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.

Filmore & Union – Skipton

The historic market town of Skipton has a high street with quaint archways which open out into pockets of shops and a castle at one end of town. Skipton is also home to the well established family chocolatiers, Whitakers, who are famous for the classic mint crisps.

Funky Chocolate Club – Interlaken, Switzerland

Switzerland and chocolate are two things that are associated with each other. So it was quite surprising when all the places that we had gone to for hot chocolate just gave a cup of milk accompanied on the side with a sachet of hot chocolate to mix yourself.

The Travel Cafe – Holloway

A cold day and a hot coffee go hand in hand. The Travel Cafe is a wonderful cute cafe. Clean, spacious, exposed lighting, brick walls and the travel theme in the decor makes up the interior. There are wooden tree/log tables which add to the quirkiness.

Sosharu – Farringdon

Sosharu has a sleekness to it. Even from the exterior, there is only a simple sign to indicate the restaurant. It could easily be mistaken as an office building. The inside entrance has the striking orange acer/maple leaf plants.

Cafe Amandine – Prague

Cafe Amandine gave a scrumptious French breakfast in Prague. Coffees to start the day off were an Americano and a decaffeinated Espresso. Both came on individual metal trays accompanied with a glass of water, a jug of milk and a surprise treat of a madeleine.