This fine pub fits into a bend in the young River Esk – you can enjoy looking at the wildlife from the open terrace in the summer. Inside there’s a traditional bar and a superb restaurant featuring locally produced cuisine. Try the jugged hare then follow it with celebration of rhubarb – crumble, syllabub, jelly and sorbet, the ultimate pudding! Upstairs there’s a spacious family room sleeping four – you can put the kids to bed then spend the evening sampling the landlord’s personally collected stash of malts.

www.theboardinn.com/Site/Home.html
Lealholm, Whitby, North Yorkshire, Y021 2AJ
+44(0)1947 897279
Google map: bit.ly/UP1xJ2

stay@theboardinn.com

Lealholm is in the North Yorkshire National Park and has its own railway station

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According to one architectural guide Edinburgh's famous Cafe Royal has a "swaggering Parisian air". It was opened in 1863 and boasts Corinthian brass lamp standards, tall beveled windows, marble-topped counters and large tile pictures of famous inventors. It was said that this was the venue where Princess Margaret met a certain Roddy Llewellyn. What is less well known is that it was planned as a showroom for sanitary fittings. It’s a wonderful cathedral to the bon vivant – whether on a hot sunny day or a cold winter evening. It’s the sort of place you might go with mates for a swift half and when someone says lets have oysters and champagne everyone says yes!

www.caferoyal.org.uk
19 West Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA
+44(0)131 556 1884
Google map: bit.ly/XqqWuq

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The Dock is a newly-opened restaurant in Docklands, just a short walk from Canary Wharf. It's a bit off the beaten track but a real hidden gem. It serves delicious seafood - I had the scallops with bacon, and tried some of my friend's calamari. It was really good! I was tempted by the steak but in the end opted for the fish and chips which were great. The batter was light and crispy and the chips nice and chunky. The food is top-class but there's nothing stuffy about it - it's very relaxed and the owner and staff are very friendly. It's great value too. I am looking forward to my next visit to try something more adventurous. I would really recommend it as a place for lunch, or for meeting friends after work.

www.thedockseafoodrestaurant.com
2 Mastmaker Road, London E14 9AW
+44(0)20 7515 4334
Google map: bit.ly/RNgJlC

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Cal Boter is the right place to try traditional Catalan restaurant food in Barcelona. They cook the kind of food you might find in a restaurant in the country, but they are in one of the most traditional, full of local flavor, barrios of Barcelona.

www.restaurantcalboter.com
Carrer de Tordera, 62 08012 Barcelona
+34 934 58 84 62
Google map: bit.ly/ZWmaCh

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I visited my sister in Bristol last week to see the Christmas lights turn on and catch up over a nice meal at The Square (we used a groupon voucher for the seven course taster menu). We'd never been before and were both pleasantly surprised! The staff were all friendly and very helpful, the food was A-MA-ZING and the building was really quirky and arty inside! I'd definitely recommend it for special occasions as it isn't cheap but it is definitely worth it. It has a real warm feeling about it and the food was as if we were in a top notch London restaurant - we felt very spoiled.

www.thesquareclub.com
15 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS81HB
+44(0)117 921 0455
Google map: bit.ly/ZG7AQ1

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We discovered cosy Café Calma on a recent visit to Prague and it became one of our favourite haunts. They served a good range of cakes and pastries, and the breakfasts were great, with excellent croissants. The café also serves proper meals, including decent vegetarian options. Eating at Café Calma was inexpensive and the staff were friendly and helpful. In summer you can sit outside and watch life go by in the adjacent square.

www.calma.cz
Kyjevská 527/2, 160 00 Praha 6-Dejvice, Czech Republic
+420 602 235 660
Google map: bit.ly/UOd7hZ

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As its name suggests, simple and homely Koldunine specialises in koldunai, ravioli-like dumplings which are basically the Lithuanian version of Polish pierogi or Russian pelmeni. I popped in for lunch and tried koldunai filled with potato, which were much tastier than they sound. The service was quick and friendly, and if I had more time in Vilnius, I would have definitely gone back. Koldunai is not a gourmet restaurant, but it’s a good option for lunch or when you’ve built up an appetite after sightseeing. The food is tasty and authentic, and doesn’t cost much either.

