Pablo Nouvelle

Switzerland

Zurich

An Italian enclave at the very end of famous Langstrasse. Paninis in every variety. Everything in this store is a 100% Italian. The ingredients, the amazing antipasti and the songs playing from the radio. How can something so simple be so good.

Da Marco

Zürich might be one of the most decent but surely not the biggest place on earth. If you want to get an overview first put on your fast shoes and head up to Käferbärg, which offers a little escape into the woods and a beautiful view over the city, the lake and the incredible alps. Make sure you set out for the trip in the late afternoon to catch the golden evening sun.

Käferberg

Close to my studio, this little restaurant has become my go to place if I want to treat myself for lunch. Honest meals, affordable and made with love.

Restaurant Viadukt

Escape the city and climb the little mountain overseeing Zurich. Best to bring your bike and enjoy one of the many single trails and downhill tracks down the 400 meters altitude.

Üetliberg

A beautiful bath to dip in the lake with a little beach and a tower out in the water to climb and jump from.

Mythenquai

Claudio the soul of Sacci Bar will take care of your needs and make sure you won’t leave town without having tasted the best Negroni or natural wines there is.

Sacchi 

Fancy a fancy dinner? Go to Kle. You’ll eat exclusively creations you’ve never experienced before. All vegan.

A small concert venue with one of the best bookings of local and international acts.

EXIL

Jump from the bridge into the cold waters of the Limmat and drift down to Obere Letten. Have a Margarita at the rooftop of Primitivo Bar whilst watching people and go to a concert in the evening at the near by Parkplatz.

Drahtschmidlisteg

Best see and to be seen place on a Sunday afternoon. Visit the lovely Cafe Bonheur or bring your own and sit around the fountain.

Bullingerplatz

Best cinema in town with the latest independent films and the most charming bar to linger around.

Bar & Kino Riff Raff

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Discover Zürich with Pablo Nouvelle

Safe Space

United Kingdom

London

As a queer person myself, pubs have always been such an unsure environment due to worry about safety for me, but I’m so proud to say that our lovely pub on the corner truly feels like one of the safest pubs in London, with a mix of queer vibes and that traditional pub atmosphere you can’t help but love and feel comfortable in! I’m so incredibly excited to have the opportunity to be a known safe space for all!

The Railway, Clapham

Regardless of your age, gender, race, sexuality or background, you can sit with us. We are making it our mission to make everyone feel comfortable in their own skin, because everyone deserves to look and feel out of this f#@king world.

At Alien Aesthetics we offer a 20% discount on treatments for gender journey work to help make supportive, affirming care more accessible during a time that can be both emotionally and financially challenging. We hope this reflects our commitment to allyship and affirms our deep adoration and respect towards the queer community that helped raise so many of us at Alien.

Alien Aesthetics 

The Arzner is London’s only LGBTQIA+ cinema. We are a safe space for everyone. We want our trans team members and customers to feel comfortable and celebrated. We reject any form of discrimination and do not tolerate hate. Whether you want to sit in the darkness and watch a queer film or just work from our cafe and bar to feel safe, we are here.

Arzner Cinema

We are canteen community serving homestyle cooking from around the world , celebrating and uplifting minority food and communities by providing a welcome cosy friendly space for ALL to share and be apart of. MOTHER proudly stands with and for the trans community. 

As a business that is owned and operated by members of minority communities we take pride in creating a safe joyous space for all individuals and groups that feel they need a little comfort through food, coffee or a classic nostalgic tune. If it feels like home. MOTHER is always here.💋

Mother Canteen

The Walthamstow Trades Hall is dedicated to being an inclusive, safe space for all. As a local community hub, we welcome everyone and will continue to do so with a zero tolerance approach to any forms of discrimination. We stand with our trans and non- binary siblings now and always.

Walthamstow Trades Hall

The Common Press is trans-inclusive and trans-led. Trans people’s rights, safety and dignity is at the core of all our work. We are more than a queer, intersectional bookshop, cafe and events space - we are a sanctuary for storytelling and queer culture and have become an essential third space for the LGBTQIA+ community. In May we will have an accessible gender neutral toilet installed in our space 🏳️‍⚧️🔥

Common Press 

We are a queer led organisation and have been developing the work of trans and queer theatre artists for a decade. Our building is a safe space for the community to make work, be together and thrive.

