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

 

 

Cape Town: The Mother City

The ultimate ( and very humble) guide for 10 amazing days in Cape Town is ready for you .

Here you will find some guidance about where to stay, what to do, what to avoid, the must-sees and dos , based on a couple vacation in December.

1/ Where to stay :

Clifton beach : If you are looking for peace and tranquility , amazing ocean views and be close to everything this exciting city has to offer – this is the neighbourhood for you.

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Best sunsets are also seen from Clifton beach:

 

I would personally avoid Camps Bay which can get very busy and noisy, with lots of traffic and people.

Waterkant : if like us you have a late overnight flight, I would advise you to spend the last night in Waterkant which is the perfect base  to have a lovely” city break” day before flying ( beautiful walks, leaving the car behind, a museum stroll for instance) and offer amazing views of the Table Mountain .

2/ What to do :

-Being active 

As you know, the Atlantic sea is cold and unless you are on the Indian ocean side of South Africa, swimming can be challenging as the water is around 4/5 degrees in the summer time. So a dip in the ocean can be super fun and a challenge for many- you can still paddle , use a surf board to play with the waves, or just have sunbathes .

Cape Town offers many amazing hiking trails , as well as climbing .

The ones I did : Lions Head , Table Mountain which I advise you hike to the top and then take the cable car down.

But the very best hike I recommend is spending the whole day or two days with an overnight stay at the Cape of Good Hope National Park by Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope but also visit Kirstenbosh National Botanical Gardens,the tree canopy is an absolute must see

 

-Wine tastings : Visit the vineyards of Stellenbosch , Franschhoek and Swartland 

In Stellenbosh , I absolutely recommend to visit the Babylonstoren estate and have lunch at Babel (reservations required)and a visit of their back ( secret) medicinal garden, a real sacred place.

My second suggestion in Stellenbosh , is the Mullineux and Leeu wine estate: a peaceful vineyard and hotel ( with a great restaurant) completely away from the beaten track . Honest wines, art , sculpture and great hospitality.  Absolute HEAVEN !

Haven’t had the chance to visit Swartland , unfortunately as it is the place where the so-called Swartland Revolution wine producers are. Next time for sure !

– Art : visit the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa – recently opened in september 2017

Architecture delight , in my opinion competing with the biggest museums out there : a marvel of shape , form , views and upcoming new young Contemporary African artists .

 Kudzanai Chiurai was a great discovery . I loved the fact that curators’offices were incorporated in the museum itself , first time I see that, you can see the people behind the exhibitions during their day-to-day at the museum – awesome !

– Restaurant scene in Cape town:

*Breakfast spots : Cape town is, as any modern cities, following the big healthy , organic trend

A big favorite is the Kauai (“Naturally”) , although it is a chain, it offers fantastic healthy breakfast and smoothies options ( both in Camps Bay and on Kloof Street )

In Sea Point, I loved going to Scheckter’s RAW Gourmet, with great and sometimes weird but tasty vegan options.

Matcha Latte

Weird (but yummy hotdog)

Another option , just opposite Raw, is Kleinsky’s Delicatessen if you are fan of Jewish food and like pastramis and bagels.

*Dining :One thing to know is that restaurants and bars close early in Cape Town- kitchens close around 9pm ( sometimes even earlier) and bars/clubs at 2am . Also, most of best restaurants in town, especially during the high season, require advance booking.

For me the best diner experience I had in Cape Town was in Constantia ( a must see neighbourhood with its scenic views and vineyards ) at Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia . This lovely restaurant does not require advance booking which came handy. The views are magnificent, the service knowledgeable, and food very good. Only Beau wines available here , which is a shame for natural wine seekers like myself .

Views from the bar

The Amphitheatre

The Vineyards

Constantia

The bar overlooking Constantia

The restaurant

The Menu

The Menu

Another very good experience was at Ash on Church Street, which shares the same floor space than the wine bar Publik, which offers the best wine options in town . The food at Ash was very satisfactory , and again if you come a little early, the staff which is very nice, will try to help you with a table if you don’t have a booking.

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For vegetarians or fish lovers, I recommence Sea Breeze Fish and Shell on Bree Street, love the outdoor area and the secret Rum bar at the back !

Kingklip local south african fish to try

the rum bar !

For Japanese food, try Shio in Waterkant which offers excellent japanase food with a twist.

