Little Bay calls itself a bistro, which fits well with the cosy tavern-like setting. The décor is faux royal – gold painted banisters and ornate picture frames are ubiquitous. But there is no pretension. Red dripping candles in wine bottles adorn every table and copies of centuries’ old masterpieces have been lacquered on to the tabletops.

The layout of the restaurant is very unique. There are semi-hidden tables, some which are suspended in the air with their own staircase. You can find very intimate seating and romantic coves, but also open wooden booths. There are two other larger rooms attached next door so the restaurant can accommodate large groups.

While the atmosphere is great – the place was packed on a Thursday night – the food is even better. Or perhaps the price of the food is. If you dine before 7pm a two-course meal only sets you back a measly £7.50. Dishes range from pan-fried fillet of salmon with crashed new potatoes and avocado coriander salsa to char-grilled lamb steak with honey-glazed vegetables and green peppercorn sauce. There are plenty of vegetarian options too.

There are four Little Bay restaurants in London. Check out their website for more information.

By Phoebe Ferris-Rotman from SpottedByLocals.com/london
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You can’t visit London without trying the traditional Fish and Chips dish, one of the few culinary picks the UK are popular for.

Finding the original Fish and Chips atmosphere is getting harder these days, as you’ve to avoid tourist traps and sophisticated restaurants.

London’s oldest fish and chips miraculously survives in Covent Garden, among glamorous shops and shiny restaurants, Rock & Sole Plaice stands since 1871.

In this traditional cosy restaurant you’ll find the real fish and chips, for you to enjoy in a small dining area full of history.

This unmissable spot is located close enough to Covent Garden tube station (on the Piccadilly Line): 47 Endell Street, open Mon-Sat 11.30am-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm.

Photo “Fresh fish n chips” by f10n4 on Flickr

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Portobello Market started as a fresh-food market in the 19th Century, but expanded in the 1960s to include the renowned Saturday antiques market at the eastern end of the street, and an assortment of clothing and accessories stalls to the western end. It is of course more recently known for that Richard Curtis film, Notting Hill, and is also mentioned in many popular songs.

Take a walk down the length of the entire street to take in all the stalls; street food steams and bubbles in huge pots serving Ghanaian curry, Spanish paella, and grills of German chicken Schnitzel and sausages.
Have a browse through the antiques, it’s more than the usual furniture and china. I found a guy selling items of old navigational and military navigation pieces, clocks from old Russian MiG and US jets. A unique bedside clock for £200!

I tend to jump in the car with my friend and head down there every Saturday. If you’re visiting London and self-catering, I strongly recommend coming here to buy your fresh fruit and veg, the flavours are so much better.

Tomatoes are deep red and juicy, unlike the fluffy tasteless flesh of their irradiated cousins found in supermarkets. The fresh bread stall is a guilty pleasure, mostly for the mountains of sweet pastries, muffins and iced doughnuts that call at me from my childhood, or is that voice coming from a future cardiac surgeon? Who cares! At about 16:30, the prices are reduced to clear and you can pick-up three doughnuts for a quid or two!

So you have to pay a bit more than in the supermarket, but your money goes to a real small business and you’ll have experienced the theatre of street vendors, rather than the anonymous and sterile experience of a supermarket queue.

It’s a busy place so don’t necessarily expect to get a deep, personal conversation from a stall-holder, and if they look a bit grumpy, it’s mostly because they’ve been up since about 05:00, so give them a bit of conversation, a bit of humour and they soon open up. Love ‘em.

By Ben Pendrey from SpottedByLocals.com/london
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From 19-20 May 2009 Travel Distribution Summit Europe 2009 will open its gates at the Business Design Centre in London.

Travel Distribution Summit is one of the largest and most important online travel events, featuring top executives from industry companies sharing their insights with the travel community.

Among those executives Alyson Playford, Head of Global Travel Partnerships at British Airways, Marc Charron, MD Europe at TripAdvisor and Ed Kamm, COO at Lastiminute.com

After a quick glimpse I had at the programme, I’ve to say there’s a lot worth following. The “Customer Segmentation and Personalisation of the Offer” session, held by Jessica Butcher from isango! looks interesting, as we all know that understanding travelers’ needs is a key advantage both in pre and after sale.

You can find more info about participants, speakers and sessions on Travel Distribution Summit website.

TripShake Magazine will be there, live reporting from the most interesting panels!

Registration is still open, so grab your place if you want to see it first hand!

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