november-2010

154 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Malta
Malta
DIALLING CODE +356
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Belfast, Liverpool,
London (LGW),
Manchester, Newcastle,
Milan (MXP), Rome (FCO)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
2008
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €16.
Route 8 services
Valletta (and
the mainbus station).
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30 Elements
(29 Marina Street,
Marsascala, tel: 21
632 669) One of
several eateries along
the waterfront, this
is a blink-and-you’llmiss-ithole-in-thewall
that’s worth
seeking out. Delicious
Mediterranean fare at
very reasonable prices.
EXCLUSIVE Ta’ Frenc
(Ghajn Damma Street,
Gozo, tel: 21 553 888)
Arguably Malta’s best
restaurant, this is the
place to come for that
special occasion. The
setting is beautiful, the
service attentive and the
food to die for. Don’t miss
the fl ambéed pasta.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Café
Jubilee (125 St Lucia
Street, Valletta) Relax
with a quiet drink in the
laidback atmosphere of
this quirky pub, whether
it’s a tea or a pint of beer.
Order a bruschetta, sit
back and relax.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Vintage clothes
lovers have fi nally found
their fi x with the opening
of Blush & Panic. It offers
great clothing, jewellery
and bags (47A Melita
Street, Valletta).
SEE On 7 November
Birgu hosts a Festival
of Games. A fun-fi lled
event for children
and adults, it aims to
revive popular local
games that for decades
enlivened the streets.
NO WAY!
It’s argued that Malta
got its name from the
word melita, meaning
“honey”. Today, honey is
still big business here.
Jo Caruana
LATE & LIVELY
BAR CELONA
(Wilga Street, Paceville,
tel: 27 333 395) With
happy hours from
1pm–6pm, followed by
a line-up of DJs to get
the evening going, this
is the place to be until
the early hours.
Manchester
UK
DIALLING CODE +44
CURRENCY £
FLY FROM
Alicante,
Amsterdam, Athens,
Copenhagen, Corfu,
Corsica (Bastia), Crete
(Heraklion), Cyprus
(Paphos), Dalaman,
Geneva, Gothenburg,
Hamburg, Helsinki,
Málaga, Malta,
Marrakech, Menorca,
Munich, Sharm El Sheikh,
Sofi a, Tenerife, Zürich
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
2008
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs £20.
Trains depart for
the city centre
every 10 minutes.
Tickets: £5.40 single.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Hey Little
Cupcake! (Hardman
Street) This chain
continues its national
takeover with an outlet in
Spinningfi elds business
district. The coffee and
vanilla and chocolateorange
editions are
menu highlights in this
glass-clad space.
UP TO €30 Vnam
(140 Oldham Road,
tel: 0161 205 2700)
This new Vietnamese
restaurant has won
the cynics over with its
fresh spring rolls and
juicy, barbecued quail.
Heavy on pine furniture
and good vibes, the
drinks list is worth
closer inspection, too.
UP TO €50 The
Palace Hotel (Oxford
Street, tel: 0161 288
1111) Few places wow
like the Palace Hotel.
Designed by Alfred
Waterhouse at the turn
of the 20th century,
original tiling and
mustard décor cosset
diners from the outside
world. Take your time
over a menu of modern
British fare, with an
ambitious wine list to
enjoy on the side.
EXCLUSIVE The
River Bar And
Restaurant (Lowry
Hotel, Dearman’s Place,
Salford, tel: 0161 827
4000) The Lowry Hotel
has fi ve AA stars – and
a rising star in the
kitchen, too. Chef Oliver
Thomas specialises
in deconstructed
British favourites: think
Cheshire beef fi llet with
truffl e and herb crust,
braised baby onion and
spinach pureé, with
Snickers bruleé for
afters. Ask for matching
wine by the glass,
and look out for
famous footballers
in the chrome and
crystal surrounds.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Taps (Unit
1, Great North Tower,
Watson Street) Like the
idea of pulling your own
pint? The smart and
central Taps bar lets you
do just that. Grab a seat,
put your card behind the
bar and get pulling beers,
such as Amstel and
Duvel. Posh pub food –
sandwiches, steaks
and so on – makes for
a proper evening out.
LIVE MUSIC The Ritz
(Whitworth Street West,
tel: 0161 236 4355)
The Ritz shakes off
its cheesy reputation
to host touring acts
including Outkast’s
Big Boi, Sharon Jones
and The Dap Kings and
Heaven 17 this month.
Unique in the city
centre, there’s plenty
to look at, too, thanks
to ornate coving and
mirror balls galore.
LATE & LIVELY
Sankeys (Beehive Mill,
Jersey Street, Ancoats,
tel: 0161 236 5444)
Mancunian clubbers are
in their element when
it’s cold outside, and
nowhere more so than
Sankeys. With a sound
system to complement
the planet’s fi nest
DJs, Erick Morillo,
Mumdance and
the Plump DJs are
highlights this month.
THIS MONTH
SHOP The Travelling
Man book store sells
comics, toys, gifts,
wrapping paper, cards
and games. As well as
hosting signings and
talks by inspirational
animators, there’s
a range of cute stuff
for kids, too, including
Aranzi Aronzo’s
delightful craft
manuals (4 Dale Street,
Northern Quarter).
SEE Recorders is the
apt name of a new
exhibition by Rafael
Lozano-Hemmer
at Manchester Art
Gallery. Making use
of technology that
sees, hears and
feels the actions of
people around it,
biometric scanners,
surveillance cameras
and microphones are
all part of the intriguing,
interactive show.
Throughout the month
(Mosley Street).
GO Running between
Harvey Nichols and
Selfridges, New
Cathedral Street is
a pedestrianised
strip which brings
together the area
around the Printworks
entertainment complex,
the Triangle shopping
centre and St Ann’s
Square. With a festive
market on site to boot,
its perfect for tourists
who don’t like trudging
around too far.
ESCAPE Around an
hour’s drive north of
Manchester, Harrogate
was founded in Roman
times and remains
popular today. With
famous cafés such as
Betty’s Tea Rooms, and
an authentic Turkish
spa to enjoy, Sunday
evening spa sessions
are the perfect pickme-up
after a day’s
walking in the Dales.
NO WAY!
Until 1860, the Mark
Addy gastropub on
Stanley Street was
a popular spot for
public executions.
Ruth Allan