CinEast: a preview

September 21, 2016November 7, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

logo_soustitre

Yesterday I was invited to the press conference of Cineast, the festival of movie from East and Central Europe that will take place in Luxembourg from 6 to 23 October.

This was a really interesting opportunity to learn more about the festival and, above all, about its events! (wow!, more things to do in Luxembourg).

Cineast got now to its 9th edition and counted 10,000 participants in total between screenings and events connected.

cineast2016_poster_72

Regarding the movies proposed, its distinctive characteristic is to show a quality program, most composed by movies that had very much success at international film festival (Berlin, Locarno, Sundance), but are less accessible to people in Luxembourg. The idea is also to attract not only movie lovers, but also young people, through as said a series of events, including concerts and gastronomical nights.

Under a cultural point of view, it will be an interactive way to learn about another face of our international population. The festival does not want to appear as a political manifesto, but for sure most of the movies have some political values and touch actual themes. It will be the case as well of the main event connected to the festival, the photography exhibition at Neimenster entitled “Away from Home”, that really should not be missed.

There will be an official competition with 8 recent movies, including the Polish Hristo that will be presented in Warsaw the week ahead the festival, Dogs, that was presented in Cannes, and the sarcastic Kill on Wheels, the only comedy among the movies in the competition, which has a very strong Tarantino accent.

60 long movies and 40 short films are then included in the program, documentary, classic and award-winners. Godless, for example, has been awarded in Locarno and is a pretty tough movie about a home nurse who is trafficking the ID cards of her patients. The last family was acclaimed in Cannes and United States of Love in Berlin, while It’s not the time of my life is a very raw movie on budget that shows the life of its maker. I Olga will tell us the story of the last woman to be executed in Poland and All these sleepless nights will take us through the lascivious life of two youngsters during Warsaw nights.

Movies will be shown in the city – mainly at Cinematique and Neimenster – as well as around the country (Esch, Mersch, Vianden, Mondorf, etc..)

You can find the complete program of the screenings here:

Cineast Programme

As said, Cineast is not only movies, but there will be also plenty of events, some strictly related to the movies, as debates and public interviews, some more on the party side – as reminded during the press conference indeed, the most important art is the art of partying 🙂

Take your agenda and note down:

On October 8th, Toporkestra (a gipsy band) will perform at Melusina, followed by a Balkan party.

toporkestra_1

On October 13th, Rotondes will welcome an Eastalgia party, with food, music and quiz inspired by the times when Eastern European countries were part of the communist bloc.

On October 15th, All sleepless nights will be followed by a Warsaw-style party at Rocas.

Last but not least, the closing event, on October 22nd, at Sang & Klang in Pfaffenthal, with Balkan music and live DJ set.

la20fanfare20couche-tard20copyright20olivier20reb20hd20de9toure9

There will be two silent movie projection, with live soundtrack: on October 14th The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a classic Polish movie, at Cinemateque, and on October 20th, a Slovak night at Neimenster, followed by a jazz jam session.

Details about the events can be found here:

Cineast Events

I will be attending most of the events as they really look amazing, so I hope to see some of you there!

logo_soustitre

Mamacita, Luxembourg city: good Friday night spot

February 8, 2016August 19, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 6 Comments

I visited Mamacita in Luxembourg city as soon as it opened its doors, some years ago. I clearly remember I was not impressed: cocktails were less than average and pricey and food was nothing special. The service, on my first visit, has been really bad and I left particularly annoyed by the waiters’ attitude – they totally ignored us in favor of a kind of “VIP” table next. After this negative experience, I came back there only for some drinks during summer.

But as said several times, I tend to give all the places a second chance after some times, so last week I decided to come back to Mamacita for a Friday night dinner with a colleague who was visiting.

I booked throught their Facebook page – replies were fast and very kind. One improvement point already!

We got there at 8 pm after couple of warm-up drinks next door at White House – good combo on Friday night, even if White House is basically empty at that time, you have the best service and the best tables for you.

We were accompanied to the floor and we got to choose our table between two which were still empty. The room quickly became very busy, with couple of groups celebrating birthday parties.

