This place is in the meat packing district, so a different vibe from the others we tried. Very casual and definitely frequented by more locals than tourists. A large bar appeared to accommodate singles, as well as couples, who wanted just to drink or eat with their food. A good selection of oysters as well as lightly smoked seafood was offered for starters and then a variety of seafood for mains. They offer one meat and one vegetarian entree but their dessert selection left me uninterested.
Located in a reclaimed warehouse in the middle of nowhere on a waterfront, it was worth finding. Someone told us that the land around there has a prohibition on new buildings so reclaimed space is it and the dull exterior would not warn you how modern and slick the interior space is finished out.
It would be hard for any restaurant to live up to the expectations that come with knowing it’s re-taken the #1 spot on “best restaurants in the world”. Noma is totally creative and serves only what it can source locally in its take on Nordic cuisine. It is located in an old warehouse on the waterfront and is very nice inside yet rustic. The atmosphere is the best – very casual – with lots of banter going on between the folks in the open kitchen.
Vetri is a tiny place with amazing food! It is a tasting menu format but a little different. They present you with a menu and you can choose anything that sounds particularly good or veto the opposite for your particular dinner. We also chose an option to split a couple of the pasta courses so we could try more things. They offer wine pairings which were basically well chosen and good quality but very short pours, so many times the pour didn’t accommodate the entire course (this is one of my pet peeves!
WOW! I could write forever about this place – a wonderful experience on so many levels! The restaurant offers 2 tasting menus, one seasonal and the other vegetarian. They do not offer wine pairings but the staff were very helpful in advising on wine selection. In fact the staff was awesome and there was no pressure to eat and move on so the table could be turned.
NoMad Restaurant is located in, where else, the NoMad Hotel. It definitely was not just for hotel guests though as the room for lunch was filled with business dealings, lady shoppers, and couples looking for a quiet and tasty retreat. It offers a small menu at lunch but everything we tried was delicious and beautifully presented.
It’s been a couple years since we were last here and the ratings of EMP continue to rise. Its chef also manages the NoMad Restaurant so you will see some similarities of preparation. Stellar credentials but somehow it misses the mark with me. The food is beautifully presented, the room is gorgeous and the staff totally spoil you, but the flavor impact is just not there. It is one of those restaurants that is lost in the presentation and show of the food.
This bustling spot was as fresh as the seafood! Lots of locals and tourists eating at shared tables. While you didn’t feel rushed you could see the line of people waiting to get in but being from the US we were early and missed that. The waiters were most helpful in making selections of preparation and wine. The prices are reasonable on everything and sharing is encouraged.
A very lovely space for dining which was only half full the night we were there, probably due to the Metro strike that kept people home. The dining room is all red and cream and the stairway down to the kitchen’s ceiling is hung with an upside down table service-complete with flatware. The back wall is covered entirely with a mural that hides the service doors well.
A really old school kind of place with white table clothes, every piece of tableware labeled and more waiters than customers. Lots of table side presentation which surprised me with the entrée as they brought this huge plate and served me some and took the rest back to the kitchen. I was really glad they didn’t put that huge portion in front of me but wondered what happens to the returning food? Not to worry too much cause I probably won’t be going back.
A delightful little place with pretty and good tasting food! Their tasting menu is about 20 courses and is supposed to tell a story with each course, many to do with Portuguese life. They are big on freshness, flavor and less fat and it works. Lovely details like the orchid and linens as well as a helpful and friendly staff make it a wonderful experience.
This is one of 2 restaurants of Chef Ljubomir Stanisic in Lisbon. It is a tasting menu only for about 30 people and has 2 seatings each evening. Wines, run around the top of all the walls and they offer wine pairings in classic or premium style. We chose the classic and they were fine and generous pours.
What a surprise this place was! It was a fair walk and seemed to be in a residential community but it was a delight and worth the effort. It was a rainy day but otherwise the tables overlooking or in the back garden would be a wonderful place to eat. Apparently it was a place journalists often met over food and in fact that day a group was in a bigger room and the waiter said they were writers. Who knows?
What a fun evening! This is a family operation with dad cooking in back and son working the service portion out front. We were seated in the first kitchen (a second one was behind another door) as the son noticed we were from out of town and thought we might enjoy the action. He was right! A very stylish place, with lots of thought thrown into every detail.
