DOWN THE HATCH LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I used to love going to the old Le Bataeu club on Duke Street when I was younger (we were over 18 obviously!) so nostalgia meant I was very sad to see it close down a few years ago. This sadness was quickly replaced with excitement however once I found out that it's basement would be taken over by Down The Hatch, Liverpool's very first real veggie/vegan junk food restaurant. It was about time that Liverpool city centre got it's very own modern meat free venue and last week was when we finally got round to being able to booking a table and giving it a try after all the Christmas and new year madness.

TRATTORIA CAPRICCIO, DUBROVNIK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

For the last day of our holiday to Croatia we decided to spend the night in Dubrovnik to really take in the sights rather than just passing through on the way to the airport as we had done last year. There are hundreds of restaurants up and down the alleyways of the old town so it can be quite overwhelming trying to decide on one place to go and eat. After consulting Tripadvisor we decided to head over to Italian restaurant Trattoria Capriccio located behind the aquarium on the east side of the city. Being highly rated on Tripadvisor we had high hopes as we headed over late to take in one last meal in this beautiful country.

ONE LAST NIGHT AT MANDRAC (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Yes, I'm well aware that I've spoken about my visits to Mandrac several times already but as it is one of my most favorite places in the world and we did visit it for a third time when we visited Lopud in September that I think it's perfectible acceptable to talk about it for another time, especially when the food was once again utterly delicious. No surprises here, this isn't the day that Mandrac mess up and the food was awful, it's just me showing you some more of the amazing food that was served up too us on our final night on Lopud.

KONOBA TAURIS, SIPAN (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

One day on holiday we decided to take a short ferry ride over to the adjacent island of Sipan to go and have a little wander and check out the sites. After hitting the island and exploring the south side we took the bus over to the westerly port of Luka to hit the beach and enjoy a couple of beers. After a hard days swimming in the crystal clear ocean and sunbathing we headed back round to the port and sat down at Konoba Tauris, looking for a bite to eat.

LA VILLA, LOPUD (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Time for dinner at the pretty little konoba known as La Villa which stands out against the other restaurants along the Lopud sea front with it's beautiful terrace decorated with green vines which twist and turn all around the walls and roof. It's a gorgeous place to sit down and enjoy dinner but does the food match up to the setting?

RESTORAN DUBROVNIK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Don't be fooled by the name! Restoran Dubrovnik is not actually on the mainland of Croatia but is actually another restaurant (or "konoba" to use the local lingo) on the beautiful island of Lopud, just under one hours ferry ride away from Dubrovnik. Restoran Dubrovnik is one that always pops out when you google up about the island. They seem to have the biggest social media profile as well as featuring quite highly on sites such as Tripadvisor. We did stop by when we visited last year after a day at Sunj beach for a quick lunch but this year we decided we would take a relaxing dinner there to really take the time to sample what they had on offer!

A RAINY EVENING AT MANDRAC (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

The weather on Lopud is on the whole, gloriously clear and warm however on our trip to the island this year we unfortunately had one day were the storm clouds did roll over and it rained for near enough one whole day. Luckily for us we didn't have to wander too far to find something to eat in the rain as it gave us another opportunity to sample the delights of Mandrac just below our apartment at Villa Biramisa.

A RETURN TO MANDRAC AND TO BLOGGING! (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

After a long month of difficult times coupled with holidaying in Croatia as well as moving into a brand new home I am finally back ready to share some of my latest dining experiences and some brand new recipes. What better way to start this next chapter than with a return to an old friend. Last year we visited Mandrac on Lopud and instantly fell in love with the amazing setting, friendly laid back staff and most importantly, the incredible food. Would they be able to work the same magic 12 months later when we visited again this September?

HOST LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

We have visited Host up on Hope Street in Liverpool several times in the past and we had always had a great time. It was slightly surprising then when we realized that it had been quite a while since we had ventured through their doors. That changed one evening when we bought tickets to see a show at the nearby Everyman theatre and having looked at the what seemed to be completely new menu on their website from the one we had last time we came we decided to go and see if their treats were still as good as what we remembered. Off we went on a warm Saturday evening with great expectations!

TREDWELLS LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Having visited the Gilbert Scott at London St Pancreas before this blog was born and really enjoying it we were glad to see that chef owner Marcus Wareing also looked after Tredwells near to the Cambridge theatre. Close to the Seven Dials which we were visiting to see a show, we took a look at the menu and we were instantly sold so we booked a table and headed down one Friday evening to go check it out.