We started with some frozen margaritas and chilli beers, which we accompanied with a mixed platter of starters for two to share – we were four – and some tequila shots – we were in good mood 🙂

After that, we went for single dishes – I had spicy shrimps while hubby had chilli con carne, similarly my colleague opted for chilli and his wife for a ceviche – and a bottle of Nebbiolo from California. We concluded with some more shots.

Here you have some pictures of our dinner. After that, my impressions about this second try at Mamacita.

Thins I loved about Mamacita:

We had great service, indeed. We felt never forgotten by the waiters, notwithstanding the busy evening, and all of them were kind, smiling and in good mood. They granted us a very funny night, thanks.
Food was good – not amazing, but still very good. The mixed starter platter was enough to share for 4 people, in particular the quesadillas were very tasty. My main was nice: well presented and fair quantity. I have seen amazing burgers passing in front of me for other tables.
Drink selections – my colleague noted it – was very good: between tequilas, beers, wine and cocktails for sure you won’t leave thirsty.
The atmosphere is warm and you feel very welcome. Everything is pretty fine priced (we spent 237 Euros in total for 4 persons – 3 cocktails, 3 beers, mixed starter, bottle of wine for 47 euro, 2 platters of shots, 4 main courses).

Things I liked a bit less about Mamacita:

I confirm my first time impression on cocktails, unfortunately: frozen margarita was not good at all (lots of ice and syrup) – but as said, you have other things in the list of the drinks you can enjoy more.
At a certain point, the room was very very noisy. This might not be definitely a bad point for some, but I would not suggest it for a romantic date or if you want to chat with your mates.

I recommend Mamacita: For amazing and very kind service, nice food at a fair price and great atmosphere. Perfect for a night out in town, parties and celebrations, even for small groups. I will definitely come back soon – during the week – to try the burgers!

Truffle Bistrot: a romantic delight in Luxembourg city centre

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 5 Comments

As part of the week-long celebration for hubby’s birthday, on Tuesday night we had a tête-à-tête at the new Truffle Bistrot – Relais San Maurizio 1619, that opened at the beginning of December near Hamilius.

You might remember from a previous post, I have already tried once to have dinner there. Unfortunately, in that case, I had booked very much in advance and during the Christmas break, the restaurant changed it opening times. I was kindly contacted by the restaurant manager – who was very happy to explain me the background of the place.

Said that, we arrived at the Truffle Bistrot about 8 pm. The location has been totally renovated compared to the previous Italian bar that used to be there. At the ground floor, you have a lounge and bar area where you can have a drink whatever time – without the need of having dinner afterwards. There is also a shop corner with authentic products from Relais San Maurizio – you might find more information related to the original place on their website.

On the first floor, the restaurant room. Lovely settings, open kitchen with wide windows on the main room, so you can look inside but the smells stay there. As the place was quite empty, we went for the table just next to the windows.

We went for a bottle of Barbaresco 2006 from Relais San Maurizio, we were offered an amuse-bouche with squids and burrata, I went then for home made pasta (tajerin) with truffle followed by wasabi tuna fish, while hubby had a pumpkins soup with poached egg and truffle followed by beef filet with its juice and vegetables. As we were very full, we skipped the dessert. I opted for a coffee – that was accompanied by delicious dried fruits – while hubby had a cheese platter.

As usual, be captivated by the pictures of our dinner and find after them my comments about Truffle Bistrot.

Things I loved about the Truffle Bistrot:

Incredible atmosphere: when they started to work on the old Italian bar, I could have never imagined the new place would have been so impressive. The upstair room is warm, sophisticated, luminous but not too bright. Perfect light for a cozy dinner, whenever romantic or with friends.
Good menu selection: truffle, mainly, but not only. You have several fish and vegetarian choices and authentic products.
High quality dishes and sophisticated presentation: the best dish for me was the wasabi tuna fish and I also liked the pumpkins soup hubby had. Cheese selection was inventive and the dried fruit selection was mouth-wathering.
Fair quality – price: you can imagine you are not in a cheap place, but the prices are in line with same style restaurants in the city (about 16 euro for starters and 25 for main, plus extra for truffle if you want some). Moreover, compared to comments I heard before about this place, I have to say portions are definitely not small – after one starter and one main I was very full and you know I am not a skinny bitch. If you want to splurge, the tasting menu is for 70 euro.

