Different Cultures
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Exploring Barcelona’s Best Restaurants: A Food Lover’s Guide
Barcelona is one of my all-time favourite cities. Known for its stunning architecture, especially landmarks like the iconic Sagrada Familia, it’s no surprise that the city attracted over 26 million visitors in 2023. From Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces to its world-renowned food scene, Barcelona offers an unforgettable experience for both the eyes and the taste buds. I wrote a blog post last year about two great restaurants I tried during my visit to Barcelona, and after returning a few months ago, I discovered even more must-visit dining spots. So, I thought I’d share my new favourite Barcelona restaurants with you! Time Out Market Barcelona: A Foodie’s Paradise If you’ve ever visited the Time…
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Dutch food highlights: Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam
Welcome to the vibrant world of Dutch food and cuisine! Nestled in the heart of Europe, the Netherlands may not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking of gastronomic delights. However, this picturesque nation has much more to offer than just tulips and windmills. From indulging in hearty stroopwafels to devouring local delicacies like haring (herring) and bitterballen, the Netherlands has a rich culinary scene that is begging to be explored. I have written about the Netherlands before because I really loved the food. However, I think my recent visit to the Netherlands gives me ample opportunity to talk more about the culinary delights of the Netherlands.…
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Mexican food in London Bridge at Santo Remedio
I’m a big fan of Mexican food. For a long time, I have named Santo Remedio as my favourite Mexican place for Mexican food in London. I even wrote a blog post back in 2019, extolling its virtues (you can find it here if you want to check it out). And then I came across El Pastor and my favourite restaurant had some strong competition. I really wanted to go back to Santo Remedio and try it again. And then I got my chance- in January, we spent a few hours at Winter Lights in Canary Wharf (which is worth visiting if you ever get the chance to go), however the…
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Eating My Way Through London: Afternoon Tea at Ladurée, Covent Garden
Ladurée Covent Garden is renowned for its exquisite French pastries and delicate macarons, which take center stage in its afternoon tea menu. Ladurée originate in Paris, where they started out baking their famous double-decker macarons in 1862. They’ve since shipped them all over the world, with cute little shops popping up everywhere. I wanted to plan an afternoon tea to celebrate a special occasion and the afternoon tea at Ladurée seemed perfect. I am a lover of French cuisine, so embraced the opportunity to enjoy a quintessentially English past-time with a French twist. I also liked the fact that the vibe was more low-key than other afternoon teas I was…
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Where to eat in Prague (and Dresden)
Food in Prague is hearty. It is also filling and tasty. I was lucky enough to visit Prague recently for a birthday trip, so was keen to try as much of the local food as possible and discover where best to eat in Prague. The local beverage is Pilsner and it is ridiculously cheap (as is all the beer). My partner loves the stuff so it was his dream. I don’t like beer so I wasn’t so keen. However, there are plenty of other drinks to enjoy. Fancy a few ideas of where to eat in Prague? Here is a round-up of some of my favourite places I ate and…
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Bistrot Pierre, Nottingham: Something a little fancy
Up until recently, I honestly thought that Bistrot Pierre in Nottingham was a one-off. I visited a few years back, and it has stayed in my mind as probably my favourite Nottingham restaurant since then. I remembered the excellent quality of the food and how the flavour really hit the spot. But actually (as you probably already know) Bistrot Pierre is a chain, with restaurants in Derby as well as Nottingham. I was excited to get a chance to visit again recently and see if the restaurant is as good as I remembered. We visited late afternoon on a Sunday and had no problems getting a booking. The restaurant felt…
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Eating my way through London: El Pastor
El Pastor is my kind of place. Mexican food with a buzzy vibe- what’s not to like? One thing to note is- El Pastor does not accept bookings. So be sure to bring a phone and scope out places in the area for a drink whilst you’re waiting. They are good about taking your number and texting you when a table becomes available, so there’s no having to hang about in the rain. Just be aware that wait times can be around two hours. What to eat? Tacos of course! I would definitely recommend getting a few types and mixing it up with the other people you’re dining with. The…
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Eating My Way Through London: Dishoom
Inspired by the Irani cafes of Bombay, Dishoom is an Indian restaurant that holds a special place in many Londoners’ hearts. The retro Mumbai ambiance renders the whole experience very evocative. So many people rave about it, that I felt like I was the only person who hadn’t visited. It’s been somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for some time. I wanted to see whether the food was as good as suggested, so was delighted to have the opportunity to try Dishoom’s Kings Cross branch. They don’t take bookings for less than six people after 5.45pm, so we did have to queue. However, it was only half an hour and things…
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Eating My Way Through London: Iznik
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Christmas with plenty of opportunities for festive eating and drinking! I’ve been a bit out of it due to being afflicted by Covid. However, I’ve decided to get back to blogging by writing about my trip to the Turkish restaurant Iznik a few months back. Iznik is described as being easily accessible from Highbury and Islington station but it’s actually more of a distance than that. This said, it’s worth the trip. It’s gorgeously decorated and makes you feel as if you’re in an Ottoman palace. The environment is warm and cosy, a welcoming smile of a restaurant, perfect for…
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Zzang, Korean restaurant
Zzang is a cute and cosy Korean spot situated in London’s Swiss Cottage area. It was ideal to grab a bite to eat on a rainy afternoon. My friend Jo and I hadn’t eaten much Korean food beforehand, but this was a good intro. The food was fresh, tasty and comforting. We had the Udon (there’s a seafood variation), and it tasted so good. Good atmosphere as well. I would recommend this place 100%- it wasn’t over- crowded but people kept dropping by, attesting to its popularity. Visit and keep it open.