A wonderfully creative building located in a park in Vienna. It offers the options of a 6 or 7 course tasting or ordering a la carte. They also offer wine pairings for the tasting menus. Each course offers you 2 options and we both choose differently, to once again try the most of what they offer.
A tasty gem of a restaurant and a real bargain at lunch! Fine service and fun wall murals along with a cozy interior made it a relaxing dining experience – and all under the watchful eye of longtime owner Bauer. The goose liver was outstanding. The homemade noodles were also fabulous and should have been made better with fresh shavings of white Alba truffles but unfortunately someone had forgotten to properly clean this one and it threw off grit into the otherwise stellar dish. We had their lunch special menu and portions were large enough we didn’t want to order dessert and in keeping with their service level they brought us a lovely little cake to finish.
This beautiful restaurant is located in the Palais Coburg, a magnificently restored building that is now a hotel of suites. The whole place exudes elegance and the restaurant delivered a product in keeping with excellent food and service. Named for the chef, Silvio Nickel, he visited the dining room briefly but was there when we finally finished our meal. All meals starts with about 4 amuse bouche and end with a plate of petit fours. In between you can chose 5 to 9 courses, but the waiter warns you that the plates are not scaled if you order more, so we stuck to 5 and were perfectly full by leaving.
A relatively new restaurant for London, the chef/owner Michael Jonsson has already received a Michelin star. It is well given considering the flavor content of this meal! The chef background as an ingredients expert drives him to obtain the finest and freshest ingredients possible.
Tafelspitz or boiled beef is a a regular offering in Vienna and this is the place to get it. They offer more variations of the cut of beef than anybody else. It is a large place and there is definitely a system to it. They give you pictures and instructions on how it is all eaten and are quick to get to your table to refill your plate from the serving dishes.
Fera is in the gorgeous Claridge’s hotel in the Mayfair section of London and just opened in May of this year. Simon Rogan is the chef and co-owner but splits his time between here and 3 other restaurants he runs. We visited his first London restaurant, Roganic, on our last trip and loved the place, so we went with great expectations.
This restaurant is located in the lovely Mandarin Oriental Hotel and thus I’ve included a number of photos of the hotel reception and pass through to get to the restaurant. They set up a feeling of elegance for the diner and the restaurant did not disappoint.
The Ledbury was another repeat visit and I believe it’s gotten even better! It’s a fairly small place and offers a tasting menu as well as a la carte. You quickly start with several amuse bouche which were all quite tasty and nice bites of intense taste. The meal had a few blander spots but nothing bad, just not overwhelming.
This is a highly regarded Indian spot with some interesting twists on standard dishes. Not a large place it is almost impossible to secure an evening reservation, but they offer the full menu plus a lunch value menu midday. We did a combo with one lunch menu and several a la carte options with guidance from our server and reviews we’d read.
A little neighborhood gem of a restaurant with hearty food of the region. The appetizers alone were enough to make a meal of but it did appear that the ‘locals’ had some other smaller options on the German menu. The fried chicken livers were hot, crisp and tasty especially with the moist potato salad.
Our first night in Vienna and with a bit of jet lag we took on this nice little chef owned place. They offer 2 tasting menus of 4 or 6 courses with wine pairings and we opted to each have one of the 6 course tastings with pairings. Thus the photos look like a lot more food and wine than we consumed individually. Overall tasty food and nice service but not either in an outstanding category.
A relatively large space that was packed with people and turned tables as soon as they opened. There is no tasting menu but they are known for their beef and fish both of which are brought out on trays at the beginning of the meal for you to choose from. The beef seemed to be getting brought out a lot more often than the fish on our visit. The steaks are for 2 and served with a salad.
This restaurant holds about 50 people and offers two tasting menus to choose from. The Degustation du Chef option has everything on the Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise and adds about 6 courses and those proved to be some of our favorites. A very stylish place with a black and white check motif in the kitchen, menu and bill presentation, it offers very friendly and helpful service.
