EAT > Cape Restaurant, Cape Schank (18/20)

This has to be my 4th visit to ‘Cape’ at the RACV Cape Schank Resort. The venue is a large hotel with an excellent golf club located at the far end of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula (about 1.5 hours from Melbourne by car). It might not be the most luxurious accomodation on the peninsula or…

ByCrispyDecember 1, 20240Comments

EAT > VINCENZA

EAT > Matteo Grandi in Basilica, Vicenza (18/20)

This sparely furnished restaurant, named after the chef whose stature matches his name, is situated at ground level in a classic building in the centre of Vicenza. It faces on to the famous Piazza dei Signori and from your table you have a view across the Piazza to the Renaissance-style Basilica by the famous Italian architect Andrea della Gondola (1508-1580) who soon…

BySimonNovember 13, 20240Comments

EAT > ZURICH

EAT > Baur’s, Zurich (18/20)

Baur’s is an up-market brasserie and part of the famous Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich but with its own equally grand entrance. Recently spruced up by the Gorgeous company from London whose credits include Harrods, The Langham, Peninsula Hotels and many more, it is the grandest brasserie we’ve visited. One star Michelin,…

BySimonNovember 11, 20240Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Circl Wine House, Melbourne (18/20)

A vinous wonderland in Melbourne's CBD, Circl has quickly established itself as one of the city's most ambitious wine destinations. Under the guidance of award-winning Head Sommelier Xavier Vigier, this Punch Lane establishment houses a staggering collection of 1,500 wines, with an unprecedented 150 available by the glass. AMBIANCE > The two-story venue on Punch…

ByCrispyNovember 2, 20240Comments

EAT > PARIS

EAT > Guy Savoy, Paris (18/20)

Do some research on best restaurants in Paris and there is a good chance Guy Savoy‘s remarkable restaurant will be among the top recommendations. On the top of “La Liste” (the top restaurants in the world) for the 7th year and with two Michelin stars, there is no question that this is haute…

ByEd ItorOctober 7, 20240Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Il Bacaro, Melbourne (18/20)

I moved from Sydney to Melbourne in 1995 and immediately fell in love with the remarkable bars and restaurants that had a truly unique style about them. One of those restaurants was Il Bacaro which launched that same year on Little Collins Street (just off Russell St). As you enter the restaurant the…

ByAl ManakSeptember 14, 20240Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Gimlet, Melbourne (18/20)

"Let's grab a drink at Gimlet and figure it out" that is the start of an excellent night out in Melbourne. Famed for its cocktails as well as the food there is a wonderful deco 1920s style to a place that launched in 2020 just before the pandemic started and has since become…

ByEd ItorSeptember 8, 20240Comments

DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar, Melbourne

Melbourne loves to hide its bars and restaurants away down laneways, underground and on top of building roof tops but Pearl is not easy to find. The Midcity Centre arcade on Bourke Street is not a place you would normally associate with fine dining or fine drinking, but make your way past 'Breadtop', the…

ByAl ManakMay 7, 20240Comments

DRINK > KYOTO

DRINK > Wine Bar Fleur Parf, Kyoto

It is a quiet street in the Shimogyo Ward of Kyoto where we found Wine Bar Fleur Parf, it is hidden at the end of a long passage (lit by lamps on the ground), past a beautiful courtyard garden to the bar at the back. There you find a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle…

ByCrispyApril 8, 20240Comments

EAT > OSAKA

EAT > Mitsuyama, Osaka

A wander around the neighbourhood and looking into a doorway we discovered Mitsuyama, but they were booked out for dinner so we decided to commit and book for the following evening, a decision that turned out to be outstanding. It is a small restaurant, our party of five were the only diners this night but…

ByCrispyApril 4, 20240Comments

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