You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
120 | DESTINATION GUIDES<br />
Berlin<br />
Germany<br />
DIALLING CODE +49<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you from<br />
home to the airport, then<br />
city or destination.<br />
The fare to the<br />
centre is about €35.<br />
The effi cient<br />
S-Bahn train leaves<br />
every 10 minutes from<br />
Berlin-Schönefeld<br />
airport. Tickets: €2.80.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €15 Vöner<br />
(56 Boxhagenerstrasse,<br />
tel: 030 9926 5423)<br />
This tiny place in an<br />
alternative part of<br />
town has adapted<br />
the classic Turkish<br />
kebab for vegans.<br />
UP TO €30<br />
Sophieneck (37 Grosse<br />
Hamburger Strasse, tel:<br />
030 282 2109) Proper<br />
pubs like Sophieneck<br />
are hard to come by<br />
in this slick area. This<br />
eatery does fantastic<br />
homemade pub grub.<br />
UP TO €50 Neugrüns<br />
Köche (135A<br />
Schönhauser Allee, tel:<br />
030 4401 2092) The<br />
skilled cooks create<br />
a new four-course menu<br />
every day, with a focus<br />
on regional products.<br />
EXCLUSIVE Sale<br />
e Tabacchi (23 Rudi<br />
Dutschkestrasse, tel:<br />
030 2529 5003)<br />
Cavernous and classy,<br />
this is where Berlin’s<br />
elite hang out. Expect<br />
crisp white tablecloths,<br />
responsive service and<br />
tasty Italian classics.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Fire Bar<br />
(5 Krausnickstrasse,<br />
Mitte, tel: 030 2838<br />
5119) At Fire Bar, a DJ<br />
spins golden oldies from<br />
behind the bar and TVs<br />
show loops of crackling<br />
hearths. Chill out by the<br />
“fi res” with a cocktail.<br />
LIVE MUSIC Bang<br />
Bang Club (10 Neue<br />
Promenade, Mitte)<br />
A club inspired by<br />
1960s London, located<br />
under a railway arch. UK<br />
indie bands and local<br />
songwriters play here.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Barbie Deinhoff (16<br />
Schlesische Strasse,<br />
Kreuzberg) This funky<br />
watering hole offers<br />
fun and frolics with its<br />
famous happy hours<br />
from 6pm–9pm<br />
Monday–Friday, and<br />
from 4pm at weekends.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP The classy Blush<br />
shop offers an alluring,<br />
exclusive collection<br />
of ladies underwear,<br />
and Balls is an upscale<br />
men’s underwear shop<br />
right next door (22 Rosa<br />
Luxemburg Strasse).<br />
SEE The Lucia<br />
Christmas Market, held<br />
in a former brewery, is<br />
perhaps one of Berlin’s<br />
best. The fair offers<br />
mulled wine, carousels<br />
and food of all kinds<br />
(till 22 December,<br />
Kulturbrauerei).<br />
GO Berlin’s central<br />
avenue, Unter den<br />
Linden, is lovely in<br />
December with its<br />
trees lit up, various<br />
Christmas markets<br />
and an ice-skating rink.<br />
ESCAPE Dresden, two<br />
hours from Berlin, has<br />
excellent art museums<br />
and many other sights.<br />
It’s well worth a visit<br />
during the holiday<br />
season, if only to<br />
sample the famous<br />
stollen Christmas cake.<br />
TAXI TAXI<br />
THE MOST FAMOUS<br />
IRISH PUB IN BERLIN<br />
PARK<br />
INN<br />
★ ★ ★ ★ ★<br />
A modern base for a<br />
weekend in Berlin,<br />
the Park Inn is at<br />
the heart of the<br />
Mitte district. The<br />
best views in the<br />
city can be found on<br />
the 37th fl oor, at the<br />
Casino Bar 37. From<br />
€89, book at hotels.<br />
easyJet.com.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
The Berlin Wall divided<br />
the city for 28 years. At<br />
least 136 people were<br />
shot trying to get out<br />
of East Berlin, while<br />
there were about 5,000<br />
successful escapes.<br />
www.exberliner.com<br />
Biarritz<br />
France<br />
DIALLING CODE +33<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you from<br />
home to the airport, then<br />
