Tristan Parker

For many people, Austria equals Vienna or hitting the slopes out in the Alps, but tackling the best things to do in Salzburg will highlight a quiet treasure when it comes to European cities. Salzburg is an energetic and friendly place, filled with history, culture and a surprisingly rich food and drink scene.  Here, you’ll find everything from vast beer halls filled with hearty Austrian fare to sleek cocktail bars and a clutch of Michelin-starred restaurants. The town is also surrounded by some truly incredible scenery, which you can gaze at from a few choice spots on the edges of the city, or by making a short journey into the surrounding Alpine countryside. Here are the best things to do in Salzburg.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Vienna🏨 The best hotels in Vienna🏔️ The best places to visit in the Austrian Alps Samantha Priestly is a UK-based writer who travels extensively in Salzburg. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Krakow’s chequered wartime history still provides an important reference point for modern life, but this city has also transformed itself into a lively and fashionable destination for those craving something a bit different. For starters, Kraków’s modern art scene is second to none, but you can get a whole lot from simply wandering through the city and checking out its architecture. When it’s time to eat, drink and be merry, head to bohemian Kazimierz to spend time in its bars and restaurants, or hit up a food market on the weekend. Whatever your vibe, here are the best things to do in Krakow. RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in Krakow🏘️ The world's coolest neighbourhoods📸 The best cities for culture right now At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will plunge the capital into an Olympic frenzy, which will then dominate daily life for over 15 days. The aim is to break conventions and boundaries by organising the largest Olympic ceremony in history, not just confined to a stadium but moving through the city. Creative maverick Thomas Jolly is masterminding the show, and it promises to be a real adventure. Let’s go through it step-by-step. When is the Paris Olympics opening ceremony? The opening ceremony takes place on July 26 2024. What time will it start? The ceremony kicks off at 8.24pm, which just happens to be 20.24 if you’re using the 24-hour clock. See what they’ve done there? Where is the ceremony held?  Probably not where you’re expecting. The Paris 2024 opening ceremony will take place outdoors, along the banks of the River Seine and even through its waters. It’s the first time in the history of the Summer Games that an opening ceremony hasn’t been hosted in a stadium, which hugely increases the potential audience capacity. What activities are planned during the event? The plan is for spectators to spread along a six-kilometre route, starting with a river crossing on the Seine before settling at the Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower. So yes, it’s going to be ambitious. Spectacle aérien © Paris 2024 - Florian Hulleu - A.G. Photographe The party begins on the River Seine at sunset. Around 10,500 athletes from different national delegations will gather on boats, or

All good things must come to an end, including the 2024 Summer Olympics. And sad as it will be to bid farewell to that daily dose of excitement, triumph and more than a few new sporting heroes, the good news is that Paris is saying its goodbyes in style. After what should be a spectacular opening ceremony on July 26, the official closing ceremony will wrap things up 16 days later, on August 11, and it promises to be just as impressive as the kick-off. Thomas Jolly is weaving his magic again for the closing event, meaning that we’re pretty much guaranteed to witness various incredible artistic performances, providing a suitably epic au revoir to the Paris Summer Olympics. Here’s all the information you’ll need to get involved, including details on dates, times and tickets. When is the closing ceremony? The Paris 2024 closing ceremony takes place on August 11, 2024. What time will the ceremony start? Just a few hours after the last event of the Olympics – the women’s marathon – the ceremony begins, starting at 8pm. Where is the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony? While the opening ceremony is set to happen outdoors and not in a stadium (for the first time in the history of the Summer Games), the grand finale opts for a more traditional approach, taking place at the Stade de France. The stadium is also where the athletics, para-athletics, and rugby will be held during the Games. What will happen at the closing ceremony? As with the other ceremonies, the artistic direction of

If you’re planning on watching even a little of the summer Olympics taking place in France’s capital, you’ll need a plan. At the very least, you’ll need a failsafe guide to make sure you don’t miss your favourite events. That’s where our comprehensive schedule comes in, allowing you to map-out your very own Paris 2024 timetable. So, whether you’re all about the athletics, waiting patiently for the weightlifting or just keen to see some gravity-defying tricks in the skateboarding, our list below has got you covered, featuring the dates and times of all Paris 2024 events. What’s the day-by-day timetable for the Paris 2024 Olympics? Here’s the Paris 2024 schedule. It’s always subject to change, so make sure to double check dates and timings if you’re planning on attending or watching a specific event. July 24Football: July 24-August 10Rugby sevens: July 24-30  July 25Archery: July 25-August 4Handball: July 25-August 11  July 26Opening Ceremony: July 26 (starts at 20:24)  July 27Artistic gymnastics: July 27-August 5Badminton: July 27-August 5Basketball: July 27-August 11Beach volleyball: July 27-August 10Boxing: July 27-August 10Canoe slalom: July 27-August 5Diving: July 27-August 10Equestrian: July 27-August 6Fencing: July 27-August 10Hockey: July 27-August 9Judo: July 27-August 3Road cycling: July 27-August 4Rowing: July 27-August 3 (reserve day: August 4)Shooting: July 27-August 5Skateboard: July 27-August 7Surfing: July 27-July (reserve days: July 31-August 4)Swimming: July 2

