Porto Portugal Porto as we all know is the birthplace to that revered tipple Port. Despite a decline in popularity it has had many loyal followers over the centuries and continues to generate new admirers, including this writer. Even that great recorder of Dr Samuel Johnson’s work, James Boswell noted “Claret is the liquor
The Duke on the Green 235 New Kings Road Fulham London SW6 4XG Tel: 020 7736 2777 Parsons Green is really Fulham. The Duke on the Green sits prominently in front of the green. It is a glorious Victorian pub that has retained much of its character despite the ravages of fashion to remove
Tostado 16a St Anne’s Court London W1F 0BG Tel: 0207 287 3000 The pursuit of El Dorado or the land of gold has existed for hundreds of years. It has been the subject of many legends and myths. What is known is that in 1541 Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizaro set off from Quito
Mauritius An island of dreams It might only be a tiny speck in the Indian Ocean but Mauritius is no lightweight when it comes to having fun. Lying between Africa and India with its nearest significant neighbour Madagascar some 2000 km away it is fair to say it has it’s own identity albeit made
Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel and Spa Lake 6, Spine Road East South Cerney, Gloucestershire GL7 5FP Tel: 01285 864000 If like my family you are townies then there is nothing better than waking up in the countryside after a good night’s rest. The smells, birds and wildlife are all alien to the
Babur 119 Brockley Rise London SE23 1JP Tel: 020 8291 2400 Before I start this review I must make a confession. Babur is my go to local Indian restaurant I have eaten there many times and never had an unpleasant plate of food. It sits in no man’s land between Honor Oak and Brockley and
Le Coq 292-294 St. Paul’s Road London N1 2LH Tel: 020 7359 5055 A family Sunday lunch out is always a treat and our visit to Le Coq was no exception. George Ryle’s cooking is simple, robust and full of flavour. A stone’s throw from Highbury and Islington tube station this small restaurant that
Ned’s Noodle Bar County Hall 3E Belvedere Road London SE1 7GQ Tel: 020 7593 0077 Ned’s is one of those places you stumble across by accident but feel you already know it, maybe because it has a cinematic feeling it looks straight out of an American movie. I think it’s the really cute boxes
Cheyne Walk Brasserie 50 Cheyne Walk Chelsea London SW3 5LR Tel: 020 7376 8787 Chelsea, especially Cheyne Walk has connotations with the swinging sixties, pop stars, actors and film directors all converged on what was then more of an artist’s outback than the über swish exclusive place it is these days. There has to
The Duke of Norfolk 113 – 114 Western Rd Brighton East Sussex BN1 2AB Tel: 01273 733245 I am sitting in The Duke of Norfolk with some other writers and bloggers discussing the exact location of this pub. When I say exact location I mean that there is some disagreement about whether it is in