Visit here if you’re a Hungary, Buda.

Our good friends Brad and Kara recommended this place to us – but I must admit it wasn’t our first choice for dinner on our last night in Budapest. To be fair, we probably would’ve eaten here if it hadn’t of rained for the about 90% of our time in Budapest, but on our last clear night upon the same recommendation by Brad and Kara, we were actually going to eat at the place next door to Kazimir.

Lucky for us the original place was packed and the only seats were upstairs with no air-conditioning. So we literally walked next door to their next suggestion.

After leaving the restaurant, I was extremely happy that we had eaten here – definitely left Budapest feeling like a Buddha.

To treat ourselves, we ordered the Hungarian dips, which was a combination of aubergine dip, spiced cottage cheese and home made crackling cream that was served with breads and fresh vegetables. Naturally, these were demolished quickly, not only because we were hungry but they were extremely delicious. Would definitely get this and a few glasses of wine/prosecco or beer (depending on your choices) and sit and enjoy the atmosphere – if you’re lucky to be seated outside.

The waiter who served us was so helpful with any questions we had about the menu. Considering it was our last night in Budapest we wanted to try something new and different to what we were used to.

Upon the recommendation of our waiter, I ordered the slowly roasted duck drumstick with duck sausage served with red-onion chutney and duck liver mashed potatoes and Aaron ordered “Kedvessy” pork medallions with duck liver, porcini sauté and cottage cheese dumplings.

I would say that my meal was an 11/10 and it was one of the best duck dishes that I’ve ever had.

The duck came out with a crispy skin and was cooked to perfection. Our waiter had told us that the duck sausage was something that the cooks make themselves and you can tell because it’s just full of flavour. There was a lot of “duck” on my plate, including the duck liver in my mash potato which I was a bit hesitant about because I’m not a big liver eating person. I love pate though which is weird, so was happy to give the duck liver a go in the mash and it was something out of this world. The meal itself isn’t big, but once you have starters it does get filling but I was one happy girl.

I didn’t try Aaron’s meal, but he too enjoyed every last bite of it.

People say how cheap Budapest is, but I didn’t realize until paying for all of ours meals, especially this amazing dinner that we had just had which all of it, including a few glasses of wine and beers only came to just under 20 pounds!

Bargain delight.

If you visit this lovely restaurant, be sure to also check out a few ruin bars around Budapest. Budapest is known for it’s ruin bars so check some out and you will see why.

http://bistro.kazimir.hu/en/etlap

The MOST cutest place to eat in Ljubljana

MOST translates to bridge and is the perfect name for this restaurant as it’s situated by the lovelock most in Ljubljana. For those who aren’t familiar, Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is such a beautiful city – you can tell the influences of the Austrian-Hungarian empire with all the architecture and buildings around.

As per tripadvisors trusty recommendation, we visited MOST for dinner. Unfortunately for us, the weather in Ljubljana was stormy when we arrived and on this night out, although the rain had stopped, it looked like it was going to start up again. Instead of hoping that it wouldn’t rain on us, we opted for a seat indoors and I can definitely say that it doesn’t matter where you sit – MOST just has a homey ambience.

It’s safe to say that anything you order off this menu is probably going to be amazing.

For our starter we ordered the carpaccio and this is definitely something that you need to try at MOST. It’s served very simple, with a bit of rocket and some parmesan – but they have rolled out and chilled the beef to perfection.

Go here on an empty stomach and with an appetite and definitely don’t share! I regret sharing the starter because I selfishly wanted it all to myself.

Aaron and I were both feeling carnivorous that night and my eyes could not divert away from the lamb chops. The lamb chops are served with mango chutney and cinnamon spiced potatoes – almost an Indian vibe. I am not a fan of mango, it’s actually something I don’t enjoy – I don’t know if it’s the flavour or smell or texture, mangos and I are just not friends BUT lamb chops always wins my heart. These lamb chops were amazing and for me I didn’t even think about the fact that I didn’t like mango. They are not stingy with the amount of chops they give, 5 nice big pieces off the rack of lamb!

Have you ever seen purple mash? I hadn’t until I saw Aaron’s meal and must admit that I was a bit hesitant as to how it would taste but the purple mash is better than any white/cream mash that I’ve ever tasted. Aaron ordered the veal T-bone special for that night and it was a big cut of meat and served with my favourite tasting mash potato.

Safe to safe at the end of the meal we both had the “meat sweats”.

Our lovely waiter recommended a red wine that would both compliment our meals and if you ever visit, don’t be hesitant in asking their suggestions on drinks and food – because they do know best.

This was one of my MOST favourite meals in Europe and if I could, I would definitely revisit, as should you if you find yourself in Ljubljana.

