COME PRIMA RESTAURANT, Bansko, Bulgaria

March 19, 2017April 13, 2017Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Bansko in Bulgaria for my winter skiing break. I had some lovely food and lots of mulled wine whilst in there and today I would like to tell you about a great Italian restaurant – Come Prima.

Location:

Come Prima restaurant is based in KEMPINSKI HOTEL, just a minute away from the Gondola lifts.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7:30 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly Bulgarian waiter-Ivo who took us to our table. Once we were seated, we asked him for a Bulgarian wine recommendation and he suggested a bottle of Castra Rubra. It was divine.

The decor of Come Prima restaurant is sophisticated and welcoming. There was a fireplace and lots of interesting antiques around us. In addition, throughout our meal there was soft, romantic music playing in the background.

Guests dining at this fine-dining Mediterranean restaurant have an opportunity to watch some live cooking in the open kitchen which creates an amazing experience for every visitor.

Starters:

We decided to order from a ‘Weekly Special Menu’. For my starter I had some spiced calamari salad. It was really tasty and full of flavor.

My husband had a duet of foie grass and braised duck leg which he enjoyed.

Mains:

For my main I had some pan seared sea bass with broccoli mousseline. I love fish and it was simply delectable.

My husband ordered some grilled chicken breast with parsnip puree and red wine juice. It absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection.

Dessert:

My regular blog readers would know that I have a very bad sweet-tooth and a dessert is my favourite part of any meal. I decided to have some mango and passion fruit mousse with caramelized banana. Wow! Wow! Wow! It was delicious! Definitely the best dessert I have had so far this year.

My husband, decided to have a forest fruit tart with yogurt ice cream. It was mouth-watering.

After our desserts, a head chef came over to ask us if we enjoyed our food and we talked for a couple of minutes about his background, inspiration behind the dishes and the ingredients he sources for Come Prima.

Overall experience:

We had an amazing evening at Come Prima restaurant. If you are looking for a fine-dining experience based on some good-quality, tasty food and locally sourced ingredients then you should look no further. The service was great, restaurant had a romantic atmosphere and the food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

“Pirin” Str. 96, 2770 Bansko, Bulgaria

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.kempinski.com/en/bansko/hotel-grand-arena/dining/restaurants/prima-restaurant/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel, Finland

March 17, 2017April 13, 2017Leave a comment

Last week, I flown to Finland for a business trip and as I arrived late during the evening, I decided to stay at Hilton Hotel in Helsinki Airport.

Location:

Hilton Helsinki Airport hotel is located in Helsinki airport and it is only 5 minutes from Terminal 2 so it’s perfect if you have an early flight or if you arrive late and you are too tired to travel to Helsinki city.

Atmosphere and Facilities:

Hilton Helsinki Hotel has a 24-hours reception, gym, swimming pool, baggage storage room, restaurant and a room service. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property for an extra charge.

The hotel has a restaurant serving breakfast but it is quite expensive as it costs 32euros per person per day so unless you eat a lot it’s not worth it.

In addition, you can use a gym which is free of charge and open 24/7.

Room:

My room had a simple, modern décor and my bed was comfortable. My room was also equipped with a flat-screen TV, safe, mini-bar and blackout curtains and coffee & tea making facilities.

The bathroom also had a simple décor and some basic toiletries were provided.

Overall:

Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel would be suitable for anyone travelling from or arriving at Helsinki airport. It has simple, modern facilities and comfortable rooms so I would definitely stay there again.

Address:

Lentäjänkuja 1, 01530 Vantaa, Finland

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, London Heathrow

March 10, 2017April 13, 2017Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a business trip and came back to London during late evening. As I was flying for my skiing break in less than 8 hours from arriving back, I decided to stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow.

Location:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow is located on a Bath Road in Hounslow. It is only 10 minutes taxi drive from London Heathrow Terminal 3 and around 15 min drive from terminal 5.