Savičiaus g. 6,
+370 679 26259
Google map: bit.ly/U5X4gW

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Excellent pub with rooms in a small village a mile or so off A19 between Easingwold and Thirsk. Food is locally sourced, well presented and good value for money. The view from the car park is amazing. Quite a lot of themed nights and special events - Galtres Festival, Race Days.
Bedrooms are in former outbuildings and are of very high quality. They also host wedding receptions in a marquee behind the pub and provide next day brunch, including for those staying elsewhere.

www.thedurhamox.com/
Westway,Crayke, York, YO61 4TE
+44(0)1347 821506
Google map: bit.ly/SXtR6n

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I visited on a chilly autumn morning in October so I needed something to stave off the cold. The hot chocolate and muffin that I ordered did the job perfectly. Among other things, Kuuka Kafe serves great coffee, superb homemade cakes (try the carrot cake), and panini. The interior is cosy and welcoming, and try to nab the very comfy sofa if you can. While not extortionate, Kuuka Kafe isn't the cheapest café in town, but it’s worth it, and you’ll probably find yourself going back at least once.

Grēcinieku iela 5, Old Town, Riga
(+371) 28 77 39 34
Google map: bit.ly/RWGvUq

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Which to choose? The Chocolate Heaven room with a chocolate version of the Sistine Chapel above the bath and unlimited supplies of choccy delights, or the Night at the Movies room with a huge TV, all the popcorn you can eat and Audrey Hepburn on the wall to keep you company. Or one of the other individually themed rooms at this quirky but very stylish pub in the little village of West Witton near Leyburn in the wonderful Yorkshire Dales National Park. The food's good too. Lots of local products well cooked in imaginative but never pretentious ways. If it's a special occasion you can choose to eat in the restaurant - all leather and linen. But if you're still feeling a bit windswept from your hike in the Dales the less formal Fish Bar might suit you better. And then there's the Whisky Lounge with a welcoming fire for a nightcap and snooze. But don't forget the chocolates, popcorn and Audrey waiting for you in your room upstairs!

www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk
West Witton, North Yorkshire, DL8 4LS
+44(0)1969 622322
Google map: bit.ly/UOajBs

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Just over the Wales border, off the A44 lies the settlement of Old Radnor and the Harp Inn. It is worth staying here for the views alone, so the fact that it is a "traditional" pub with superb food and excellent accommodation is a bonus. The en-suite bedrooms have the most comfortable beds imaginable and all the facilities you could require. Breakfasts are huge, as befits a famed walking area - Offa's Dyke virtually passes the door and Kington, a renowned walking centre, is only four miles down the road. Evening meals are of outstanding quality with locally sourced ingredients, and the proprietors, Chris and Angela, ensure everything is as it should be. After a huge evening meal, relax in front of one of the log fires before retiring to contemplate another nigh-on perfect day.

Old Radnor, Presteigne, Powys, LD8 2RH
+44(0)1544 350655
Google map: bit.ly/SXuQ6D

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Moeders is an excellent little eatery/restaurant located on the Rozengracht, not far form the Anne Frank House Museum in the centre of the city's beautiful Canal Belt district. What makes this place different is the decor. You will find wall upon wall packed with photos of customers' mothers. You are of course encouraged to bring along a photo of your own mum to add to their collection. High tea and cakes is served on charmingly mis-matched crockery and cutlery and you can also treat yourself to some authentic stodgy Dutch cuisine here. Bring your mother on her birthday and they will have a prize in store for her. Book online for a table to avoid disappointment in such cases.

www.moeders.com/
Rozengracht 251, 1016 SX Amsterdam
+31(0)20 6267957
Google map: bit.ly/Q70liJ

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The Punch House is an atmospheric pub-hotel right in the heart of Monmouth - a perfect place for exploring Wales and the Wye Valley. Stay in a room and enjoy live music at the weekend where the locals come to let off steam. My nine-year- old daughter loved the Lady Gaga show. The Punch House is a grade 11 listed building and an old coaching inn dating from the 12th century with oak beams everywhere, friendly staff and customers and and rooms from £45 a night.