This place of about 10 tables opened in November 2014. It offers a tasting menu as well as a la carte options. With the tasting menu you can get wine or non-alcoholic pairing. The room has a small window into the kitchen but you see more finishing touches than actual cooking. The ceiling has a light show they are very proud of, they call say it is “like a field in the wind which is always changing”. It is interesting – they have a guide about it if you ask.
A really long shaped restaurant that is divided into smoking and non-smoking rooms, it offers casual and friendly service and atmosphere. Food here is not fancy but homestyle with slight variations in the offerings. They have beer served with different amounts of foam from tanks that is cold and goes down easily. The staff was helpful in ordering on our first visit and extremely friendly. It was nice enough that we returned for a second visit during our trip and that’s about the best endorsement there is!
Sometimes the exterior just doesn’t tell the story, cause the outside window only hinted at the action going on in The Clove Club. It is a place that likes to serve often overlooked British ingredients, like cobnuts. They usually serve a 5 course menu and offer small plates at the bar but we asked for the extended tasting when we made the reservation to be able to taste a larger number of their products. We didn’t make the wrong choice here!
A large place and not filled with people, which is a bad sign. The usual dim sum offerings were there but it had no soul.
A huge place that is really busy. It’s on the second floor of a pretty lame mall but the dim sum is well worth the trip.
What a delight this place was! Great service, incredible food and nice setting – easily my favorite meal in Vancouver. We started with some of their signature cocktails while we unwound from our tardy flight, which made us arrive directly from the airport with bags in tow. They were most accommodating as we called them from the Customs line.
This restaurant came with high recommendations from the various Vancouver publications as well as several well known chat groups/blogs. I’d say it needs some tweaking to be worthy of that praise. It’s located in the Rosewood Hotel which was totally convenient since we were staying there, but also brings with that some high expectations.
This is a hot reservation in Vancouver and it was buzzing the night we were there. The chef as well as other “quality control” people roam constantly from the dining room to the open kitchen. Our waiter was particularly fun and was eager to suggest other places we should go during our stay.
This was a place I really looked forward to going back to after our first meal there a couple years prior. The service surprisingly had some holes but then Gagnaire was not in the house this night. One of the features of this place is that they like to serve a number of plates at the same time and they add to your meal with a number of amuse bouche to begin and sweets to end the meal.
A very small place in Paris that appears to be one of the very few that age their beef. This is hard to find in Paris. It’s also hard to get a reservation if you don’t speak French but our hotel was good enough to do that for us and our waiter turned out to speak wonderful English. They have a good size wine list and a stand out crusty bread.
A very modern two level restaurant by Chef David Toutain, previously of Agape Substance Restaurant. We were seated on the second level which turned out to be a little quieter than the first floor and lucky since the bathroom is also on the second level. The menu is a tasting format and your choice involves how many courses you want to have.
A moderately sized restaurant which is open for Sat. lunch with a 3 course fixed price menu. It’s simple but well done food. The hardboiled eggs seemed plain but add to them some spicy mayo and black truffle and they are delicious. The bone marrow was plentiful and the toast was nicely seasoned with garlic and salt. It was scrumptious, but then I am a marrow lover.
A hot place in Paris right now with two seatings. You can get a reservation for the first and if not you wait at the bar down a couple doors. We were the early time so it started out very nice and relaxed but soon fell into chaos as the waitstaff were overwhelmed and service really suffered. Everyone eats the same tasting menu, which includes multiple amuse bouche, but substitutions are offered for dietary restrictions.
We’ve been here many times and were disappointed in our spring meal but they did much better this time, maybe because it was lunch and they were less crowded or maybe because Chef Bruno was there. Either way they were back on the mark this time. In fact it was so good I forgot to photograph the delicious grilled razor clams!
We’ve been here enough times they seem to know us now! It is worth going back to again and again. It’s a small place that is always packed – reservations are a must at dinner. The beginning cone of schie is hot, crispy and a perfect appetite enhancer. They are helpful in selecting a wine in your price range that is tasty.
This small restaurant becomes much larger in the summer when they also open the building across from it and have outdoor seating. In the winter it is a wonderfully cozy spot where the owners are very present. The owner’s daughter presented us with the “drawn at the table” dessert menu and the owner helped us make our meal selections. They even have their own label of wine which was tasty and went well with the food.
