Posts Tagged “food”
It’s true that many British tourists are regulars on the beaches of the Algarve and they will say they love the country. Yes, they enjoy that little corner of this amazing land; but far fewer visitors travel away from the resorts to discover the real personality of Portugal. The Portuguese are the product of a…
I love The Netherlands and am an unashamed supporter. It’s an oft-disregarded tourist destination even though it’s easy to get to from London. Short breaks are more usually taken in Paris or Berlin. That’s a shame as Dutch cities offer history, architectural charm and delicious food. Yes, dear reader, that statement isn’t an affectation of…
A Food Adventurer’s Guide This truly is a real food-lover’s treasury. By ‘food lover’ I mean those who sincerely love food rather than just the latest restaurant, and are excited by the prospect of new flavours. Gastro Obscura will be bedtime reading for so many of us, although it’s such a culinary page turner it’s…
I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first visit to Mauritius and my second to an Outrigger resort. The bar had been set very high! The welcome by immigration officials at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport was warm and friendly. This seasoned traveller braces herself for such encounters. There were smiles, jokes and…
Aegina is perhaps the most accessible of Greek island idylls. It’s the playground of holidaymakers from Athens, but has also long been popular with European tourists who are looking for a quintessentially Greek experience. The island is named after Aegina, one of the 50 daughters of the river god Asopus. It is located only 25…
It is perhaps one of the highlights of any vacation: a trip to an exotic and thoroughly Instagrammable market is hard to beat for local colour and atmosphere. Madeira has a gem of a covered market in the middle of Funchal and it’s well worth a visit. It’s a celebrated and popular landmark in the…
Anna Del Conte is, or so says The Times, ‘The queen of Italian cuisine’ and she is certainly an iconic writer. The original edition (1996) of ‘Classic Food of Northern Italy’ won both The Guild of Food Writers Book Award and the Orio Vergani prize of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. This is an updated…
Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores was a sweet star What a view! There can be few places more picturesque than the bank of the River Thames by the 18th century Richmond Bridge. It’s beautiful at any time but on a summer’s evening it’s memorable. A seat at Jackson and Rye will give you the best spot….
We might well think we know everything about Mallorca – possibly spelled Majorca and often pronounced with a hard ‘j’! It’s evidently a tapestry of an island and so far we are just considering the name! This is a beautiful island which has laboured under the touristic yoke of cheap package tours and ‘English Pubs’…
The Swan is a striking hotel in an equally striking location. Lavenham is a town the likes of which is often thought extinct. It’s the stuff of historic dramas, with unspoilt houses and shops; a slice of Harry Potter was filmed here. It surrounds the visitor with quaint buildings and photo opportunities by the shed-load….
This deceptively large hotel couldn’t have a better location. Hotel Bon Sol Resort and Spa is in Illetas, which is only 8 km (5 miles) from central Palma. One doesn’t need the extra expense of car hire: the bus stop is only a few yards away and an attractive €1.50 for a short ride into…
Located near Covent Garden in the heart of London’s West End, Eneko at One Aldwych is one of this writer’s favourite eateries. It is a delightfully stylish restaurant and wine bar from the acclaimed Basque Chef Eneko Atxa. This basement space takes advantage of a 2-storey ceiling at one end which offers diners in that…
This truly is a ‘garden’ house with the intimate character of a cosy cottage. (Read more about the Garden House here.) It’s part of the Beaverbrook Estate and the smaller of two hotels, the other being the lavish and imposing main house which was once the home of Lord Beaverbrook, one of the most influential…
One might not have heard of Anise Bar but it’s likely the discerning diner will have heard of Cinnamon Kitchen by Vivek Singh. Perhaps one might not have heard of Devonshire Square but everyone has heard of the City of London. There are associations with India in the very fabric of the buildings here. Between…
We have likely heard of it but if pinpointing this region on a map was a capital offence then it’s probable a few of us would be hung; but mention San Sebastián and more people will say that they know about it, and usually with regard to tapas. It’s an attractive seaside city and municipality…
This tropical gem has a deserved reputation for iconic, palm-fringed beaches, dazzling white sand and sea warm enough to call a bath. Langkawi is an island that charms and intrigues, and its story can be discovered not far from your sun-lounger. The sea is very much part of life here. It has provided a living…
Valentina Harris is perhaps our most celebrated and prolific Italian food writer, TV presenter and chef. Yes, the lady truly is Italian, although one could be fooled into thinking she is an authentically British blue-blood. Valentina Harris doesn’t have many free moments but I cornered her on a return flight from a culinary tour of…
Reims is a beautiful and historic city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. It is only 130 km from Paris with easy access by train. Excursions to nearby Chalons are a must and there will be not only the delightfully ubiquitous champagne to taste but also the champagne truffles which are so celebrated here. The…
The name ’24-Hour Food Frenzy Safari’ might, to the untutored, give the impression of something of a greedy teen munchies extravaganza. Well, in truth, it was an extravaganza of street food but the message behind the event was serious. Eating for a solid 24 hours with no designated sleep breaks is not for the faint-hearted….
I am, at first sight, overwhelmingly English. Yes, well, no, not quite. I have a family connection to India which is distant yet strong. That little bit of sub-continental exotica manifests itself in the guise of a passion for Indian food and that of the Punjab. One might assume that I have spent endless time…