Lahore is known for delicious, mouth-watering food and a never-ending variety of dishes on offer.

We arrived in the city equipped with a collection of recommendations and a list of places to eat in Lahore, kindly shared with me by Lahori people I connected with on social media.

There were many 'best restaurants in Lahore' - of course, in a city so dense (population 11m), everyone had their own idea of what the best restaurants in Lahore were. It was actually quite overwhelming!

As I sat in the bus making the 4-hour journey to Lahore from Islamabad, I was already imagining the food I would be eating over the next three days.

Sampling as many dishes as possible whilst making sure to tick off important 'must-visit' restaurants in Lahore was going to be a tactical mission with the short time we had and as first-time visitors to Lahore/Pakistan.

So based on my own experience, here are my recommendations for the best restaurants in Lahore you should try if it's your first time in the city. 

It's a short list that includes a mix of modern, more tourist-popular places, and traditional restaurants more frequented by local customers. MAP INCLUDED (end of post).

 

BEST RESTAURANTS IN LAHORE 

COOCO'S DEN (Food Street)

When in Lahore you will no doubt make a visit to Badshahi Mosque, one of the most popular attractions and things to see in the city. And why not - it's beautiful!

We were urged to visit one of the restaurants located on Food Street Fort Road, which is a traffic-restricted area just south of the mosque.

Some of these restaurants, including Cooco's Den, have open-air rooftop seating which offer an incredible view towards the mosque grounds and surroundings.

^Food Street Fort Road, Lahore

The buildings on Food Street looked colourful and quirky, and I thought Cooco's Den was the most eccentric of them all!

Entry is through a lift that takes you to the 3rd floor, and then through stairs that snake though multi-level outdoor seating areas - make sure you go all the way up, until you can't anymore!

Cooco's Den serves traditional Pakistani food - so expect a variety of tikka and karahi dishes. Prices are on the higher end for Lahore - you pay for the view!

Our meal for two including mutton karahi, chicken tikka, mixed vegetables, rice, and drinks came to Rs4800 (£24 / $32).

This was one of the best restaurants in Lahore for me not because of the food (it was average), but because of the breathtaking views that I'm sure you'll appreciate if you're visiting as a tourist :).

TIP: Visit Badshahi Mosque an hour before sunset to tie it in with a delicious dinner at Cooco's Den, as you watch the sky turn orange from the top floor.

 

MUHAMMADI NEHARI HOUSE (Mozang)

One of the dishes that came highly recommended was 'nihari' (also spelt 'nehari').

My friend Nizeer from Lahore describes the dish:

Much like hareesa, nihari is something one can have for breakfast or lunch. Its thick gravy cooked with mutton or beef, garnished with green chilies, coriander, ginger, and lemon is served with Sheermal, Roti or Naan.

I HAD TO TRY IT.

And THE restaurant in Lahore to eat nihari, according to many-a-local, is Muhammadi Nehari House, located in the Mozang area.

Muhammadi Nehari House specialises in nihari, and you can order the dish with chicken or beef. They also offer it with blood or bone marrow - sadly they ran out of bone marrow when I was there. What a bummer!

I absolutely loved this dish and it remains one of my fondest food memories of Pakistan. I'm literally salivating now as I remember it.

My travel buddy unfortunately didn't feel the same - she ordered the chicken and felt that it was way too oily!

TIP: Make sure to order the 'fry' version - that's the traditional and more tasty version. And don't forget to squeeze lime juice into the gravy - it really brings out the flavours ;)

'Half plate' serves 1 person and 'full plate' serves two.

As you can see from the menu, prices here are on the lower end and the restaurant is frequented by many locals.

We were in fact the only foreign visitors there that day. We received curious stares from everyone there, as expected - we were used to it by now. The staff were friendly and helpful despite their limited use of English.

 

MONAL (Gulberg)

Monal restaurant is located on the top floor of Liberty Plaza, a shopping centre/commercial complex in Gulberg, which is a more developed and modern area of Lahore.

Our Uber/Chalo car dropped us off in the parking area downstairs, where we had to take a lift up to the top floor to reach Monal.

Monal is known for its buffet lunches and dinners, which is popular and what we went for. A la carte is also available but didn't seem a good choice for a party of two!

TIP: Take the buffet option - you'll get to sample a good variety of Pakistani dishes, including dessert!

The ambience at Monal is modern and trendy, and you can enjoy spectacular view of the city if you sit outside.

