Dinner at Le Petit Pointoise in Paris, France

February 5, 2017February 14, 2017Leave a comment

A few weeks ago I was in Paris with one of my best friends and I decided to return to a lovely, small traditional French restaurant – Le Petit Pointoise.

Location:

Le Petit Pontoise is located on a quiet street just a few minutes’ walk from Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Paris.

Address:

9, rue de Pontoise, 75 005 PARIS

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7:30 p.m. When we arrived the restaurant was almost full and buzzing with tourists and some regular dinners. We were greeted by a friendly waitress-Boom that I met a while ago when I was in Paris with my husband last year. She took us to our table in the corner of restaurant and made us feel welcomed. She attended our table and looked after us well throughout the evening.

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The menu:

The menu at this gourmet bistro offers an impressive selection of dishes that are all built around traditional French recipes. The Head Chef-François Récapet works at Le Petit Pontoise for 14 years and provides his dinners with a high quality, traditional French cuisine with a twist. Before we ordered our starters, I ordered some house white wine that was really fruity and sweet.

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some signature ‘Petit Pontoise’ roasted shrimps. They were divine! I loved how juicy they were.

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My friend Natasha had some amazing Parmesan Dauphine Ravioles that were cooked to perfection and very cheesy.

Mains:

There was a nice choice of mains but as I love fish I decided to have a fillet of sea bass roasted with vanilla sauce. It was absolutely perfect. Wow! Wow! Wow! It was the best fish I had in a while. I loved the sweet sauce and veggies that accommodated the fish.

My friend had a Rack of lamb with some garlic crust that was accompanied by some vegetables and gravy. It was delectable and she cleared the plate which is always a good size.

Desserts:

As I have a bad sweet tooth, I was looking forward to the last part of our meal. Last time when I was in Le Petit Pontoise I had some amazing Tiramisu ‘Veronese’. This time, i decided to have some gramdms’s secret Tart Tatin. I really enjoyed my little treat that was served with some vanilla ice-cream! Yummy!

Natasha had some Chocolat Amadeus. With a liquid chocolate in the middle and vanilla ice-cream on top, this cake was divine.

Overall experience:

We both had a great time at this traditional French gourmet bistro. You should definitely go there if you wish to discover and enjoy some great home-made French cuisine. All dishes were of good size and presented nicely so if you wish to have a good-quality meal in a typical Parisian atmosphere then look no further. I will definitely visit again during my next trip to this magical city.

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.lepetitpontoise.fr/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at Jackson + Rye, City, London

January 25, 2017January 23, 2017Leave a comment

Last week we had our dinner date at Jackson + Rye restaurant in London City.

Location:

Jackson + Rye restaurant and bar has multiple locations is London: Soho, Chiswick, Richmond , Kingston, Bank. In addition, they recently opened a new restaurant in Guildford. We decided to visit it’s City branch which is situated just around a corner from Bank station.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:45 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly hostess who introduced us to our waitress-Kinga. She took us to our table and took our drinks order. To start our evening, I had a glass of Bellini and my husband ordered some beer.

The decor of Jackson and Rye’s restaurant is simple and welcoming. in addition, throughout our meal there was a romantic music playing in the background.

Starters:

We decided to have some Jumbo Shrimp with American cocktail sauce to share. In addition, I ordered some Crunchy Chorizo Prawns that were served with a mango chili mayo. My husband had some buffalo Chicken Wings which were presented with three homemade sauces: BBQ, peri peri & blue cheese. All starters were tasty and prepared to our liking. I loved the blue cheese sauce-it’s a pity that you cannot buy it in shops!

Mains:

For our mains we both had a steak. I had a tender fillet steak whilst my husband had some Rib Eye.

Both mains were absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. They were accompanied by some Green slaw and sweet potato fries that we’ve ordered separately. As always, I really liked my sweet potato side… I could have it everyday…

Dessert:

If you read my blog regularly then you will see a trend in here. For my dessert, I ordered (surprise, surprise 😉 ) a sticky toffee pudding. It was delicious!

