Author Profile: Kay Gale

Covent Garden is one of the most vibrant and exciting areas of London, full of shops, cafés and restaurants, theatres and the famous Royal Opera House. The area spreads north of The Strand from Drury Lane westwards to St Martin’s Lane and up to the top end of Shaftesbury...   view more

Vienna, Austria’s capital, has much to offer historically, artistically, intellectually and culturally. In 2001 its old centre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vienna was the seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Habsburg dynasty and is full of vast imperial palaces that you can...   view more

I arrived home from Nice last night and thought it would be a nice idea to put together all my suggestions about what to do there in one convenient...   view more

I’ve been wanting to go to Bilbao for years. And the main reason for wanting to go was to see architect Frank Gehry’s masterpiece – the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which opened in...   view more

Amsterdam is a great city of culture. This is where you will find pretty canals, lots of lovely cafes and restaurants, art galleries, markets and the Anne Frank...   view more

The city welcomes over 22 million tourists a year and in busy months, the tourists outnumber the locals by 20:1. You cannot completely escape the sense that you are in a kind of film set: there is undeniably something ‘unreal’ about Venice and nearly everything is set up for...   view more

Part of the reason for coming to beautiful Aix en Provence was to be able to wake up in the morning and know that it would be hot, the sky blue and the sun would be...   view more

Food cooked with passion and enthusiasm as the artist Bottura created dishes in his kitchen that spoke to me of … You have to go to Modena; you have to eat...   view more

San Sebastián has become a Mecca for the best pinxtos you can find anywhere and you will find both traditional ones and modern molecular style cooking. Indeed, food aficionados go there just to eat...   view more

My plan for the day was to visit Cezanne’s Studio a little way north of the centre of the city. From where I’m staying and the food market, it wasn’t too long a walk, but a slight incline all the...   view more

It was great meeting Bonifacio Brass, owner of Locanda Cipriani, last Thursday and interviewing him for the blog. The Locanda is also a place of tranquillity. There’s a wonderful homeliness to it combined with a sure touch of...   view more

I’ve been coming to Kew regularly for almost as long as I remember. I even remember when you paid just one old penny to get in (so pre-1971), putting the coin in a turnstile at the...   view more

People are often asking me which are my favourite restaurants and I’d by no means pretend to have a wide knowledge of London restaurants. I do, however, know enough, I think, to recommend my favourite places in my local area – not just places to eat but places to buy food...   view more

Soho is full of places to eat, from classic dining institutions like L’Escargot in Greek Street and Quo Vadis in Dean Street (both places I’ve been to but not for a long time and pre-blog days) to familiar chains like The Real Greek, Cote Bistro, and recent ‘chain’ favourite, Franco...   view more

There are lots of good reasons to make Turin a city break destination. It’s a city rich in history (it was the first capital of a unified in Italy in 1861) with beautiful architecture, magnificent piazzas (squares) and 18km of lovely arcades lining the main...   view more

Most people associate Twickenham with rugby. As home to England Rugby with a stadium that seats a crowd of 82,000 for a big match, it’s most visitors’ reason for coming...   view more

Nicola and Rachael are my guides on this trip to Cornwall, having come down together a few times. They are taking me to places they know I’ll like too and it’s rather nice to have decisions about where to eat made for me when it’s by people who know me...   view more

Dutch cuisine doesn’t have a particularly good reputation, but just as there has been a phenomenal change for the better in British cuisine in the last decade or two, I think the Dutch also deserve some recognition for the great food that can now be found there. Well, certainly in...   view more

Like the historic cafés of many other European cities, such as Vienna and Paris, the cafés of Turin are steeped in political, cultural and intellectual history. It is said that part of Italy’s history was written in Turin’s cafés and indeed the city was the first capital of a unified Italy in...   view more

If you have any serious interest in good food and art, then Florence is somewhere you just have to go. This is the seat of the Renaissance and home to some of the world’s best art; the area of Italy that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo came...   view more

Lyon is one of France’s most famous foodie destinations (some even say the best in the world), mostly due in recent time to its ‘son’ Paul Bocuse. Bocuse was born near Lyon in the village of Collognes-au-Mont-d’Or in...   view more

