Europe Archives - Page 6 of 14 - Gazing and Grazing

Chevre d’Or – Reason Enough to Visit Eze

April 11th, 2016

With a view that looks over Monaco, Michelin two-starred Chèvre d'Or has the view to go along with its beautiful food. It was an especially pleasing lunch all the more so because we had pre-lunch aperitifs in the garden and arguably had the best table in the restaurant - a round table next to two large windows that look out over the Cote d'Azur (sometimes it's good to travel with a group - there were eight of us). Coupled with a very friendly sommelier who immediately made us feel...

La Place de Mougins – Surely it Deserves a Star

April 10th, 2016

Occasionally I check back to see how some of the restaurants I enjoyed in prior trips are doing. La Place de Mougins, located in the hills of the Cote d'Azur (in Mougins), is a restaurant that I thought would be on its way to getting a Michelin star. However, it still hasn't happened although it has been recognised by the guide. I'm sure this doesn't detract from the positive reviews it is getting anyway from patrons, ranked first among restaurants in Mougins by TripAdvisor.com. The chef...

Arzak is Resting on Past Laurels

February 6th, 2016

Arzak, one of San Sebastian's leading restaurants, doesn't seem as novel as it once must have been. Indeed I couldn't shake the sense that the restaurant is resting on its past laurels and coupled with patchy service for a Michelin 3-Star restaurant, our experience was disappointing. I'm hoping that perhaps we got them on a bad day but I don't think the dishes were memorable enough to warrant trying them again. Especially when there are so many other good restaurants in San...

Asador Etxebarri – Ultimate Grilling

February 6th, 2016

This has got to be one of the most fulfilling restaurants in the world. Humankind discovered fire for this reason - to cook meat, and no one does it better than Etxebarri. The freshest produce supplied by nearby farms and fishermen are grilled just right, and without a lot of dressing so that the natural taste of the food comes through. From fish to steak, even cheese, every course was pure joy.

Located midway between Bilbao and San Sebastian, Etxebarri is worth the taxi ride...

Barcelona’s Disfrutar gets its Star

January 23rd, 2016

Just an update – one of my favorite new restaurants I tried in 2015 – Disfrutar in Barcelona has been awarded its first Michelin star late last year. Read my original post on the restaurant here. The set menus remain reasonably priced at EUR75, EUR105 and EUR135 for the quantum, quality and staging of the food. You can reserve a table online at its website.