Atmosphere and Facilities:

The hotel has an informal atmosphere.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow has a 24-hours reception, baggage storage room, restaurant and a room service. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property for an extra charge.

The room-service offering is quite limited. There wasn’t much to choose from so I ordered a burger. It was £16 pounds and honestly speaking I would never order it again. If you stay at this hotel then it might be worth checking their restaurant offering. Alternatively, you could walk to one of many restaurants available on the road.

Room:

The room had a simple, modern décor. The double bed was comfortable and spacious. My room also had a flat-screen TV, safe, mini-bar and blackout curtains and coffee & tea making facilities.

The bathroom also had a modern décor and some Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries were provided.

Overall:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow for anyone travelling from the Heathrow airport. It is located around 45-minutes drive from the central London so if you wish to do a bit of sightseeing then I would probably recommend you to stay somewhere more central.

Address:

745 Bath Rd,

Hounslow

TW5 9QE, UK

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Bansko, Bulgaria

March 8, 2017September 16, 2021Leave a comment

I have just came back from my winter holidays with my family in Bansko in Bulgaria. This mountain resort is an excellent choice for your ski and snowboard holiday in Bulgaria.

Bansko was voted as the best winter resort in Bulgaria with the longest ski runs and the richest cultural history. The town of Bansko is situated at the foot of the Pirin mountain in the south-western Bulgaria, 160 km from Sofia (around 3.5 hours’ drive from the airport).

The resort offers excellent ski and snowboard conditions and infrastructure. There are a lot of hotels of various standards and prices based in there. I would personally recommend Premier Mountain Resort or Kempinski Hotel if you like staying in luxury hotels.

What’s worth mentioning here, the prices of hotels, ski rentals etc. are probably 50% cheaper than in Alps so you can stay in a 5 star hotel for the price of 2/3 star hotel in Austria or France.

Après ski

So what to do after a day on slopes? Après ski in the resort is really good and offers hundreds of bars, traditional restaurants and clubs where you can indulge after your skiing or snowboarding adventures. I will be posting some reviews of places that are worth visiting whilst in Bulgaria soon.

Location

Bansko is a ski and mountain resort located in the south-western part of Bulgaria. The town is situated 6 km from the town of Razlog and 160 km from the capital of Sofia. The town of Bansko is located 925 m above the sea level whereas its ski area – at an altitude of 2000 – 2600 m.

Resort information

Bansko ski resort is attractive in all seasons but I’ve only been there during the winter as I love skiing.

The ski season in Bansko lasts from 15 December to 14 April. During the recent years a multimillion Euros investment in a brand new skiing area has been made by Yulen, the company that runs the skiing area of Bansko. Numerous new luxury hotels and facilities in the area of the Gondola lift station have been constructed. It provides excellent ski and snowboard facilities, as well as a unique history and architecture of an old and new part of the town.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

My stay at GLO Hotel Espoo Sello in Finland

March 3, 2017April 13, 20171 Comment

Last week, I was in Finland on a business trip and I stayed at Glo Hotel Sello for 3 days.

Location:

GLO Hotel Espoo Sello is very conveniently located in the centre of Espoo town, 15 minutes drive from Helsinki. Trains reach central Helsinki in 10 minutes from Leppävaara Station which is only a few minutes walk away. It is situated next to Sello Shopping Mall so you can get a bit of retail therapy whilst in Espoo.

Atmosphere:

The hotel has an informal atmosphere. For all my eco-loving friends, you would be glad to discover that GLO Hotel Espoo Sello is environmentally friendly and certified by the Green Key.

Facilities:

GLO Hotel Espoo Sello has a 24-hours reception, baggage storage room, restaurant and a rooftop terrace. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.

When I arrived at the hotel on Sunday evening (9:40 p.m.), I was surprised to discover that their restaurant was closed and there was no room-service offered… I ended up having some sweets for my dinner-not great if you are traveling the whole day and want something to eat when you arrive.

