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Maison Blanc is part of Raymond Blanc's culinary empire but this Oxford cafe is the original. A small patisserie, boulangerie and cafe at the top of St Giles, it is perfect for Saturday morning breakfasts or cake and coffee. Everything is beautiful and scrumptious, from the almond croissant to the tarte au citron and the pain rustique. It is also surprisingly family friendly and we always see toddlers in here.
3 Woodstock Road, at the corner of Little Clarendon Street.
Tel: 01865 510 974
www.maisonblanc.co.uk/oxford.html
If you're treating yourself, the Mena House Oberoi has got to be the swankiest hotel in Egypt. Built in the shadow of the pyramids, it has a great pool and the best Indian restaurant I've encountered outside India. It's truly stunning. And having your breakfast looking out at the pyramids is something else. The rooms aren't anywhere near as luxurious as the Al Moudira in Luxor but it's an amazing place. And wandering up to the pyramids after breakfast (as soon as they open) means beating the throngs.
Mena House Oberoi, Pyramids Road, Giza,
Tel : 00 20 2 377 3222, 377 3444
www.oberoihotels.com
Sangria is a cool restaurant and bar built around an old tree on the banks of the Nile. Enjoy a view of Zamalek from the open terrace, which during winter months is well heated. The cuisine is mostly South-East Asian and the crowd tends to be mainly young and wealthy, judging by the posh cars in the restaurant carpark. It's a great place for a beer.
Sangria, Corniche El Nile.
Tel : +20 2 579 6512
On the opposite side of the road from the Conrad Hilton towards the Arkadia Shopping Centre.
Formerly a down-at-heel, no graces boozer, this old coach house has had money thrown at it to such an extent that it is now an expensive, Michelin star wielding restaurant. Posh like.
Boyces Avenue, Clifton Village BS8 4AA;
tel: 0117 973 3522
www.thealbionclifton.co.uk
This is a restaurant in a newly refurbished hotel, with stunning views of the Kvarner Bay, Rijeka and the mountain of Ucka. Only half an hour’s drive from Rijeka, it offers splendid al fresco dinning on its terrace overlooking the sea.
The food is imaginative and based on the traditional regional cuisine (such as risotto with scampi and asparagus followed by fish baked in salt), deliciously prepared and served with style. The wine list features good quality local wines. Eating here is a memorable experience, but does not come cheap.
Lovranska Draga 1, 51415 Lovran, Croatia
Tel: 385 51 294 166
Fax: 385 51 291 826
Gsm: 385 98 327 093
e-mail hotel@dragadilovrana.hr
www.dragadilovrana.hr
The best hotel I have ever stayed in. It is total luxury, but expect to pay for it, not European prices, but still not cheap.
High budget but they do good deals at the weekend, have fantastic views of the Danube, and serve the most amazing buffet breakfast on a Sunday.
On the No 2 tramline along the river, but you will probably get there by taxi; Apaczai Csere Janos Ut 4, Budapest, 1052;
tel: 1 26 67 000;
marriott.com/property/propertypage/BUDHU
Start your evening in style with cocktails at The Felix Bar in The Peninsula (be sure to check out the view from the men’s toilet!). Cross the road to Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road. Be brave, hold your nose and take the lift up to The Khyber Pass Indian restaurant where you can have as much freshly cooked food to eat with beer for about $100. Two Hong Kong experiences not to be missed.
Felix Bar: 28th Floor, Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Kowloon;
Khyber Pass: Block E; Chung King Mansions, 36-40 Nathan Rd
One of many luxury hotels in Hong Kong but this one is just that bit special. Extremely well located on the Kowloon side, it’s just a few steps from the Star Ferry terminal and the malls of Ocean Terminal. Opposite it is the Hong Kong space museum and it is not too far from the Hong Kong science museum – both great venues for children. And of course the hotel has a shopping mall of its own.
Rooms are spacious and elegant and the service is as you would expect. However the best part of it is that the hotel does relatively affordable helicopter rides. A fab way to see Hong Kong or to buzz yourself to the airport.
It also has Rolls-Royces to transfer you to the airport – very comfortable and only a fraction of the price of what you would pay for a car transfer from Narita to Tokyo.
Salisbury Road, Kowloon; Tel: 852 2920 2888; www.peninsula.com or www.lhw.com
Best breakfast in Europe (well, possibly a slight exaggeration but we have never had better elsewhere). Chic, cool, stylish and not ludicrously expensive. Glass bathrooms very funkoid.
This is top-class Italian cooking, at very reasonable prices (£25 for three courses). The restaurant itself is somewhat understated (you might even walk past if you didn't know it was there), which could explain why it hasn't yet become unbearably busy. But it will.
The food is a delight: try the seafood ravioli for your second course and the either the sea bass or pork belly for your third. Actually, try anything - I can't imagine they cook anything less than perfectly.
Don't worry about leaving space for a pudding, though - eat one anyway, however fat you're feeling. And let the waiters talk you through the wine list - they'll pick the right wine for your meal.
21 Berners Street, W1T 3LP (opposite the Sanderson Hotel)
Tel: 020 7323 9123
www.latiumrestaurant.com
Copenhagen has nine restaurants with one or two stars according to the Michelin Guide.
If you're looking for fine dining then pull out your trusty copy of Le Guide (you always carry it with you, don't you?) and get ready for a taste experience.
Ironic isn't it? The design hotel phenomenon was late in coming to this Mother of All Design Nations. But Hotel Sankt Petri has got the whole concept wrapped up. Housed in an old department store, the hotel offers an über modern hotel experience. In short, it's the urban resort of choice for the demanding, travelling urbanite. There's a bar, brasserie and a cafe.
Prices start at 2,100 kroner.
Located in the heart of town.
www.sktpetri.dk/
It is difficult to spend too much money on food in Colombia but try this iconic Bogotá venue. Andres Carne de Res is actually a little out of town in the Chia district, but the trip is well worth the effort. Movers, shakers and the beautiful people descend on the sprawling bar, grill and restaurant nightly. The decor is unique, the vibe amazing, and once you are done eating the dancing goes on until the wee hours. Make sure you have someone to take you home again. The website will give you a better idea of the style of the place than anything I can tell you.
The Peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui is famous - and very expensive. However you can visit for much less. You can try high tea in the lobby, but the real pearl is the bar on the top floor of the hotel (there's also a restaurant there).
It has the most amazing view of HK Island. Stupid prices, but just have a small beer and drink in the view. Or, even better, check out the view from the gents.
Tsim Sha Tsui - from HK Island, the Star Ferry is terrific value and also has a stunning view.
Stunningly beautiful decor and fabulous music. Come and have just the one drink, unless you're loaded, and take in this Parisian beauty. And buy a cd on the way out. La Suite is highly recommended.
239 rue St-Honore
Paris, 75001
Telephone: (00 33 1) 4244 5000
The Fünf Höfe ("Five Courts") are high class shopping passages in the heart of Munich. The area, designed by the swiss architects Herzog&deMeuron, lies directly between the Marienplatz and the Odeonsplatz in the Theatinerstraße. You can find there designer shops (especially Italy is very present...), book stores, galleries, lifestyle shops and very hip restaurants like the Vapiano (italian cuisine) or the Kaimug (thai).
Aside from shopping and eating you can enjoy art in the HypoKunsthalle which presents every year up to four temporary exhibitions.
The Carmen is a large four-star hotel in the centre of Granada. It has a restaurant serving excellent breakfasts and evening meals, a large comfortable lounge with bar, a piano bar, outdoor pool and roof terrace. Everything about it is high quality; from the bedrooms and public rooms, to the efficiency and friendliness of the staff.
The Carmen is quiet and relaxing, depite being only a five-minute walk from the cathedral and a ten-minute bus or taxi ride from the Alhambra.
Acera del Darro, 62 Granada, ES 18005
Tel: +34 958258300
This is a hotel of the future. Facing a tranquil green park in the Kifissia area of north Athens, the hotel is boutique style with fluid design, soft style that mingles rounded forms with bright, lively colours. It offers internet TVs complete with cordless keyboards that come as standard. For more local interaction, guests can check out the hotel's two-level restaurant and bar, where the modern Greek, European and international flavours of the menu are mirrored in the cosmopolitan blend that make up the Semiramis' clientele. It is a must for those who love design hotels! ₤155 per night.
Harilaou Trikoupi 48, 14562 Kifissia, Athens, Greece Tel +30210 6284400 Fax +30210 6284499 www.semiramisathens.com
Posh hotels for less. I've used this website on several occasions to book hotels in New York and San Francisco (booking service available for hotels across the US). It generally beats the competition on price - unless you're looking for a flight/hotel deal.
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