The George Lite Zone

Perched on Old Compton Street like a bird on a wire, Café Espana is consistently excellent. Excellent food, excellent atmosphere, excellent wine at a most excellent price. On this occasion a selection of Tapas including prawns in a garlic sauce, potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce and chorizio were followed by a wonderful liver and crispy bacon dish and a lamb dish. Of the two the majestic liver won the day, melting in the mouth and delivering instant foody nirvana. The wine drunk was the second most expensive Rioja on the menu and is wonderful. Just look at the delirious expression on my good friend Simon's face as he holds it aloft. The damage for this feast fit for kings, £19 a head. Fandabadozy! If you're ever in London and looking for a good budget munch, check it out. Café Espana 63 Old Compton Street London W1D 6HT Tel: 0871 3328043

Returning to Amsterdam after 3 years away was like slipping on an old pair of slippers, a comfortable feeling that I was in one of the few places I could happily call home. After pottering around the Dam square area in the morning, we headed off towards Cafe Gollum for lunch, one of my old stomping grounds, where the heady mix of great Blues Music and great beer put it in my great bars of the world list. Unfortunately I forgot it doesn't open till 4 o'clock. Drat. This particular Dutch cloud did however have a silver lining. Casting my eyes over the road I chanced upon a fine looking beer emporium called the Cracked Kettle . Not only do they have a tremendous selection of beers, but they also do mail order, which is nice to know. The chap behind the counter,it transpired, was from Kirkcaldy in the Kingdom of Fife. It's a wee world. Moving on from the Cracked Kettle, clutching a couple of newly acquired bottles of my favorite Trappist beer, Westvleteren, we moved on to anot...

Der Bier-Esel (the Beer Donkey) dates back to 1297 and it over 700 years old is a good place to sample the local beer and food. The beer drunk was Kolsch, a beverage drunk by anyone and everyone in Cologne, men, women, children and even the odd donkey. Kolsch is a lite beer and slips down the throat like liquid velvet. The Donkey specialises in food of a piggish persuasion and neither the Pork Knuckle I had,or the Frankfurter munched by my son, disappointed. Thanks to Pete Wright, of Greasy Truckers , for the heads up on this fine beer emporium. Highly recommended. Addendum - Further visits to the Esel confirmed my suspicions that this is a seriously good restaurant. Berlin style beef liver and marinated, braised beef with raisin sauce, apple sauce and some great parsley dumplings launched this bar into the realms of places where you wouldn't want to eat anywhere else in town. Not only is this culinary alchemy of the highest order, but the prices are reasonable too. Marvelous. I...

Sitting outside a cafe, opposite Bruges last remaining brewery, drinking one of their brews, brugse Zot, on a Sunday morning. Horses clip clop down Bruges cobbled streets pulling carriage loads of tourists behind them, a plethora of churches claw the skyline, while a small armada of boats bomb up and down the waterways. Not a bad way to kick off our wee European tour. Tomorrow it's on to Deutschland and the historic city of Cologne. Achtung baby.