Riga.

Advantages: Cheap, friendly place to visit, interesting architecture.
Disadvantages: Might not last too long in its current state. Freezing cold in winter.

...Latvia is not somewhere that would immediately spring to mind when deciding on a city break, but when we researched a possible weekend away for between four and six people (all male) within our budget (£200), there was no clear cut winner. Riga, Berlin, Prague and Barcelona were all able to offer a flight/hotel combination for within that. Riga was decided on by vote, purely for the reason that it was only really opening up as a destination and had that 'kudos' factor that all new things seem to have. Most of our group flew out of Dublin with Ryanair, though there are other routes available from England and one of our party flew with Ryanair out of Stansted. Flights will obviously vary in price, depending on who you're flying with, when you're flying and how far in advance you book. Booking tickets with Ryanair at Christmas for an end...

TheDuke 10.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

The Scruffy Shoe Diaries EAGER FOR RIGA

Advantages: Architecture, history, market
Disadvantages: Technical University, too many bridges

...Our hostess for the trip from Tallinn to Riga was Svetlana, a well-nourished Russian girl with an innate inability to smile. After subjecting us to a number of icy gazes of differing intensities; from refrigerator (which in hindsight seemed almost friendly) right up to Siberian-death-winter, she was courteous enough to read out the half dozen pages of rules and regulations for the five hour coach trip over the tannoy in English, expressly for our benefit. Bless her. Other people's beaurocracy makes me smile. >> If you’re keeping up with this Baltic Binge, you’ll know that this was a journey I was undertaking with my long suffering travel amigo, "Mexican" Adey. He's not really Mexican, he is in fact half Irish, however this is apocryphal to our tale. This missive is the third instalment of a trip which took place in...

Paiceyjohn 19.03.2001 (08.05.2002) · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

  Harvester Restaurants

Advantages: Always one close by, quick turn out, children are welcome and catered for.
Disadvantages: Toilets can be quite disturbing, not all dishes taste as good they are described.

...Harvester Restaurants Restaurant Reviewed: Stag and Hounds Winchester Road Basingstoke Hampshire (next to Comet and Home Base) The Harvester chain of Restaurants have over 2000 outlets across the United Kingdom and owned and operated by Mitchells and Butlers, who claim to be the UK's leading operator of managed pubs, bars and restaurants. Harvester claim to offer healthy eating, drinking and entertainment in one reasonably priced outlet. **** Parking and Getting a Table ***** As with most of the Harvester's I have visited, there is usually ample free parking at the rear of the establishment. However on Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch times these places are heaving with customers, so avoid the crowds, go early and if possible ring and reserve a table. The Stag and Hounds is no exception but fortunately...

mrsmopples 27.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Harvester Restaurants

The Dogs of Riga- Wallander is back

Advantages: Good storyline and interesting facts about Latvia demonstrated
Disadvantages: Not much suspence or tension created compared to other works by Mankell

...The Dogs of Riga (Hundarna i Riga) is the second book out of nine in the Kurt Wallander detective series by Henning Mankell. This crime novel series follows investigations led by Inspector Kurt Wallander of the Ystad police department, which is a small town near Malmo in the southern area of Sweden, Skåne. *About the Author* Henning Mankell is a Swedish author, who was born in Stockholm in 1948. His works include another 8 books in the Kurt Wallander series, which are translated from the original language of Swedish into a total of 19 other languages including English. His previous jobs include acting and theatre directing. *About the Book* In this action packed sequel to the gripping "Faceless Killers", Kurt Wallander is back with yet another mystery to solve. The Ystad police department receive a phone call revealing...

emzipops86 02.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Dogs of Riga - Henning Mankell

Riga, the next best weekend retreat?

Advantages: The old town central to accomodation and airport.
Disadvantages: Bars a little too expensive and can be a little too laid back.

...Return flights from Gatwick to Riga = £135, but can be cheaper when bought at last minute. We decided to stay in Riga's old town for a few days before moving on to Russia. The Currency; very easy to deal with, Lats, which one Lat is about equal to the sum of one Pound, makes it easy to keep track of your money and there are also plenty of places to exchange currency. Prices; our accomodation was £7 per night, we stayed in the Dome Hostel, a reasonable, clean place to reside, with a selection of mixed, or single sex dorms, however no en suites. Free water is provided, free internet and free television. The accomodation is right next to the old square and on the main street for nightlife, which can be a little noisy but is bearable. Nightlife, bars, resturants; reasonable but by far not the cheapest, aim to pay about £3 per...

dinkydyke 07.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

Ze Restaurant!