In addition to freshly cooked chicken tikka and other meats, they also have a few 'chinese food' options which I found amusing! 

There was a salad bar and a good selection of fruits - this was MUCH appreciated. We found that vegetarian options were extremely limited in the restaurants we visited in Pakistan beforehand. Neither of us were vegetarian but after consuming so much meat, we were desperate for fruit and veg!

The buffet dinner was about Rs2100 per person - that's £10.50 / $14. This is again on the higher end for Lahore.

BUTT KARAHI in Laxmi Chowk

Ok so first things first.

'Karahi' is a popular/stable dish in Pakistan - it's a kind of curry cooked in a pan that is called 'karahi'. It's like a wok but with steeper sides.

So what is BUTT Karahi?

Everyone told me I HAD to try 'butt karahi' in Lahore. I thought it must be some kind of special karahi that you could only get in Lahore.. and that:

• it was cooked using chicken butts
• it was cooked using a lot of BUTTer
• both of the above

Well, turns out it's NONE of the above.

As my friend Alex of Lost With Purpose explained, 'Butt' is actually a common Pakistani surname, and 'Butt Karahi' was the name of the restaurant that served what many Lahori people considered the best karahi in town! 

Everyone said to 'try Butt Karahi in Laxmi Chowk'.

I thought it sounded pretty straightforward. So we looked for  'Butt Karahi' on the map and selected the one that was on 'McLeod Road', which is in Laxmi Chowk.

What I didn't expect was exiting the cab and finding that EVERY SHOP on that street seemed to be a 'Butt Karahi' restaurant.

So which one was supposed to be the best restaurant in Lahore for butt karahi? Who knows!

We went into the one first/closest one to where we got dropped off. It was definitely not a fancy restaurant. We noticed a lot of live chickens in cages outside many of the restaurants, including the one we entered.

We were skeptical about whether we were in the right place, but a couple of local women at the next table assured us that all 'butt karahi's were good, haha.

They were right! 

Our chicken was freshly slaughtered and tasted delicious. Lunch for two cost us Rs710 (£3.50 / $4.60) in total!

TIP: A half-chicken karahi is good for two. Use your hands to eat with bread - it tastes better that way and it's how the locals do it.

 

BARANH - Exotic Cuisine of Old Lahore

Baranh means '12' in Urdu and it's meant to signify the 12 gates of the old Walled City of Lahore, which forms the historic centre of the city.

Baranh restaurant is located outside the Gaddafi Stadium, which perimeter seemed to be exclusively populated by restaurants and other food vendors!

We were invited to have dinner at Baranh by a Pakistani friend, Umar, joined by Muiz, the restaurant owner.

In the way of true Pakistani hospitality, we were offered a generous spread of various traditional dishes to try. This included a selection of tikka, karahi, and tawa meats.

And even a few interesting Iftar specialties such as 'pakoray' and 'gol gappay'. Iftar (or 'fatoor') is the evening meal that Muslims have to end their fast during Ramadan.

One of my favourite dishes was the tawa chicken (pictured above) because it was really tender, and spicy! 

My other favourite was a dessert - shakar paratha - which is warm flatbread topped with brown sugar and butter. So simple but SO GOOD!

Prices here are mid-range/affordable. For example, a tawa chicken is Rs399 (£2 / $2.60).

We enjoyed the outdoor seating and lively atmosphere. The area seemed to be a popular local hangout.

I would recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a wider and more varied menu of traditional Pakistani food

TIP: Order a tawa chicken esp if you like spicy food. If you're an adventurous eater, be sure to end your meal with 'paan', a preparation made with betel leaf meant to serve as a palate cleanser or digestive aid. It has a.. unique.. taste.

 

SPICE BAZAAR (Gulberg)

This was our little treat at the end of our time in Pakistan.

After enduring the many frustrations of travel and dealing with all that noise and pollution, we wanted to eat somewhere 'nice'!

A local friend suggested Spice Bazaar in Gulberg (the more developed/modern neighbourhood where Monal is located too).

It turned out to be our most expensive meal in Pakistan thus far but we enjoyed it. Since the staff all spoke English and there was good service, we could relax a little.

Our meal for two including desserts: Rs6200 (£31 / $40). 

Tip: If you have a sweet tooth, definitely order a dessert as they are delicious. We had 'rasmalai' and 'falooda with kulfi' (pictured left). Kulfi is a south-asian type of ice-cream that isn't to be missed!