The breakfast was served at the restaurant downstairs and was quite limited. There wasn’t much to choose from and I normally just ended up with some yogurt and fruits.

Room:

The room had a modern décor.

The bed was comfortable and I was able to choose my own special pillow and blanket for free. These services are not offered to all guest so you need to enquire about them at the reception to take advantage. My room also had a flat-screen TV, safe, mini-bar and blackout curtains. After a long day of meetings, I was always looking forward to relaxing in my room. The bathroom was simple and had the basic facilities like a shower, washbasin.

Overall:

GLO Hotel Espoo Sello is quite an average hotel that would be good for anyone travelling to Espoo on business. What you need to be aware of is that, there is not much to do in the town itself so if you wish to do a bit of sightseeing then it probably would be easier to stay in Helsinki. If you arrive late then be prepared that there is no-room service so you will need to go to bed on an empty stomach…

Address:

Leppaevaarankatu 1
Espoo, Finland, 02600

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Our Lunch at Hemigie’s Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium

February 24, 2017February 14, 2017Leave a comment

During the last day of our trip to Brussels we had our lunch at Hemigie’s Restaurant. I was intrigued by the philosophy listed on their website: ‘Hemgie’s is about craft, pleasure and taste. We believe in taking our time, delivering you the best flavours and ingredients, which we have hunted for months. Quality is key in our kitchen, as well as putting you instantly at ease. Luxury, calm and service belong to our daily language’.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 1 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly waiter who took us to our table. The decor of Hemigie’s restaurant is cosy, modern and simple. We felt welcomed and relaxed as soon as we sat down.

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Food:

As we had our breakfast at the hotel, we weren’t too hungry and decided to skip the starters and only to have our mains.

For my main I decided to have some Océan Indien Salad. It had some green bans, tomatoes, avocado, prawns and smoked salmon. Its curry madras dressing made the whole combination quite unusual but very tasty. The portion size was generous and presented nicely.

My husband decided to have ‘Smack That’- one of the signature Hemigie’s burgers. He really enjoyed it and finished it in no time! I had a little bite and it was amazing!

Overall experience:

I really liked our lunch at Hemigie’s restaurant. The food was served quickly, was tasty and the service was good so I would definitely recommend it.

Address:

Rue du Bailli 90,
1050 ixelles, Brussels

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.hemgies.be/bailli/index.html

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Brussels, Belgium

February 22, 2017September 16, 2021Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I took my husband to Brussels. It is one of these places where I’ve been to on multiple occasions and I always like returning to this city made famous by its French fries, waffles, seafood and beer.

Brussels is the largest city and a capital of Belgium. It has a population of 1.2 million and it has been increasingly becoming multilingual with increasing numbers of migrants, expatriates and minority groups speaking their own languages.

Historically it was a Dutch-speaking city, it has seen a language shift to French from the late 19th century onwards. Today the majority language is French however all road signs, street names and many services are shown in both languages. If you fancy a short break then Brussels is a great destination as it is only 2 hours away on the Eurostar.

There’s lots to see in the city from the famous chocolate shops to enjoying its cafe culture in the Grand-Place area.

Here is a short list of my suggestions:

Grote Markt (Dutch) / Grand-Place (French).
City Museum – Maison du Roi (French) – Broodhuis (Flemish).
Hôtel de Ville – Town Hall.
Heysel Park and the Atomium.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg Basilica).

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Competition time! 9 days to win Marco Polo travel guides

February 19, 2017March 1, 2017Leave a comment

Starting from the 22nd of February, I will have an amazing competition running in partnership with Marco Polo to win a different travel guide each day.

spiral-guides-jan-2017-pics

All my new and old Twitter followers from UK have a chance of winning a different travel guide each day (22/02-03/03) if they follow me and re-tweet the competition. Prize will be send by 2^ndclass recorded delivery to the winners in the week commencing on the 6th of March 2017.