My husband, decided not to have any dessert as he was absolutely full after his starter and main.

Overall experience:

I really liked the food at the Jackson + Rye restaurant. The restaurant has multiple locations around London, the service was good and the food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

30 Old Jewry, London, EC2R 8EB

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.jacksonrye.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at The Fish Market, London

January 20, 2017January 22, 2017Leave a comment

As some of you might know, I love all kinds of seafood. As a result, I was really happy to have my weekly dinner date at The Fish Market restaurant in London and I was looking forward to trying their specialties.

Location:

The Fish Market restaurant is situated just a couple of minutes away from the Liverpool Street Station so it is perfect for anyone who works in the City.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:30 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly hostess who took us to our table and introduced us to our waiter. I decided to have some champagne to start with.

Starters:

For our starter, we had a Seafood sharing platter from the A La Carte Menu.

It was presented beautifully and I loved a selection of seafood presented to us. It included: grilled scallops, salt and pepper squid, goujons of day boat fish, garlic king prawns.

Mains:

For our mains we wanted to try some fish from the Fish Market menu. All fish at The Fish Market restaurant comes either on the bone or is filleted so you can have it cooked to your liking. In addition, you can choose to have your fish steamed or cooked a la plancha. What’s more, all fishes from the Market selection menu come with a choice of one complimentary side and sauce. I had a whole sea bream and my husband had a whole sea bass. For our sides, we ordered some creamed spinach and spiced, sweet potato fries.

Both mains were absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. Sides were a nice-add on and I really liked my sweet potato fries.

Dessert:

As soon as I looked at the menu, I knew what I wanted to have for my dessert and as I love sticky toffee pudding, my choice was easy. It was nice but personally, I would want to have some more vanilla ice-cream with it. It is probably me just being greedy though 😉

My husband, as always, ordered some vanilla ice-creams.

Overall experience:

I really liked the food at the Fish Market restaurant. The service was good and food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

16 New St, London EC2M 4TR

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.fishmarket-restaurant.co.uk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencial-the best steak in Palma De Mallorca

November 30, 2016January 16, 2017Leave a comment

On the last evening of our mini-moon in Palma, we decided to have a dinner at the traditional Mallorcan steak restaurant –Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencial.

Location:

Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencial is located opposit of Parc De Les Estations, just around the corner from the Placa d’Espanya.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 8:30 p.m. When we arrived only one other table was taken but within 15 minutes restaurant was full with locals and tourists. A restaurant opened in 2004 in an old mansion and was renovated but the designers kept some key features of the space such as its beautiful arches and thick walls. Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencials has a simple, modern decor making it a welcoming and pleasant place to enjoy your meals.

The menu:

To start with we ordered a selection of starters:

We accompanied them with some local red wine called Bisbals. It was rich and fragrant.

Mains:

For our mains we decided to have a steak each. I always debate which stake to choose as if you want the meatiest meat, choose rib-eye, though the fillet is heavenly for those frightened of fat.

I decided to have some rib-eye and it was flawless. It had the flavor like undiluted beef cordial. With flavors as good as these, you want as many different mouthfuls as you can get. The steak was absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. I would compare the quality of our steak to what you get in Hawksmore in London.

After we finished our steaks it was time for some digestive made out of Herbs of Mallorca.

Overall experience:

We both really enjoyed the food we ordered at Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencials, portions were enormous and the meal was really reasonably priced. If you like a good steak than you should definitely visit Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencials. After our starter and main we were really full and I watched in admiration as one couple sitting at the table next to us tucked into a beautifully presented desset consisting of pancakes. I will definitely need to order some of them next time I visit Palma as they looked delicious!

