THE FACTS ABOUT JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

AL FRESCO - ENOTECA PINCHIORRI, FLORENCE, ITALY This is a fantastic place; top nosh and very unusual - they do the kind of dishes it's very difficult to get right. I had an amazing homemade salami with warm rocket and balsamic vinegar last time I was there. They use proper ingredients, completely natural with no additions, and have a wine list of 18,000 bottles. There is a fabulous terrace and the dress code is very Italian and strict. Via Ghibellina 87, 50122 Florence, Italy (00 39 055 242777; www.enotecapinchiorric.om; closed in August). AFFORDABLE - TRAGABUCHES, MALAGA, SPAIN This restaurant earned a Michelin star in its first year, which is very rare in Spain - especially in a small place such as Ronda. The chef, Sergio López, is very young and talented, and uses daring combinations of ingredients. Last time I was there I had a very simple mango-and-white-chocolate mousse, which was perfect. Tragabuches is right on the edge of the cliffs, I was shocked that a restaurant in the middle of nowhere could be so impressive. Calle José Aparicio 1, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain (00 34 952 190291; www.tragabuches.com). SMART - LA FAISANDERIE, ARRAS, FRANCE I think ean-Pierre Dargent is the best chef in northern France - he has so much experience and he really knows how to write a menu. He cooks food typical of the region that so many people are trying to copy at the moment, such as sauté of andouillette and grenouilles with black pudding, and follows the seasons precisely. The restaurant is in a cellar in which the British kept their horses during World War II. Grand'Place 45, 62000 Arras, France (00 33 3 21 48 20 76; www.lafaisanderie.com; closed 15 days in February and three weeks in August). AUBERGE DU LAC, HERTFORDSHIRE Brocket Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire AL8 (01707 368 8888; www.brockethall.co.uk)