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Category Archives: Hotels
Portugal Please: Coimbra
Capital of Portugal during the Middle Ages with a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site university established in 1290 (making it the fifth oldest in the world), Coimbra is a city steeped in age old tradition yet imbued with a youthful spirit. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Graffiti, Hotels, Luxury, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Amália Rodrigues, Art, bar, baroque, Biblioteca Joanina, Café Santa Cruz, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, coimbra, Dão wine, Drink, fangas, Fangas Mercearia, Fangas Mercearia Bar, Food, Graffiti, hotel, Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas, hotels, library, luxury, Mercearia, pedro and ines, petiscos, portugal, Portugal Please, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta das Lágrimas, red wine, restaurants, Shopping, street art, sunvil, tapas, Travel, travel blog, UNESCO, unesco world heritage site, University of Coimbra, wine
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Portugal Please: Charming and Cheeky Aveiro
Know as the “Venice of Portugal,” Aveiro is an attractive little coastal canal-crossed town in the Centro region of Portugal. I spent a couple of days in this part of the country, marvelling at how awesome the region was yet how largely undiscovered by tourists it seemed to be. Pretty, walkable and full of lovely shops, bars and restaurants, Aveiro was a particularly fine place for my introduction to the area. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Art, art nouveau, aveiro, caldeirada, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, design, Drink, Food, hotel, Hotel Moliceiro, hotels, O Bairro, o bairro restaurante, ovos moles, ovos moles de aveiro, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese fish stew, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurants, seasfood, Shopping, sunvil, Travel, travel blog, venice of portugal, wine
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Portugal Please: Morgadio da Calçada
Situated atop a plateau yielding (yet more) beautiful panoramic views of the Douro River and its undulant valley, the tiny ancient village of Provesende was my final stop in the area. Here I took a quick wander round the village and a proper snoop inside 17th century mansion (with contemporary accommodations) Morgadio da Calçada. Continue reading
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Posted in Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Travel, Wine
Tagged discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, hotel, hotels, Morgadio da Calçada, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, provesende, Quinta, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, village, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winery
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Portugal Please: Even More Douro Valley Quintas
No, I didn’t just lounge around at a couple of scenically situated hotels while in the Douro (although, that would be a terrifically recuperative way to spend one’s time). When I wasn’t enjoying my stay in the luxury laps of Quinta do Vallado and Quinta Nova, I was bopping all over the rest of the valley trying to visit as many different vineyards as possible – and loving every minute of it. Here are a few brief notes about the rest of the Douro Valley quintas I visited, including Quinta do Crasto, Quinta da Pacheca, Quinta do Panascal and Quinta do Seixo. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged 30 Year Old Tawny, discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Fonseca, Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port, Fonseca Port, Food, hotel, hotels, Late Bottle Vintage, LBV Port, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta, Quinta da Pacheca, quinta da pacheca 30 Year Old Tawny, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Panascal, Quinta do Seixo, Quinta do Seixo Wine Centre, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, sandeman, Shopping, Tavora River, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winecaching, winery
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Portugal Please: Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