Address:

Carrer Eusebi Estada, 33, 07004 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.bolixe.com/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our lunch at Peix Vermell restaurant

November 25, 2016November 29, 2016Leave a comment

On the third day of our mini-moon in Palma, after sightseeing the most beautiful sights the city has to offer, we decided to have a lunch at the traditional fish and seafood restaurant – Peix Vermell.

Location:

Peix Vermell is conveniently located in the Old Town on one of the most symbolic streets in Palma, just around the corner from the famous boutiques and Louis Vuitton store.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 1:30 p.m. On our arrival, we were greeted by a restaurant Manager-Mihail. He took us to our table and introduced us to our waiter who was friendly and attentive.

I was impressed by the restaurant lively, colorful decor and I loved some of the amazing modern paintings that are displayed on its walls.

The menu:

Before we started our meal we had a glass of champagne to celebrate our mini-moon in Palma. While we were sipping our chilled sparkly goodness we looked at the great selection of fish and seafood dishes available to order.

To start with we had a selection of recommended starters including:

Shrimps with garlic oil;
Small green peppers of Padrón;
A mixed salad.

Our starters were really tasty and gave us an opportunity to try some local delicatessen.

Mains:

For our mains we decided to have some seafood paella and some baked sea bass with garnish. Our waiter brought both dishes to our table and divided them equally for me and my husband.

When we have first seen the amount of food we ordered, we were wondering how we could potentially finish it all however as both dishes were full of flavor and delectable, we cleared our plates clean.

When it comes to our seafood paella it was definitely the best paella I’ve ever eaten! It was full of flavor and seafood, absolutely perfect!

Desserts:

After our massive meal I was unsure if I want a dessert however as soon as I’ve heard about the homemade Tiramisu, I changed my mind and ordered some. It was lovely….

My husband went for some crema catalana which he really enjoyed.

Overall experience:

If you like seafood than you should definitely visit Peix Vermell. The restaurant offers a wide variety of competitively priced fish and seafood dishes in addition to a vast selection of wines. Their seafood paella was absolutely amazing so you should definitely try it next time you are in Palma.

We both really liked the food, service was spot on and surroundings were modern. I am definitely not surprised that TripAdvisor awarded the restaurant the Certificate of Excellence 2016 as they definitely deserve it.

Address:

1 Montenegro str or entrance from 7 Sant Feliu str., 07012 Palma de Mallorca

For more information and to book visit:

http://peixvermell.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our lunch at Aromata restaurant, Palma De Mallorca

November 23, 2016November 21, 2016Leave a comment

On our second day of our mini-moon in Palma, we decided to have a lunch at one of the traditional Mallorcan restaurants Aromata.

Location:

The restaurant is located in an old, renovated building in the city centre of Palma. It is positioned just a minute away from a busy shopping street in the Old Town so it is perfect to take a break and relax, no matter whether you are there for shopping or sightseeing.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 1 p.m. On our arrival, we were greeted by a restaurant Manager-Patricia. She took us to our table and introduced us to our waiter who made us feel welcomed and comfortable. The restaurant has a modern decor and beautiful setting.

The menu:

Aromata’s menus are created by a famous Michelin star chef Andreu Genestra and change on a weekly basis. There are 2 lunch menus to choose from: Aromata Migdia and Gourmet menu. I decided to try the dishes from the Aromata Gourmet menu and my husband went for a cheaper option from the Migdia menu.

Starter:

For a starter my husband had some cream of parsnip with fried vegetables and air cilantro and I ordered some marinated grilled tuna with mashed cauliflower and air nail.

Both dishes were very tasty and cooked to perfection. I tried some soup and I wished I could prepare a similar parsnip soup at home-I definitely need some cooking classes first though 😉

Mains:

For my main I decided to have a fried snapper fillet with some fennel, garlic and pepper. James had some braised beef with mashed potato and leek crispy. Both dishes were full of flavour and simply delectable.

Desserts:

James decided to have a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice-cream.

I loved his brownie so I had half of it and in return gave him some of my dessert that consisted of assorted cheeses with trim and chutney.