city or destination.<br />
The journey to the<br />
centre costs €13<br />
and takes 10 minutes.<br />
The STAB runs<br />
hourly from<br />
7.30am–7.30pm,<br />
stopping at Biarritz Town<br />
Hall. Tickets: €1.20.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €15 Pauzz<br />
Café (8 Avenue<br />
Jaulerry, tel: 05 5923<br />
1151) Just opposite the<br />
Palais des Festivals, this<br />
café sells delicious light<br />
snacks such as quiches,<br />
omelettes and salads.<br />
UP TO €30 Le Clos<br />
Basque (12 Rue Louis<br />
Barthou, tel: 05 5924<br />
2496) Expect traditional<br />
Basque cooking using<br />
only locally sourced<br />
produce. Eat in the cosy,<br />
relaxed atmosphere or<br />
outside on the terrace if<br />
it’s not too chilly.<br />
UP TO €50 Sissinou<br />
(5 Avenue Foch, tel: 05<br />
5922 5150) Warm,<br />
comfortable surrounds<br />
and exquisite food make<br />
this restaurant a must.<br />
There’s a great menu<br />
with highlights including<br />
wild mushroom ravioli,<br />
lamb sweetbreads and<br />
tasty duck-fat chips.<br />
EXCLUSIVE La<br />
Ferme de Bassilour<br />
(1 Rue Burruntz, tel:<br />
05 5941 9085) Groups<br />
of 10 or more can<br />
enjoy a unique dining<br />
experience in this great<br />
hotel restaurant. Chefs<br />
invite you into the<br />
kitchen to create your<br />
own dishes! Enjoy a<br />
fantastic gourmet meal<br />
in this beautiful 16thcentury<br />
farmhouse.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Ventilo<br />
Café (30 Rue Mazagran,<br />
tel: 05 5924 3142)<br />
A colourful café by the<br />
Port Vieux where trendy<br />
locals hang out. There<br />
are good cocktails,<br />
decent coffee and an<br />
eclectic array of wacky<br />
chairs to lounge in.<br />
LIVE MUSIC L’Atabal<br />
(37 Allée du Moura) A<br />
popular venue near the<br />
train station, L’Atabal<br />
promotes local artists<br />
and stages professional<br />
concerts throughout<br />
the year. Head down<br />
and discover reggae, rap<br />
and Basque music.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Le Play Boy Club<br />
(15 Place Clemenceau,<br />
tel: 05 5924 3846) This<br />
nightclub is frequented<br />
by a mix of all ages<br />
looking for a party<br />
atmosphere after the<br />
other bars close. Several<br />
dance fl oors play rock,<br />
1980s or techno music.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP La Pâtisserie<br />
Miremont has been<br />
thriving since it opened<br />
its doors in the late 19th<br />
century. Homemade<br />
cakes and pastries fl y<br />
off the shelves (1 bis,<br />
Place Clémenceau).<br />
SEE See one of<br />
France’s up-and-coming,<br />
alternative pop groups,<br />
Les Ogres de Barback, at<br />
L’Atabal on 4 December.<br />
The group is made up of<br />
four very talented, multiinstrumentalist<br />
siblings.<br />
It’s guaranteed to be a<br />
live music extravaganza<br />
(37 Allée du Moura).<br />
GO The Museum of<br />
Oriental Art houses<br />
one of the the biggest<br />
and best collections of<br />
Tibetan art in the world.<br />
The museum is located<br />
opposite the Hôtel<br />
Louisiane and is only<br />
open in the afternoons<br />
(1 Rue Guy Petit,<br />
museeasiatica.com).<br />
ESCAPE Just four<br />
kilometres along the<br />
coast lies Anglet, with<br />
its winning combination<br />
of 11 beaches and a pine<br />
forest adding to the<br />
stunning scenery. Buses<br />
and trains run all day<br />
from Biarritz and take<br />
about 10 minutes.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
The great Napoleon<br />
III built a palace for<br />
his beloved Eugenie<br />
overlooking the ocean<br />
– the site of today’s<br />
Palace Hotel. He had the<br />
palace built in the shape<br />
of a giant E, but sadly it<br />
can only be appreciated<br />
by the seagulls or the<br />
odd low-fl ying aircraft!<br />
Steve Bilsborough
Change language