Layman's London

The Standings Cross, Matfield, Kent

2012-01-29T21:01:00.005Z

A non-descript pub-cum-restaurant in the prosperous, rambling village of Matfield, The Standings Cross is a mixed bag. Around 2pm on a Sunday, the service can be slow and the portions meagre, but some of the food, particularly the deserts, can be very good. While you are waiting and waiting, you get to nibble on some nice, fluffy bread, served with olive oil. The Sunday roasts (choice of chicken, lamb or pork for £13 each) can be disappointing. The Yorkshire puddings are good enough, but the apologetic chef might run out of a lamb and top you up in person with pork or chicken . Moreover, the roast parsnips and potatoes can be singed around the edges and the meat fatty. The roast chicken, moist in its skin, is probably the best bet. Alternatively, the monk fish wrapped in bacon and served with Parmesan risotto looks the part, but is on the small side for £15. Kids' portions are half price. You'll probably need a desert and, fortunately, they are good. The sticky toffee pudding is rich and oozing sugar, but it could do with some ice cream. The well-presented apple crumble (in a mannequin dish) isn't so sweet, but has a lovely flavour and comes with fine ice cream. The choice of beers includes Harveys and a few standard lagers. But you might find a latte, which is big, frothy and very good for £2, to be the highlight of the meal. Service at The Standings Cross tends to be slow, leaving you plenty of time to gaze at the garish modern art on the walls. 5/10

Crowne Plaza, Wiesbaden, Germany

2012-01-27T17:54:00.000Z

A keenly-priced, business hotel near the centre of this historic German city, the Crowne Plaza Wiesbaden is a comfortable, but rather soulless, place to stay. The lobby and bar are sleek, but empty and feel like they belong in an airport, while the checking-in process is a bit bureaucratic. Upstairs, the rooms are quiet, but cramped, especially if you need to use the ironing board. The views from the windows aren't anything to write home about and the decor is ultra-modern and bit too clinical, while the striped carpet and curtains are "in your face". A day's Wi-Fi access costs an extra 12.5 euros. But the rooms are equipped with a safe and flat screen television with a 100 or so channels in many different languages. The best thing about this hotel is the buffet breakfast - you can have omelets made to order or help yourself to the appealing fried eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausages. The fruit salad is also good (although you need to pick the pips out of the grapes) and there is an impressive selection of yogurts and fruit juices. The only let down is the underwhelming coffee. The Crowne Plaza is good value. 7/10

The Mayflower, Rotherhithe Street, south London

2012-01-07T20:38:00.004Z

A nautical 17th century pub right on the river, the Mayflower oozes history. Downstairs, the atmospheric bar and adjoining snugs seem to have changed little in the past three centuries. The black wooden beams are awash with lanterns, model ships and other maritime paraphernalia. If you are lucky, there might even be a regular with a black-eye and broken nose propping up the bar. Upstairs, the Mayflower boasts views over the Thames through the fine old lead-paned windows, while the tables bear elderly candlesticks and the battered walls are strewn with yellowing prints and pictures. On tap, the usual lagers are accompanied by a few real ales, such as Speckled Hen.

Delicious mushy peas
The Mayflower's food menu plays it fairly safe, but is supplemented by some meaty specials scrawled on the blackboards. Accompanied by decent mash and vegetables, the lamb shank (about £13) is good enough. Alternatively, the fish and chips are very crispy and tasty, but don't look too healthy. Still, you get some delicious mushy peas, flavoured with mint. If you want something vegetarian, the asparagus and tomato risotto comes in a generous portion and is pretty moreish. But you might be disappointed by the ham, fried egg and chips with grilled tomato (about £9) - the meat is wafer thin and looks a little processed. Among the deserts, the sticky toffee pudding is large, sweet to the point of being sickly and swimming in a thin custard. But it still tastes great. The chocolate fondant is less exciting - no liquid chocolate in the middle and not very warm, but the accompanying vanilla ice cream is good and it comes with a strawberry. Although the food isn't going to win any awards, it's not expensive. Better still, the serving staff are accommodating and genuinely warm, while the Mayflower itself is steeped in antiquated charm. 8/10

The Stable Bar, Monsal Head Hotel, Monsal Head, Derbyshire

2012-01-06T18:20:00.002Z

After hiking up to Monsal Head on a winter's morn, the Stable Bar is a warm and welcoming place to stop for lunch. Although the ancient flagstone floor is cold and hard, a wood-burning stove pumps out heat and the bar offers real ales, mulled wine and spicy apple concoctions. It can be tough to get one of the inside tables, which are enclosed by high wooden screens, making them cosy, but cramped. If you don't want a big meal, the lamb chorizo and rocket in ciabatta, with chips and a bit of salad, hits the mark. It is salty, but meaty and good value for about £8. For kids, the fish and chips with mushy peas is excellent for £5.50. But you may need to be patient - the Stable Bar is often full of hungry walkers and the food can take half an hour to arrive. 8/10

The Royal Oak, Hurdlow, Derbyshire

2012-01-03T22:24:00.000Z

Perched on a hillock in a rather desolate patch of the Peak District, the Royal Oak serves top notch pub grub in its fairly non-descript dining room and more atmospheric bar. There is an exceptionally long menu featuring most of the pub classics. On a Sunday the selection is smaller, but you can have one of the customary roasts. If you fancy something lighter, the salmon with prawns (£10.50) is cooked with precision and served with delicious chunky, dark chips and a good salad. The fisherman’s platter (£11.95) is also impressive featuring fat, juicy mussels, prawns, a fishcake, smoked salmon and boquerones, accompanied by lots of luke warm potatoes, a bread roll and salad. It's fresh and generous. The good quality children's meals are also substantial. Your offspring might struggle to make it through the three sausages, fine chips and peas, while the chicken goujons contain decent pieces of meat. The Royal Oak's beers include an unusual ale from a local brewery: Hartington bitter. The only real gripe is the frothy capaccuino can be tepid. But the attentive and friendly staff are happy to make you another one. The Royal Oak is a real find. 8/10

The Booking Office bar at the Renaissance Hotel, St. Pancras, central London

2011-12-23T16:56:00.000Z

Built into the booking office of this grandiose Gothic station, the Renaissance Hotel has a jaw-dropping bar with a soaring ceiling, tall arched windows and fine vintage wooden panelling interspersed with heavily-restored brick walls. Although the furniture and lighting is mostly modern and angular, you still feel like you are sitting in a cathedral. It can be difficult to secure a seat, but once you do, the waitresses provide exemplary table service. Prices are high and the choice of beers is limited, but your ale does come in a pewter mug and is accompanied by some exotic nibbles. It is also worth wondering through to the beautiful and extravagantly spacious lobby next door. It too has bare brick walls, lead-paned arched windows and many of the original station's fixture and fittings, framed by attractive sky-blue ironwork, complete with rivets, nuts and bolts. 8/10

Barrica, Goodge Street, central London

2011-12-19T17:52:00.007Z

A buzzing and cheery tapas bar, Barrica brings a whiff of Barcelona to Goodge Street. The decor, with yellow walls, a tiled floor and a grand wooden drinks cabinet, is traditional Spain, while the service by the young, edgy Spanish-speaking staff is friendly, but a little haphazard. There is an all-day menu and a specials menus, but some of the dishes listed aren't always available. And make sure you get to Barrica by 9.30pm, as the kitchen can close surprisingly early. Still, there is a broad selection of hot and cold tapas, plus cheese and meat platters. The boquerones (three for £2.95) are very fresh, while the cockles, tomatoes and cod, swimming in brine, is a great combination and you can really taste the sea. The baby spinach with garlic and melted cheese is also very good, while the duo of ham croquettes is salty, succulent and delicious. The tuna salad is very fresh, but a bit small for a fiver. By contrast, the pile of patatas bravas is a bit too crispy and oily, but still mouthwatering. Other highlights include the the salami with caperberries and the saddle of lamb, which is cooked to be pink in the middle and is well seasoned. Although you may find many of the dishes too salty, there is free tap water and good bread. On the lengthy Spanish wine list, the Martin Berdugo Tinto Fino (175ml for about £6) is smooth, yet rich. On the whole, Barrica, which levies a service charge of 12.5%, has a good vibe and is good value. 8/10

The Stanhope Hotel, Rue du Commerce, Brussels

2011-12-14T17:39:00.000Z

Housed in an hundred-year old building perfectly-located between the European Parliament and the heart of Brussels, the Stanhope Hotel doesn't have to try very hard to attract guests. The ridiculously ornate foyer, with its classical columns, is many years out-of-date and rather stuffy, while the dining room is also excessively formal, fussy and elaborately decorated with incongruous Chinese prints. The two-storey bedrooms on the first floor have very high ceilings, tall windows, massive curtains, wooden floors and some period style. Downstairs is a desk, chairs, sofa, minibar, television and ageing bathroom. On a mezzanine-level, is a comfortable double-bed and not much else. Unfortunately, the narrow, steep staircase can be a bit treacherous in the middle of the night, but there are light switches everywhere. Note, even a small bottle of water from the minibar costs four euros and the smoking rooms have a real stench of tobacco. The buffet breakfast isn't great for 25 euros. There is a broad selection, but the food is really only passable, while the coffee is lacklustre and can be lukewarm. The waitors are friendly, but they seem to be trying to deal with too many people at once and confusion beckons. On top of the hefty room-rate, the Stanhope charges eight euros city tax and a further nine euros for 24 hours of decent Wi-Fi access. Somewhat complacent, the Stanhope seems to be making too good a living from Eurocrats on expense accounts. 5/10

The Royal China Club, Baker Street, central London

2011-12-04T20:40:00.003Z

For a Chinese restaurant, the Royal China Club has an unusually luxurious interior with very comfortable fabric chairs and starched white table cloths against a backdrop of bamboo panelling and leather padding. On the way in, you pass crowded fish tanks, packed with lobsters, eels, crabs and other sealife eking out their last few hours. The menus are long and comprehensive. From the dim sum selection, the sesame rolls filled with prawn and mango, which melt in the mouth, are a good choice, as are the succulent steamed dumplings - fillings include scallops and prawns with garlic. However, the minced lamb buns are a bit pedestrian - the flavour might remind you of a lame steak and kidney pie. Among the larger dishes, the crispy duck with plum sauce, accompanied by wafer thin pancakes and crudite, is very moreish, but you don't get a great deal of food for £13.50 a pop. Similarly, the rice with chicken and seafood is a modest portion for a tenner. It is served in a huge leaf, making it good to look at, but hard to handle. In general, the Royal China Club's food is a bit pricey, as are the drinks (330ml of Tiger beer for £4.50), while the bottled water is extortionate at £4.50 a time. You are served by a platoon of black-shirted, dour staff who keep topping up your glass. At busy times, you might have to wait a while for the various elements of your meal to arrive. The Royal China Club is comfortable and you can book a table, but you'll find a lot better value in Chinatown. 6/10

Locale, East Dulwich Road, south London

2011-12-02T17:06:00.003Z

One of a small chain of Italian restaurants, Locale East Dulwich does a hearty and competitively-priced three course Christmas dinner for £25 a head plus wine and service. There are about five options per course. Among the starters, the butternut squash soup is a bit bland and you'll need to go heavy on the seasoning. Still, the accompanying bread is very fresh and tasty. For the main course, the lamb shank is a huge piece of well-cooked meat sitting on a big bed of mash potato - it is quite good, but there is too much, and it needs some vegetables and some garlic. After the lamb, the large slice of tiramsu is pretty intimidating. It tastes good, but looks suspiciously neat and tidy - like it may have been made elsewhere. While the service is attentive, it feels like the staff have one eye on the bill - they top up wine glasses regularly. Still, the waitresses also make sure you are well stocked with iced water and the East Dulwich branch is a spacious and comfortable place to party. In summary, Locale serves mediocre food in generous portions at reasonable prices. 7/10

The Elephant & Castle, Holland Street, central London

2011-11-05T16:49:00.001Z

A throw-back to yesteryear, the Elephant & Castle is an old school pub that seems to draw an old school crowd on a Sunday lunchtime - elderly chaps with upper crust accents prop up the bar. It is a world away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Kensington High Street. The dark wooden panelling, leather benches, Victorian lamps and gold-framed mirrors reinforce the feeling that you have stepped back in time. Only a neon fruit machine spoils the effect. The food menu plays it pretty safe, but is very competitively-priced for 2011. The beef burger (about £8) contains good quality meat, topped with bacon and salad, but the accompanying chips are a little oily. On tap, there is Amstel, Heineken, 1664, Guinness, Strongbow and other big brands, along with a decent selection of real ales, including Doom Bar, London Pride and one or two beers from the Moor brewery in Somerset. Owned by the Nicholson group, the Elephant & Castle might appeal to anyone who wants to rewind the clock back to the days before All Bar One and Pitcher & Piano. 7/10

Best Western Galleria Inn, Redondo Beach, Los Angeles

2011-10-30T22:01:00.002Z

In a non-descript suburb of south LA close to the international airport and a few miles from the ocean, the Best West Galleria Inn, Redondo Beach, is a workmanlike and depressing place to stay. At weekends, this motel seems to be popular with noisy night owls and you'll get to hear plenty of chatter in the early hours as party animals slowly make their way along the balconies that lead to the guest rooms. Still, the beds are comfortable and the Wi-Fi is fast and free. Although the decor is dull and unimaginative, the biggish rooms are equipped with just about everything you'll need, except a safe. You can help yourself to the basic buffet breakfast in the very compact lobby. The lame coffee comes from a machine and you have to toast your own bread. There are also cereals, milk, yoghurts and hard boiled eggs in the fridge. This Best Western is a reasonably convenient and cheap stopover after a long flight, but there must be better options. 5/10

The Crooked Well, Grove Lane, south London

2011-10-26T16:55:00.003Z

A new gastro pub in Camberwell, the Crooked Well is housed in a stately early nineteenth-century building with high ceilings, big windows and clean, stripped back decor. Even on a Tuesday evening, it can be tough to get a table in the restaurant area, so you may be pointed to the bar. But beware, some of the bar tables are really too low to eat at. The food is traditional British fare, often enlivened with a modern twist. Among the starters, the pork belly, served with tuna creme fraiche, capers and gremolata (£5.90), is a small and surprisingly-delicate dish. The presentation is superb and the swirls of pork crackling delicious, but the meat itself can be overpowered by the other flavours, especially the capers. For the main course, the hearty and hot fish pie (£26.50 for two) is a good choice on an autumnal evening. Beneath the mash potato topping, which is decorated with two king prawns, there is plenty of well-seasoned salmon. You'll also need a side order of vegetables, which are a further £3, but are nicely-steamed. There is a lengthy wine list and some beers, such as Amstel, Doom Bar and Kronenbourg on tap. Although the Crooked Well is often packed, the service is polished and professional. 7/10

