The Vittle & Swig in Tunbridge Wells is well worth a visit

I had one of my open water swim events at Bewl Water last Saturday morning, so Ellie & I decided to turn it into an overnight trip. After a one-hour train journey from Charing Cross we arrived at the Vittle & Swig in Tunbridge Wells 20mins early for our dinner reservation. Immediately we were taken in by the lovely vibe. The interior has been designed with a lot of attention to detail. It is both elegant and cosy. VITTLE & SWIG IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS – FOOD & DRINK Alex Blaber and Gerry Stevens, who own and manage the restaurant, mention in a short introduction in the menu that they aim to provide a home from home. Apparently, vittle & swig is colloquial for food and drink. The term ‘swig’ is not uncommon, but we hadn’t come across ‘vittle’ before.   TAPAS-STYLE We were seated at the bar for a few […]

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Da Capo: One of the best Italian restaurants in Vienna

A little while ago I was working in Vienna for a couple of months for my day job. One night, on my way back to the hotel from the office, I came across Da Capo restaurant in a quiet side street, about 2mins walk from St Stephen’s. It immediately struck me as a very nicely kept, cosy, but elegant establishment. I hadn’t had dinner yet, so this looked like a great option to fill my empty stomach. DA CAPO RESTAURANT VIENNA SPORTS A BIG MENU Under normal circumstances it would have been difficult to find a seat without prior reservation. Because of Covid this was an easy exercise. The friendly waiter greeted me and led me straight to a small table in the beautiful cellar vaults. There is also spacious ground floor seating with large windows and a beautiful terrace. I was so overwhelmed by Da Capo restaurant’s big menu […]

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Mythos, perhaps the Best Greek Restaurant in Vienna

When I was last working in Vienna, I visited Mythos, one of the best-ranking Greek restaurants there. Best-ranking Greek in Vienna, what does that even mean, I hear you say. Well the good people of this Austrian town really like their Greeks. #1 and #25 of the top 25 restaurants on Tripdadvisor are Greek. An authentic Greek I didn’t choose them, because they felt a bit too upmarket. I’m being a horrible person, but I want my Greek to come with lots of bones, tentacles, garlic, and onion, not with a demitasse of lamb mousse and tzatziki lobster terrine with wild flowers and samphire on a bed of Jerusalem artichoke ouzo puree. In my twisted mind, Greek, just like German, Thai, or Russian cuisine is best when it’s authentic and comparatively unsophisticated.   #31 of 4,000 Viennese restaurants Mythos restaurant, Vienna, was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in 2014 and […]

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Cafe Korb – Vienna’s Artists’ Haunt

In 1906 the Kaiser Franz Joseph Lebens- und Rentenversicherungs-Anstalt (insurance company) moved into the newly-built premises at the same time as Café Korb moved into the ground floor where it still sits today. The emperor himself rocked up for the usual free bubbly and canapes. The café was owned and operated by Amalie and Adolf Korb, who had not only been successful as restaurateurs but also as parents of one of the most famous sopranos and dancers of her time: Jenny Korb. The complex around the initial insurance company main building was rebuilt around 1960. The new owners of the venue, family Widl, decorated the premises in the day’s fashion: functional early 1960s style. Much of the interior (like the wooden chairs, the Formica table-tops) is still the same as in the 1960s, with much love and effort going into maintenance and repairs. Keeping in tradition with its beginnings under […]

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Beresfords at the Balmer Lawn in Brockenhurst

During our recent visit to the New Forest, Ms B & I enjoyed a dinner at the lovely Beresfords restaurant at the four-star Balmer Lawn hotel in Brockenhurst. The dining hall is spacious and pleasantly decorated. After short deliberation Ms B opted for a ‘Beresfords bite’ which resembled a prawn cocktail (£5) and sea trout (£22). I went for grilled beef heart (£6.50) and roasted guinea fowl with fries (£19). The starters arrived quickly. I hadn’t had grilled beef heart in a very long time, so had forgotten that it can have quite a strong, peculiar smell, which came as a bit of a shock at first. The taste however was very pleasant, and I had no regrets ordering the dish. Ms B’s prawn cocktail was light and not too spicey, just as she prefers it. Our mains were delicious. Ms B’s sea trout was very flavoursome, I loved the […]

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