AL FRESCO - CIP'S CLUB, VENICE
This restaurant sits just across from St Mark's on a floating deck open to the sea air, and the food is quite stunning. When I was there in September I had a Venetian speciality: a squid that feeds only on prawns at that time of year. Its huge belly was filled with barely digested prawns and just grilled. It was so simple and I really felt that nature had gone into it. Among the desserts is a very nice tiramisu with crunchy bits in the middle. Hotel Cipriani, Giudecca 10, 30133 Venice, Italy (00 39 041 520 7744).
AFFORDABLE - BRASSERIE ROTISSERIE LE NORD, LYON, FRANCE
The emperor of French cuisine, Paul Bocuse, has applied his craft to four brasseries in addition to his restaurant. Le Nord serves wonderful, luxurious meals at an affordable price and specialises in traditional, regional French food such as onion soup, escargots and tripe. I often have the marinated Baltic herring. It's not at all pompous, but is
the sort of place where you feel happy as soon as you walk through the door and children are welcome. Rue Neuve 18, 69002 Lyon, France (00 33 4 72 10 69 69; www.bocuse.fr).
SMART - LE JARDIN DES SENS, MONTPELLIER, FRANCE
This is a beautiful little hotel with a warm welcome and a marvellous restaurant. Its design is contemporary - creative, fresh and clean - and the food is seasonal and inventive. Two dishes I enjoyed there last summer were poulet with a puréed truffle coulis and a simple fillet of seabass with a lemon confit. I had to skip dessert because I'd already had about 15 courses. Le Jardin de Sens was featured in our guide to Montpellier. Avenue Saint-Lazare 11, 34000 Montpellier, France (00 33 4 99 58 38 38; www.jardin-des-sens.com).
LE MANOIR AUX QUAT' SAISONS, OXFORD
Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 (01844 278881; www.manoir.com)
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