Southern stretch of The Strand, Los Angeles, California

2011-10-24T21:20:00.000Z

A 22-mile bicycle trail hugging the beaches along Los Angeles' South Bay, the Strand is a blessed relief from the car-clogged roads elsewhere in the city. Beginning at Hermosa Beach, the most southerly stretch often hugs wide tracts of sand running down to the Pacific Ocean. The beach here is patchwork of volleyball pitches and every few hundred yars, a sky blue, wooden lifeguard's hut surveys the shoreline. With a white-dotted line down the middle and an eight-mile-an-hour speed limit, The Strand itself runs as straight as an arrow for a mile or so to Redondo Beach. Here, you have to veer off on to the coast road for a short stretch before working your way through a car park and a short 'no cycling' section at the head of Redondo Beach pier. Then you rejoin the sea front for a couple of miles until The Strand comes to an abrupt end. But it is worth pushing your bike up the steep slope to the bike lane on the residential road that climbs into the plush Palos Verdes hills. You can work your way around the picturesque coastline on the sometimes busy, but wide, Paseo Del Mar, which offers some fine vistas over the ocean. You can rent a bike at reasonable rates from several shops near Hermosa Beach. The Hermosa Cyclery, for example, offers a standard hybrid bike for $36 a day or $125 for a week. 8/10

The Millennium Broadway Hotel, West 44th Street, New York

2011-10-15T12:07:00.002Z

Housed in a skyscraper a stone's throw from Times Square, the Millennium Broadway is a mid-market hotel on an industrial scale. It has 625 rooms across scores of floors, reachable via swift lifts from the plush marble lobby. For such a central location in such a crowded city, the standard rooms are surprisingly spacious and well-equipped with a large desk, comfortable bed and armchair. They also have ironing boards, irons, safes and WiFi (costing about $13 a day). The predominantly brown decor is contemporary and in good condition, but a little dull. Still, there are big windows with dizzying views of the neighbouring skyscrapers. The en-suite bathrooms are also modern and well-maintained, but the dappled tiled floor and fussy marble sink tops won't be to everyone's tastes. The standard rooms can be booked at pretty keen rates and, if you want to keep the cost of extras down, there are plenty of nearby cafes and coffee shops serving breakfast and offering free WiFi. A good base from which to see Manhattan. 7/10

Shampers, Kingly Street, central London

2011-09-30T12:12:00.006Z

Although it sounds like it might be a tacky night club, Shampers is a fairly-tasteful French bistro and wine bar. Its decor is pretty dated, but the walls are covered in an eyecatching array of modern art, such as a very striking yellow and blue painting of a lido. The a la carte menu is supplemented by a good selection of specials. While you are waiting for your food, you can tuck into the warm bread. Starters (priced at about six pounds) might include butternut squash soup, Serrano ham or herrings. The latter is served with a very tangy salsa, which overwhelms the fish. For red meat lovers, there is an appealing choice of mains (priced from about £11), such as lamb kidneys, chorizo cassoulet or venison steak. Served with a big dollop of creamy mash and spinach, the venison (about £15) arrives in juicy pellets. As you would expect, the very long wine list, organised by country, leans towards France, but there are also plenty of New World and Spanish options, starting at about £16 a bottle. If you don't want to spend a lot, the Malbec Coleccion Torino (£18 a bottle) from Argentina, which has a hint of prunes, is very drinkable and goes well with the meaty main courses. Beware, the kitchen closes around 11, after which there will be a very limited choice of deserts. Service (12.5% charge) by the young, somewhat melancholic, waitresses, can be a little sluggish. 7/10

The Red Lion, High Street, Arundel

2011-08-21T19:07:00.003Z

A welcoming pub on the main drag in the historic village of Arundel, the Red Lion's interior is an eclectic mishmash of contemporary fixtures and fittings. Painted in bright colours, the walls are covered in modern art, which is for sale. Some of the bar stools have leopard skin prints. Out the back is a shabby beer garden, which can be marred by junk and full ashtrays. The menu is unambitious pub fare. Still, just eight quid will you get a chunky beef burger, topped with bacon, cheese and fresh tomatoes, which is delicious. It comes with some skinny, floppy chips and mayo or tomato sauce. There are some local ales, Addlestones cider and the usual lagers on draft. The Red Lion's bustling, young staff are very chirpy, particularly when they are preparing for a live music gig on a Saturday night. 6/10

The White Horse, Shere, Surrey

2011-08-21T18:44:00.003Z

An appealing timber-framed pub in the prosperous village of Shere, the White Horse has a warren of rooms and a large, plain garden. Owned by the Chef and Brewer chain, the food isn't expensive, but it can still be disappointing. Fish pie topped with cheese and potato (£8.75) isn't particularly large, while the salmon and prawns inside can be overcooked. The accompanying vegetables might suffer from the same problem and can be limp and tasteless. Still, the roasts look better and more substantial, particularly if you pay extra for the "go large" option. Moreover, some of the deserts will fill you up - the chocolate fudge cake (£4.40), served with a big dollop of ice cream or cream, is massive and moreish. On tap, are some cask-ales, plus standard lagers and ciders, such as Fosters and Strongbow. Service by the black-shirted "team members" is very friendly and cheerful, but the White Horse isn't a culinary experience. 6/10

Cycle ride from Amberley over Wepham Down and Rackham Hill, Sussex

2011-08-17T22:17:00.003Z

A circular route beginning and ending at Amberley train station, this 15 mile off-road ride takes you up into the South Downs for sweeping views across Sussex. You start the ride with a stiff climb on tarmac, before threading your way south along bridleways across rolling download towards the hamlet of Burpham, where you might be tempted by the boisterous pub. There is another stiff climb out of the village and up into woodland where you head east on a forest trail past frequent Angmering Park Estate signs warning you not to climb on the log piles. As you emerge from the trees, you veer north towards Lower Barpham along an exhilarating path overlooking a very steep hillside. Just before Wepham Down, you head east again across open fields with distant views to the sea and then north to join the South Downs Way. Here, you head west back towards Amberley. From the top of the ridge, you get almost continuous vistas across the bucolic countryside to the north. Near Amberely, you'll see the sixteenth century stately home of Parham on the edge of the woodland below. This rewarding off-road ride is detailed in the Ordnance Survey book of cycle tours in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. 8/10

Walk from Ightham Mote, Kent

2011-08-08T18:48:00.001Z

From the National Trust car park at Ightham Mote, there is an enjoyable one hour circular walk up nearby Wilmot Hill. Clearly marked by green arrows, the walk starts with a dull climb on a wide mud path lined by weeds and woods. But stick with it. After about a mile, the route cuts through some trees and, just before the top, there is a small bench with a spectacular view across the forests and fields below. The path then descends on the edge of a surprisingly steep and dramatic escarpment, offering more timeless vistas through the precarious and sometimes ancient trees. Shipbourne's sturdy Victorian church is one of the few buildings to intrude on this snapshot of rural England. The route then rolls back to Ightham Mote where you can get a well-earned slice of coffee and walnut cake in the restaurant overlooking this Medieval moated manor house. 8/10

Bistrot Bruno Loubet, St John's Square, Clerkenwell Road, central London

2011-08-05T15:21:00.003Z

A light, airy and spacious restaurant, Bistrot Bruno Loubet mixes traditional French hospitality with a cool, contemporary interior. In August, even on a Friday lunchtime, the bistro doesn't seem that busy, giving the chatty waitors plenty of time to show off their knowledge. There is a big selection of dishes, including specials, and the food is good, but a tad grand for a lunchtime,with main courses starting at about £13 and deserts and starters at about £6. Still, the steak is an impressive slab of meat and the summer fish cassoulet (£18), served on a bed of broad beans and other vegetables, features a fillet of salmon, a fillet of white fish and a kind of fish sausage. Although the seasoning may be excessive for some tastes, the fish is expertly-cooked and nicely-presented. If you're hungry, you'll probably also need the mash potato and garlic side dish, which is around four quid. Deserts include an impressive summer pudding, ringed by raspberries and three flavours of decent ice cream. Bistrot Bruno Loubet is a pleasant, but pricey, place for lunch. 7/10

Masseria Fumarola, Villa Castelli, near Martina Franca

2011-08-03T20:34:00.001Z

Only a few miles out of the fine town of Martina Franca, Masseria Fumarola is an upmarket hotel set in extensive, pristine grounds. The white-washed main building, which has a comfortable and stylish lounge, is housed in a cluster of converted and cute trulli, each topped with the distinctive white egg cup shape stones. In front of the hotel, raised stone terraces with stylish gazebos sheltering disc glass tables, rise like islands out of sea of white shingle. Some of the grounds are given over to carpet-like lawns, punctured by the occasional mature olive tree (one of which is dead) and bordered by low and neat stone walls. A safe distance from the hotel is a curvaceous pool surrounded by white stone. The overall effect is striking and architectural, but rather stark. Moreover, the hotel’s high prices can leave the place feeling rather empty and lacking in atmosphere.

Tasteful and restrained
One of Masseria Fumarola’s two family suites has two floors. Upstairs, on the mezzanine level, are two cosy bedrooms with very sturdy wooden floors, a digital radio and cloistered stone ceilings. Downstairs, is a lounge with a flat screen TV and a smart bathroom with a shower. Well-made from solid and mostly natural materials, the furniture and décor is tasteful and restrained. The suite is also equipped with a sophisticated air-conditioning system, which requires you to keep the windows shut. You eat breakfast on white tables on a fawn stone terrace shaded by another pagoda. The impressive buffet features cakes and tarts, cheese, croissants, fruit, ham, cereals and juice, while the dour waitresses serve half-decent coffees. The reception staff are much more cheerful, while the gardener who meets you in the car park, insists on carrying all your bags on his golf cart. Masseria Fumarola is smart, but expensive and a little clinical. 7/10

Locorotondo, Puglia, Italy

2011-08-03T20:08:00.000Z

A charming and compact town, white-washed Locorotondo shimmers invitingly on the top of a hill, its cathedral towering imperiously above a cluster of old medieval streets. After you've admired the fine facades of the town's clutch of churches and the cathedral's dome and belltower, there isn't a great deal to see. But it is worth wandering around the atmospheric alleyways, overlooked by elegant town houses with unusual pitched roofs, or eating lunch al fresco at one of the handful of decent restaurants. You should also make your way to the well-maintained small park, from where there are captivating views across the iron-railings and the trulli-studded landscape below. 7/10

La Taverna del Duca, Via Papatotero, Locorotondo, Puglia

2011-08-01T20:24:00.002Z

Targeting discerning tourists, La Taverna del Duca has a handful of outdoor tables in a charming alley near the old heart of this appealing whitewashed hilltop town. At lunch time, there is likely to be a very limited selection of dishes, but don't let that put you off. Catering for its international clientele, La Taverna's menu is translated into English, but the food is pretty much pure Puglia. The portions are generous so you may not need to spend 12 euros on the antipasti. Among the primi courses, the mashed beans with chicory is quite creamy and moreish, while the oriecchiette with ragu sauce and meat balls is also good value (both 8-9 euros), as is the even cheaper orecchiette in a tomato sauce. But the black beans and pasta (7 euros) in a rich, salty sauce is the best of the lot. Another delicious dish is the ripe and flavoursome tomatoes with baby mozarella (6 euros). However, the bread you get in exchange for the two euro cover charge isn't so great and the only coffee on offer is an expresso. Moreover, you have to clamber through some cleaning equipment to get to the toilet. Still, La Taverna del Duca's service is slick and engaging, while the setting is idyllic Italy. 7/10

Trattoria delle Ruote, via Monticello, near Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-31T21:32:00.001Z

With a cultivated rustic look and feel, revolving around wagon wheels, the Trattoria delle Ruote is a self-consciously old-fashioned restaurant. From the outside, it looks a bit naff, but the interior is more appealing, thanks to the conical stone roof and the jagged stone walls, decorated with ancient tools and faded photos of farmers. Only the checked table cloths seem a bit contrived. The very simple menus have pictures of the dishes and are listed in several languages, but don't let that put you off. This place does authentic food. The antipasti includes baby mozzarella, ricotta, vegetables, salami and meat balls. It is okay, but nothing special. More memorable is the excellent orecchiette pasta (6 euros) served with a local cheese and tomato sauce, as is the creamy butter bean mash in olive oil. Another standout dish is the mixed grill (12 euros), which includes spicy sausages, liver, lamb on the bone and other meaty morsels. Carnivores will also enjoy the big roll of beef in tomato sauce (12 euros), which is succulent and juicy. The house red wine is full bodied, smooth and very good for just 8 euros a litre. For just 2.5 euros a head, you can round off the evening with some liquors and almond biscuits. They arrive in four unmarked glass bottles. One seems to be limoncello, while the others are flavoured with coffee and cherry. Service is 10 per cent, but is smooth, serene and welcoming. Although it seems to be targeting tourists, Trattoria delle Ruote is justifiably popular with locals. 8/10

Pizzeria alla Panca, Via Principe Umberto, Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-31T21:26:00.006Z

Opposite one of Martina Franca's extravagantly-carved churches, Pizzeria alla Panca is a big, bustling restaurant with lots of atmosphere. Inside, white cloisters arc over venerable pews separated by elegant wooden partions. Outside, there is a large terrace in the street and the tables soon fill up with big Italian parties. To start, the antipasti is a seemingly endless stream of small tapas-style dishes, including carpaccio, meat balls, fried vegetables in batter, cured ham and baby mozzarellas. It's pretty good and pretty generous. There is also a broad selection of big, filling pizzas priced between 4 and 7 euros. The carpaccio pizza with rocket, served on a good base, is a winner, while the calzone is massive and packed with meat and cheese. The house red wine, served in carafes, is cheap and chilled, but quite drinkable. Understandably, the waitresses can get rushed, but they do a good job managing the crush. Pizzeria alla Panca is a deserved hit. 8/10

Ostuni, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-31T18:18:00.002Z

A gleaming white-washed hilltop town high above the plains below, Ostuni is an alluring and easy afternoon trip from the nearby sandy beaches. Extended across several hills, it is a big place and it can be difficult to find its ancient stone citadel. But it is worth the effort. You should aim for the piazza della Libertà, a bustling meeting place overseen by a bishop on an ornate obelisk that towers above the bars, cafes and striking baroque church below. From here, a stone-paved street winds it way through the old city gradually up to Ostuni's biggest attraction - the cathedral with its spectacular rose window - a wheel of incredibly-detailed carving at the centre of a grand facade. On the way up, you pass too many souvenir shops and under an attractive archway bearing an elegant eighteenth century gallery. From the streets near the church, there are far-reaching views over the surviving city walls, far below, and across the olive groves to the distant sea beyond. Tumbling down from the cathedral are stone lanes and terraces, many of which have been lined with flowering pot plants or commandeered by slouchy chairs from cool bars and restaurants. On summer evenings, you'll find plenty of foreign and Italian tourists in Ostuni, but this picturesque and charismatic town also draws in the locals. 8/10

Scacciapensieri, Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-30T21:10:00.003Z