Like most people, my main reason for going to Granada was to see the famous Alhambra, the Moorish palace and fortress that sits high on a hill overlooking the city and Sierra Nevada mountain range...   view more

Being an early riser has great advantages when holidaying in a famous city. I’d picked up a leaflet yesterday about visiting six historic buildings in the Albaicin and discovered that entry was free on Sunday (other days there’s a €5...   view more

The Albaicin is the Moorish district of Granada, just under the Alhambra, with hills raising up from the streets that follow the path of the Darro river to eventually offer views straight across to the palace. It’s my favourite part of the city; each time I leave the hotel I head that...   view more

Like many people, my main reason for coming to Granada was to see the Alhambra, the famous Moorish palace that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally built as a small fortress in the 1st century, it was taken over by the Moors in the 13th century as they fled...   view more

Here I am in Amsterdam for the 5th year running early in the year. Why do I keep coming back? Because I love it! And short of travelling far and spending lots of money, there aren’t many options in...   view more

I tend not to plan a lot before I come to Amsterdam, preferring to take things as I fancy once I’ve arrived in this great city that I know quite...   view more

After breakfast I set off towards the State Hermitage gallery, an Amsterdam offshoot of the famous Russian Hermitage. It had been recommended to me so I decided to visit. It was so peaceful and quiet as I walked there and just a perfect time to enjoy the beauty of...   view more

With the weather warming up and the sun shining at last, we’re definitely moving into the ice cream season. I don’t buy those old British favourites that you find in your local newsagent, I seek out the many and growing number of wonderful Italian gelaterie in...   view more

One of the best things about living in London is the fantastic choice of theatre. I’ve given this post the title ‘pre-theatre menus’, I’m often on the lookout for a good place to eat pre-gallery talk, or pre-cinema. What I’m looking for in a pre-theatre menu is good food at a good...   view more

I was therefore pleased to find a vibrant cafe life in Genoa – and inevitably I spent a lot of time seeking out new cafes, returning to ones I liked and sampling an array of delicious coffee, pastries and...   view more

When in a new city you haven’t been to before, the most obvious place to get a feel for the cuisine is to go to the local market. Genoa has a truly fabulous covered market, Mercato Orientale. It has the most wonderful produce; everything looked perfect and of the highest...   view more

Genoa had been a destination I’d in mind for a long time – and the reasons were almost totally food-related! For Genoa is the capital of Liguria, famed gastronomically for the birth of pesto, focaccia and their delicate olive oil. Genoa offers much more than food and pretty coastal villages...   view more

I’ve been wanting to go to Siena for years and years and have just missed it a number of times for various reasons, even when quite close. A lot of people visit it as a day trip from places like...   view more

As I’m only here in Siena for 4 days, I was pleased to discover that one of the days – Wednesday – is the weekly market day. Having walked around and looked over Piazza del Mercato behind the Campo so often, I assumed that’s where the market would...   view more

After the rain and thunderstorms yesterday, it was lovely to wake to sun and the promise of a fine day. I’m quite an early bird so I was out and ready to explore before...   view more

I had breakfast early in the B&B, took things slowly and wrote a blog post, and by the time I went out it was definitely time for mid-morning...   view more

It was only a short 3-night trip to Burgundy but my friends Di and Tam filled it with some wonderful outings, always with an eye to good food and wine, and so it felt like a really good...   view more

It turned out there were lots of good reasons to go to Malaga. I’m a summer person and like to seek a last dose of warm sun before winter takes hold and this makes Malaga an ideal destination in October when the average high is...   view more

If Malaga is beautiful by day then it’s no less so at night when it seems to come to life. The morning is quiet and calm with few people around, but through the day life unfolds and by night, there is even dancing on the streets –...   view more

I woke to dark stormy skies and the promise of rain for the entire morning – though sun to follow in the afternoon. I didn’t want to stay in the hotel for much of the day, so ventured...   view more

Unsurprisingly, I love visiting food markets when I’m in a new city. And I like to go fairly early in the morning when it’s mainly locals shopping rather than later in the day when the tourists...   view more

I was planning to have coffee in a historic cafe in Plaza de la Constitucion, which, my guide book told me, opened at 8.00am. However, even after 9.00 there wasn’t much sign of life, just a couple of waiters slowly putting out...   view more

