march-2012

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Edinburgh
UK
DIALLING CODE +44
CURRENCY £
FLY FROM
Alicante,
Amsterdam, Athens,
Basel-Mulhouse,
Belfast (BFS), Bristol,
Cologne, Cyprus
(Paphos), Dalaman,
Geneva, Grenoble,
Krakow, Lisbon, London
(LGW, LTN, STN), Lyon,
Madrid, Milan (MXP),
Munich, Majorca,
Naples, Nice, Paris
(CDG), Tenerife
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs £15.
The Airlink 100
express service
goes to the centre.
Tickets: £6.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Nile
Valley (6 Chapel
Street, Southside,
tel: 0131 667 8200)
Sudanese restaurant
with plenty of tasty
vegetarian options,
but the speciality is
lamb. Decor is on the
basic side, but the
basement setting
provides a homely and
cosy atmosphere.
UP TO €30 Pink
Olive (55–57 West
Nicolson Street,
tel: 0131 662 4493)
Moderate prices and
inventive attention
to detail in the menu
have given this
Southside bistro a
healthy reputation.
The choice might be
a shade eclectic, but is
based on slow-cooked
local ingredients.
UP TO €50
VinCaff è (11 Multrees
Walk, New Town, tel:
0131 557 0088) The
sibling of renowned
Italian deli Valvona and
Crolla. Mary Contini’s
menu in the fi rst-fl oor
restaurant is paradise
for those who love real
Italian cuisine, made
from fresh local and
Italian produce. The
puddings alone are
worth travelling for.
EXCLUSIVE
The Kitchin (78
Commercial Quay,
Leith, tel: 0131 555
1755) Book for a
table in Tom Kitchin’s
Michelin-starred
restaurant. British
cuisine gets the
French treatment
with only the best
Scottish ingredients.
In everything, from the
welcome to the decor,
the wine-list and the
menu (which changes
daily), the accent is
on the pleasure of
enjoying great food.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Thomson’s Bar (182
Morrison Street,
tel: 0131 228 5700)
Named for Alexander
“Greek” Thomson, on
whose architectural
designs the traditional
bar is based, this
boasts well-kept cask
ales. A good number
of single-malt whiskies
are on off er, with
a basic food menu.
LIVE MUSIC
Ghillie-Dhu (2
Rutland Place, tel:
0131 222 9930) There
are Scottish folk
and acoustic music
sessions every night
in the main bar of this
large pub refurbished
along traditional lines.
The opulent upstairs
hall hosts ceilidh
dancing every Friday.
LATE & LIVELY
Bar Kohl (54 George
IV Bridge, tel: 0131 225
6936) A vodka buff ’s
dream, with over 50
diff erent varieties to
choose from. There
is a true dedication
to mixology from the
knowledgeable bar
staff , while the trendy,
urban soundtrack
keeps things buzzing.
QUALITY HOTEL
EDINBURGH
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
An award-winning
hotel, this
comfortable stay
has great amenities
and is close to
the airport. From
€71, book at
hotels.easyJet.com.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Founded by
a local fossil hunter
in 1987, Mr Wood’s
Fossils now trades
in fossils, meteorites
and minerals sourced
from all over the world.
Browse everything
from mineral jewellery
to 20-million-year-old
giant shark teeth
(5 Cowgatehead).
SEE A spectacularly
engaging production,
Of Mice and Men, is on
at the Royal Lyceum
until 17 March. DC
Jackson’s relocation
of Beaumarchais’
Marriage of Figaro into
the ruthless world of
contemporary fi nance
then opens on the
23rd (Grindlay Street).
GO Calton Hill not
only provides an
escape from the
bustle of town, it also
gives a perfect view
of the two volcanic
plugs which dominate
the city – the crag of
Castle Rock, with its
long tail down to the
foot of Arthur’s Seat.
ESCAPE Perth is
only an hour away
by train, across the
Forth Bridge. Home
to the Black Watch
regimental museum,
this market town on
the highest navigable
point of the Tay is
steeped in history.
NO WAY!
James Hutton, the
father of geology,
formed his Theory
of the Earth after
examining Salisbury
Crags on Arthur’s Seat.
Thom Dibdin
DESTINATION GUIDES | 127
Faro
Portugal
DIALLING CODE +351
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Basel, Belfast
(BFS), Bristol, Geneva,
Glasgow, Liverpool,
London (LGW, LTN,
SEN, STN), Newcastle,
Paris (ORY)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
The fare to Faro is
about €10, Albufeira
€50 and Lagos €90.
The bus departs
to Faro bus
station every 40–60
minutes. Tickets: €1.65.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30
Cervejaria Baía (7
Largo Dr Silva Nobre,
tel: 289 822 845)
Locals fi ll this little
restaurant at lunchtime
thanks to its reliably
tasty fresh fi sh, which
you can examine fi rst
in the counter. There
are also outdoor seats
on a quiet square.
EXCLUSIVE Sao
Gabriel (Estrada
Vale do Lobo-Quinta
do Lago, tel: 289
394 521) One of the
cluster of Michelinstarred
restaurants in
the Golden Triangle
around Almancil, São
Gabriel serves a range
of fantastic dishes
such as melon soup
with Pernod sorbet,
lobster with star anise
and venison with
spinach gnocchi, in a
former ambassador’s
luxurious residence.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Taberna
da Sé (26 Rua
Professor Norberto da
Silva, tel: 965 827 662)
One of the few bars in
Faro’s Old Town, this
little bar serves some
of the Algarve’s famed
local spirits – try the
brandymel with
honey – as well as
beers and wines.
LATE & LIVELY
Bar Sete e Meio (7
Rua São Gonçalo de
Lagos, Albufeira, tel:
289 585 687) This
has long been one of
the liveliest bars in
Albufeira – which is
saying something
in this party town.
Expect guest DJs and
a good atmosphere.
THIS MONTH
SEE Catch some of
the world’s top drivers
from 27 March, who
will be taking part in the
challenging, 1,000km
cross-Algarve Portugal
Rally (rallydeportugal.
pt). On 25 March,
Olhanense take on
football giants Benfi ca.
NO WAY!
The Algarve and
southern Portugal’s
cork groves produce
nearly half of the
world’s supply of cork.
Matthew Hancock