Not the place for a refined meal, Scacciapensieri is a no-nonsense pizzeria and trattoria down a side street off Martina Franca's main square. There are two large, well-lit and crudely-decorated rooms, plus a kind of conservatory with a glass roof. The Italian-only menu has a massive list of pizzas, costing between 3 and 7 euros, baked in a wood-fired oven. The quattro formaggi pizza (5.5 euros) is rich, filling and delicious, thanks in part to a generous covering of blue cheese, while the ham pizza is topped with piles of salty meat, which will have you reaching for the water or a large Moretti beer (66cl for just 3 euros). There are plenty of other Italian dishes, but the pizzas, which have light and large bases, are top notch. Still, on a week day evening, Scacciapensieri may only attract a smattering of diners, mostly Italian families, and can lack atmosphere. The cover charge of 1.5 euros a head pays for a bowl of salty olives, while the service is friendly and efficient. 7/10

Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-30T19:51:00.002Z

On the edge of Martina Franca's new town, a leafy square leads to a venerable stone gateway, flanked by chic cafes, that heralds the beginning of the town's historic core. On the other side is a smaller square, overlooked by an imposing neo-classical town hall. A narrow alley, shaded by stately nineteenth century townhouses, leads to another square where you will find the relatively-restrained, yet magnificent, baroque facade of the massive eighteenth century church Chiesa di San Martino, which towers above a much older bell tower. On summer evenings, the timeless and atmospheric wood-panelled bars and restaurants around these squares buzz with Italians of all ages. Elsewhere in Martina Franca's maze of old streets, you'll find more extraordinary baroque churches and the occasional elaborate wrought iron balconies and ancient archways. Beneath your feet, the aged paving stones are smooth and shiny, while souvenir shops are noticeable by their absence. From one section of the surviving stretches of Medieval walls, there are distant views across a trulli-studded landscape to the compact white hill top town of Locorotondo. Some distance from the sea, Martina Franca is a fine and refreshingly untouristy town. 8/10

Lecce, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-29T20:19:00.002Z

Heralded as Baroque's answer to Florence, Lecce is a glistening jewel of bizarre architecture in the sun-drenched deep south of Italy. You can park cheaply quite near one of the grand gates to the seventeenth century heart of the city - an atmospheric maze of narrow, stone-paved streets with a wealth of well-preserved buildings. At Lecce's heart is Piazza Sant'Oronzo. One side of this yawning square is dominated by a sunken and substantial Roman amphitheatre, which has about a dozen rows of stone terraces overlooking a pit, still used for performances. The square also has what looks like a modern reconstruction of a medieval tower, ornately carved and fitted with large glass windows, plus a very substantial statue of a bishop blessing his flock atop a column towering over the buildings. Unfortunately, the garish facade of a branch of McDonalds mars the historic harmony. Not far to the north is the Baroque masterpiece Basilica di Santa Croce, which has an extraordinarily lavish facade with just about every inch carved with flowers, fruit, mythical creatures, cherubs and much else - the stonesmiths have taken full advantage of the local, malleable stone. Both the overall effect and the many, many intricate details will hold your gaze. The stately white interior is also worth a look. Anywhere else, the adjacent Palazzo Della Provincia would be a landmark, but it is totally overshadowed by the Basilica. Behind the Palazzo, across a busy ring road, is a pleasant park, which fills up with local families in the evenings.

Beautiful and beguiling
Besides the Basilica di Santa Croce, Lecce has several other grand churches with extravagant Baroque facades, each with with a frenzy of intricate carvings of animals, plants and other religious iconography. If you are lucky, one of them may be filling up with elegant locals dressed in their finery for a wedding. The city's cathedral overlooks the Piazza Del Duomo, an atmospheric open space enclosed by sumptious baroque buildings, one of which has a soaring bell tower, visible across Lecce. Inside the duomo, gold leaf decorations sprawl across the lavish nave. It is also well worth getting lost in the labyrinth surrounding these squares, which are a parade of handsome buildings with wrought iron balconies, vintage lamps and creamy stone facades that glow pale orange in the early evening sunlight. Lecce hasn't been spoiled by tourism and in some of the back streets, you can still see stone masons and other craftsmen beavering away in their workshops. Lecce is a beautiful and beguiling city. 9/10

Polomo 1 beach, near Ostuni, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-28T21:34:00.002Z

About 8km from the gleaming white hilltop town of Ostuni, Polomo 1 is a well-run beach with fairly fine sand and plenty of space, even in the high season. You pay five euros for a space in the shaded car park, which is equipped with toilets and showers. You can also shell out for an umbrella, but the dunes provide pockets of shade, if you need it. The beach is made up of a series of small sandy coves, some with only a couple of sunbathers on a July weekday. What's more, the water is clear, the waves are gentle and most of the litter is in the bins. Polomo 1 would be perfect for kids, except the sea gets deep quite quickly and there are some rocks to negotiate near the shoreline. 8/10

Palazzo Guglielmo, Piazza Umberto, Vignacastrisi, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-28T21:02:00.004Z

A real find, Palazzo Guglielmo is a substantial and handsome nineteenth century house in the heart of the small town of Vignacastrisi. Through the impressive front doorway, a large archway leads magically into an enormous walled garden, complete with an outdoor swimming pool, lined with wicker sun loungers, plus mature citrus and palm trees, shading sitting areas and elegant pathways. The 150-year-old house has cloistered ceilings, and an airy living room downstairs with comfy seats, mellow music and stacks of books about Salento. Unusually, there are also several fine communal rooms upstairs leading out to a series of roof terraces, the largest of which is lined with padded benches, cushion and drapes, and shaded by a bamboo canopy. Another terrace is equipped with a hot tub and yet another terrace offers views over the garden and the town’s rooftops. There is also free Wi-Fi and some adult bikes available for guests.

Tastefully-chosen
All these communal facilities are shared by perhaps a dozen guests. With high ceilings and stone floors, the stylishly-converted guest bedrooms in the old house and the 1960s extension are very large, clean, white and minimalist. Incongruously, some of the furnishings, such as the massive wooden beds and egg-shaped bedside lights, seem to be from south east Asia, but they have been tastefully-chosen. The smart, en-suite bathrooms are also large and well-equipped.

Home-made cakes
Breakfast is on a pleasant terrace overlooking the pool. The buffet features a selection of fantastic home-made cakes. If you don’t fancy too much sugar, there are also cereals, ricotta and bread, plus a big plate of chopped fruit for each table. You can order a variety of coffees from the warm, hard-working waitresses. If you aren’t up to speed on Italian coffee culture, it might be a while before you find the one you want. The cleaners are also very thorough, while the friendly owner has even been know to hold a drinks party on the roof terrace for guests and friends. Although decent beaches are a bit of a drive, Vignacastrisi is just a few miles from the picturesque and historic port of Castro. Great value for money, Palazzo Guglielmo is a gem. 9/10

Castro, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-26T20:02:00.005Z

With a charming historic heart high above a more prosaic marina down below, Castro is essentially two very small seaside towns. You can park on one of the narrow roads leading to the picturesque pedestrianised square that acts as the gateway to old Castro. Overlooked by the sombre castle that dominates the town, the square has a laid-back, good-value bar and public benches with far-reaching views over the sea and the resort of Santa Cesarea Terme embedded into the hilly shoreline to the north. Some atmospheric side streets, lined by restrained craft shops, lead down to another fine square with a handsome church, elegant town houses and distinguished four-armed period lamp-posts. It is also worth hunting out a paved vantage point, abutting the castle walls, from where you can survey Castro Marina and the coastline running south.

Dozens of small boats
A couple of paths lead down to Castro Marina, which doesn't have a sandy beach. Even so, in the summer, scores of would-be sunworshippers tend to hang out on the white piers, white rocks and white stone ballasts. Some steps and railings have been installed to help bathers in and out of the sea. The dozens of small boats in the actual marina are sheltered by an impressively high stone wall, propping up the villas above. 7/10

Castro Hosteria Vecchie Maniere, Via Roma, Castro, Puglia

2011-07-25T21:20:00.002Z

With a dozen or so outdoor tables abutting Castro's castle walls and enclosed by a high hedge, Castro Hosteria Vecchie Maniere's restaurant has an appealing al fresco ambiance. Unfortunately, you have to sit on white plastic chairs and eat on bright orange table cloths, while the waiters can be surly and unsmiling. The menu of the day also tends to be very limited, offering just one starter and three primi courses. Still, the seafood platter (13 euros) features an array of tasty morsels spread across two plates, including a couple of very fresh king prawns, octopus bites, mussels and other shellfish, plus some salad and a tangy dressing. It is very good, but not huge. To follow, there will likely be a delicious seafood pasta dish (12 euros) and some tasty pasta in tomato sauce, with cheese, for 8 euros. The menu will also include several secondi dishes, typically plates of seafood and maybe a cheaper grilled meat dish. The house wine is cheap, but can be rough. The cover charge of 2 euros per head gets you some good bread, which is useful for mopping up the fine sauces. Castro Hosteria Vecchie Maniere's tends to attract a lot of Italian tourists and the service can get very slow as the restaurant fills up with diners. 7/10

Otranto, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-25T16:36:00.003Z

A deserved tourist trap, Otranto’s heavily-fortified old town overlooks a picturesque bay containing a handful of small beaches. A narrow, but pleasant, park connects the new town to the historic centre hugging the shore line. If you pass through the ancient stone gateway to the old town in the early evening, you’ll likely join a steady stream of tourists going up and down the narrow streets lined with ho-hum restaurants and souvenir shops. Still, there is plenty of history and atmosphere to soak up – the cathedral, dating from the eleventh century, has a beautiful rose window above its massive doorway and an eyecatching mosaic floor. Otranto also boast a forbidding Aragonese castle encircled by a deep moat, now with a grassy base. In the summer of 2011, the castle hosted a Dali exhibition promoted by a stream of seemingly flying chairs strung from the parapets.

Crowded beaches
From the lanes and bridges around the castle, you can see the scores of bathers and boats bobbing in the bay. It is also worth venturing down to the broad stone promenades flanking the city walls, where you will find a striking old statue and room to move. From there you can stroll around the bay, past the popular volleyball court, the small and crowded public and private beaches, and up the steps to the tiny chapel. Try and grab one of the sought-after park benches in the chapel’s shady garden and admire the sweeping views across to Otranto. There are also a couple of appealing bars and restaurants up here, but the most popular place to eat seems to be the cheap and cheerful pizzeria in the gateway to the old town. Despite the crush of tourism, Otranto is worth at least an afternoon of anyone’s time. 7/10

Alle due Corti, Corte dei Giugni, Lecce, Puglia

2011-07-24T21:38:00.002Z

Creating an almost-ecclesiastical atmosphere, Alle due Corti has a cloistered ceiling and austere, white walls, sparingly decorated with crucifixes and Catholic prints. Although there are no outdoor tables, this restaurant draws plenty of locals and tourists, thanks in part to its listing in the Rough Guide. The menu, featuring a photo of the owner, promises authentic Salentino cooking, but choose carefully. You might want to skip the stingy starter of cheese and chorizo, served with a selection of juicy, but salty, olives, (8 euros) and the "vegetables" (7 euros), which turns out to be a small bowl of green beans. The tough grilled meat, accompanied by a single sausage, is also disappointing. A better choice is a bowl of fresh and tasty pasta in tomato sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese. The cannelloni, filled with veal, is succulent and delicious (9 euros), while the lamb on the bone, served with onions, (11 euros) is very moreish. The respectable house white wine is also good value at 3 euros for half a litre. You pay a cover charge of 2 euros a head for the basket of reasonable brown bread. Service can be a little dour, but is quick and the waiters will sometimes chat to kids. 6/10

Beach of Regional Natural Park of Isola di S. Andrea e litorale di Punta Pizzo, Puglia

2011-07-24T20:35:00.002Z

Isola di S. Andrea e litorale di Punta Pizzo nature reserve protects one of the few sandy beaches in the Salento region of Puglia that doesn't get over-run with crowds. To reach the fine white sand, you have to park on a busy road and thread your way through some attractive sand dunes next to the grounds of a hotel. After a hundred yards or so you reach the beach, where the sand is probably among the best you'll find in Italy. Better still, there is plenty of space, even in July. The sea is shallow with small waves - ideal for young kids to play in. The only downside is some mounds of plastic bottles and other rubbish, as there are no bins and the beach isn't patrolled by lifeguards. Even so, this picturesque beach is well worth a visit. 8/10

Musta Fa restaurant, via Roma, Vignacastrisi

2011-07-24T18:31:00.003Z

An unassuming restaurant serving local food, Musta Fa is the place to go for a substantial meal, especially if you aren't in a hurry. The ten tables, covered by green cloths and surrounded by green plastic chairs, in the unremarkable garden are patrolled by only two waiters, meaning the polite service can be very slow when the restaurant fills up on a Saturday night in July. The shortish menu, which features simple Salentino dishes, may also be accompanied by a couple of specials. To start, the antipasti platter, featuring lots of fried vegetables (peppers, carrots, zucchini), local cheeses, chorizo, sausage balls and potato balls is quite heavy and filling for just 7 euros. Among the first courses, the generous sea food spaghetti (10 euros) comes with plenty of shellfish and is pretty tasty, as is the tagliatelle, served with meat and cheese (about 8 euros). The aubergine Parmigiana, which may be one of the specials, is also good, but can be cold in the middle and in need of reheating. You can get half a litre of the house white wine in a jug for 2.5 euros. But the wine may be rather yellow and have a strong, almost Sherry-style flavour, which isn't very appealing. Musta Fa serves hearty, filling food at low prices, but won't be to everyone's taste. 7/10

La Pagghiara, near Torre Suda, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-23T20:43:00.003Z

A few miles inland from Torre Suda, south-east of Gallipoli, La Pagghiara is in a small group of holiday homes with a communal swimming pool, a well-tended garden and a sizeable paddock, home to several horses. The most atmospheric (and expensive) option on the site, La Pagghiara is housed in a venerable nineteenth century trullo. It is a rough-hewn building with a flat, but cordoned-off, roof terrace. Inside the extraordinarily thick stone walls, a narrow little corridor leads from the spacious and rustic kitchen to the first in a series of three bedrooms, each with their own patio door, protected by a sturdy wrought-iron frame. The master bedroom isn’t much bigger than the double bed, but the conical roof, the connecting corridors and the distressed wooden furniture give this villa plenty of charm. Moreover, everything is spotlessly clean. Although it lacks a dishwasher, the kitchen is well-equipped and is decorated with eye-catching fittings, such as an ornate cast-iron, wood-burning stove, a massive stone sink with bronze taps and a blackened fireplace.

