Europe and Middle East

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Europe and Middle East. independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Les Couilles du Chien bar sign

LES COUILLES DU CHIEN

When the name of your bar translates as the dog’s bollocks, you know you’re in for some kick-ass drinks.   Les Couilles du Chien delivers them with style in the heart of Soho.

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Portobello Drawing Room

PORTOBELLO HOTEL. London

It’s as close as you’ll get to sleeping in the same bed as Johnny Depp and Kate Moss.   Like other A-listers, including members of The Rolling Stones, they are former habitues of the Portobello Hotel. Not that you’d ever guess, from the looks of this utterly genteel hostelry a stone’s throw from Portobello market.   It’s […]

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West Thirty Six interior 2

West Thirty Six

It looks like a club, it feels like a club, but West Thirty Six is that rare thing, a public restaurant with all the intimate ambience of a private club. The fact it’s in Golborne Road is both a blessing and a curse. For those in the know, this is a charming and happening west […]

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Castello del Nero   Front View

CASTELLO DEL NERO. TUSCANY

It’s just what you hope for when you book a five-star hotel in Tuscany.   A 12th century castle adapted for modern comforts with a Michelin-starred restaurant to boot.    Castello del Nero offers all this, plus a world-class ESPA spa and a rustic taverna where dining is actually more enjoyable than in the formal room next […]

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Dining Booths at Bandol

BANDOL LONDON RESTAURANT

Bandol London restaurant is what lovers of Provence have been waiting for – a restaurant which showcases the food of that region, under-represented in UK restaurants, and many of the lovely wines for which the South of France is regaining  a reputation.   It would be nice if it also looked the part, but despite the […]

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Bovino Main 3

Bovino Steakhouse. Quinta do Lago

There’s a new kid (or perhaps I should say calf) on the block at Quinta do Lago, one of Europe’s most prestigious golf resorts. The Bovino Steakhouse is the latest dining offer at Quinta which already boasts some pretty tough competition, particularly Casa do Largo, it’s signature lakeside fish restaurant, that has attained almost legendary […]

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