The competition will be run over 9 days and each day 1 of my Twitter followers will win a different guide:

22/02/2017 – Australia
23/02/2017 – Boston & New England
25/02/2017 – Dublin
26/02/2017 – French Rivera
27/02/2017 – New Zealand
28/02/2017 – Portugal
01/03/2017 – Sardinia
02/03/2017 – Scotland
03/03/2017 – Vancouver

To enter the competition and for your chance to win you just need to follow @1stclasslounge on Twitter and re-tweet the competition to your followers.

Terms and Conditions:

The competition is run on Twitter by Firstclasslounge.net
There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
The competition is open ONLY to residents of Great Britain aged 18 and over as at the time of the competition opening. Failure to comply with any part of this clause will disqualify the respective entry from the competition. Prize will not be posted outside of Great Britain.
Only one entry per person per weekly prize draw competition will be accepted.
Each entrant shall enter the prize draw via Twitter only, in the way of re-tweeting the competition message and following @1stClassLounge Twitter account.
The winning prize is a travel guide from Marco Polo. Destination of the travel guide will depend on the day of the competition.
The promoter (FirstClassLounge.net) will not be liable for any failure of receipt of entries. The promoter takes no responsibility for any entries which are lost, delayed, illegible, corrupted, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.
Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative is available.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond the promoter’s reasonable control, the promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the prize draw competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.
These terms and conditions and the competition prize draw are governed by English law and subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
This promotion is in not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Twitter or any other Social Network.
The promoter’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
The winner’s twitter username will be posted on Twitter by @1stclasslounge after the winner has been selected.
If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we will pick a replacement winner.
All guides will be posted by Marco Polo company in the week commencing on the 6th of March.

Good luck everyone!

Pauline

Jam Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

February 17, 2017February 14, 2017Leave a comment

As you probably know, a few weeks ago, I traveled with my husband to celebrate his birthday in Belgium. During our 4-days stay we visited Brussels and Bruge and when we return from our day-trip to Bruge we stayed in a modern, design hotel-Jam close to Louise Metro which is part of Limited Edition Hotel chain.

Location:
Jam Hotel is located in the center of Brussels and a short 10 minutes’ walk from the metro station and around 10 minutes metro ride from Brussels Midi-Zuid station. It is situated in a former art-school that was converted into a trendy hotel to meet the demands of even the most demanding travelers.

Atmosphere:

The hotel has a very informal atmosphere. Due to its great location and just meters away from the shopping it within a walking distance from all major tourists attractions it will meet demands of most travelers. Everything in the hotel is presented to you with a twist-even a simple door hangers display ‘don’t even think about knocking’ rather than the usual ‘do not disturb’ sign. I really enjoyed that originality 🙂

Facilities:

Jam Hotel has a 24-hours reception, baggage storage room, bar and restaurant and a rooftop terrace and bar.

When we arrived after a day-break to Bruge, it was lovely to unwind in an extremely accommodating rooftop bar. There was a fireplace in the central-point of it and its cosy décor was very welcoming. In addition, there was a heated swimming pool on the 6^th floor and if we didn’t go there in the middle of winter I would love to enjoy it as it offers a great view of Brussels.

All Limted Edition hotels serve a continental breakfast where you can have a nice selection of cold breakfast items including meat and cheese. I loved the vast selection of the freshly squeezed juices and homemade marmalades. My favorite one was a strawberry one and a freshly baked croissant accommodated it perfectly.

The hotel offers a range of services ‘on demand’ including: comfy bathrobes and matching slippers, a monopoly game with a Belgian twist etc.

What’s more, you can also pay a bit extra and get lots of other useful traveler’s items like a shaving kit, toothbrush or a toothpaste.

Room:

Our room was large and had a simple, modern décor.

We had a bunk bed and a small sofa in addition to a king-size bed in it.

