Summer lunch at Beet, Luxembourg city

August 16, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 1 Comment

Finally, after having postponed the meeting several times, I managed to meet Sunny over lunch in town and to try the (now not so) new vegetarian restaurant Beet. The restaurant is located on the place Guillaume, just next the Tourism Office, has a quite large terrace – that was empty due to the cold weather – and two main rooms inside.

Sunny booked a table for 1.15 pm and we were assigned one in the back room – the restaurant was really packed but the service was on point for a quick lunch.

The menu has several options – only vegan and vegetarian – mainly divided between burgers and falafel, in different combinations. I went for a vegetarian patty with eggplants – accompanied by fries and salad – and a thai infusion – warm water with lemongrass and ginger. Sunny had a crispy burger and an home made apple juice.

After the pictures of our lunch you will find my usual impressions.

Things I loved about Beet:

My burger was very tasty as well as the fries. You can choose an homemade sauce to accompany them and I had the chilli one. OMG – it was to die for! If your idea about vegetarian food is still stuck to bland raw vegetables, here you will definitely change your mind. I have seen also nice dessert going around – a pity I was too full to try one.
Drink selection is also good, wide and insolite. My infusion – even if a bit difficult to handle – was perfect for my lunch.
The ambience is fresh and minimal, same than the service. I would have loved to be on the terrace, a shame about the weather.

Things I liked a bit less about Beet:

As general impression, I found it a bit on the pricey side – 14 euro per the burger and 4 euro for a water infusion. I anyway perfectly see this could be mainly due to the very central area and prices would be different if the location was different.
Similarly, for my personal tastes, I find the place perfect for a lunch, but it definitely miss some atmosphere for a dinner.

In conclusion: Beet was a very nice discover. I will definitely come back again to try other burgers on the menu and the falafel dishes. With its minimal style and fast service, I find it perfect for a girly lunch in town.

Restaurant MAHO, Luxembourg: an amiable dinner in a lovely atmosphere

October 23, 2015November 23, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 2 Comments

Some weeks ago I was celebrating four years with my husband, so, on Monday, as it was long time we didn’t have a dinner date, we decided to have a special night.
I have a list of the restaurants I am going to visit in the next month, but unfortunately no one of them was open so I decided to use one of the suggestions received during my interviews. One of the thing I personally love about my “Barefoot in Luxembourg meets people” series is that is giving me the opportunity to learn about new restaurants or the confidence to try something out of my comfort zone. So finally we booked at MAHO – that was mentioned as her favorite restaurant in Luxembourg by @fashion_lawyer.

I have been to the premises of MAHO several years ago, when it was still Les Jardins du President, and really like the settings. We were warmly welcomed at the entrance and accompanied to our table on the veranda. The atmosphere was very sophisticated and romantic, with very dim lights (even too dim – hence the bad quality pictures).
We were served water and started with a glass of champagne. We received a small platter of appetizer, followed by a fish terrine as amuse-bouche.
I had salmon fume as starter and beef filet with truffle as main, while hubby had canard terrine with foie gras as starter and entrecote as main.
My starter was fine in average: the salmon was orgasmic, a butter melting in my mouth, but the plat itself was a bit disjointed – I did not like very much the salad and the avocado wasabi sauce haven’t seen any wasabi but has a very strong taste of lemon.
My main course was classically good: the meat was outstanding, perfectly cooked. I loved the al dente green vegetables and the truffle pure’ was yummy – I would have eaten a bigger portion indeed. The only unfavorable point was the wine sauce on the meat – too sweetish for my taste.
My husband on the other side enjoyed very much his plat – he said that it was the best entrecote he had ever had in Luxembourg, and I know how picky he is normally – only point he had was that the plat was super hot and the salad, for this reason, was really dried out, and should have been taken in a small pot.

Find the pictures of our dinner, followed by my general impressions as usual.

Things I loved about MAHO:

– Perfect service – present, discreet, smiling. We really felt pampered.
– Excellent ingredients – raw materials were great and above all the meat was extremely enjoyable.
– Cozy settings – great place for a dinner date and I cannot wait to come back during summer to enjoy the outside garden.
– Smokers’ room – to avoid the cold temperature outside, a nice room with fireplace is available for smokers.

