Tag: #Italy

Lunch at Cantine Milano in Milan, Italy

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On the last day of my trip to Milan, we had our lunch at Cantine Milano which is the first Italian Restaurant with wine shop. The concept for Cantine Milano was born from a passion for wine and the love of good food. All the wines displayed in the restaurant can be tasted and purchased.

Location:

Cantine Milano is located within the Isola district and overlooks Via Traú. The restaurant is only a 5-minutes walk from Zara tube station and is easily reachable from the centre of Milan.

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Atmosphere:

The restaurant has a charming and exclusive décor and the entire dining area as well as the cocktail bar (which counter is entirely made of marble) are surrounded by a unique atmosphere created by the play of lights on the glasses and the dark walls. In addition, Cantine Milano has a private dining room and a spectacular open wine cellar downstairs.

The menu:

Cantine Milano accommodates great Mediterranean cuisine and fine wines with over 300 national and international labels to choose from. All dishes are created following the Apulian recipes and freshly made from high-quality locally sourced ingredients.

Starters:

For my starter, I had some roasted octopus on fondue with cheese, pepper and crispy leek. The dish was flavoursome.

My husband had a trio of mini tartare with tuna, yellowtail and salmon which he enjoyed.

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First Course:

For our Primi (First Course that Italians normally have before a main) we had a couple of dishes to share. I ordered some Gnocchetti (home made potatoes pasta) with cheese and pepper fondue, crispy bacon and parmesan waffle. My husband had some Spaghettoni pasta with raw and cooked crustacean with red bisque and purple potatoes. Both dishes were appetising.

Mains:

For my main, I decided to have some Tataki of tuna in black sesame crust with citrus soy sauce. This Asian-inspired dish was simply phenomenal.

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My husband had some beef with cheese, cognac with green pepper, potatoes and spinach which was delectable.

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Desserts:

My husband decided to skip his dessert but I ordered some tiramisu which was mouth-watering and had a perfect, light consistency. Everything I had was tasty but it was my favourite dish.

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Overall experience:

Our last meal in Milan in Cantine Milano was definitely my favourite and this restaurant is definitely a hidden-gem. From the beginning of my meal until my dessert, everything I ordered was cooked to perfection. In addition, the service was friendly and attentive which is always appreciated. I would definitely recommend anyone who loves good food and wine to visit Cantine Milano next time they are around.

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.cantinemilano.com/

Address:

Via Traù 1

20159 Milano

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Dinner at Don Lisander Restaurant in Milan, Italy

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I travelled to Milan in Italy a few weeks ago. On the second evening of our trip, we visited Don Lisander restaurant for our dinner.

Location:

Don Lisander is situated around 5-minutes walk from the famous Duomo square in central Milan. It is also around a corner from some of the most exclusive boutiques that are located in Vittorio Emanuele shopping mall.

Atmosphere:

The restaurant has a classic and elegant décor. Its waiting staff are were attentive and polite. The indoor dining room for 50 guests was set up in what was once the chapel of Palazzo Trivulzio (1700). During the summer season restaurant also offers al-fresco dinning.

The menu:

Don Lisander restaurant specialises in the Mediterranean cuisine and serves the best of Lombard and Italian regional cuisine. The chef carefully selects quality, local ingredients that allows him to offer dishes inspired by ancient flavors with a modern twist.

Starters:

For my starter, I had some gold scallops accompanied by sweet potatoes and celeriac with crunchy cassava and liquorice. They were cooked to perfection.

My husband decided to have some Mondeghili meat balls with potato cream.

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Mains:

As we had a large lunch, we decided to skip Primi course and ordered our mains. I had sliced sea bass which was complimented by some artichokes and mushrooms. It was my favourite course as it had a pleasant, distinct flavour.

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My husband had a veal cheek with creamed yellow polenta. It was luscious.

Desserts:

My husband decided to skip a dessert. I always delight myself with something sweet to end my meal and I ordered some tiramisu. It was mouth-watering but as the portion was really large, I wasn’t able to finish it. It would be a perfect dessert for sharing though.

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Overall experience:

If you would like to try some traditional local cuisine with a modern twist then you should definitely visit Don Lisander. I would love to return here when I am in Milan next to experience some more of their flavoursome dishes.

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.ristorantedonlisander.it/

Address:

Via Manzoni 12/A

20121 Milano Italy

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Dinner at Ristorante DeRos in Milan, Italy

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A couple of weeks ago, I travelled with my husband to Milan in Italy. On the first evening of our trip, we fancied some seafood thus decided to visit Ristorante DeRos which was recommended by one of my Italian friends.

Location:

Ristorante DeRos is situated just minutes walk from the bustling Duomo square and is ideally positioned for discovering Milan and its array of galleries and boutiques.

Atmosphere:

The restaurant has a modern, minimalist décor. I really enjoyed its central piece – the green, plants wall which made it uber trendy. Ristorante DeRos provides a relaxing environment and its waiting staff are all prompt, precise and polite.

The menu:

Ristorante DeRos serves specialises in seafood bringing out the best flavors and the freshest ingredients together. All dishes are handmade by a skilful chef who offers its dinners a culinary experience where they can set off on a cruise with Mediterranean dishes.

Starters:

For my starter, I had some kingfish tartare with zucchini’s scapece and anchovies mayonnaise. The dish was delectable.

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First Course:

As some of you know, Italians normally have a pasta / rice dish in between their starter and main. For our Primi (First Course), I ordered some linguini with mixed seafood and candied lemon which was tasty and brought up a mix of interesting flavours.