Well, it's been a rough old few years, hasn't it? And sure, it's 2023, but even without the global pandemic, life can get a little sad from time to time. Sometimes the only antidote is a tub of ice cream, some incredibly sad songs and a seriously good cry. So don't worry, we've got you. In our opinion, the best sad songs don’t just whine and gesture at bad feelings - they wallow in the depths with you.  As they say, misery loves company, and songwriters sure know how to capitalise on our sorrow. And we love them for it. Newcomers to our list include Labrinth's ‘Never Felt So Alone’ (2023), Celeste's ‘Strange’ (2019) and of course, ultimate sad girl anthem ‘Drivers Licence’ by Olivia Rodridgo (2021). All have earned their crowns as sad anthems. All have reduced us to tears. It doesn’t matter if it’s an RnB tune, 12-bar blues or indie rock bummer jam – there are tearjerkers for everyone here. Here are the best sad songs ever.  Contributers: Andrzej Lukowski, Oliver Keens, James Manning, Tristan Parker, Hayley Joyes, Nick Levine, Andy Kryza, Ella Doyle, Georgia Evans, Ed Cunningham, Chiara Wilkinson, India Lawrence, Henrietta Taylor.  RECOMMENDED:😭 The best breakup songs💔 The best heartbreak songs😊 The best happy songs🎤 The best karaoke songs 

No decade is a musical monolith, but seeing the best songs of the ‘90s listed all in one place, the era seems especially scattered. History has boiled it down to grunge and gangsta rap on one end, boy bands and Britney Spears at the other, but it’s the stuff in the middle and on the fringes that makes the period difficult to sum up.  In England, Oasis and the rest of the Britpop lot left nearly as big a mark as Nirvana and the other Seattleites. Hip-hop took over the world, and seemed to change shape every few months. Remember when electronica looked like the future? Where do mischief makers like Pavement, Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest fit in? And that’s to say nothing of the totally random ska and swing revivals…although that’s all you’ll hear about it here.  Given the crowded field, we’ve been ultra-selective in compiling this all-bangers, no-clangers playlist and limited it to one song per artist. Whether the ‘90s was the greatest decade for music is mostly a generational debate, but as you’ll hear, one thing’s for sure: it was never boring. RECOMMENDED:📸 The best album covers of the ’90s🎶 The best ’80s songs🎵 The best songs of the 2000s💃 The best Beyoncé songs🎤 The best Kanye West songs🎞 The best music videos of all time🌱 The best jungle tracks

The Beatles parted ways way back in 1969, but the band never for a second left the pop-culture conversation, their legacy cemented by a catalogue of timeless hits and a neverending debate about which are the best Beatles songs. The Fab Four altered the very DNA of pop music. They introduced the mainstream to cheeky Britishisms, shaggy hair and psychedelia. They went from boy band to experimental musicians, fads to film stars. Now – 60 years past the British Invasion – Beatlemania is once again percolating thanks to Peter Jackson’s buzzy six-part Disney+ documentary, Get Back.  John, Paul, George and Ringo penned some of the greatest songs in modern music during their eight years together, but let’s be honest – not all Beatles tunes are equal. There are genuine masterpieces in their discography. There are also many, many songs about dessert foods, sea creatures and whatever popped into Paul’s brain during his afternoon doobie. Still, even the most basic Beatles number is worth a listen. Which makes ranking the 50 best Beatles songs particularly difficult. In polling the biggest Beatlemaniacs on our roster, we discovered, unsurprisingly, love for every era of Beatledom, from the gruffer Hamburg days to the Ravi Shankar era. As such, you’ll definitely find some favourites missing here (no songs about the sun made the cut, and poor Ringo got left out entirely). But you’ll also find the best of the world’s most influential band. Your preferences may vary, but these are undeniably

Weed, pot, herb, bud, dope, skunk, hash, ganja, marijuana, indo, cheeba, chronic, dank, spliff… it's been celebrated for hundreds of years, under hundreds of names. No wonder hundreds of musicians have written songs in its illicit honour too. From reefer-puffing jazz pianists through red-eyed rockers and ripped rappers, right up to the bong-toking skate-punks of the 2010s, weed's been the catalsyt for all sorts of great music. We're not advocating drug use, obviously, but if you are getting blazed on 4/20 (a day traditionally associated with getting mellow) here's your ideal soundtrack. Did we miss out your favourite? Let us know in the comments box below or tweet us at @TimeOutMusic.

We’re about to leave 2015 behind, but before we hurtle into New Year’s resolutions it’s time to cast a look back at the soundtrack of the last 12 months. From pop bangers and house floor-fillers to indie, folk, grime and R&B, here are the 100 best songs of 2015. Scroll through our picks – ranked from 100 right down to Number One – or listen to the whole playlist below. And when you’re done, don’t miss our round-up of the 25 best albums of 2015 for more new audio gold. It’s time to give those stale old playlists a spring clean ready for 2016. RECOMMENDED: The best songs ever Contributors: Jonathan Cook, Hayley Joyes, Mark O'Donnell, Ashleigh Arnott, Matilda Egere-Cooper, Tristan Parker, James Manning and Oliver Keens.