Things I loved a bit less:

– Too noisy – there were couple of business dinner tables that enjoyed fairly much the booze and talked at very loud volume. Considering the size of the room and the fact tables are pretty close, a big bite of romance disappeared. What a pity.
– What about the WOW factor? Our dinner was not cheap one. Two starters, two main courses, two glass of champagne and 2 glass of wines took us around 170 Euro. It was Monday night and I had to drive, so we did not feel having a bottle of wine, but in case we would, our final bill would have overpassed 200 euro.
If you follow my reviews, you see I am definitely fine spending this money for a special date, but I reserve this attention to a place that is not only good, but outstanding. While our dinner was good and the material uses were excellent, I don’t have that feeling of saying “wow, this dish is amazing”. It was fine, really fine, but not amazing.
Indeed, I have to say that my husband felt in love with his entrecote and therefore I will definitely come back to check some more exotic dish.

Late evening dining: Limbo RestoClub, Luxembourg

August 10, 2015August 10, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 7 Comments

When I was told about the opening of Limbo, this new restaurant – club in the city center, I was a bit skeptic at the very beginning as I am not a fan of mixed environment concept, first because it is difficult to be good in too many things at the same time, second as the restaurants in da club were I have been in the past were all a big disappointment. In some of them the music was so loud you can barely hear your own voice.

Said that, I first had a dry run at Limbo last week: we had some friends arriving in town in the evening and we wanted to have a late light dinner. Unfortunately, as you are probably aware, there are very few places in Luxembourg where you could eat later than 9 pm in a decent way. I got in contact with Limbo FB page and they confirmed me their kitchen is open until 11 pm. It was quite refreshing and we had a short, pleasant time. We ordered some tapas to share and some great cocktails and the experience was so positive – even limited, as said – that I decided to come back this week end for a full dinner.

The location, the former Secret Garden, has been updated to the need of the new place, has a large wardrobe on view at the entrance and a great, cozy embowered terrace. The tables have a generous gap in-between, thing I always appreciate, and the service is informal but great.

The menu has a fair choice of fusion starters and main courses, meat, fish and vegetarian, plus some menu combinations. Prices are very very honest for being in such great central location.

I had salmon tartare as starter, scallops and patanegra as main, while my friend R. a veggie and tofu platter for starter and beef filet as main.

Here’s the pictures of our dinner, followed, as usual, by my impressions.

Things I loved about Limbo:

Outstanding choice of tropical cocktails: I had both Caipirinha and Daiquiri Frozen and they were both delicious. Finally a place where to have something different than a gin-tonic!
Food is great: in particular, high-quality raw materials (as the wagyu beef) and unusual combinations. My salmon tartare was to die for (even if it is strong in onions, so be aware if you are on a date) and the scallops platter was also yummy,
Amazing customer service. You get immediate reply from their FB page if you write them for any question/enquiry and the on-site service is also fine.
High quality/price ration and value for money – one of the best I have seen centrally.

Things I liked a bit less about Limbo:

While food is affordable, drinks price is in line with city center bars. That’s fine for a night out, but if you intend to have only cocktails during your dinner and you are quite like a booze lover like I am, it might start to be expensive. The great thing is that if you take the menu combination, you get cocktails for half price until midnight.
My friend’s starter – the veggie tofu platter – was nothing special.
It is not a restaurant for big appetite. I personally appreciate when you finish your dinner and you are satisfied but not overwhelmed, but we noted as it might not be the place for a lads only night.

In conclusion, I definitely like Limbo RestoClub very much: the ambience is pleasant and it is the perfect place I would recommend if you want to have a fancy late evening dinner before a night out or a date with friends with some tropical appeal.

Friday evening: a (posh) idea for after-work drinks, Vinoteca, Luxembourg

July 28, 2015August 12, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 1 Comment

In Luxembourg there are just few months to enjoy the open air life, therefore during summer period I always try to arrange my evening in some garden or terrace. I talked already about it on the blog and you know there are several restaurants and bars in the city that offer breathtaking panoramas.

One of the best bar with view, for a quiet ad intense after-work, is definitely the Vinoteca – that is located behind the Palais and well hidden through ancient archways. This is the kind of place I tend to visit only during summer for being on the terrace, as I really don’t like the interior design.

I arranged for drinks with a friend on a Friday evening, some weeks ago and we had pleasant time.