There is also Chashni, a sweet shop, that has a sort of concession stand inside the restaurant. It's popular with the locals and here you can pick up all sorts of traditional 'mithai' (Hindi/Urdu word for 'sweets'). It's take-away only.

 

BONUS TIPS From A Local

These are places I never managed to check out for myself due to lack of time, but recommended by a local acquaintance, Nizeer. As you will see, there are plenty more delicious Lahori dishes I need to tick off.

I will be saving these for my next visit to Lahore but but I'm being generous and leaving these tips here for YOU!

In Nizeer's own words (& my comments in pink):

Phajjay kay Paye

Paye is one of Lahore’s favourite breakfasts. Additionally, Phajjay kay Paye located near Taxali Gate, is a house of taste itself. Paye are served with oven fresh Naan or Kulcha.
So, if you are planning to have a full desi and enjoyable breakfast this weekend, then do not forget to place Phajjay kay Paye in your list.

Paye (or paayee) is made with goat's trotters/hooves! I really wanted to try this but we simply ran out of time.

---

Amritsari Hareesa

Amritsari Hareesa located at Nisbat Road close to Laxami Chowk is the finest Hareesa you will ever eat in Lahore. While this is something that can be had for breakfast or lunch, it is so popular locally that it is better to head out early in the day since it usually ends before dinner.

Hareesa is a kind of porridge made with wheat, and mixed with chicken, beef, or mutton. Also sad I missed this.

---

Sadiq Halwa Puri

Sadiq Halwa Puri, located at Gawalmandi, is one of the best halwa puri one can have in Lahore. Special Ata Puri and Meetha Pura are also served as well.

Its specialty is that everything is made in pure Desi Ghee. So, on your Sundays if you are not having this finger licking halwa puri ka nashta, then you don’t have the license to call yourself a true Lahori.

Halwa puri (or poori) is another traditional breakfast dish in Lahore. It consists of deep fried bread (puri) served with halwa (sweets) and chickpea + potato curry.

Nashta = Breakfast!

---

Feeqa Lassi Walla

Feeqa Lassi located at Gawalmandi is the best lassi you can enjoy in Lahore. It is famous for its delicious Perry vali Lassi and is a must try. While both sweet and salty lassis are available, traditionally sweet lassis are consumed in breakfasts.

---

Tooba kay Chanay and Kulcha

Lahore is known as ‘Khaabon ka shehar’!
Lahoris are fond of eating and the most significant breakfast here includes Naan Chanay.

Tooba kay Chanay located at Laxami Chowk is famous for Murgh Chaney, Kulcha and Kashmiri Roti. To experience impeccable breakfast, go to Tooba Chanay with your family and enjoy a real Lahori taste.

---

Dish: Lahori Chargha 

Marinated with special masalas – this rich in flavor and juicy chatkharaydaar dish is bound to make your weekend special. Gawalmandi’s food street is considered as the best places to head out to if you are looking to have chargha. It is served with naan, paratha or puri.

Chargha is a whole chicken that is deep-fried in oil after being marinated overnight in a yoghurt + spice concoction!

---

Dish: Katlama

Katlama, also known as poor man’s pizza, is one of the most popular street-foods of Lahore. A large orange-coloured roti topped with various masalas and lentils attract food lovers across the city.

---

Yousaf Falooda

And your weekend must not end without a dessert. Yousaf Falooda located at Old Anarkali has made its place among one of the yummiest dessert places of Lahore. The falooda is made with Rabbri and Kulfi, which sets it apart from all other desserts.

Well that's tragic. I ended my trip without tasting the sweet treats at this place. If you're reading this PLEASE GO THERE!

---

 

MAP OF RESTAURANTS IN LAHORE

My tried-and-tested restaurant recommendations are in BLUE, and the bonus local tips are in PURPLE.

HAPPY EATING! 

Please do drop me a line if you had a delicious meal using this guide or if you know of something that I should include. 

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This is a rundown of three activity-filled days spent in Salzburg on a beer-themed trip organised by the local tourism board in May. A.K.A How to have fun in Salzburg!

I've been to Salzburg twice before, but always only for a fleeting day or so, en route to (or coming back from) the beautiful mountains of Austria. I didn't remember much other than visiting Mozart's house and doing a Sound of Music tour!

We were super fortunate with the weather, which was warm and sunny, and really too good for the start of May.

BEAUTIFUL IN SPRING

I spent the first day walking around the city and along the river. I didn't really know where I was going, but Salzburg isn't big and I'm not that ambitious a walker.

