Category Archives: Travel

Best Restaurants of 2018

There’s one list left in my Best of 2018 series, and it’s a doozy: best restaurants of the year! Continue reading

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Good Stuff #82

Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip, savour and more – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading

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Best Bars and Pubs of 2018

Have a look my Best of 2018 list of my favourite bars sidled up to this year (with entries from London, Edinburgh Dublin, Cleveland and the Texas Hill Country). Continue reading

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Best Cheap Eats of 2018

Feeling the pinch? I am too. But I’m pleased to report that delicious and filling (and sometimes even rather healthy) cheap eats were still in abundant supply this year. Continue reading

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Ross Forder, Founder and Director of Halo Burger | #TCTalks Episode 53

Episode 53 of tikichris Talks finds me in Brixton having a chat with Ross, Forder, founder and director of Halo Burger, the world’s first “bleeding plant-based burger joint.” During the interview, I ask Ross why his burgers taste so good, whether it’s possible for meat eaters to enjoy vegan burgers, and how he envisions the future of his very scalable Halo Burger concept. Continue reading

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Best Cocktails of 2018

Let’s celebrate the Best of 2018 with a toast to the most amazing cocktails of the year. The most memorably delicious for me were enjoyed at bars in London, Oxford, and Pittsburgh. Continue reading

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9 Hottest Asian Trending Fashion Brands in the World

Without fashion the world would be boring and bland.Fashion is not only about looking good, but it’s also the essence of the style of dressing up, manners, socializing and impressing people. In short, it’s because of fashion that the world has the sense of individuality, or just a collection of identification of any society, social class, culture, or religion etc, which is basically why the fashion industry constantly comes up with new designs, colors and creations, from floral to the colors from the sky and earth. Continue reading

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Best Beer of 2018

I pour on with my Best of 2018 series to provide a heady brew of the tastiest beers I enjoyed during the past 12 months. Continue reading

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A Guide for Beating Jet Lag

If you ever have been on a long-haul flight then you know all too well that experiencing jet lag is part and parcel of the experience. Continue reading

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Best Ice Cream of 2018

There’s always time and room for ice cream, especially if you’re near one of these parlors or restaurants in London, Cleveland, Denver, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Köln and Stuttgart – and that goes double for the German ice cream places that made this list! Continue reading

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Maskelyne & Cooke Magic Bar at Le Meridien Piccadilly

Five-star luxury hotel, Le Meridien Piccadilly, pays homage to a pair of the early 20th century’s most celebrated magicians – John Nevil Maskelyne and George Alfred Cooke – with the launch of its new cocktail bar. Continue reading

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Best Burgers of 2018

Is there anything more satisfying than a big juicy burger? After compiling my list of the best burgers I had this year I’m having trouble coming up with ideas for foods I crave nearly as much. My Best of 2018 … Continue reading

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Best Pizza of 2018

My Best of 2018 series rolls on with my recs on where to eat the tastiest pizzas in London and beyond. Pizzerias in Milan, Edinburgh, Frankfurt and Cleveland made the cut, with the Cleveland pizzerias particularly wowing my palate. Continue reading

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Next Stop? #InLombardia (at King’s Cross)

If you’re going to be around King’s Cross Station this weekend, be on the lookout for the #InLombardia bus and the chance to win a free trip for two to the Lombardy region of northern Italy and all sorts of other prizes Continue reading

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Best Breakfasts and Brunches of 2018

Welcome back to the Best of 2018. Here’s a plateful of hearty recommendations for breaking fast in London and elsewhere, and in this case elsewhere means San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country, Dublin, Edinburgh, Milan and Hiroshima.
Continue reading

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Chef and Author Antonina Parker | #TCTalks Episode 52

For my 52nd episode of tikichris Talks, I speak with chef and author Antonina Parker. Hosted in her flat which doubles once a month as a dating app supper club, I chat about with Nina about how banana bread, cooking … Continue reading

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Best Cafes of 2018

Excellent coffee is crucial, particularly when I’m travelling. Having comfortable places to drink it is a big deal too. So are competent and affable baristas. If you can throw in reliable WiFi and an outlet to keep my laptop and phone charged while I drink coffee, you’re golden. This list of three London espresso bars and six more in Chattanooga (Tennessee), Greenville (North Carolina), Köln, Liverpool, Pittsburgh, and Zurich met all my requirements and shined the brightest for me in 2018. Continue reading

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Best Hotels of 2018

Next up in my Best of 2018 series is a short list of hotels that impressed me most. I took rooms in lots of hotels over the course of 2018. Most were perfectly fine, and I would be cool with … Continue reading

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Magician Tony “Sonic” Middleton | #TCTalks Episode 51