A lovingly restored 18th century manor cum 21st century four star hotel and the centrepiece of a lofty patchwork of vineyards rolling down to the Douro River: Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo was my home for a night. Leaving Vallado for a full-on day of winery visits around the Douro, my second evening in this idyllic valley wound down in equal parts elegance and comfort. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Chef Jose Pinta, Clã Special Reserve Port, discover the origin, douro, douro river boat rides, douro valley, douro wines, Food, geocaching, Grainha Reserve, Grainha Reserve 2012, hotel, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta, Quinta Nova, Quinta Nova Reserva 2012, Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine caching, wine cellar, wine maker, winecaching, winery
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Portugal Please: Porto
My Portugal Please tour commenced in the compact and cosy city of Porto, which proved to be an excellent gateway to the Douro Valley and a fine place to visit in and of itself. If you’re looking for somewhere to visit for a city break, Porto is only a two hour flight away from London with plenty to see and do and eat and drink and browse and buy. Here are some highlight from my all too brief time there. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged 1969 Single Harvest Tawny, beer, cheese, discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, Gaia, Graham's Port, Graham’s, Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny, hotel, Hotel Teatro, Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto, IVDP, Mercearia das Flores, o porto, port, port cellar, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, sovina, sovina beer, Sovina Cerveja Artesanal, tawny port, trael, Travel, travel blog, Vila Novo de Gaia, vinum, Vinum at Graham’s, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winery
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Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Dodo Chilli Dipping Sauce I recently got … Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged beer, burgers, carnaby, carnaby street, chelsea, chilli sauce, Dodo Chilli, Dodo Chilli Dipping Sauce, Drink, E17, east london, Food, Generator Hostels, generator london, good stuff, hostels, hot sauce, hotels, JAPAN CENTRE, king's road, KINGLY COURT, Kirin Frozen, L Manze, L Manze Eel, London, London blog, manze, manze's pie and mash shop, mauritian, Mauritius Foods, pie and mash, pie and mash shop, ramen, ramen bar, shoryu, shoryu ramen, TOMMI'S, TOMMI'S BURGER JOINT, Travel, travel blog, WALTHAMSTOW, Walthamstow High Street, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Istanbul in an Instant
For my birthday, Kemey and I spent a long weekend in Istanbul. Yes indeed, ya gotta do the Blue Mosque/Hagia Sophia/Basilica Cistern/Topkapi Palace/Grand Bazaar shuffle when you’re there, but there’s so much more to see and do in this massive and dynamic city. Here are just a few of the “other” highlights from our trip. Continue reading
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Posted in Coffee, Drink, Food, Hotels, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Turkey
Tagged black sea, bosphorus, bosphorus cruise, CAFES, Cankurtaran Gida, coffee, Drink, Food, Full Bosphorus Cruise, hotels, istanbul, Mevlevi Sema, momo cafe, orient express, pastrami, restaurants, Shopping, Sultan House, Sultan House Hotel, sultanahmet, Travel, travel blog, turkey, whirling dervishes
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New Regional Wine & Cheese Menu at Theo Randall at the Intercontinental
Allow me to commence this rave by saying that Theo Randall’s Head Sommelier, Yuri Gualeni, is a frickin’ genius and Chef Randall is a very wise man indeed to let Gualeni do his thing. Case in point: the young sommelier’s new wine and cheese pairing that’s been “designed to be a journey through Italy’s terroir and traditions.” I tried it last night and loved every moment. Priced from £24 per person – and tailored to guest preferences – the menu includes four Italian wines paired with four regional cheeses. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged 2000 Vernaccia di Oristano, 2011 Ronchedone, at One Hamilton Place, Ca dei Frati, cheese, Contini, dessert wine, Fiori della Langa, Flor, Food, gorgonzola, gorgonzola naturale, hotel, hyde park corner, INTERCONTINENTAL, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, italian cheese, italian cheese and wine pairing, italian cuisine, italian food, italian restaurant, italian wine, Lombardia, London, London blog, Marenco, Metodo Classico, park lane, Passito di Strevi, Passri Scrapona, Pecorino Sardo, red wine, restaurant, review, Ronchedone, Rosanna, Selvapiana, Selvapiana Vino Santo, sommelier, sparkling wine, Taleggio della Valsassina, theo randall, theo randall at the intercontinental, Vernaccia di Oristano, Vino Santo, W1, W1J 7QY, white wine, wine, wine blog, wine pairing, wine tasting, Yuri Gualeni, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Dixie Detours: Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!