This restaurant is a couple miles from the Quarter but worth the walk or cab ride! I thought I wanted the downstairs dining room but was pleased to find the upstairs quieter and airy with lots of windows for nice lighting. They offer a 3 course lunch menu and a number of other plates to add to the meal. Even the “small plates” are enough to share. I would warn that the wine list is a little spendy, with a pretty good markup.
When you do it right, we’ll be back and such was the case for this restaurant that we first tried earlier this year. Although our Texas friend/owner and her husband were not there you would never have known. We had a different waiter this time but he was just as friendly and helpful as last visit’s (the waiter from April came over to chat and show us the photo of his new wife!).
Always a favorite place for us to eat in the Quarter. The freshest of seafood and the most accommodating staff ever. We ordered most of our favorites this trip.
This restaurant is located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter. It is an ambitious but needed addition to the dining scene there. A large restaurant divided into several smaller rooms with attentive yet casual service. In fact I found us often involved in lengthy conversations with members of the serving team.
This small restaurant is in the uptown area, so a cab ride from the quarter, and not well marked (the cabbie drove by). It is an a la carte menu with some things quite good and others disappointing. This will probably not get a repeat visit by me.
A beautiful, small restaurant located in the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal in Paris. A pretty room complimented by lots of mirrors and a wall of windows looking into a garden. There are only about 10 tables and they are nicely spaced to give you space but not isolation. They also employed a female as one of the head waiters which is too often a rarity.
A great little spot, but come hungry cause they believe in large portions! Very cozy and friendly I had heard many good things about their Boeuf Bourguignon and the simple yet honest cooking style of the place. They understand about the portion size and so many of the plates can be ordered as a half portion. You’ll want to get the half so you can have room for dessert.
Another small gem which finally received their first Michelin star rating this year. The older of our 2 servers was definitely proud and although I would agree the food is creative and good enough the service needed a little help. Another problem we had was language difficulty, but that would be more expected as we venture farther from the standard tourist dining path. But all that said, it was a lovely evening and as the place was filled with folks celebrating and enjoying dinner. They offer some a la carte items but the menu is simply do you want 4, 7 or 10 courses and any dietary restrictions? The portions are well sized so having the 10 courses was not a problem.
Another small place located upstairs in part of the Thoumieux Hotel, has a lounge like setting – lots of couches rather than chairs. I found the bench seat way too low for comfortable dining and needed to cram their pillows behind me to give me back support. It had a weird vibe to me from the start, with the staff being efficient but not all that friendly. The lunch menu was presented without adequate explanation and we had to ask several times and people for a wine list. The contrast of a place resting on their already received 2 Michelin stars vs those still trying for that rating was huge.
Another small gem serving wonderful traditional French food in generous quantities! The owner, Boboss, and his wife are on the floor and very friendly and anxious for you to have a great time in their house. He speaks fairly good English also. As you get seated in this cozy quaint place you are brought a slice of sausage and glass of wine to snack on as you look over the menu.
A cozy irregularly shaped room with a bar with a number of hanging hams and such on one end and the rest of the place filled with tables and stools – easy to size to any party. I love the kind of casual place with the hooks for coats interspersed with a variety of “art” collected over the years. A noisy and lively room where we heard mostly Italian being spoken and the vibe was very friendly.
An elegant little place overlooking the Arno River, tucked into low building that houses it and a more casual dining spot. Next door is the medieval tower of San Niccolo. The interior is modern but comfortable and the kitchen is open through a large window in the dining room where diners can watch their dinners being prepared. They offer both 6 and 8 course tasting menus. Starting with a little pigeon liver sandwich covered with seeds was a very tasting way to start. Even a radish, so simple yet with the bit of butter it became special.
A two room place that seemed a little out of the way but worth the walk. A friendly and casual place with a small menu. We started with their mixed meat antipasto and all the hams and sausages were quite good and finally a good bread basket to accompany them! We didn’t know the warm liver crostini was part of it or maybe the waiter just brought it to us – hard to tell – but it was a pleasant surprise. It had a ground meat like consistency instead of the usual smooth texture and was served warm with a broth that slightly moistened the crostini.
