Well, Cafe Parfait in the centre of Southampton – most famous for being the place that Titanic departed on it’s ill-fated journey. Its the normal large city, industry, big business, retail centres and some historic buildings. There are also the usual hotels that mostly cater to the overnight stops for those taking an ocean cruise.

This is how we stumbled upon Cafe Parfait, quite by chance. The lavish interior gives the impression of a glamourous Parisienne Cafe seen in old movies. Despite the expensive interior, it has a warm and hospitable charm and we were welcomed like long-lost friends. After experiencing the ‘molecular’ cocktails served by barman Stu – were were won over – who could resist Sambucca Ice cream, created in a mist of swirling liquid nitrogen – this was no ordinary bar, but a place of sheer indulgence. We were easily persuaded to book in for a private dinner that night.

We were not disappointed. The ten course tasting menu, – the chef Ian and barman Stu choreographed the whole thing. It was all simple, delicious tastes – combined to give us incredible tastes and experiences – the influence was Mediterranean Tapas/Antipasta type dishes that just kept on coming. On top of this one of the resident DJs played subtle house music and a live sax accompanied to create something of a ‘jam’ session. The whole experience for just 18 of us took around 3 hours, we were made to feel like kings and left after sampling some great coffee and one last nightcap from Stu.

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When it comes to Cape Town Italian restaurants, specifically pizzas and pastas I’m a snob. Yes I admit it, I’m a total pasta snob. Pasta needs to be cooked to perfection… al dente. Si! Not soft not raw but al dente… Throw it on the ceiling if you need to but make sure its right.

Il Leone must be one of the best Italian restaurants in Cape Town and one its best kept secrets. I first discovered this delightful little place on a business lunch – I.e. an excuse to escape the office, pretend to talk about important things and drink real Italian wine. Our waiter had an authentic Italian accent, a good sign until I spoke Italian with him and he stared blankly back at me – born and bred South African – our falso-italiano. He did however have an amazing talent at choosing our dishes for us; and choosing exactly what we wanted to order. For me he selected the Tagliatelle ai Porcini (yes- fresh porcini mushrooms in Africa!) in an olive oil and garlic sauce. The world around me ceased to exist – wow. All I can say is that it was perfetto. The perfect combination of flavour and texture and I even had some takeaways! He also chose the Penne Gamberetti and Scallopine di Vitello con Porcini (vealescalopes) for the others. Being the addict that I am I obviously sampled these too and have to admit that they also were fabulous. Il Leone definitely falls under my top restaurants in Cape Town for atmosphere and great food, and the Tagliatelle ai Porcini as one of my favourite dishes.

This quaint Italian restaurant is located in Green Point, not far from the V&A Waterfront and Beluga. The ambience is lovely – It’s cosy and quite smart, and always seems to be busy. They could also add a few cheaper wine options to the menu but otherwise its fabulous! Service is also great. I recently took my ladies there for our monthly girls night and by the end of the evening they all walked out converts. Our tradition is to explore a new restaurant or bar once a month and they’ve been begging to go back for seconds. Two dishes that also took my breath away in pure deliciousness were the butternut ravioli in a 4 cheese sauce and the giant artichoke and ricotta panzotti in a butter and sage sauce. Wine: we recommend the Italian Frascati. Absolute perfection and you don’t even need to go to Italy. This is definitely one of Cape Town’s best Italian restaurants!

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The Covent Garden in London is a very well renowned place for tourists. It is a great place to visit every year for spending vacations. It’s a great place for the things it has to give. The tempting food, places to visit, sights to see, music to hear, and the amazing people to share with are the things that makes it one of the best places to go to. It has more to give every time you visit the place.

Yes, there are more places to visit in the United Kingdom. But, this one has its own specialty. To prove that more than 45 million people give in to the eagerness to visit Covent Garden. And most of these people leave with joy in their faces after the tour. One of the best things to do while you are in here is to try eating the foods there. This place has got a wonderful mixture of different foods of different cultures and different cuisines.

The garden is teaming with more than 380 restaurants. These restaurants also cater for different occasions. There are loud and dazzling pubs and bars in here too for the people who are not used to having quiet dinner times.

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