Happy Mardi Gras! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my Dixie Detours miniseries featuring the highlights from my recent trip to Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida along with suggestions for planning your own sojourn to the Deep South. Continue reading
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Posted in Alabama, Art, Coffee, Design, Dixie Detours, Drink, Florida, Food, Georgia, Hotels, Music, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tennessee, Travel, Wine
Tagged Alabama, athens, Deep South, Dixie Detours, florida, georgia, louisiana, MIAMI, Muscle Shoals, road trip, TENNESSEE, Travel
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Dixie Detours: Miami in a Minute
The final stop of our Dixie Detours visit to the US was Miami, where an overnight layover afforded Kemey and me the chance to check in on some friends who had recently moved there – big thanks to Tanya and Francesco for being such fantastic hosts and showing us around so much of your fine town – while soaking up some south Florida sunshine before heading back to Blighty. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Coffee, Dixie Detours, Drink, Florida, Food, Hotels, Music, Restaurants, road trip, Travel, Wine
Tagged BARS, cocktails, coconut grove, collins avenue, cuban coffee, CUBAN SANDWICH, cubano, design district, Dixie Detours, Drink, florida, Food, hotels, jazz, lagniappe house, las olas, las olas cafe, las olas cafe south beach, LINCOLN ROAD, live music, lulu in the grove, lunch, MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH, miami dade, miami florida, midtown miami, music, restaurants, road trip, sanctuary south beach, scotty's landing, SOUTH BEACH, south florida, Travel, travel blog, wine bar, wynwood
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Dixie Detours: Sweet Shoals Music
Before our visit to the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, I never would have imagined the music of Aretha Franklin could resonate even more with me than it already did. Goosebumps on top of goosebumps – how’s that gonna happen? But there I was standing in Studio A of Fame Studios in humble little Florence, Alabama where the mighty diva recorded such classics as Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, and something clicked in a deep and soulful sort of way. In the few days since Kemey and I checked out the Shoals, listening to Aretha’s songs has been coupled with an even deeper and more satisfying feeling than before. Continue reading
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Posted in Alabama, Beer, Design, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Hotels, Music, Restaurants, road trip, Travel
Tagged 20th century design, Alabama, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, ARCHITECTURE, aretha franklin, back forty, back forty beer, back forty beer company, bar, beer, birthplace of helen keller, Bob Seger, catfish, Cher, colbert county, CRAFT BEER, Deep South, design, Dixie Detours, do right woman do right man, Drink, Duane Allman, Etta James, fame studios, florence, florence alabama, frank lloyd wright, garden gate cafe, hank williams, helen keller, hotel, ivy green, kodachrome, live music, Lynyrd Skynyrd, marriott, marriott shoals, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, mid century modern, Muscle Shoals, muscle shoals rhythm section, muscle shoals sound studio, music, naked pig, naked pig pale ale, north alabama, northwest alabama, OH! Bryan's Family Steakhouse, Oh!Bryan's, Otis Redding, pale ale, paul simon, Percy Sledge, recording studio, restaurants, road trip, Rock 'n' Roll, rolling stones, rosenbaum house, sheffield alabama, shoals, soul music, spa, steakhouse, sticky fingers, still crazy after all these years, sun ra, Swampers, swampers bar, Swampers Bar & Grill, tennessee river, the Osmonds, the shoals, TOM JONES, Travel, travel blog, tuscumbia, tuscumbia county, Wilson Picket
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Dixie Detours: Chattanooga, Choo Choo City
Chattanooga is my old teenage stomping ground. Since I’ve moved away, every year or two when I’ve managed to make it back for a visit (usually around Christmastime), the area always seemed to have gotten better than I remembered it being. Same holds true this time round. Continue reading
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Posted in Coffee, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Georgia, Hotels, Pizza, Restaurants, road trip, Tennessee, Travel
Tagged bob's brick oven, brick oven pizza, Chattanooga, chattanooga choo choo, chattanooga choo choo hotel, chickamauga, Deep South, Dixie Detours, georgia, hotels, ice cream, la altena, mexican food, pizza, road trip, rock spring, rock springs, TENNESSEE, the brick oven, Travel, walker county, walker county georgia, yellow deli
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Dixie Detours: Tabasco Tourism on Avery Island
