The name of the restaurant Sommelier in Lisbon makes it easy to understand that this restaurant specializes in wine. Once inside, this message is reinforced by the arrangement of wine displayed on the back wall off the dining room. It … Continue reading Dining in Portugal: Sommelier
We’ve been on a last-minute vacation to the Mediterranean island of Malta for a week, which we concluded with a dinner at Noni. This trip was so last-minute that I had not done any research and I wasn’t even aware … Continue reading Dining in Malta: Noni*
There are two restaurants holding three Michelin stars in the Netherlands: Librije and Inter Scaldes. Librije has held the 3 stars since 2004 and we have eaten there every year since (click here for the review of our latest visit). … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Inter Scaldes*** (2020)
Every year we celebrate our wedding anniversary with a dinner at a special restaurant. Due to the virus, the plans I had made well in advance for our 18th anniversary had to be cancelled. Luckily there are some good restaurants … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Tribeca**
We had 6 restaurants with a combined total of 15 Michelin stars lined up in Tokyo and Taipei, but due to the corona virus never made it to Taipei and had to leave Japan early. When the Dutch government strongly … Continue reading Dining in Kyoto: Wagokoro Izumi**
I’ve been following chef Richard van Oostenbrugge since he started as the chef of Bord’eau in Hotel de l’Europe in Amsterdam. After gaining two Michelin stars, he started his own restaurant 212 and this is our second visit. 212 has been open for 2 years and now has one Michelin star. The restaurant is different from most other Michelin-starred restaurants as the seating is at a bar around the kitchen where you can see the dishes being finished. (The actual kitchen is downstairs.) We opted for the six course tasting menu (138 euros) with premium wine pairing (118 euros). The … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: 212* (2020)
De Librije is the best restaurant in the Netherlands and has been awarded three Michelin stars for 15 years in a row now. It is often ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. We have been there each of those 15 … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Librije*** (2019)
The restaurant formerly known as Librije’s Zusje in Amsterdam has changed its name and is now called Spectrum. It is still run by chef Sidney Schutte and maître Sascha Speckemeier and still has two Michelin stars. The last time we … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Spectrum**
We had good memories of dining at La Saletta in Alghero on Sardinia two years ago, and so we were looking forward to our return. Unlike most restaurants in port town Alghero, La Saletta specializes in meat rather than seafood. … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Saletta
Aqua is the restaurant of chef Sven Elverfeld and host and sommelier Marcel Runge that is located in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Wolfsburg, about an hour West of Berlin in Germany. Michelin’s definition of a three star restaurant states that … Continue reading Dining in Germany: Aqua*** (2019)
As every year, we celebrate the anniversary of our first date with a meal at Librije. It is easily the best restaurant in the Netherlands and has three Michelin stars. There are tasting menus of 5, 6, or 7 courses … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Librije*** (2018)
In Vienna most fine dining options seem a bit overpriced. Although the entourage at MAST Weinbistro is indeed that of a (modern) bistro, the elegant and refined dishes and wines are certainly worthy of the label “fine dining”, but at … Continue reading Dining in Vienna, Austria: MAST Weinbistro
This is our 4th dinner at Torre del Saracino in Vico Equense with view on Mt Vesuvio and the Gulf of Naples. The previous time in 2011 we took a flight just to eat here. And so we had high … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Torre del Saracino** (2018)
Don Alfonso 1890 is situated in the town of Sant’Agata sui due Golfi, on the Sorrentino peninsula in the hinterland of the Amalfi Coast. It has three forks from Gambero Rosso and two Michelin stars. On the photo you see … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Don Alfonso 1890**
The last trattoria with tre gamberi (see yesterday’s post) is Al Convento in the fisherman’s town Cetara on the Amalfi Coast. The most important local product here is alici, anchovies. Al Convento has nice outside seating (in the town center, … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Al Convento
A trattoria is an Italian restaurant that is less formal than a ristorante, with lower prices and often larger portions. There is no official definition of the distinction and many trattorie call themselves ristorante, to make it more confusing. The … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Angiolina