There’s little in terms of quality electronic music that Fabric London hasn’t championed in the last 20 years – from long-standing drum ’n’ bass club nights courtesy of Goldie and DJ Hype to marathon techno sets from Ricardo Villalobos. And throughout, residents Craig Richards and Terry Francis have helped the club maintain an immense reputation, which continues today. The venue – formally a cold store for meat from nearby Smithfield Market – has hosted countless incredible parties over that time, as these amazing archive photos show. While you're looking through these formative pictures of Fabric taking shape over the years, keep your eyes peeled for drum ’n’ bass icon Goldie, musical polymath Matthew Herbert, Bestival main man Rob da Bank, producer of some seriously chunky techno Fake Blood (aka Theo Keating) and a long-departed coffee franchise that'll make caffeine addicts of a certain age go all misty eyed. Numerous attempts have been made to shut down this treasured superclub over the years (we nearly lost it for good in 2016) but Londoners have always rallied around to save it. The queue might snake as far as Farringdon station some Saturday nights, but if you haven’t been to Fabric, you haven’t experienced London nightlife. End of story. Fabric are currently celebrating their big birthday with a series of parties with artists who are meant to represent the club’s past, present and future. Find out more here.  All photographs courtesy of Fabric. RECOMMENDED: 14 thin

Most of us go to pizza joints expecting to snap the food, not the room. But Humble Pizza bucks the trend, with its striking, pink-washed interiors, a tribute to the ‘formica cafés’ of 1950s London. This bold design move is matched by an equally bold and fully vegan menu. Toppings riff on Italian classics, split between cauliflower and focaccia bases, plus a few soups and salads. The best of the by-the-slice focaccia pizzas were the Tropea (poppy seeds, potato and caramelised red onion that almost overpowered), or the simple Roma (mushrooms, olives and juicy tomatoes). For anyone scared of a cauliflower pizza base, these have a cracker-like crunch that means you can pretend you’re not even eating cauliflower. Our Genova, had a powerful basil pesto, courgettes and red peppers, flaked macadamias and creamy, ricotta-like tofu balancing out the gentle earthiness of the base.Top marks for flavour, but just a little too brittle. Save space for decadent desserts, too, of focaccia dipped in moreish gianduja (Nutella’s sexier Italian cousin), or the the restaurant’s sinful take on a Mars bar. Prices are a little steep in places, but friendly service helps make up for it and those focaccia bases will make a lot of vegans happy. Oh, and it’s BYO, too.  

Strange as it sounds, it can be difficult to come across a vegan restaurant serving up a decent selection of vegetables. It’s often easier to find seitan cooked 17 ways than a plate of plants. Fulham-ish vegan spot Kiss My Grass swerves this issue, defiantly ignoring fake meat – even tofu and jackfruit – and focusing on veg. The line-up includes gnocchi with sauces, filled gyoza, bowls of dhal and a few variations on cauliflower and aubergine. There are no sides or starters, but after ordering we were swiftly gifted some marvellous, toasted flatbread and equally marvellous baba ganoush that was better than some I’ve had in Middle Eastern restaurants. The fun continued with excellent gnocchi: fluffy on the inside but with just the right level of bite, served with a subtly sweet cinnamon squash sauce. It didn’t try to do anything clever and tasted all the better for it. Roasted aubergine with pearl barley wasn’t quite as impressive, but was still decent. A ‘spiced cream cheeze’ topping was a little plain and seemed unnecessary on such a vegetable-driven menu, but both aubergine and barley were cooked and flavoured well. Dessert was a bready affair – banana bread, and fig-and-date bread – as, sadly, there weren’t any chocolate brownies left. Both were enjoyable enough, even though neither supplied the promised hit of spice and fruit. Kiss My Grass is a welcome reminder that vegan restaurants don’t need to do junk food to be memorable. Skip the dessert and share an extra main in

The first thing that hits you about WAVE –aside from its ridiculous name – isn’t the small but all-vegan menu, it’s the tropical-meets-Scandi interior. Both chic and cosy, it invites long, lingering lunches of veg-heavy bowls, simple snacks and mighty-looking freakshakes. A Golden Roasted Salad arrived crying out to be photographed (as does most of the food) and tasted every bit as good as it looked. A dish of roast cauliflower was equally lovely, balancing the creaminess of a coronation-ish sauce with the sharpness of pomegranate and orange. And the Brekky Bowl (essentially a posh vegan fry-up) was also decent, the juicy mushrooms and sautéed kale boosted by nutritional yeast and pesto. Desserts, though, were mixed. A cinnamon bun was nicely fluffy, but a stack of pancakes, despite rich toppings, was far too dry. And the ‘enhanced Wave coffees’ were equally disappointing. The java itself was good, but additions (peanut butter and, separately, turmeric and cacao) were bland, and one came without the advertised cinnamon. It might not be the ‘everything’ you’d hoped for, but stick to savouries and this is still a strong shout for a stylish vegan lunch.