The whole place seemed to be glowing in the sun. It was pretty and almost.. heavenly? This seemed the most apparent at the famous Mirabell Gardens, where I stopped to relax and take a few photos.

This is where you can find those steps where part of the Do-Re-Mi song was filmed in The Sound of Music movie. Now, you'll often find crowds of tourists trying to get a photo on one of the steps. 

I felt a bit nostalgic being there. I thought of when my mom and I ran through the tunnel (like Maria did), laughing all the way. My mom is a huge fan of The Sound of Music and that was one of the reasons I brought her to Salzburg last time. She loved it!

AN E-BIKE TOUR!

Have you been on an e-bike before? This was my first time and it was a REVELATION!

Ricardo loves cycling - he's constantly trying to get me on the bike at home. But I usually crush his hopes with my two main excuses:

"I hate cycling in in the city"
"There are too many hills here!"

Well with an E-BIKE, cycling was a complete breeze! It's like, not even cycling. It gave me the boost I needed to feel more confident in urban areas (and like a hero on empty/countryside paths).

We started the tour in the city in Mozartplatz Square, where we picked up the bikes. I was happy to know that we were going to cycle straight OUT of town!

Within 5-10 minutes, the scenery had completely changed. We were soon on a path flanked by green grass on each side and mountains in the distance. 

I wanted to stop SO MANY TIMES (so many beautiful spots!) but as per group tour etiquette that was a bit difficult. I did almost get left behind a couple of times because I took too long taking pictures somewhere.

My favourite part was cycling along Hellbrunner Allee - a long (5km), straight road lined with tall chestnut trees. It was along this road that Maria had danced and sang 'I Am Confident' and entered into the grounds of the Von Trapp mansion - in real life known as Schloss Frohnburg (Frohnburg Castle) It's the yellow building seen in the photo above.

Hellbrunner Allee connects to Hellbrunn Castle and its gardens, so that's where we ended up next. Again, it's a popular spot for Sound of Music fans as this is where the famous gazebo is now located!

I have to note that I loooooved this part of the trip the most - it was so exhilarating to be speeding through the beautiful countryside with so little effort! Haha

KALTENHAUSEN BREWERY

Our bike tour ended at Kaltenhausen Brewery - Austria's oldest brewery. It's been around since 1475!

We were treated to a whole variety of beer to taste - from traditional recipes to more innovative, specialty beers. I couldn't finish all of it.. I'm not a great beer drinker (I'm very slow). I generally prefer dark beers and I remember they had a really good one.

I couldn't decide what filled me up more - all the ham and cheese or all that beer!

Still, I had a sweet tooth and asked for an apple strudel after. That was my favourite part :p

 

AUGUSTINER BREWERY

Another day, another brewery!

This time it was Augustiner Brewery (or Augustiner Bräu - not to be confused with the one in Munich), which seemed to be a popular beer hangout as they had a huge outdoor seating area. They also served a variety of snack food to go with the very large mugs of beer they served.

The spiced sausage things (sausage cake??) were really good.

Fun fact: the building used to be a monastery, and the monks who lived there began brewing beer in 1621! 

MAKING MY OWN BEER!

Our trip included a beer brewing experience at Bierkulturhaus, which is a kind of.. beer academy.

I can't say I'm super interested in brewing any of my own beer in future, so I've easily forgotten everything they tried to teach us here. But what's important is that I remember I had fun doing it!

Oh yeah and.. undeveloped beer smells a bit like Marmite. 

Also they had a cool toy/game downstairs, which was a strong magnetic stick and a bunch of bottle caps you can throw at it!

LEDERHOSENDONNERSTAG

I'm just going to quote the information that was given to us to describe #lederhosendonnerstag as it is straight to the point:

In 2013, two guys started encouraging people to wear their Lederhosen (or Dirndl) not just for baptisms and for the Festival. The picked Thursday randomly and the project spread through word-of-mouth. Every Thursday, men dress in Lederhosen and combine them with Chucks and business shirts. No rules. Once a month, everybody gets together for an after-work-clubbing with live DJs and everybody dresses in their Lederhosen or Dirndl.

Doesn't it sound like a super fun event!! I looked forward to this evening the most.

We had our attire rented locally in Salzburg and we were ready to go on Saturday evening - Saturday because Salzburg had advanced in some football tournament and the usual Thursday was a no-go, haha.

Our experience was supplemented with lessons on how to play the alpine horn.. and also how to yodel.