After the pictures, some pro and con of this place.

Things I loved about Vinoteca:

The location. Not to mention the amazing view, I also like the kind of atmosphere this place has. It is never too crowed, it is a bit far from the movida area of the city, so perfect if you, like me, are catching up with a friend and you want to talk quietly.
The service. I booked a table in the afternoon (highly recommended) and they were quick and nice in their replies. The waiter who was serving has had a big smile, was calling me by name even if it was long time I did not visit the place and was always there to help.
The quality of the products. Essentially it is not a place for a cheap drink, but you get the quality for what you are paying for. They have a good selection of wines, cold dishes to share and even hot dishes if you fancy having dinner.

Things I liked a bit less:

The wine approach. You can have glass, big glass, half pitcher o bottle for selected wines. As we were not sure how long we wanted to stay, we started with half pitcher of one of the most expensive wines they have. If I am paying 60 euro for half a bottle, I would expect at least that you fill up the pitcher showing me the bottle. We got directly the pitcher taken to the table, so – eventually – it could have been whatever wine inside. This was not the case – because the wine was great – but if I would expect a different level of service.
The charcuterie platter. They have different dishes with cheese, ham, charcuterie, so we decided to go for a mixed one for having a bit of everything. When the platter arrived, it was actually composed only by two kinds of salami and one of pancetta. We would expect at least one portion of ham. My friend does not eat salami, so we ended up leaving half of the platter.

To sum up, Vinoteca has a lovely terrace perfect for after-work drinks. The quality of the wine and of the food is pretty high, as well as the final bill. I would recommend it for a quiet talk with a friend, for a date with someone you want to impress or for a special celebration.

Mansfeld Reloaded: Business Dinner with the Boss

July 27, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 2 Comments

I talked about the re-opening of Mansfeld Brasserie some posts ago. I said it used to be one of my favorite place in town and the first visits confirmed the old glory. I tested it once again while my bosses were in town and I was not disappointed.

We had a fabulous time and my guests were extremely glad about the choice.

Definitely and once again highly recommended if you want to have a posh delicious dinner, without the heart attack upon bill receipt. Ca va sans dire, this is not gonna be cheap, but you will have, beyond any doubt, the clear impression to have spent the fairest price for the merriest evening.

Super thumbs-up: friendly and smiling service, some kind of rare gem among all grumpy waiters at most gastro places in Luxembourg.
Secret hints: great choice of gins for a strong start or a relaxing after dinner; lovely terrace overlooking the river; my favorite dish is the tuna tataki – just heaven! and.. make same place and don’t skip the dessert, they are all worth it!

Sunday dinner at “La Veranda”, Luxembourg

July 9, 2015July 8, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 6 Comments

Since hubby has started to work again with busy schedule during week-ends, the only night we can actually have a proper dinner out is Sunday.

Before my business trip to Amsterdam, we decided to spoil ourselves with some truly Italian food and we went for “La Veranda” restaurant in Howald.

We had some starters (charcuterie, cheese, pizza) and then, as main, I had grilled meat and hubby went for lamb. We accompanied it with a bottle of Tuscan wine from Bolgheri, a lovely one.

See the pictures of our night and find after some impressions about the dinner and the restaurant.

Things I loved about dining at La Veranda:

– Food was definitely outstanding quality: I loved the cheese and the pizza was yummy. My main course included lamb, entrecote, beef filet and sausages. Everything was very good, special mention to the entrecote that was just perfect, thin and soft.

– Portions are huge but the quality is so great you can arrive at the end of a glorious dinner like ours without feeling sick.

– Service was also extremely fine: attentive and available for suggestions and clarifications about the origin of the productions and the dishes composition. Not very common in Luxembourg.

Things I liked a bit less:

– The interiors are a bit dated and old fashion and the terrace is overlooking Route de Thionville that is definitely not a fancy view.

– If you are choosing a good wine and meat/fish main and you add up some dessert and digestives, the bill is growing pretty fast.

In conclusion, I definitely enjoyed our dinner at “La Veranda”, it is a good place for an informal dinner with friends and family and, even if the surroundings are not fancy, it is definitely worth a visit.

