A weekend in Vienna off the beaten path

 

This guide is written for travellers , solo or as a couple who like to experience a city like a local and avoid any tourist traps and the thing with Vienna, there are lots of tourism and therefore it will all depend on how you feel towards crowd and tourists !

Public transports are convenient and inexpensive,so I would suggest you take a 72 hours pass and use the tram lines or the metro – Vienna is small but there are still things to see on opposite sides of the city so it is better to hop on and off the tram sometimes 🙂

Where to stay :

The 2^nddistrict is a great place to stay, near everything you want to see and experience but far enough from the crowd : Leopolstad area is wonderful, with the canals and the Austrian hipster crowd- my favourite place to live would definitely be around the Karmelitta Market which is awesome : beautiful buildings, nice independent cafés and restaurants, relaxed people.

Neubau : another cool place where you can find nice boutique hotels and very nice Airbnb

 

Minimalist Airbnb

Viennese design inspired by Secession furnitures

Chair by Koloman Moser at the Leopold Museum

 

 

Where to eat :

 

Please note that the service in Vienna is rather special : waiters and waitresses are not the nicest , rather rude and not so keen talking English – so one can feel offended at first but then we get used I suppose

 

Healthy : gluten free/ dairy free / alcohol free alternatives:

 

If you are looking for healthy options and rather good service , I can recommend the healthy food store and café chain:  SuperFood Deli , my favourite is the one in Neubau- I like their outdoor area and the options of Açai bowls and Kumbucha are great

Viennese cafés:

 

–Café Englander: good to try the viennese sausages in a nice environement with the view on a nice private square

–Café Prückel : very nice terrasse,good to try some café viennois and sit in the terasse .

–Café Einfahrt: very nice outdoor area, on the edge of Karmeliter market , layback atmosphere .

 Best Art Nouveau café :

Café Goldegg: to experience the charm of viennese café with Art Nouveau design and yummy ( but not so healthy) deserts !

Restaurants:

 Café Ansari :  offers a combination of Mediterranean, Georgian and international cuisine: It is one of locals’ favourite . I found the food was fresh but nothing special – I think it is worth to go if you can get a table outside , as it is located in a wonderful little square surrounded by other nice restaurants like Mochi ( an Asian fusion very popular to the Locals too )

 

–Skopik & Lohn have lunch or dinner at Skopik& Lohn which seems to be an institution in Vienna

– Schone Perle:this was my favorite restaurant which offers fresh honest rustic food , typical vienese dishes at reasonalble prices, a lovely outdoor area and good service

 

 

Avocado and potato salad

Goulash

–O Boufés

This restaurant was recommended to me as it is the bistro, which is part of the sister 2 Michelin Stars restaurant Konstantin Filippou : we had a nice dinner outside but nothing extraordinary – the beef cheeks were delicious, very well cooked and presented, the rest was just OK.I tend to judge a natural wine bar from its Terrine, and here they serve a “decomposed” terrine which to me , from a rustic culinary standpoint, does not make sense. Good selection of natural wines and cider ( which we couldn’t find anywhere else in Vienna).

 

– Salonplafond: the very stylish restaurant offers beautiful settings and an super nice outdoor area – ideal after a tour of the Mak !

 

What to see :

• Karmelita District : have a nice healthy breakfast at Zimmer 37 where the service is super nice and they do delicious fresh smoothies

• Have a stroll in the old town and see the beautiful fiacres by the Spanish Riding School :

 

• Get lost in the old Jewish quarter :

 

 

 

• Create yourself an Art Nouveau tour by visiting all the Art Nouveau buildings of Vienna

• Sundays in Vienna: Important note: the town is completely shut down on sundays so my advise is to keep the museum visit for Sundays are most restaurants , bars, stores are closed

-Modern Museum Mumok: A piece of Art in itself

 

–Leopold Museum: the favorite

In this album you can see the evolution of Klimt’s work , the birth of graphic design with the fascinating Koloman Moser ( his paintings  but also the  furnitures he designed) , Rodin sculptures , Egon Schiele , the London inspired ‘Time Gentleman Please’ by  Oskar Kokoschka

Klimt early work

Death by Klimt

Secession

Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele

Robin with Egon Schiele in the background

Rodin with Kokoschka in the background

Oskar Kokoschka

Time Gentleman Please by Kokoschka

 

 

• Mak Design Museum: beautiful piece of architecture inside and out , with a few important art works from Klimt and a beautiful library

 

Augarten:The oldest porcelain factory of Vienna where you can see the work of old porcelain masters and learn more about Vienna’s traditions but also new designers . It is surrounded by a beautiful park where one can see the local jogging .

 

 

Vienna for architecture lovers:  Art Nouveau and birth of Modernism 

 

Otto Wagnar heritage

Belvedère

URANIA by night

the Danube canal

 

 

A weekend in London : how to flow from West to East London !

This mini guide is for anyone visiting London this summer 2017 or beyond !

