Europe and Middle East

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

1280px Andermatt

Andermatt. In the footsteps of James Bond

Admittedly I am driving a classic Morgan, but in my head it is an Aston Martin. Nevertheless I am hurtling down the twisty Oberalppass towards Andermatt, with the top down enjoying the hot summer sun and feeling distinctly like a secret agent. Actually I’m lying about the hurtling bit, you never hurtle in a Morgan, you just glide and make sure everyone can see you.

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Ognisko dining room

Ognisko London. A delicious taste of Poland in south Kensington

Sausage and gherkins come more readily to mind than gastronomic delights as stereotypes of Polish food, but Ognisko is forcing diners to reconsider their perceptions.

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Martin Milesis   fake potato  with mushroom earth black olives and corn

UNA Supper Club. Brilliant concept dining location at St Pancras.

It’s the hardest restaurant to find your way into, in spite of its familiarity as a London landmark. Who’d have thought you could eat dinner inside George Gilbert Scott’s clock tower atop St. Pancras station? It actually houses a private penthouse whose Gothic tower enjoys a sometime alter ego as UNA, a South American supper club becoming one of the hottest tickets in town.

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terranima02

Terranima

Bari is so unrepresentative of Puglia – the formal, imposing and rather austere capital of a region which is all about charm, informality and joie de vivre – that it’s surprising to find a suitably charming and informal restaurant in its back streets.
Terranima is a microcosm of rural Puglia – its trompe l’oeil decor is designed to evoke the feeling of a street in one of the region’s hilltop towns – and the food is utterly authentic.

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Andy Mossack takes a Tauck Danube River Cruise and sails through six countries

Tauck Danube River Cruise

The cruise was for many an opportunity to discover their roots, others to reminisce harder memories, and for all of us to discover fascinating parts of eastern Europe you might never think of visiting. It is in many ways much more satisfying than sea cruising for me, you get a better perspective of the land and a better understanding of the people behind the borders.

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The Glasshouse hotel

The Glasshouse Hotel. An amazing Edinburgh Tardis.

The Glasshouse Hotel  is something of a Tardis: walking past the beautiful old church near Edinburgh’s iconic Calton Hill, you’d have no idea that the facade leads into a modern 77 room hotel, beautifully designed to both compliment the traditional exterior and to make the most of its scenic setting.

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