S_B_Russell's Profile
Geneva Cheap Eats?
Unfortunately nothing is really cheap in GVA - even the cheap restaurants. ;)
For Lebanese, I like Parfums de Beyrouth on Rue de Berne. It's a hole in the wall kind of place, but any of their "assiette" plates for CHF 16 are more than enough to feed two people and are pretty tasty.
Berlin: Georgian eats?
I also noticed Mimino near Charlottenberg Station recently, but haven't tried it. With that said, I might, as I just had Georgian food for the first time last week while I was in Kazakhstan and the khachap'uri was awesome.
Foodie House Rental in September in... Switzerland? Northern Italy?
As somebody who lives in Switzerland, I wouldn't say it's a foodie destination, unless you consider melted cheese and hash browns the pinnacle of interesting cuisine.
Northern Italy, on the other hand, is definitely worth a foodie vacation. I would recommend Piedmont, as it checks all the boxes - food (truffles!), wine (Barolo, Barbera etc) and amazing scenery (Asti/Alba area is like Tuscany, but without the tourists).
Good Dining Near Sony Center
I can't say I've ever had a good meal around the Sony Center, but if you're looking for a place with two Michelin stars where you can dress casually, try Reinstoff.
http://www.reinstoff.eu/willkommen.html
I was there last month and had an excellent meal of modern cuisine made with local "near" ingredients. Great service and well picked wine list, too.
Sunday night dinner in Mitte
I tried the vegan restaurant Kopps last week and thought it was pretty good. The food was inventive, the dining room decor is modern and there wasn't a hippy in sight! ;)
http://www.kopps-berlin.de
foodies in Italy, where to go?
As an expat Albertan, I would suggest Piedmont as a must visit. I know after living in Edmonton for a number of years, there's nothing comparable to Piedmont cuisine available in Alberta. It will be truly a culinary adventure, as most of the food will be new to you.
It also doesn't hurt that the Nizza-Asti-Alba area is stunningly beautiful and produces some excellent wines. I go there every chance I get since I only live a three hour drive away. Beats going to Saskatchewan! ;)
Family of 5 visiting Belgium over Thanksgiving needs restaurant recos esp in Brugge
Ha! I didn't know Rick Steves recommended Dumon. I'm always skeptical of his recs, but in the case of Dumon, he's bang on.
New Year's Eve dinner in Amsterdam for a solo traveler?
I'm not sure what type of atmosphere you're looking for, but this is where I'd go on New Year's Eve if I was looking to have a bit of fun, and a good meal to boot: http://www.castellamsterdam.nl/english.html
Family of 5 visiting Belgium over Thanksgiving needs restaurant recos esp in Brugge
My friends and I were in Bruges in August and we made the rounds at the town's chocolate shops. I would say the one that seemed a cut above the rest was Dumon. Excellent chocolates, and the prices were very reasonable.
http://www.chocolatierdumon.be/
While we didn't have any amazing meals while in Bruges, we did have a couple of good meals at De Drie Zintuigen and Bistro de Schaar - both serving Belgian/French cuisine.
http://www.dedriezintuigen.be/
http://www.bistrodeschaar.be/de-schaar/home.html
Christmas in Berlin
You'll find most of the German restaurants are closed on Christmas eve and Christmas day. I do remember Marjellichen being open last year, though. Just give them a call to confirm.
If you don't have your heart set on German, you'll find that a lot of places are open. I usually hit the Bird on the 24th, and go for Vietnamese on the 25th.
Where to eat/drink in and around Asti
Nizza's enoteca is definitely a good option if you don't have a car.
I've also had some very enjoyable and inexpensive meals in Nizza at Osteria Eneo, Osteria Bun Ben Bon and Le Due Lanterne.
-----
Bun Ben Bon
Strada Vecchia d'Asti, 66, Nizza Monferrato (Asti), Piedmont 14049, IT
Le Due Lanterne
Piazza Garibaldi,52, Nizza Monferrato (Asti), Piedmont 14049, IT
Rösti in Geneva
Trust me, even the less expensive things are expensive in Geneva. ;) There is something not right about paying CHF 20 or more for what are essentially hash-browns.
With that said, I know they serve rosti at Cafe Bourg de Four in the old town.
http://www.cafedubourgdefour.ch/
Rijsttafel in Amsterdam
I tried Purimas recently and thought it was pretty good - granted, it was only the second time I have tried a rijsttafel.
purimas.nl
One night in Berlin city
I always recommend Markthalle in Kreuzberg http://www.weltrestaurant-markthalle.de/de/index.php?s=1
Great German food, classic atmosphere and reasonable prices.
It's relatively easy to get to via public transport from where you are staying.
the name of that incredible dept store food hall in Berlin
KaDeWe. Definitely worth visiting their top couple of floors if you like food shopping.
http://www.kadewe.de
Montreux?
I'm in Montreux often enough to confirm your suspicions - expect expensive mediocrity.
