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

Da Enzo, Trastevere, Rome

ROME

EAT
Da Enzo
Ristorante Piperno
Armando al Pantheon
Roscioli
Piatto Romano
Pasticceria Regoli
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
LEARN latteria studio
STAY 'Il Sole a Trastevere' (contact: ilsoleatrastevere@gmail.com)

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
Antica Osteria del Mirasole (S. Giovanni in Persiceto)
Grassilli Ristorante (via dal Luzzo, 3, Bologna)
COFFEE Caffe Terzi
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
Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo (via Drapperie, 12/b, Bologna)
Drogheria Gilberto

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

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

Manduria

STAY / EAT Masseria Potenti

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", Lecce (right)

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

Amalfi

EAT La Caravella

NAPLES

EAT Gino Sorbillo

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily

Sicily

PALERMO

STAY BB22 Palace
EAT Osteria Mercede
SHOP
Mercati di Ballaro and del Capo
Marchese Roberto
LEARN Palermo Street Food
SEE Quattro Canti and Teatro Massimo

TRAPANI / ERICE

EAT
Al Solito Posto
Maria Grammatico (pasticceria)

VALLELUNGA PRATAMENO

LEARN Anna Tasca Lanza

Antico Mercato di Ortigia, Siracusa, Sicily

TAORMINA

STAY Villa Carlotta
EAT Roberto Il Mago dei Cannoli

ORTIGIA (SIRACUSA)

EAT
Don Camillo
Taberna Sveva
SHOP Antico Mercato

NOTO / RAGUSA

STAY Notia Rooms
EAT
Café Sicilia
Ristorante Crocifisso
La Rusticana

FRANCE

Racines, Passage de Panoramas, 2E, Paris

Paris

STAY Hotel Grand Amour www.hotelamourparis.fr/en/
EAT
Racines
Clown Bar
Le Servan
Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
Du Pain e des Idees
10 Belles Bread
Pierre Herme
L'As du Fallafel (32-34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris)
SHOP
Maison de Vacances
Astier de Villatte
Roses Costes
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)
Mavro Provato (Pangrati)
SHOP
Varvakios Agora (Athens Central Market) Athinas (Psyrri)
Monastiraki Flea Market

PAROS & ANtiparos (CYCLADES)

EAT
Kafeneio - Palia Agora, (Naoussa, Paros)
Levantis (Parikia, Paros)
The Beach House (Apantima, Antiparos)

Emporio, Santorini

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
SHOP Atlantis Books
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Caldera sailing tours (Barbarossa Sailing)
LEARN Tomato Industrial Museum