A cheerful, folksy pierogi chain that’s a Warsaw staple – a handy, all-hours stop in the Old Town for a plate of Poland’s favourite dumplings (boiled or fried, sweet or savoury), whether mid-stroll or as a post-club fix. Tip: the menu goes beyond pierogi, so browse.
A cheerful weekend picnic of a food market in Zoliborz – hundreds of stalls where, whatever you’re craving, you’ll find it, and everyone spreads out to eat, drink and mingle in the sun. The place to taste Warsaw’s slow-food, easy-living side. Tip: in winter it relocates – check the site.
Tbilisi’s dollar-store fix – 600+ products across 64 categories, from beauty care to snacks and hobby bits, all at a single fixed price (~2.5 GEL / $1). A shopaholic’s fairy tale for stocking up cheaply.
A beautifully designed modern library in Vake Park that’s become a favourite Tbilisi hangout for all ages – students drop in after class to read, chat over coffee or just relax, and there’s a Georgian souvenir shop too. A yearly membership (~15 GEL) unlocks full access, but it’s worth a look even once.
A short, scenic cable-car ride (recently renovated) that whisks you from Chavchavadze Avenue over leafy Vake Park up to Turtle Lake – one of the city’s favourite recreation spots – in about 3 minutes, with sweeping views along the way. Tip: a ride is ~1 GEL, paid with a Metromoney card.
A vast open-air wholesale bazaar on the city’s edge (on the road to the airport) where locals go to buy just about anything – carpets, jackets, pans – cheaper than in town. Huge, with parking, maps and sector signs to help you navigate. Tip: there’s a shuttle bus and even a shipping service.
Tbilisi is said to have been founded on its sulphur springs, and beyond the historic Abanotubani baths in the Old Town you’ll find modern ones like this by Lisi Lake – sleek interiors, private rooms, a shared women’s sulphur pool (rare in the old baths) and a terrace for tea afterwards. Tip: towels rent onsite for ~1 GEL.
A tiny fishing borgo below Posillipo where time seems to slow – walk down Via Marechiaro and the city melts away into a peaceful, almost-island calm of sea views and swimming off tufa-stone lidos. Splurge on a seafood dinner over the water. Tip: find the marble plaque to the classic Neapolitan song ‘A Marechiaro’ with its famous window.
The one venue in Naples that truly earns the name jazz club – cosy, welcoming, and home to the city’s best live jazz and open jam sessions (musicians can sign up free at the start of the night). Open for dinner too. Tip: grab a good table and a salami-and-cheese platter.
A sprawling Sunday flea market by the Agnano racecourse where, it’s said, the whole universe turns up for sale – emptied cellars, Murano glass, old clocks, Eastern-bloc relics and endless curios. Worth it just to marvel at the strange character of the objects. Watch your belongings.