Things I liked a bit less about the Truffle Bistrot:

Lucky enough, this was another place I visited recently I liked as a whole. If I have to find something, some dishes have probably a very delicate taste compared to those we are used to in Luxembourg – I think about the squid amuse-bouche and my pasta starter. Don’t expect the usual butter Luxembourgish cuisine – at least for some of the choices.

I recommend the Truffle Bistrot: If you want to impress someone you love. For a romantic date (ask the table on the window!). For a girls night out if you like delicate and sophisticated food. For a family gathering to celebrate something special. If you don’t want to splurge and you want have couple of glasses at the bar floor with Italian aperitif and great wines – a different place from the usual local bars.

New year, new restaurant: Giallo restaurant, Luxembourg City

January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

Yesterday it was a good example of how a very bad intro could turn into a wonderful night.

To welcome the new year in style, Anna and I had decided to try the new Truffle Bistrot in town, San Maurizio. As we wanted to be sure to have our table, we reserved before vacations so yesterday evening, after the usual drink at Café de Paris, we headed to this restaurant, that opened at the beginning of December just next Hamilius.
We got there and.. surprise! It was closed!
I was really pissed – can you imagine? I clearly remember I asked twice to the lady who replied at the phone if they were opened on January 6th – I know in Italy it is vacation. They took my reservation and my telephone number – and they did not even bother to call to advise, not the best way to start a business.
I was also pissed because, for one second, I did not find in my mind any exciting place to head at 8.30 pm without taking again the car or a cab. Then, suddenly, I recall this new Italian restaurant I passed in front on Christmas night, just off Place d’Armes, in rue du Cure.

Hungry and a bit disappointed, we arrived at the door of Giallo restaurant – what else could go wrong tonight?, we said ourselves.
Indeed – it was a fabulous dinner.
The restaurant was opened for the last 15 days – they explained us at the very end – for a kind of trial period. They will be closed from Sunday for the next two weeks for some final renovation works and will be finally open again. The main room is not huge, but the mirrors on both sides are hiding it pretty well.
They also have two tables on the lower level, next to the kitchen, more intimate and romantic.
The menu for the night proposed a choice of starters, primi piatti and main courses, well divided between fish, meal and veggie. Plus desserts.
We started with a delicious welcome from the chef (potatoes soup with toasted bread and truffle). I went for fried egg with potatoes and endive, while Anna had octopus soup with garlic bread. I then continued with pork filet with aromatic vinegar and potatoes while Anna had eggplants parmigiana. As wine we had a good Amarone Valpolicella.

Find some pictures of the place and of our dinner and, after them, my opinion of Giallo restaurant.

Things I loved about Giallo restaurant:

– I basically loved everything – even if I really need more than one visit to fall in love with a place, I can definitely state Giallo jumped at the top of my preferences in the city center.

– The atmosphere is sophisticated and refined, classic but not boring neither old-fashioned. A perfect bond between elegance and minimalism, with great attention to details and relaxed settings. I adore the fact you are overlooking the street but you have your privacy, appreciate how the bar is settled just informally at the entrance and was surprised by the tables just down the stairs, in a lovely romantic recess.

– The food was incredible, totally out of the scheme of the Luxembourg scene, different, deep, complex. Genuine ingredients, simple combinations, amazing presentation. I was so glad to finally see something new, something we are not used to in Luxembourg, that surprises your palate and spoils your tastes. The amuse-bouche was a gem, the fried egg tasty and the mix with the veggie resulted just perfect. The pork was right on point and we finished our dinner full and, above all, satisfied.

– As said, I loved the attention to details – including the fact, we got served a Caffarel Gianduiotto with the coffee – my real favorite Italian chocolate.