With the alpine horn.. I think we all just made a lot of fart noises with our mouths. I think the key to playing the horn well is to be able to make the most well-controlled fart sounds with your mouth. I could be wrong. But I sure was a lousy alpine horn.. artist? haha

Yodelling was less challenging but so hilarious. We all laughed a lot and I think found the whole thing amusing and a lot of fun. I have not practised my yodel since leaving the party, however.

^With Christine, who was so great to party with!

The party was set outdoors and I was really entertained by the sight of so many people in traditional clothes and dancing to hip hop/whatever that's popular these days.

It was good to dance - all that beer made it easy for me to tolerate the music (hahaha). 

In fact I had so much fun that I was sad when we had to leave!

RAISING THE MAYPOLE

Since it was early May, we were lucky to be able to attend the raising of the Maypole festivities taking place at Stiegl Brewery. Basically another reason to drink yet even more beer!

I'd never witnessed such an event before and it didn't occur to me that it literally meant raising a giant, wooden pole upright from the ground. Using a series of sticks of varying lengths. It took a few hours.

The place was packed with people and their families. I think everyone was extra happy as it was a sunny day too.

TWO MORE THINGS I LOVE

THIS VIEW!

You can find it by using the Mönchsberg lift that takes you up (60m in 30 seconds!) to a popular lookout terrace.  Just look it up on Google Maps.

 

ICEZEIT ICE CREAM BAR

The weather was so hot that this place really saved me. Also, the staff were so friendly and nice that I got free ice cream when they noticed I kept coming back!

 

This post was created in collaboration with Visit Salzburg - check out the website for lots of useful info on how to plan your visit, how to make the most of your time, and most importantly how to have fun in Salzburg!

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Phuket is one of those places I dreamed of visiting when I was a child, especially since my family ended up going without me on two occasions. I’ve been wanting (but not dying) to go ever since, even though the general consensus isn’t exactly ‘Phuket is AMAAAZING’. Just one of those places I had to see for myself, you know.

First of all, Dream Hotel is beautiful:

There is a smaller rooftop pool available but we didn’t spend much time there. The big pool was too tempting – plus it had a swim-up bar.

A taxi from the airport costs 700 baht normally, but we managed to haggle it down to 600 – hey that’s over £2 in savings! Haha.

Dream Hotel is located halfway down from the airport to the popular tourist area  of Patong, so the ride took about 20 minutes (it’s 50 minutes to Patong).

We didn’t bother to visit Patong at all because we’d heard a lot of negative things about it (I don’t fancy big crowds).. and sincerely, I loved hanging out at Dream so much that I felt it better worth our time. We did do an island-hopping day-trip, which seemed mass-produced and not as idyllic as it sounds. It made us long to be on the clean, peaceful, and beautiful grounds of Dream even more.

Digression: A couple of nice photos I got from the island trip:

The staff will advise and help you book any boat trips or other activities you might be interested in, although you might find better prices if you looked around yourself outside or online.

Our hotel room was modern and clean. It also kept up-to-date with the trend of not installing any doors to separate the bathroom area. There was a pillow menu. I ordered all the pillows because I am one of those annoying people who needs to feel with my hands (and face) to decide. The bed was huge and I had a few good dreams on it. DREAMS.. geddit?? DREAM HOTEL?

You know what didn’t disappoint? The breakfast that was included in the room rate. No boring ‘continental breakfast’! I was so happy.

There was porridge – that’s rice porridge, not stodgy bland oats  – with all the amazing salty condiments like fried anchovies and salted duck egg and preserved vegetables. I looked forward to this every morning, along with the green curry, fried rice, noodles, and fresh tropical fruits..

PLAYTIME AT THE POOL

I went and bought these three yummy things – pink donut float, giant pizza float, funny pretzel float) – just for the trip. The pizza was definitely the best – it has holes to hold your drinks! Apparently you can buy eight and connect them all to form a whole pizza.

DREAM BEACH CLUB

Aside from the main hotel grounds, the resort also includes Dream Beach Club, which you can access via free regular shuttles that go back and forth every day.

I loved Dream Beach Club! There are beds (and towels)! And music! There are regular DJs there and the afternoon vibe is energetic and fun.

If you want some quiet there is a private beach – Dream Beach – that connects to/is a part of Layan Beach. We went there a lot. In these photos it seems pretty empty but that’s because I went there especially early (read: 11am) to get these shots before the place filled up.