There were only 2 of us staying in it but there would be enough space in it for a whole family of 2 with 3 children! In addition, our room had a nice size work-table, flat-screen TV and a safe. The bathroom was modern and simple but had everything you need-a shower, bath, washbasin, hairdryer etc. I loved a little quote on the shower tiles: ‘Save water and shower together’. Very inspiring 😉

Overall:

If you like staying at the design hotels than you should definitely consider this hotel. Hotel Jam will be perfect for all modern-hotels lovers who enjoy accommodation with a twist and are looking to experience hotels that are original and a bit different. I really liked its location-it is just a short walk away from Brussel’s main attractions in addition to its great facilities (rooftop terrace, restaurant, swimming pool) We only stayed in this hotel for a night but I would definitely recommend you to visit if you wish to stay in the comfortable, spacious room and you don’t want to break your bank as the rooms are reasonably priced. I am sure that you will enjoy its ‘unusual’ quotes and twists as much as I did!

Address:

Chaussée de Charleroi 132, 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium

All my readers can get 10% discount on their reservations with Jam Hotel. The code to use for further reservations is « FIRSTCLASSLOUNGE » and you need to book through the official website listed below:

http://www.jamhotel.be/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Greek feast at Kafenio Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium

February 15, 2017April 13, 2017Leave a comment

A few weeks ago I was in Brussels with my husband to celebrate his birthday. On our second night, we decided to book a traditional Greek restaurant as I knew that food is very important in Greek culture and it is tradition for the whole family to get together at the table.

Location:

Kafenio is located opposite of the European Commission building, a couple of hundred meters away from Schuman station.

Address:

Rue Stevin 134, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7:00 p.m. When we arrived the restaurant was quite empty but in 30 minutes from our arrival it was buzzing with dinners. We were greeted by Arkoulis and later on discovered that his father owns the restaurant so it is a family-run enterprise. He took us to our table in the corner of restaurant and made us feel welcomed. From that moment on, we were looked after by a friendly waitress Anna.

Kafenio has a stylish, modern decor. There was a live-band laying some Greek songs in the background which made our experience extra special.

The menu:

The menu at this traditional Greek restaurant offers an impressive selection of dishes that are all built around traditional Greek recipes. I had some delicious, sweet wine to start with.

We decided to share a signature ‘Menu Mega Pikilia’ which was fantastic and will not leave you feeling hungry!

To start with we got very generous portions of some Greek dishes including some calamari, selection of Greek cheese, zucchini donuts, giant baked beans, houmous and pork dices and vine leaves. When we finished this, our waitress arrived with some more food including tzatziki, chtipiti, grilled halloumi cheese, salad, kebab, steak some meat skewers, lamb ribs and Greek pasta.

Wow! There was so much food that unfortunately we weren’t able to finish it all even though it was all very tasty. Everything was presented nicely and I really liked the idea of sharing it with my husband and would recommend it as a great date idea.

Desserts:

As I have a bad sweet tooth, I had some Tiramisu and let me tell you, it was the best Tiramisu I had in a while. I would definitely come back to have some more of it soon!

My husband was completely full so he decided to only have a digestive (some Limoncello) to finish his meal.

Overall experience:

We both had a lovely time at this traditional Greek restaurant. Everything was fresh and tasty and portion sizes were generous. The atmosphere was very welcoming and staff made us feel like at home. If you like Greek food then look no further and book it today!

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.kafenio.be/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

firstclasslounge.net

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

Tag: Travel

COME PRIMA RESTAURANT, Bansko, Bulgaria

Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel, Finland

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, London Heathrow

Holiday destinations: Bansko, Bulgaria

My stay at GLO Hotel Espoo Sello in Finland

Our Lunch at Hemigie’s Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium

Holiday destinations: Brussels, Belgium

Competition time! 9 days to win Marco Polo travel guides

Jam Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

Greek feast at Kafenio Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium