I'm always a little surprised by the number of requests I receive for recommendations and at length have decided to share something of my 'virtual moleskine' here. I'd like to think of this brief list of some of my favourite places as highly curated rather than being a comprehensive 'guide'. These are places I have not only enjoyed, but would visit and in many cases have visited, again and again.
Italy
Antica Osteria del Mirasole, San Giovanni in Persiceto (left); 'Il Quadrilatero' (right)
BOLOGNA (& Beyond)
EAT
All'Osteria Bottega (via S. Caterina, 51, Bologna)
Il Gelatauro //ilgelatauro.wordpress.com/
Antica Osteria del Mirasole (S. Giovanni in Persiceto) www.osteriadelmirasole.it/
Grassilli Ristorante (via dal Luzzo, 3, Bologna)
COFFEE Caffe Terzi //caffeterzibologna.com/en/
VISIT
Chiesa Santo Maria della Vita
Piazza del Nettuno
Palazzo Re Enzo
Archiginnasio
WALK around 'Il Quadrilatero' neighbourhood
SHOP
La Salumeria da Bruno e Franco www.la-salumeria.it
Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo (via Drapperie, 12/b, Bologna)
Drogheria Gilberto www.drogheriagilberto.it/
Da Enzo, Trastevere, Rome
Rome
EAT
Da Enzo www.daenzoal29.com/en/
Ristorante Piperno www.ristorantepiperno.it/
Armando al Pantheon www.armandoalpantheon.it/
Roscioli https://www.salumeriaroscioli.com/
Piatto Romano www.piattoromano.com/
Pasticceria Regoli www.pasticceriaregoli.com/
Giuffre' (Gelato) www.gelateriagiuffre.it
Still hungry? The Eater Guide to Rome
SHOP
Mercati - Piazza San Cosimato, Campo de' Fiori, Circo Massimo and Testaccio
Funari (via dei Pastini, 121, Pantheon)
Society Limonata www.soctietylimonata.com/
LEARN latteria studio latteriastudio.com/events/
STAY 'Il Sole a Trastevere' (contact: ilsoleatrastevere@gmail.com)
Monterosso al Mare
'Odds & Ends' (from around Liguria, Umbria and Lazio)
Cinque Terre (Liguria)
EAT Il Bocconcino (Monterosso al Mare)
Orvieto (Umbria)
EAT Trattoria la Palomba (16 Via Cipriano Menente, Orvieto)
VISIT Catthedrale di S. Maria Assunta
SHOP
Michelangeli (via Gualverio Michaelangeli, 3B, Orvieto)
L'Orvietan www.lorvietan.com
LUBRIANO (LAZIO)
STAY in a 3 bedroom old stone house overlooking Civita di Bagnoregio (contact: alicekiandra.adams@gmail.com)
EAT Il Vecchio Mulino (Via G. Marconi, 25, Lubriano)
The Breakfast Table, Masseria Potenti, Mandura, Puglia
PUGLIA (Taranto and BARI)
Manduria
STAY / EAT Masseria Potenti www.masseriapotenti.it/masseria/
GRottaglie
SHOP
Ceramiche Nicola Fasano (via F. Crispi, 6, Grottaglie)
Bottega Vestita (via S. Sofia, 23, Grottaglie)
BARI
VISIT Bari Vecchia (for the ladies making orecchiette in the street)
EAT
PerBacco (via Abbrescia, 99, Bari)
Panificio Fiore (Strada Palazzo di Citta', 38, Bari)
Panificio el Focacciaro (via Cognetti, 43, Bari)
Cattedrale di Otranto (left); "Trattoria Le Zie" (right)
PUGLIA (SALENTO and Valle D'ITRIA)
Lecce
EAT Trattoria Le Zie (Via Colonnello Archimede Costadura, 19)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 'Walking Tour of Lecce' http://www.infolecce.it/
OTRANTO
EAT Laltro Baffo
VISIT Cattedrale di Otranto
OSTUNI
EAT Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale
ALBEROBELLO
SEE i trulli
NAPLES
EAT Gino Sorbillo www.facebook.com/PizzeriaGinoSorbillo
Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily
Sicily (east / Central)
PALERMO
STAY BB22 Palace www.bb22.it/
EAT Osteria Mercede www.facebook.com/osteriamercede
SHOP
Mercati di Ballaro and del Capo
Marchese Roberto
LEARN Palermo Street Food www.palermostreetfood.com/
SEE Quattro Canti and Teatro Massimo
TRAPANI / ERICE
EAT
Al Solito Posto www.trattoria-alsolitoposto.com/
Maria Grammatico (pasticceria) www.mariagrammatico.it/
VALLELUNGA PRATAMENO
LEARN Anna Tasca Lanza http://annatascalanza.com/
Antico Mercato di Ortigia, Siracusa, Sicily
Sicily (West)
TAORMINA
STAY Villa Carlotta www.villacarlottataormina.com/
EAT Roberto Il Mago dei Cannoli
ORTIGIA (SIRACUSA)
EAT
Don Camillo www.doncamillosiracusa.it/
Taberna Sveva
SHOP Antico Mercato
NOTO / RAGUSA
STAY Notia Rooms www.notiarooms.com/
EAT
Café Sicilia www.facebook.com/Caffé-Sicilia-Noto
Ristorante Crocifisso www.ristorantecrocifisso.it/wps/
La Rusticana www.facebook.com/LaRusticana.Modica/
FRANCE
Racines, Passage de Panoramas, 2E, Paris
Paris
STAY Hotel Grand Amour www.hotelamourparis.fr/en/
EAT
Racines www.racinesparis.com/
Clown Bar www.clown-bar-paris.com/
Le Servan http://leservan.com/
Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie //comptoirdelagastronomie.com/
