on – you get the idea.
We ended the day full and happy and with a greater understanding of New York than any guidebook could give you. Thoroughly recommended, and if/when we visit New York again, we will definitely repeat it.
The restaurant has the finest clams near Lisbon and a view of one of Europe's most beautiful beaches. The journey there has captivating views of Serra da Sintra and the coastline. Spend a day at the beach then slide into the restaurant for a late lunch of ameijoas de bulhao pato (clams in garlic sauce) and camaroes (prawns) washed down with vinho verde (Quinta da Aveleda). On your way home stop off for dinner on the coast road between Guincho and Cascais at either Porto da Santa Maria (where presidents and football managers dine) or the Faroleiro
Take the train from Cais do Sodre in Lisbon to Cascais, jump in a cab towards Guincho beach, a 2km sweep of fine white sand. Drive along the coast road, passing Sintra range on your right and the coastline on your left. Drive past Cabo da Roca and Pe da Serra towards Almocageme. This beautiful village will lead you towards Adraga road. Follow it to the end.
Google map: bit.ly/10fjL7j
A neat place overlooking the lake. By night it's a cool place to sit and watch the mayhem below. Fantastic fruit juices!
73 Cầu Gỗ, Hoan Kiem District Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 3926 0801
Google map: bit.ly/10ucjBd