*Inside of the Cape of Good Hope National Park, I highly recommend having lunch at the restaurant there called Two Oceans , although touristy, it serves delicious food and great service:

 

*Bars : outside of the famous Silo Rooftop bar , I highly recommend The Gin Bar, secret entrance through a chocolate store called the Honest Chocolate café  , it’s a great place to go before in the late afternoon and stay in the lovely courtyard or late at night in the intimate bar as the bar remains open late although the door is closed 😉 best speak easy bar I have been for a long time, great selection of gins and a great great music !!

Another good bar is at Kloof House on Kloof Street,it has a nice courtyard garden nested in this old colonial house, and a both a restaurant and a bar. The food is basic but the atmosphere is cool .

*Another institution to visit during your stay is the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel , build in 1899 in English Colonial Style, an afternoon (ice) tea in its beautiful garden with views on the Table Mountain is worth a visit

Can’t end this post without talking about the nature and wild nature found in Cape Town – from Elephants, to Lions but also African Penguins !

 

Thank you Cape Town for a fabulous holiday – until next time !

Great addition to the natural wine scene in Stockholm: La Colline

Just off Slussen station, you will find this new bistrot with a beautiful bar setting , very welcoming marble bar to enjoy a glass of wine during these upcoming cold days .

A large variety of natural wine by the glass ( the wine list by the bottle is impressive) !

I tried 3 different one: one from France one from Germany and one from Austria – I have not been disappointed !

1/ Avis de vin fort 2016- Domaine Breton 2016

At the contrary of its name, this is not a strong wine- light refreshing cabernet franc ,quite oxidised and a little smoky , very little fruits, more minerals, really good to drink on its own.

Pierre Breton from the Loire Valley 2016

 

2/ Without All, 2015 

My first Trolling, red berries, forest floor with mushrooms on the nose.

The taste is light, fruity, long finish, medium acidity and medium tanins .

Reminded me very much of the Polish wine Kvevri Botaurus .

Without All, 2015

3/ Grüner Vetliner by Martin and Anna Arndorfer from Austria

Beautiful unfiltered wine wine, round fruit on the nose, almost lactic with good leery yeast with a slight toasty caramel taste. Amazing to drink by itself late afternoon – very good discovery !

Amazing Grüner Vetliner

Haven’t tried to food at La Colline so can’t comment on that, but we will be back !

A new Natural Wine bar in Stockholm called “Ambar ” and a great place to drink natural wine in Skanstull Bleck !

Amber wine bar (website ) has opened just 5 weeks ago and it is already a success – small and cosy , this wine bar specialises in orange wines from different part of the world , offering red and white wines too. The owner , very knowledgeable in wine, has teamed up with a Japanese who prepares small dishes to go with the wine.

Here we tried 3 orange wines from Georgia, California and Serbia and a bottle of Gamay .

Robust selection of natural wines

Great way to expose wines to customers

 

In Ambar , you will find the big name of natural wines ( Ochipinti, Matassa, Pacalet etc) but also have the chance to try wines from less known winemakers:

 

Georgian verus Californian orange wines

Pheasant’s Tears 2016 :

Grappe: Chinuri , 8 days skin maceration  and 8 months aged in amphora

Light, crispy orange, this wine offers a lightly floral nose with delicate passion fruit on the palate that rolls into lime at the finish. Delicate and earthy, excellent wine.

Ambyth Estate 2015:

Grappe: Sauvignon Blanc , 8 months skin maceration and aged for almost a year in amphora

The nose and flavor are full of melon with a flavor that is recognizable as Sauvignon Blanc but is just different enough to be very cool.This wine is much more sophisticated than the Georgian wine .

Amber wine list

Wine list by the glass

 

Serbian orange wine in unique mouth-blown glasses 

Fodor 2014 from Serbia comes as a surprise to the palate, very interesting 8 days skin maceration wine. Very good value for money .

Price list cont.

We have decided to go for this bottle of Gamay after having had amazing experience with this grappe in Paris ( see previous article on the blog) but we got a little disappointed as the wine was too young.

 

François Plouzeau – Tra La La 2016

Food board and cosy atmosphere 

Another place I discovered this weekend is Bleck in Skanstull (website) which offers amazing fun seating outside with a view on a lovely park and also some natural wines by the glass .

Cool outdoor seating

Interesting sauvignon blanc from Réva

 

Paris : the capital of natural wines

These my recommendations if like me you are in Paris for 48h and are a big lover of natural wines ( and food of course).

