Europe and Middle East

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

Andy Mossack reviews AlmaLusa Boutique Hotel, Lisbon's latest urban luxury retreat. AlmaLusa Baixa Chiado Quarto1

AlmaLusa Boutique Hotel. Experience an urban luxury retreat

I’m in the haven-like Praca do Municipio, just next door to Al fama in the Baixa-Chiado neighbourhood, the home of the AlmaLusa boutique hotel, Lisbon’s latest luxury urban hideaway, a perfect sanctuary for those of us who have had our fill of sardines for one night.

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Island Grill

Island Grill. Experience a New York grill on an island.

Having one of the finest locations in London is a pretty big feather to have in your cap when you’re a restaurant, after all it’s ridiculously exciting when you can boast you are literally opposite London’s Hyde Park on the famous Bayswater Road. The Island Grill has another pretty big feather to play too, it’s the main dining outlet within the Lancaster London, formerly the Royal Lancaster, one of the capital’s iconic clutch of famous hotels dating back to the sixties.

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Hunter 486 Restaurant

As I walk in, Gary Durrant, Head Chef of Hunter 486 restaurant, is standing in front of the stone oven of his open plan kitchen, tucked away at one end of the small but perfectly formed restaurant. This is clearly an eatery where “tucked away” is an art form, as it is itself tucked away in the boutique Arch London Hotel, which in turn is tucked away in a quiet corner of Great Cumberland Place behind London’s Marble Arch.

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L'Abeille Restaurant Paris

Epic L’Abeille Restaurant Paris

What does it take to get the ultimate accolade from Michelin inspectors, and is that third star worth the extra cost of the meal to the diner? Not so long as you can eat at the two-star L’Abeille Restaurant in Paris, which offers a far more joyful and satisfying experience than two three-star hotel restaurants recently experienced by this particular Trip Reporter in the City of Light.

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Andy Mossack reports back on touring Menorca by bike with Freewheel Holidays.

Touring Menorca by Bike

It seems a Monday night is not the best night to look for a restaurant in Menorca’s capital Mahon (or Mao as locals call it), as most of them are closed. Perhaps not the perfect way for me to prepare for a week of touring Menorca by bike then, as I was looking forward to stocking up on a few carbs before the start of my bike tour.

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28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen

28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen. A restaurant that adores wine.

It seems 28-50 is not, as I first thought, the address of this Maddox Street restaurant. No, much more interesting than that. 28-50 is the geographical coordinates for the World’s most perfect wine growing latitude and if you are serious about wine then 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen is a pretty good name to have I reckon.

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