The Trafalgar Dining Rooms 2 Spring Gardens London SW1A 2TS Tel: 020 7870 2901 With an eye catching octagonal logo incorporated in the windows that look onto the eponymous square TDR or Trafalgar Dining Rooms is hard to ignore. As it turned out this A1 location turned out to be an A1 eatery too
Zagreb Croatia As a travel writer I’m usually too busy flying somewhere to enter competitions but every once in a while I throw my business card into the hat, thank goodness I did. I recently won an all expenses paid trip for two to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, courtesy of Monarch Airlines and the Zagreb
Central America A New Revolution Once the hotbed of revolution and unrest the collection of seven countries that separate the Americas are experiencing something of a renaissance, a revolution in tourism if you will. Visiting three of them gave me a flavour of what’s on offer to the more adventurous visitor. I started my
Doha Qatar The desert is and always will be a special place for me. Refuge for some, the enemy for others. Most of us westerners find its harsh conditions a challenge but I feel it has been undersold. With the right approach it can be rewarding, exciting and like nowhere else on earth. Welcome to
Heliot Steak House The Hippodrome 14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7JH Tel: 020 7769 8844 In this outing I have a try at living a little like James Bond (well almost) and spend an evening with some simpering girls who really know how to turn heads with their dancing, enjoy some excellent steak and
Jamboree Foodfest & Bar 46 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NZ On this outing I discover that music can work with food and that a clue is sometimes not enough! It’s a word that puzzled my dining companion J for some time. I had given her a clue as to where we would be eating
The Bristol Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QF Tel: 0117 923 0333 On this excursion out of London I discover there’s more to Bristol than sherry, enjoy the waterside and am reminded of Amsterdam. The food’s good and the city is a cornucopia of vintage shops and foodie outlets. Definitely worth a weekend away! Bristol City
The Cuban Stables Market Chalk Farm Road Camden London NW1 8AH Tel: 0333 240 2000 Hidden amongst the tribal stalls and T-shirt shops within the mini city that is Camden Lock The Cuban can be found. It’s a large place that operates on two floors. Upstairs is a slightly quieter eatery and downstairs is
The Trading House 89-91 Gresham Street London EC2V 7NQ Tel: 020 7600 5050 This much talked about restaurant with live music and killer cocktails has been on my hit list so I was really looking forward to eating there. One problem, my dinner companion was J, she of the late timekeeping. Could this make
The Parlour 5 Regent Street Kensal Green London NW10 5LG Tel: 020 8969 2184 Jesse Dunford Wood is the chef proprietor of The Parlour in Kensal Green and a modern day Willie Wonka. He effortlessly combines great food with a fun feel and a chic atmosphere. I recently bumped into Jesse at a trade event
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
Saltwood on the Green The Green Saltwood Hythe Kent CT21 4PS Tel: 01303 237 800 Saltwood on the Green is a village restaurant that could very easily be a backdrop to a Midsummer Murders mystery. Such is the quaint beauty of its location and the calm demeanor of the locals. I found myself here
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
Eating out in Nottingham The first thing to realise is that Nottingham has a tremendous choice of good food on offer. It’s very easy to get caught up the London bubble when it comes to restaurants. But if anything, London is guilty of muddying the water with its fads and fickle pop ups that
Hixster Bankside 16 Great Guilford Street London SE1 0HS Tel: 020 7921 9508 In a quiet street just off the main drag between Southwark and London Bridge stations is Mark Hix’s new venture. Three months old and the place swings. It has party and fun written all over it. And the food is mainly