http://www.chow.com/boards/26 Thu, 31 May 2007 12:31:52 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/664747#5163286 Check out some of the places I mention in the "Foodies Berlin" thread. There are a number of German, Italian, and Chinese restos. I am pretty sure the Chinese places would be open on Christmas Eve. As for the German restos, you'll have to check their respective websites. http://bitchinberlin.wordpress.com Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:20:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664747#5163286 http://www.chow.com/topics/665234#5163279 Renger-Patzsch in Schöneberg for regional German and Flammekuchen. The chef makes a mean appetizer salad, too! Other good German cuisine that isn't crazy expensive (not what you're looking for, right?) Paris-Moskau, Traube, Weinbar Rutz, Horvath, Engelbecken. Henne for the best fried chicken in town. Good Bavarian beer. Ming gets good reviews; my personal Chinese faves are Tian Fu (Sichuan place in Wilmersdorf) and Wok Show, a dumpling place in Prenzlauerberg. Noodles & Figli is good Italian, as is Trattoria Paparazzi. Great pizza, tho not a sit-down place, can be had at various Dolce locations. The best outdoor market, hands down, is Winterfeldtmarkt in Schöneberg. If you like more Middle Eastern stuff, the Turkish market on Maybachufer (Tue & Fri) is the place to go. In Mitte, there's the Hackescher Markt market on Thursdays. It's small, but decent. There's a Bohemian resto in Spandau, but I can't remember the name right now. Cheap, filling, rustic food. There's also a decent brewery. I know you've been tired out on blogs, but check mine out :-D. A lot of reviews are in German, but plenty are in English. http://bitchinberlin.wordpress.com Also, don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:15:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/665234#5163279 http://www.chow.com/topics/664420#5163051 I found the city to be very compact and walkable--but I was there in late summer. =) I didn't find people to be too cranky, just more or less getting down to business. To that end, as soon you say anything in Czech, people tend to look at you like you're an adorable but slightly dumb dog, and ask if you'd prefer to continue in German or English. So over a week it was hard to pick up much beyond the rudimentary stuff ("Where's the bathroom?" is something like: Prosim, kde je toaleta? [Apologies to Czech speakers.] Lonely Planet has good, compact phrasebooks--including lists of menu items.) There's no need to go to exchange money, really. I just used ATMs (Prosim, kde je bankomat?), which didn't charge much more than my local deli ATM would to give me cash in koruna at that day's rate. (If you go this route, call your bank/card company first, so they don't freeze your account for unusual activity!) ANYWAY, food and drink! Beers tend to be around 2 bucks, glasses of wine 4 or 5. Definitely do a brewery tour if you like beer. I went to Staropramen (in Smichov). We threw back a few glasses of beer at the end of it, getting to try a couple beers that they don't distribute worldwide. There's also tons of smaller brewpubs if you want to look those up. I can't remember meal prices, only that the last night for our most expensive dinner we had full-on steak frites/moules frites at a Belgian place with a couple beers/glasses of wine and it was maybe $60 (I know, right? And the staff sounded heavily French & Belgian...fun change of pace... Les Moules, nearish Old Town Sq.) Since you're going in winter, def. keep an eye out for game meats. I had wild boar tenderloin in some sort of creamy/buttery berry sauce, venison meatballs, seared duck breast, Prague ham, sausages, etc. And pastries! We had various Berliners each morning at the hotel, kolache, sponge cake. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:10:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664420#5163051 http://www.chow.com/topics/665342#5162695 I saw this on the Williams- Sonoma site and would appreciate if anyone has used this for risotto ,and if so, comment on the quality of the product and effectiveness for cooking risotto.Many thanks. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:27:27 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/665342#5162695 http://www.chow.com/topics/665336#5162651 Hello European 'hounds! I will be on a music tour for the first part of 2010. We have days off (or back to back performances) in the following locales. Interested in local/regional specialties and street food. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions! Germany: Kempten, Balingen, Alsdorf, Rastatt, Aalen, Wurzburg, Szeged, Regensburg, Numrburg, Wetzlar, Hoyerswerda, Siegen, Hamburg, Gottingen, Dortmund, Lingen, Stade, Weiden, Cottbus, Neustadt, Duisburg Hungary: Budapest Switzerland: Wil, Chur Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:48:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/665336#5162651 http://www.chow.com/topics/665112#5161462 Sweet, thanks for responding! Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:53:12 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/665112#5161462 http://www.chow.com/topics/663945#5161025 I think you will find trouble finding something in english, especially for just a half day in the middle of the week, but send an email to info.sthlm@medborgarskolan.se they have quite a few different classes but they are almost all in the evenings or weekend. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:34:09 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663945#5161025 http://www.chow.com/topics/662993#5160231 Kaffehaueser (coffeehouses/cafes) in Vienna, Austria, are pretty special. Cafe Diglas, Demel, Hotel Sacher might be good places to start for the iconic desserts. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:17:17 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662993#5160231 http://www.chow.com/topics/650090#5160216 A great read, thanks! I'm amazed you guys managed to put away so many heavy meals. You guys are food troopers! Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:43:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/650090#5160216 http://www.chow.com/topics/661056#5158402 Great, I hope you have a wonderful time. Seriously, get the paella and grilled octopus, wine, and you'll be good to go :) Also, if you discover any wonderful places, please share! Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:39:37 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/661056#5158402 http://www.chow.com/topics/664912#5158137 We will be spending two weeks in the Cook Islands, splitting our time between Rarotonga and AItutaki. Does anyone have restaurant suggestions? We would like to find some really good local spots. Thank you!! Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:22:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664912#5158137 http://www.chow.com/topics/664610#5155591 Yes, it's still the same waitresses although they've changed their uniforms. Too bad, I liked the old black period-looking garb better than the blue checked blouses. I never found them particularly surly, just in a hurry and harried. Andechs is definitely delicious beer, and that patio is our normal evening hangout. In fact, we did have both dinners sitting out there this time, rather than trying to get seats inside. It's a very friendly place -- we always end up talking to people, this time a young NY-based Polish couple on their honeymoon. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:23:50 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664610#5155591 http://www.chow.com/topics/663831#5146919 I was pretty underwhelmed when I went there for my birthday last year. We went for the late seating, so the (tiny) place was busy. The service was pretty sucky. The food was alright, but overpriced. The place just got so much hype b/c Brangelina went there a couple times a few summers ago... undeserved, in my opinion. Like most hyped places, I might add. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:20:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663831#5146919 http://www.chow.com/topics/662782#5146179 Lovely travelogue. Thank you. I love Istria also. I've been fortunate to spend quite a bit of time there. I've never gone to Groznjan though. I did not know about it. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:43:21 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662782#5146179 http://www.chow.com/topics/663658#5144480 I've heard that an initiative to control smoking in restaurants in Geneva passed by a large majority last month. When will this go into effect (if it hasn't already)? If we are still in waiting mode, can anyone recommend places that have gotten a head start on clean air? Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:53:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663658#5144480 http://www.chow.com/topics/662931#5142210 I wonder if the limited options at De Kas might be influencing the mixed responses. Since they serve only one daily menu at a time, I imagine that someone could be disappointed if whatever was being served was not to his liking. For example, I’ve been there when the menu was fish-intensive. Perhaps if a carnivore chowhound went on that day, she could have been quite disappointed. But as a fan of fish, I was quite impressed. I’ve certainly been disappointed by other single menu restaurants before (e.g. Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA). Not because the food was bad, but because they weren’t serving something that I was excited about. You can’t please everyone – and that may be one of the risks of serving a single daily menu. Is de Kas overhyped? I don’t know - maybe, it depends on the day. It certainly is overpriced, but that is another issue entirely. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:27:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662931#5142210 http://www.chow.com/topics/659052#5141932 no budget- anything at all...just good food Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:01:40 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659052#5141932 http://www.chow.com/topics/663216#5139565 was there for 2/3 days earlier in the week... I am not suggesting any of the below are the best of their type in the city often recommended Manneken Pis frites [Damrak 41] are indeed nice. Bakerie met Passie [Albert Cuypstraat 51] is the best bakery I came across. Burger Bar [Kolksteeg 2] is worth a visit. good coffee at Coffee Connection [Nieuwezijds Kolk 33], and Brandemeesters [van Baerlestraat 13] lost my camera, but if I ever get it back I will attach one or two pictures to this post Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:29:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663216#5139565 http://www.chow.com/topics/650729#5137505 Dutchgrub, there's no need to bring the cheese but for anyone reading this who is thinking about bringing it back: customs OPENED my suitcase because my wife purchased tulips bulbs and declared them; as a result they decided to inspect everything we had. They found the different vacuum packed cheeses we had and allowed all of them including the bleu de wolvega. Curiously-because I did not taste it in Amsterdam-when we opened the vacuum packing here (we were told the blue vein disappears with time if it stays in this) and sliced off the thick rind the actual cheese was moist and crumbly. Completely different than any of the other cheeses which were vacuum packed. For all the world the bleu de wolvega could have been almost a soft cheese requiring refrigeration. But it survived the trip and customs perfectly. I type this for anyone who finds it-yes, you can bring it back (we found out the hard way!) and yes, it will survive the trip! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:33:58 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/650729#5137505 http://www.chow.com/topics/662534#5136892 Hi Sharon, not sure where exactly you're staying on Keizersgracht, which is quite long and pretty much curves around the entire center of Amsterdam. But you might want to head to Utrechtsestraat, which crosses Keizersgracht near Rembrandtplein. There is a great "eetcafe", a typical Dutch combined restaurant and bar, called "Vooges". Food is affordable and consistently good, Dutch / Mediterranean / International style. They also have a short but good wine list. And a little further down is Tempo Doeloe, a good Indonesian restaurants. There are many cafes, small restaurants and different kinds of boutiques on that street that should provide plenty of entertainment! dutchgrub -- www.dutchgrub.com Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:49:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662534#5136892 http://www.chow.com/topics/660543#5134977 KB Restaurant's (http://www.konstnarsbaren.se/valkommen.htm) menu looked great - traditional Swedish - and in a convenient location downtown. Reasonable prices. I wish we would have went there instead of Backfickan, which we did not care for. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:45:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/660543#5134977 http://www.chow.com/topics/661413#5134961 There aren't any responses to your post because it is difficult to meet your parameters in Copenhagen. We found it to be jaw-droppingly expensive. We were pleased to have a $100 3-course dinner for 2 at Den Anden, Fortunstræde 7, København K ( no wine). Halifax (http://www.halifax.nu/) is rather far from your hotel, but not too far from downtown. And, yes, it *is* a burger joint. But it is a fantastic burger joint - hip bar atmosphere, but more importantly, I had the best veggie burger of my life there, slathered with sauce, homemade pickles and fried onions (choice of side; I had salad, lightly tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette). DH agreed that his burger was one of the best-ever as well. And he eats a lot of burgers. The burgers were about $20 (see above: jaw-droppingly expensive), but Halifax is a fantastic option for those nights when you are tired of dropping $200+ on a meal. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:41:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/661413#5134961 http://www.chow.com/topics/593372#5134900 Besides smorgasbord at the Grand Hotel, which is a once-in-a-lifetime meal (request a table by the window overlooking the harbor), our favorite meal in Stockholm was from a recommendation on this board: Nykoset Stromming, an outside vendor in the plaza outside the Slussen T-Bana stop in northern Sodermalm, right across the bridge when you cross over from Gamla Stan. It is in the same plaza as the Stadsmuseet (City Museum). I had a fantastic fried herring platter, with excellent "mashed swedes" (potatoes), homemade pickles, slaw made with creme fraiche, and I asked for lingonberry jam on the side. My husband had the wrap version (yes, and he really liked it. And he is a bit fussy.) The kiosk is a member of Slow Food. Menu is in Swedish, but has pictures, and the vendor spoke some English. We had another great traditional meal at Pelikan in Sodermalm: (http://www.pelikan.se/) The fried salted bacon was WAY too salty for me, but, hey, I was forewarned. I wonder if Northern Europeans have a higher tolrerance for salty food than us Americans, because my dish was unreal? However, my husband's meal, and the rest of mine, was fantastic. It is worth going to for the atmosphere alone. Professional, reserved, but kind service. The Ostermalm food hall, as mentioned previously, is a must-visit. Many vendors have a lunch counter with a few chairs at their stands, and will heat up a food item for you to eat there. Find the vendor that sells "bunnies cookies" (sausage stuffed savory doughy-balls, swimming in butter) and ask what the name refers to. ;) Bakfickan is highly recommended on this board, but it was our least favorite meal of our trip. The seating primarily communal around the center bar, with a few high tables on the perimeter; if you are looking for a formal setting, this is not the place. We weren't bothered by the seating, or even our surly server - we just didn't think the food was that good. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:28:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/593372#5134900 http://www.chow.com/topics/662702#5134876 Just got back from a tour of Croatia and Slovenia. When you're near the coast the seafood is the way to go. Once inland the food becomes comfort food similar to German cuisine--gravy, meat well done, stews, etc. Here are some restaurants that I liked. Prices are in US dollars, two people, a starter or salad and an entree, a liter of table wine before tip (which is around 10%): Dubrovnik Hotel Rixos/Libertas--20 minutes from Old Town. Dinner buffet. Outstanding! $100 but if you back away they may cut the price in half. Beautiful seafood salads. Lokando Peskarija-on the waterfront behind the city hall. $60. I had whitebait and my wife had mussels in wine broth. One of the best meals if you like to eat little fried fish whole. Proto-The best meal for both of us. $95. I had seafood risotto with squid ink and my wife had octopus stew. Great! Split Atrium Hotel (Cardo Restaurant)-beautifully decorated restaurant in modern style. $65. I had veal roll and my wife had shrimp onm arugula and mozzarella. Lovely meal. Opatija Istranka-$55. Veal in a wine sauce and my wife had an octopus salad followed by calamari. Not overly breaded but very tender. Yacht Club-$55. My best meal of the trip--squid a la Opatija--squid on sliced potatoes with a light tomato-based sauce. Outstanding. My wife had grilled vegetables. Kaneta-$55. A ton of roasted lamb--the lesser parts so cooked thoroughly. A lot of fat but thoroughly enjoyable. More than you can really eat. Great service. Kvarner-actually in Lovran about 6 miles from Opatija. $70. I had the seafood brodetta (fish, mussels, squid, octopus and shrimp in light tomato based sauce) Bled Gostilnapri Planincu-$60. My wife had pork with a mushroom sauce and I had a pork cutlet, breaded as big as your head. More than I could eat. Comfort food to the max. Union-$65 We both had the House meat plate. More comfort food and plenty of it. We should have ordered the lamb chops which looked great. Fabulous service. Ljubjliana, Slovenia Sokol-$70. I had mountain oysters and my wife had veal stew. Beautiful restaurant. Wild game is their main thing. Zagreb Vinodol-$50. I had the cold meats plate and my wife had pasta with truffles. Boban-$40. We both had great pastas. In the cellar of an old building owned by a former professional basketball player. Lots of local celebrities/jocks. Ivica i Marica (Hansel and Gretel) in back of the open air market. Beautiful interior with antiques. $60. I had beef goulash and my wife had fried bread with cottage cheese/sour cream. (I know this sounds a little strange but it's a classic for Croatia--they specialize in traditional foods.) Great restaurant. Hope this helps. We wold recommend any of the above restaurants. I haven't bothered to mention the ones we didn't care for. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:19:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662702#5134876 http://www.chow.com/topics/662680#5134636 We'll be staying in Bruges for a week with our 3 year old daughter, and are looking for great food in places where a well behaved youngster will not be out of place. We've been to Bruges before and done the 3 star thing, and know how good it can be. But I don't think a 3 year old would be comfortable in those places (and I don't think most of those places would be comfortable with a 3 year old as a customer). She's a very adventurous eater, and is looking forward to moules frites. We'll be staying near the main square in Bruges, so things walking distance to that would be most appreciated, but if you have something else outside that range that is fantastic, please do tell. We'll be taking a day trip to Ghent, so any recommendations there should be in the more touristy areas (not always great for food, I know). Thank you very much in advance for any help you can provide. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:10:32 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662680#5134636 http://www.chow.com/topics/655771#5133834 Just got back from a weekend in Brussels and had some great food. Moules Frites at Chez Leon on Friday night - we were slightly concerned as it seemed to be a very touristy part of town near the Grand Place, but I recall seeing a recommendation elsewhere on the board so we gave it a go- and it was great. Sweet little mussels in a delicious broth and great fries. Saturday we were heading for Nord Zee for lunch but after a morning of walking around and a light drizzle of rain, the idea of standing up wasn't so appealing so we went to La Pre Sale around the corner - I had the steak americaine (house special) which was very good - a more delicate flavour than steak tartare I have had in London, and my boyfriend had fried cod - a huge piece cooked perfectly, flaky and moist on the inside with a lovely batter. Dinner we had booked at La Clef des Champs, in a charming little street in the Upper Town. Great value - 55 Euros for 3 courses and all wine included. The cooking was very classic - sweetbreads with morels was rich and delicious, and the crab ravioli with a curry sauce was a suberb dish. Service was lovely and the amuse bouche a lovely touch. Lunch on Sunday was slightly disappointing, but still good - I think we had just set the bar so high! Not many places were open so we ended up at La Marie Joseph in the St Katherine area and tried their moules frites. They were good, but the place was pretty expensive for what it is, and charging 5 Euro for an average espresso is pretty outrageous! Seems a great city for eating (and drinking beer!). Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:44:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/655771#5133834 http://www.chow.com/topics/656700#5132627 you should be OK if you use the tram. do not use taxi during the day (the traffic is dense until 8pm), because the construction makes the roads virtually unpassable during the day. You should be fine after 9pm or so, even in a taxi. Trams have separate tracks from cars, so they are slow but they will get you there. I do not know of any good restaurants in that area, you should probably check out this page: http://www.grand-restaurant.com/, you are looking for restaurants in Prague 7 or Prague 6 (the border is somewhere near your hotel). Otherwise you can try the restaurants in the center, check out the older posts: older posts: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642855 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/557457 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/649066 and for asian food http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/647514 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:39:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/656700#5132627 http://www.chow.com/topics/264665#5123847 I'm glad you put all that effort in to find the place, sounds like you had a good meal! :) Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:58:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/264665#5123847 http://www.chow.com/topics/647514#5120314 For starters: whole artichoke with delightful dipping sauce and veal tartare with arugula. Entre: Moist chicken drenched with sort of saffron pumpkin sauce and Fried local fish of the day on a bed of one of the best risotto, i ever had. No time for dessert, as we had to rush for a performance. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:01:15 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/647514#5120314 http://www.chow.com/topics/659093#5113847 Thank you, Nancy. I hope you have a great couple of meals. Do let us know how it goes! Bon voyage et appetit! Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:32:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659093#5113847 http://www.chow.com/topics/660462#5112121 My wife and I just returned from a week in Budapest Thursday, October 8, 2009: Just arrived in Budapest and without the energy for a major expedition, we walked a few hundred yards down Lanchíd Utça from our hotel to Arany Szarvas, The Golden Stag, in the Tabán district in between Gellert Hill and the Castle. Chew.hu reported that it was quite good, up from “revolting” a few years ago, and it was indeed surprisingly good. We ate outside on a warm and pleasant evening, service was pleasant and attentive, we had a wonderful meal: me, a pumpkin soup followed by pork medallions on a bed of incredible noodles made of some sort of vegetable base; she had a nice goose liver pate with spiced beets, followed by a duck entrée that she really enjoyed. Nice bottle of Hungarian red to accompany, and for dessert, their signature somlói galuska, Hungarian sponge cake which some have said is the best is town. Certainly was good to us! Everything excellent – highly recommend the place. Just under $100 for everything. Friday, October 9, 2009: Gundel. You don’t go for the food alone, but for the total experience: Beautiful building, beautiful bar (had an aperitif of sparkling Hungarian wine), beautiful dining room, small orchestra playing on the side (although the strolling musician cruising for tips later was a detraction, I’d say), and a wonderful meal with great wines, and very pleasant, English-fluent and very attentive service – nothing stuffy or pretentious, very welcoming. Great people-watching scene as well. We each had one of the 4 or 5 course tasting prix fixe meals, and while a lot of food, the portions were appropriate. Some dishes were outstanding: my roe deer Carpaccio, my squash cream soup with sweetbreads, my scallops with grilled pear and morel ragout; her porcini mushroom soup with green apple, and fogash from Lake Balaton – were truly outstanding; the only disappointment of the evening for each of us was the last main course, the “mini entrée”; duck breast with quince for me, which was overcooked and pretty tasteless, the rack of venison with poppy-seed soufflé for her which she thought pretty bland. Expensive ($432 not including the aperitif) and while perhaps not “best in the world” nor even, I’m told, “best in Budapest”, a great experience of Budapest as it used to be. Very glad we went. Saturday, October 10, 2009: We booked dinner at the Columbus Jazz Club and Restaurant, on a barge moored along the Duna Korzo, to take in the nightly jazz performance. Culinary expectations were low; musical expectations slightly higher, but it could easily be the other way around. Turns out I was right: music featured a passable female vocalist who worked hard at her craft and stayed in the jazz tradition; one of her sidemen (husband?) was a very good guitarist. Food was bar food, service lousy. We had a nice time anyway. Sunday, October 11, 2009: A great day filled with many great activities: • Walking tour of Vizivaros, down Csalogany utça and into the Castle District via the Vienna Gate. • Discovered the delightful Koller Gallery on Táncsics Mihály utça, the oldest private gallery in Hungary, featuring the sculptures of Lazlo Taubert and other Hungarian artists • Just passable lunch and outstanding Hungarian draft Dreher at the Fortuna Matyas Etterem, across the street from the very beautiful church. • Toured the Matyas church • Headed to the Museum of the City of Budapest, got waylaid by the Budapest Palinka and Sausage Festival. That was the end of the museum trip - what a scene! Few tourists, many locals, lots of pálinka. Highlight of the day to that point, both pálinka and sausage. • Incredible performance at the Thalia Theater by the Amadinda Percussion Group, playing new Hungarian composers (all in attendance), plus a Steven Reich piece commissioned for them. Part of the Budapest Autumn Festival. Unbelievable music and performance in a great venue – just an incredible privilege to hear these guys. Followed by dinner at Balettcipő, a very nice little coffeeshop / restaurant in the theater district, just down the street from the Opera House. Intimate, funky atmosphere, the best lentil soup I’ve ever