Apart from the obvious reason of wanting a holiday, I have three other reasons for wanting to be in Malaga: Art – enjoying its rich modern art scene with the brilliant art historian Marie-Anne Mancio of Hotel...   view more

I’ve been to Turin three times over the last two and a half years and have come to like it a lot. They’ve only been short weekend trips so this in no way claims to be a comprehensive guide to eating in Turin, but I’ve done a lot of sampling in my time there and the food and drink are so...   view more

It’s been a joy to come to Turin again and have such glorious weather. The sun has been shining in a clear blue sky; temperatures during the day hit the low to mid-20s and it’s just the perfect weather for making the most of a long weekend in this beautiful...   view more

The River Po is the longest river in Italy and famous to foodies for the best risotto rice is said to be that grown in its valley. Once across the Po, it was a simple – if steep – climb up via Villa della Regina to the...   view more

It’s three years since I last wrote a guide to eating in Covent Garden and while I still have some unchanged favourites, there are of course some new places to recommend and I thought it would be great to share them with...   view more

I wanted to go to Piazzale Michelangelo to enjoy the famous view. Rather incredibly I totally forgot about it two years ago and was determined to see it this...   view more

I’d read about the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, a 13th century pharmacy founded by Dominican monks in 1221 shortly after their arrival in Florence. It’s one of the oldest pharmacies in the...   view more

My lovely Italian friend Lucia recommended Trattoria La Casalinga – literally, ‘Trattoria of the housewife’ – to me when she heard I was coming to Florence. It’s just off the Piazza Santo Spirito, which has become one of my favourite areas in...   view more

I’d been to Lucca before but nearly 20 years ago, and it seemed an ideal stopping-off point on my journey from Florence to my friend Annette’s home in Comano, where I’ll be staying for the weekend until I go home on...   view more

I’m in Tuscany for a week, starting with 3 nights in Florence. I loved coming back here a couple of years ago after a long break so much, I wanted to return again...   view more

I’ve returned to old favourites, had a few disappointments, but I’ve also added some great finds to my list of places to eat. I thought it would be fun to tell you where I’ve been eating out in the first half of this year – and if you get to try them too, I hope you like them as much as I...   view more

La Merenda has an interesting history that explains its popularity. Owner Dominique Le Stanc was once a 2 Michelin starred chef at the famous Negresco hotel on the Promenade des Anglais. He gave up the gastronomic high life to return to his love of cooking rather running a large prestigious...   view more

I knew the La P’tite Cocotte was ‘tucked away’ but it’s seriously hidden up a narrow alleyway. I got there for 7.00 when they opened. I rang a couple of days ago to book and the guy didn’t take my name; he’d remember it was just one, he told...   view more

I really enjoyed going round the museum. It doesn’t have a huge collection of Matisse’s works but lots of other interesting things related to his life and work. I love his vibrancy and the zest for life that comes...   view more

The original village was built on top of a rocky crag and first populated in 2000BC. It’s been described as an ‘eagle’s nest’ and became a prized stronghold of the Celts and...   view more

It’s a long weekend break: 4 nights. By travelling out to Nice early this morning, arriving in plenty of time for lunch, and flying home late on Monday, I effectively manage to make it a 5-day...   view more

One of the great pleasures of visiting Nice is sampling its wonderful cuisine. With a lifelong interest in food that goes beyond simply eating, I have to confess that I have no interest in travelling to places where I can’t find good food and good wine to go with...   view more

Malaga has many attractions – its art; its culture and architecture; a warm climate and the wonderful combination of a great city and the sea. Yet for me, a highlight has to be its food and the joy of eating...   view more

It was my last evening and I booked a table at Taberna Uvedoble, a restaurant recommended by a foodie friend, for dinner. A little research online told me it was a newish place which took a modern approach to classic...   view more

I wanted to visit the Moorish Alcazaba Fortress again as I loved the walk to the top and views last time. And it seemed a perfect way to spend a sunny...   view more

I’m really enjoying being back in Malaga and today we have sun! It’s nice to revisit familiar places from last time but I always like to do some new things in a place I’ve been to...   view more

The more I learnt about it, the more I saw Worthing has quite a lot more than sea walks to offer. For a start, it’s just been named No.1 seaside town by The Times, which attributes its rise in popularity to the pandemic and ‘staycations’ – more people holidaying at home in...   view more

