Oliver’s Village Cafe – Belsize Park

To mark the start of an exciting new adventure for a close friend, it was an Afternoon Tea event. Oliver’s Village Cafe is a family run independent cafe away from the high street of Belsize Park. It prides itself on using local produce and producers for its food, including meats, smoked salmon and free range eggs.

Castle Cottage Tearoom – Pevensey

A friend I’m staying with in Hankham recommended having lunch at Castle Cottage Tearoom, located alongside the ancient walls of Pevensey Castle.

Trzesniewski – Vienna

Trzesniewski welcomes you with its colourful display. The main focal point is the rainbow canvas of the open sandwiches which are behind a glass counter. There is so much choice with the great looking and sounding combinations. All of the sandwiches are made on rye bread.

Spaghetti House – Leicester Square

Spaghetti House has a rustic dining area but feels a bit dated. There is seating on the lower level as well as a few outdoor seats. The upstairs restaurant is not very spacious and feels a bit cramped. The menu is colourful and quite a few of the items look enticing. The staff are quick to take orders and also to bring the bill at the end of the meal.

Sopwell House – St Albans

A day out in St Albans included taking in the sights of the magnificent Cathedral and the park with its lakes. A well deserved relaxed afternoon in a luxury setting was in store after all the walking around.

Aso Konditori & Bageri – Stockholm

An early Sunday morning in Stockholm gave us the chance to head to a recommended bakery for breakfast. Seen as it was the season for Semla, there was no doubt what we were going to have.

Sticky Mango – Waterloo

There was a bit of confusion at first where the entrance to Sticky Mango was. It was instinct to go through the outdoor seating area but the entrance was actually around the corner. Equally confusing was that after going through the correct entrance, the staff led us first down the stairs and then up again to get back to street level of the restaurant.

Pier Eight – Salford

The Lowry is an arts centre, full of exhibitions, art installations, a theatre and galleries. A treat after a trip to the theatre was having a meal at The Lowry’s Pier Eight restaurant. Pier Eight has a setting of waterside views. It was nice to have lots of time to relax while dining, to chat and reflect on how enjoyable the show was.

Lille Opera Brasserie – Lille

Arriving early at Lille Opera Brasserie, the staff did not turn me away. Instead a seat was given at the bar until the table was ready.

Gilly’s Fry Bar – Finsbury Park

Quoting a friend of mine, “any food tastes better when it’s fried”. But that doesn’t mean that the food isn’t already tasty before being fried.

Chai Paani – Leicester

Chai Paani basically means tea water. It’s a phrase that is used when guests come to your house and you are offering them drinks. Hence the name of this restaurant kind of reflects the influence of the Indian community of Leicester.

Ursprung – Berlin

Ursprung is hidden away on the lower level of the Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus bookshop. It has a beautiful vertical garden with a fish pond. There is a serenity to this place with the greenery. Ursprung feels like a haven; a world away from the busy street above.