Friday :

Taqueria in Notting Hill !

Start your early night with the best tacos in town, a few (excellent) Marguerites together with some IPAs ( Sierra Nevada) -the best combo for Mexican food .

Then head to Casa Cruz which is nested in a beautiful Victorian building in the heart of Notting Hill on the border with Holland Park.Stop here for a drink or two and request a table at the terasse – it is so well done , you forget you are in a city, it feels like in someone’s garden with views on Notting Hill rooftops – ever so dreamy !

Head to E&O to end the night with a few cocktails and to be seen !

Saturday:

Start your day at the Notting Hill new vegan stop : Farmacy

Farmacy spreading some green on Westbourne Grove

Farmacy bar

 

Eggs Florentine, Avocado side dish, yummy cacao smoothie

I can’t recommend this place enough , from the lay out  it feels like you ended up in a tropical garden, very airy space due to the high ceiling and big windows, with bamboo and wood throughout, banana and palm trees, a bar in the middle, experienced staff and super yummy food . They offer drinks like Tumeric latte ( approved !), alongside Macha latte, the menu is short and great, you can have your eggs florentine , or pancakes here , like in any favorite brunch places but everything is organic and vegan – I highly recommend this place for both vegan and non vegan people ( like myself ) you will be surprised !

A first wine stop in Chelsea at Pavilion Wine on the pedestrian Pavillon road , they have a good selection of wines to take away and to drink in , bear in mind that they are more of a wine store which offer tasting events so the price will differ considerately if you want to drink your wine in their terrasse. They also offer a few natural wines ( in bottles only ).

A summer drink in Chelsea

After that, jump in the circle or district line all the way to Embankment , and walk your way up to Strand to reach Terroirs , I can’t come back to London without stopping here, my favorite wine spot ever !

Here indulge trying different wines by the glass and don’t hesitate to ask – the terrine is also a must !

Have an afternoon aperitif on a wine barrel !

Ageno 2010 by La Stoppa- The orange wine at its best !

After that, jump again in the tube this time take the barkerloo line from Charing Cross all the way to Baker Street and have a wonderful walk far from the tourist big street near Madame Tussauds , take the Chiltern Street and get lost in Marylebone Village.

Pass the iconic Chiltern Firehouse until you get to this lovely new wine spot called Clarette, here is the only place in London you can try a Chateau Margaux by the glass, price ranging from 19 pounds the glass for a Chateau Margaux 2009 to 100 pounds the glass for the 1999 vintage.

Clarette, menu.

The bar is beautiful from the outside, as it is built in English Tudor style architecture type, similar to the Liberty’s of London facade or the hut located in Soho Square . The service is “too French” for me , as in too dry and not warm or genuine enough but the location and the drink will make you forget the service.

Clarette, in the middle of Marylebone village

The location is ideal, sit outside while savouring your exceptional glass of wine and relax people watching .

 

 

The bar is just opposite a very good Indian restaurant called Trishna, which has a Michelin star since 2012. We couldn’t make it as reservations are needed for such a treat.

Hidden little park on the way to the Indian restaurant

However, we went to another Indian restaurant The Rajdoot as eating indian is a must when one visits London, and it was very satisfactory. We had the chance to find spontaneously a place outside and we could enjoy the views and the food .

Messy plates like a real Indian street food restaurant should be !

Sunday :

Wake up to a beautiful morning at Colombia Road Flower market , wonder around and stop for a coffee when you can . When you got all the flowers you needed, head to Hackney Road for a yummy and unpretentious brunch at Long White Cloud in the heart of Hoxton at 151 Hackney Rd, very good food and very well priced !

Sunflowers

Colourful morning

East London, or where contrasts meet

After a beautiful morning, jump in a bus all the way to St Paul’s where you can cross the Thames using the magnificent Millenium bridge until you reach the Tate Modern. I have been fortunate enough to be there for the biggest retrospective of Giacometti in London since 1965. It is very much worth the visit and it is taking place in the old aisle of the Tate.

Grandiose Giacometti- Tate Modern 2017

The smallest Giacometti’s sculpture I ever seen !

After filling your eyes with beautiful Art carrying to Soho for an afternoon glass of wine. Bear in mind that most of London’s wine bars are closed on Sunday.

Summer in London- walking up to Neal’s Yard

The only I found to be opened was La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels  by Neal’s yard . They have a good selection by the bottle and quite limited one by the glass to my taste but it was still refreshing to pay them a visit.

Nice wine to reflect on the afternoon Art on display

Soho Square with its Tudor style little hut and marble sculpture

Then head to China town for some Sunday Dim Sum , the best day to experience Chinese dumplings is definitely on Sundays !

Walk then to Firth Street in the heart of Soho for a pisco sour at Ceviche , sit at the bar and enjoy watching the bartender preparing your pisco sour in front of you .