Well my own reason for going to Aldeburgh was more about finding somewhere for a Spring break on the Suffolk coast and very little about the town itself. I wanted to explore Suffolk, a county I don’t know, and also wanted to be by the sea. So I searched for places to stay from Southwold down the coast and came across a nice-looking pub with rooms – The Cross Keys – in Aldeburgh, which backed on to the beach. It seemed perfect; just what I was looking for. And, indeed, it was. And once I...   view more

A lot of people will know it as the location for many films and TV series, including Pride and Prejudice (2005) with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden (my favourite version!) and the 1994 BBC TV adaptation of Middlemarch. It also appeared in The Da Vinci Code and The Golden Bowl. Movie fans might well want to go simply to experience the familiar...   view more

I went to Melton Mowbray as an extension of my weekend in Stamford as a friend lives there and it seemed an ideal chance to see her, for it was only a 35/40 minute drive away. However, if you talk about Melton Mowbray to anyone in UK, they will immediately think – pork pies! In fact, the thought extended to Spain on Sunday evening when messaging my good friend Linda there, and her husband George wanted to know if I’d had pork pie for supper. Can there be any Brit who hasn’t heard of Melton...   view more

There’s been a plan in my head to go to Chichester since June last year. So the trip has been a year in the making, and I finally made it there this week for a two nights’ stay. It’s not so far away from me – merely an hour and half’s drive (if traffic is good) – but I’ve never had reason to go before and hadn’t thought of it as ‘short break’...   view more

I’ve made the day trip to Valencia from Linda & George’s home in Spain a number of times. It’s a beautiful city that I don’t think I could tire of visiting. The city is the capital of the province of Valencia and the third largest municipality in Spain. There has been a city there since Roman times, then in the 15th century it thrived due its port and trading in the Mediterranean area, becoming one of the largest European cities by the end of the century. It’s still the 2nd biggest...   view more

As you will have realised if you’re a regular reader of my blog, Aldeburgh in Suffolk has become one of my favourite places for a short break. I’m just back from my third visit and although April brought more than a few showers, and there were still lots of March winds blowing, it was still great to be there again. And I did, of course, stay in the lovely The Cross Keys pub again, where there are only three rooms so you have to book well in advance – as I...   view more

It’s almost exactly a year since I last went to Chichester. I know it’s a very English thing to do, but I couldn’t help but compare the weather: the bright, warm sunny days a year ago, and the cold, very windy and wet days on this trip. I thought I’d gone prepared, taking rain gear, sensible shoes, warmer clothes etc., but in the end – due to the strong winds – I still had to buy myself a warm scarf to wrap round my...   view more

There are lots of interesting places to visit near my daughter’s home in Worcestershire, but with the weather rather changeable and the possibility of rain, we decided to visit the town of Ludlow where if the weather turned bad, we could at least easily seek shelter. Happily, despite the grey clouds and cold wind, the rain held off and it turned out that Ludlow was a great place to spend most of the...   view more

It was nearly six years since I’d last been to Nice – September 2019. That time I’d stayed just 4 nights; 5 nights in 2015, but this time I made it a whole week. I decided that it would be nicer to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel for the longer spell and found a lovely one-bedroom flat in Appartements Masséna via Booking.com. Based in the Jean Medécin district (Jean Medécin was a politician) and near Place Masséna where I’d stayed in 2019, I knew the area quite well and that...   view more

Aldeburgh is quite a small town and whenever I’ve been, it’s been fairly quiet; the beach almost empty. The locals told me this time not to ever come in the school holidays – it’s very busy. I did wonder though what would constitute ‘very busy’ to this Londoner! There’s a slightly old-fashioned feel to Aldeburgh, as if time slowed down. There are smart restaurants though, quirky independent shops; Aldeburgh isn’t ‘back in time’ in terms of what it offers the visitor but...   view more

When people hear about my blog, they often ask me which are my favourite restaurants and, of course, over the years the choices have changed. I’ve been writing this blog since 2011 and favourites then are perhaps not favourites now, or don’t even exist any more. When I was in Aldeburgh recently, someone in the lovely pub where I stay asked me what had been my best meal...   view more