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At long last, I write about London, the city where we live.

I was about to write something pompous, along the line of “it has much to entertain” and “if you are tired of London, you are tired of life”. But then I did a mental count of the restaurants that I could wholeheartedly recommend. It’s sad (and sort of funny) to say that even between the two of us, we could not list 10 (= we have high standards).

It’s true that the food scene here has improved massively over the last 10-15 years. It’s also true that you can find anything for anyone – all tastes and all budgets are catered for. And with all this variety, there are, of course, lots of lemons, tourist traps and short lived wonders that you visit once and never return.

Sadly, as I was doing my mental cataloguing, the news came in that one of my favourites – Hedone – is now closed. So, here’s my reduced shortlist for now:

  1. Lyle’s: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6JJ
  2. Bubbledogs and Kitchen Table: 70 Charlotte St, Bloomsbury, London W1T 4QG
  3. Cakes & Bubbles: 70 Regent St, Soho, London W1B 4DY
  4. Dinner: Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
  5. The Clove Club: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old St, Hackney, London EC1V 9LT
  6. German Gymnasium:  King’s Blvd, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BU

And some noteworthy chains:

  1. Patara (Wimbledon): http://www.pataralondon.com/
  2. Honest Burger (Covent Garden): https://www.honestburgers.co.uk/locations/covent-garden/
  3. Meat Liquor (N1): https://meatliquor.com/restaurant/meatliquor-n1/

Bottom line and mental note to self – there is more exploring to be done.

It’s official: I have completely lost track of how many times we have been to Barcelona. So, what drives us to visit this city again and again? And isn’t it boring to go to the same place every year?

Well, my first time in Barcelona was a mere stopover on the way to Girona, to visit the legendary El Cellar de Can Roca. Not that I knew the first thing about this restaurant at the time. And being blown away by that first experience, we keep coming back for more. But perhaps it was not just a tourist destination for me to begin with – the more we go there, the more new places we discover, the more we want to come back.

Barcelona has everything for everyone. You can do touristy things (sights and food included), or you can go on exploring off the beaten track. People are friendly and the food, generally, is pretty amazing whether it’s a cheap local tapas bar or a more up-market establishment.

Here’s my list of favourites, in no particular order. No doubt I will add more places with my next visit.

  1. Tickets: Avinguda del Paral·lel, 164 – 08015 Barcelona
  2. Enigma: Carrer Sepúlveda 38-40, corner with Entença – 08015 – Barcelona
  3. Hoja Santa: Avenida Mistral, 54-56 – 08015 Barcelona
  4. Nino Viejo: Avenida Mistral, 54-56 – 08015 Barcelona
  5. Bodega 1900: Calle Tamarit, 91- 08015 Barcelona
  6. Tapas 24: Carrer de la Diputació, 269, 08007 Barcelona
  7. Rocambolesc Gelateria La Rambla, 51-59, 08002 Barcelona
  8. El Xampanyet: Carrer de Montcada, 22, 08003 Barcelona
  9. Xiringuito Escriba: Avinguda Litoral, 6208005 Barcelona
  10. El Bitxo: Verdaguer i Callas 9, 08003 Barcelona

So, you’ve made it to our Travel section. Well done! But this is of course not really a travel blog, so do not expect a list of attractions to visit. You can find plenty of those on TripAdvisor and VisitCopenhagen.com. Having said that, I cannot resist this quote from The Independent, as I can echo what it says, but from the food perspective.

“Copenhagen is regularly voted the happiest city in the world, and has in recent years become something of a beacon for hipsters, given its eminently Instagrammable streets and the supremacy of Danish design”.  – The Independent

And why not be happy? Rene Redzepi and Noma not only put Copenhagen on the tourist map again. But they also contributed to this city’s exploding food scene. Former sous chefs, apprentices and mere admirers. The new Nordic cuisine is a force to be reckoned with.

So, here’s my list of the places to try. Bear in mind, the reservations for the first two may be tricky (to say the least).

  1. Noma: Refshalevej 96, 1432 København K
  2. Geranium: Per Henrik Lings Allé 4, 8, 2100 København Ø
  3. Stud!o: Havnegade 44, 1058 København K
  4. Amass: Refshalevej 153, 1432 København K
  5. Bror: Skt. Peders Stræde 24A, 1453 København K
  6. Hija de Sanchez: 8 Slagterboderne, 1716 København V
  7. Restaurant Shonnemann: Hauser Plads 16, 1127 København K