Firth Street- views on Koya ( best Udon restaurant in London)

The head back East from Tottenham Court road newly refurbished station to Bethnal Green , which is getting hyper and hyper with the years . Go to Sager and Wilde on the hidden Paradise Row , the place changed name , it used to be called Mission, where the focus was on Californian wines but the owners who are the same , quickly realised that natural wines were more popular than Californian ones . You can also visit their initial branch on Hackney Road . Great wine and food here ! I love this place !

Sager and Wilde outside area

Very good selection of wine by the glass

Head to Kingsland Road for some Vietnamese dinner ! that’s the place to go for authentic viet .

If like me , you leave London via King’s Cross St Pancras International, I urge you to go a little earlier to be able to enjoy a wander around this amazing area which has undeniably transformed into the main London design hub. It is here that students from all over the world go to study at the famous St Martin College of Art and we now know why !

You can combine it with a stop at my favorite Japanese restaurant in London , Tajimatei

Fancy a Chirachi for lunch ?

 

Until next time London ! x

 

 

A humble food and wine guide of Prague !

It was my first visit to Prague and I enjoyed it very much ! This Baroque romantic architecture with a touch of Gothic , millenaire trees on big Parisian boulevards , Austro-Hungarian Empire prints still vivid – a very tasteful old town , where every single details matter to the eye.

Obviously Prague is famous for its Plisner beer , but I never thought I could get to drink as many amazing natural wines in a single weekend ! Czech wines were definitely the big ( positive) discovery of my weekend and here is why :

The variety might not be huge in terms of grappes but the quality is very high , wines I had there were consistently good :

First night, I didn’t know about Czech wines so went for a safe bet : an unfiltered Italian white wine from Elisabeth Foradori – skin macerated for 7 days , its density , colour and flavour were just remarquable . For me,this Manzoni Bianco Fontanasanta 2015 is  a big win despite having been recently disappointed by one of Foradori red wine !  Complex yet balanced wine with many funky layers of taste with a long dry finish , surprisingly excellent with Beef Carpaccio, fermented onions and Buratta cheese as well as a Pasta dish.

Tasting notes:

Color :dense yellow

Aroma:notes of ripe yellow fruit , exotic fruits, and jasmin

Taste: juicy ( like only good natural wine can be) , precise, beautiful amplitude and flavour

Must visit wine bars in Prague :

• Bokovka (Bokovka.com)

Surprinsly, this bohemian bar is from the same owners than Lokal ( lokal’s website), which I won’t cover in this post as I’m sure every travellers to Prague is aware that Lokal is the best place to taste Czech food and Pislner beer.

For me, this bar does not feel like it belongs to a chain of restaurants , which usually and surely psychologically makes me doubt the place’s quality and “specialness”.

Here the wines on offer by the glass are top notch and affordable  – by far the best and cheapest wines in Prague ! Fantastic set-up , secret entry through a courtyard , almost with a run-down feel to it , but with an amazing and somehow intriguing ” cave à vin” – perhaps the effect of the ceiling voutes and candles atmosphere.

Hidden courtyard

Great atmosphere , sharing table

The Cellar

Low key design throughout

First contact with Czech wines and an excellent French red :

Large selection of wine by the glass

French and Czech wines side by side

Natural rosé-Rysak 2014

Rysak 2014

Pinot Noir

Kapitel I

Excellent Rednoz !

 

I will only focus on reviewing my favorite wines of the night –

• First a French Cabernet Sauvignon Rednoz 2014 by Guy Bossard from the Loire Valley region , which I really like:

Tasting notes:

Color :ruby

Aroma:cherry,currant, blackberry

Taste: juicy,fresh,low acid wine, mineral and earthy, clean and smooth finish with light dose of tannins ( need to be decanter for at least an hour)

• Pinot Noir  Čtvrtě 2015 from Stapleton & Springer wine estate which is located 30km from Austria : this wine produced by J. Springer, an emblematic figure of Czech Pinot Noir, is aged 12 months in oak barrel and its tannins remain smooth.  

 

• Vinograf (Vinograf’s website):

Great selection of natural wine by the glass with a very friendly sommelier who is flexible and agrees to open new bottles and sell them to us by the glass which is always nice to have when one is travelling and would like to try as many new wines as possible .

Amazing selection of Czech wines !

 

 

Now the best for the end : my experience at the one michelin star * restaurant la Bohème Bourgeoise( LaDegustation).

I loved the weekend I spent in Prague , that’s for sure and my birthday night dinner was the highlight. I liked everything about my time at la Boheme Bourgeoise, from the moment you step in , you feel right – not too of a fancy impersonal place, not an everyday place- just the right balance you expect to find in such restaurant to make you feel comfortable and ready for a great and tasteful experience.

 

I highly recommend the food and wine pairing menu – AMAZING experience to your palate and senses and here the sommelier is listening to your preferences and can adapt the wine to meet your taste !

 

Simple and neat setting

My birthday evening menu ! A menu to remember 🙂

open plan kitchen

 

Amazing selection of natural wines 

 

Amazing selection of natural wines

Balanced and thought-through food