– The service, as well, was just perfect – I know I used the word perfect maybe too much, but indeed it was needed. Always on time, discreet, smiling. We got the wine, we got the timing for the dinner, we got the dishes, we got a nice small talk at the end.

– Prices are competitive: starters around 15 euros, primi piatti from 16 euros, main courses from 18 to 30 euro. Great, I would add, considering you are in the very city center and that portions are fairly big. Wine list has also honest choices, between 25 and 80 euros, with only few bottles at “more than 100 euro” level.

Things I liked a bit less about Giallo restaurant:

– As said, everything was great. If I have to find two small points: first, if you are up for a date, reserve the table at the lower level, more privacy. Our next table was empty, as the restaurant was not complete, so we were pretty happy about the accommodation, but I would have not liked, personally, eating with a stranger next elbow. It should be said, as my partner in crime noted, that the concept is kind of brasserie, therefore, based on that, spaces are fairly correct.

– The “white wines” list is currently embarrassing – only two Italian wines, both at 30 euro. I would have really appreciated if the choice was wider. There are some great Italian white wines, above all considering we are in an Italian restaurant, I hope they will stock something more before our next visit.

In conclusion: we were pleasantly surprised by Giallo restaurant: innovative and tasty food, perfect service and cozy location are making it a great promise on the restaurant scene in Luxembourg. I hope they will keep up the good standards they had on this our first visit. We will definitely come back.

Barefoot in Luxembourg goes shopping: Lush Winter Collection

November 11, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

Last month, I have been invited to the presentation of Lush Winter Collection that was held at the Lush store in the Gran-Rue. It was a great occasion to meet some fellow bloggers, spending couple of funny hours and above all learning about the new Lush Winter Collection 2015 – with great products dedicated to Halloween, – gone already, and Christmas, – coming!

Some pictures of the event – together with lovely Imena of Katherade preparing her Butterbear – followed by some more information about the Winter Collection.

Lush has always been one of my favorite brand for bathing products. If you are following me on snapchat, you know probably that a long, bubbly bath is one of the best treat to conclude my day. I tend to associate my bath products to my daily feelings – using sparkling products before nights out or calming one when I had a bad day. This is the reason because the Lush collections are perfect for me.
Moreover, I am always very attentive regarding the quality and the origin of the products I am using – my granny is used to say: ” you are born with a great skin, but to keep it you must work for it” – and for this reason, Lush products, with natural and organic ingredients, not tested on animals, are, once again, one of the best thing you can find on the market.

I waited a bit before writing this post because I wanted to be sure to have tried all the fabulous products we have been gifted and that you can find at Lush shop for your Christmas shopping – great ideas for gift but, above all, for self presents! 🙂

First product I have tried, as soon as back home the same day, was the Butterbear – well, I prepared it, so I wanted to be sure I did a good job. Butterbear is a great bath bomb, prepared with cocoa butter, vanilla and ylang ylang. I loved it – not only because I prepared it! – because gives you a very relaxed feeling and soft skin.

My favorite bath bomb was indeed Yog Nog , made with Karite, Ylang Ylang and with a very sweet perfume, and, above all, the Star Dust, with Rose and Vanilla. When you put it into the bath, you have tons of starts flowing around, it is perfect before a night-out during Christmas holidays and my skin was feeling absolutely delicious afterwards.
For the Bubble Bar series, we could try The Magic of Christmas, Peeping Santa and Five Gold Rings. While the Peeping Santa was the funniest one – resembling a small Santa -, it was a bit problematic keeping it entire in my bathroom – was melting a bit. Opposite side, I loved The Magic of Christmas and the Five Gold Rings. The Magic of Christmas is made of almonds and cinnamon, with a real cinnamon stick to hold it. It was the most scented of all the products received and hubby loved it as well – without considering the amazing feeling of bathing in gold!

Next was the Santa’s Belly – I am still using it! – a very unusual shower jelly, perfumed of apple and wine. At the beginning it was quite weird to use and was giving a strange feeling, but after the first couple of times it became my best shower product. It is very cleansing and give a spicy and warm sensation.