Report back if you find something interesting, as I'm always underwhelmed by the restaurants in Montreux.
Geneva - Need Recommendations!
As a resident of Geneva, I can say most of the restaurants aren't anything special. If you're not on an expense account, it will blow your mind how expensive everything is. Considering I've lived here for almost three years, I've yet to try a restaurant in Geneva that I think is amazing.
You're better off driving 25 minutes to Annecy and eating at some of their Michelin starred restaurants.
Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow Food!
I quite like Mustafa's for a good kebab.
http://mustafas.de/
Naples Espresso
Yup, I'm not sure I have ever had a bad espresso while in Naples. I have tried so many small neighborhood bars and all have fantastic coffee.
Quick trip to Berlin on a budget: Can you please review my choices and suggest others?!
Mexican, you say? Check out Maria Bonita in P-Berg or Maria Peligro in Kreuzberg (same owners) for tasty Mexican food, or, for burritos, visit Dolores in Mitte.
http://www.maria-peligro.com/mp/home.html
http://www.dolores-online.de/
Quick trip to Berlin on a budget: Can you please review my choices and suggest others?!
I agree with Lingua - Berlin has way too many great indepent places to eat at to recommend visiting a chain.
In P-Berg, the two places I always go for pizza are Il Due Forni and Pizza Nostra - both are way better than any chain restaurant.
Quick trip to Berlin on a budget: Can you please review my choices and suggest others?!
The Prater Garten is fine for beer, but I find their food to be over-priced and only okay. I always recommend the Markthalle in Kreuzberg for inexpensive German food - great schnitzel and beer, plus the service is friendly and the interior is old school Berlin. http://www.weltrestaurant-markthalle.de/de/index.php?s=1
You may also want to consider the Schwarzwald Stuben, as it's not far from where you are staying and the food is pretty good - although their schnitzel pales in comparison to Markthalle.
http://berlin.unlike.net/locations/302772-Schwarzwaldstuben
Polpo in cinque Terre (octopus & other frutti de mare)
Hmmm... it's been a couple of years since I was in the Cinque Terre, but I definitely had some good seafood in Vernazza down by their small harbor. Can't remember the name of the restaurant, though.
Truthfully, though, I usually eat in the restaurants north of the Cinque Terra whenever I'm in the area - in Chiavari and Sestri Levante specifically - as, in my opinion, the seafood is better and less expensive.
Self catering in Berlin - markets and products to try?
Markthalle is actually a resto-pub inside an old Kreuzberg markethall, hence the name. But I know there is still an operational markethall in X-berg near Bergmanstrasse:
http://www.meine-markthalle.de
Not too sure about coffee, as I usually just buy grounds from the bio market across from the apartment we always rent.
Where to eat in/around Lausanne Switzerland?
I live in Geneva and it is just as bad for restaurants. Thankfully, France is close by, Italy is just an hour away, and even Southern Germany is only 2.5 hours by car. So I save most of my restaurant visits for outside of Switzerland.
With that said, I've had a couple of alright meals at Cafe de Grancy in Lausanne. It's reasonably priced, by Swiss standards, and the burger I had there was decent.
Self catering in Berlin - markets and products to try?
Agreed, the KaDeWe food floor is definitely worth visiting, even if you're not buying. One can easily fill an hour or so browsing. They have the best Berliners (jelly donuts) around and they're not expensive, so you won't leave empty handed! ;)
Self catering in Berlin - markets and products to try?
As already mentioned, you're definitely staying in a good area for food. Lots of great places in X-berg and Neukoelln. Here are a few of my favorites near-ish to where you're staying:
Markthalle (Pücklerstrasse 34) for my favorite place for schnitzel and friend potatoes - very reasonable prices
Maria Peligro (Skalitzerstrasse 81) for enchiladas and margaritas
Mercan (Wienerstrasse 10) inexpensive Turkish home cooking
Musashi(Kottbusser Damm 102) a cubbyhole of a sushi restaurant - feels like Tokyo!
Tung Long (Karl-Marxstrasse 59) cheap and tasty Vietnamese
Falafel and Falafel (on Skalitzer across from the Gorlitzer Bahnhof) really good and super cheap Syrian falafel/shawarma joint
Taverna Olympia (Emserstrasse 73) a tasty neighborhood Greek restaurant with a super friendly owner who will ply you with lots of free Ouzo!
California Breakfast Slam (Skalitzerstrasse 54) okay, maybe you're not going to want eggs benedict or pankcakes, but it's my favorite breakfast option on weekends and it's right next to where you are staying
Munich Germany Airport dining: 2-hour layover - anything particularly interesting to look for?
There's Airbrau - a microbrewery inside the airport. You can get a good mug of beer and some typical Bavarian food there. Probably the best bet for a "taste of Bavaria" at the airport.
Also, if your son has access to the Lufthansa/Star Alliance business lounge, it has a mini beer garden and a couple of different beers on tap, as well as sausages, potato salad, giant pretzels etc.