LAYAN BEACH

An empty beach is a good beach. Except if you hurt yourself and there’s nobody around to help you? Haha

SUNSET

On some evenings the hotel puts on a fire show. Too bad it poured down so much on my visit but at least the flames survived..

SUNDAY BRUNCH

The Sunday Brunch at Dream Beach Club comes highly recommended – and we’d heard so much about it from Christine (our host at Dream) in the days leading up to Sunday. She said to expect A LOT OF FOOD.

There was a lot of food. All kinds! It was served buffet-style next to the pool so there were a lot of undecisive people skulking around with their plates – this includes me.

There were burgers and pizza and roast. Grilled seafood, stuffed croissants, and a variety of condiments. It was just amazing and made you wish you had eight stomachs.

I stuffed myself with a lot of papaya salad (my all-time favourite Thai dish).

BOAT AVENUE FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET

One of the little excursions you can enjoy from Dream is a jaunt to a buzzing local food market – the Boat Avenue Friday Night Market that happens.. every Friday (surprise).. in Cherng Talay. The hotel provides a free shuttle to and from – it’s about 15 minutes away. You just have to sign up at reception.

It’s exactly how you’d imagine an Asian food market – lots of stalls, lots of strong smells, and lots of food that appeal to your curiosity (and sense of adventure). It seems to be frequented by lots of local people too.

//

If you’re ever in Phuket and want some fun and peace at the same time, do consider staying at Dream. It’s a little haven away from the touristy spots and you’ll be treated and fed well. They also don’t mind if you order ALL the pillows from the pillow menu!

Click here for rates & availability or book directly from the website 🙂

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What really made our trip comfortable and such a joy was our Mysuites & Co. (M&Co.) loft apartment in the heart of trendy Chelsea. We had just endured horrible delays coming from Lima, including two missed flight connections in Florida. So when we opened the door to the modern white interiors and an almost tangible warmth (thank you central heating!), we felt instantly relaxed and at home. First thing on the agenda was a nice long shower.

And then up to have a nap upstairs. To put my skin on these smooth, clean, white sheets after roughing it (ok just a little bit) in Peru was heaven. PS how cool are the bedside lamps?

^Cute green shelves before I ruined it by chaotic placement my belongings.

Our apartment was stylishly designed by M&Co., who for the last decade or more have been specialising in creating small urban living spaces that are modern, yet cozy and appealing to the eye. Our apartment was one of a collection of 12 ‘Mysuites Boutique Suites’ – click to see more of their work here, especially if you love retro-chic style interiors.

As an established design studio, M&Co. offer beautiful, centrally-located apartments around Manhattan ready for you to move in – right after you pay, that is (haha). Read: 10 reasons to buy from M&Co. If only I had some spare cash lying around..

We of course never used the kitchen – there was too much food outside that I wanted to try. If we stayed (much) longer I imagine I’d make some meals here. I love a spacious countertop.

The spare bed downstairs was a nice little touch – perfect if you had a drunk friend who couldn’t make it home after a party, I thought! In the end it acted as my sick bed for when I fell ill on the last day. It was closer to the bathroom than the loft bedroom!

I loved the old-style dresser – I called it my make-up corner.

The excellent location of our suite meant that Chelsea Market was a super short walk away – and there we consumed our first meal in NYC. A hot bowl of Korean ramen soup! Plus Cambodian pulled pork sandwiches for starters. So many things to choose from!

We spent our first day exploring our neighbourhood on foot. Here are the some great attractions we discovered:

THE MEATBALL SHOP

The name says it all – meatballs! They have a few branches across NYC and yes, it’s good. We visited the one on Greenwich Avenue // www.themeatballshop.com.

THE DONUT PUB

I got this recommendation from the little directory/info sheet left by M&Co ‘at home’, and it was a good one! ‘Since 1964’ – this is meant to be very old in NYC mind you // www.donutpub.com

^Pic of pretty little flower shop on Greenwich Ave.

THE HIGHLINE

The Highline in winter sure is different from during the summer! This time it was all barren and full of leftover snow from the blizzard recently. But still, Ricardo enjoyed it a lot.

I liked it because it allowed me to take pictures of the city at an elevated vantage point:

Ricardo enjoyed the piles of old snow. I was just looking to photograph more buildings.

Our stay in NYC wouldn’t have been the same without our cozy little apartment in such a cool part of town.  I loved it so much that on Saturday night after coming back in the evening, I had half a mind to spend the night in. That didn’t happen, of course, as my friend Anna had arranged not one but TWO costume parties for us to attend…

But since I fell ill on the last day, I got to spend a little too much time in the apartment after all, haha! Fortunately it was super comfortable and warm. Phew. Thank you M&Co!