At last, my favorite favorite favorite product – The Santa Baby lip tint. Normally I am always using “big brands” make-up, as for some reason, I feel safer. But after trying this lip tint I have forgotten all my glamorous lipsticks in the box. I am really just using the Santa Baby when going out and I really hope this will become somehow a continuative product. Not only it has an incredible smell and a wonderful color, but it is the first lip tint I tried it stay all day long, without drying your lips and maintaining its amazing color even if you eat, you drink and wash your face. All my friends asked me about the color of my lips recently and all of them were surprised discovering it was “just” a Lush tint.

Girls – trust me, go and try.
Boys – this is a perfect idea to complete a gift for your lady, you will never have lipstick on your face/shirt again.

In conclusion – I was really happy to be part of the Lush presentation of Winter Collection. I tend to be loyal to my usual products – even at Lush – and not to go out of my comfort zone, so this occasion was perfect for discovering amazing items and fall in love with them.. until Christmas 🙂

An easy going sushi: WOK Asian Restaurant, Luxembourg city

October 31, 2015November 10, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 2 Comments

One of the problem I have, when I want to dine in town during the week-end, is the need to reserve well in advance – and to spend sometimes a freaking amount of money for plain dinners.

Since I discovered WOK Asian Restaurant, I know I can easily have an (almost) inexpensive sushi at last minute. For sure, this is not a posh one, not even for a romantic date, not to have a refined dinner. WOK Asian Restaurant is anyway a nice place when you decide to go out at the very last, mainly with your friends and with no needs to dress up.

I have been to WOK Asian Restaurant last Friday with some friends. We did not reserve but at 8 pm the main room was still mostly empty.
Matteo and I went for a portion of mixed dumplings to share (8 pieces), I had a miso soup while my other friend had two portions of fried rolls. Then I continued with a California sushi plat (15 pieces), while the others decided both for sautéed rice with chicken.
We had couple of Japanese beers each, espresso and cold sake’ at the end. The total bill read 40 Euro each (3 people: 1 big dumplings starter, one soup, two rolls starters – two main courses, one sushi platter of 15 pieces, six beers, two bottle of water, three espresso and 1 cold sake bottle). Definitely fair enough.

Discover what pro and cons of WOK Asian Restaurant after the pictures of the dinner.

Things I liked about WOK Asian Restaurant:

– Easy going environment: no formality, no need to reserve in advance, great atmosphere
– Various menu: they have a very wide list of Asian dishes, from Japanese to Chines to Thai, definitely good for all the tastes.
– The California platter is one of my favorite in town: fresh fish, good composition and nice presentation.
– Very fair prices: I am not sure there are several other places in the city center where you can spend 40 euro – with drinks – for such big dinner.
– Kind service: the waitress was really glad to explain us couple of dishes content and to prepare a special dish for one of my friend who has allergies.

Things I liked a bit less about WOK Asian Restaurant:

– Service might be slow when it starts to be crowded. We waited pretty long between the starters and the main courses.
– While I really like the “upstairs” room, if you ended up in the basement one it might be not so fancy.
– I tend to eat only starters and sushi – I am not a big fan of other dishes, at least I don’t find them good as the sushi.

To sum up: WOK Asian Restaurantis a really nice place on budget in the city center. Most of the time you don’t need a reservation, they have a very kind service – even if a bit slow – and it is perfect if you are not in a hurry and you are out for a informal dinner. Recommended for a relaxed supper with friends.

Young and Cool: Café des Capucins

October 29, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 5 Comments

Finding out a place you passed in front hundreds of time but you never tried is a very cool one is the best feeling ever for me. It is like they open a new trendy restaurant just next door. And this was the feeling I had when I went out from Café des Capucins on Tuesday night.

You know, I visited the bar some times ago for the Red Cross event. It was a pleasant evening and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t know Café des Capucins is also a very fancy place to dine.
I discovered it randomly on the new Explorator guide and I booked it for my Tuesday night date with hubby.
The place was full but not packed and customers were divided between those enjoying their after-works and those dining.