A much bigger place than many of the other spots we visited, we were glad to be placed in a smaller much quieter room. The servers were quite friendly and we have a fun view of the street through the huge window next to us. We understood they had a bar next door and thought we would arrive early and have a cocktail but it was so crowded we went to the restaurant to see if they had a bar where we could spend time till our reservation.
I guess this is what “food-to-go” would be like if you lived in Florence. A mother and son team cook and serve counter seating in this small little place. Most we saw were dining there but we did see folks come and get containers to go. There is a large wine selection and you just walk around and pull the bottle you want and then order from a chalkboard menu.
A small place you’d walk right by but don’t. It has endless options of combinations and the efficient and friendly service delivers it to your table fast and hot. Everything was very tasty and honest.
What a great way to start our trip! A small place filled with a mix of locals and tourists but the waiters are happy to see all. We were there at lunch and my understanding is that it’s much calmer then than at dinner. They have a house wine but it was pretty rough so we ordered off the very reasonable list with the waiter being more than happy to take back the house carafe. They are well known for several things but most spectacular is their eggs and artichokes.
An old school seafood restaurant that has been in business a long time. Efficient service, tasty bread and wonderfully fresh seafood. They are most accommodating and will adapt plates to your requests.
An old school seafood restaurant that gets quite crowded at lunch, which was the time we visited. The seafood is fresh, tasty and generous, but I’d skip the rice pudding.
A return to Coi proved to be a good choice. They have improved their dining room to a warmer interior but their service is just as friendly and fun. They serve a tasting menu an offer pairings however we chose to order our own wines. They started everyone with puffed rice crackers and a totally creamy avocado spread. The egg yolk, served in smoked olive oil was a mild taste but all the ingredients blended very nicely.
We cancelled our reservation here last year but got rave reviews from a friend we suggested go there and am glad we got there this year. An Italian inspired cuisine but with a California twist they are well deserved of their Michelin one star rating for the second year. We went on a Sat. when they offer a pasta tasting menu with wine pairings optional.
What a place, what a meal! We were going to try their new chef’s counter but the Sous Chef was injured and so Joshua Skenes had to be in the main kitchen. However on Fri and Sat nights all eat the Discovery tasting menu so it was none-the-less an over the top menu. We opted to not have their wine pairing and instead Mark Bright, co-owner and wine guy, chose several half bottles to accompany things and then through in several glasses of stuff we ‘just had to try.’
A dining event! This place started as a dinner party in the chef David Barzelay’s home in 2009 and grew so popular it made sense to become a regular venue and thus the physical restaurant opened in Sept of 2014. He wants to recreate the feel of being at a friend’s dinner party with folks encouraged to interact with one another as well as the many chefs in the open kitchen. It starts in the balcony area of the large room where you may buy cocktails or wine but everybody is welcomed with a cup of punch and the waiters are good about bringing around water. We visited with a couple that was on their 3rd visit and several other first-timers. It was a comfortable setting with tidbits being passed by waiters except for the heat factor, which affected the second story more.
This small family run place was one of our favorites on our last visit so even though it’s not conveniently located we re-visited. A couple started it in 1972 and named it for their son, Sacha, who took it over after culinary school It has a feel of elegance from the appointments and the clientele and appears to have a host of regulars that make it a hard reservation to get. One word of caution also is that most of the staff does not (or maybe chooses not) to speak English.
Another repeat from last trip with less successful results. Last time was lunch with a vibrant dining room and the chef coming by the table. This time for dinner and we were one of 2 tables in the dining room but waiter said upstairs was full and the chef didn’t choose to come by our table, but our waiter was super friendly even with the slow service. The meal started with the same amuse bouche as before but this time the cheese biscuits were cold and dry and the soup seemed pasty and the fish overly strong.
Hotel Herman was started by a couple of guys that wanted to have a hotel and restaurant but fell in love with the restaurant part and ended up with no room for a lodging. As our server said it’ll become a hotel “maybe when we’re all rich!” They serve a number of small plates that are easily shared and recommend that you order several per person. The service is efficient and friendly creating a nice vibe in the place.