It’s hard to stand out in Pop Brixton’s buzzing food community, but this quick ’n’ dirty vegan burger joint has done it, by serving ‘bleeding’ burgers from the Beyond Meat company. The much-hyped ‘blood’ – which seeps out when cooking – comes from beetroot, and the burgers contain protein from peas, rice and mung beans. Bland as that may sound, when magicked together by the BM crew, it turns into something quite unexpected: a Burger King doppelgänger. Both the signature Halo Burger (two Beyond Burgers, vegan cheese slices and caramelised onion) and the Smoky Carolina BBQ Summer Special (gouda-style vegan cheese and battered onion strips) tasted like they could be dished up at any big-hitting burger chain without anyone batting an eyelid, even down to the overly sweet sauce and enjoyably stodgy bun.   After wrestling the patty away from the sauce for closer inspection, it really did taste like meat. Or rather, like a fast-food beef hamburger patty. Clever as that is, you’re paying around £10 for a small burger, which seems pretty steep. But overall, it’s messy, it’s fun and it works. And props to Halo for not pretending its burgers are healthy just because they’re plant-based. This is vegan junk food at its junkiest and we’re more than okay with that. 

After causing a very positive plant-based stir in Cambridge, vegan restaurant Stem + Glory has found its way to London, settling into a tucked-away backstreet by the Barbican. Interiors are chic and modern, just like the menu, which caters to every conceivable meal you can think of with a combination of classic vegan dishes and creative nods to current trends. Off the all-day menu, the Spanish-style ‘meatballs’ in tomato sauce were peppery and moreish, while the tacos with pulled jackfruit were well thought-out and hit the spot. But the highlight of the night was the roasted aubergine with chermoula (a rich, herby sauce). Full-flavoured and perfectly cooked, it had citrus notes of pomegranate and lime that beautifully cut through the natural creaminess of the veg. The only real low-point was the slight lack of atmosphere, even on our Friday evening visit. Presumably this had something to do with the hidden-away location, because the food, though slightly upmarket, was worth the price. If you’re bored of vegan cooking that’s just burgers and faux cheese, seek out S+G.There’s definitely room in London’s vegan scene for a creative spot like this.

An upmarket vegan fast food joint may not be big news in London nowadays, but achingly hip Shoreditch spot Genesis has enough interesting creations to make it stand out from the crowd. The continent-hopping menu mixes the familiar with the new, and all of it is done well. Mac and cheese made with wholegrain kamut wheat pasta might sound a bit out-there, but it was an absolute belter. A banh mi hot dog with herby sausage was an equally successful creation, as was a plate of charred tandoori broccoli, with refreshing pomegranate seeds balancing out a very rich makhani gravy. The Korean Street Sandwich (panko-breaded aubergine in a brioche bun) was an enjoyable burger alternative. But though nicely seasoned, a bit more kimchi zing would have been welcome. Just don’t get too carried away. A few dishes – especially desserts – are a tad on the spenny side. Eight pounds for a small chocolate brownie was a bit of a kick in the teeth, even if it was delicious. Similarly, smoothies were a wallet-crushing nine pounds, just two quid less than the (very good) cocktails. And the cheapest bottle of wine is £35. Lay off the booze, we say. Overall, though, Genesis is a fun, vibey place for grown-up fast food with a generous dollop of global flavour.

‘Because healthy is sexy’, runs the motto of Kalifornia Kitchen, a trendy new vegan joint in super-central London. The food certainly looks sexy, but then you’d expect nothing less of a venture from Instagram pro Loui Blake. Is it healthy, though? Sure, some of it is. It just isn’t particularly inspiring. There are burgers, tacos, salad, falafel and a few other choices, plus a sort-of sides section with fries, guacamole and kale chips, all at a hefty £5 each, apart from kale chips, which are £6. But we enjoyed our Klassic Kalifornia Burger, which featured the hyped ‘bleeding’ meatless patty from vegan brand Moving Mountains (it’s made with plant proteins and coconut oil). There were crispy onions, there were paprika fries: both good stuff. The Sri Lankan curry, however, was a serious let-down. It was painfully bland, begging the question: why put a specialist curry on a menu of burgers and salads if it’s not in the least bit, you know, special? Pecan pie and matcha cheesecake desserts were fine, but not memorable. Not least because there was only the merest hint of matcha in the cheesecake. There were other blips, too. Service was polite and friendly, but patchy (we were served by four different people and had to wait an age for the bill), and menu labelling was unclear: part of a supposedly ‘all-day’ menu wasn’t available after 3pm, despite having no end-time printed. Kalifornia Kitchen isn’t a terrible restaurant, but it feels like things haven’t been thought through, which