We started with a Ginger Martini from their amazing cocktails lists (forget about Campari soda, they have real cocktails here!) and we accompanied it with some tapas: shrimps sautéed in limoncello sauce and canard with peppers and ginger.
The small pots were full of taste: the shrimps were more delicate, mildly sweet but intense, while the canard a bit spicy with this nostalgic taste of peppers like those my Granny prepares.
We moved then to the starter, a very kind and competent waitress suggested us to share a pastry with apples, goat cheese and figs. A bit skeptical we accepted and were pleasantly surprised. The dish took both myself and hubby out of our comfort zones: hubby, you know, it is a very traditional eater and I am not that much into veggie plats. This dish was surprisingly good – talking about WOW factor, here it is – and more surprisingly the pastry was clearly home-made.
We moved then to the main course, which we accompanied respectively with a glass of Primitivo and one of Chardonnay from Veneto, Italy. I went indeed for tuna tataki with peppers and potatoes while hubby chose lamb loin with seasonal vegetables.
Both dishes were outstanding: on my tuna dish, the sweet taste was prevailing, but the single elements were all well-coordinated, starting from the potatoes cooked with the skin to the small herbs “decorating” the plat.
The lamb, I tried it, was very tasty and intense, the thyme pesto was giving a strong imprint to the dish, vegetables were cooked al dente and everything was splashed with meat sauce.
We were really full but we decided to share anyway a delicious Tarte Tatin – actually hubby had the cake, home-made and well cooked, soft to the spoon and not too sweet, while I enjoyed the vanilla ice cream on the top.

After the pictures of our dinner, you can find my final considerations about Café des Capucins.

Things I loved about Café des Capucins:
– Outstanding cuisine – traditional dishes are given a fusion oriented direction, tastes are very defined and there is a great attention to the presentation.
– Amazing service, really – the waitress who served us was able to explain perfectly everything both in English and French. Before taking the order we were asked if we had any allergies and during the dinner we were recommended great dishes – but never felt forced to go in one sense or another. We took our time without being bothered and everything was served with a bright smile. Well done.
– Young and cool environment – music was there, but not too loud, amiable terrace for a ciggie break in a very classy location (Place du Theatre), professional customers, attention to details.
– Extremely fair prices – wine glasses around 6/7 euros for great quality wines, fish main around 25 euro.

Things I liked a bit less:
– Everything was perfect, but if I have to find something, I would say portions were a bit too big for my appetite, but it was indeed our fault to order both the tapas and the starter. Strongly recommended to got between one of the two if you are heading to the main course.

To sum up, we had a fabulous evening at Café des Capucins and we will indeed come back soon. This is the perfect place if you are looking for a restaurant after couple of drinks in town and you don’t want to go for something too traditional or expensive. Outstanding food, young ambience and great service are already making it one of my top place for friend’s evenings.

L’Osteria di Niederanven, Niederanven

September 28, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 4 Comments

On Sunday, hubby and I decided to treat ourselves with our usual lunch out and we headed to Osteria di Niederanven, in the village of Niederanven, just ten minutes driving from Luxembourg city center.
The restaurant was full and we were accommodated to a rustic table in the middle of the main room – a six chairs table where we occupied one side and another couple was occupying the other.
The menu has an Italian imprinting and includes several choices between fish, meat, pasta and pizza, with the last two categories being the most extensive.

I went for a Diet coke and some sparkling water and ordered Vitello tonnato (veal with tuna mayonnaise sauce) as starter and Linguini with zucchini and clams as main. Hubby opted for a mixed Italian starter and some filled fresh pasta with scamorza cheese, eggplants and bacon and a small bottle of red wine.

After the pictures of our lunch, you will find my impression.

What I liked about Osteria di Niederanven:
– The location and the ambience are great, one of the best I have visited in the last months. Tables, cloths, decorations, everything is extremely rustic but made with attention to details. Being just some minutes away from the city center, you have the impression dining at an old aunt’ countryside house. Lovely.
– Service was friendly and positive. We were left our time to decide even if we arrived past 1 pm, wine was always served by the waiter and we were not in a hurry to leave.
– The menu card is extensive and you have several great choices. Looking at the dishes that were passing in from of me for other tables, I was each and every time tempted to take something different as everything looked so good. I think the best dish taken to our table was the mixed starter hubby ordered.