This moderately sized place has numerous tables along with a long bar and they need them all. Popular and fairly fast, as their name would indicate. Very attentive and efficient service made it a pleasant place but the noise level was moderate. We started with the bone marrow which was excellent, three large bones-enough to share. We also had the chicken liver pate, on the waitress’ recommendation and it was smooth and tasty but nothing new. The pistachios added a nice crunch but it really could have benefitted from a topping of jelly. Oddly it didn’t come with nice toasts but they did have cornichons and mustard for the table.
A larger, slightly elegant place located in a store front labeled for an electronics store. Inside is a stark white room with nice windows on one side but no art or decoration adorns the wall which gives it a sterile feeling. Our particular waitress embodied that sterility but others seemed more animated. The wine list is marked up more than others, however the foods are well priced and mostly very good.
This is a smaller place where the menu changes daily. Their dozen 2-3 tops are constantly full and they offer a larger picnic table for larger parties. The kitchen is on one end of the room and you could see the guys coming in with supplies from their butcher shop which is located a couple of doors down. The plates are smaller and most are designed for sharing.
A big and POPULAR place – and with this goes all the usual – noisy, crowded and mixed service. A very happy crowd, though, and the plates are huge but mostly brown. The seating is close enough that there is across the table talk with others glad to show off their plates and offer opinions but with so many people the service timing was way off and they would walk right by your empty glass with water pitcher in hand. All of the service personnel were so friendly though, it was hard to take offense.
A moderately sized place, if you count the large patio in the back. They have also added a room next door but it does not yet have a license to sell wine so it hardly counts yet – but soon. It is known for its vegetables some of which are harvested from the garden at Joe Beef and others are purchased from local farmers. Either way they stress fresh and seasonal.
Talk about a “hole in the wall” – this is it! There were 4 tables in the front room and a some bar seats. I later found they had another room down the hall that squeezed in another 8 tables and all were full. Not on the tourist path but you couldn’t have found a friendlier and helpful staff. Dona Julia started the place with her husband in the mid-sixties. Her sons run the wine and service part and she still cooks the food in a kitchen the size of a closet.
Another repeat place for us with good results. There are a couple seats out from but the main dining room is in the back and holds about 10 tables. They have tasting menus but seemed that you could also order by the dish. We talked with the waiter about what we had last time and then turned the chef loose to surprise us. While you’re making your selections they bring out a bowl of blood sausage with pumpkin to munch on with olive oil bread. The bread was excellent and the topping tasty. Continue reading
A very fun meal here! It’s like a tapas place as everything is offered in full or half portions but everything is prepared to order and very creative. It was hard to decide which of the wonderful sounding plates NOT to order, we wanted them all and by just getting half orders we were able to try a lot of them without getting overly done in. The two fried options we started with normally come 6 to a small order but the waitress (who turned out to be the chef’s wife) was concerned we’d never eat all the stuff we ordered so she offered to just bring 2 of each.
A lovely dining room with several lesser rooms located through a hallway, with all dining on the second floor. They offer a degustation menu of 5 course and wine pairing of 4 or 5 glasses and an a la carte menu. Service is efficient, if a bit rushed and the dining room fills at later time than some of the others we visited. Could this be because more local folks eat there than tourists? Everyone has a bottle of water on ice waiting at the table which is a nice touch and after you’ve ordered you are presented the basket of housemate breads which are all quite good along with a traditional spread of fish eggs, although I couldn’t really find the fishy taste. Continue reading
The name is enough to put you off this restaurant but after eating there it does seem an appropriate label. They received their second Michelin star last year after 5 years in business. An average size dining room with lots of mirrors and windows to make it feel quite spacious. Diners are offered 3 different menu options, 2 degustation choices and a smaller option all trying to stress unique local products and seasonality. Wine pairings are offered but we chose to pick our own with the help of their sommelier. We ordered the larger of the degustation choices, which had 2 additional courses – the picnic and langoustine. Continue reading
Mostly a sidewalk cafe it also has 3 tables inside. The menu is huge but not everything is offered everyday so they go thru the menu and mark prices on what is available. They also had a couple daily specials and the waitress was happy to make recommendations. It is very much home style cooking but really tasty! Continue reading