PATARA LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Searching around the Royal Albert Hall for somewhere to eat we stumbled across Patara's website and were instantly drawn to the promise of "Fine Thai Cuisine". We do love our Thai food and it was great to see that they offered a vegetarian banquet too. So on a warm Thursday evening we headed off to South Kensington, ready to tuck into some meat free delights! We had made reservations for our visit but we needn't of worried as there wasn't anyone in Patara when we rocked up. Great, we had our pick of tables and so we took a seat in corner of the dining room right by the window.

YUU KITCHEN LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

The discovery of Yuu Kitchen was once again another "using TripAdvisor to find restaurants close to our hotel" jobby. Still having a love affair with Asian food after our trip to Bali/Singapore, I loved the look their fun take on Asian classics, some of which had been given a fresh twist that sounded brilliant. There was only one way to find out if this was true and that was to go and try them for ourselves. 

STAR CINNAMON SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I wouldn't normally recommend food which you can pick up in a food court but then again I had never been to Star Cinnamon until recently. We stumbled across Star Cinnamon in the basement of the Bugis Junction shopping centre on our way home from visiting the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore and we couldn't help but be enticed by the wonderful cinnamon buns on display. We just had to try some so we stood and began to make our selections. What a hard choice this was going to be!

SATAY BY THE BAY SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

On our second day in Singapore we spent most of the day taking in the sights of Gardens By The Bay, a spectacular garden and conservation hub right in the heart of the city centre. An incredible place in the centre of such a modern city calls for incredible food and so a trip to it's very own hawker centre, Satay By The Bay seemed like a no brainer. A more tourist friendly hawker centre compared to those you'll find in the city, would it's food be able to match the wonders of the attractions and scenery of the gardens?

PIZZERIA MOZZA SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Our adventure overseas continues now with the second week of our holiday were we ventured over to the vibrant and beautiful city of Singapore. We came armed with our guide book and when we didn't have any luck finding any food in the Little India area of the city we decided to venture to the glorious Marina Bay Sands and it's shopping area where you can find Pizzeria Mozza. Described as having "pizza crusts to die for!" and with our love of pizza we just knew we had to go and visit them to find out for ourselves.

WARUNG KAMPUNG BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

One of the first things I love to do when I arrive in a new holiday destination and I've checked into the hotel is to get on my phone and use my GPS to find all the restaurants nearby. There could be some hidden treasures around that you wont find in any guide book or travel guide. That is how I found out about Warung Kampung. A warung is the name for a small family run cafe/restaurant and this little eatery was just around the corner from our hotel. It was getting some nice little reviews on the internet so one night I decided to take a walk and see if I could get myself some good authentic Balinese grub.

AZUL BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I initially didn't want to go into the Azul Tiki Bar when we first passed it the previous day whilst walking along the beach in Legian, Bali. I don't know why but maybe I just thought that by having the mantle of being the island's first tiki bar that it was just going to be a bit cheap and nasty. I gave the menu another look the next day though and decided to give them a whirl. Well, they did have barramundi on the menu (which I've always wanted to try!) and there were cocktails ahoy so even if it was bad I could get bladdered on those. Off we trotted to see if my feelings would be correct or if I needed to eat my words.

S.K.A.I BEACH CLUB BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Our Bali adventure continued on day two with drinks on the beach during sun downers. I can't think of any better way to finish off a hard day of sun bathing by the pool. How about if there was a yummy meal to be had too? With hungry bellies we headed off down the strip and stumbled upon the SKAI Beach Club. This restaurant is part of the Padman Resort in Legian but we didn't let the fact it's attached to a hotel put us off giving it a try as the menu looked delicious!

HOLY GUACAMOLE BAR AND GRILL BALI (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So at the beginning of this month I was very lucky to go for two weeks holiday exploring Bali and Singapore. I love Asian food in all its forms so I couldn't wait to try all the delights of these two regions. You might be surprised to see then that for our first meal away we actually ended up in Holy Guacamole, a Mexican bar and grill near our hotel in Legian. Well, when you're still adjusting to a country's time zone, temperature and culture sometimes it's best to stick a little too what you know.

GRILL ON THE ALLEY MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

It wasn't the first time that we had visited Grill On The Alley in Manchester when we visited last month however when we received an email that they were offering discounts on table bookings so that people could sample their new menu and with a visit to the city planned, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them another shot. So, off we popped with our reservation ready to see what delicious new treats they were serving up this springtime.