 

http://www.restavracija-most.si/english/index.php

The Cream of Cake Bled

Lake Bled is a fairytale town – it’s actually like a Disney princess would live there. Situated in the mountain ranges of Slovenia, it’s a beautiful and tranquil place to visit and I would definitely recommend Lake Bled on your Europe tour list.

A few people mentioned this famous Lake Bled Cream Cake and that we had to try it when we arrived in Bled. Lucky for us, we sat on the bus from the capital city of Ljubljana to Lake Bled with a lovely Australian family who had lived there for the last 3 years and they recommended the best place to try one – across from the Park Hotel.

In 1953, a pastry chef by the name of Ištvan Lukačević created the original bled cream cake at Lake Bled’s Park Hotel Restaurant.

This legendary dessert is made by folding puff pastry seven times and left to rest overnight, which means it’s even lighter when it’s baked in the morning. Then a light egg custard is boiled for seven minutes before beaten egg whites are then added to it and the mixture is then poured over the first layer of puff pastry. It’s then topped with a layer of whipped cream and then covered with another layer of puff pastry – almost like a custard sandwich. This is then dusted with vanilla sugar.

Apparently, the original recipe is kept at the Park Café – so you know its recreations are always going to be good!

I’m not a fan of desserts and I rarely eat sweet things, but this cake is absolutely delicious and perfectly made. It’s not too sweet or heavy and I regret sharing the cake!

Not only do you get an original bled cream cake at the Park Hotel, but also a beautiful view of Lake Bled and the Castle.

Enjoy your cake with a drink at sunset as we did and just bask in the peacefulness and magic that is Lake Bled.

                                                

http://www.sava-hotels-resorts.com/en/bled/gastronomy/the-original-bled-cream-cake/

 

 

Zeafood and Zea Organs in Zadar

Croatia is known for it’s amazing fresh seafood, and Zadar is known for it’s Sea Organs.

If you’ve never been, it’s this pretty cool “tourist attraction” where you can hear the sea crashing under the stairs and it sounds like an organ – hence the name Sea Organs. If you also want to catch one of the prettiest sunsets in the world, then head down to the Sea Organs and grab a seat. It’s worth it!

When picking somewhere for dinner normally I like to just wander the streets and find somewhere, where I feel the vibe is good and busy or go off the recommendation from friends but if I know I want to definitely have an amazing meal – I seek tripadvisor.

On the recommendation of tripadvisor and its’ reviewers, we headed through the narrow streets of the old town of Zadar and found Bistro Pjat.

The setting is just magic; cobblestone lanes, wall flowers, colourful apartments and friendly Croatians.

Our waiter as well was such a lovely and attentive man – always making sure my glass of prosecco never went empty!

When you first look at the menu and see how cheap it is, it does make you a bit iffy about whether the food will be good. But cheap, doesn’t mean cheap food – it can mean cheap home cooked meals.

I’m never one to say no to a starter and I’ve actually started to enjoy soups as a starter. Normally for me, soup is a main but then about an hour later I’m hungry but restaurants these days give a good portion of a soup starter.

When you think of tomato soup, it sounds a bit boring but this tomato soup is home made and hits the spot. Aaron ordered the bruschetta and didn’t share any of that, but from his review said that it was one of the best bruschetta’s he’d had.

We both decided to get calamari/squid for our mains – his was deep fried and mine grilled (I was trying to stay healthy this trip..). Upon the recommendation of our waiter I ordered the swiss chard and potato for my side and Aaron ordered chips. I was a bit iffy as to what swiss chard and potatoes are, but it’s just fancy speak for spinach and potatoes.
They were lovely enough to put both our meals on a long plate so that we could both share everything – I was a big fan of this!

The whole meal was delicious and satisfying and I’m definitely happy with the research we did before heading to dinner.

As I’ve mentioned in past posts, service is important to me and the waiter who served us was helpful, friendly and always at our service – rarely making us wait.

If you want good seafood and good home cooked meals, come here. You probably won’t need to line up or book as the restaurant has a lot of space outside and inside.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g295374-d8028108-Reviews-Bistro_Pjat-Zadar_Zadar_County_Dalmatia.html

Marko, Polo

It’s definitely a Marco, Polo type feeling searching for this little gem in Zadar, Croatia. If it weren’t for the recommendation of our lovely hostel host – we probably would of never found it.

Unlike the other hustling restaurants in Zadar, this one isn’t located by the water or within the old town walls. It’s still near the harbour but you would never find it “just walking around”.

Thinking that no one else would know about this little gem, we made the mistake of not booking a table – big mistake. Fortunately for us, we still got a table but unfortunately for us it was inside where the air conditioning wasn’t really working and there wasn’t much of a breeze. We still chose to eat there however on the basis that it was extremely busy, so we knew it would be good.

If you are lucky to get a table outside, the setting is absolutely magical. It’s like being in a little secret garden.