Hackney Showroom

At Theatre503 we are proud to be a safe space for trans people. We are constantly working to ensure that our spaces and programmes are welcoming and inclusive to all, that our team are informed and equipped to support trans audiences and artists, and that we champion trans voices on our stages and beyond. 

Theatre503 is a home for debut writers and a springboard for the artists who bring their words to life. We have two venues, a 64-seat theatre above the Latchmere pub in Battersea and a studio space in Nine Elms. We produce and co-produce shows by debut writers, hold regular workshops and masterclasses for playwrights and artists/creatives, and we provide artist development opportunities across all of our strands of work.

Theatre503

We collaborate with local community groups, organisations, charity’s, and individuals to ensure inclusivity and diversity in all aspects of our operation.

Firepit Art Gallery

We are a queer owned and run vege/vegan restaurant.

Our forever goal is to create and maintain a safe space for all - this means we only hire people who not only understand this but are passionate about ensuring all FLINTA* feel safe and welcome. We continue to work to ensure this is how our space stays.

Aya & Suki

Tucked away in the charming Georgian Village in Walthamstow, Pixie’s Bar is a cozy micro cocktail bar that puts community first. We proudly host regular LGBTQI+ events, creating a space where everyone can feel seen, celebrated, and safe. Our intimate setting, handcrafted cocktails, and warm, welcoming atmosphere make Pixie’s a unique haven for connection, expression, and joy. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, you’re always welcome at Pixie’s.

Pixies Bar 

As a proudly LGBTQ+ run and focussed venue, King’s Head Theatre is committed to welcoming and supporting all trans people. Our 200+ seat theatre and two bars are, and will continue to be, friendly, inclusive spaces for the queer community, and we are always keen to chat about how we can better support trans theatre-makers. Our bathrooms are gender neutral and we have a zero tolerance policy for transphobia and homophobia.

Kings Head Theatre

Anybody and everybody welcome here with no judgement or discrimination. It’s been a topic of conversation amongst staff and we’re so sad and concerned with the latest news.

EK Bakery

A Guide to Safe Spaces for Trans People in London

Chase & Status

Manchester

Bristol

This one has such pure, magical, rave energy of past era’s. It also has an inclusive dance floor environment, which makes it a great place to solo-rave, if that’s what you’re after.

FOLD

Home to the famous Warehouse Project. We’ve played there a lot and it’s by far one of the most epic venues in the UK, peaking at 10,000 capacity. It has big rave energy. 

The Depot

We definitely could not leave this one out… Arguably the most legendary club in the UK and we’ve been lucky enough to have played there many times. We also did our RTRN II Fabric Album stream there in 2020 with the late, legendary, Skibadee. A moment that will always be sacred to us.

Fabric London

Our Carnival memories stretch back to the mid 90’s but for the past few years we’ve found ourselves at Shy FX’s ‘Digital Soundboy’ stage. The vibes are always right, we’ve had the fortune to play there several times & not many people put on a party like Shy.


Notting Hill Carnival 

The 6 Best Venues to Rave with Chase and Status 

Pawn Chess Club

United States

New York City 

Hinge

“This is our favourite place to meet for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day. It’s also one of our favourite spots to host chess in the Lower East Side. We got our start at their sister restaurant, Casino, who hosted our first-ever event in May 2023.”

Casetta

“This is one of the last, old-school chess parlours in New York City. There’s nowhere else in New York (maybe even the world?) where you can play chess past midnight (they’ll stay open until dawn if there are enough players). If you’re lucky, you may even spot a well-known grandmaster or two.”

Chess Forum

“The best place to seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of the downtown core. Elizabeth Street Garden is at risk of being shut down by the Mayor of NYC Eric Adams — swing by the garden with a chess board in tow to show your support.”

Elizabeth Street Garden

“Located in Long Island City, this is one of our ultimate all-time favourite places to visit over and over again, especially when New York City life feels overwhelming. Artist Isamu Noguchi spent his lifetime experimenting with sculpture, gardens, furniture and lighting design, ceramics, architecture, and set design. Noguchi even designed a chess board which is on view at Chess Forum. Bring a book and read in the serene outdoor sculpture garden at the museum.”