My husband had some Pasta Naples Gulf with mussels, potatoes. It was flavoursome.

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Mains:

For my main, I decided to have a fish of a day accompanied by tomatoes salad. The dish was cooked to perfection.

My husband had a seabass which was succulent.

Desserts:

After 3 courses, my husband decided to skip a dessert. As I have a very bad sweet tooth, I always have some room left for the last course. I decided to have some tiramisu which was simply delightful and was my favourite dish with its beautiful light consistency and mouth-watering flavours.

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Overall experience:

If you like seafood (I am a big fan) then you should definitely visit Ristorante DeRos. Both food and service were marvellous. The restaurant is a hidden-gem and I will definitely return here next time I am in Milan. Also, if you enjoy tiramisu then you cannot visit Milan without trying DeRos’s version which is simply phenomenal.

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.derosmilano.com/

Address:

Via Giandomenico Romagnosi 4,

20121 Milano MI, Italy

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Milan, Italy

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A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with my husband to Milan in Northern Italy. I’ve been in Milan a few times before as I love the cosmopolitan vibe offered by this global city which is perfect for anyone who loves the art, design, entertainment and fashion.

Milan has been recognised as one of the worlds fashion capitals and the famous Milan Fashion Week takes place here on a yearly basis. It is also one of the key European financial capitals and Italian stock exchange is based here.

Over 8 million visitors are attracted by Milan every year as the city has lots of heritage with some great museums and art galleries featuring some of the most famous collections in the world including works by Leonardo da Vinci.

If you like sightseeing then there is a lot to see and the city will appeal to a wide range of different visitors.

Here is a short list of my suggestions of places worth visiting:

  • Duomo di Milano – one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world which completion took almost 600 years. Located on a Piazza del Duomo with many lively cafes and the elegant fashion shops.
  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – one of the most beautiful and oldest shopping malls in the world featuring many designer boutiques based in a four-storey arcade opposite of Duomo di Milano in central Milan.
  • Sforzesco Castle – a castle built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza who was a Duke of Milan.

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  • Sempione Park – a large park leading to Sforzesco Castle which was established in 1888.
  • Teatro alla Scala – a well-known opera house which was established in 1778.

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How to get there?

If you live in the UK then you can easily get to Milan from most of major cities. We’ve flown from London Heathrow and it took us slightly over 2 hours.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Rome, Italy

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Rome is the capital of Italy and of the Lazio region. It is the country’s largest and most populated and fourth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula.

Rome’s history spans for more than two and a half thousand years so it doesn’t matter how long you are planning to stay here-you should be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum. I would personally advice you o travel for a minimum 4-5 days so you can see all the famous areas and monuments. It was my third visit to Rome and with each trip I enjoy it more.

Last time, I travelled there for my fiancé’s birthday and firstly we decided to follow the typical tourist paths and then we became brave enough to go off the usual tracks and discover the hidden germs of the city. The places and monuments that you definitely need to visit whilst in here are:

  • The Vatican City-an independent country geographically located within the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.
  • The Trevi Fountain.
  • St Peter’s Square.
  • Spanish Steps.
  • Colosseum.

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Rome is one of world’s most picturesque capitals and if you’ve never been here then you should definitely visit.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Trieste, Italy

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Another week, another holiday destination review.

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This week, I would like to tell you about Trieste in Italy. I recently traveled there and even though the weather wasn’t great I enjoyed a walk around this pretty Italian town. It is a lovely destination for a day-trip

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Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port, shipbuilding and financial services. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia and the city is physically isolated from the rest of the Italian peninsula. In addition, Croatian border is located closely (further 30 kilometers south).

We started our trip by visiting the tourist information office in Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia, where we equipped ourselves with some informative leaflets and maps. The whole tour around the main city attractions took us under 2 hours.

The main attractions we saw during our short walking tour were:

  • Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia -a large and elegant outdoors space opposite the waterfront, with some impressive buildings.
  • Castello di San Giusto – it is located on the hill so it is a great place to enjoy some nice views from a memorial garden outside the walls.
  • Roman theatre.
  • Castello Miramare – one of Trieste’s most vaunted sights, the a nineteenth-century castle.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Venice, Italy

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This week I would like to tell you about one of the most romantic destinations in the world-Venice. I love Italy and it is definitely one of the cities you need to visit at least once in your lifetime.

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Venice is located in northeastern Italy and is sited on a group of 117 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. Venice is known for its beautiful setting, architecture and artwork. Both the lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site.

I’ve been to Venice 3 times. My latest visit to Venice was in June and summer brings some of the most daunting crowds… nevertheless there’s a reason why they come: you are never more than a bridge and an alley away from beautiful palaces, squares and monuments.

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Venice has a very lively neighborhood full of restaurants, wine bars and famous Italian gelaterias. I adore Italian food so I am always looking forward to trying some local food. Main squares (especially St. Marco Square) are quite pricey and you might end up paying 4-5 times more than in the other parts of Venice so I would always advice to check the menu and prices if you are on a tight budget. You need to be also aware of the ‘coperto’ charge-it is basically a fee for sitting down in the restaurants. We ended up paying 30 Euros for a bottle of water and a beer as we weren’t made aware of this fee…

Unquestionably, it is a great destination for a short break but you should go there for a minimum of 3 nights to see all the famous sites.

Time to start thinking, who would you take with you?

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Pauline