Louisiana’s most iconic brand, McIlhenny Company’s Tabasco brand Original Red Sauce packs a wallop of distinctively spicy flavour. For all its flavoursome punch, it’s comprised of only three natural ingredients: aged red peppers, vinegar and salt from Avery Island, which is also the home of all Tabasco production. In addition to the pepper sauce factory, the island (roughly two hours from New Orleans and 40 minutes from Lafayette) is also a botanical garden, bird sanctuary and wildlife refuge. Our last day in Louisiana, Kemey and I spent a fantastic morning on Avery Island before carrying on with our Dixie Detours road trip. Here are some highlights from the fun time we had there. Continue reading
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Posted in Dixie Detours, Food, Hotels, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Travel
Tagged alligators, Avery Island, cajun, cajun country, Dixie Detours, egrets, Food, food origins, hot sauce, Jungle Gardens, lafayette, Louisiana wildlife, McIlhenny Company, new iberia, pepper sauce, road trip, south louisiana, SpringHill Suites, SpringHill Suites Lafayette, SpringHill Suites Lafayette South at River Ranch, tabasco, Tabasco brand Original Red Sauce, Tabasco Sauce, Travel, travel blog, vincent's cafeteria
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Dixie Detours: A Cajun Good Time in Lafayette
It’s a down home kind of place, Lafayette, where a koozie for your cold one is handy asset indeed. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Hotels, Music, Restaurants, road trip, Travel
Tagged bayou, Blue Moon Saloon, Blue Moon Saloon and Guesthouse, cajun, cajun country, cajun food, CRAFT BEER, Deep South, dixie, Dixie Detours, double wide, double wide band, envie american pale ale, Food, frog legs, hard country, henderson, henderson lousiana, hotel, lafayette, lake henderson, live music, lousiana, marriott, mcgee's landing, music, new iberia, parish brewing co, restaurants, road trip, SpringHill Suites, SpringHill Suites Lafayette, SpringHill Suites Lafayette South at River Ranch, swamp, Travel, travel blog, victor's cafeteria
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Dixie Detours: NOLA!
New Orleans is a sultry dream. I can’t imagine anywhere else in America that’s even half as beguiling or idiosyncratic. Probably the most dynamic city in the US, it is without doubt the most spontaneous and freewheeling. When I think about other destinations across the planet that offer experiences comparable to what I’ve happened upon in NOLA, I find myself coming up with a list of my absolute favourites places. Put simply, NOLA rocks (it shucks, jives, slides, saunters, shimmies and rolls too). Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Beer, Coffee, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Hotels, Louisiana, Restaurants, road trip, Travel
Tagged abita, abita beer, abita turbodog, Adolfo's, Art, BARS, beer, big easy, Carousel Bar and Lounge, cocktails, crab meat cheesecake, creole, dixie beer, Dixie Detours, Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar, folk art, Food, french quarter, frenchmen street, garden district, gumbo, hotel, Hotel Monteleone, La Boulangerie, louisiana, Maison Dupuy, Maison Dupuy Hotel, mardi gras, merry-go-round-bar, Nawlins, new orleans, nola, palace cafe, po-boys, restaurants, road trip, sandwiches, sazerac, simon, Toulouse Street, Travel, travel blog, turbodog, uptown new orleans
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Dixie Detours: Overnight Luxury in Mobile, Alabama
The rather underrated and often overlooked Gulf Coast town of Mobile proved to be an excellent choice and our time there an all too short and actually quite luxurious stay. Continue reading
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Posted in Alabama, Beer, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Hotels, Restaurants, road trip, Travel
Tagged Alabama, battle house, battle house hotel, Battle House Renaissance, Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, beer, Conecuh sausage, CRAFT BEER, Dixie Detours, downtown mobile, Drink, Food, fried oysters, Good People Brewing Company, Good People Brewing Company Pale Ale, gulf coast, gulf of mexico, Historic Hotels of America, hotels, LODA, lower dauphine street, mardi gras, mardi gras in mobile, marriott, mobile, mobile alabama, mobile mardi gras, pale ale, restaurants, road trip, southern alabama, Travel, travel blog, Trellis Room, Wintzell's, Wintzell's Oyster House
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Dixie Detours: When in Rome … Georgia
The wedding of my old friend Jack and his lovely fiancée Beth was the main reason prompting my and Kemey’s visit back home and a big factor behind the design of our Dixie Detours itinerary. The wedding was held in Rome, Georgia where Jack had attended university. Yes, that’s right. I went to Athens one day and Rome the next – all without leaving the great state of Georgia! Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Dixie Detours, Drink, Food, Georgia, Hotels, Pizza, Restaurants, road trip, Travel
Tagged bar, berry college, berry college mountain campus, brunch, Deep South, Dixie Detours, Floyd County, frost chapel, frost memorial chapel, georgia, Harvest Moon, Hawthorn Suites, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, hotel, johnny's new york style pizza, North Georgia, Northwest Georgia, pizza, restaurants, road trip, rome, rome area history museum, rome georgia, Travel, travel blog, wedding venue, wedding venue rome georgia
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Super Yacht Me
So, I left my one bedroom flat in East London (Zone 2) early on a ho-hum Tuesday morning to hop the bus en route to the exclusive five star May Fair Hotel just off the Piccadilly to attend Superyachts.com’s Top 100, an event for mega yacht execs and brand reps to rub elbows and gab about the future of their industry. Featuring a full day of press workshops with “the visionary builders and designers behind the largest super yachts in the world”, Top 100 had been set up for journos to crash “intimate sessions with the heads of the super yacht industry, gain an in-depth insight into the largest luxury yachts set to launch in 2014 and discuss the most vital topics surrounding the world’s most incredible yachts”. Continue reading
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Posted in Design, Hotels, London, Travel
Tagged boating, boats, CRN, CRN mega yachts, CRN yachts, custom built yachts, design, Ferretti Group, italian design, London, London blog, luxury, May Fair Hotel, mayfair, mega yachts, megayachts, super yachts, superyacht.com, top 100, Travel, wealth, yachts, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Daawat Indian Restaurant at the Strand Palace Hotel
Presenting tried and true South Asian comfort food on the Strand and just down the street from Covent Garden, Daawat Indian restaurant at the four star (and recently renovated) Strand Palace Hotel is a smart choice when you’re on the go and seeking a satisfying meal. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants
Tagged covent garden, curry, daawat, Drink, Food, hotel, hotels, indian cuisine, indian food, indian restaurant, London, London blog, pre-theatre menu, restaurant, restaurant review, restaurants, review, strand palace hotel, the strand, WC2, WC2R 0JJ, west end, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or take a bite out of – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Delfina Foundation … Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Chocolate, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, Hotels, London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged Abbas Akhavan, barrel-aged rum, botran, Botran Blanca, botran reserva, Botran Solrera 1893, bourbon, cadbury fairtrade, Candice Lin, Catherine Place, chocolate, delfina foundation, Drink, exhibition, fairtrade, Food, gerry's, good stuff, guatemalan rum, hedonism wines, hotel, hotels, ibis, ibis Euston St Pancras Hotel, ibis sweet bed, ibis ultimate sleeper, ibis-expedition.com, Jefferson's Bourbon, jefferson's presidential collection, Jefferson's Straight Rye Whiskey, London blog, masterofmalt.com, Organic Seed & Bean Chocolate, rum, RYE, rye whiskey, seed & bean, selfridges, straight rye, SW1, SW1 6DY, Tadasu Takamine, the politics of food, thedrinkshop.com, thewhiskeyexchange.com, travel blog, travel blogger, whiskey, Zineb Zedira, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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New Year’s Eve Dinner at Nobu London
What a way to end (and start) a year! The seven course New Year’s Eve 2013 dinner and wine menu at Nobu London at the Metropolitan Hotel ended the year on a delectable note and set high the bar for restaurant experiences for the months to come. Check it out … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged Drink, Food, hyde park corner, JAPANESE CUISINE, japanese food, japanese restaurant, London, London blog, mayfair, menu review, metropolitan hotel, new year's eve, nobu, NYE, old park lane, park lane, restaurant, restaurant review, sake, seafood, sushi, tasting menu, W1, W1K 1LB, wine, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Best Restaurants (Everywhere Else) – 2013
To say I ate and drank well this year does not begin to describe how delectable 2013 was for me. Both in London and beyond, I had the pleasure of experiencing some of the best meals outside the home I’ve … Continue reading
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Posted in Best of 2013, Best of the Best, Drink, England, Food, France, French Polynesia, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Best of 2013, Best of the Best, best restaurants of 2013, brighton, Drink, enoteca, Fa'a'ā, fish, Food, france, french cuisine, french food, french polynesia, french restaurant, french restaurants, GB1, GB1 Seafood Restaurant & Bar, Grand Brighton, Grand Brighton hotel, hotel, hotels, INTERCONTINENTAL, Intercontinental Tahiti Resort, italian cuisine, italian food, italian restaurant, italian restaurants, Italy, Le Lotus, michelin stars, osteria, pad thai, paris, restaurants, seafood, sussex, Tabernalibraria, tahiti, thai food, thai restaurants, Thai Spices, Torino, Travel, turin, wine, wine shop
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Best London Restaurants – 2013
To say I ate and drank well this year does not begin to describe how delectable 2013 was for me. Both in London and beyond, I had the pleasure of experiencing some of the best meals outside the home I’ve ever eaten. Here’s a list of the ten London restaurants I enjoyed visiting the most over the past 12 months along with a few extra honourable mentions. Keep an eye out for more posts over the coming days listings my favourite London cheap eats and pizza places, as well as the ten best restaurants I visited outside of London this year. Continue reading
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Posted in Best of 2013, Best of the Best, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Parma, Pubs, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged 1 Hamilton Place, alvin leung, American steakhouse, BARS, BELGRAVIA, Berners Tavern, Best of 2013, Best of the Best, best restaurants of 2013, bo london, BRASSERIE, Brasserie at the Tower Hotel, charlotte street, chefs, chelsea, chinese cuisine, chinese food, chinese restaurant, chinese restaurants, chiswick, city of london, cocktails, cookbook cafe, coq d'argent, county hall, coya, devonshire road, dim sum, Drink, east london, EC2, EC2A 2DQ, EC2R 8EJ, extreme chinese, fish, Food, france, french, french cuisine, french food, french restaurant, french restaurants, GASTRO PUB, gastropub, Gillray's Steakhouse & Bar, green park, Guoman Hotels, hackney, hakkasan, HKK, hotels, hutong, hutong at the shard, hyde park corner, INTERCONTINENTAL, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, italian cuisine, italian food, italian restaurant, italian restaurants, Italy, king's road, knightsbridge, latin cuisine, latin food, latin restaurant, Latin restaurants, Lima London, London, London blog, london bridge, london bridge quarter, London Marriott, london restaurants, marriott, mayfair, michelin stars, mill street, Mozzarella & More, north london, osteria, pad thai, palm, palm 2, paris, park lane, pepenero, PERUVIAN CUISINE, peruvian food, peruvian restaurant, peruvian restaurants, pescatori, pescatori fitzrovia, piccadilly, Pont Street, pub, pubs, Quantus, RATHBONE PLACE, restaurants, SE1 9RY, seafood, shoreditch, south bank, south london, southbank, St Thomas Street, steak, steakhouse, steakhouses, street food, SW1, SW1X 9EJ, SW3, SW3 5EL, tahiti, thai food, thai restaurants, The London Edition, the only running footman, the shard, Torino, tottenham court road, tower bridge, tower hill, tower hotel, Travel, W1, W1J 3QY, W1J 7NW, W1S 2AX, W1T 1JH, W1T 7NG, W4, W4 2HD, WATERLOO, WC1, WC2, WC2B 5RU, west london, wine, wood fired oven, Worship Street, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Bounteous Bologna
That I’ve been to Bologna four times (twice just this year) should speak volumes about how much I love this city. It and the region of Emilia-Romagna have as prominent a cuisine and as celebrated a food culture as anywhere in the world. Even among Italians from other parts of the country, the gastronomic sensibilities of the Bolognese are held in the highest esteem. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Street Markets, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged A F Tamburini, Al Cappello, Al Cappello Rosso, atti, bakery, bologna, deli, Drink, Drogheria Gilberto, eatly, emilia romagna, Food, gelato, hotel, Hotel Al Cappello Rosso, hotels, ice cream, italian deli, Italy, Mercato delle Erbe, Mercato di Mezzo, northern italy, osteria, osteria del cappello, paolo atti & figli, pasta, polpette con piselli, restaurant, restaurants, salumeria, Shopping, street markets, tamara venturi, tamburini, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, tortellini, tortelloni, TOUR GUIDE, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, vecchia malga, wine, wine bar, wine shop, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Modena: Fast Cars and Slow Food
For a town with a population of fewer than 200,000 people, the list of icons associated with Modena is impressive. Pavarotti, Ferrari, Maserati, Balsamico, tortellini … whatever floats your proverbial boat, odds are you’ve been inspired by someone or something Modenese at some point in your life. Continue reading