1/Vivant Paris : vivant’s website

I have no words to describe how great the food in this down-to-earth tiny restaurant is: perfect cooking, taste, presentation and atmosphere . Great wine list.

Bonsoir- Bienvenue: a glass of orange wine to start

Utopiste 2016 – restons nature

 

Then comes the time to choose your wine for your meal …

We shortlisted the following 4 : Two wines from Beaujolais : L’herbe folle and Très vieilles vignes 2009 J-A Bloc, one wine from Auvergne : La Bohème 2015 from Patrick Bouju and a wine from Loire valley called Ange from Domaine de l’Ecu.

Robust wine selection

Affordable price list

And the winner is .. from Beaujolais ..the extraordinary Gamay from Lilian & Sophie Bauchet – L’herbe folle !

Tasting note:

Funky on the nose ( exactly as I like it) , richly fruited on the palate, showing notes of cranberry jam that is quite lovely. Mild tannins. Rich acidity on the finish and that lovely lean cranberry note is here too.  If it weren’t for that aroma this could be quite fantastic ( for some reasons the wine tends to taste too aromatic).

Carrot salad with raisin and bottarga – Bavette tartar with ricotta

Slow cooked pork

Amazing wine pairing experience

Pasta cooked in tuna bones : definitely the hight of the diner

Who said that food needs to be complicated ? The simplest things are something the best.

As I mentioned Vivant is a very small restaurant with a marble bar where you can see the chef cooking just in front of you and a few tables behind:

Amazing chef and bar scene

Super cosy atmosphere

2/ Breizh Café ( Breizh website )

One can’t go to Paris without having a crepe and a cider and in this place you can eat the best crepe of France !

A Provençale ( excellent!) and a Basquaise with biological cider

3/ Natural wine and couscous ! Yes the combo is great

We have been invited for lunch by my childhood friend who is an artist living in Paris

 

Art in the kitchen

 

Traditional Sunday couscous with a bottle of Gamay

Bottle of France Gonzalvez 2015 bought from the caviste The wine list on Boulevard Beaumarchais at 16euros.

4/ Best natural wines cellars in Paris 

Now if like me you live in Sweden where alcohol is regulated by the state through the monopoly and if that monopoly cannot provide you with natural wine then you have no other choice then have a checked in luggage and buy your own wine !

Here is my selection ( or at least what my luggage’s space allowed me to get) :

• The wine list : 26 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris, France

The sommelier is a big fan of natural wine and the owner is really personable , we visited him twice and he opened wines for us to try – he said he opens 10 bottles per day so he knows what his sommelier select ! Great selection – different price

• La dernière goutte : 6 Rue de Bourbon le Château, 75006 Paris, France

Big selection of natural wines from the big names ( Bobbinet, Folliard, Matassa etc ) and non natural wines from great producer ( LaCroix Vanel) . Very good price for the location ( near Rue de Seine and Boulevard St Germain )

• Ma Cave Fleury : 177 Rue St Denis, 75002 Paris, France

Unfortunately it was closed when we were there , which is the issue with Paris many natural wine bars and stores are closed on the weekend .

Colourful façade on this parallel of Rue Montorgueil

 

• La Cave des papilles :35 Rue Daguerre, 75014 Paris, France

This is what we bought most of our orange and most funky wine – it is not far from the new Cartier Fondation, and in the neighbourhood where Simone de Beauvoir lived . A bit out of the way so not sure this can be my regular cellar . Found prices were too high and not reflecting the area

Here is my personal selection : stay tuned for the next article where I will tell you if these were worth it !

Finishing this article by what should have been the start: where to eat the best croissants in Paris :

I was sceptical at first but then I have to say that the croissant of La Maison Plisson ( website) were excellent ! Take away or eat in , I recommend this place !

Excellent baguette and Jambon-beurre sandwiches

 

 

 

A review of few of the most beautiful Swedish summer houses in the Archipelago : nature, sea, lakes, sauna,and some Art too – the photos( all rights reserved) will speak for themselves, enjoy !

Summer in Sweden is a bliss – one hour from Stockholm you can literally be  in heaven , which I agree is relative but imagine being away from the city all together, breath in the fresh crispy air  only encountered away from pollution, offer beautiful landscapes to your eyes , hear the wind blowing on the pines trees’ leaves and enjoy endless water views – without mentioning the healing one can feel from Scandinavian blue skies and sun.