Advantages: Good show, interesting
Disadvantages: Slightly worse than last year`s

...The Restaurant is a TV programme shown on BBC 2 on Thursday nights! The show is a reality TV show and is similar to something like the Apprentice but a food version. This show is obviously based on the concept and success of many other TV shows like the Apprentice, food shows like Masterchef and all the other shows like Dragon`s Den, X Factor e.t.c The idea of the show is for world famous chef Raymond Blanc to find a couple to help him run a restaurant and the couples are gradually knocked out week by week until they have the winning couple. It is in its third season and seems to have got a bit worse. I still enjoy it but felt it used to be more exciting and interesting. There used to be two shows with one of them being a challenge but they seem to have got rid of this which is a shame! Raymond has help from his two assistants e...

mariofan123 23.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of BBC2 - The Restaurant

The Seafood Restaurant

Advantages: Great fish, sides
Disadvantages: None

...Rick Stein - The Seafood Restaurant On a recent trip to Padstow, Cornwall we decided to go to Rick Steins famous fish restaurant, The Seafood Restaurant. Rick Stein is an English chef, restauranter and television presenter. He now specialises in fish cookery. He opened his first restaurant in Padstow in 1974 and now runs quite a few businesses in the town including a cake shop, cookery school and a fish and chip shop. The Seafood Restaurant is his upper class restaurant in the town and is known for it's fabulous fish. It really is in the best location for fish. Padstow is a historic fishing port and so receives fresh fish every day. The restaurant is right at one end of town by the harbour and so is perfectly place to recieve all the best catches of the day. It's quite hard to get a reservation in the restaurant. I think I booked...

Spottydog11 02.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow

My favourite Turkish restaurant on Green Lanes

Advantages: Great food, quick, friendly service, inexpensive
Disadvantages: Can be crowded and noisy on weekend nights

... INTRODUCTION Diyarbakir is a Turkish Restaurant on Green Lanes (A10), in the borough of Haringey, North London, a 7-8 minute walk from Manor House Tube station and practically seconds away from Harringay Green Lanes rail entrance. Undoubtedly, the densest Turkish restaurant population in London, if not, the whole planet, including Istanbul itself. I moved to this area in 2005 and my decision was mainly down to the great value restauration and the Mediterranean (Turkish - Cypriot - Greek - Middles Eastern) groceries having grown up on the stuff. THE RESTAURANT You can spot the trays of lovely, colourful daily stews from the street as they are displayed in the window. As you enter, the long chilled counter is on your left with a huge menu board overhead. The decor is simple, now repainted a warm yellow and red. Unlike...

lillamarta 29.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Diyarbakir Turkish Restaurant

Claimed to be the oldest restaurant in Dalyan

Advantages: Gorgeous surroundings, loads of special dishes, the clay pot, waiters look the part
Disadvantages: Expensive wine and water, relatively small portion sizes, loads of manky cats

...Sini and instantly clocked my other half (she has got the best long, curly and fiery auburn hair ever, and it is something that Turkish blokes seem to really like as the male attention she got wherever we went was a bit too much for me (and I seldom become the green eyed monster), although I was offered 3 camels for her) and the banter started. It was time to sample Sini, so we booked a table (which the tout promised would be the best in the house) for eight that evening. Why is this restaurant called Sini? According to the tout, and the website; ?In a traditional Turkish family the people eat together on the floor. They sit at a sort of tablecloth and a large round serving tray with about three or four different kinds of dish. In Turkish this tray is called a "Sini". Around the restaurant you will see traditional...

yackers1 02.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Sini Restaurant, Dalyan

Akbars restaurant, York

Advantages: Fabulous night out, excellent food
Disadvantages: only a teeny tiny one - read and find out!!

...On the first night of our recent visit to York we ventured out to find somewhere to eat as the hotel was a tad expensive for us commoners! When we entered the city walls we asked the first people we met where the best area/restaurant was to eat. Both of them immediately answered Akbars, an Asian restaurant, which luckily was just around the corner on George Hudson Street. They also gave us options for Chinese and Mexican food but both of them were adamant that Akbars was the best. We walked round to the restaurant and had a look at the menu outside the front door. As I'm a vegetarian I need to ensure that any restaurant I visit is going to have a good selection of meals for me to choose from and not just one or two veggie options. There was a very large amount of meals for me to choose from and we happily went inside...

sharkel 08.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Akbars Restaurant, York