What I liked a bit less:
– The location is very noisy when full, above all, if, like us, you are in the middle of the room. Ask for a table window side, it is more relaxing and quieter.
– My food choice was not impressive. The Vitello tonnato portion was way too big for being a starter (and I had big appetite!) and even if the quality of the meat was very good, it started to be filling after a while. My Linguini were extremely disappointing: zucchini were almost missing and the dish was extremely dry, started to have some taste (of clams) only at the end, when the portion was almost over. It could be that I did the wrong choice, as said, hubby’ starter was good and he told me also his pasta was fine – even if industrial and not homemade.
– I had the feeling that we paid a bit too much for what we had (two starters, two pasta dishes, half bottle wine, Diet Coke, water and one espresso were over 110 euro…), maybe because I was not very satisfied by my dishes.

In conclusion, Osteria di Niederanven is a very lovely location, immerse in a fairy tales atmosphere. My lunch was not extraordinary, but I might give it a second chance to confirm or review my first impression. Portions are huge, so, in case, next time, I will opt only for one dish.

A new cozy wine bar: La bulle de vin, Luxembourg

September 12, 2015September 14, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 4 Comments

On Friday night, I have been invited to the re-opening of La bulle de vin, a very stylish wine bar located in the Old Town, just next door to Companero.

The bar and the restaurant were already open to the public but the new management invites friends for a tasting to celebrate the re-launch.

The bar, as structure, used to be one of my favorite in town when it was still called “PM”, but the previous managements were not able to valorize such great architecture.

The concept now is that the entrance hall is dedicated to chill out: the music is soft, each table has great own space and you can relax, drink and chat.

Going down, the middle floor is working as restaurant.

Then, down at the basement, a stunning high-ceiling “party room” with a dedicated bar. This room has higher volume music (with a separated system from upstairs) and tall tables. You know, I am kind of claustrophobic in this basement Old Town bars, but actually here you have a very high staircase leading outside.

Back to the bar offer, La bulle de vin has an outstanding quality value. They offers great, non-commercial wines at fair prices. You can also have champagne and wine tastings – they change each month – and, to accompany your glasses, you can combine delicious platter of cheese and charcuterie. .

Yesterday evening we had tasted three types of wine – plus a glass of pink champagne to bubble before leaving. Wines were great and the bar personnel is well prepared to explain you the wine background. We only had some finger food but looking at the dishes that were arriving at other tables, I am definitely motivated to come back for food. Environment is trendy but not formal.

The basement party room could be also privatized for parties and La bulle de vin organizes special events like Wine Tasting for Girls – subscribe their newsletter to receive update on the events!

Indian Dinner at Taj Mahal, Luxembourg

June 10, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 8 Comments

Before getting engaged, I was eating Indian food almost once per week. I really like spicy food and Vindaloo chicken was my favorite comfort food, my hangover remedy and my usual takeaway order. Unfortunately hubby is not so much into exotic food, so since we moved together I am allowed to have Indian food only on special occasions 🙂

Among all the Indian restaurants I’ve tried in Luxembourg, my favorite one is the Taj Mahal, in rue de Strasbourg, Station. The area is not extremely fancy, but when you have such great food this is not extremely important.

On last Friday night we visited it, we had some meat samosa, lentil soup, plain and spicy papadom. Chicken as main – I had a spicy one from Agra region, while hubby stayed safe with a butter and tomato one – and garlic naan. We drunk Indian beer as usual.

Things I love about this restaurant:

– They are extremely kind. Even if we are not coming here so often, they are always treating you as a special client.

– Food is great and portion are fair. Ingredients are fresh and mostly home made.

– They are always happy to make you take away the remaining food.

Things I love a bit less:

– Décors are a bit dated, but this is not a real issue if you are not looking for a posh dinner date.

Taj Mahal, 2 rue du Strasbourg, Luxembourg Ville.