Sculpture Garden at The Noguchi Museum

Discover more Anti-Clique Clubs 

Chess, Design & Natural Wine in NYC with Pawn Chess Club

Heartbroken

Belgium

Brussels

Ace & Tate

It’s a very old and typical Brussels daily flea market. You can find good bargains and nice antiques as well as a lot of weird stuff. I used to go there since I’m a kid with my Dad and we would just look for some nice furniture for the house, and after that we would have a sandwich and a soup at la Clef d’Or, a cafe that’s right on the square and is still running today. Those are my dearest childhood memories.

Jeu de Balle

It’s my favourite ice cream spot, I think, in the world. During the first lockdown everything was closed, and you could only have takeaways and I would walk from my home 35 minutes all the way to Bargello and every day I would go and buy one ice cream and that was like my highlight of the day. It’s a true Italian style ice cream parlour, they have these flavours that I love and that you don’t find so often, dark chocolate sorbet and tuscan cream with pistachio and almonds.

Bargello

It’s a little park located in the heart of Saint Gilles, that typically represents the diversity of Brussels as a lot of different crowds mix there. There is a basketball court and a field where people play pétanque while sipping a beer, the kids play in the grass and the skaters use the upper level’s flat ground with their friends watching them sitting on the stairs. During the first lockdown, it spontaneously became a big hang out place as the bars were closed down, to the point that the police came to confiscate the skating equipment due to neighbourhood complaints.

Place Louis Morichar

They make these awesome jerk chicken plates and also fish but also, they make these cocktails which are a bit too strong but are really good, it’s worth the money. They have a DJ, he plays reggae and dancehall and he’s always very hyped about being there, it’s a very nice vibe.

Jamaican Food Truck

Decoratelier started as a scenography workshop that his owner, Jozef Wouters, opened to other collectives and people from the neighbourhood, and it quickly became a strong community and an inclusive lab for all kinds of ideas and projects. The space is easy to adapt as they use modular scaffoldings to create a different setting for every event, so they have had theatre performances, screenings, club nights as well as karaoke and a gym club.

Decoratelier

Heartbroken’s Guide to Summer in Brussels

Moonchild Sanelly

South Africa

Johannesburg

You are guaranteed to get some quality drinks here!


Saint

You can find great music and good vibes. If you like braised meat this is the perfect place.

Makubenjalo

Head to the Marabi Club for tapas. It's also great for jazz bands and discovering local talent. 

Marabi Club

Bantu records in Parktown North is great for classical records. You can find everything from Miriam Makheba to my idols Busi Mhlongo and Erykah Badu. 

Bantu Records

Kwa Mai Mai Traditional Market is an off-grid location I suggest exploring. It’s an under-the-bridge experience, where there's makeshift South African restaurants and groove (party) all in one place. 

Kwa Mai Mai Traditional Market 

For my baddies with class and no budget, the Italian restaurant Gemeli is the perfect place to line your stomach.

Gemeli

For a night out I would suggest Nostra for a good after party. It’s a club that will have you on your feet all night long! 

Nostra

To experience the arts check out the Goodman Gallery in Rosebank. To anyone reading this, you need to follow Trevor Stuurman, the owner of the manor.

Goodman Gallery

For those that can last until after the after party, SUMMIT is the place to go. It’s a super fun strip club.  

SUMMIT

The Magaliesberg in northern South Africa, it’s just 30 minutes outside of Johannesburg with rock pools and lots of greenery, it’s a real wilderness experience. I think anyone reading this should definitely check it out if they are ever in northern South Africa. 

Magaliesberg

“It’s a Super Fun Strip Club”: Moonchild Sanelly Knows a Good Time in Johannesburg

Elkka

The now infamous dyke bar and cafe, which opened after 700 lesbians turned up for a 30-cap venue, is one of my favourite spots for day or night time hangs. Expect delicious natural wines, gorgeous artwork, and hand painted tiles crafted by the FLINTA community who helped build the space. On Tuesdays they run a speed dating night as well hosting other cute events. A sacred community space to meet friends and lovers alike.

