The price of alcohol is very high, with an average bottle of Turkish wine costing about 32 lira or £14.

The imported vodka, whiskey, wine etc is equally exorbitant in price due to high taxes.

Just a word of warning in case people think Istanbul is like one of the resorts!

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Great food, great atmosphere and a great price!

Surprising that it is so close to the main sites of Sultanhamet and yet such good value.

As in all places in Istanbul, the price of wine / alcohol is very high. Our two mains and bottle of wine came to 66 lira - of which 30 lira was for the wine.

At an exchange rate of 2.5 lira to £1, this meant that our meals cost just a little over £14.

Wonderful fish on the menu and I recommend the chicken hagiasophia.

They have a terrace that looks onto the Blue Mosque.

All along the street there are "kapici" (managers/head waiters) trying to lure you into their respective establishments, but to be fair they do this with good humour and banter.

Incili Cavus Sk No 21 Sultanhamet.
If you stand facing the Haghia Sofia the street is across the road on your left parallel to the Divan Yolu street (which has the tram line). It is next to the Mozaik restaurant on the corner of the street.

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Amazing! A totally authentic Irish pub with a difference....built into the back of the pub is a train carriage and engine! Plenty of characters in the pub, not least the owner himself Sean Browne. Plenty of memorabilia on the walls with stories surrounding many of the items.

This was the pub in which a famous political interview took place in 1992 which ultimately caused the (in)famous Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Charles Haughey to resign! The chair in which the interview took place is in the pub signed by the interviewee himself.

I am Irish myself & have travelled all over Ireland and be rest assured you will find it difficult to find somewhere as unique as this! While not in a central location in Ireland it is well worth taking a detour to this place.

Main Street, Castlerea, Co. Roscommmon
www.hellskitchenmuseum.com/index.htm
homepage.eircom.net/~hellskitchen/
You can e-mail him on seanbrowne@eircom.net
Castlerea is about 1.5hrs drive from Galway & the town Castlerea is also on the main Dublin - Westport line.

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This is a restaurant in the Ribeira district of Porto. There are many similar looking restaurants on this waterfront however we believe that this one stands head & shoulders over the others. The menu range, quality of the food, friendliness of staff & the superb value all contribute to make this our top restaurant recommendation for Porto.
We had some bread/cheese, two very large mains, a bottle of wine & coffee & it set us back only €34.
We loved it so much we went back twice more. The view from the top window was amazing - looking over the Douro at the port lodges. For that alone the €34 would have been paid!

Cais da Ribeira, 37, halfway down the Ribeira waterfront in Porto.

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This is a bar at the approach to the castle that is simply wonderful. We passed this place on our way down from the castle & the 80s music playing on VH1 drew us in.

The owner said he plays the music he grew up with/likes so expect an ecletic mix, from Peter Gabriel to the Corrs. Irrespective of your age just go in & savour the atmosphere.

We ordered food and were not disappointed. The chef (a guy with a large moustache) was German and served us two great plates. Two large mains & two large jugs of freshly made sangria set us back only €36.

We really recommend this place - so much so that we went back again towards the end of our time in Lisbon.

11-13 Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmao - if you come out of the castle, turn right and it's on your right, just down the hill.

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Great selection of cocktails and smoothies, and not overpriced. Restaurant has a wide range of plates on offer, from 'comfort' foods such as fisherman's pie to more exotic/exciting dishes.
Probably the best value of all the George Street establishments (for those not from Edinburgh, George Street is the most upmarket bar area in Edinburgh).

113 - 115 George Street;
www.thelivingroom.co.uk

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OK, another bar/hotel on George Street. However I think this is a little different to the others such as Le Monde. Not cheap for drinks but you have to go at least once! Staff are very friendly and not pretentious in the least. The interior of Tiger Lilly retains the basis structure of the Georgian house that it once was. Food is also good and not overpriced.

125 George Street (near Charlotte Square);
tel: 0131 225 5005;
www.tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk

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This is a typical Edinburgh 'boozer'. If you want to see what a good Edinburgh local pub is like go to this place. There is a good quiz here on Thursday nights where anyone can take part. The banter can flow here, especially on Thursday nights.

203 Easter Road (on the corner of Iona Street); tel: 0131 554 5180;
Directions: take any bus down Leith Walk (no 7, 14 or 22) or Easter road.

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This brasserie is a wonderful place for a romantic night out. The menu is limited and not 'cheap' (approx £20 for two courses) but it's a wonderful setting for an evening with a 'special' friend. The brasserie is located in the building which previously housed the Scotsman newspaper. There is a cocktail bar downstairs but if you go in, go to the upstairs gallery where, with the decor and soft lighting, you will quickly get into the romantic mood.

One bit of advice: order some side dishes as the mains portions are not overly generous, but 9/10 for creating that special atmosphere.

20 North Bridge (between Princes street & the Royal Mile);
tel: 0131 622 2900;
www.thescotsmanhotel.co.uk

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La Camargue is a French brasserie in Leith not too far from the Royal Yacht Britannia. A large lobster hangs over the door which does give you a clue that it is very much seafood orientated. What do you expect? Leith is a port after all! It does however cater for meat eaters as well, so fear not.

A two course of starter and main costs £16 and is good value. Starters include lobster soup, mussels, oysters and salmon. Mains range from fish such as Dover sole and halibut to meat such as venison and steak. Check out the website for the menu, but for £16 it allowed me to try things I have never tried before such as oysters. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable. The bar next door, Cameo bar, is worth a visit as well.

23 Commercial Street, Leith; tel: 0131 554 9999;
Transport: take the (very frequent) bus 22 from Princes street to get to Commercial Street;
www.camcameo.co.uk

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Great pub on Edinburgh's Grassmarket. Can I say anymore? Well, ok, I will. Few of the pubs on the Grassmarket are worth recommending but this is definitely one. Staff are friendly and the food is good, and at very good prices. A lunch here would not put a dent in your pocket and leave plenty of cash for drink. I have recommended this pub to many folk around the world and they have not been disappointed.

74 Grassmarket, EH1 2JR;
tel: 0131 225 4851

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What can I say? Appearances are deceptive. When you walk into this place you think its just a dark bar with some pool tables. OK, it is but there's more to it. It serves great food at really great prices. Menu ranges from sandwiches, salads and burgers to goulash, cous cous and lamb in flatbread with hummus. Ideal as a pit stop for anybody looking for good food at good prices.

19 Blair street, in the old town (just off Royal Mile a few doors down from the IBIS hotel, behind the Tron);
tel: 0131 220 0125

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Wonderful restaurant serving both north African and Mediterranean food. While informal, the food is of the highest standard and is good value. Standard two course will set you back about £15. Better still – it’s BYOB with a £1.50 corkage fee. If you're a meat eater you'll love the savoury klaya with lamb, liver, kidney and heart heaped on the plate. Vegetarians and fish eaters are well catered for as well. Definitely rated A+, and there’s a nice beer garden at Pear Tree pub just across road for you to have a few drinks after your feast.

55 - 57 West Nicolson Street, EH8 9DB, on the south side of city; tel: 0131 662 4493;
Directions: take a 3, 7, 14, 29, 30, 33, 37, 47 bus from Princes street over North Bridge and jump off at Farm Foods. Restaurant is just across road.

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French brasserie in Leith. Generous portions of high quality fare coupled with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Need I say any more? Probably pay £17 for two courses.

88 Commercial Street; Leith; tel: 0131 553 5933;
Directions: get very frequent no. 22 bus from Princes street off jump off one or two stops before Royal Yacht Britannia/Ocean Terminal.

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