Dim Sum became the noughties' sushi in the UK with the advent of fast food dim sum chains like Ping Pong. Before arriving in Hong Kong I'd eaten plenty of dim sum in London but the slightly gummy, insipid little parcels I was used to bore no resemblance to the real deal served up in Hong Kong’s dim sum restaurants. A dim sum lunch is a real Hong Kong must-do. Eating dim sum at a restaurant is known as “going to drink tea”, or “yum cha” in Cantonese. It’s customary for Cantonese families to gather at the weekend to eat dim sum together so particularly on a Saturday and Sunday, expect busy, noisy restaurants packed with large chattering groups.
While I make no claim that the Yum Cha at Maxim's Palace is the best in Hong Kong (I'm still on a quest to discover that, and will keep you posted on my findings), the dim sum's very good, you get great harbour views and it’s also one of only a handful of restaurants in Hong kong which still uses the old school dim sum trolleys. Come at lunchtime but be prepared for a wait - Maxim's doesn't take bookings and it gets pretty hectic, particularly at weekends. Queueing over, take your seat in the large red and gold dining hall and sip on Jasmine tea while keeping a close eye on the trolleys being
wheeled between the tables. Each trolley is laden with bamboo dim sum steamers. When a trolley passes by and you spot something that you fancy, stop the waitress and grab a basket. Struggling to decide what to opt for? I suggest that you try a little bit of everything but my top dim sum picks are: har gau (shrimp dumplings), char sui bau (steamed barbeque pork buns), cheung fan (rice paper rolls which come with various fillings aka Chinese ravoili), sui mai (pork dumplings), and Xiaolongbao (steamed pork soup dumplings originating from Shanghai). If you’re feeling particularly brave, try
the chicken’s feet which actually don’t taste as bad as they look but are not the easiest thing to eat if you’re a little inexperienced with chopsticks. Lunch over, leave City Hall with a tummy full of dumplings and the clatter of the dim sum carts ringing in your ears and head for a stroll along the harbour front to work it all off.

City Hall Maxim's Palace
2/F, City Hall Low Block, Hong Kong Island.
+(852) 2521 1303
Google map: bit.ly/JZ2YQ6

* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/

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This is one of my favourite spots for a laid-back evening with great food, strong cocktails and a bit of light barstaff oggling. Yardbird, a yakatori restaurant, opened late last year and was an instant hit. Located just on the edge of Soho, the restaurant's USP is nose-to-tail, Izakaya-style dining of the chicken variety. Always packed, this buzzy two level restaurant feels more New York than Hong Kong. You can't make a reservation, so head down early, put your name on the list and while you wait for a table, pull up a bar stool, get stuck into a bowl of edamame and start working your way through the cocktail list. The black t-shirt clad bar staff (who all look like off-duty models) mix seriously strong cocktails while knowledeably and enthusiastically guiding you through the menu. From your standard chicken cuts like breast and wing to the more unusual like knee and tail, all items on the menu are made from birds delivered fresh that day so be sure to order before the most popular dishes sell out. My top picks are the salty, lemony oysters (not the type from the sea, but the fabled circular nuggets of meat from just beside the thighs – the juciest and tastiest meat on the chicken) and the moreish chicken meatballs. Spy KFC on the menu and wonder whether you've had one too many cocktails? Well don't be fooled and don't miss out - KFC actually stands for Korean fried cauliflower. These florets of cauliflower encased in a light, crispy, sweet and sour batter come studded with sesame seeds and are the perfect accompaniment to all the chicken deliciousness.
At the end of the night your bill arrives complete with a little sachet of Yardbird spicy seasoning to take home. Super cool, lots of fun, you’re guaranteed an evening of delicious, unusual food. As the restaurant’s tagline goes – Come Early, Come Often.

yardbirdrestaurant.com/
33 Bridges Street, Hong Kong Island.
+(852) 2547 9273
Google map: bit.ly/IQaWqE

* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/

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San Sebastian nestles in a shell-shaped bay where the 'Comb of the Wind', the jaw-dropping iron sculptures of Eduardo Chillida, cast huge, bold shapes from the water's edge. We enjoyed many strolls along the wide golden beaches, and avoided an afternoon shower in the Aquarium (Pza Carlos Blasco Imaz) with 5000 fish species and spectacular underwater tunnel. Harbourside restaurants abound, serving an enticing array of pintxos including tasty sardines washed down with the local sidra. For a truly memorable experience, travel 10 minutes to Zarautz, to the Karlos Arguinano, a fabulous on-the-beach restaurant with rooms. Delicious sea-bream for dinner, then breakfast on the sands at sunrise - magical!

www.sansebastianturismo.com
www.hotelka.es
Calle de Mendilauta, 13 20800 Zarautz, Spain
+34 943 13 00 00
Google map: bit.ly/JU3mfK

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Fantastic bustling seaside town, just a few miles from San Sebastian, that has something for everyone.
Mile long sandy beach for families and great surfing. Beach is spotlessly clean and there are Red Cross Lifeguards all along the beach keeping everyone safe. Places to hire surfboards and surf schools.
Dozens of beach bars and restaurants along the promenade and a great town centre where the competition among the pintxo (basque tapas) bars ensures great quality and choice. A stroll along the promenade then grazing from bar to bar along with thousands of others is the evenings entertainment.
Karlos Arguinano is a TV chef with a stunning restaurant almost on the beach and with great views of the sunset.
Ideal for a day out if staying in San Sebastian or less than hour from Biarritz!
Beach all day - bars all night - stunning sunsets - perfect holiday

www.sansebastianturismo.com
www.hotelka.es
Calle de Mendilauta, 13 20800 Zarautz, Spain
+34 943 13 00 00
Google map: bit.ly/JU3mfK

www.hotelka.com
www.turismozarautz.com

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A lovely little Italian place off the main drag in Chamonix which does spectacular pizzas. I had the marinara which was huge and had a beautiful tomato sauce and the dough was just perfect - thin, a bit crispy, bit squidgy. Glass of perfect temperature Barbera topped it all off nicely. The other clientele ranged from gnarly looking climber types, to families and couples. Low lighting, no fuss decor and you can eat at the heavy wooden bar if you want. In a town where eating out generally leaves you broke it's good value, unpretentious and tasty.

www.casavalerio.net/
90 Rue Lyret 74400 Chamonix, France
+33(0)4 50 55 93 40
Google map: bit.ly/IvWqFm

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Although Dublin’s dramatic coastline can be reached within a few minutes of the city centre, the slower pace of life makes it seem like it could be a million miles away.
I suggest a trip to scenic Howth and the village of Malahide on the north side or the equally pretty Dalkey and Killiney on the south side of the city. If you like seafood, indulge in Dublin Bay’s finest in King Sitric restaurant in Howth or Guinea Pig in Dalkey village. Advanced booking is recommended.

www.kingsitric.com/
East Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin, Rep. of Ireland.
(+353 1) 832 5235
Google map: bit.ly/K6D4Zs

www.guineapig.dalkey.info/
17 Railway Road Dalkey, dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland
+353(0)1 285 9055
Google map: bit.ly/IXsYa8
* 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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Tomaso restaurant is by far the best place we ate in the whole of Croatia. It's situated in the lovely historic town of Pula on the Istrian coast. It was recommended to us by the tourist office but only after we begged the woman to tell us somewhere where we could get real,wholesome, traditional Croatian food. Situated on one of the main roads leading out of the city, Tomaso is small and easy to miss so keep an eye out. This locals hangout is unlike many of the other restaurants in town without a pestering maitre'd or menu catered to tourists. It dished up fresh homemade meats,oven baked vegetables and creamy pasta style dishes but in a way like I have never tasted before. My boyfriend was a vegetarian but things changed after our first visit here. However they do vegetable options too. Avoid the expensive pizza places on the strip in the main town and head here for a real, authentic taste of Croatian food and culture. Every time I come back to Pula, Tomaso is the first place I hit up, knowing it will be my best meal in the country. (£3-£10 per person)

