One address which is an absolute must if you are visiting Rome is Roscioli (Via dei Giubbonari, 21, Rome, tel. 066 864045 ). Initially, it was a bakery, later a gourmet shop and a restaurant was added. The products are of unbelievable quality but it’s not only them that make…

Fassi, or Palazzo del Freddo is one of the oldest gelaterias in Italy (last year it turned 130 ). The only shop in Rome is still owned by the founder’s family. It seems that time has stopped at Palazzo del Freddo-the simple, cantine like decor makes you travel to the middle of…

Jewish style artichokes from Piperno restaurant in the Roman Ghetto. You eat everything – the artichoke heart, crispy leaves… One of my favourite Roman specialities. The Romanesco artichokes season is from February to April and you can find them now pretty everywhere in the Ghetto area.

…at least when I was in Brussels. Kriek is Belgium beer fermented with cherries. Normally I don’t like beer, but this one tastes like a slightly alcoholic cherry drink(very distinctive and natural flavour). I wonder if you can buy it elsewhere… P.S. Apologies for being absent from the blogosphere recently…

“George, in your restaurant one eats like at home”,- a guest once told to Georges Cuvelier, a former coal miner and the founder of one of the most famous Brussels restaurants – Comme Chez Soi. Maybe the current chef, Lionel Rigolet is the fourth generation of the restaurant’s dynasty, you still…

There’ve been quite a few new openings over the last year in Paris. Call it a coincidence or a trend, three of the new restaurants were opened by Parisian chefs étoilés. Two of the chefs, Jean François Piège at Thomieux (former Crillon) and Jean Louis Nomicos at Les Tablettes (former…

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Etoile at the Publicis Drugstore in Paris (133, av des Champs-Elysées, 75008,Paris , tel. 01 47 23 75 75 ) is the lastest addition to Robuchon restaurants empire. I’ve been at quite a few Robuchon restaurants around the world and I am always amazed how they…

Ushiwakamaru (136 West Houston Street,10012, tel. 212-228-4181, New York) sushi bar on West Houston is one of my best discoveries in NY this year. If you are a sushi purist like me, you will love this simple place run by Japanese chef Hideo Kuribara where the product is the king.…

Umami Burger in LA has completely changed my understanding of what a good burger should be like. In fact, it has changed my life as I will never be able to enjoy any other burgers ( other burgers than Umami to be precise.) Soft Portuguese bread, amazing beef, grilled shiitake…

“Black forest” cake at La Pâtisserie des rêves 111 rue de Longchamp, Paris. I don’t know how they managed to put the classic “Black Forest” cake (layers of chocolate cake, maraschino cherries and whipped cream) into a crunchy chocolate cherry, but I must say I have never seen such an…