had, and respectable pork livers on olive ciabatta with spinach. We really liked this place. Monday, October 12, 2009: Dinner at Café Kõr – a huge disappointment. I would not recommend it. Food was mediocre; service was terrible and very impersonal. Those who write that this place has gone downhill seem to know what they are talking about. We had reservations at 8, arrived on time, were asked to take a table right in front of the door while ours was being prepared (reasonable), but then were asked three times inside of 8 minutes if we had decided what we wanted to eat – either a very aggressive let’s-turn-the-tables approach or an effort to get us to take this very substandard table, or both. We refused and were seated at a decent table before too long. We each ordered a goose liver appetizer (the Café Kör specialty, and the goose liver paté with cognac) a main course and a fine bottle of Hungarian red wine (the Gál Tibor Egri Bikavér 2005/2006 Eger), but when the appetizers arrived, they were enormous – each clearly designed to be shared by two or more. We were never warned but immediately summoned the waiter and asked to reduce our main courses to a smaller portion (indicated on the menu), to which he agreed. It would not have killed him to suggest that we were ordering an awful lot of food, but he didn’t, and didn’t seem bothered by it. The appetizers were fine, but nothing remarkable – we had better goose liver at Arany Szarvas in Buda the first night we were here. We never saw our original waiter until it was time to summon him for the bill. Main courses were subpar: the duck breast steak with tangerine sauce and fragrant rice had a sauce that had tangerine sections floating in it but was otherwise innocent of that fruit, and the rice was plain old white rice, sans fragrance. My beef strips strogonoff style, a special, was tasty enough but heavy and nothing subtle. Beef was poor quality. Came with dumplings and no vegetable. If the portion sizes were reduced, we couldn’t tell. We skipped dessert for obvious reasons, had coffee and walked to the Gresham Palace Four Seasons for the evening pálinka. This is a restaurant that will have to work hard to regain its past glory. Besides the obvious faux pas, the staff lacked the service ethic that one looks forward to in a good European restaurant. Dinner the night before at the much more modest Balettcipő was far more rewarding – funky and unpretentious, but the food “underpromises and overperforms.” Tuesday, October 13, 2009: Quick dinner at Café Pierrot on Fortuna Utça, prior to taking in the Miklos Lukacs cimbalom concert at the Millenaris Teatrum. Wonderful location, beautiful room, very pleasant ambiance, service was attentive and helpful; food was…just so-so, not inventive, not particularly flavorful. Hmmm. We’re still waiting for that killer meal. So far, good old Gundel is #1, followed by the hip neighborhood bar at Balettcipő. Doesn’t make a lot of sense. Wednesday, October 14, 2009: We ate at Café Bouchon this evening. It’s also over in the theater district, an area we really enjoyed exploring. It’s hard to improve upon the comments of “Farago” elsewhere on Chowhound (who sounds like a local): "Cafe Bouchon, on the other hand, to my tastes continues to nail what Cafe Kor once captured: a central European bistro with distinctively Hungarian accent and comforting, somewhat parental, service...kind of like Rick's Place in the film Casablanca. The owner's presence and authority suffuses the place, and the food is far more consistently satisfying. One never feels rushed and one seldom feels unattended to. While I have long since lost my objectivity about the place and am treated more or less as a regular, we rent apartments out to tourists and recommend Bouchon regularly, and many of our guests wind up giving it a try. I debrief them to see whether it's losing its edge, and thus far at least the returns have been almost 100% positive (one guest had a disappointing meal during a week when I have to admit I did as well)." That’s exactly right: wonderful ambience, attractive room, and the owner, Tisza Lajos, is everywhere in the room, particularly for English-speaking guests. He has tremendous enthusiasm for the cuisine of his country and wants you to share it with him. He made it clear that they could do pretty much anything we wanted: reduce portions, make substitutions, craft our own tasting menu. Before the first course arrived we felt welcomed and well-cared-for, and the food did not disappoint. She had the goose liver paté from the regular menu and the fogash (pike-perch from Lake Balaton) from the daily offer; both were great. I had the Russian red caviar from the menu, and sliced goose liver on spiced pear from the daily offer. The caviar was – well, it was red caviar, superbly presented with all the accoutrements, including a glass of champagne in place of the usual shot of vodka. The goose liver was, as expected, a heavy meal, offset delightfully by the spiced pear. I let Lajos pour for us by the glass, and he paired local Hungarian wines wonderfully with the various courses for both of us. We left very sated and very happy. So, bottom line: we ate in some very different places. Gundel is in a class by itself: if your budget permits, it’s a Budapest experience not to be missed, but not for everyone and not a place you would go for a quick bite after theater. Arany Szarvas and Balettcipő surprised us by how good they were for what they were; it’s always a pleasure to get a surprisingly good meal in an unpretentious setting. Café Pierrot is a great room on perhaps Budapest’s most beautiful street in its most historic neighborhood, and very pleasant even if the food does not excite. Café Kõr was just a disappointment and irritating. Café Bouchon is the kind of place I’d visit every week if I could. There are plenty of good restaurants that we did not get the chance to visit (Csalogany 26 and Tigris, to name a couple). The Hungarian website Chew.hu keeps current a list of the “33 Best Restaurants in Budapest” and I found their list and related reviews to be reasonably accurate and full of local gossip you’re unlikely to get from the international guides. Of course, don’t miss the chance to waste a few hours at the famous coffeehouse Café Gerbeaud, another local institution, like Gundel, that gives a sense of what gracious living in fin de siècle Budapest might have been like. Bon appétit! Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:30:07 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/660462#5112121 http://www.chow.com/topics/635743#5110976 Just finished dinner at= trattoria paparazzi - husemannstr. 35 this was the first italian restaurant to open in east berlin during the communist era, we really enjoyed this spot and ordered so much food. Of course we started with some nice italian wine, then into the anti pasta appetizer, tuna carmichio, and some facasha bread, excuse spelling. Then for our main course we were hoping for the lamb but they sold out, instead we had 2 dishes we split, the stuffed chicken with buffalo cheese and a wonderful rissoto rice and a penne pasta with meat, wonderful. Then we shared 4 combo desserts, very nice time, thank you Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:02:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/635743#5110976 http://www.chow.com/topics/262187#5109187 There is not need to argue. To get the best gelato in the world you need to come up to the end of the world ... a.k.a New Zealand. A friend of mine introduced me to the Giapo experience. I call it the Giapo experience because everytime you walk in there, it’s just a feeling of being out of this world. Whenever you are there - you can’t help but be happy! I know their fruit is organic and they are grand with chocolate and hazelnuts and they have the largest list of mix-ins ever seen in the world. Opss. I forgot to say that they also sell the largest cone in the world... the notorious super giapo. Come to NZ. Go and have fun! I also found them in FB: www.facebook.com/giapogelato Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:31:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/262187#5109187 http://www.chow.com/topics/659853#5107286 Hi everyone! I'm looking for a good place to eat tonight in the Hague. I've just recently moved here for my Master's and haven't had a chance to explore the food scene. The web is full of sites and blogs about Amsterdam eating, but none so far on one of its smaller (yet still sweet!) little sibling - the Hague. Any ideas you have would be great! Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:10:58 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659853#5107286 http://www.chow.com/topics/659852#5107275 Hanging out in Brussels right now and haven't seen too many recommendations or posts about various areas. Anyone out there that can jumpstart this thread? I recently ate at Vietnamese place (Vietnamien) on Rue de George Henri. Seems to be one of the few places that one can score a decnet meal under 5 Euros around here. Not looking for anything super cheap, just super good. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:44:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659852#5107275 http://www.chow.com/topics/655798#5102882 Amazing what you can find on Chowhounds... I (and spouse) will be going to Iceland in December; visiting Reykjavik, Vik, Hofn, and Akureyri> She adores fish and I wont eat it. Any suggestions?? Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:02:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/655798#5102882 http://www.chow.com/topics/658529#5099413 The food at morgenland is great, but it's way too busy for my tastes (or was the last time I was in Berlin). I totally concur on Istoria, though. Another, totally different but very Berlin option would be Cafe Morgenrot on Kastanienallee, also in Prenzlauerberg. Tasty vegetarian food in a lefty, punkish environment. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:21:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/658529#5099413 http://www.chow.com/topics/264279#5096678 Might be 5 yrs too late to reply this, you might've gone to that place.. but anyways.. it's called the Abuba steak.. it was ran out of some guys garage until he was rich enough to open a whole 4 stories building restaurant now... :) Address : Abuba Steak Jalan Cipete Raya St. No. 6 Cipete Selatan Village, Cilandak District South Jakarta City, 12410 Opening Hours : Daily: 11.00am-12.00midnight Telephone : +6221-7512337 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:34:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/264279#5096678 http://www.chow.com/topics/657173#5095459 If I'm not too late I would suggest Fischers Weingenuss & Tafelfreunden. Great meal and superior wine list. www.fischers-wein.com Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:49:09 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/657173#5095459 http://www.chow.com/topics/657596#5090756 There's a pretty good Thai place (Thai Prince??) near the Hauptbahnhof / central station, maybe 5 min. walking distance. Good food, decently priced. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:36:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/657596#5090756 http://www.chow.com/topics/578198#5090634 Vienna has not Chinatown, but a lot of Asian restaurants, and some might be open. The Sichuan is a good choice, other upscale Asian places are Chinese: Goldene Zeiten, Zum kaiserlichen Thron Japanese: Unkai (at Grand Hotel), Tenmaya, Yugetsu You will have less luck with Mörwald, his only place inside Vienna was a very expensive restaurant at Hotel Ambassador and closed recently. All other places are outside of Vienna. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:52:43 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/578198#5090634 http://www.chow.com/topics/655813#5086671 I like the Meridien, and believe their pastry chef is among the best in the city. These suggestions are solid, but like many concierge suggestions, very tourist-driven... and there are, to my tastes, somewhat better options in most of these categories... For example, I far prefer Cafe Bouchon to Cafe Kor (the former was started by staff who were at the Kor in its glory days), but it is further from the Meridien, very near the Opera and Peretta Theatre...I yearn for the Bouchon milieu and food when I am not in Budapest... I prefer the Muzeum Kavehaz a couple of blocks away from Rezkakas over Rezkakas... the food is a shade better, the milieu a tad less heavy-handedly ornate (and more authentically restored), and I once had a problem sending a wine back at Rezkakas ... a small problem, not a big one, but it left a dent in my impressions of the place. If Sercli is the place next to Bor La Bor, I like it a good bit and think that it is a sibling to the Bor La Bor wine bar in the basement of the same building... Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:31:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/655813#5086671 http://www.chow.com/topics/657772#5085800 I would love to know if anyone has been to this restaurant and, if so, whether it would be a good spot to dine. The next day we are going to In de Wulf. I was also thinking of Hof van Cleve, but the prices are starting to intimidate me. Many thanks in advance Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:06:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/657772#5085800 http://www.chow.com/topics/655691#5083195 THANKS!! Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:02:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/655691#5083195 http://www.chow.com/topics/651537#5082074 Good locals in Ljubljana - Pri Skofu and Gostlina Sokol In Radovljica, a 10 minute drive south of Bled - Gostlina Lectar Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:09:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/651537#5082074 http://www.chow.com/topics/657277#5081043 I'll say it again as I previously posted a review from our time in Budapest and also had wonderful experiences with our Le Meridien Vienna's concierge recommendations. First let me say that I have not always been a believer in concierges. Often, not always, their incentive is to send guests to touristy locales or places where they personally given "incentives." But when posed with the task of finding some special &/or off the beaten path experiences for foodies celebrating a special occasion, this concierge rose to the task. It was a birthday trip and we asked him where he would take his girlfriend for such an occasion. Restaurant Vincent is across the river, not in the tourist area. It would have been easier to find if we had not chosen the wrong exit from the Metro station. It was walking distance from the station but we got turned around and found no help from the locals while walking in circles. Knowing German would surely have helped as would have just taking a taxi. It was a quiet night and only a table or 2 occupied each of the 3 different rooms. Ours was the last and overlooked a garden with a small pond and fountain. They had no English menus and there was only one person on staff who could speak English. We put ourselves in his hands having not much idea as to what was to arrive. We are so glad we did. Every single item from amuse bouche, appetizers, intermezzo, entree, sides, breads and desert were just outstanding. A well thought out menu, beautiful presentation, interesting ingredients and complicated preparation all finely paired with excellent local wine. It's been a couple of weeks and there was well chosen wine consumed and unfortunately, I cannot even refresh my memory to the specifics of the all dishes by reviewing the website since it also, has no translation. I am sorry to be unable explain what we enjoyed. I just wanted to post the recommendation for a special and truly fine experience in Vienna. http://www.restaurant-vincent.at/ Große Pfarrgasse 7, 1020 Leopoldstadt, Wien, Austria‎ - +43 1 2141516‎ Taborstraße Station Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:07:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/657277#5081043 http://www.chow.com/topics/652853#5080622 We went to Pancakes! and enjoyed it very much. It will not open 1 minute before 10. We had coffee at a nice place across the street while we waited. It was worth waiting for, though. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:14:40 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/652853#5080622 http://www.chow.com/topics/654057#5079420 Tak, hotpot1. Sorry for the last reply! I hope you got to try it - but reservations are tough.... Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:07:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/654057#5079420 http://www.chow.com/topics/623759#5078773 Bill: You cannot be serious! Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:43:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/623759#5078773