Throughout my time in Croatia, many people have recommended getting an octopus salad, so tonight was the night we ordered the salad to share. It was extremely delicious and wasn’t at all what I expected. The octopus salad is a mix of grilled octopus, potato and some kind of wonderful dressing that just keeps you wanting more.

Before we ordered our mains, we saw another tables mains and they are extremely huge (mind you, they ordered the steaks with chips so we avoided the chip side dish option – they give you more fries than maccas do).

If you’re into your meat, I would recommend getting the steak. The steaks are cooked where everyone else sits outside and are cooked exactly how you ask. Sometimes it’s a bit of a hit and miss with places and how they cook your steak, but not this place.
The pictures don’t do the meals justice because the steaks are extremely thick cut.

You can then decide on the side dish – I opted for grilled vegetables (trying to be healthy) and Aaron went for the rice and vegetables.

It’s a lot of food, and definitely filling! Had to adjust the buttons on my jeans.

Normally a meal like this would break the bank, but this only set us back less than 30 pounds, including a tip (we also got a few drinks).

I always think that service makes or breaks a restaurant for me, and even though the restaurant was busy and we were seated inside the waitress was such a lovely lady – always making sure we were right for drinks and that everything with our meals was good.

Book a table here if you ever find yourself in Zadar, Croatia.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g295374-d1837054-Reviews-Marko_Polo-Zadar_Zadar_County_Dalmatia.html

http://www.restaurant-marko-polo.hr/Novi_MP/En/Home.html

You’ll want to split meals here

As I’ve travelled through Croatia, I’ve found that a lot of the amazing places I’ve eaten at have come down to research – research isn’t just looking somewhere up but it’s also reading a few reviews and it’s also a lot on recommendations – whether that be from friends or from the lovely staff at the hostels we’ve stayed at.

The lady at the hostel recommended this place to us and she really knows her stuff. She was even kind enough to write down the dishes that we needed to try and just said to show the list to the waiter and we’d be on our merry way.

Buffet Fife is actually a bit of hidden gem. It’s nestled in the corner away from the hustle and bustle of Split Old Town and the main port.

Unless you book a table, be prepared to share a long one with a few other diners. It’s not that bad.

It’s always a good sign for a place when it is busy and this place fills up fast. If you come with a big group, be sure to book ahead.

As per the ladies advice we showed the waiter the list of food and unfortunately, for us, there was only one thing on the list they had on the menu – Pasticada.

Pasticada is beef that has been marinated for 12 hours in red wine with tomato and vegetables. The Pasticada is served with the traditional Croatian gnocchi.

Of course, this was not going to be enough food, so we ordered another main and after eyeing off other diners the winner was the squid.

It didn’t take too long before our meals came out and they were huge. Lucky for the first time, we didn’t order a starter (and that was only because we wanted gelato after, which we couldn’t even fit in).

It was enough food to feed three! But definitely meals that you would want to share and not devour yourself.

The Pasticada is a must! The meat just falls apart in your mouth and partnered with the gnocchi it makes for a great home cooked meal.

As for the squid, sometimes at places, it’s a hit and miss but this was a hit. Battered squid can sometimes be a bit heavy and that’s usually down to the batter, but this batter is thin and keeps the flavour of the squid.

We were hungry and these two meals were extremely filling, even tipping on the over indulgent side.

Maybe this summer you’re doing a Sail Croatia or you just find yourself in Split – go down to Buffet Fife for a delicious meal that literally doesn’t break the budget.

For those two massive mains and two beers, it was only about 15 euros, including a lovely tip!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g295370-d1009751-Reviews-Fife-Split_Split_Dalmatia_County_Dalmatia.html

Guaranteed to Hvar good home cooked meal

You definitely need to do your research on restaurants and have a look around when you’re in Hvar to at least find somewhere with good food on budget prices.

After eating at the same place two nights in a row, it was time for a change up and we were pretty happy with this change up.

We stumbled across this place on our afternoon out and went back to the room to do our research. It was the perfect place for us – good reviews, good seafood and cheap prices.

The restaurant is called Junior and is situated in one of the narrow cobblestone alleyways in Hvar. I found out that it’s a family run business and the sons actually catch the seafood during the day and the mum cooks in the kitchen.

It’s hard to avoid a starter and we thought we would go with something a bit different – fish soup.

The fish soup instantly melts your heart. Never had I had food that made me feel like I was actually genuinely home. The fish soup is so moreish that I really wish I had brought some home with me! Or at least eaten some more of it.

Choosing a main is really hard, especially coming off the back of that delicious starter but we both opted for spaghetti – mine with prawns and his with seafood. At first when you get the plate, it doesn’t look like much but never judge a book by its cover. I was especially judgey because I had seen pictures of the food on tripadvisor and was a little bit regretful of my choice, but I really shouldn’t have been.

Once I added a bit of chilli (just for a spice), it was amazing. Perfecto. Bloody good. So good, that we both actually said to each other that the spaghetti was probably better than anything we’d had in Italy. *Not a confirmed claim.

There is absolutely nothing to fault on this place. Each meal was extremely enjoyable and moreish, the wine was tasty, the ambience was homey and the staff were so polite and lovely.

You definitely need to book if you want to come here, but we booked a few hours before dinner and it was fine. Definitely, try Junior out for some good and cheap home cooked seafood.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g303808-d2416163-Reviews-Junior-Hvar_Hvar_Island_Split_Dalmatia_County_Dalmatia.html

Spice up your Hvar life

When many people think of Croatia, you don’t really think about Asian food – especially not in Hvar.

Hvar is an island situated between Split and Dubrovnik. Although it’s not really a big place, there’s enough to keep you busy for a few days.

It was hard for my heart to be captured by Hvar, especially after coming from Dubrovnik but the food there definitely captured my stomach!

Being Asian means that every now and then I need some Asian food and after travelling for almost a month without some kind of rice dish that wasn’t a risotto; it was a serious craving that I needed to satisfy.

I was a bit sketchy about eating Asian in Hvar, but after reading some tripadvisor reviews and checking the menu (and prices out), my doubts were settled.

It’s a big claim for me to say this and I’ve had a lot of Asian food over my time, but this restaurant was better than any Asian food that I had ever eaten during my two years in London – even the meals I’d had in Chinatown.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that when I travel, I don’t really like to visit a restaurant twice – only because I want to try the other places around and give them a shot. I broke this rule again and ate here a second night in a row – no regrets.

It’s always a good idea to order starters and if you have friends that don’t want to do that – they’re not your real friends.

The two starters we got during our two visits were the prawn spring rolls and the prawn satay sticks. If you only go to Spice once, get the satay sticks because the satay sauce is actually extremely delicious (don’t tell my mum that, it takes her three hours to cook hers and I always tell her, hers is the best).

Out of all the mains we ordered from there, easily the best out of all four was the Sweet and Sour Fish.
*Other dishes we ordered were Prawns with Oyster and Soy Sauce, Pad Thai with Chicken and Prawn Green Curry.

When you think of Sweet and Sour, you think of that bright red sauce with pineapples and peppers – this was the complete opposite.

The sauce was a dark and sticky sauce and the fish – well it came out whole.

The staff at Spice are absolutely lovely, lovely enough that they even de-bone the fish for you.

Once you finally tuck into the dish, it transports you to another world. The sweet and sour fish is a MUST try. It’s a dish that you don’t want to end and it’s a dish you definitely need to order – I can’t stress enough.

Although the bill is a bit more than you would like to spend, unfortunately for the town of Hvar this was probably one of the relatively cheap dinners.

Spice is easy to locate as it’s in the main square. It also has a great atmosphere to it and lucky for us we caught the euro final games each night we dined.

If you wander over to Hvar, be sure to kick your Asian craving and head here.

Where the Sea and (Jon) Snow meet

Out of all the cities that I’ve travelled to in Croatia, Dubrovnik has to be my favourite. Although it is tourist heaven, there is something about the beauty and history of the city that really captures a piece of my heart.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would’ve heard of the TV series Game of Thrones – well Dubrovnik has become famous and has become the main backdrop for scenes from previous and future episodes. Because of this newfound fame, a lot more people are visiting Dubrovnik.

I’m not much of a fan myself, but I am a fan of seafood and Croatians know how to do seafood well.

Friends of ours who had visited the previous year recommended us this restaurant. Personally, I love when people recommend a place because I know that it will be within a reasonable budget but I know that they aren’t going to send you around to a shit place. Lucky for me, I get to share it with all of you.

Sometimes it is a bit of a hit and miss with eating within the touristy parts of cities, but you should definitely check out the restaurant – Konoba Lokanda Peskarija. It’s a big outdoor restaurant situated near the port side of the Old Town Dubrovnik. There are two ports in Dubrovnik, the bigger one where the ferries come and the sail Croatia ships dock or the smaller port near the old town where the smaller boats dock – I’m talking the small one near the Old Town.

After eyeing off everyone’s seafood dishes, it was safe to say I wanted to eat everything.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to share a platter with someone then you should definitely get the seafood platter for two. It sets you back 215 kuna, but it is worth it.

The seafood platter comes with two different types of grilled fish, sardines, grilled squid, octopus, mussels and prawns. For the amount you get, it’s worth every penny – don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty while you eat.

Most of the dishes come served in cute black saucepans to give it that rustic seaside feeling.

My tip though – do not try the cheap house wine. It was actually a bit horrible, for a few extra get something a bit tastier!

Besides that, sit back and enjoy the lights of Dubrovnik and the fresh local catch of the day.