Reservations for all other restaurants worth writing a blog about have been made well in advance, but Cala del Citro is a new restaurant that we discovered by chance. It belongs to the hotel of the same name and was … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Cala del Citro
La Tavernetta is the restaurant of the San Lorenzo si Alberga hotel in the national park of Sila, in the mountains of Calabria, close to Lago Cecita. This is not only a change of scenery but also a change of … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Tavernetta
Ceraudo is one of the best wineries in Calabria (the ‘foot’ of Italy). It produces wines in the Val di Neto IGP, mainly from local grape varieties pecorello for white and gaglioppo for red. They also have an agriturismo, which … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Dattilo*
The next stop in our culinary tour of southern Italy is La Locandiera in Bernalda, near Matera in the region of Basilicata. Gambero Rosso has awarded it tre gamberi (three shrimp), which is the highest rating for a trattoria. We … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Locandiera
Già Sotto l’Arco is one of the best restaurants in Puglia according to the Gambero Rosso, who awards it two forks, and it also has one Michelin star. It is located in a nice old palazzo on the main square … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Già sotto l’arco*
There are many restaurants in Italy called Antichi Sapori (Old Flavors), but the one owned by Pietro Zito in Puglia (in Montegrosso, near Bari) is probably the most famous. We’ve already had the pleasure of eating there in 2008, and … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Antichi Sapori (Pietro Zito)
We are touring the coast of southern Italy, and our first stop is in Brusciano, just outside of Naples. Taverna Estia has two Michelin stars and three forchette from Gambero Rosso. The dining room has full view of the kitchen … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Taverna Estia**
Chefs Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot left Bord’eau (where they had earned two Michelin stars within three years) and started there own restaurant: 212. The name refers to the address of their new restaurant (Amstel 212 in Amsterdam) and … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: 212
RyuGin is the 3 Michelin star restaurant of chef Yamamoto in Tokyo. We had the pleasure to dine there in 2011 and it was one of the best and most memorable dining experiences we’ve ever had. So when I found out there is a branch of RyuGin in Taipei, I did not hesitate and booked a table right away for our trip to Taiwan. Please note that Michelin does not rate restaurants in Taiwan, but if they would this would certainly get at least two stars in my opinion, if not three. (You can book a table through the website. … Continue reading Dining in Taiwan: RyuGin Taipei
Every year we celebrate the anniversary of our first date with a dinner at De Librije, our favorite restaurant in the Netherlands with 3 Michelin stars and ranked #34 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. De Librije is located in … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Librije*** (2017)
It was over 4 years ago that I last dined at Vermeer, the one Michelin star restaurant of chef Chris Naylor, located just across the street from Central Station in Amsterdam. As you can read here in the review of my previous visit, it was good then but not spectacular. I had recently heard good things about it, and when I read an interview with the maitre in which he explained they had upgraded the wine pairings to be able to serve wines at par with the food, I decided to check it out again. I’m glad that I did, … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Vermeer* (2017)
S’Apposentu di Casa Pudu is the restaurant of chef Roberto Petza in the hinterland of Cagliari in Sardinia, near the famous nuraghe in Barumini. What drew us here is not the one Michelin star, but the three ‘forks’ (the highest … Continue reading Dining in Italy: S’Apposentu*
If you go to Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Italy, you should go there for the wine. The name “enoteca” is already a big hint that this is the case, because it is an Italian word that means “wine library”. And not just … Continue reading Enoteca Pinchiorri***
L’Amaryllis is the restaurant of chef Cedric Burtin in the village of Saint-Rémy, near Chalon-sur-Saône in Burgundy, France. It is housed in an old watermill, le Moulin de Martorey. In the dining room the old cogwheels are still there, which … Continue reading Dining in France: L’Amaryllis*
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