La Camionera

A radical, queer independent bookshop in Bethnal Green which celebrates the writing, artwork and crafting talents of marginalised and underrepresented communities. They also have a great events lineup including lectures, panel discussions and queer parenting meetups.

The Scarlett Letters Bookshop

If you’re in need of some beautiful and unique ink, Vultures Peck are an amazing and incredibly talented queer tattoo artist based in Hackney.

Vultures Peck 

A dystopian-utopian dyke fantasy club night based at The Yard in Hackney Wick. Expect gogo dancers and your fave FLINTA DJs. Highly recommended to bump into your ex or future wifey.

U-Haul Dyke Rescue

For post-party recovery or a gentle midweek pause: sauna, yoga, queer poetry nights, and a dreamy place to WFH. The FLINTA sauna sessions are a must.

Hackney Wick Community Sauna

A gorgeous queer-owned gallery that was setup to promote and empower underrepresented voices and champion the next generation of artists and collectors. Ellie Pennick, the owner and gallerist, also owns and runs FLINTA social institution, Goldie's Saloon, which is located next door.

Guts Gallery

An inclusive second-hand clothing market run by queer folk selling clothes, art and some music too.

Fluide Market

“700 Lesbians in a 30-Capacity Venue”: Elkka Knows London’s FLINTA Scene Is Popping Off

Maya Kerthyasa

Indonesia

Bali

One of the best Balinese meals I’ve had recently was at Dapur Bali Mula in Les on the island’s north coast. Basically, it’s a kitchen run by chef Jero Mangku Dalem Suci Gede Yudiawan, who also happens to be a pemangku, or priest, in the area. He cooks everything over wood-fire in a hand-built clay stove, using only traditional, local ingredients and techniques.



This could be mackerel, caught that morning, massaged with yellow spices and turmeric leaves and cooked in a tube of young bamboo, or smoked chicken with raw sambal and Javanese long pepper leaves for greens. You might end proceedings with daluman leaf jelly in a glass of coconut cream and lontar-palm sugar syrup, or work your way through Yudiawan’s impressive collection of house-made arak – palm wine (also made from the nectar of the lontar tree) flavoured with everything from moringa leaves to fresh mango and fermented in 8th century Chinese clay pots. Either way, you’ll leave inspired.

Dapur Bali Mula

Mek Juwel is another absolute go-to in my books. It’s a warung, which is best described as a small local eatery that’s usually family-run and specialises in a specific regional dish. Mek Juwel serves nasi or rice, with ayam or chicken, braised in a secret formula of spices and aromatics until it’s fork tender and simultaneously bright and earthy on the palate. It’s displayed behind a glass counter alongside a spread of equally-as-delicious condiments – torch ginger flower sambal and stir-fried noodles, among them. Head there in the morning when the birds are still warm.



Over the past few decades, meat has become the star of the Balinese diet – but this hasn’t always been so. As recently as 35 years ago, our cuisine was mostly made-up of native plants. We’d cook whatever nature provided – whether that’s fern tips, mango leaves, young papaya, banana-tree trunks or young bamboo shoots. Proteins from larger animals (pigs, ducks) were reserved for ceremonies or special occasions, and smaller animals (dragonflies, frogs, small eels known as belut) would be foraged in the rice fields and eaten on more of a daily basis.

Mek Juwel

Batukaru Coffee Retreat is up in the foothills of the island’s western mountains and a great place to explore home-style Balinese vegetarian food. Its proprietor, Kentri Norberg, prepares her menus based on the food she ate growing up: just-picked, minimally fussed-with, naturally medicinal. She only uses house-made coconut oil and palm sugar from the farm next door; her rice is sourced from heirloom fields below the property; her coffee is grown biodynamically on the adjoining plantation. Comfort eating in its most nourishing form.

Batukaru Coffee Plantation

The north-east coast on the other side of the island, is brimming with artisanal producers such as sea-salt makers, home arak distilleries and coconut groves that turn out everything from palm sugar to coconut milk and oil. Many of the best cooks source their ingredients directly from these small producers out east. When I head up there, I like to stop at Warung Lesehan Merta Sari for fish sate. They use tuna, which they mince, spice and grill over coconut charcoals, served with white rice, a bowl of glassy seafood soup and stir-fried kangkung or water spinach. You dine lesehan-style, cross-legged on elevated seating platforms in a sprawling, buzzing dining hall.