Soothingly peaceful
Near the trullo, is a stone archway, a big barbecue, an outside shower and a well-shaded gazebo with a wooden table, where you eat most of your meals. The large and enclosed swimming pool, lined with light sandstone, is overlooked by a mini amphitheatre and is flanked by comfortable shaded sun loungers and stone tables. You are not supposed to use the pool between 1pm and 4pm, presumably because the occupants of the nearby villas could be having a siesta. In any case, La Pagghiara is far enough away from the main road to be soothingly peaceful, as long as the car alarm at a nearby property isn’t misfiring. The only real gripes are the profusion of flies in July, the barren surrounding countryside and the stiff, brittle door keys, which can snap in the locks, if you aren’t careful. The Italian owners speak very little English, but they are helpful and are even prepared to come out at midnight to settle you in. Better still, you are a short drive from Gallipoli (a historic and attractive port with good restaurants) and the decent beaches south of the town. 8/10

Da Sergio, Via Garibaldi, Otranto, Italy

2011-07-23T20:37:00.001Z

One of the many restaurants competing for the tourist euro in Otranto's old town, Da Sergio has rows of smart tables on an attractive leafy, two-tier terrace overlooking the busy Garibaldi thoroughfare. The waiters aren't very welcoming, but they are efficient and attentive. To start, you can pay 15 euros for a disappointingly-small sea food platter - you get one plate of cold morsels and one plate of hot morsels. On the cold plate, there may be a couple of prawns, some octopus bites, a handful of anchovies and perhaps five mussels, while the hot plate features a few mussels covered with Parmesan cheese, a couple of skewers of folded squid, some fried prawns and onions. To follow, there is the standard selection of pasta dishes and meat and fish dishes. The seafood risotto (about 10 euros) is a bit peppery and doesn't have a huge amount of flavour or seafood. The seafood linguini (at 11 euros) is more tasty, but skip a side salad, which can be pretty bland and boring. Da Sergio offers a succinct selection of Italian wines from about 13 to 20 euros a bottle: The Prosecco is pretty refreshing for 13 euros. For the cover charge of 2 euros a head, which includes service, you get some passable bread. Although Da Sergio is recommended by the Rough Guide, you'll probably get better value outside Otranto's city walls or by heading to the popular pizzeria at the gateway to the old town. 6/10

Galatina, Puglia, Italy

2011-07-22T18:28:00.000Z

In the heart of Galatina is a large square dominated by the fourteenth century church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria. Its striking cream Romanesque facade is inset with beautifully-carved statues, gargoyles, cherubs and many other religious symbols. Inside, the extraordinary nave is covered in fading medieval frescoes. The old town behind the church, which is still paved with original flagstones, boasts rows of well-preserved golden town houses with huge windows and cast-iron balconies. Some are lavishly carved in the Baroque style. Galatina doesn't have many sights, but it is a pleasant town to wonder around in the late afternoon sun, before devouring an ice cream at one of the al fresco tables belonging to the cafes in the main square. 7/10

Gallipoli, Puglia

2011-07-20T21:12:00.004Z

A town of two halves jutting out into the Ionian Sea, Gallipoli straddles a sixteenth century stone bridge connecting an island to the mainland. In the labyrinth old quarter, elegant nineteenth and eighteenth century stone-paved streets are partially enclosed by medieval walls with views across to the incongruous glass skyscraper in the new town and a picturesque old stone gatehouse on a pier in the middle of the wide bay. At Gallipoli's heart, is the cathedral of Sant'Agata (from the seventeenth century), which has a graceful and incredibly-ornate Baroque façade. It is surrounded by fine old town houses with wrought iron balconies and period lamps. There are stalls selling tourist tat, but old Gallipoli also has plenty of real shops, plus some decent restaurants and coffee shops.

Tree-lined main drag
Guarding the entrance to the old town, is a low-lying Aragonese castle with circular stone walls, overlooking yachts with towering masts and creaking fishing boats. Across the bridge, lined with tourist stalls, is a handsome, heavily-weathered, fountain intricately-carved from the creamy limestone found in Puglia. Behind the fountain is an appealingly-broad promenade running along the waterfront. And even Gallipoli's new town has its charms – the tree-lined main drag is paved with elaborate patterns and there is a pleasant park opposite a striking, modern church. On a summer evening, Italians in their glad-rags stroll from restaurant to gelateria to coffee shop, enjoying Gallipoli's laid-back, seaside ambiance. 8/10

Al Pescatore ristorante, Riviera Colombo, Gallipoli, Puglia

2011-07-20T20:07:00.001Z

Despite being recommended in the Rough Guide to Italy, Al Pescatore is an unpretentious and uncompromising seafood restaurant that meets the high-standards of Italian diners. What's more, its appealing outside tables, dressed with white table cloths, have sweeping views across Gallipoli's harbour. In July, you probably need to arrive before 8.30pm to be sure of a table, as people end up queuing along the wall opposite the restaurant. When you sit down one of the burly, old-school waiters will bring you a basket of very good olive bread, complete with pips. On the menu is a broad selection of almost-entirely seafood dishes. To start, the seafood platter (just 7 euros) is a great option. You might get mussels with smoked cheese and capers, octopus, sardines, strips of fennel and carrot, potatos and anchovies, plus some fried fish. It is all good. Among the primi dishes, is a near-perfect risotto pescatore (9 euros), containing lots of mussels, clams and other shellfish mixed with fat juicy grains of rice in a lovely sauce. The seafood spaghetti is awash with mussels and small prawns, or you can prefer spaghetti with fat king prawns. Both are excellent. A good secondi choice is octopus in a spicy tomato sauce, served in an attractive terracotta pot. In almost every case, the ultra-fresh ingredients are expertly cooked, making for startlingly good food. Moreover, you can get a massive jug of the dry and refreshing house white wine for only 6 euros. Al Pescatore is extraordinarily good value. 9/10

Lido Marini, Puglia

2011-07-19T21:03:00.002Z

One of the few sandy beaches in this corner of Puglia, Lido Marini's public stretches can get very crowded in July. Still, it is quite easy to park for free in this non-descript town. The disorderly swarm of parasols has a regimented section in the centre, where you must be able to rent a sun lounger. While the sand is coarse and broken by rocks, the sea is fairly shallow and the waves can be pretty big and fun for kids. Near the beach is a cafe, where you can get decent gelatos for 1.5 euros each, and a small line of market stalls selling tourist tat at negotiable prices. Lido Marini is cheap and reasonably cheerful. 6/10

Lido Pizzo, near Gallipoli, Puglia

2011-07-18T19:24:00.002Z

A privately-owned beach flanked by a bar and a volleyball court, Lido Pizzo is reached via a bumpy track leading to a shaded car-park. You pay 2.5 euros to park and then there seems to be a charge of 1.5 euros per adult to access the beach, while kids go free. You walk through some pleasant pine trees and, if you haven't paid extra for one of the regimented parasols and sun loungers, you then need to head north along the shoreline to a clear stretch of the sand where you can lay down your towel or mat. However, it isn't clear what the rules are and vocal disputes can break out between the life guards and visitors who try to erect their own parasols on the wrong stretch of beach. Still, the sand is fairly fine and fairly light and the water is shallow enough for young kids. You can see the port of Gallipoli in the distance and there might be a few yachts berthed in the otherwise featureless bay. An unremarkable, but fairly uncrowded, beach. 6/10

The Merry Farriers, Hambledon, Surrey

2011-07-09T07:30:00.002Z

A suitably rural period pub in an unusually bucolic corner of Surrey, the Merry Farriers is a good choice for a Sunday lunch with the kids. The big beer garden has an impressive wooden climbing frame and other apparatus, plus plenty of signs warning children about various hazards. Parents can keep a watchful eye from one of the sturdy wooden tables sheltered by sunshades. The respectable roasts are about £13.50 each. You get a decent slab of meat, roast potatoes, a passable Yorkshire pudding, green beans, spicy carrots, and cabbage swimming in salty gravy. Other choices might include battered fish and chips with peas or a tartlet with goats cheese, peppers and olive bread, which is pretty tasty. Children can have a smaller portion of the adults meals for £7. On tap is Addlestones cider, London Pride and a changing selection of real ales. Despite the Merry Farriers' seeming preoccupation with health and safety, the young staff, overseen by a middle-aged barman, are both warm and chilled. 7/10

Farallon, Post Street, San Francisco

2011-06-30T21:11:00.000Z

Boasting an exuberantly over-the-top nautically-themed interior, the Farallon is all about the sea and its bounty. Very close to Union Square, this destination restaurant is convenient for the many upmarket hotels nearby and it can be tough to get a table. Creating an aquarium-style atmosphere, jellyfish lights hang from the ceiling in the Jelly bar and the Oyster bar, while the Nautilus room has booths surrounding a "spiraling shellfish pillar". Most of the dining tables are in the Pool room, which is also awash with maritime fixtures and fittings below an elaborately-painted arched ceiling. The ever-changing menu, divided up into three pre-desert courses, is swimming with seafood and is unexpectedly reasonably-priced, given the theatrical decor. The first and second courses, priced between $10 and $20, might include tuna, served with mushrooms, noodles and tofu, or softshell crab with fried tomato and basil pesto. However, the squid, served with braised white beans, paprika, garlic and mushrooms ($12), isn't as good as it sounds. The third courses, priced around $28, tend to mix fish from the Mediterranean, Alaska or Hawaii with appealing accompaniments, such as ravioli, gnocchi, parmesan risotto and serano ham. The salmon, wrapped in smoked bacon, and served with snap peas and caramelized onion jus, is a tasty combination, but the portion is on the small side and the fish can be a tad overcooked. The very long wine list has a massive selection of Californian and European wines. The pinot noir Au Bon Climat, La Bauge Au-Dessus, Santa Barbara County 2007, priced at $65, is subtle and pleasant. While the smartly-dressed waiting staff are professional and knowledgeable, they can go into sales mode. For parties of five or more, a gratuity of 18% is automatically added to the bill, where there is also space for an additional tip, if you are particularly impressed. A visit to Farallon is an experience, but the food isn't quite as spectacular as the surroundings. 6/10

Cafe de la Presse, Grant Avenue, San Francisco

2011-06-27T17:25:00.003Z

One of the more appealing places to eat in San Francisco’s main central tourist district, Café de la Presse makes a pretty good fist of recreating an atmospheric French bistro despite being opposite the gateway to Chinatown. There is both a semi-formal dining room and an informal bar area with high basket-weave chairs and round wooden tables, plus an impressive magazine rack. Only the flat-screen televisions strike an incongruous note. The very good beef bourguignon (19 dollars) is rich, meaty and well-seasoned, but the portion is modest by American standards. With only a couple of potatoes in the stew, you’ll need to tuck into the fresh and free ciabatta and butter. There is beer on draught and a decent pint of Kronenbourg costs about $6. Although most of the punters seem to be visitors to the city, the staff at Café de la Presse are genuinely welcoming and friendly. 7/10

Handlery Union Square Hotel, Geary Street, San Francisco

2011-06-25T20:35:00.000Z

As the name suggests, the family-run Handlery Union Square Hotel is on the doorstep of San Francisco's Union Square and the main shopping drags. With such a central location and competitively-priced rooms, the venerable Handlery, with its elegant cream facade, attracts the full cross-section of families, twentysomething revellers and trans-Atlantic business people. The standard, or "Historic" rooms, are soberly-decorated in dark brown, cream and white. They are compact, but just about big enough, and are equipped with a large flat screen television, a mini-fridge, a cumbersome cafetiere, an ironing board and a decent safe. The beds are comfortable, but the air-conditioning is pretty noisy and you have to pay $10 a day for Wi-Fi. Downstairs, there is an unlikely outdoor pool, a business centre, a small gym and a bar/restaurant (The Daily Grill). The Handlery's staff are helpful and plentiful, but the overall ambiance is a little dated and mundane. 6/10

Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads at Somerset House, central London

2011-06-05T20:44:00.004Z

The eighteenth century neo-classical courtyard of Somerset House was well worth seeing even before 12 striking and detailed sculptures of animals in the Chinese Zodiac took up temporary residence here. Designed by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, these big and bold bronze busts look superb against a backdrop of arched sash windows, stone pillars, bricks and paving stones. Some of the animal heads, such as the dragon and the bear, are snarling and look pretty ferocious, while others, such as the pig and the horse, are more serene. Apparently, they are re-creations of eighteenth century sculptures which once adorned the fountain of Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat in Beijing. Mounted on six foot plinths, the animals are arranged around three sides of the square, overlooking the grid of fountains in the centre of Somerset House. On a warm day, you can sit and admire Ai Weiwei's work, while your children get soaked weaving in and out of the shoots of water, which jump unpredictably. Unfortunately, the Circle of Animals, a free exhibition, will leave London on the next leg its world tour on June 26th. 8/10

Sofitel Brussels Le Louise, Avenue de la Toison d’Or, Brussels

2011-06-05T20:35:00.003Z

Conveniently-located between central Brussels and the European district, this Sofitel is an expensive, but comfortable place to stay in Belgium's capital. Avenue de la Toison d’Or is also on the doorstep of lots of shops and touristy restaurants. An escalator whisks you up from the front door under an eye-catching chandelier, made from pink beads, past some grand pillars, to the reception, which is opposite an enclosed and leafy terrace with chairs and tables. If you arrive at lunch time, there might be only one receptionist and checking in can take time. The comfortable bedrooms are decked out with contemporary furniture and fittings, in grey, brown and other neutral colours, offset by a funky purple lampshade. But the view out of the large window will probably be of the backs of buildings. The en-suite bathrooms are stylish with smart square sinks, minimalist rain showers and large olive tiles. The air-conditioning is mystifying, but you can open a window and sleep well. Wi-Fi in the rooms is free, but can be a bit flaky. There is also a sizeable safe and a flat-screen television. The Sofitel's in-house breakfast in the plush dining room is very expensive (a single cup of coffee is 6 euros), so you might want to head to a cafe. All-in-all, an upmarket and pricey place to stay. 6/10

Breakfast at the Savoy, the Strand, central London

2011-05-23T16:32:00.001Z

A throwback to a different era, the Savoy's ridiculously lavish and ornate lobby and dining rooms feel like they belong in a stately home, while the staff actually take the trouble to learn guests' names. Even if you haven't stayed the night, you can stop by for breakfast. A waiter will show you to a table dressed with a luxurious white table cloth and fine quality cutlery. The menu has a huge selection of dishes, including kippers, kedgeree and other traditional British fare. The food is pricey, but good. The eggs Benedict (about £15), for example, is served with a well-judged creamy hollandaise sauce and excellent ham. The only disappointment is the rather run-of-the-mill filter coffee. Service can be somewhat hurried, but the smart waiters have a sense of humour and show respect. Moreover, they keep your glass topped up with a steady supply of fresh orange juice. Breakfast at the Savoy is everything you would expect. 8/10

Claremont Landscape Garden, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey

2011-05-16T21:19:00.000Z

Although the National Trust says Claremont Landscape Garden is of national importance, the lay visitor may find it hard to get excited. The eighteenth century landscaping is undoubtedly impressive, but Claremont isn't that large (at 49 acres) or that varied. One side of it is dominated by a lake, complete with a small island and stone pavilion, swans, ducks, geese and their droppings, surrounded by patches of woodland and open grass. There are some fine old trees and some atmospheric paths up and down the hillsides, but the garden isn't big enough for a satisfying walk and you can hear the hum of traffic on the nearby A-road. The grassy amphitheatre is cordoned off so children can't hurtle up and down its inviting tiers. Still, it is worth taking the back route up to the top for an elevated view of the lake and across to the the eighteenth century Belvedere Tower. The tower is generally closed and the original Claremont House is now an independent school, so there isn't that much to see. But children will like the substantial and solid wooden playground, with its mini castle, and the tea room serves some fine cakes. Claremont Landscape Garden is just about worth the standard six pound admission charge. 7/10

Saturday Brunch at The Lido Cafe, Brockwell Park, south London

2011-05-05T16:23:00.004Z

Housed in an airy Art Deco building next to Brockwell Park's outdoor swimming pool, the Lido Cafe can get very busy on a Saturday morning. If you want one of the prime sturdy wooden tables out on the sunny, palm tree-lined terrace, you should book ahead and even then you might find the sheer number of punters means the service is sluggish and haphazard. Breakfast is served up until about 12.30, when the kitchen prepares to kick-off lunch at around 1pm. The fine full English breakfast (£8.65) features near-perfect scrambled egg, a good sausage, decent bacon, a pile of nicely-cooked and seasoned mushrooms, plus grilled tomatoes, accompanied by two huge slices of warm sourdough bread and butter. Other options include an excellent eggs benedict (about £6.50), featuring two precisely-poached eggs topped with chunky ham and creamy hollandaise sauce. A mug of good, but very strong, coffee is about two quid. Excellent value, the Lido Cafe attracts local bohemians and exercise nuts from the nearby gym. If you aren't in a hurry, brunch in this atmospheric cafe will put you in a happy, holiday mood. 8/10

April skiing in La Plagne, France

2011-04-25T19:38:00.001Z

With a glacier and slopes as high as 3,000 metres, La Plagne is popular with skiers and boarders looking to get their fix in April. Even in the balmy spring of 2011, there was a respectable covering of snow on the dozen or so pistes above 2,300 metres, but they can get pretty crowded during the school holidays after 11am or so, when scores of reckless teenagers and their parents pad out the lift queues. Most of these higher slopes are cruising blues or reds, supplemented by a couple of blacks. But experienced skiers tend to head-off piste.