Please note, this site is no longer all-vegan; however, it still has a full vegan menu alongside its original fish menu. Time Out Food editors, October 2019. It’s true: fish-and-chip gurus Sutton and Sons have made the menu at their second Graham Road location 100 percent vegan. It still looks like a cosy, classic chippy, but it’s anything but traditional. A ‘prawn’ cocktail (for ’70s nostalgia vibes, presumably) made from Japanese potato starch looked uncannily like the real thing. The taste was fishy-ish, without being overpowering – a bit like actual prawns, really. Similarly, some impressive ‘valamari’ confirmed that if you know what you’re doing with a shiitake mushroom, you can make something that looks and feels a hell of a lot like calamari, albeit with a milder flavour. Most intriguing was the battered banana blossom (a flower from the banana plant that gets vegans all excited), looking for all the world like cod or haddock. The light, floral flavour was pleasant, if not that fishy, but with tartare sauce and a squeeze of lemon, it did the job. And let’s not forget the chips, which were thick, satisfying and grease-free. Perfect for slathering in the rich curry sauce or a generous portion of mushy peas. The batter, by the way, was great – crisp, but mercifully light – and it was a nice touch to offer items without it. And if kooky fish-free-fish isn’t your bag, there are plant-based burgers, pies and sausages galore. It would have been so easy for Sutton and Sons to

There’s a lot of vegan junk food around London now. Like, a lot. Plant-based burgers, hot dogs, wings, mac ’n’ cheese… and it’s all found in abundance at this Camden diner. Inside, it’s not the warmest of venues unless you’re right by the counter, but to be fair it’s not intended for long, lingering dinners. You’re here for the fast carbs – like the Dirty Burger, with a soya mince patty, fake bacon and cashew cheese – that was enjoyable enough, but one of Rudy’s rarer offerings proved to be its strongest: the Rudy’s Reuben, a vegan version of the classic US über-sandwich usually made with corned beef or pastrami, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. The seitan pastrami was impressive, and the tang of the pickles, onion and aniseed was offset by the creaminess of the cheese and Russian dressing. Sides were more mixed. Fries were moreish, but the ‘bacon’-topped mac ’n’ cheese was a bit plain and lacking in, well, cheesiness. Seitan buffalo wings were nicely crisp and served with celery batons for authenticity, though the accompanying ‘blue cheeze’ sauce lacked creaminess. On the plus side, portions are hefty. If you’re after frill-free comfort grub, you won’t leave disappointed, particularly if you order one of those mighty reubens.

With three branches in London, plus one in Brighton, What the Pitta can now be crowned as King of the vegan kebab. For the signature kebab ‘meat’, they marinade soya chunks in ‘secret spices’ to create succulent nuggets. You’ll find them in the headline act: a vegan doner where the ‘meat’ comes packed in flatbread, with salad, soya yoghurt, tzatziki and houmous. It works because it’s not just the ‘meat’ that’s seen love and care: the salad is fresh and crunchy, the sauces are creamy and the made-in-house bread is great – thin and floury, a light way of housing a kebab’s heft. Honestly, it tasted a lot like a ‘real’ kebab. Not a 3am meat-sweats-and-regret job, but a well-made, posh kebab that you’d happily eat again. Sober. In fact, it’s almost – whisper it – healthy. If this all sounds too renegade, opt for the doner-and-chips box to up the kebab-shop feel, or go the other way entirely with a couscous salad box (albeit naughtied up with meaty pieces). Whatever you order, turn up hungry: portions are huge. But you can take stuff home. In which case, you should grab some of the baklava too. It’s syrupy and sweet enough to put you into a mild sugar coma, but absolutely worth it. WTP is geared up for both eat-in and takeaways, so if you really want the full kebab shop experience, you can always buy one and cram it in while staggering about in the street. However you eat it, it’ll be great.

The north London house duo behind hits like 'Ready for Your Love' and 'Here for You' head south to take over Canada Water superclub Printworks. Expect this one to really go off.

Among London’s countless veganified dishes, pie and mash probably isn’t on most people’s ‘must-scoff’ list. But there’s a lot to be said for an animal-free version of that humble combo, when done well – and Young Vegans does it very well. Occupying a cosy corner of the Camden Market street food metropolis, Young Vegans serves up a small selection of pies, sides and cakey desserts. If you’re wondering, vegan pies aren’t (always) filled with kale, lentils and longing; the two we sampled were crammed with interesting, tasty stuff that will easily appeal to meat-eaters, too. Like the ‘all-day breakfast’: scrambled tofu, seitan sausage, caramelised onions and homemade smoked beans. A lot of ingredients to shove into a single pie, yes, but some individual flavours do shine through, particularly the pepperiness of the flavoured tofu and seitan, given a gentle crunch by the crispy onions on top. Pie number two was a simpler steak and ale, containing some of the meatiest mock-meat we’ve tasted. Succulent and rich, these absurdly steak-like chunks of marinated seitan could fool plenty of carnivores. And the thick ale sauce did its job perfectly. More unusual fillings are available (katsu curry, ‘chicken’ parmigiana), and as for other pie ’n’ mash essentials, the pastry, gravy and mash were all spot on. Oh, and the mac ’n’ cheese side was better than some main-dish vegan mac ’n’ cheeses you can get out there. It’s sensibly priced, too. You can happily get by with pie, mash and gravy for