Overall experience:

If you would like to try some traditional, creative, gourmet, tasty Mallorcan cuisine then Aromata is a place to go to. We both really enjoyed our lunch there-food was excellent, service was great and the restaurant is very reasonably priced.

With menus starting from 15.5 Euros it is a great destination for everyone who wants to enjoy an inexpensive, quality meal. In addition, restaurant supports Mallorcan wine merchants so don’t forget to try some faboluous local wine if you visit!

Address:

Carrer de la Concepció, 12, 07012 Palma

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.aromatarestaurant.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at el Neo Gastrobar in Palma De Mallorca

November 20, 2016November 21, 2016Leave a comment

After a day of sightseeing, on the first day of our mini-moon in Palma De Mallorca we booked a table for a dinner at el Neo Gastrobar. I read so many positive reviews about this restaurant so I was curious to discover how good it really is!

I wore one of my summery cocktail dresses from Lipsy with some Carvella hills and accessorized it with some silver jewellery and my Versace handbag that I took with me for our trip.

Location:

El Neo Gastrobar is situated just a few minutes away from the Cathedral. It has a perfect location in the Old Town center of Palma and is just around a corner from Palma’s marina.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 8 p.m. On our arrival, we were greeted by a friendly Italian waiter from Sardigna-Ivanno. He took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable. We felt relaxed and comfortable from the firts minute we arrived to el Neo Gastrobar. There was a soft music playing at the background and the atmosphere was romantic.

Service:

We were mainly served by Ivanno whose however there were also a few different staff members who attended our table. They were all friendly and looked after us well. On our arrival we received a glass of champagne to start our evening with.

The menu:

The menu at this gourmet gastrobar serves inventive, Asian-inspired selection of tapas so we decided to degustate some of them. All dishes were beautifully presented and tasted heavenly. They were definitely the best tapas we had whilst in Palma!

Below you can find some pictures of the dishes we tried:

The favorite dish I tried was prawns breaded in panko with mango chutney.

For my dessert I had some white chocolate with red fruits and it was simply amazing. As some of you might know I have a very bad sweet tooth so I was looking forward to it:

Overall experience:

We both had an amazing time at el Neo Gastrobar.

The service was excellent, food was delicious and the atmosphere was great! If you would like to try some tapas with an Asian twist then you should definitely give it a go. We were lucky enough to also meet extremely friendly owner of el Neo-Carolina who told us about her background and inspiration:

After a dinner I would definitely recommend you to check their bar as their cocktails are definitely a must-have whilst visiting el Neo Gastrobar.

For more information and to book visit:

http://el-neo.com/

Address:

Carrer de la Boteria, 8, 07012 Palma de Mallorca

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at the Grill Restaurant at Amba Hotel, London

October 21, 2016October 22, 2016Leave a comment

I visited Amba Hotel Marble Arch in London for the first time, a few months ago when I went there for my afternoon tea with my friend Sylwia. I had a lovely experience last time so I really wanted to go to The Grill restaurant for a dinner with my husband. We decided to book it for our second wedding ‘lunaversary’-yes, that’s right we are married for 2 months now. Time flies!

So let me tell you a bit about The Grill restaurant located at Amba Hotel.

Venue and location:

The Grill restaurant can be found on the first floor at Amba Hotel Marble Arch -just off Oxford Street in central London. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station-Marble Arch is around 3 minutes away. It is perfectly located in the very heart of London’s glittering centre. If you decide to go to central London in order to get some gifts for the upcoming Christmas then you should definitely visit.

Times:

The Grill restaurant is open 7 days a week. Lunch and dinner are served from midday until 10 p.m.

Atmosphere:

We reached Amba Hotel Marble Arch at around 7 p.m. The atmosphere and staff were both pleasant. On our arrival, we were acknowledged by a friendly receptionist who then asked one of the waiters to take us to our table. The lights were dimmed, there was a relaxing music playing in the background and we were taken to sit at the candlelight table which provided a perfect setting for our romantic dinner.

