Europe and Middle East

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

Strasbourg

Guide to Strasbourg. Unmissable hidden gems to discover.

Little more than two hours from Paris by TGV, Strasbourg is an inspiring city with an age-old centre, a go-ahead culture, chic boutiques, High Street stores, and a wealth of fine dining and high-end restaurants serving imaginative offerings of regional and international dishes.

Read the full story here
Terry Marsh, our resident Shetland expert, offers up his own guide to Shetland.

Shetland. Discover brilliant Islands with Latitude

In 1999, when I first visited Shetland, I was presented with a certificate confirming that I had been farther north than 60°; it was a marketing ploy, but I was pleased to receive it – and still have it. Latitude, clearly, was anything but a geographical platitude to these people of the far north of Britain, closer, as they are, to the Arctic Circle than they are to London, and on a level with Hudson Bay in Canada, St Petersburg in Russia, Stockholm in Sweden and Helsinki in Finland.

Read the full story here
Rhubarb at Fenchurch at Sky Garden Sized44

Fenchurch at Sky Garden. Discover excellent dining and Sky high views

Just as well Fenchurch at Sky Garden is in the so-called walkie talkie building on London’s Fenchurch Street as security needed walkie talkies to manage the flow of people waiting to get up to the 35th floo

Read the full story here
Lucy Daltroff reviews Amsterdam's Grand Hotel Amrath and finds it a Dutch masterpiece.

Grand Hotel Amrath. Discover A Dutch Masterpiece.

Quite often when on holiday, I stay in a hotel and from there go and visit the local art galleries. This conventional way of doing things was rather turned on its head during a recent stay in Amsterdam, as The Grand Hotel Amrath is a piece of art in itself – a historic and architectural gem both inside and outside.

Read the full story here
Radisson yas island

The Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island

It’s 9pm and Luca Paltinieri Executive Chef of Felini, the signature restaurant at Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island, is teaching me a valuable lesson about Lambrusco in Abu Dhabi. “The bubbles disappear the minute the wine crosses the Italian border. Better you should drink Barolo.”

Read the full story here
Andy Mossack reviews the Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek in old Dubai.

Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek. A luxury stay in historic old Dubai

Well lucky me. I’d found a cosy hideaway in the top floor Royal Club Lounge giving me a front row bird’s eye view of the Arabic Dhow boats setting off up Deira Creek on their evening dinner cruises. “Must book one of those for tomorrow night” I thought to myself as I sipped a smooth scotch and contemplated a chocolate dipped date. Such is life at the Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek, a world away from the razzle dazzle Dubai of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

Read the full story here