Dinner with view: Beim Siggy, Luxembourg

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 5 Comments

Often during this season, friends are asking me for a place for dining in town with a nice terrace. Honestly I cannot lie – even if, you know, I would sometimes prefer to keep my best places secret to avoid them becoming overcrowded. Then I usually suggest them at first “Beim Siggy”, a traditional brasserie located halfway between city center and Clausen, that has a wonderful terrace and one of the most amazing views in Luxembourg.

I have been there more than once last year during sunny evenings and I visited it recently with friends. The menu, as said, is very conservative, but portions are great, prices extremely fair and the quality is above the average.

I love the tartare – I had the salmon one and the beef one last time – but also Luxembourgish dishes are pretty yummy – hubby is a fan. List of wines – mainly French and Luxembourgish – is proportionate and has some great names at legitimate prices.

Find some pictures of the night – definitely a place highly recommended for me, above all if you have someone visiting to impress or if you want to arrange a romantic dinner without splurging:

Sunday evening at Chateau de Bourglinster Brasserie

June 15, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

I had a pretty quiet week-end after all – definitely too stressful season at work, so I preferred to lay on my couch watching silly TV programs – I am addicted to chavs reality, like Geordie Shore, apologies – and eating Indian take-away.

On Sunday night, after a sunny afternoon spent at the new Rotonde, we joined some friends for an informal dinner at Chateau de Bourglinster Brasserie. The castle complex is located about 20 minutes driving from Luxembourg city in the countryside and includes a Michelin-starred gastronomic restaurant and a small brasserie. This one has a lovely terrace overlooking the valley, but due to the number of guests and the wonderful day, it was already fully booked, and we dined inside.

The Brasserie offers a combinations of menu – starter, main and dessert or two starters main and dessert – plus eventually wine match for reasonable prices, starting from 49 Euro. The card is not very wide – about four dishes each section, including one veg option and one daily suggestion. Unfortunately some of the dishes were not available anymore when we arrived.

I opted for tuna fish as starter, guinea fowl as main and cheesecake as dessert. Hubby had tuna dish as started, oven-baked beef as main and pistachio biscuit as dessert.

The wine card is indeed extensive, with some good numbers – we went for a Saint-Aubin all dinner long.

Enjoy some pictures of our night and find after them my usual general impressions and comments.

Things I loved about this restaurant:

– Fairy-tales atmosphere: it is incredible that driving just for 20 minutes, you will be wrapped up in surroundings from another century. Definitely recommended for a romantic evening or for a night trip with someone visiting.

– Structured dishes, more on the gastronomic side than on the real brasserie one. I was expecting to have some typical charcuterie, beef tartare and bouche a la reine, like in most up-class brasserie in the city. The selection of ingredients and the dishes themselves were surprising and pleasant. Finally something different!

– The sorbet served as welcome of the chef – together with the snails – and the guinea fowl were definitely the best dishes of the night for me. The guinea was pure butter and the combination with the mushroom and the various sauces was just delicious.

– Service was fairly impressive. Notwithstanding the fact we ordered all different dishes on a table of 10 people, the plats were arriving directly to the person without any delay or questions from the waiters (same situation, different place: here we have a beef filet – screaming – who did take the beef filet? – louder – we have one dish less, who is missing? and similar noisy sounds more appropriate for a fish market than a restaurant) . Service was also always on time to fill up the wine glasses and the boys appreciated the fact the chef seated down with them for a chat after the dinner.

Things I liked a bit less:

– Interior settings are quite featureless. Personally speaking, I would not do the trip and spend some serious money for dining inside in the brasserie.

– I am fine having a short menu card, since my previous posts you should have already understood it is something I prefer. But then if out of 13 dishes you miss already 5, the choice starts to be hard. I had already opted for lamb as main and chocolate dessert when the waiter said they were over. Sad.

– I had half of hubby’s beef and some of his dessert and I was not really impressed. The beef was sickly sweet and some sauces were definitely out-of-place – too acid. Happy I went for the guinea fowl!

In conclusion, I really appreciated this evening at the Chateau, but talking with hubby and another friend while driving back to town, I confessed that I would have come back only to dine at the main restaurant of the castle. 75 euro and 20 minutes driving for me, lazy spoiled Corie, are not worth a dinner with friends in such settings. I really see it as a place for a tete-a-tete and in this case, “go big or go home”.