Elderly chair lifts
The purpose-built resorts of Belle Plagne and Plagne Bellecote aren't very picturesque, with sprawling apartment blocks and hotels, but are well-placed for forays up to the Bellecote glacier. They are both around 2,000 metres and it takes time to climb the 1,000 metres or so to the top. There is a sluggish bubble lift up to the mid-station at Roche de Mio, from where you need to catch another (graffiti-decorated) bubble car across into the next valley before climbing steeply up to the highest runs. Over here, the views are spectacular, but the elderly chairs lifts don't feel that comfortable or safe. Moreover, the pistes can be icy in the mornings and even the blue runs can get tricky. Another option is to take the sofa-like modern chairlift to L'Arpette from where you can admire the hulking Mont Blanc in the distance, before skiing down some picturesque blue runs through the trees to about 1,200 metres, where the snow peters out completely. From here, if it is still open, you can get the Vanoise Express gondola over to Les Arcs ski area. In a good year, La Plagne is big enough and high enough to offer some fine April skiing, but in a bad year, its accessibility means the pistes can get crowded and very mashed up. 7/10

Roche de Mio restaurant, La Plagne, France

2011-04-23T21:01:00.000Z

Built from wooden beams, in traditional Alpine style, this large, modern restaurant at the top of the Roche de Mio bubble lift has large sloping roofs, big windows and expansive views across to Mont Blanc from the large, sunny terrace. Inside, the walls are lined with a collection of vintage skis and other memorabilia. But the charm ends at the self-service, canteen counter, where the staff can be abrupt and hurried. Most of the fare is expensive junk food, but the portions are generous. You can get a greasy piece of chicken and a mountain of chips for 12 euros, for example. The daily specials, for 14 euros, can be better. The ravioli is made with seemingly fresh pasta served in a tasty, creamy sauce, topped with a heap of grated cheese, but another special is just a couple of bland, fat sausages served with bland pasta. Drinks are quite expensive, with a small beer costing 4 euros, but the prices reflect the fantastic views of majestic snowed-topped Alps towering over green valleys. As Roche de Mio is in the heart of the La Plagne ski area, there is a constant stream of skiers stopping for sustenance, but getting one of the many outdoor tables usually isn't a problem. This is quite a pleasant spot to linger, especially when there is dance music thumping out of the sound system, manned by a couple of grizzled DJs in sun glasses, swigging beer. The terrace is also a good vantage point from which to watch the rescue helicopter take-off and land. 7/10

Esprit at Les Deux Domains, Belle Plagne, France

2011-04-23T20:01:00.018Z

Probably the biggest and the most swish of the Alpine chalet hotels used by British tour operator Esprit, Les Deux Domains is a short walk from the slopes and the small cluster of shops, restaurants and bars in Belle Plagne. Built to last from solid wood and heavy slate, Les Deux Domains is a modern hotel with very large, well-equipped rooms and plenty of amenities, including a decent swimming pool, luxurious spa, sunny terrace and a big, well-organised boot room. Some of the family suites are almost apartments with two large bedrooms, two bathrooms and even a large separate WC, as well as their own balcony. But your kids may have to sleep on a shaky sofa bed. The hotel has about a dozen floors, with the top level best placed for the village, which can be a problem when one of the three interconnecting lift systems isn't working. Moreover, the foyer and bar, with their uncomfortable high stools, cushioned benches, bold carpets and contemporary lighting, feels like it should be in an airport. Still, the large dining room, with big windows overlooking the mountains, is more welcoming and cosy.

Moroccan spiced salmon
For breakfast, there are a handful of hot options, such as boiled egg and soldiers or porridge, plus a mediocre buffet, featuring croissants, yoghurts, cheeses, ham, cereals and the like. The filter coffee can be a bit tired. Afternoon tea is better, often featuring decent soup, tasty cakes, such as mini Victoria sponges, cheese straws and other morsels. From around 7.30pm, the bar staff bring around a couple of canapes and an aperitif. After 8pm, you can sit down to an evening meal either with your party or you can mix in with other guests. For each course, there is typically a choice of two dishes. Starters might include a soup or tartlet, while the main courses tend to be a pork, chicken or salmon dish drawn from French cuisine, supplemented by the odd foreign dish, such as Moroccan spiced salmon. On the whole, the meals are precisely cooked and served with some potato variation and a smallish side order of steamed vegetables.

Rudimentary red and white
Some of the better main courses, include lamb shank, featuring succulent meat falling off the bone, accompanied by sweet potato mash and red cabbage. The sea bream, a meaty fish with strong flavour, is also nicely done. But the seafood chowder with chorizo can lack the promised scallops and be a bit disappointing. The free table wine is generally a choice of two rudimentary red and white wines, including a Merlot and a Chardonnay. The deserts, such as the very sweet and flaky chocolate brownie with ice cream or the fine sticky toffee pudding, are also pretty safe. You can finish the meal off with an unexciting and rather repetitive cheese board. Although the portions are usually modest, there are enough courses to ensure you can end the evening with a full stomach.

Icy, busy and treacherous
Les Deux Domains has all the standard Esprit childcare options, including baby listening in the evenings and skiing lessons in small groups. The boot room is just a couple of hundred of flat yards from a blue run, which goes down to the series of lifts in La Plagne. Just above the hotel is a steep stretch which can get icy, busy and treacherous, so returning to the hotel can be a bit of an adventure. The young British Esprit staff at Les Deux Domains are fun, yet efficient, and really try to make your skiing holiday go well. 8/10

La Face Nord, Belle Plagne. France

2011-04-21T20:47:00.002Z

A traditional Alpine restaurant in the modern Belle Plagne ski resort, La Face Nord attracts a lively mix of families, couples and local workers, lining the bar. The appealing wooden facade is decorated with Christmas-style frosted foliage, while, inside, antique skis hang on the walls, cute teddy bears sit on the window sills and dark red curtains frame the wood-panelled walls. There are candles in old-fashioned candlesticks on each table and the overall effect is twee, but cosy. The traditional savoyard fondue (19 euros per person) is served with boiled potatoes and lettuce. You get a basket of tough bread to dip in the comte, emmental and beaufort mixture, which is heated by a small gas stove. It is thick, creamy and tasty and there is more than enough cheese. Another, even more filling, dish (about 25 euros a head) features a pan of warm reblochon cheese, served with cold meats, boiled potatoes and salad. The reblochon is very rich with a strong, moreish flavour and, as it cools, it gets pleasantly crusty. Even the green salad (six euros) could be fattening - it features lettuce, walnuts and a generous dressing. To complete the apres ski culinary experience, you can get a 46cl pitcher of the punchy house red for about 10 euros. Service by the young staff is friendly, but can be hurried and inattentive. 7/10

Lola Roja, Northcote Road, South London

2011-04-13T21:36:00.000Z

A classy, contemporary tapas bar in the heart of a prosperous London suburb, Lola Roja can get uncomfortably crowded with young professionals on a Saturday night. Diners are packed in and you should try to avoid sitting at the table right next to the toilet. Still, Lola Roja has a sense of style, with deep red crockery and striking modern art framed by whitewashed walls and tables. Moreover, many of the dishes on the mainly Catalan menu contain a combination of finely-judged flavours. The delicious chorizo "lollypops", with quince in a garlic mayonnaise (£4.40), are suitably spicy and have real impact, while the excellent, well-seasoned seafood paella (£11.80 per person) features chunky, fresh prawns and other shellfish. The cheese croquettes (5.50) are very moreish, as are the Iberian ham croquettes with piquillo peppers sauce. Another good dish is the succulent and very fresh baby squid, served with sobrasada, honey and spinach, but the comfit of suckling pig (£8.25), with apple puree and excessively crispy vegetables, is disappointingly fatty and overly-dominated by the meat. As the portions tend to be small, you might want to get some Catalan bread with tomato, which is generous at £2.60 a round. There is a broad selection of Spanish wines, but choose carefully - the Rioja Pinturas is a bit innocuous for £20 a bottle. You may prefer the reliable Estrella Damm beer at £3.75 for 33cl. Lola Roja levies a service charge of 13.5%, but the Iberian waitresses can be a bit brusque at busy times. 7/10

Hisar Restaurant, Lordship Lane, South London

2011-04-03T20:39:00.002Z

A no-nonsense, neighbourhood Turkish restaurant, Hisar has a garish facade and a spartan, dated interior, with a tiled floor and unflattering lighting. But don't be put off. This place is excellent value. The best way to sample the array of starters (about three or four quid apiece) is to order a mixed meze. You'll probably get some fresh, warm pitta bread, tasty morsels of mince meat and onions, wrapped in vine leaves, plus pastry rolls filled with feta cheese and parsley, accompanied by big bowls of hummus, taramasalata and tzatziki. Among the many mains, the knuckle of lamb casserole (about £12) is substantial and delicious, if a little fatty and salty. The meat falls off the bone and the tomato sauce is full of flavour. The brief wine list is dominated by Turkish wines, but they are mostly keenly-priced and surprisingly good, while the Shiraz from Puglia is a bit lackluster. If you don't fancy wine, the Turkish beer Efes is a pilsner with a pleasant malty flavour. Hisar can get busy at weekends, but it is a big restaurant with plenty of staff. 8/10

Aubaine, Heddon Street, central London

2011-03-10T17:02:00.002Z

A pricey Mediterranean bistro in the Heddon Street restaurant quarter just off Regent Street, Aubaine is well-placed and well-priced to milk well-heeled shoppers. With stripped floorboards and cream, wooden furniture, the cool, light interior has a slightly-distressed, bohemian air. The lunch menu has a well-balanced selection of familiar fish fillets and meat cuts, enlivened with appealing accompaniments. The pork chop (£14), for example, is served with spinach, apple and mushrooms. The roast cod (£18) with red wine, fennel and squid is very fresh, but a little bland and a little stingy for the price. The hungry will also need a couple of vegetable and potato side dishes, which are expensive at four pounds a pop. Still, as you sit down, the efficient, perhaps brusque, waiters, give you a basket of very fresh speciality breads, packed with fruit, nuts and seeds. Aubaine is urbane, but overpriced. 6/10

The Children's Hour, The Comedy Theatre, Panton Street, central London

2011-02-24T16:33:00.005Z

Although it was written in the 1930s, The Children's Hour's sad storyline about how gossip and prejudice can ruin lives is surprisingly relevant in the age of social networking and teenage suicides. Setting the scene in a girls' boarding school in New England, the first half is a bit wearing, primarily because two of the central characters are very irritating people. Although Bryony Hannah plays Mary, an anarchic and selfish schoolgirl, with vigour, her acting can get repetitive and she doesn't yet have the charisma or the voice to dominate the stage. One of the school teachers, played by Carol Kane, is also a self-centred and annoying character with few endearing qualities. Moreover, the set, with its endless clapboard panels, is fairly simple and unchanging. Even the move from the school to the house of Mary's doting grandmother doesn't seem to prompt a substantial change of scenery.

Engaging and emotional
Still, the play comes to life in the second half when Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss, playing the wronged co-owners of the school, take centre stage. They both give engaging and emotional performances with Knightley adeptly switching between simmering restraint, passion and outrage, while Moss' performance is full of pathos and bitter humour. But Tobias Menzies plays Dr. Joseph a bit too safe, while Ellen Burstyn's portrayal of Mary's misguided grandmother can seem rather lackluster in comparison with the torrid Knightley and Moss. As a result, the audience may struggle to fathom why the old lady puts such faith in the word of the habitual liar Mary. Carol Kane's character also makes an unwelcome return in the second half. Her whining self-pity is well-acted, but may have you wanting to punch her lights out.