11 Zagrebačka, 52100, Pula, Croatia
+385 (052) 216027
Google map: bit.ly/Ii7t6U

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A charmingly old fashioned, year-round town where the Camargue meets the sea. Watch the fishing fleet return from one of the harbour-side restaurants, past the abandoned lighthouse. Ideal for walking, the huge expanses of the Plage l'Espiguette merge into the wetlands (abounding with white horses, black bulls and flamingos) and surreal salt flats that divide Le Grau du Roi from its medieval walled neighbour at Aigues Mortes.

www.ville-legrauduroi.fr/
Google map: bit.ly/HUoxA3

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The village of Genêts is located in Mont Saint Michel Bay. From the Bec d’Andaine land end, we discover the magnificent scenery of the Bay area and its world famous tides. A guided cross on foot takes about three to four hours to reach Mont St Michel. During the cross, you will enjoy untouched wildness with salt marsh lambs “pré-salé”, birds (bernacles, scoter, etc) and seals.
After this day you deserve a diner at Chez Francois simple and delicious meals based on local products grilled over a wood fire in his antique chimney.

www.chezfrancois.fr/html/index-gb.html
50530 GENÊTS
+33 2 33 70 83 98
Google map: bit.ly/JTi8Ae

www.labaiecderomain.fr/

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This is a sweet little café overlooking the harbour in the pretty hollyhock-lined island village of Ars-en-Ré. We sat on one of the tables on the outdoor terrace last summer and watched the world go by in a very leisurely fashion - the Île de Ré is completely flat and so is known for its cycle paths and lack of cars. Their coffee is fantastic, but if you really want to push the boat out, order a plate of the local oysters fresh from the sea just metres away from your table.

www.cafcom-ars.com/
6 Quai de la Prée,17590, Ars-en-Ré
+33 5 46 29 41 57
Google map: bit.ly/HVhP83

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I’ll let you into a secret. A hidden corner of one of our closest neighbours where the food is exquisite, the sun shines every day, Catalan and French cultures fuse and the local rose is cheap and inoffensive.
Avoid airport tantrums and restrictive baggage allowances and instead, jump in your car, throw in the children and their paraphernalia then cross the channel and drive south until you reach the Med but don’t turn left and follow the hordes to Nice and Provence but instead head right towards the Pyrenees where, tucked between the Med and the mountains, you will find the Cote Vermeille region basking in the sun, where even in August, you can find space on a beach and a table in a restaurant.
Port Vendres is a deep sea port and marina, crammed with rows of gleaming motor boats and yachts, yet still a working harbour edged by a tangle of nets and ropes. Rows of terracotta topped town houses tumble down its hilly flanks to the palm tree lined streets where a healthy smattering of bars and seafood restaurants host a mixture of primarily French tourists and the odd crusty local sea dog. The morning’s fresh fish and seafood can be purchased from the quayside or sampled al fresco in one of the eateries.
Within an easy drive of the long sandy beaches of Argeles sur Mer or inland Larqoue des Alberes where old houses cluster about a hill topped with a small tower and a meal can be taken on the sun dappled square next to the church from Hotel Le Catalan.
Take a jaunt on the road train to picture perfect neighbour Collioure home to a fine fortress returning via a vertiginous route through the vineyards or travel along the cornice road and over the border into Spain, (you can tell you’re in Spain as the road disintegrates into a pot holed track) and down into Portbou for some tapas and dos cerveza por favor.

www.port-vendres.com/uk/index.php
Google map: bit.ly/Isa3V5

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An authentic fish stew served with aioli - succulent pieces of fish served in a tasty broth with little pieces of crusty bread topped with a rich garlic mayonnaise - try eating at the local fisherman's cafe rather than the tourist restaurants on the quay. It's cheaper, the taste is much more authentic and the locals are friendly and talkative - the portions are huge too!

