november-2010

110 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Almería
Spain
DIALLING CODE +34
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
London (LGW)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
2004
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €13.
Route 20 goes
to the centre.
Tickets: €0.70.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30 Torres
Bermejas Restaurante
Bar (25 Avenida de la
Estación, tel: 950 222
773) Here the chef
offers a wide range of
tapas, specialising in
cured ham. The tuckedaway
venue also makes
very tasty and very
fattening churros – hot
doughnuts which are
dipped in chocolate –
delicious on a chilly day!
EXCLUSIVE La
Colmena (Avenida
Mediterráneo, Roquetas
de Mar, tel: 950 335
280) A traditional
Mediterranean
restaurant which serves
great fresh fi sh from the
local fl eet in Roquetas.
It also has meat such
as Iberian pork seared
on the barbecue.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Taberna
Don Alejandro
(2 Calle Valero Rivera)
Top tavern for a spot of
tapas and an early drink.
It serves Alhambra lager
and a classy Ribera wine
– both local classics.
LATE & LIVELY
Amargo Sound Café
(8 Plaza Marques de
Heredía, tel: 950 856
306) This city-centre bar
is popular for a late-night
drink. It’s packed out
at the weekends with a
young crowd dancing to
the latest tunes.
THIS MONTH
SHOP The Calle de Las
Tiendas in the heart of
the Old Town houses
a variety of small,
independent stores
which are particularly
good for picking up lastminute
presents.
GO Visit some of the
magnifi cent, Moorish
areas of Almería. The
red-brick, 12th-century
fortress – the Alcazaba
– on the edge of the city
centre, the views from
the walls over the city
are stunning. Closer
to the centre are the
Aljibes de Jayran –
huge water tanks.
NO WAY!
A huge variety of fi sh
are caught along
Almería’s coastline, but
it is impossible to fi nd
translations for all of
them. Be brave when
dining out in the city’s
restaurants, even if you
don’t know what fi sh
you’re eating, you can
guarantee it will be tasty!
Dave Jones
Amsterdam
Netherlands
DIALLING CODE +31
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Barcelona, Basel-
Mulhouse, Belfast (BFS),
Berlin, Bristol, Doncaster
Sheffi eld, Edinburgh,
Geneva, Liverpool,
London (LGW, LTN, STN),
Madrid, Manchester,
Milan (MXP), Prague,
Rome (FCO), Split
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
by Buddha-Bar Paris
SINCE
1996
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €40.
Trains head to
Centraal station.
Tickets: €3.80 single;
€6.40 same-day return.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Raan
Phad Thai (18
Kloveniersburgwal, tel:
020 420 0665) It’s not
going to win any prizes
for decadent dining, but
that’s half the charm of
this ramshackle open
Thai kitchen situated on
one of the Old Centre’s
busiest canals. Enquire
about the daily special
(usually something
involving chicken) or just
ask to peer into the everboiling
stockpots. The
cheerful staff are a joy.
UP TO €30
Wolvenstraat 23
(23 Wolvenstraat,
tel: 020 320 0843)
Nestled on one of the
most charming of the
Jordaan’s famous
Nine Streets, this barcome-café
is so good it
doesn’t need a name.
It’s a laidback little place
where you can pull up a
pew, peruse the menu of
fi lling noodle dishes and
watch the world go by.
UP TO €50 Bloemers
(70 Hemonystraat, tel:
020 400 4024) If you’re
looking for the epitome
of Amsterdam cornerbar
hospitality, Bloemers
is the place for you.
With wood panelling, a
dangerously fi ne array of
cocktails, and a menu of
substantial gastropubstyle
food (try the duck
breast with mushroom
bitterballen), it’s the
perfect remedy for any
winter blues.
EXCLUSIVE
Yamazato (Okura Hotel,
333 Ferdinand Bolstraat,
tel: 020 678 8351) The
only Michelin-starred
traditional Japanese
restaurant in Europe,
Yamazato’s serene,
peaceful atmosphere
will have you wanting to
come back for more.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Cozy Bar (8
Sint Jacobsstraat) With
just a few tables and a
fi replace, this new bar
found down a side street
near Centraal Station
really lives up to its
name. Owner Anthony is
keeping it in the
family, too, promising
regular live music
performances from his
guitar-playing dad.
LIVE MUSIC
Winston Kingdom
(129 Warmoesstraat,
tel: 020 623 1380) The
motto of this Red Light
District hotel-comemusic
venue is “Party
hard, sleep easy” and
it’s easy to see why. The
crammed schedule of
club nights, cabaret
performances and talent
shows is enough to keep
anyone’s head spinning.
LATE & LIVELY
Café Brecht (157
Weteringschans, tel:
020 627 2211) Fancy
a beer that tastes like
bacon? Thought not,
but this newest addition
to Amsterdam’s bar
scene has a lot to offer
besides. Stationed in
the former premises of
DJ café Twstd, the plan
was to recreate a “Berlin
living room vibe”.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Far too cool
to bother with vowels,
SPRMRKT is the go-to
PARK PLAZA
VONDELPARK
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The modern hotel
is located in the city
centre, offering views
of Amsterdam’s
famous Vondelpark, it’s
the perfect location.
From €85. Book at
hotels.easyJet.com
destination for the
most uncompromising
threads from around
the world, but also
specialises in designer
labels from Belgium
and Japan. The store is
a must-see destination,
even if you’re just
shopping for inspiration
(191 Rozengracht).
SEE Running until
the end of the month,
the Rijksmuseum has
a special exhibition
exploring the mysterious
relationship between
Rembrandt and the
man in one of his most
famous portraits, Jan
Six. Were they friends,
or something more
than that? You decide
(rijksmuseum.nl).
GO The area around
the Leidseplein is where
Amsterdam’s main
theatrical venues are
based. November sees
the opening of a grand
new venue, the Niewe
Delamar Theater, which
will be playing host to
a production of classic
musical La Cage Aux
Folles (delamar.nl).
ESCAPE The
second-largest city in
the province of Utrecht,
Amersfoot has a
beautifully preserved
medieval centre. The
place promises to be
even more atmospheric
than usual this winter,
as it plays host to the
ShadowDance festival
(festival.agenda-uitgaan.
nl/voorstellingen).
NO WAY!
It can take up to 10
years to obtain a parking
permit in Amsterdam.
Mark Smith
Experience the eatertainment
hot-spot in Geneva
Place Neuve | Rue J.-Fr. Bartholoni, 10
T. +41 (0)22 307 10 00 | LittleBuddhaGeneva.com