Partially-blocked
The well-preserved Comedy Theatre is a venerable old building with plenty of atmosphere, but the stalls are rather flat, meaning your view may be partially-blocked by the head in front. Moreover, the drinks, served in plastic glasses from the cramped bar, are expensive. Still, thanks to Knightley and Moss, this production of The Children's Hour creates a strong sense of injustice will give you a jolt and may even wean adolescents off malicious gossip. 8/10

Restaurant Tapas Locas, Port Olimpic, the Mestral Moll, Barcelona

2011-02-19T18:38:00.003Z

One of the few restaurants in the Port Olimpic not aggressively courting tourists and business travellers, Tapas Locas has a laid-back, laconic air. If you ignore the tarpaulin walls, the patio heaters and the television screens, the interior is reasonably attractive. Moreover, the food is good value. For 15 euros, you can gorge on the very generous "Paella Menu". First up is a plate of mixed starters, such as patatas bravas with some creamy sauces, a salad, a slab of tomato bread and a ham croquette. You can choose from several main courses, including a respectable sea food paella, served with a couple of king prawns and mussels mixed in with a satisfying pile of rice. The hungry can round the meal off with a desert, such as the large and tasty tiramsu, and this menu even includes a glass of mediocre wine (both the red and white seem to be chilled). Service is friendly, but don't go too early. Like many Catalan restaurants, Tapas Locas can be pretty empty before 9pm. 7/10

GBB Hotel 4, Carrer Doctor Trueta, Barcelona

2011-02-19T18:34:00.004Z

A boxy, modern hotel in an unusually featureless part of Barcelona, GBB Hotel 4 is well located for the beach, but not much else. Situated north east of the city centre, this one-year-old mini tower block overlooks a large, multi-storey graveyard and some of the upper floors have distant sea views. The compact single rooms, with tasteful prints of modern art and dark laminate wood floors and furnishings, offset by bold splashes of colour from the dark red chairs and matching cushions, are comfortable enough. But it can be difficult to get either the high-tech air conditioning or the Internet access to work properly. The en-suite bathrooms are contemporary, but characterless. More appealing is the open and airy first floor dining room, which overlooks the reception lounge painted bold red and framed by sloping pillars. The buffet breakfast, which has plenty of choice, features tiny croissants, pastries, cold meats, cheeses, fruit, yoghurts, fruit juices, bread and toast. You can choose from filter coffee or the slightly-sickly machine coffee. The hot food can include greasy bacon, small rubbery sausages and cool, congealed scrambled egg. There is something for everyone, but it is more fuel, than fine food. GBB Hotel 4 also has a business centre and a fitness suite, but there better places to stay in Barcelona. 6/10

The Thomas Cubitt, Elizabeth Street, central London

2011-02-03T11:20:00.003Z

A smart gastropub in a smart neighbourhood within walking distance of Victoria station, the Thomas Cubitt has both a downstairs bar and an upstairs restaurant. In the bar, you eat at bare wooden tables set with sumptuous white napkins and quality cutlery, while the professional waiters will bring drinks to you. The panelled wooden decor is traditional, yet stylish, and the floor-to-ceiling pained windows are welcoming. Although the bar menu isn't very adventurous, offering cumberland sausages, pork belly, salmon and other standard pub fare, the food is generally nicely done. One of the specials, the steak pie with well-mashed turnip (£13), for example, is rich and flavoursome. But the sizable gap between the light fluffy pastry top and the meat means this dish may not fill you up. Among the side dishes, which are a hefty £4 each, the chips can be a bit too crispy and the broccoli a tad overcooked. A service charge is added to your bill and even a one-course meal could end up being pricey. Still, the Thomas Cubitt attracts plenty of well-heeled punters. 7/10

Angels & Gypsies, Camberwell Church Street, south London

2011-01-19T18:17:00.003Z

An unassuming tapas restaurant attached to a stylish hotel in edgy Camberwell, Angels & Gypsies is the place to go to try some imaginative and refreshingly different dishes. The tuna tartare (a bit stingy for £8) is served with avocado, pistachios and sea urchin caviar - a scintillating combination, while the filling pork belly (generous for £6.50) consists of big chunks of meat, topped with crackling, served with apricots, spiced apple and chutney. The chorizo tortilla (£5), which melts in the mouth, is sublime and the potatas pobres (£3.50), home made crisps loaded with garlic, pepper and rosemary, are moreish. Another hit is the succulent and subtle pulpo a la feria (£8), which is octopus spiced with paprika. The roast beetroot, served with goat's cheese and rocket, (£4) is also surprisingly good. You can wash it all down with the respectable house Rioja (Pinturas), which is £4 a glass. The centrepiece of the restaurant is a curvaceous tiled bar, where you may end up sitting, if you haven't booked a table. The bar stools are uncomfortable, but give you a close-up view of the staff's expert carving of a joint of ham. Angels & Gypsies is all about the food, which is damn good. 8/10

The Bell, Eckington, Worcestershire

2010-12-28T22:38:00.003Z

Despite its unusual 360 degree fireplace, inside a brick pizza-style stove, the Bell doesn't have quite enough character for a country pub. Although the young staff are friendly, their black uniforms and the Bell's polished decor, with its clean lines and smooth wooden tables, suggest chain. Still, the food and beer is quite good. You could do a lot worse than the smooth and very drinkable 6X beer, while the game casserole (£11), a rich stew of venison, pigeon and rabbit in a red wine gravy, with dumplings and a side order of veg, is hearty and filling. Moreover, there is a large selection of kids meals, including a generous ham, eggs and chips, for about £6 apiece. For desert, chocoholics will love the hot chocolate pot - a very intense dose of cocoa, topped with cream and mint. 7/10

Grand Hotel Karel V, Geertebolwerk, Utrecht

2010-12-19T22:08:00.000Z

Slap, bang in the middle of Utrecht, the Grand Hotel Karel V is a luxurious and fairly-traditional establishment that may be resting on its laurels. Built in the grounds of a medieval monastery, the hotel is an ensemble of white buildings, some with tall elegant sloping roofs, which manages to conjure up a sense of peace and quiet in a prime location near the attractive canals, restaurants, bars and shops in the heart of this ancient city. However, some of the bedrooms are in a bland modern block. They are comfortable and quiet, but the decor is a bit gaudy and they have clinical laminate-wooden floors. Still, the en-suite bathrooms, equipped with showers, rather than baths, are up-to-date with heated towel-rails and smart olive tiles. There is no WiFi in the rooms and getting on the Internet via the ethernet cables can be fraught with technical glitches. However, there is free WiFi, which works well enough, in the quirky lobby, where you can admire the brash modern art from one of the blue leather sofas. The Karel V's buffet breakfast has just about everything you might want, including decent speciality breads, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. But the machine coffee is lackluster and the fruit salad lame. Overall, a bit disappointing for a "grand" hotel. 6/10

Gauchos, Oude Gracht, Utrecht

2010-12-12T21:42:00.001Z

This atmospheric, almost subterranean, branch of the Gauchos chain of Argentinian-themed steakhouses is housed in an ancient cave-like building tucked away next to the wharf of one of Utrecht's two-storey canals. The emphasis, of course, is on meat and there is a wide selection of cuts of beef ranging from 225g to 1,000g. A 300g sirloin steak, served with an unusual layer of crackling, is juicy and satisfying, but quite pricey at 21 euros. You get a big choice of sauces, such as garlic, bearnaise and mushroom-truffle, and side orders, including asparagus, mushrooms, chips, baked potatoes and even corn-on-the-cob, typically costing between 3 and 4 euros apiece. With friendly, helpful and attentive waiting staff, Gauchos is justifiably popular in prosperous Utrecht. 7/10

Restaurant de Artisjok, Nieuwe Gracht, Utrecht

2010-12-12T17:09:00.000Z

Located an picturesque old street, next to a quiet canal, Restaurant de Artisjok is not the place to come for a quick meal. Service can be snail-paced and may leave you gnawing your hand in frustration and hunger. Still, this elegant establishment in a 19th century house seems popular with a mix of ages and attracts locals, tourists and business people.The decor is conventional, but smart, while the imaginative food is beautifully-presented and tastes great. Specials might include half a lobster or six very fresh oysters served with a chili sauce. The fried venison steak (20 euros) is served with a delicious truffle risotto, asparagus and a very rich venison stew in a separate bowl. The classic deserts, such as tiramsu and crème brûlée, are large and cost around nine euros apiece. Service by the black-shirted waiters is jovial, but very inattentive. 6/10

CityJet, London City to Amsterdam

2010-12-11T14:18:00.004Z

By far the most human and accessible of London's airports, City is a good gateway for short hops across Europe, as you can pass through this small airport in 15 minutes. The flight to Amsterdam is short, but CityJet still finds time to serve you a complementary sweet, drink and sandwich in both directions. On board, are comfortable, reclining, blue leather seats, each equipped with its own copy of the Air France (owner of CityJet) in-flight magazine. But this route sees frequent delays and changing your flights isn't easy - you have to ring a call centre and may end up paying a big premium. 7/10

Le Gauthier, Romilly Street, central London

2010-12-07T17:13:00.001Z

Housed in a discreet Regency Town House, Le Gauthier has a reverential, almost ecclesiastical ambiance, in which gastronomy, rather than God, is the focus. You ring the doorbell and stand in the hall, before the staff usher you into a very small bar, which doubles as a wine cellar, for an aperitif. Once you have pulled up a chair in the smart, mostly-white dining room, you are served a steady succession of free morsels, such as quail eggs, home-baked bread rolls (the bacon one is very good), and crab with guacamole sauce. Everything is beautifully-presented. The five course menu (3 plates £35, four plates £45, five plates £55) has several options for each course. The crayfish velouté, served with chicken liver, truffle and chervil, can be too subtle and short of seasoning. Better are the ultra-fresh scallops served with caramelized red onions in a chard sauce. Another hit is the succulent cut of venison, served with celeriac cream and cabbage, topped with a delicate truffle garnish. If you aren't squeamish, you are also likely to enjoy the fine, sweet foie gras, served with apple, sultanas, herbs and a calavados sauce.

Expansive and expensive
The fillet of Dover sole is a small, salty, tasty tube of fish, served with a celeriac ravioli, Jerez vinegar reduction and a beef-orange jus, while the roast lamb, served with root vegetables, consists of half-a-dozen large pellets of meat. It seems to be a mix of cuts: some quite solid and some juicy and falling apart. The wine list is both expansive and expensive. Although the pinot noir from Alsace is light, refreshing and drinkable, it probably isn't worth £32 a bottle. Still, you can forgo desert and enjoy the free trio of homemade chocolates, including a melt-in-your mouth coconut marshmallow. Service (12.5% optional charge) by the white-shirted French waiters and waitresses is efficient, but they can seem a little stressed at times. Still, Le Gauthier's imaginative dishes should be enough to delight most foodies. 8/10

El Vergel, rue du Trône, Brussels

2010-12-04T16:41:00.000Z

A Latin-American-themed eatery with backpacker-style decor, El Vergel has a strong following among local office workers. Hand-written messages cover the walls, while the dozens of bare wooden tables wedged into two large rooms, are packed on a Friday lunchtime. The keenly-priced food, as well as the buzz, is the draw. One of the specials, costing just eight euros, is an intense, filling and delicious beef stew served with plantain, chili and rice. You can wash it down with a soft drink for a couple of euros and, on the way out, you can even buy a Latin American memento from the mini souvenir shop. 8/10

Leopold Hotel, Rue du Luxembourg, Brussels

2010-12-03T20:26:00.004Z

The Leopold Hotel has an old-fashioned air about it. Apparently stuck in the1970s, the reception staff wear white shirts and black ties, while the three venerable lifts, labelled A, B and C, have to be called individually. Upstairs, the corridors are warrens and some of the standard rooms, overlooking grey flats and buildings, are cramped with small, flat-screen televisions and compact wardrobes. You have to pay 10 euros for 24 hours of WiFi access, but it works well enough throughout the hotel. The restaurant has smart white table cloths, but seemingly few customers, while the bar and brasserie is rather dull and lacking in atmosphere. Still, the Leopold serves a decent hot and cold breakfast in a large, open room with plenty of tables, each with its own big flask of coffee. Moreover, this hotel is well-located for Brussels' Europe quarter and is near an atmopsheric square with lots of bars and restaurants, populated by young Eurocrats. 6/10

Fish House Vera Cruz, Carlsbad, California

2010-11-14T18:30:00.001Z

Near the quaint heart of Carlsbad, the Fish House Vera Cruz's huge selection of seafood attracts plenty of locals and tourists, even early in the evening on a weekday. Although the decor (lots of blonde wood and an mundane carpet) is run-of-the-mill, you can see the chefs working through a glass window and the food they produce is pretty good. As in many American restaurants, the choice can be bewildering. As well as offering about 20 or so main courses, the Fish House lets you choose your accompaniments - the cheesy mashed potato and steamed vegetables are plentiful and very good. For the main act, the butter fish ($21.50 plus sales tax) is large, succulent and delicious. Surprisingly, given the restaurant's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, much of the fish on the menu seems to hail from the Atlantic or the Great lakes. You also get a free, warm bread roll, but the beer is expensive ($5.50 before sales tax for a pint). The mostly blond waitresses, dressed mostly in white, fly around the many alcoves, grinning at everyone and working hard for their tips. 8/10

Hilton Garden Inn, Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad, California

2010-11-13T22:01:00.000Z

A low-rise, sprawling hotel built in the style of an Hispanic villa, the Hilton Garden Inn overlooks a sandy beach a couple of miles south of Carlsbad. Although there is a dual-carriageway between the hotel and the Pacific Ocean, it is still a fine spot that draws a mixture of tourists, business travellers and even the U.S. army. The big rooms have large, comfortable beds, sturdy furniture and free Wi-Fi, while the en-suite bathrooms, decorated in dark yellow patterns, have an odd air of opulence. The Hilton Garden Inn even has a free shuttle bus that will take you to and pick you up from anywhere within a five mile radius of the hotel. But you may need to wait half-an-hour for a collection. There is also free watery coffee in the morning and free cookies in the evening. Oustide the peak season, you can get all this for less than $150 a night, but you pay more for a room with a partial ocean-view or for a full ocean view. For an extra $12, you can eat as much as you want from the respectable breakfast buffet, including hefty omelettes and other hot food, in addition to the fruit, cereals, yoghurts and cold fare. There is also plenty of lacklustre coffee and orange juice. If its warm enough, you can have your breakfast on the terrace. Out here, there are neat flowerbeds, an enclosed swimming pool and a fine view of the sea stretching off to the horizon. 7/10

Alamo car hire, Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles Airport

2010-11-12T21:50:00.000Z

One of several car hire outlets a short shuttle bus ride from Los Angeles airport, Alamo has a broad selection of keenly-priced and well-kept hire cars. But the smallest car you can hire is a four-door saloon. Overseas customers, at least, have to pay for a full tank of petrol up front, but Brits won't find that too onerous, given the relatively low cost of gas in the USA. Although this system means you will probably pay for petrol you don't use, you won't have to find a petrol station before returning the car. 7/10

Travelodge, Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles Airport, California

2010-11-10T16:59:00.001Z

Convenient, cheap and not very cheerful, this Travelodge is a few minutes drive from Los Angeles airport. If you call reception after you land, a shuttle bus will come and pick you up eventually. Although the foyer tries to cultivate a mid-market air, this motel isn't somewhere you will want to linger. Many of the rooms are reached via grim outside corridors more reminiscent of a British council estate than a hotel. Inside, the rooms have a dated decor dominated by flowery, swirling patterns, but they are quite spacious and typically have their own balcony overlooking the functional swimming pool. With cold tiles on the floor and unforgiving lighting, the en-suite bathrooms are also hard on the eye. Still, there is free Wi-Fi and in-room coffee and the rooms can be surprisingly quiet and comfortable. The plentiful, but plain, continental breakfast is served in a very cramped room and you may have to eat at one of the outside tables near the pool. If you want a budget dinner, there is also a branch of the Denny's chain on-site. This Travelodge runs a shuttle bus to the airport every 30 minutes and seemingly attracts plenty of jet-lagged Europeans. 6/10