This place continues to be on the “best of lists” for New Orleans but it really didn’t merit the accolades this evening. It is a beautiful dining room upstairs where the large windows in the garden room give it a treehouse affect. The other upstairs rooms are windowless and not nearly as pretty. Downstairs is the more conventional room (they still have a dress code that forbids jeans) and a much more serious vibe. We were surrounded by tables celebrating and thus adorned with balloons and hats. They offer a large menu and a large tasting menu but we chose a combo dinner after having had a large lunch. Continue reading
This place offered a lunch based on the TV series “Mad Men” and it intrigued us. It was not a great choice. The restaurant is beautiful but past its prime in service and food. The bread was filling but forgettable. The Caesar was the standout of the meal. Nicely seasoned and fresh crispness of the lettuce was complimented by the tasty deviled egg. Continue reading
Quite a change since a couple years ago when we visited. A new larger location and you can now take pictures! At least twice as many people can partake and the timing is thus more staggered. I missed the intimacy of the former location but still the staff are all extremely friendly and it is a long meal of a variety of tastes with an Asian overtone. Everyone gets the tasting but you have the options of wine pairings which we opted not to do. One other change is the addition of music, which I thought to be a tad loud with all the commotion already there. David Chang, founder and owner of Momofuku was in the house, which is unusual probably because Anthony Bourdain and friend were there (or did he just know we were coming?) Continue reading
This is a hidden restaurant for 12 people hidden in the back of Roberta’s, a very popular pizza restaurant in Brooklyn. We’ve heard lots of good things about it but being small and only open Wed – Sat. it’s a hard reservation to come by. The kitchen is an open format with the guests sitting in a “U” shape on one side of the square room. You actually enter thru the pizza spot and after you get to the front of their line the staff will come and take you back to a spartan room whose main decoration is a fish head. Continue reading
This is a large and elegant dining space. They have had a couple Michelin stars for years and it shows in the seamless service. At lunch they offer a 2 or 5 course fixed price menu, with the latter including some of the upcharge items and dessert. With the 5 course tasting they do scale down the portion sizes. They were willing to substitute the pasta course offered for another on the menu but do not offer any items on their dinner menu that are not on the lunch one. Continue reading
A real hole in the wall place that serves a tasting menu to all, which changes daily. The kitchen is at the far end of the long room and it is a constant source of movement as the tables are turned over as soon as vacated. We started with a jicama sandwich that was light, sweet and tart. The salad was next with lots of really fresh tastes in a variety of greens not usually seen. Continue reading
What a little gem is this place! Fairly small with a limited menu at Sat. brunch it is worth the trip. Most plates are easy to share and the service people are most helpful in making selections. They seem to love hiding ingredients underneath the top items that enhance the already intense tastes of the dishes. We started with the endive salad and the walnuts were so nicely toasted they were almost sweet and added to the already wonderful crunch of the endive. I wasn’t sure about the dish but when you taste it the ‘wow’ factor is there. Continue reading
An place full of beautiful food and some great tastes. Another modest entrance into a lovely setting with casually dressed waitstaff. Everyone starts with a 8 appetizers some of which made you long for larger bowls of them. The pork belly was one of them, full of complex tastes and melt in your mouth deliciousness. Also the radishes were a surprisingly tasty spicy taste with totally crisp texture. Continue reading
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Another building that looked industrial but contained a very elegantly appointed dining room. They offer 2 tasting menus – nearby and faraway – with the former supposedly highlighting local products and the latter involving some suppliers not quite so close. We chose the faraway but in hind sight have wondered if the chef favored and we should have ordered the nearby. No one from the kitchen ever made an appearance. Some service issues plagued us here with extremely long wait times between courses and many of the courses were difficult to eat with the utensils provided and/or plating. Continue reading
A larger restaurant that’s been in business since 1897! We were too late arriving for a lot of lunch places, but this place serves its menu all day long, but it is strange to eat with so few other people. We selected two traditional dishes of Stockholm. Shrimp toast is like shrimp salad on a buttery chunk of toast. Continue reading
A very new restaurant on the Berlin dining scene. The door is locked and you ring the bell to gain entry – like going to a friend’s house for dinner. Sommelier Billy Wagner is said to have a very creative wine collection and he did come up with some interesting choices. HIs chef makes everything in house and uses only locally produced ingredients. Everyone sits around a very comfortable bar and eats the tasting menu of the night. Continue reading