The menu:

Once we were comfortably sited, our friendly waiter offered us to start our dinner with a glass of champagne. A few minutes later, we received a chilled glass of bubbly each and then we started considering what to pick for our dinner.

There were a lot of nice dishes to choose from so it took us a few minutes to decide what we would like to have:

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some cured Smoked Salmon with Horseradish crème fraiche and wild rocket. It was delectable.

My husband had some classic Prawn Cocktail with tempura king prawn. It was presented beautifully and was very tasty.

Mains:

For our mains we both selected the items from the charcoal Josper Grill.

I decided to have 35 Day Dry Aged Ribeye Steak with peppercorn sauce. As a side I decided to have some rosemary and Parmesan fries and buttered spinach. My main was simply delectable-steak was cooked to perfection (just as I like it) and sides complimented my dish faultlessly.

My husband had some British Lamb Cutlets with mint sauce. Again-his lamb was very tender and he loved it.

Desserts:

As some of you know, I have a very bad sweet tooth so I decided to have a Pecan and Maple Syrup Tart with honeycomb ice cream. My dessert was mouth-watering.

James decided to be healthier than me and had some fresh strawberries with clotted cream.

Dress code:

The dress code at The Grill restaurant in Amba Hotel Marble Arch is smart casual. I decided to wear one of my pink Prada dresses with a pair of Jones kitten hills.

Overall experience:

The Grill restaurant at Amba Hotel Marble Arch offers a welcoming atmosphere, friendly service and great quality food. I would definitely visit again. You should definitely go there next time you are shopping on Oxford Street if you wish to have a nice, reasonably priced meal.

In addition, The Grill restaurant will be running a special ‘seasonal’ set menu that will be available throughout December 2016 (excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve)

If you are interested, than it will be served from midday to 10 p.m. and you’ll get a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, followed by a three-course meal for only £39 per person.

Website:

http://www.amba-hotel.com/hotels/united_kingdom/london/marble_arch/restaurants_and_bars/the_grill.html

Address: Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our lunch at Dessirier restaurant, Paris

September 25, 2016September 26, 2016Leave a comment

On our last day of our mini-moon in Paris, we decided to have a lunch at one of the best fish and seafood restaurants – Dessirier. The restaurant was firstly opened in 1883 by Louis Dessirier and his small Parisian café became a big oyster bar and the Cadoret family was running it for 5 generations. In 1996 chef Michel Rostang took over ‘Dessirier’ and refurbished it completely with a help of the architects Hélène and Olivier Lempereur, upon Michel Rostang’s 2 passions, cooking and contemporary art. Today the restaurant stands out as one of the best fish and seafood restaurant in Paris and celebrates its 20 years old offering its emblematic dishes, still going with seafood rigorously selected and whole fish to share.

Location:

Dessirier by Michel Rostang is located just a minute away from Porte de Champerret tube station and around 15 minutes walk to the Arc de Triomphe.

Address:

9 Place du Maréchal Juin, 75017 Paris, France

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 1 p.m. On our arrival, we were greeted by a restaurant Manager-Philippe. He took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable. Once we sat down, he introduced us to our waiter – Francois who was friendly and attentive.

The menu:

As the restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary since the famous chef Michel Rostang opened it and renewed it in 1996, we decided to choose our lunch from a special 20th anniversary menu.

Before we received our starters we got a small complimentary creamy pate.

For a starter my husband had some oysters that were fresh and I ordered a marinated salmon with some fennel preserve with gravlax sauce. It was amazing and extremely tasty.

Mains:

For my main I decided to have some fried Colbert that was served with a tartare sauce and grilled rice. James had some cod with garlic mayonnaise. Both dishes were full of flavour and delectable.

Desserts:

It was unquestionable what I would have for my dessert as soon as I saw the strawberries and raspberries fraisier cake served with a scoop of Basil ice cream on the menu. Let me tell you, I eat out a lot but that was THE BEST Fraisier cake I have ever tasted in my life. If you like light and fruity desserts than you would definitely love it.