XIX Century mansion : Swedish traditional architecture at its best

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Or maybe one prefers to spend the weekend isolated on an island in the archipelago 

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Or just be more social and opt for an “in land” option not far from human interaction

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For art lovers, a day in the Artipelag is a must !

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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

 

 

Back to Europe – first thing first : get back into my search for natural wines and good food – A new restaurant in Stockholm and a mini food guide for London just for you !

Back to cold but cosy Stockholm since a few days now , and my first post will be about my lovely dinner at Café Nizza in Stockholm ( http://www.cafenizza.se) – similarly to sister Babette restaurant on the other side of town, Café Nizza offers  a low-key design and atmosphere , what I liked was the à la carte menu , there is nothing to choose , and you let the food choose you ! unless you eat at the bar ( very nice too ) , here everyday the menu is different and for me it is a plus and sign of freshness.

Here is the menu we enjoyed , after a complementary courgette soup:

• Burrata with artichoke and bottarga
•  Crispy Cod on the skin with grapes and goats cheese ( excellent ! )
• Vanilla panna cotta with blood orange and pistachio

Overall I would say the food offered is well balance, well proportioned and most importantly extremely fresh ; tasty yet on the healthy note and you know that by waking up rather fresh in the morning (which is unfortunately not the case when I dine outside most of the time ) .

The wine I enjoyed was a 2015 Riesling from Slovakia for my starters ( please see wine list attached) and the Syrah of Hervé Souhaut for my mains – for me an excellent wine list by the glass .

After 10 years living in London, here is where I went to eat during my first visit back to this city I know inside out :

Below, I am providing a food guide for 4 days in London :

1/ Breakfast at Lansdowne Club in Mayfair ( https://www.lansdowneclub.com)

Egg benedict at its best

Texture- Art Deco

Obviously this is a member club only ,but surpringly this is where I had the best English Egg benedicts for a very long time, awesome to have a quiet breakfast in an Art deco room, surrounded by interesting personages , enjoying calm and great services- highly recommended !

2/ A taste of Japan for lunch : Tajimatei ( no website , genuine japanese food in Chancery Lane) do not hesitate to order the lunch menu , great variety of sushi nigiri and sashimi ( toro, yellowtail, maquerel, salmon ) , and a miso soup – all for 18 pounds – truly a bargain for this quality !

3/ Korean food : Asadal (http://asadal.co.uk) : do not trust the google notes or reviews , this is truly the best Korean food in London

Same delicious food over the year , run by the same family , very reasonable price , excellent bulgogi barbecue ( in the evening only ) , kimchi , pork dumplings

4/Terrois ( http://terroirswinebar.com)  I know I wrote a post about Terrois already but I cannot emphasis how much I value and love this place , for its great variety of wines by the glass, to its excellent terrine , to its atmosphere and personable service – AHH I missed this place so much !

Wine tasted (and enjoyed !) this time skin macerated wine Sancho Panza from Italy ( see wine list in photo) and the excellent Syrah “Octobre” by Domaine des Foulards Rouges 2016

wine by the glass

best terrine on earth !

the bottle we tried

5/ Barrafina ( http://www.barrafina.co.uk) same here, I have already reviewed this restaurant ( the Charing Cross branch ) and this time, I went to the Soho branch – same food, same quality, perhaps more on the noisier side ( or perhaps it is my feeling after having isolated myself in Stockholm and London which results in being more sensitive to noise !) regardless the food is great, not sure about the super healthy aspect of things though as the menu has a lot of fried things to me , but deliciously made , mostly in front of you as the sitting is only at the bar ! Same wine list – no change on that . This time I had a excellent Priorat – all night !

6/Afternoon cocktail at the Claridges hotel Art deco bar ( http://www.claridges.co.uk/mayfair-restaurants-bars/bars/claridges-bar/)

Best place to have a Dry martini , James Bond way ( shaken not stirred ) followed by a Bloody Mary !

Best dry Martini in town

Amazing B&W photo gallery

Bloody Mary

7/Meet an old friend for a drink and a pizza at the Oak ( http://theoaklondon.com)

This place remains one of my favorite place in Notting Hill, unpretentious and always the same with a dreamy kitch British design , nothing like the Oak to feel the London vibes again !

8/Marguerita and a beer with a few tacos at Taqueria ( https://taqueria.co.uk)

Marguerita on the rocks, with a mexican Negro Modelo beer and the mood goes up !

9/ Ramen Tonkutsu for lunch – Shoryu (https://www.shoryuramen.com)

My favorite is the Piri Piri one or the Karaka Tan tan with some sake and a beer !