If you’re confused about where to stay in NYC, check out this handy NYC area guide!

If you’re in Brooklyn, here are 100 Awesome Things To Do in Brooklyn!

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This is the second instalment of my second trip to Porto (March 2013), and a continuation to this post, which told the story of the Saturday morning after an all-nighter on Friday.The Ribeira district/riverfront (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of my favourite parts of Porto, not only because it’s simply picturesque but because I have such fond memories of goofing about with my friends by the Douro River on our first trip, during which we also stayed at an apartment in Ribeira itself.In this area you can see ancient houses, cafes, restaurants, shops, and some cool (or perhaps dodgy-looking) laneways..  and on the river you’ll find colourful traditional boats and cruise boats floating around, as if placed there just to be in your photographs.

^Ponte Dom Luís I (Dom Luís I Bridge) – my favourite of the six main bridges in Porto.

On the left side is Porto and on the right is Vila Nova De Gaia (or just Gaia), where you’ll find the ever-so-popular port wine houses.

Combined with those that I took last October, I must have a bazillion of photos of the SAME PLACE stored on my laptop..

^It’s not a great pic (out of focus/awkward pose), but I’m wearing:

Jumper & Dress – Topshop

Boots – Urban Outfitters

 
My spiky bangle, which my fashion friend Kristabel loves, is in fact from Primark!


More Goofing Around

^ Me with Flo, who’s from Valencia. I call her my little Spanish uva (grape).

The temperature that day was about 12-14 but with the sunshine, it was warm enough for us to lay down on the concrete and stare into the sky for a while.

^Izan & Flo

Reena was missing because she was too hungover/dead and so she stayed in the apartment.

^My ring is by H&M. The hand on the right is Flo’s.

^I love this group photo of us!

I used the timer on my camera and this was the first shot. Naturally, we tried to do a second take, but this is what happened..

^AN OLD DUDE taking a picture of our bums?? Hahaha!

Adega São Nicolau

 
If you’ve been to Portugal, you’ll identify that one of their staple dishes is salt cod – known locally as ‘bacalhau’.

Adega São Nicolau is a family run restaurant set up in one of the lanes of the Ribeira that serves traditional Portuguese food..  we went there in October and decided we would go again this time!

Izan is absolutely in love with the Bacalhau à Lagareiro, which is salt cod with onions, potatoes, peppers, and lots of olive oil. Understandably, because it’s freaking delicious.

 
^My mama says I should smile with my teeth more.. I think I’ve done her proud 😀

^Credit to Izan for the above two food pics (edited by me) – see, she’s so in love with it that she made sure to photograph it well!

Adega São Nicolau
Rua de São Nicolau 1 
 4050 Oporto, Portugal
+351 222 008 232

Dinner & Saturday Night

  
^This was us for a good few hours after returning from Ribeira.

We were so knackered from lack of sleep the night before (up till 6am). We just laid around the apartment surrounded by food and music. Kind of like pigs, really.

We had a late dinner at Adega do Carregal, which was a recommendation by our awesome Airbnb host, Tomás. It was literally around the corner from our apartment, in the downtown/historic centre of Porto.

This must be a place frequented by locals as I could barely find any info on it on Google and we were probably the only non-Portuguese people in the restaurant. The prices were low and the food was really good!

^The girls with sweet Paulo, a new friend we made on this trip.

He had hung out with us at our apartment as we lazed around and caught up on some rest before dinner.

^My little uva and I

^Upon Paulo’s suggestion, Flo and I ordered Frango de Cabidela / Arroz the Cabidela (frango = chicken / arroz = rice).

Arroz de Cabidela is a Portuguese dish made with poultry or rabbit, along with its blood. This is what gives the sauce a greyish/brown hue. It had a bit of a sour taste to it but I LOVED IT.

It was EVEN BETTER after I ordered a side of fried egg (with runny yellow) to have with it – to Paulo’s disgust and disapproval..  😉

Adega do Carregal
Travessa do Carregal 102
Oporto 4050
Portugal

After filling our tummies, it was time to PARTY! We love partying at the Baixa (downtown), which was a mere five-minute walk from the restaurant.

I don’t have many pics from the night.. but here’s what I could find:

^Reena in our overused ‘paradise glasses’. I don’t remember what this bar was called.. there are too many in the area!