Du Pain e des Idees dupainetdesidees.com/
10 Belles Bread www.tenbelles.com/
Pierre Herme www.pierreherme.com/
L'As du Fallafel (32-34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris)
SHOP
Maison de Vacances www.maisondevacances.com/
Astier de Villatte www.astierdevillatte.com/
Roses Costes hotelcostes.com/en/
Marche Raspail (biologique - les dimanches)
Greece
Diporto, (Psyrri), Athens
Athens
STAY Coco-Mat Hotel Athens (Kolonaki) www.cocomatathens.com/
EAT
Diporto (cnr Sokratos and Theatrou, Athens)
Cafe Avissinia (Monastiraki) cafeavissinia.com/
Mavro Provato (Pangrati) www.tomauroprovato.gr/mezedopoleio/el/home.html
SHOP
Varvakios Agora (Athens Central Market) Athinas (Psyrri)
Monastiraki Flea Market
Emporio, Santorini
PAROS & ANtiparos (CYCLADES)
EAT
Kafeneio - Palia Agora, (Naoussa, Paros)
Levantis (Parikia, Paros) www.levantisrestaurant.com
The Beach House (Apantima, Antiparos) beachhouseantiparos.com/eat-drink/
DRINK Sommaripa Consolato (bar) (Naoussa, Paros)
VISIT Agia Irini (beach) (Paros) / Soros (beach) (Antiparos)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED guided walks / trekking tours www.paroshikes.com
SHOP The Antique Store (Naoussa, Paros)
SANTORINI (CYCLADES)
EAT
Taverna Roza (Vourvoulos)
to Psaraki (Vlychada)
DRINK Gaia Wines www.gaiawines.gr/
SHOP Atlantis Books www.atlantisbooks.org
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Caldera sailing tours //barbarossasailing.com/
LEARN Tomato Industrial Museum www.tomatomuseum.gr
Australia
Carriageworks Farmers Market, Sydney
SydnEY (& SURROUNDS)
EAT
The Apollo www.theapollo.com.au/
Fratelli Paradiso http://fratelliparadiso.com/
Billy Kwong www.billykwong.com.au/
Lankan Filling Station www.lankanfillingstation.com.au/
Da Orazio //daorazio.com/
Paper Bird http://paperbirdrestaurant.com/
Two Chaps http://twochaps.com.au/
Chin Chin www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au/sydney/
Pizza Madre (Broadsheet review) Pizza Madre
Stanbuli //stanbuli.com.au/
COFFEE Paramount Coffee Project www.paramountcoffeeproject.com.au/
SHOP
Carriageworks Farmers Market http://carriageworks.com
Potts Point Bookshop www.pottspointbookshopblog.com/about/
Madame Truffles //madametruffles.com.au/
Milk and Honey, Mullumbimby, New South Wales
GREATER New South Wales
BYRON BAY AND BEYOND
EAT
Fleet http://fleet-restaurant.com.au/
Milk and Honey http://milkandhoneymullumbimby.com.au/
Woods www.facebook.com/pages/Woods-Bangalow/
SHOP Mullumumbimby Market http://mullumfarmersmarket.org.au/
Music: "Rainy Sun", The Owl (freemusicarchive.org) CC BY-NC-ND
Melbourne & Greater Victoria
STAY
Marge's Cottage www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/
The White Room www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/
EAT / DRINK
Marion https://marionwine.com.au/
Pellegrini's https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/cafes/
Tipo 00 www.tipo00.com.au/
Tivoli Road Bakery https://tivoliroad.com.au/
LEARN
Tamsin's Table http://tamsinstable.com.au/
Paola Bacchia http://italyonmymind.com.au/cook-with-me/
SHOP
Costante Imports www.costanteimports.com.au/
Paperback Bookshop www.paperbackbooks.com.au
Phillip & Lea www.phillipandlea.com.au/
Creative Sun room no. 121, Hotel Hotel, New Acton
Canberra, ACT
STAY Hotel Hotel https://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/
* Note: As of 1 March 2018 Hotel Hotel has been sold to Ovolvo Group
EAT
Monster Kitchen and Bar http://monsterkitchen.com.au/
Mocan and Green Grout https://mocanandgreengroutcom.wordpress.com/
LEARN National Gallery of Australia https://nga.gov.au
Lady Hester Donuts, Farm Gate Market, Hobart
Tasmania (Hobart and Beyond)
STAY
Ridgeline http://ridgelinepottery.com.au/
MACq 01 Hotel http://www.macq01.com.au/
EAT
Templo https://www.templo.com.au/
Pigeon Whole Bakers
Ti ama https://tiama.com.au/
EAT / LEARN The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery / School www.theagrariankitchen.com/
SHOP
The Drill Hall (antiques) http://www.thedrillhall.com.au/index.html
Salamanca Market https://www.salamancamarket.com.au/Home
Farm Gate Market http://farmgatemarket.com.au/
Bruny Island Cheese Co. https://brunyislandcheese.com.au/
SE ASIA
Central Market, Hoi An, Vietnam
VietnAM
HOI AN
EAT
Nu Eatery https://www.facebook.com/NuEateryHoiAn
Morning Glory http://tastevietnam.asia/morning-glory-restaurant
Miss Ly https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Ly/
SHOP Central Market
LEARN Morning Glory Cooking School