Marseille fish quay
Google map: bit.ly/JvhIQ8

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We have had breakfast and lunch here, essential to book. Quality food and laid back atmosphere.
A must but be prepared for a lot of yummy mummies and kiddies.

www.fifteencornwall.co.uk/
On The Beach Watergate Bay, Cornwall TR8 4AA
+44(0)1637 861 000
Google map: bit.ly/IJm3Ea

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Restaurant below Jamie Oliver's place at Watergate Bay.
Essential to book and great food but not that cheap.

On The Beach, Watergate Bay, Cornwall TR8 4AA
+44(0)1637 860877
Google map: bit.ly/HQ3wqV

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Jimbaran Bay is famous for its many seafood cafes. Bawang Merah restaurant is at the northernmost section of Jimbaran beach and therefore offers a unique view over the bay, amazing! We dined at a table on the beach, enjoyed our grilled seafood and the magnificent sunset there. An unforgettable dinner next to the ocean.

www.jimbaranbeachrestaurant.com
Kelan Beach at Jimbaran Bay, Kelan 80361
+361 2168521

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Perched on the end of its own promontory off the from the unspoilt Gargano Peninsula, this ramshackle eaterie faces the sea on three sides. The real draw is its awesomely fresh fish, some of which is caught from the restaurant’s own trabucco, a Puglian contraption that drops nets into the teeming waters below. Ask the friendly staff for specials off the menu.

www.altrabucco.it
Località Punta San Nicola , 71010 PESCHICI (Gargano)
Italy
+39 0884 962556
Google map: bit.ly/IsoUAg

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We've been to half a dozen Michelin starred restaurants but this one has to be one of the best if not the best we've visited.
We went for the tasting menu which effectively amounted to 10 courses (including various amuse bouche) costing €140 in total including two glasses of wine each.
Service was very friendly and very relaxed.
The chef Nikos Karathanos won the Michelin star for the restaurant in 2009 and it from our experience will hold it for many years to come!

www.hytra.gr/
Navarchou Apostoli 7, Athens 105 54, Greece
+30.210.33.16.767
Google map: bit.ly/HTw5Nd

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A very popular fish restaurant on the shore that people keep coming back to. Always a good mix of locals and tourists. There is a bar area where locals come in for a pint or even a glass of champagne.
Had the fish platters and they did not disappoint!
Great quality fish as you come to expect. For two platters, bottle of house white, chips and glasses of port it set us back only £83.
In recent years while we were there we have seen the actor Stellan Skarsgard, cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw, Tom Kitchin (Michelin starred chef) and Celebrity Masterchef winner Nadia Sawalha to name but a few.

www.theshipontheshore.co.uk/
24-26 Shore, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QN
+44(0)131 555 0409
Google map: bit.ly/IpoUSn

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Decent food quickly at very reasonable prices.
We had two mains, one Coke, two bottles of beer for £12.80. It should have cost £15 or so but there was an automatic 20% discount (which seems to occur frequently).
This place serves decent Asian food and not surprisingly given the student population in the area is always busy.
It is quick and cheap and while it will not be garnering any Michelin stars it is somewhere we often go back to when in the area.
Don't believe they do reservations and you can always get a table though you might have to wait a few minutes.

45 South Bridge, Edinburgh , EH1 1LL
Google map: bit.ly/IL8nH4

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Great bar on the Shore area of Leith in Edinburgh.
Extremely friendly and efficient staff. Feels like a French bar with dark wood and a fire in the corner.
This bar also has a separate eating area though you can eat in bar as well. We had a great fish pie (£8.50) and a steak and kidney pie (£9.50).
The bar, unlike some on the Shore area, is kids friendly.

www.fishersbistros.co.uk/the-shore-bar-and-restaurant.php
3-4 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QW
+44(0)131 554 5666
Google map: bit.ly/HEVn49

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