My 2024 Coffee, Food and Cocktail Favourites

Today I'm sharing the most delicious and caffeinated of my end-of-year recaps, where I pick my favourite specialty coffee shops, eateries and bars from among those I visited for the first time in 2024 — in London and on my travels around the world. 

My Top 5 Travel Experiences of 2024

2025 has begun in the wettest and windiest fashion in London and I'm already dreaming about my next adventures, ideally to somewhere warm and sunny! In the meantime, I've picked out five of my favourite travel memories from 2025, including two new countries (Sri Lanka and Bulgaria) and delightful returns to NYC and Cannes.

How To Spend a Long Weekend in Sofia, Bulgaria

As March turned into April, it was time for me to go exploring again. My destination? Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria: a new city for me and the 49th country I've visited. During my four-day trip, I learned a great deal about Sofia's complex and fascinating history, admired striking and diverse architecture, took several excellent tours with passionate locals and ate delicious food. I even managed a side trip to a UNESCO-listed monastery perched high in the Rila mountains and to the city of Plovdiv. Read on to find out all of my recommendations for spending a long weekend in Plovdiv.

Seven Specialty Coffee Shops To Visit in Sofia, Bulgaria

Earlier this month, I spent an enjoyable — and very well caffeinated — long weekend in Sofia. The specialty coffee scene in the Bulgarian capital has been growing in recent years, with a number of new cafes joining longer-established coffee spots. This meant I didn't make it to all of the venues on my list; I was also a few weeks early for Sofia Coffee Week. But I did visit seven Sofia coffee shops and drank lots of delicious coffee, enjoying chats with some lovely coffee people. I even managed a specialty coffee pitstop on my very brief visit to the city of Plovdiv — scroll to the end of this post for the details.