Warung Lesehan Merta Sari

I’ve stopped eating pork for spiritual reasons, but have heard great things about the suckling pig at Babi Guling Pan Ana. The pork skin is the real draw here. It’s super-golden, crisp and glossy. Another big plus, is that this warung is located in Denpasar, which is a great place to explore all the different riffs on Indonesian cuisine. It’s often overlooked by travellers, but I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves food.

Babi Guling Pan Ana

Fu Shou Noodle Club Ubud is full of culinary treasures and one of its most intriguing casual diners. The offerings are kept simple. There’s a few varieties of steaming bakmie noodle soups with free-range chicken, mushrooms or pork, classic Hainan chicken rice and pangsit dumplings deep-fried or boiled in chicken broth. It’s all made from scratch, in-house and with a noticeable dose of care.

Fu Shou Noodle Club

Room4Dessert, on the opposite end of town, is my favourite special-occasion restaurant. You’ve probably heard of it if you’re a Chef’s Table binge-watcher or a proud owner of chef-owner Will Goldfarb’s dreamy cookbook (Room for Dessert, Phaidon, 2018). What I love about Goldfarb’s cooking and ethos is that he’s such a champion for real Balinese produce. He digs deep to source rare native foods from small-scale farmers, and works with them thoughtfully, allowing the produce to shine. There’s a blockbuster tasting menu 21-courses strong, and a new a la carte menu that’s super-accessible if you’d rather drop in for a tray of house-baked breads and condiments with a glass of natural wine.

​Room4Dessert

The Best Local Spots to Eat in Bali with Maya Kerthyasa

cktrl

Best fried dumplings in south. Healthiest juices available too (Apple juice and moringa)

Zionly Manna 

Best jerk chicken and rice & peas in south, fight me. Always hits different.

Smokey Jerkey

Chef can make anything happen with jackfruit.

Deserted Cactus

Health is wealth here, all your ital plant based dietary needs are met. Menu changes daily too.

Joys Health Sanctuary

Spelt flour fried dumplings actually go hard.. when there’s any left.

Lovegift Vegan 

West Indian Spots in Southeast London With cktrl

Labdi

Kenya

Nairobi

1824 Lounge and Bar

A little bougie, but you get to have breakfast with giraffes

Giraffe Manor

Giraffe Center

Nairobi National Park

Mama Oliech

Labdi's Guide to Nairobi

ZAMILSKA

Iceland

Reykjavík

In Iceland we have many wonderful things: clean water, clean air, breathtaking views, volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, LGBT marriages. But what we don’t have is specialty coffee – even though Iceland ranks high when it comes to coffee consumption. And I am an awful snob about this. I bring back kilos of specialty coffee from Poland, but sometimes my supplies run out, and then I’m always saved by the baristas at Reykjavik Roasters. They have three charming locations scattered around the city. A quick coffee, a long meeting with a friend, a nice date after a walk – it always turns out I end up meeting people there. Relaxed, casual atmosphere. You can drop in to work, read a book, or just stare blankly into space.

Reykjavik Roasters

I come from Poland, and when it comes to pierogi I have serious standards. Pierogi is life. Can you imagine the relief Polish people in Iceland felt when Kemuri, a Polish pierogi place, opened? What’s more – these pierogi are so good they bring tears to your eyes. On top of that – excellent cakes, incredibly kind service, and a super cozy interior. It’s practically the meeting center for young Poles. Don’t have time, or simply don’t feel like making pierogi for the holidays? Kemuri always comes to the rescue. I think no Polish grandma would ever be ashamed of their pierogi.

Kemuri

In English that means 'the good shepherd.' Why? I have no idea. If you need dopamine in your life and at the same time you’re a fan of buying second-hand things, this place will be like paradise for you. Paradise with no way out. A paradise where you enter and come out a week later. The strangest, most wonderful second-hand shop. They have EVERYTHING. Furniture, dishes, electronics, books. It doesn’t even make sense for me to list them. Want a lamp shaped like a dinosaur? No problem. Need a toaster? Here you go. Everything checks out here. You can dig out design pearls for small money, furnish a flat, discover wonders, and at the same time take care of the planet by not adding to the production of more things that later float in the ocean. 90% of the things in our apartment come from this shop, and we already have the reflex that if we need something, we first go check whether they have it second-hand. Win-win.