4 Agincourt Square, Monmouth NP25 3BT
+44(0)1600 713855
Google map: bit.ly/UBgoku

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Amristar is the home of the Sikhs and a welcoming place to all travellers who take the trouble to go up to northern India. The famous Golden Temple is the main attraction, a real eye opening building that rises in the skyline of this affluent, bustling city. Eat with the locals at dahbas, informal tapas-like snack bars. The best is Brothers Dhaba in the small streets of the centre where delicious delicacies can be sampled for around 80 rupees - £1.50 - each.

www.brothersdhaba.com/
Near the town hall
+91 183 6941881
Google map: bit.ly/Ug5O27

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Should you find yourself taking a stroll in Letná Park – the one with the giant metronome where the huge statue of Stalin once stood – you might decide to grab a table in the beer garden and take in the fantastic view of the city. If however, it’s a decadent cake fix you need, head to the nearby Alchymista Cukrárna.
Alchymista is a fine example of the cukrárna, a Czech culinary institution best described as a cross between a French patisserie and Italian gelateria. If the weather’s sunny, sit outside in the beautifully kept garden and indulge yourself with a glass of rosé while tucking into a slice of something sweet. The range of coffee is excellent – devotees to the bean can pay a visit to the coffee museum next door – and there are also teas and homemade lemonade on the menu. Expect to pay 40 – 50 CZK for coffee and 50 – 70 CZK for cake. This is my favorite cafe in the Golden City and undoubtedly worth the trip to the neighbourhood. A real gem.

Alchymista Cukrárna, Jana Zajíce 7, 170 00 Prague 7
alchymista.cz
Google map: bit.ly/Sujffj

* Lisette is our Been there local for Prague. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-lisette.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LisettePrague

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While Prague Castle is a must-see attraction, it’s not easy to find a decent nearby eaterie that isn’t a tourist trap. Fortunately there’s Malý Buddha, a Vietnamese restaurant and tearoom only a few minutes' walk from St Vitus Cathedral and the seemingly inescapable crowds. Its cozy, candlelit interior, replete with atmospheric nooks and crannies, is almost as much of an attraction as the food itself. There are some unusual seafood options on the menu such as mussels stir fried in ginger as well as a selection of veggie dishes – a real godsend in a city where the average pub menu only offers deep-fried cheese and chips to non-carnivores.

Malý Buddha, Uvoz 46, Prague 1
malybuddha.cz/
Google map: bit.ly/SuiXVU

* Lisette is our Been there local for Prague. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/prague-local-lisette.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LisettePrague

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In your rush down the A591 from the M6 to get to Windermere, you are in danger of missing a little Lake District gem! Staveley Mill Yard is where you can enjoy proper beer and great food at the Hawkshead Micro Brewery, fill your rucksack with delicious fresh bread from the More Bakery or lounge on the huge sofas with tea and cakes at Wilf’s Cafe! If that's not enough to get you to dwell a while then check out Lucy’s Cookery School and learn to do it all for yourself. Staveley is a wonderful place to visit and there are also some super walks in the local area to help you work up an appetite or work off your indulgence.

www.staveleymillyard.com
Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9LR
+44(0)1539 821234
Google map: bit.ly/RGehv0

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A lot of services packed into a lovely little place. Hire your skis here if skiing at the Lecht ski area in the Cairngorm National Park, just up the road. Then warm yourself up with some tasty home made soup when you return them. You can even buy a tasteful gift for those back home. (Lovely smelly soap and hand cream in the toilets as well!)

www.goodbrandandross.co.uk/
Corgarff, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, AB36 8YL
+44 (0)1975 651433
Google map: bit.ly/U8SwKJ

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This transformed warehouse is a hidden haven for anyone trying to avoid the obvious crowds in Dalston. They serve hearty British food, sourced locally, seasonal and fresh. The eating area is warm, friendly and relaxed, and the kitchen in plain view, which is always a good sign when they have nothing to hide! A perfect place to come for a quiet read or to go with friends for a sensibly priced dinner. It also hosts exhibitions and live music events.

therusset.wordpress.com/hackney-downs-studios/
Downs House, 11 Amhurst Terrace, London E8 2BT
+44(0)20 3095 9731
Google map: bit.ly/SD1e0K

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The best burgers in Switzerland with meat carefully sourced from local cows grazing in the Alpine pastures above Lake Geneva. Rubbing shoulders in lovely restaurant with families on holiday in the Jura, commuters from the United Nations, cross-country skiers and climbers AND accessible via the funicular railway from nearby Nyon (or easily by car). Incredibly friendly English-speaking owner who really knows about high quality burger ingredients!

www.randoburger.ch/
Rando Burger, Route d'Arzier 12, 1264 St-Cergue, Vaud, Suisse
+41 22 360 03 03
Google map: bit.ly/VEd6Ol

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