Clubs are great and house parties are pretty fun, but there’s nothing quite like partying in the street to really let loose. And when it comes to street parties, Zurich has one of the very best (and biggest) on the planet in Street Parade. Initially inspired by the Berlin Love Parade, the first Street Parade party took place in 1992 and has since grown into a global phenomenon, while still championing the founding principles and attitudes that helped found the event: love, tolerance and inclusivity. Hundreds of thousands of ravers and party people continue to make their way on to the streets of Zurich every year to dance the day away, soundtracked by world-class DJs. Photo: Christian Dancker After a two-year gap due to the pandemic, Zurich’s Street Parade is back on August 13 and looking pretty damn healthy, demonstrated by a stellar line-up of house and techno talent. Among the formidable roster is a name that will be well-known Swiss clubbers, as well as anyone who’s spent time partying in Ibiza, and anyone who’s witnessed one of his killer DJ sets around the globe: house and techno don Andrea Oliva, who plays the vast Center Stage at Bürkliplatz. It’s something of a homecoming for the globetrotting Swiss DJ, who has a longstanding relationship with Street Parade, even having played the very first party, as he explained when he chatted to Time Out: “I was 15 when I played the first parade, 26 years ago. I played a tiny stage next to the train station, and now I host the b

‘Affordable Switzerland’ may sound like an oxymoron to many people living in the country. Little clues like Zurich being ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world and expats raging about the cost of living hint that Swiss life simply isn’t conducive with frugality. Unless you know where to go, that is. A new study by Credit Suisse aimed to find the most affordable parts of Switzerland to live, perhaps seeking to seeking to appease some of that aforementioned rage. Using a system based around estimated disposable income combined with five key affordability criteria of different areas (tax, housing costs, commuting expenses, healthcare costs and childcare costs), the survey produced a few surprises, alongside some not-surprising-at-all results. Firmly in the second of those categories was the shocking finding that urban areas like Geneva, Basel, Zurich, Vaud, Zug and Neuchâtel achieved “below-average values” thanks to high rents, high housing prices and “high mandatory charges”. At the other end of the scale, the least expensive places to live for most households were the rural and beautiful Appenzell Innerrhoden (Switzerland’s smallest canton by population), followed by Uri and Glarus. All three were found to offer lower housing costs and levels of taxation. These three cantons were followed by other similarly rural and rural-ish areas, which offer lower costs of living, including Schaffhausen, Jura, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Valais and Thurgau. Speaking of Valais

Travel over the past year has been unpredictable, to say the least, but surely no-one could have predicted that Robert De Niro and Roger Federer would team up in attempting to welcome back foreign holidaymakers to Swiss shores. The unlikely pairing arises via a tongue-in-cheek new promotional video from Switzerland Tourism, featuring the Swiss tennis legend trying to coax the Hollywood icon into promoting Federer’s beloved Switzerland – only to be told by De Niro that he can’t do it, because “Switzerland is too perfect”. As you might expect, the Raging Bull needs conflict and jeopardy to perform as an actor, and Switzerland has neither, thus making it useless for gritty acting odysseys but perfect for tourists wanting a peaceful, beautiful getaway; “When you need vacation without drama”, as the video tagline puts it. Needless to say, the real star of the show is the Swiss landscape, gloriously shown-off by Federer kicking back in a dreamy Alpine retreat, alongside shots of sapphire-blue lakes, impossibly pretty villages, rolling green meadows… You get the picture, as will any holiday-starved viewer watching the video. Because let’s face it, Switzerland Tourism have pretty much nailed what everyone’s after right now – a hassle-free holiday surrounded by gorgeous nature. De Niro’s loss is clearly everyone else’s gain. Check out the starry duo’s video below, but be warned there’s a smattering of bad language as De Niro throws-in his favourite expletive. But really, what did you

It seems a strange time to be talking about finding the happiest countries on the planet, but Switzerland has landed in third place in the annual World Happiness Report, published by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Finland topped the poll for the fourth year in a row, with Denmark (another previous table-topper on several occasions) in second place. The rest of the top five was taken up by Iceland in fourth place and the Netherlands in fifth. Launched in 2012, the World Happiness Report (WHR) presents a snapshot of global happiness, based on a range of factors usually measured by Gallup World Poll surveys over the previous three years. Due to the pandemic, however, Gallup wasn’t able to conduct the same number of face-to-face interviews for this latest version of the report, so “computer assisted” personal interviews and telephone interviews were used as an additional data-gathering tool. With the pandemic also casting a grim shadow over global happiness during the last 12 months, this year’s report inevitably focused on how Covid-19 has shaped global wellbeing, as well as how governments have dealt with the crisis. The effects of Covid-19 on factors such as social connections, work and mental health were examined in the 2021 WHR, with extra attention given to people’s specific emotions on a day-to-day basis, “to better track how Covid-19 has altered different aspects of life.” Based on the standard data measurement from the previous three years (2018-2020

Stop the press: it turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch. Or a free dinner or breakfast, in fact, or even a free stay at a hotel – if you’re holidaying in Geneva, that is. To help kick-start tourism once again after the inevitable drop in numbers during the pandemic, Geneva Tourism is offering visitors 100 Swiss Francs (around £84) to spend around the city. For free. As for where to spend your cash, take your pick from over 100 businesses, including numerous hotels, restaurants (a few Michelin-starred venues are on the list), cafés, bars, museums, galleries – even a yoga studio if you need to keep up the cat-cows while you’re away. There’s no catch, as such, you just need to be staying in Geneva for at least two nights (which, let’s face it, you probably will be) at one of the approved hotels on the vast list, where you’ll be given a Geneva Gift Card loaded up with the cash when you check-in. It’s only one card per room, but before you start complaining about how it should be one per person, let’s just remember: free money, ok? We won’t waste your time and ours by republishing the massive list of venues participating, but you can find them all on the Geneva Tourism website. Just remember to spend your gifted cash wisely and gradually. Or just blow the whole thing on pizza and beer if you feel like it – this is free money we’re talking about, right? Looking for inspiration before your trip? Get familiar with our list of the best things to do in Geneva. And if you’re

Born in France but based in Geneva since he moved to Switzerland in 2001, Philippe Quenum has forged an internationally respected career as a DJ and producer. He’s toured the world and worked with numerous other talented artists, including Swiss DJ don Luciano. Quenum has just released a new EP, ‘Valley of True People’, on the Rebellion label, owned by fellow DJ Damian Lazarus. Here, he tells us what he’s been doing during lockdown and gives us his top tips for exploring Geneva. Have you found yourself listening to or making more music during lockdown?Absolutely, I’ve been very productive in the studio and as a result I’ll be releasing a lot of music this year. I haven’t talked much about this, but I’m working on a solo album and my friend Christophe Calpini will be adding his magic touch to it. The album will be 100% Swiss-made – conceived, created and produced locally. What are your favourite places to eat in Geneva?I like going to the Bain des Pâquis, which is a public beach in summer. In winter it becomes a sauna (you can skinny dip in the lake) and a pop-up restaurant serving cheese fondue. It’s one of Geneva’s legendary spots – on the lake, with a view of both city and mountains. The other nice thing about it is that everybody goes there, it’s such a mix of people, from bankers to old hippies and families. Le Relais de l’Entrecôte is a classic, old-school French-style restaurant that’s been going for decades and never disappoints. When I’m feeling homesick (my father wa

Face masks will be compulsory on public transport around Switzerland from July 6, after a rise in coronavirus cases. The Swiss Government announced the move on July 1, explaining that increased numbers of people using public transport since lockdown restrictions eased have made it difficult to maintain effective social distancing. It also cited the “rising number of new infections since mid-June” as another reason for the decision. On the day of the announcement, the total number of people in Switzerland who had tested positive for coronavirus was 31,851, which was 137 more than the previous day. On that same day, the total number of people who have died from the virus in the country was recorded as 1,685. The requirement to wear a mask applies to everyone over the age of 12 travelling on trains, trams, buses, mountain railways, cable transport and boats. The government notes in its announcement that although there is already an “urgent recommendation” to wear a face mask on public transport, “few people are heeding this advice”. A recent study found that 94% of Swiss train commuters aren’t currently wearing face masks. On the same day that the face masks rule kicks in, Monday July 6, a new quarantine law will also be introduced. People entering Switzerland from certain countries will have to go into quarantine for ten days, again due to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases, some of which are thought to have been brought in from abroad. The Federal Office of Public Health wi

We recently announced to you, dear readers, that Time Out Switzerland is temporarily changing to Time In Switzerland, to reflect the fact that people are getting their cultural fix online and in their own homes at the moment. In particular, music is proving to be a great source of comfort in these uncertain times, so we’ve picked some of our favourite live streams, DJ sets and other performances being released at the moment by Swiss artists, venues and festivals, plus a few sounds from further afield. KashemeNever have this Zurich club’s ‘Livingroom’ sessions seemed more appropriate. Kasheme always has a great selection of DJ sets available through its online channels, but now they’ve cranked things up a notch and are offering even more live streams through their website, beamed in directly from the venue’s cosy living room space. Expect anything from funk to Afrobeat to house to disco, courtesy of some superb DJs. Find their schedule at the Kasheme Facebook page.  Ibiza Sonica RadioKasheme fans should also make sure to investigate Ibiza Sonica Radio. Broadcast live from the White Isle, the team are big fans of Kasheme and often stream the club’s sets online, as well as their own programme, encompassing laid-back house Balearic beats and much more. In light of the current increased appetite for online music, Ibiza Sonica have also just started their Home Music Delivery Service, featuring DJs such as Valentin Huedo and Jimpster streaming sets from their own homes, all availabl

Cats and dogs and spiders (oh my!) stalk the halls of Westminster, but which ones wield paw-some amounts of power?  Dilyn View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dilyn (@dilynthedog) on Oct 19, 2019 at 1:55am PDT   Age 31 weeks, give or take Breed Jack Russell cross Position Newbie at Number 10 Time in office Four months Dilyn might look like a scruffy pup from the wrong side of town, but he’s come a long way since being rescued from a puppy farm in Carmarthenshire. Don't let his appearance deceive you, we can tell this pooch is up to something naughty. Will he be the dog to finally scare off Chief Mouser, Larry? Only time will tell. Well, that, and the election results. It could be bye-bye Dilyn very soon.  Larry Getty Images Age 12 Breed Tabby  Position Chief Mouser to Number 10 Time in office Eight years You think the PM has a lot on their plate? Try being tasked with ridding 10 Downing Street of all its rodents. A rescue cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Larry has years of experience and a fiery temperament which mean he rules the roost at Westminster. A bit like the Queen, he has come to represent stability in politically turbulent times, having retained his post after David Cameron’s exit in 2016 and asserted his dominance when Boris Johnson's pooch arrived earlier this year. Nailing social media without lifting a paw, he has a Twitter account (unofficial) with more than 337,000 followers. Despite the young pretenders biting at his ankles,

This city’s eat-green scene owes a hell of a debt to one man. Meet the passionate chef behind CookDaily. It’s 11.45am on a dreary Tuesday and the shipping-container units at Boxpark Shoreditch haven’t quite woken up yet – except for one. The doors of CookDaily won’t open until noon, but there’s already a queue outside. Inside, the dimly lit, semi-industrial space feels like an intimate club or a late-night bar. ‘No blood, no bones’ proclaims a sign on the wall, reminding customers of what won’t be dished up here. This defiantly alternative eatery is the work of King Cook, a charismatic, outspoken and passionate vegan chef who is unapologetic about his commitment to the cause. ‘Turning more people vegan, that’s my goal in life,’ he explains, as we sit together before service starts. On the walls of CookDaily is the menu: large boards picturing and detailing 17 dishes in spiky letters. Each colourful bowl references a different cooking style, world cuisine or culture, such as the popular weed-themed High Grade, with hemp seed crumble and optional vegan ‘chicken’, or the fiery Hard Bowl, with yam, dumplings and ackee. It’s a world away from the idea that vegan dishes are bland, nutritionally lacking or only ordered by wellness bloggers. CookDaily will shortly be serving bowl after vegan bowl to besuited office workers, laptop-wielding creatives and savvy tourists, many of whom are as keen to Instagram their food as they are to eat it. Since launching in Shoreditch

Few London venues have created such buzz in recent years as Printworks in Canada Water. The vast former printing press has only been open for a year, but it’s already become one of London’s most highly rated spots for electronic music. The first of the venue’s huge spaces to open officially was the laser-strewn, DJ-focused Press Halls, but soon you’ll be able to get your live kicks there too. The venue has announced it is opening a 3,000-capacity live music and arts space within its cavernous confines that could well become a mainstay on the London music map. Above is a picture of the work currently underway. By comparison, 3,000 people is a chunk less than a gig at the Roundhouse (standing capacity 3,300) and a few more than the Royal Festival Hall (capacity 2,900). The project is being led by Broadwick Live (who are behind festivals like Field Day, Festival No 6 and Snowbombing). Bradley Thompson, Broadwick’s managing director, told us that the as-yet unnamed new space will ‘lean on the heritage of the building’, boasting high ceilings and the venue’s old printing presses as a backdrop. Live music will take place during the week, but won’t cross over with the venue’s weekend electronic programme – which features upcoming sets from Kerri Chandler, Job Jobse, Lindstrøm and more. Fridays, however, will flit between hosting a live act and an electronic night. There’ll also be arts and culture events programmed by Tamsin Ace, a curator at the Southbank Centre.  An artist's impr

Looking for somewhere cool to kick off the weekend? Head straight to landmark London nightspot Fabric, where there’s a brand new event series being launched tonight, titled Forms. The weekly Friday night programme is crammed full of on-point DJs, encompassing big-hitting party-starters and emerging talent – including a focus on local names – who’ll be tearing up the iconic club’s dancefloors. It’s been a dramatic 18 months or so for the club. Fabric reopened in 2017 following a short period of closure after Islington Council revoked its license in 2016 – but the venue is now fully back in the game and focusing on providing top-dollar club nights, which is top news for Londoners.  Launching Forms tonight will be globe-conquering selector and Fabric regular Skream, with further sets from Krystal Klear, Melé and Greg Venezia. Next Friday’s party (February 2) will also be a killer, featuring sublime house, techno and other beats and bleeps from top underground names including Andrea Oliva, Darius Syrossian and Yousef. And so the Friday fun continues, with the likes of Claptone, Shadow Child, Michael Mayer and many more providing the soundtrack on a weekly basis. You could certainly do a hell of a lot worse with your Friday night than go and investigate. Forms launches tonight at Fabric.