Gòði Hirðirinn

For me, after sound, smell is the most important way of “remembering” reality. If you want to take a piece of Iceland home with you, you should definitely go to Fischersund. It’s a perfumery founded in 2017 by Jónsi from Sigur Rós and his family. Perfumes are handmade using high-quality Icelandic oils, poured and packaged by hand in a sustainable way in Iceland. They are inspired by Iceland’s pure, unique nature, using herbs and oils gathered in Iceland’s wilderness. Each perfume also has its own visual and… musical identity. The perfumery itself is absolutely magical. It’s like crossing an Icelandic door in the center of Reykjavík that suddenly takes you right into the middle of nature. Here everything makes sense, and scent and sound have never been so perfectly matched.

Fischersund

In Icelandic it means “Bad Taste,” and that’s also the name of the record label located in this space. First, there was a radio program hosted by Ásmundur Jónsson and Guðni Rúnar Agnarsson from 1975–1983. It was practically a progressive music school for Icelanders. For their final broadcast in July 1983, they gathered a “supergroup” of musicians who, in their view, represented the most interesting elements of the musical wave that had swept Iceland since the early 1980s. Among them was Björk Guðmundsdóttir. Since the radio performance was meant to be a one-off, the group initially had no name, but soon decided to continue – and the band was named Kukl. They performed across Europe to positive reception, though their music was considered dark, complex, and hard to digest.

The people behind Kukl shared more than just the desire to make innovative music – they aimed to create a foundation for a self-sustaining culture that could thrive without the support of the state or mass media. That foundation later transformed into Bad Taste. The name comes from Pablo Picasso’s manifesto: “Good taste and frugality are the enemies of creativity.” Bad Taste is also the birthplace of the band The Sugarcubes. The first work of Smekkleysa was a postcard drawn by Friðrik Erlingsson, then guitarist of Sykurmolarnir (Icelandic for The Sugarcubes), the band led by Einar Örn and Björk. It featured the faces of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, a map of Iceland, and the flags of the USSR and the United States in the background, due to the Reykjavík Summit in October 1986.

Smekkleysa is now a record shop named after the label, located in downtown Reykjavík. Besides a huge assortment of records, books, and merch, it’s also a hub of independent music. Countless events, concerts, and regular DJ sets organized by Björk and her friends take place there. Just imagine the faces of tourists strolling downtown Reykjavík when through the window they suddenly see Björk bouncing like a ball, blasting her gabber set in the middle of the day.

Smekkleysa

Another center of independent music in Reykjavík. Founded in 1998, 12 Tónar is truly a legendary record store and record label in the heart of Reykjavík. I remember walking in for the first time on shaky legs because I only knew it from legendary stories. In 2019 they also opened a bar and café, which became very popular among locals. They regularly host concerts and events in the store or in their beautiful garden.

12 Tónar

This is a small lake right in the center of Reykjavík. Supposedly nothing special – but there lives a very special swan. I’m not sure if it’ll still be there, we feed to check first; lately it disappears for long stretches. It’s a swan with a crooked neck, famous among locals. It looks like a periscope. Nobody knows what happened to it. Some say it was born like that, others that it was attacked – though it would’ve had to be bitten by a whole pack of coyotes. I don’t know. Anyway, it melts my heart completely. It always swims off to the side because it’s different. I’m so fond of it that I even decided to tattoo it with the inscription J’adore Hardcore…

Tjörnin

Top Spots to See in Reykjavik During Iceland Airwaves With Zamilska

Justice Wears Cool Pants

Los Angeles 

On Running

In LA, there’s really no Caribbean culture. So, the Jerk Spot is one of those places that I go to and it makes me forget that I’m in LA kind of thing. The food’s incredible, the area is like this little small, almost hole-in-the-wall type spot. I’m a big foodie.

The Jerk Spot

In my free time, I’ve been taking photos. I’m like a fake photographer, for me it’s significant because it’s when you create memories and don’t take photos of them, you almost forget about them. So, when I go to that photo lab to develop my photos and I receive them, it almost feels like me reliving these memories.