Istanbul – You have to reserve otherwise you do not get in. Make a reservation on the terrasse, min 1 week ahead and insist on the terrace first row. You will have the view over the Bosporus, galata tower and mosque.
Istanbul – Fish restaurant in Sulthanamet area near the sea. Very good food and nice atmosphere. A lot of cute cats prowl under the tables, hoping getting a little piece…..you need a reservation!
Not in the mood to go out? Have friends over? Why don’t you try to make your own empanadas? I got this recipe from a friend in Argentina, where I used to live for 2 month. I haven’t met someone that wasn’t fond of this dish. You can serve it with salad or just with a good bottle of Malbec….Swiss white will also do.
Enjoy
Zurich – Up for some Spanish tapas? You need to go to Tinto, in the middle of Zurich’s lively Kreis 4. You can choose from a big variety of tapas or take the “tapas a gogo” and let yourself surprise by the cook. I like this food which is a mix of vegetables, fish, seafood and meat, you almost feel in Spain….my second favourite kitchen after Italian. The small plates are traditional Spanish tapas, some new interpreted. The wines are all excellent including my favourite rose cava: De nit!
The Tinto has also a nice wine cellar for small groups and some tables outside. The atmosphere is very relaxed, you feel welcome with the little black dress or also in jeans.
So definitely one of my favourites in Zurich.
Zurich – This restaurant opened some year ago and got his name from the street it is located. The food is mainly Italian with some Swiss classics. The food is quite good although there are differences. I would recommend pasta first before meat or fish. The wine list is very good assorted.
I visited this restaurant at least 5 times in the evening and also for lunch since its opening. The service is very nice and friendly, only one friend was not very lucky with the timing of her dish that was just being served when we have eaten our last bites already. But they offered some coffee and digestives instead. The restaurant’s atmosphere is that of an old building that had a good renovating and brought back the beautiful mahogany wooden floors, “kassettenwände” nicely white painted and so on. At weekends it can get really loud with party music after dessert….
In summer there is also a nice terrace outside.
Zurich – Maybe two month ago the new restaurant Hopfenau opened its doors in the heart of Zurich Wiedikon, at the same named street, Hopfenstrasse. Before, Delmonico offered Italian gourmet food in that building for some 4 years. Now Hopfenau is the “Quartierrestaurant” for the workers over lunch and the neighbours living in the area, but of course will hopefully also be visited soon by outsiders.
The food was decent and the service very attentively and nice. The atmosphere in the small restaurant is very laid back, accompanied by muted lounge music while you have a nice view through the big windows.
Zurich – Recently I went to Bar Basso restaurant with a friend to have a relaxed evening and decent dinner. I can really recommend the pizzas there as they have a proper wood fired oven. The other food – mostly Italina style – on the plates looked also yummy. The restaurant is informal and very relaxed in a nice atmosphere. The prices are ok for what you get. They have a terrace outside in summer as well.
Bar Basso belongs to another restaurant in Zurich that is open already for many years, the Rosso www.restaurant-rosso.ch.
sybillesbeenthere 