^This I do know was from Plano B, one of the bigger and better known bars/clubs.

It has an art-gallery feel and really high ceilings. I was mesmerised by the colourful lights and giant mirrorball in the upstairs area. There’s also a downstairs where they have DJs and live bands.

^Reena, Me, & Luis

Luis is a friend we made on our first trip in October, as a result of wandering around aimlessly on a Monday night. We had gone to ask for recommendations from the nearest bar, where he happened to be working. He gave us some really good ideas and we ended up partying with him and his friends.

So of course.. we did it again! This time he took us (Reena & I) away from the Baixa to a club called Pitch.

I don’t remember how it began, but my nickname for him is Frog. Or Sapo (frog in Portuguese).

It was a large part thanks to him that our trip was so awesome (heaps of fun) even though we missed The Color Run. So THANKS LUIS!

Here is a video – the start is us being idiots at our apartment, and then standing outside Pitch.. also being idiots.

Reena came up with ‘O fuckin’ Lá’ – her version of ‘Olá (‘hello’ in Portuguese) and we were TOO AMUSED by it. Luckily, most people who heard it from us felt the same 😉

The post Returning to Porto – Ribeira, Food, & Partytime appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

This was just behind our accommodation
We got a homestay room with a lovely Danish woman and her son in the Christianshavn area – a 15 min walk to the city centre. Which is where the popular shopping street, Stroget, is.. in terms of actual shopping though it’s no match for Oxford St. No match at all. Nope.

An abundance of bikes
All sorts of bikes filled the city
I like the ones that look like wheelbarrows
They use it to kart children around 😀

SEE!
Already two interesting variations of BIKE in this photo!

View of the canal

Me! And a ..bike

Tivoli Gardens

Situated right in the city, an amazing amusement park that opened in 1843

Magic carriage of FUN!

And now I present to you..
The most AMAZING, MAGICAL RIDE

MAGICAL is all I can say
Sitting up there looking at the city whirl around me.. it felt so much like flying!
Even more so than when I went paragliding in Austria
You could see just about the WHOLE city from up there.. and it is WAY up
Wind in my hair
The most exhilirating, blissful feeling ever

FOOD

There’s this thing called the ‘traditional brunch’
Basically it’s a giant plate of all sorts of food you typically have on a weekend?
Brekkie stuff, omelettes, bacon, ham, chips, salmon, bread, fruits, yoghurt, etc etc etc

Just LOOK at it!!

We got ours from Luna Cafe – a local’s recommendation.

A lighter version of brunch, had at a different restaurant from the first

Danish pastry shop that sold GIANT STRAWBERRY/BERRY TARTS for about £10 each

An assortment of herring
Apparently a very Danish thing to have
Too bad I hate fishy things

Smorrebrod (open sandwich thingy) of hmm, was it lamb slices or something.. I can’t remember
All I recall is that this tasted DELISH.. the portion just needs to be umm x10 more

Christiania

As you can see, no photos allowed
So these are a couple that I snuck!!

Christiania is this little world of its own
It’s got its own rules, shops, radio, tv, bikes.. I dunno, even their own currency!
It’s really cool and laid back
I loved it

It’s a real pity photos weren’t allowed
Because it’s such a unique little (well it’s 85 acres big but anyway) place
So COLOURFUL and.. it’s hard to describe.. it’s got a special vibe

Sat here and had a drink as the sun set
This was also a sneakily taken photo :s

Canal Tour

Took an hour-long boat ride through the canals of Copenhagen

Some kind of boat ride, cruising through what felt like FROZEN air
Still enjoyed it though
Except for the parts where the guide went on about some historical stuff

Love these photos I took from the boat
The sky looks so whimsical

To end this post here’s a pic I took from the plane on the way back to London

A thick blanket of cloud
I feel like I could nearly lay on it

The post How I Spent Five Days in Copenhagen appeared first on SMALLCRAZY.

The next day was half spent in the city having overpriced food, buying lefse, and catching up

I leave you with.. some pictures of stuff we’d eat in the mornings, haha!
Sorry – nothing that interesting this time.. *regret*

Bread – a staple


Salami and tomato slices

Perhaps a burger and eggs

Super slow-cooked egg (yummy!)

Best ice cream ever

Leaving 🙁

Camera doesn’t quite capture it!

Altogether the holiday was amazing I had heaps of fun
If you ever get the chance you have to go!
I want to go again in summer so I can do that fjord thing and swim about like they do in the brochures. And of course buy a ton of lefse.

//

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