Virgin Atlantic, London Heathrow to Los Angeles

2010-11-03T13:36:00.000Z

On the 11-hour daytime flight to Los Angeles, you will probably want to stay awake, so Virgin Atlantic's extensive video-on-demand service is very welcome and very useful. If you are travelling economy, check-in online early to secure a window seat, as the middle seat looks pretty cramped. The food is okay and you won't have to pay for a glass of beer or wine. You may even get an ice cream to accompany the in-flight films. For the night flight back, it is worth paying extra for premium economy, which has many of the trappings of business class. Crucially, the seats are quite spacious and they lean back far enough to let you get some sleep. Moreover, you'll be served enough alcohol to make you sleepy. When you board, you are offered a glass of sparkling wine, followed by two glasses of wine with your meal and then a Baileys or a whisky afterwards. You also get a menu, with a choice of food. Virgin's chicken and rice, served with a smoked salmon salad and bread roll, is not bad for airline food. For desert, you might get a respectable chocolate profiterole and a lump of cheddar, plus some biscuits. In the morning, as you approach Britain, you are served passable coffee and a bagel by Virgin's still glamorous cabin crew in their starched white shirts and red uniforms. All-in-all, Virgin Atlantic remains one of the world's more civilised airlines. 7/10

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Ryanair, London Stansted to Malaga

2010-10-23T21:06:00.001Z

If you can get away with hand luggage, you'll avoid both Ryanair's hefty luggage surcharges and the stress of dealing with this airline's infamously unhelpful staff, until you reach the departure gate. If you check-in online and print your boarding pass, you can go straight to security. Ryanair insists you get to the gate well before the flight is due to depart, meaning you end up in a succession of queues, as people jostle for the best seats on the plane. Once on board, the seats are cramped, the food and drink are expensive and there is a steady stream of sales pitches for lottery tickets, duty free and the like from the cabin crew. As you would expect, the early morning and the evening flights are the cheapest, but you end up coming and going from Stansted at some ungodly hours. Still, you'll maximise your time in sunny Andalusia. 5/10

Restaurante Granada, Nueva, Ronda

2010-10-23T20:05:00.000Z

One of many similar restaurants competing vigorously for your custom on this pedestrianised nineteenth century street, Granada offers large portions of mostly Spanish food at keen prices. As part of the cover, you are given some saggy and salty green olives, plus shrink-wrapped rolls of bread. As you peruse the plastic menus in several languages, you may spot one of the cooks opening and closing the microwave. Among the main courses, the large mixed paella, served in a wok, is full of grisly chicken and pork, king prawns, fat mussels and clams. It is salty, but pretty good for the modest 9.50 euros a head. The mixed salad (six euros) is an eclectic mix of wafer-thin Palma ham, manchego cheese, tinned pineapple, beetroot, sweet corn, shredded carrots, loads of lettuce, sliced tomatoes and peppers. The okay spaghetti bolognese is filling, while the Spanish omelet is also substantial and passable. Granada's tacky decor, with a gold-trimmed Alhambra-theme, is reminiscent of the seventies. Even as if it fills up with tired tourists, this unremarkable restaurant lacks atmosphere. 5/10

Ronda, Andalusia

2010-10-23T18:01:00.000Z

In a spectacular setting high over a gorge, the beautifully-preserved Andalusian town of Ronda is well worth a couple of days of your time. If you can find a space, part in one of the cramped underground car parks in the central shopping district and head over to the charming 19th century Alameda del Tajo park with its broad, paved promenades, lined with vintage lampposts, and lush foliage. They lead down to the iron railings and ornate stone wall, guarding a sheer drop to the valley floor below and providing sweeping views across the hills. As it sets, the sun bathes the park in a magical light tailor-made for tourist snaps. Follow the path hugging the cliff edge around the parador to the towering eighteenth century stone bridge with its elegant arches, which merge into the rocky sides of the canyon. Across the bridge, are narrow, atmospheric cobbled streets lined by stately white-washed town houses, some with smart restaurants overlooking the gorge. The lanes open out into a peaceful cobbled, tree-lined square surrounded by handsome historic buildings, including a convent and a striking, old red-brick church with an ornate bell-tower.

Moorish touches
From near the square, you can follow a steep and scenic winding path down to the river and valley floor from where you admire the bridge towering above you. Other sights include the hulking Church of the Holy Spirit, dating from the fifteenth century, the evocative eighteenth century bullring, a favoured haunt of Hemingway, and extensive remains of the medieval city walls. Throughout the old heart of Ronda, you'll find Moorish touches and architectural details, such as intricately-carved wooden doors and stone minarets, as well as old European lampposts, wrought-iron railings and balconies. Of course, Ronda attracts plenty of tourists and there are some naff shops and formulaic restaurants, but this fine old town remains largely unspoilt. 9/10

Hotel La Fuente De La Higuera, Partido de los Frontones, Ronda, Andalusia

2010-10-22T22:12:00.000Z

Housed in a sympathetically-extended and restored country house overlooking a fine stretch of Andalusian countryside, the Hotel La Fuente De La Higuera is both a good place to chill out and a good base for exploring the historic town of Ronda. From the terrace, where you can eat your fine buffet breakfast, there are spectacular views through the mature garden, across the verdant valley to the picturesque hills beyond. Inside, the tasteful and high-quality decor, fittings and furniture are built to last and to appeal. Arty black and white photographic prints line the cream walls, which are mostly bathed in natural light. In the central atrium, lit by a large skylight, climb the cream staircase, for an ariel view of the massive tropical plant, the small honesty bar and to admire the huge poster advertising a Ronda bullfight. The centerpiece of the garden is a well-kept swimming pool, backed by a dry stone wall and surrounded by a grassy lawn, lined with wooden sun loungers. Hotel La Fuente De La Higuera has about a dozen or so tasteful rooms or suites in all shapes and sizes. Some have open fires and their own terraces and one of the suites even has its own spiral staircase leading up to lofty bedroom with a stylish blue wooden board floor.

Painfully slow
The Hotel La Fuente De La Higuera's buffet breakfast includes decent juices, cold meats, cheeses, fruit, cereal, bread and boiled eggs. You can order coffees from the staff, but you need to toast your own bread. You can also book in for an overpriced dinner (42 euros for three courses, without wine) in the cosy dining room where the tables are covered with smart white table cloths and funky music is playing on the retro-style wooden stereo. There is a choice of two dishes for each course. Before you get going, you may be offered a lovely little appetiser made up of creamy cheese and an anchovy wrapped around a morsel of caviar. The starters may include Andalusian soup, which contains soft and scrumptious chick peas in salty chicken stock. The main courses may include a chunky tuna steak, which can be a bit too dry and salty, while the rack of lamb may also be over-seasoned. Still the accompanying creamy mash and green veg is delicious. For desert, the chocolate cake is light and crumbly and is filled with hot oozing chocolate sauce, offset by fine ice cream. To drink, the house A Pasos 2006 red wine from Ronda is rich and velvety. Unfortunately, the portions are often too small and, if you have restless or tired kids, the service can be painfully slow. Still, the friendly and helpful Dutch proprietor seems to have no trouble attracting adult guests and diners to Hotel La Fuente De La Higuera. 8/10

Altamirano, Plaza Altamirano, Marbella, Andalusia

2010-10-22T20:57:00.000Z

Marring a picturesque cobbled square in Marbella's old town with its Pepsi-branded plastic chairs, Altamirano is a lot better seafood restaurant than it looks. Although the white facade is adorned with attractive painted tiles, inside, neon light casts the basic decor in an unforgiving glare. You might prefer to sit outside in the lovely square and watch the tourists wandering around the other nearby eateries, but you may be serenaded by an embarrassing busker, singing classic Mexican ditties. You pay a small cover charge for bread, which is a bit hard, and olives, which are also nothing special, so its worth sharing a big plate of very fresh anchovies in vinegar (eight euros).

Soft, succulent fish
The menu lists a wide selection of fish, plus dishes of the day, which are mostly priced by the kilogram and served with a couple of boiled potatoes and some lettuce leaves, shredded carrot and sweet corn. It can be difficult to figure out what you'll end up paying and the final bill may not make a lot of sense. The grilled sea bass can be served as two large crispy and delicious fillets of soft, succulent fish, but be warned they might cost a whopping 30 euros. Strangely, a similarly large plate of grilled calamari (fresh, but a little tough and chewy) can cost less than 12 euros. The waiting staff recommend that kids have a healthy plate of mixed fish, deboned, served with boiled potatoes and lettuce - great value at just eight euros ahead. After such fresh main courses, it is disappointing to find that the deserts appear to be bought frozen from a supermarket - the desert menu is just stock photographs on a laminated menu. There is also no coffee. Despite its many faults, Altamirano is probably the place to savour seafood in Marbella. 7/10

Marbella Old Town, Andalusia

2010-10-20T22:00:00.000Z

About a square-kilometre of heavily-restored, but atmospheric, cobbled streets and alleys, Marbella's old town is close to the beaches and the resort's smart boardwalk. The remains of the Arabian castellated walls, supposedly dating from the 9th century, partially enclose an eclectic set of white-washed buildings, including an handsome and striking church, spanning hundreds of years. But you'll find yourself looking down as much as up. Beneath your feet, is an ever-changing array of elaborate patterns of cobbled stones and tiles. You'll also find appealing tree-lined squares with vintage lamp-posts, pavement cafes and restaurants. You'll stumble upon the occasional lavishly-carved, Arabian-style wooden door and there are scores of wrought-iron balconies, decorated with flowers and pot plants, to admire.

Towering, tropical plants
Keen shoppers will home in on the old town's upmarket boutiques, while history buffs will be drawn to the the Baroque-style Church of St. Mary and the handsome 16th century town hall, which overlooks a peaceful square, shaded by rows of citrus trees. Between the old town and the sea, is the Parque Alameda, overflowing with towering, tropical plants, punctuated with ornately-tiled seats and cris-crossed with fine stone paths. The centrepiece is a large, circular, tiled fountain, elaborately decorated with scenes of Andalusia. You can stroll down to the beach from here via an attractive pedestrianised walkway with striking modern sculptures, flanked by rows of futuristic lamp-posts. 8/10

Stuzzikini, Alderete, Marbella

2010-10-19T22:14:00.000Z

A good-value Sardinian restaurant that prides itself on slow food, Stuzzikini doesn't bend over backwards to serve Marbella's big tourist market. There are no kids meals and virtually none of the standard pasta dishes on the menu, except for a meaty, home-made lasagne (8 euros). But there is a decent selection of wafer-thin 11-inch pizzas (6 to 7 euros each) topped with generous helpings of fresh ingredients. If you don't fancy pizza, try the Sardinian seafood dish (9 euros), featuring little balls of pasta, mussels, clams and slices of biscotti bread swimming in a slightly-spicy sauce. The mozzarella and tomato salad (6.5 euros) is also very good and very fresh. It is worth leaving room for the fine chocolate fondant (6.5 euros), served with a ball of vanilla ice cream. The hot chocolate sauce, oozing out of the middle of the cake, is delicious, but it comes with too many mint leaves. The dark wooden tables are scattered around several small rooms and, depending on where you are sitting, Stuzzikini can lack atmosphere. The cool, clean decor is broken up by some eclectic touches, such as the roses hand-painted on to the walls, Roman-style urns and Sardinian guide books. 8/10

La Taberna del Pintxo, Avenida Miguel Cano, Marbella

2010-10-19T21:43:00.000Z

Although it is only a hundred yards or so from the seafront, the traditional La Taberna del Pinxto is a world away from the tourist haunts that line the beach. The friendly waiting staff, who don't speak English, patrol the tables offering plates of hot and cold tapas to the mostly Spanish patrons. The tasty tapas range from one to two euros apiece - the actual cost is flagged by the style of toothpick used to pin them to the accompanying bread. When you sit down on one of the high stools outside or the tables inside, you are given a basket of decent bread, which you can dip in the delicious, thick and creamy gapazio. Its also worth keeping an eye out for the warm slices of tortilla, the melt-in-the-mouth ham croquettes and the juicy slices of beef. You can also order bigger dishes, such as the rather oily sausages in cider, moreish patatas bravas in a creamy sauce and a refreshing goats cheese and spinach salad, for about five to seven euros. The beer and water is also reasonably-priced. Its easy to eat too many savoury snacks, but if you do leave room, the waitors also have some sweet tapas up their sleeves. 8/10

The Town House, Marbella, Andalucia,

2010-10-18T22:42:00.000Z

In the heart of Marbella's old town, the tall, elegant Town House hotel is aptly-named. Outside the door, are narrow, atmosphere streets and squares, but it is also just a few minutes walk to Marbella's beaches and smart boardwalk. The ground-floor lounge and bar are stylish, but small. Still, they are more than compensated for by a lovely little roof terrace with views across the terracotta tiles of the nearby houses to the handsome church tower and the mountains beyond. You can use the Town House's lift to bring your buffet breakfast (decent croissants, rustic breads, cheeses, fine cold meats, fruit etc.) up here on a tray and eat it on the padded white seats lining the walls. A scenic sun trap with lots of flowering pot plants, the roof terrace is also a pleasant place to watch the sun go down over the town, while sipping a beer or glass of sparking wine from the handy honesty bar.

Sense of style
Containing distinguished furniture and stylish prints of enlarged postage stamps, some of the tasteful and distinctive rooms have elaborate cornicing, quirky nooks and other period features. Although they can feel a bit cramped, they are comfortable and decorated in appealing shades of white, fawn and brown. It can be expensive, but the Town House's location and sense of style is hard to fault. 8/10

Goldcar car rental, Malaga Airport, Andalusia

2010-10-17T21:28:00.000Z

Goldcar is one of a clutch of hire car firms with desks and parking bays in the bowels of Malaga airport. Booked through Holiday Autos, Goldcar's vehicles can be very good value, but they tend to be scratched and scraped. Although this kind of damage is apparently covered by the standard insurance, Goldcar still recommend you take an additional insurance package to avoid excess payments on more fundamental damage. In any case, you'll be charged up-front a hefty sum (82 euros for a Ford Focus) for a full tank of petrol and you are supposed to bring the car back near empty, which can be tricky if you are on a short break. 5/10

Aloft Hotel Schuman, Place Jean Rey, Brussels

2010-10-12T21:36:00.000Z

Having opened in September, the Aloft is a trendy and still-shiny hotel in the heart of Brussels' European district. On the outside, it looks like a fairly-funky apartment block, while the lobby has the feel of a smart and rather-lavish student common room. The reception, lounge and bar merge into one elongated loft-style space complete with modernistic and colourful furniture, flat computer screens, a pool table, cartoon-style art, exposed pipes hanging from the ceiling and blond-wood panelling. The circular reception, manned by lively, standing receptionists, is opposite a self-service canteen, where you can help yourself to breakfast or snacks anytime of day or night, charging your purchases to your room bill. The overall effect is striking and different, but not relaxing.

