WHERE NOT TO SHOP If you're off on a shopping spree to any of the world's fashion capitals, check out the annually updated Where to Wear guides written by fashion journalists.
These insider bibles list shops alphabetically and have sections on out-of-the-way boutiques, discount outlets and the best places to shop for vintage or bridal wear. They tend to be forthright: "If the merchandise is hot but the staff are frosty, we let you know," claim the authors of the London guide. There are also user-friendly maps, a list of chic lunch spots and the best day-spas. The guides, published by Fairchild & Gallagher (£29.99 in UK), come in a boxed set of four, covering London, New York, Italy and Paris. Deirdre McQuillan
POLISH FOOD HITS THE SPOT Harry's Cafe Bar in Dún Laoghaire is well known as a lunchtime spot, but it's now offering an evening menu of Polish dishes at weekends. Three courses cost just €15, and the menu includes beetroot soup, potato rosti, dumplings, and rolled pork. The atmosphere is fun, despite no alcohol being sold. You can be in and out in an hour, having eaten well but cheaply, and ready to move on elsewhere. Owner Derek Bennett says the clientele is half Irish and half Polish. "Polish people say the food is as it should be and the Irish say it tastes great and is great value. The idea is to offer something different because it's so expensive to eat out." Harry's Cafe Bar, 21 Upper Georges Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2808337. Eoin Lyons
A MAG FOR NON-LADS Are you a man who insists on razor-sharp trouser creases? Do you agonise over the correct way to doff one's hat at a lady without her taking umbrage? If so you may find solace in The Chap, a magazine that tailors to the immaculately clad gentleman and braves the vulgarity of modern-day culture with a stiff upper lip.
Chaps (and chapettes) propose a return to a more refined way of life. Using dignified attire and cast-iron etiquette, they rail against the "blandification" and ill-manners of today's society. Grooming is paramount, and the magazine devotes much space to critical and sometimes perplexing issues of sartorial angst. Such as the correct angle of rakishness at which to tilt one's trilby, or how many pairs of spats to take on holiday. Riveting stuff indeed.The recent Chap Olympics in London drew a large and elegantly clothed crowd to witness events such as the cucumber sandwich discus and the pipe relay. A quick look south of the monocle and north of the handlebar moustache revealed the tongue firmly entrenched in the cheek, although one would be far too polite to point it out. To find out more see www.thechap.net. Claire O'Connell
DRINK UP AT HOME Park the car keys, pull up a chair at home and sip on a selection of characterful wines from small producers in France, each accompanied by a brief chat about its characteristics, the region it comes from and the person that makes it. And you won't even have the wash the wine glasses afterwards. Mona Lisa Wines has been offering this service to its Galway customers, to great acclaim, and the service is now available in Dublin. For €10 per person they'll bring a selection of wines to your home or business and run the tasting session. Of course, they'll sell you the ones you like. The optimum number of people for the tastings is six, they say. Great way of avoiding expensive mistakes, we say. www.monalisawines.eu. Marie-Claire Digby
MMMM IS FOR MANGO The heady, honeyed smell is the first of many pleasures imparted by Punjabi mangoes, the colour of sunshine. Inhaling deeply, you slice off the cheeks and scoop out the soft, golden flesh with a teaspoon. Then peel the skin from the stone and get stuck in with your teeth. (It is impossible to do this politely, and it usually results in a yellow muzzle and a permanently stained T-shirt.) Purists baulk at this sacrilege, but if you tire of eating them neat, make a Meringoe by mixing the fruit with some vanilla ice cream and mushed-up meringue, topped with a couple of mint leaves.
Chousa mangoes are the most choice variety, advises Nadeem Hussain, whose family shop in Portobello, Dublin 2 sells a 3.5kg box, containing between six and 10 mangoes, for €11. The season runs from July to the end of August, says Hussain, so there's more than a month left to indulge. Shabnam Foods, 3 South Richmond Street, Dublin 2, 01-4783094. Joyce Hickey
MAXXIMUM SAVINGS CPD is the latest buzzword in fashion circles. It stands for compulsive price disclosure, and it's when you answer up proudly when a friend admires something you picked up for a song in, say, TK Maxx. The US chain is to open another Irish outlet, in Drogheda, in late September. On a recent visit to the revamped St Stephen's Green branch, where thrill-seekers can find bargains, we found Betty Jackson jackets and shirts from the current collection at a fraction of their original price; zany print jeans from Moschino; and Elle McPherson lingerie. Hackett of London sportswear for men is a new arrival.
Contrary to what many people think, 90 per cent of TK Maxx stock is current season fashion, not seconds. You take your chances any time you visit, and stock comes in daily. A recent delivery of surfboards and wetsuits sold out within hours. Deirdre McQuillan
SING WHILE YOU SWIM Last week we speculated that soon, even swimming goggles would have built-in MP3 features. Well, turns out that you can already bring your iPod with you when you take the plunge. Otterbox oPod protective cases are drop-proof, sand-proof and waterproof, and can be combined with H20 waterproof headphones for a complete underwater soundtrack. Check them out on www.otterbox. com. For Irish orders log on to www.expansys.ie. Eimear McKeith
CAMERAPHONE COMPETITION Tomorrow night is the first deadline for our weekly cameraphone competition. Winners will see their images published every week, and will win a Sony Ericsson K750i or a cameraphone. The overall winner will represent Ireland in an international contest in 2007.
To enter just snap a photo on your phone and text it to 087-6650685 by midnight on Sunday. Set your phone to max resolution for best results. Full terms and conditions on www.ireland.com/promotions/ mobilesnapper.
SPRAOI FOR FREE From their beginnings at Burundi's Royal Palace, the Drummers of Burundi are now making their way to quayside Waterford. The percussion ensemble make their Irish debut at the Spraoi festival next weekend. They have been drumming along since the 1960s, with people such as Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel. More than 200 acts of world music and street theatre - also including French life-size puppets Delits de Façade and the Irish Tumble Circus - will take part in Spraoi, from Friday August 4th to Sunday 6th. All performances are free. www.spraoi.com. Nicoline Greer