Always a favorite of ours and it’s in the Quarter so just a short walk from many hotels. It’s been there forever and does get a tourist crowd since it’s in the Quarter but also many locals go to celebrate occasions or enjoy the old style service and food. Nothing fancy but the waitstaff love to customize your order – change fish, add crabmeat, sauce or preparation. Go often and get a regular waiter and the experience is sublime. Continue reading
This place is about a 25 minute drive from Bilbao, Spain. A large place with gardens, huge reception area and massive kitchen, the tables are well spaced and service is typical Michelin. The main dining room is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows that offer a gorgeous view of the surrounding countryside. The food is beautifully presented and it’s easy to see why they have such a huge kitchen and staff however, as a whole the food was very mildly flavored. The service was attentive but not personal and thus overall I would not be inclined to ever visit them again. Continue reading
A small place that seats several at the kitchen counter and a few tables along the wall, it is located in a former pizza spot and the signage was never changed. The chef has opened another place next door and both were buzzing and he moved between the two. Continue reading
Another small prix fixe menu but Australian chef Curtis Stone’s twist is that each month the menu revolves around a different seasonal ingredient. Ours was peppers. It is a more relaxed pace but tables did turnover. Another twist was the lovely assortment of old china, so some photos I backed off a little so you can appreciate the plate too. Continue reading
A semi large place with a really dated interior that had some reviews of “too old school” but I found it excellent. The table set up was minimal but service was exceptionally nice. The acoustics allowed you to hear the buzz of the other patrons but still have a conversation with your table mate. They do offer a special 4 course tasting menu in the summer but we opted for the Chef’s menu tasting which is a 3+ hour experience. Continue reading
About a 30 minute drive from San Sebastian is this wonderful place that specializes in fresh fish. The trick is to ask the owner, who takes your order, what is fresh today and he will direct you on what to order from the relatively small menu. His dad started the place many years ago with the cooking technique used on boats to cook the fish. Cooked over a wood fire it was novel at the time but it stands the test of time. There are a few tables on the outdoor patio for those without reservations and a nicely priced wine list. Everything was outstanding and incredibly fresh. Tastes were mild but exquisite in that way. Everyone started with the day’s amuse of white tuna tartar. The Hake cheeks were a rare find and I think my favorite was the green sauced ones. The turbot was so moist and wonderful that it was a must to hunt through the bones for any remaining tidbits. The drippings also made a good use for the bread. Both desserts were quite tasty, the hazelnut biscuit being a special that day, but I loved the caramelized French toast. The chocolates and Madeleines were a lovely way for all to finish their meal.
A 3 story building with the 2 upper floors for dining and bottom a bar.
Definitely sit on the top level if you can which has plastic covers for inclement weather but otherwise is open to a lovely breeze and a fantastic backdrop of the Acropolis and lit Parthenon. It seemed to be full of local people but the waitstaff was plenty fluent in English and very helpful. They bill themselves as specializing in Greek delicacies made with fresh ingredients. Continue reading
A wonderful place outside of the Quarter and a re-visit this year. This time we sat in the downstairs dining room and it was a much cozier spot than the upstairs, which is nice for lunch as the windows provide great lighting. We lucked out and had some of the same waitstaff, which again were helpful, friendly and attentive. They have an a la carte menu but we chose the Surprise Tasting Menu which was a wonderful choice. Frankie made friends with 2 magnums of champagne.
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A small place that has 2 Michelin stars and calls itself “relaxed elegance” – it lives up to its reputation and motto. There are 5 tables and 8 stools facing the open kitchen and probably as many service people as patrons. Continue reading
Located in the Grand Hotel, this small place has only seven 2-tops and three 4-tops, but they do have a separate small room for around 10 that serves a chef dinner.
The main Esperanto restaurant (second floor of the green building) was not open due to summer vacation during our visit. Instead they offer a smaller dining room (which is the hallway outside of the regular dining room) and a limited menu in what they call “Franska Sommarsalongen” or French Summer Salon. Continue reading
A moderately sized place that serves “Nordic bistro fare, hearty and uncomplicated dishes”. Dishes are served family style and portions are small enough that the waitress recommended we order several sides/snacks and 2 main portions. She was spot on and that still left us with room for dessert.