10/ No one can leave London without having some indian food right – so for a quick fix, go to Dishoom ( http://www.dishoom.com)

Bombay brasserie

La joie-de-vivre !

11/ For brunch, Granger (https://grangerandco.com) remains a good option in Notting Hill, try the ricotta pancake , there are delicious !

Natural wine along the way

This summer I drove from Nice in France to the Adriatic coast in Croatia and had two stops along the way where I starved for Natural wines and got lucky !

If you are in Nice , in south of France for one evening , and like me cannot drink anything else than natural beverages especially during hot weather – then your best bet is La Part des Anges in Nice , La Part des Anges website, where you can consume and take any bottle of wine away ! They have an impressive selection of wine and sell natural wines produced according to the Jules Chauvet method . The place is also stunning in its simplicity ( here don’t except quick service, only one person is dealing with the few tables ) , very intimate ,as it literally feels like having a wine tasting in a cellar.

Long comme un jour sans Morgon – Famille Marcel Lapierre

I have tried the following :

An orange wine from 2013 , Barral by Didier Barral , 35 euros : 80% Terret Blanc and Gris, 10% Viognier, 10% Roussane. Produced using an ancient method of extended pressing and skin contact for a deeply colored wine with some tannins. Satisfactory but not the most interesting orange wine I had lately.

 

Together with a mix of Cheese and ham platter.

Delicious food pairing : excellent cheese selection with this orange yummy wine

Together with a mix of Cheese and ham platter.

Delicious food pairing : the wine goes perfectly with the cheese selection this wine bar has to offer .

We went home with this ” valeur sure” ( a sure value) of Jean Foillard ( 35 euros) – tried and tasted at perfect temperature while spending time by the sea in Croatia : Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvee Corcelette. From a food pairing perspective, this elegant red will go well with neutral dressed sea food , tuna tartar/sashimi , or a light meaty dinner. Served at 15 degrees celsius .

My next stop was Bologna in Italy in the so-called Emilia Romagna region , the best region for food and wine in Italy .

Again, one evening only in Bologna and no plans whatsoever , and spontaneity has worked again in my favour as I ended up in this tiny wine bar which also offer food and had the immense pleasure to have drink…some natural wines of course !

Vineria Favalli in via Stefano is really recommended

This wine bar has a great selection of natural wines by the glass which is wonderful to discover new taste and new producers . This bar has very affordable prices , really cheap compared to if you want to go for natural wines in London or worst in Stockholm, so pure paradise here ! He has very good food to offer, we went for some mortadella and parmesan cheese of course with a drop of balsamic from Modena 🙂

Our big catch of the night was this unique and delicious orange wine Pithos Bianco from Azienda Agricola Cos in Sicily, Italy ; that I cannot recommend this wine enough for a warm summer aperitivo:

 

This delicious wine is made from 100% Grecanico which is at 11.5% low in alcohol. It has a beautiful nose and a fascinating amber colour as it has been fermented with the skins.Producers of this wine use amphora grounded in the soil , to ferment this wine the roman old way 🙂

 

Back in Stockholm and here is where you should go in Sodermalm for good food,worthy natural wines and good soul!

Woodstockholm, the highlight of this post – everything about this relatively small place is perfect, the monty theme ( I reckon we are in the middle of the Aphrodisiac menu of May..you lucky foodies 😉 ) – people would say the food is rustic ..and I would say the food is typical the closest food you can get in restaurant that feels and tastes like homemade food with a touch of sophistication that you can’t achieve at home. Voila.

And as if the changing themes and the wonderful and authentic flavours were not enough..here you can drink proper natural wines…and of course the service is top-notch !

So for me, it is a win and I have tried it twice- spot-on.

@woodstockholmAnd I will be back in June with more details and photossssss, Yes !

woodstockholm.com

The other restaurant to highlight for today is Delikatessen Bistro bar ..a french bistro which is not your typical , classic boring French brasserie but just a French restaurant which serves tasty,well-balanced food , with a twist. Both starters and mains were outstanding, fish, meat and desert succulent- Bravo for this yummy food in an airy and bright setting .

I also heard that they are also now distributing natural wines – mais que demande le people ? Keep it up guys and see you soon in June !

The bar of the restaurant, Bar Hommage, is worth a visit, talented barmaid on the mix – really good cocktail list and a very good pisco sour ! @barhommage

delikatessenbistrobar.se