Here’s an interview with magician and theatre producer Tony “Sonic” Middleton about how he got into magic, his shows around London and his involvement with the soon-to-open Maskelyne and Cooke magic bar at Le Meridien Piccadilly. Continue reading

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Best Podcasts of 2018

The first list in my Best of 2018 series is a new category for my annual consideration: podcasts. Continue reading

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New Series on Amazon Prime: The Three Drinkers

The Three Drinkers, a new Amazon Prime travel series, has launched with a four-part season about Scotch whisky.  Continue reading

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Best of 2018

As 2018 draws to an end, I would like to share its highlights with a year-end roundup of the best food, drink, and travel related treats that I came across over the past 12 months. Continue reading

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Kobe Beef | #TCTalks Episode 50

Episode 50 of tikichris Talks features an interview I conducted in while in Kobe, Japan with Mr Tetsunori Tanimoto. Mr Tanimoto is Head of Kobe Beef Association and President of Livestock Division for Hyogo Prefectural Headquarters National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative. During our conversation, he dispelled a few myths about Kobe beef while explaining what sets it apart from other products and how to know if you’re getting the real thing. Continue reading

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Unsung Cities | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Going with Pittsburg for the start of this new series was a no-brainer. I had a great time there in September and would not be averse to making repeat visits. The blank stares I’ve received from people here in London when I say I was recently there (and loved it) suggests the city has a way to go before shaking off any unsung status. Continue reading

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How to Visit the Philippines on a Budget

The Philippines is one of the most incredible budget travel destinations in the world by default because of its free attractions, cheap wine and food, and pocket-friendly accommodation options. Continue reading

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Unsung Cities

Here’s a quick introduction to Unsung Cities, a new series of posts about overlooked and under appreciated urban wonders I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. Continue reading

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Nurses | #TCTalks Episode 49

Episode 49 of tikichris Talks is a Thanksgiving special celebrating the dedication, compassion and ambition of nurses. The show is comprised of interviews with three close friends of mine who, one way or another, unexpectedly found themselves on difficult but rewarding paths toward careers in nursing. Continue reading

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Vinegar Pies and Burgers Stacked High: The Most Delicious Side of Pittsburgh (Metro)

Pittsburgh had been on my radar for the past couple of years as an ever-improving dining destination, so I was glad to have the chance to see what the fuss was all about for myself. As I saw it, the food and drink scene was fiercely hyper local, with eateries concerned more about pleasing regulars than appealing to out-of-towners and destination diners. That said, showing up from foreign shores as I did, I was received with a warm welcome everywhere I ate, and each meal came with the feeling that I was not going to be allowed to leave unsatisfied. Indeed I never did. Continue reading

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Bronte Aurell of Scandi Kitchen | #TCTalks Episode 48

For episode 48 of tikichris Talks, I chat with Scandi Kitchen co-owner, Bronte Aurell. During our conversation at her café and shop near Oxford Circus, Bronte and I discuss the true meaning of hygge, how to enjoy a Scandinavian Christmas and what it’s like to be a proud immigrant. Continue reading

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Dreaming Big About Winning Big

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to suddenly have access to a load of cash – like inheriting a fortune from a long lost relative or winning a lottery bet? Continue reading

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Coastal Highways to Pirates Past (Hertz Together)

Ahoy ye landlubbers! If you’re searching for high seas adventure (without such a high cost to enjoy it or even having to venture too far into the sea) allow this seadog to suggest a road trip along the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States. Continue reading

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Win a Free Park & Ride at London Gatwick Airport with Cophall Parking Gatwick

Planning to fly out of Gatwick sometime in the next 12 months? I’ve teamed up with Cophall Parking Gatwick to make your travels easier and cheaper with up to two weeks of free parking at Gatwick Airport. Continue reading

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Happy Dog | Cleveland Talks | #TCTalks Episode 47

This last episode of Cleveland Talks features an interview with Sean Watterson of Happy Dog. With outlets in Detroit Shoreway and University Circle, Sean’s gourmet hot dog and craft beer bars offer an enlightened and eclectic lineup of live music and thought provoking events to encourage community cohesion in an easygoing and welcoming setting. Continue reading

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Glass Bubble Project | Cleveland Talks | #TCTalks Episode 46

This episode of Cleveland Talks features an interview Michael Kaplan, owner of the Glass Bubble Project. Located in Ohio City neighbourhood next to West Side Market, Glass Bubble is the city’s premier glass blowing studio and gallery. Continue reading

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Brewnuts Donut Bar | Cleveland Talks | #TCTalks Episode 45

Shelley and John Pippin are co owners of Brewnuts, a donut bar in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square Arts District. The couple was kind enough to take time out of a busy day to chat with me about their brilliant concept and the story behind it. Continue reading

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