Natural light
The Aloft's bedrooms are surprisingly big for a prime location in a major city. Again, the decor is funky and modern with bright colours and sleek wooden panels, but they are much more homely than the lobby and pleasingly awash with natural light. The windows, the beds and the flat-screen televisions are all unusually large, while the ceilings are high, the smart bathrooms are shining clean and there is a kettle, a safe, an iron and trendy magazines to hand. The Aloft offers free WiFi Internet access throughout the hotel and, even at your desk in your room, it can be quite quick. But all these amenities and space in such a convenient location, doesn't come cheap. Depending on how busy the Aloft is, a double room can cost as much as 280 euros a night. 7/10

Capolino, Place Jourdan, Brussels

2010-10-09T18:51:00.001Z

For a traditional pizzeria, Capolino has a stylish red facade and a fairly funky, but smoky, adjoining bar. However, the restaurant itself has painted brick walls, a bland white floor and neat rows of closely-packed dark wooden tables, while the stereo plays tired pop classics, such as Cherish by Kool and the Gang. The very lengthy menu features a wide selection of pizzas for around €12, as well as salads, risottos, pasta, fish and meat dishes. The highlight of the reasonable sea food risotto (€13), which needs seasoning, are the juicy mussels, while the mixed-salad (€3.25) is fresh, large and well-dressed. You can get a pint of well-chilled Jupiler beer for €5.5 or there are Italian wines available by the glass or the bottle. Service by the weary waiters in waist-coats can feel a bit overbearing. Unfortunately, Capolino, which can be half-empty on a weekday, really lacks atmosphere. 5/10

P&O Ferries, Dover to Calais

2010-10-03T20:59:00.001Z

The cheapest and most entertaining way to reach France, on a sunny day, the ferry crossing can even feel like part of the holiday. Relaxing on the top deck, admiring the white cliffs of Dover and the extensive beaches of Calais, makes an invigorating change from sitting in the car, even if you might have to inhale a bit of fag smoke. P&O's ferries are a mixed bag. While the aging Pride of Burgundy is grim and knackered, the refurbished Pride of Canterbury is comfortable and civilised. On the morning crossings, there can be a scramble to be at the front of the lengthy queue for breakfast. In the Pride of Canterbury's battered canteen, the English breakfast, which is charged at one pound per item, can be pretty greasy, but the sausages aren't bad. It may be tricky to get hold of tap water, while the coffee can be strong, nasty and small. You'd be better off getting a hot drink from the on-board Costa Coffee, but you may have to queue again. 7/10

Chateau de Cop-Choux, near Mouzeil, Loire Atlantique

2010-10-02T22:10:00.000Z

Set in fairly flat and innocuous countryside, but within striking distance of La Loire, Nantes and the Breton coast, Chateau de Cop-Choux is well-placed for a few days exploring a fine part of France. Dating from before the French Revolution, the well-proportioned chateau appears handsome from a distance, but, up close, the stone work is quite plain and the box-hedge, grass and gravel surroundings don't do it justice. Still, the 45 acres of grounds has plenty of features from cordoned-off, crumbling ruins to a couple of large forest pools, reachable via a steep and dilapidated stone staircase. You can stroll through the woodland and circle back to the chateau following the grassy path that runs alongside the paddock. Moreover, the chateau's modern facilities are good - the smart swimming pool is new, well-maintained and warm enough in late August, while the tarmac tennis court is just about playable. There is even a modern conference centre.

Local specialities
However, the venerable old chateau itself is tatty and the refined ambiance evoked by the marble and parquet floors is marred by the jumble of furnishings, paintings and ornaments. Bedrooms are kitted out in period style and have fine wooden floors, but the furnishings in the inexpensive Romarin suite (150 euros a night for two adjoining double rooms and a sizable bathroom), are a little too crude and tacky. Still, at least the suite is equipped with bathrobes, a kettle and other comforts, while the pricier double rooms (120 euros a night) appear to be more tasteful. On the ground floor, there is also a pleasant guest lounge and small untended bar. The breakfast buffet, featuring cereals, bread, croissants, very strong coffee and orange juice, in the cosy dining room, costs a reasonable eight euros a head. You can also book in for an impressive four-course dinner with wine (38 euros a head), featuring local specialities, such as foie gras and baked fish with beurre blanc. Not easily fazed, Chateau de Cop-Choux's proprietors are welcoming, friendly and laid-back. 7/10

Museum of London, London Wall, central London

2010-09-28T19:26:00.003Z

Seemingly in the middle of a roundabout and surrounded by the towering glass and steel of the financial district, the Museum of London is a tour de force that does justice to the history of one of the world's great cities. Laid out in chronological order, the galleries begin with prehistoric flints, bones and skulls, before immersing you in Roman Londinium using several impressive and intricate models of Roman settlements, plus a mock-up of a kitchen and larder, complete with an unskinned rabbit, fruit and vegetables. Next-up, are the medieval galleries, which includes a model of a late Anglo-Saxon hut with rock hard beds, animal skins and cooking utensils. Then you have the War, Plague and Fire galleries covering the 1500s and 1600s, dwelling on the horrors of the Black Death and the Fire of London, as well as the cut and thrust of the Civil War. The five horrendous days of the fire are told by a video fronted by a dark model of London which lights up gradually as the flames consume the city. You'll also find ornate pistols, muskets, halberds and rapiers, as well a fine model of the Elizabethan Rose Theatre.

Middle-class Victorian life
The highlights of the Georgian and Victorian galleries include the imaginative, but rather shadowy Pleasure Gardens, which features more than a dozen black mannequins of men, women and children in elaborate aristocratic attire, some with extraordinary hats, including one bearing a model ship and another the antlers of a stag. Here you can sit on white park benches and watch the floor-to-ceiling videos of life size people promenading in the park and sitting down to a banquet. Nearby, middle-class life in Victorian London is portrayed by a series of full-size shops, including a pawnbroker, a pub with small saloon bar and taped conversation, a toy shop, complete with miniature soldiers and dolls, a grocer, a barber, a tailor, a men's public toilet and more.You'll even find a Penny Farthing bicycle parked next to a Victorian lamppost and if you time it right, you'll hear one of the museum staff telling lively stories of Sweeney Todd outside the barber's shop.

A curvaceous Vespa scooter
Further on, there is a well-preserved and beautiful 1920s taxi, near a small cinema, with ornate seats, showing black and white newsreels, accompanied by piano music. Kids will enjoy the hands-on models of London's overground and underground transport systems. As you enter the twentieth century, older visitors will recognise many familiar and nostalgic artifacts in the glass cases, from massive mobile phones to old typewriters to a curvaceous Vespa scooter, as well as plenty of cool clothes from the 1960s. You'll also find an extraordinarily-detailed cardboard model of terraced streets in Hackney, complete with turned-over bins, as they were in the 1990s, inhabited by squatters and artists. You can peer in through the windows and see pictures of the occupants. Nearby, are interactive tables, decorated with futuristic white illuminated models of London's most iconic buildings, where you can answer survey questions on the issues affecting the city today. Around a corner, you can admire the massively over-the-top Lord Mayor's coach.

Whizzing across bridges
The Museum of London's downstairs cafe is worth a visit just to watch the big, high-resolution screen showing everyday scenes from 24 hours in London, mostly speeded-up, so you see cars whizzing across bridges, people flowing through Tube stations and clouds streaking across the sky. It is flanked by huge electronic panels displaying stats about London. Although some of its collection, such as the stone statues in the medieval galleries, can seem dull, the Museum of London crams an extraordinary array of exhibits into quite a small space. The recent £20 million refurbishment has also seen the installation of impressive high-tech interactive and multimedia exhibits some of which cover vast, touch-screen tables, but they don't always work that well. Still, this is one of London's best free museums and is not yet as crowded as its more famous counterparts across town in South Kensington. 9/10

Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France

2010-09-24T21:36:00.004Z

An attractive and prosperous city straddling the river Maine in north west France, Angers has enough sights to detain you for at least a day. As well as being home to two famous tapestries series, the fourteenth-century Apocalypse and the twentieth-century Chant du Monde, Angers boasts an ancient and massive citadel with 17 imposing, circular towers made with rings of black and fawn stones. This monolithic fortress is surrounded by a moat planted with elaborate topiary and flowerbeds arranged in geometric patterns. From near the main gates, which are reached by a stone drawbridge, there is a sweeping view of the river, lined with barges and crossed by a couple of stone bridges, adorned with flowers. North east of the citadel, atmospheric medieval lanes thread towards the striking twelfth-century white-brick cathedral with its distinctive twin spires. From the cathedral, wide cobbled steps, lined with flowers, flow down to fountains in front of the dual carriageway running alongside the Maine. It is also worth scouting around the shopping district centered on the Place du Ralliement, which is home to several popular restaurants and the Galeries Lafayette department store housed in a fine nineteenth century building with elegant black wrought iron balconies. In the summer of 2010, this square was being dug up to accommodate new tram lines and was essentially a building site. It is also worth wandering around the tranquil old courtyards near the Museum of Fine Arts with their eye catching sculptures. Angers has substance and style. 8/10

Château de la Villatte, near Laval, Pays de la Loire

2010-09-22T16:53:00.003Z

Majestically situated on a hillside overlooking rolling green countryside near the Mayenne river, the nineteenth century Château de la Villatte has a handful of lovingly-furnished guests rooms and several acres of picturesque grounds. Well cared for, the chateau has a grand, stone hallway with a billiards table and a white marble staircase with a black wrought iron banister. The landing above the stairwell has been turned into a cosy little hideaway with a pleasant window seat. Tastefully decorated in period-style, the guest bedrooms have high ceilings, tall original windows, fine wooden floors and venerable antique furniture. They have their own bathrooms also boasting large windows and plenty of light and space. Two of the bedrooms have a small linking corridor and can be booked as a family suite, but you can't lock your doors.

Timeless farmyard
The simple, but good quality, breakfast is served on bone china in a refined dining room with large windows, grand mirrors, extravagant cornicing and marble fireplaces. When you sit down, you'll find dishes of warm croissants and bread waiting for you, along with butter, jam, coffee and orange juice. Classical music plays in the background. Although the chateau was built with rough stones, they are framed by smooth blocks and topped with a classic French tall slate roof. On the other side of the small gravel car park, there are aged, timber-framed farm buildings and stables separated by a timeless farmyard from an impressive gatehouse with its own conical tower. Partly enclosed by rambling stone walls, Château de la Villatte's grounds slope steeply down to a farm set in peaceful, lush countryside. In the gardens, you'll also find a big pond and some neatly-tended flowerbeds. Your hostesses are discreet, while the atmosphere is homely and far removed from that of a commercial hotel. 8/10

La Braise, Rue Trinité, Laval, Pays de la Loire

2010-09-20T21:36:00.001Z

Tucked away in an atmospheric back street in Laval's historic quarter, La Braise feels like a traditional French restaurant aimed at locals rather than tourists. Inside, the rugged white walls are decorated with lots of clutter, fairy-lights and postcards, while the tables are covered by white cloths and lit by chunky candles. On a recent visit, the sole waitress was friendly, but didn't speak English and was very inattentive as La Braise got busy later in the evening.You can eat a la carte or there is a 23 euro set menu with a couple of choices for each course. The starters can include a small, salty, but tasty, bowl of mussels, served with bacon, cheese, cream and shredded carrot. The main course options may include a kebab made up of chunks of beef, lamb, pork and veal. They aren't great cuts of meat, but are precisely cooked and are served with fried potatoes, some decent vegetables and choice of sauces, including some delicious Roquefort. One of the best options on the desert trolley is a rich, dark chocolate tart, served with a dollop of vanilla or orange ice cream. From the wine list, you can get half a bottle of innocuous Beaujolais for 10.5 euros. There is also a good selection of Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhone vintages. La Braise gradually fills up with locals and even on a Sunday evening, there can be quite a buzz by 9.30pm. 7/10

Laval, Pays de la Loire, France

2010-09-17T21:40:00.002Z

Don't be put off by the drab suburbs, dominated by American-style drive-to stores and restaurants, Laval has a well-preserved and charming historic heart. You can park alongside the river Mayenne, which is straddled by several fine old bridges. On both sides of the river there are cobbled streets and ancient timber-framed buildings, but you'll find most of the sights on the west bank. Winding, largely-pedestrianised roads climb steeply up to the atmospheric medieval chateau and its newer (mostly nineteenth century) neighbour, next to the spacious Place de la Trémoille. Separated by a timber-framed sixteenth-century gatehouse, the two chateaux provide a picturesque backdrop to Laval's festival in late August, featuring free circus acts, bands and other entertainment. Nearby, is an attractive Romanesque cathedral and a small park flanked by the towering remains of the city's medieval stone walls, studded with imposing towers. On a Saturday, shaded by trees, locals throng around the scores of stalls that have set up for business in the sloping Place de la Trémoille. Their wares include plenty of French delicacies, which you can purchase and then consume at one of the tables outside the local bars (as long as you buy a drink). 8/10

La Brasserie du Théâtre, place du Ralliement, Angers

2010-09-13T21:37:00.003Z

Occupying a prominent position on one of Angers' grander squares, la Brasserie du Théâtre is an imposing establishment in a distinguished neoclassical building. Out front, are more than a dozen spacious tables surrounded by comfortable wicker-style chairs, shaded by parasols and attended by a squad of smart, young waiters. The lengthy and appealing menu has a wide selection of salads, carpaccio dishes and platters of meat and fish. Served with lots of crispy fries, the carpaccio with mozzarella (13.4 euros) is a bit bland and really needs a side salad. But the smoked salmon and goats cheese salad (11.9 euros) is fresh and generous. Children are well catered for: the Menu Enfant (8.9 euros) for sprogs under six has a choice of three simple main courses, followed by desert, plus a fruit juice or pop. The Menu Junior (12 euros) for under-twelves is the same except the main courses, such as the seemingly home made hamburger and toast, are larger and more elaborate. The kids' fruit juices are tall and enticing, while their deserts include a hefty dollop of cream, topped with a biscuit and flanked by two balls of good ice cream, served on a specially-made plate, or a big bowl of rich chocolate mousse. La Brasserie du Théâtre is a comfortable venue for an enjoyable family lunch in the sun, but steer clear of the raw meat. 7/10

The Derby Arms, Epsom Downs, Surrey

2010-09-12T21:11:00.003Z

A whitewashed and heavily-refurbished Victorian inn standing isolated on the edge of Epsom Downs near the racecourse, The Derby Arms is a very refined pub with a predictable racing theme. But the celebration of racehorses is retrained and just about every furnishing and fitting in this unusually-polished watering hole is the epitome of quality and taste. In the meticulously-decorated bar, for example, the smart leather sofas are padded out with plump embroidered cushions, while white circular stone tabletops rest on ornate cast-iron legs. There is also a restaurant area with striped high-backed chairs and large, striking prints of racehorses and their trainers. Behind the bar are laid-back, but helpful, young blokes, while the prosperous clientele seem to be a mix of old and new money. There is an extensive and reasonably-priced menu. But if you just want a snack, you can get a small bowl of fat chips, topped with a big dollop of mayo, for just £2.50. The drinks are also competitively-priced, with a pint of rich and refreshing Aspall cider costing about £3.50. The Derby Arms is posh, but not too pretentious. 8/10