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Posted in Cars, Coffee, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Street Markets, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged albenilli market, Balsamico, bar schiavoni, best western, bottega storica, bottega storica di modena, cars, chef, chef massimiliano telloli, chef max telloli, Drink, emilia, emilia romagna, enzo ferrari, ferarri, ferrari, Food, francesca stradi, ham highway, hotel, hotel liberta, hotel liberta modena, hotels, Italy, Maserati, massimiliano telloli, max telloli, mercato albinelli, Modena, modenatur, modenese, museo casa enzo ferrari, northern italy, osteria, osteria stallo del pomodoro, panini, pasta, restaurant, restaurants, sandwich, Shopping, sports cars, street markets, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, tortellini, tortellini en brodo, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, wine, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Antica Corte Pallavicina
Just outside the blink-and-miss-it village of Polesine Parmense, Antica Corte Pallavicina is a gorgeously restored 14th century castle situated on the banks of the Po that’s been transformed into a six room boutique hotel with Michelin starred restaurant. As refined as it is rustic, the venue is the result nearly two decades of dedication by local chef Massimo Spigaroli (whose other Michelin starred restaurant, Al Cavallino Bianco is located in the same village). Dining at Pallavicina was a sumptuous affair, yielding one of the loveliest meals I’ve had this year. Knowing that practically everything I put in my mouth came from here and was made onsite made all the more tasty. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Parma, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged Al Cavallino Bianco, antica corte pallavicina, Antico Corte Pallavicina, boutique hotel, chef, Chef Massimo Spigaroli, culatello, culatello di zibello, Drink, farm, Food, ham, ham highway, hotels, Italy, Massimo Spigaroli, michelin, northern italy, parma, po river, Polesine Parmense, province of parma, restaurant, restaurants, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, vineyard, wine, zibello, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea at the InterContinental London Park Lane
It’s no secret. I’m a big fan of the fine foodie offerings InterContinental London Park Lane. With Executive Chef Paul Bates calling the palate pleasing shots (not to mention chef Theo Randall doing his own tasty thing with onsite upscale Italian restaurant), I’ve never never even come close to having a less than ideal dining experience here. So an invitation to try the hotel’s limited edition Christmas afternoon tea was one I greedily accepting. This was my second time to enjoy an afternoon tea at the InterContinental and it did not disappoint. If anything, my expectations for a high level of quality and service were exceeded. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, ARCH BAR & WELLINGTON LOUNGE, bar, champagne, cheapoair, chef paul bates, christmas afternoon tea, cocktails, Drink, executive chef paul bates, gin, hotel, hotels, INTERCONTINENTAL, InterContinental London, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, intercontinental park lane, jazz, live music, lobby bar, London, London blog, london hotel, mayfair, park lane, paul bates, tea, Travel, Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea, W1, W1J 7QY, wellington lounge, wellington lounge & arch bar, wine, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Udine
Udine is the hub and historical capital of the small Friuli Veneza Giulia province of the same name. With a sizeable university, it’s a lively setting with an interesting mix of people and pretty decent nightlife. If you’ve been to your share of checklist-y must-see Italian destinations (such as … oh let’s say … Florence) or you simply get a kick out off veering off the beaten path in an attempt to see what real life in a foreign country is like then Udine is a brilliant town to keep in mind. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged ai frati, alps, Ambassador Palace, Ambassador Palace Hotel, collio gorizia, Do the Dolomite Loop, dolomites, Drink, Food, friulano, Friulguide, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Giovanna Stringher, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, ham, hosteria, Hosteria Alla Tavernetta, hotel, hotels, Italy, mortadella, Museo del Duomo di Udine, northern italy, osteria, Osteria Pieri Mortadele, pieri mortadele, restaurants, review, reviews, San Daniele ham, Shopping, St Nicholas, tajut, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Tiepolo, trattoria, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Udine, wine, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Speck-tacular Views and Smoky Brews in Sauris
Day two of my foodie odyssey had me saying goodbye to the Dolomite gateway town of Forni di Sopra and heading even higher (and deeper) into the Alps to the tiny Germanic enclave of Sauris for a taste of the local delicacies and to take in the sweeping views – all of which elicited some form of audible and involuntary whoa or wow from an overwhelmed me. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel
Tagged artisanal beer, bacon, beer, CRAFT BEER, Drink, Food, ham, hotels, Italy, northern italy, proscuitto, restaurants, sauris, Shopping, speck, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Forni di Sopra and the Dolomite Loop
Situated within the Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, Forni serves as excellent base for outdoor adventure with plenty of nearby (and even in-town) opportunities for skiing, climbing and hiking. And as I discovered, It’s a fantastic place to have a drink as well. Here, the stereotypical Italian bella figura yields to a rugged and independent spirit. In Forni, I came across men with beards of mythic proportions and drank some of the finest craft beers I’d ever tasted. Aside from the snowy Alpine surroundings and the absolute quietude of the night, the scene was enough to have me wonder if I was back home in Hackney. Had I stumbled upon a secret hipster heaven? Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel
Tagged al gris, Albergo Taranda, alps, artisanal beer, bar varmost, beer, birreria, bombardino, Coton Hotel., CRAFT BEER, Do the Dolomite Loop, dolomites, Drink, Foglie d'Erba, Food, Forni di Sopra, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Gino Perissutti, hotel, hotels, Italy, northern italy, Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, restaurants, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Ciao and Grazie!
Over the next several days I will share highlights from my adventure in a Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway miniseries of posts featuring entries about the following phenomenal destinations – Forni di Sopra, Sauris, San Daniele, Udine, Collio, Trento, Torino, Parma, Modena, and Bologna – all with tips and suggestions to help you plan your own delectable itinerary. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Parma, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged 7th chamber, bologna, Collio, Drink, emilia romagna, Food, Forni di Sopra, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, ham, hotels, Italy, Modena, northern italy, parma, Piemonte, proscuitto, restaurants, San Daniele di Friuli, sauris, Shopping, speck, SPONSORED POST, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, the 7th chamber, Torino, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Trentino, Trento, Udine, wine
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Would You Eat a Goanut?
I went on a lark to check out a gimmick and got hooked on an excellent seasonal menu at what might be London’s most underrated restaurant. What’s a goanut you ask? It’s a gourmand gateway to a fine foodie feast. Try it at the Brasserie at the Tower Hotel. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants
Tagged Brasserie at the Tower Hotel, city of london, donut, doughnut, E1, E1W 1LD, Food, goanut, goat cheese doughnut, guoman, Guoman Hotels, hotels, London, London blog, london bridge, london hotel, menu review, restaurant review, review, ST KATHARINE DOCKS, St Katharine's Way, tower hamlets, tower hill, tower hotel, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Excellent Steaks and More at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, County Hall
A recent visit to Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at The London Marriott Hotel had me enjoying finely crafted cocktails and tucking into an amazingly satisfying mega-steak dinner. Here’s a quick report on what made my meal so special along with details on how you can dine with a discount if you tell ’em tikichris sent you. Continue reading
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Posted in Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants
Tagged 20% off, aberdeen angus, bar, cocktails, county hall, discount, discounts and special offers, Food, get 20% off your meal, Gillray's, Gillray's Steakhouse & Bar, gin, hotel, jaume beato, London, London blog, London Marriott, marriott, restaurant, restaurant review, rum, rum cocktail, south bank, south london, southbank, special offer, steak, steakhouse, The Last Instinct, The London Marriott, The London Marriott Hotel, tikichris special, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Four Reasons to Stay in Soho When You Visit London
You know me – I love London. The thing about living here for over ten years though is that I experience the city like a local not as a visitor. Despite often viewing the city through a rather rose-tinted lens, … Continue reading
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Posted in Hotels, London, Travel
Tagged hotels, London, London blog, soho, SPONSORED POST, Travel, W1, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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