EAT > Fujimaru, Osaka

Osaka is well known for its street food, with 222 listings in the Michelin Guide (3 for 3 star, 9 for 2 star and 80 for 1 star) you know that they are serious about food. But what about wine, well that is a little harder to find, especially if like us on…

ByEd ItorApril 4, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Verve Cafe, Roppongi Hills

Over in Roppongi Hills right next door to the excellent design store ‘Living Motif’ you will find an outlet for the popular Verve Coffee (and roasters) chain. Here they do an excellent range of pour over coffee’s (some of them are quite specialised and they are priced in line ~¥1,500 for a…

ByEd ItorApril 1, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Kitasando Coffee, Kitasando

Not far from the Meiji Jingue Temple in Yoyogi Park and sandwiched between the Shinjuku Goyen National Garden you will find the small suburban area of Kitasando (there is even a Kitasando station there on the Fukutoshin Line). In amongst the apartments and small shops you will find a coffee oasis Kitasando (it has…

ByEd ItorApril 1, 2024

EAT > TOKYO

EAT > Menchirashi, Shibuya

Udon, the under rated noodle. Its chewy and tasty, fresh and filling and at Menchirashi it is made into an enormous range of wonderful dishes, from traditional Udon (noodle) soup dishes to a Japanese twist on Carbonara. You do need to line up and yes it will probably take about 20-40 minutes to get a…

ByEd ItorMarch 31, 2024

STAY > TOKYO

STAY > All Day Place, Tokyo

Located just off Meji Dori Avenue in Shibuya, the All Day Place Hotel is hidden away above a cafe / craft beer bar in a tower building. A simple place with rooms that are functional with smart design at a reasonable price. SLEEP > Rooms come with the usual Pyjamas, reusable…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > About Life Coffee Brewers, Shibuya

About Life is a funky coffee shop close to Shibuya station, probably the best coffee in that area. A simple menu the shop sells espresso, brews (hot and cold) and cold drip coffee. They have a small food menu and the space is ‘funky’ in that classic Tokyo way somewhere between design…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Mikkella Bar, Shibuya

Sharing the same space as the About Life Cafe (read our review here) in the evening they pull down some venetian blinds that cover the coffee shop and pull up the venetian blinds that open the bar. The rest of the space is the same… It is tucked in a back street of…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Gen Yamamoto, Tokyo

You have eaten an omakase (degustation course) before but have you experienced an omakase cocktail bar? Probably not. With only 8 seats this bar has a slightly reverential experience as cocktails are elevated beyond mere libation to fine palate experiences. You have to make a reservation (at least a week in advance) as…

ByEd ItorFebruary 15, 2024

EAT > ROME

EAT > Ristorante Giulio Passami L’olio, Rome

On any trip to Rome you are likely to have someone tell you about their favourite restaurant, a little place that is down a lane way, off on a quiet street far from the tourists and the piazza. Giulio Passami L'olio is one of those places, if like us you walk the cobbled streets…

ByEd ItorFebruary 13, 2024

STAY > ROME

STAY > Hotel H’all Tailor Suite

You know it is not all about the breakfast but at this hotel it is definitely a consideration. Hotel H'all is a boutique hotel of just 14 suites each with it's own style and identity. It is also home to Michelin Starred Ristorante All'Oro (ALMANAK 18/20) which is downstairs. That means…

ByEd ItorFebruary 13, 2024