Amante, Ibiza

By Lucy Wilkinson

If youÔÇÖre ever in Ibiza, and have a day to spare away from the beach clubs and nights out, Amante is the place to go. Admittedly, it is not cheap, but in my opinion is well worth it. The value for money can be found in its stunning location.

Situated in a quintessentially Ibizan cove, the only word to describe AmanteÔÇÖs environment is idyllic. The food itself was spectacular and I do not think you could put a price-tag on the view. If they could bottle up the ambience in Amante IÔÇÖm sure it would go for a fortune. I had never been somewhere quite like it.

For main we enjoyed squid on a bed of sweet potato mash, with a side of broccoli, and dessert was a fresh cheesecake with passion fruit. We were told by the waiter that all the ingredients were locally sourced and fresh. The simplicity of the meal contrasted with what IÔÇÖd experienced abroad in other countries, like the US, but also the UK. Amante focussed on using quality ingredients, and simple flavours done well. As a student, the best thing was that the foundations of the menu were found in food that I had heard of and enjoyed. IÔÇÖm not sure about you but there is nothing more intimidating than turning up to a place where you havenÔÇÖt heard of 90% of the food.

Besides, if youÔÇÖre looking for an experience, you can also head to Amante to watch films that are projected onto the cliffs on comfortable bean-bags with the great food and drink at your disposal.

So, if you can prize yourself away from the beach club, definitely give Amante a try.

Drossia, Crete

By Abby Wilson

This Summer I went on a girlsÔÇÖ holiday to Malia in Crete. This was my second girlsÔÇÖ holiday, and we werenÔÇÖt too fussed about going out every night and getting drunk.

Most girlsÔÇÖ holidays typically involve eating rubbish, unhealthy, fast food such as pizza and burgers, but instead, we wanted to go for nice meals. So we walked down the busy Malia strip, past piles of young, drunk students chomping away on Gyros (Greek-style kebabs). About halfway down the strip, on the left-hand corner, we reached a beautiful restaurant, with a lovely open-plan, lit-up outdoor seating area. It was a Mediterranean restaurant called Drossia, and it was really busy so we assumed it had to be good. The staff was lovely, and we were right, the food was beautiful. I chose garlic bread for starter (basic I know, but was delightful), followed by an absolutely stunning seafood spaghetti. Full of salmon, prawns and mussels, along with tomatoes and lemon juice, it was heavenly. We enjoyed our meals so much that we went back a few days later! I then had the chicken Caesar salad, which was equally delicious.

Established since 1974, if youÔÇÖre visiting Malia, I would definitely recommend a visit.

Ku┼║nia Smaku, Warsaw

By Katie Duffin

One of the best meals IÔÇÖve ever had the pleasure of eating was in a traditional Polish restaurant in Warsaw. Ku┼║nia Smaku is a restaurant so small you almost walk straight past it ÔÇö fortunately, we spotted its 1920s-esque decor through the dimly lit windows whilst wandering through the March snow.

The menu boasts traditional dishes of pre-war Warsaw with a modern twist drawing inspiration from Polish, European and Jewish cuisines. After scanning the list of mouth-watering dishes we quickly shuffled in, with high expectations. We were not disappointed. To start, I ordered the smoked duck breast carpaccio, which was served with notes of truffle and sweet chicory. Next up was a deliciously herb-infused veal shank with traditional Silesian dumplings and glazed carrots. With impeccable presentation, and portions big enough to serve multiple guests, the meal could not be faulted. Far too full for dessert, we opted for an Irish coffee and the bill. Both gave us a sweet kick to bring it to a perfect ending. Even better, the total for both dishes came to a mere £18.20!

Warsaw proved itself to be a haven for food-lovers alike, with Ku┼║nia Smaku standing out as one of the capitalÔÇÖs hidden gems.