My husband went for ‘Rum baba’ with nuts and red fruit which he really enjoyed.

It was full-flavoured and great for rum lovers!

Just before we left, I had some coffee latte which was a perfect end to this delicious meal.

Overall experience:

If you like seafood than you should definitely visit Michel Rostang’s Dessirier dishes. We both really enjoyed our lunch at the Dessirier-food was excellent, service was very attentive and surroundings were modern. The area where the restaurant is located was lively and buzzing so great if you want to visit a typical Parisian coffee or bar for a drink afterwards.

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.restaurantdessirier.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our dinner at Le Petit Pontoise in Paris, France

September 23, 2016September 26, 2016Leave a comment

After a day of sightseeing, on the second day of our mini-moon in Paris, we wanted to have some more traditional French cuisine thus we booked a dinner at Le Petit Pointoise.

I wore one of my white cocktail dresses from COAST with some Karen Millen hills and accessorized it with some silver jewellery and my Furla handbag that I took with me for our trip.

Location:

Le Petit Pontoise is located just 5 minutes’ walk from Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Paris.

Address:

9, rue de Pontoise, 75 005 PARIS

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7 p.m. When we arrived only one other table was taken but within 30 minutes the restaurant was full and buzzing with tourists and some regular dinners.

On our arrival, we were greeted by a friendly waitress-Boom. She took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable.

Service:

We were mainly served by Boom however there were also a few different staff members who attended our table. They were all friendly and looked after us well.

The menu:

The menu at this gourmet bistro offers an impressive selection of dishes that are all built around traditional French recipes. The Head Chef-François Récapet works at Le Petit Pontoise for more than 14 years and provides his dinners with a high quality, traditional French cuisine with a twist. Some of his traditional recipes are treasured since his childhood in Périgord and all dishes are made with fresh, seasonal products.

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some roasted Camenbert cheese with almond and honey crust. I love melted cheese so it was just what I needed to re-charge after a full day of sightseeing.

My husband had some signature ‘Petit Pontoise’ roasted shrimps. They were cooked to perfection and tender.

Mains:

There was a nice choice of mains but as I love fish I decided to have some Roasted monkfish with prosciutto. It was delectable!

My husband had a Rack of lamb with some garlic crust. Both dishes were of good size and were presented nicely.

Desserts:

I have a very bad sweet tooth and I decided to have one of my favourite desserts-Tiramisu ‘Veronese’. I love, love, love tiramisu and could have it for breakfast, lunch and dessert so I really enjoyed my little treat!

James was slightly more adventurous and he had a fruit salad with Armagnac. He really liked it as it was served with some homebrewed Armagnac.

Overall experience:

We both enjoyed our time at this traditional French gourmet bistro. You should definitely go there if you wish to discover and enjoy some great home-made French cuisine. If you wish to have a good-quality meal in a typical Parisian atmosphere then look no further. I would advise to book it in advance as Le Petit Pontoise is a relatively small, popular restaurant so it tends to be fully booked often (especially during the weekends and the peak tourist season).

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.lepetitpontoise.fr/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

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travel and lifestyle blog sharing the best things to do and destinations to visit for those who love travelling and seeing the world

Tag: #foodie

Dinner at Le Petit Pointoise in Paris, France

Our dinner at Jackson + Rye, City, London

Our dinner at The Fish Market, London

Our dinner at Asador Bolixe Cocina Esencial-the best steak in Palma De Mallorca

Our lunch at Peix Vermell restaurant

Our lunch at Aromata restaurant, Palma De Mallorca

Our dinner at el Neo Gastrobar in Palma De Mallorca

Our dinner at the Grill Restaurant at Amba Hotel, London

Our lunch at Dessirier restaurant, Paris

Our dinner at Le Petit Pontoise in Paris, France