Gusto by Heinz Beck @ The Conrad Algarve, Portugal

My fiancé and I informed ourselves about the dining outlets available at the Conrad Algarve, where we stayed in October 2016. We saw there was Gusto by Heinz Beck, who is a three Michelin stared chef at La Pergola at the Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and wanted to try it, so we booked a table.

 

Gusto isn't mentioned in the Michelin guide, but it counts as one of the best restaurants in the country and has been awarded 5 Diamonds.

 

When exploring the hotel we found the restaurant, but it had closed. We were a bit curious, so we had a look through the glass door, where employees were already busy. They saw our interest and allowed us in. It was a nice touch.

 

Later we returned for a visit to the bar. The mixologist is one of the best and award winning.

We chose from the "Avenue of the Stars" cocktail list. It is based on films, which have an association with Hilton, in our case the Hilton Chicago. One was the Moonlightning inspired by "Little Fockers" and the other the Touch Down by "Express Ernie Davies Story". One was served with a smoked salt ream. When the salt came in contact with the liquid it made the composition perfect. The other was served like a Tiki cocktail. Both were outstanding. When the mixologist heard we were having later dinner at Gusto, he took our room number and promised the cocktails would be charged with the meal, so we didn't have to sign for two. That's good customer service.

 

We changed for dinner and returned to the restaurant.

 

There was a dramatic change. During the day it was bright and airy; at night sexy, dark and otherworldly with many globe lampshades. The interior and cuisine were postmodern.

 

The staff couldn't have been more attentive, warm and concerned about our well-being during the whole dinner.

 

Fellow diners were two families, a small group and couples.

 

We were brought to our table by the maître d' and handed the drink and wine menu.

 

We knew most of the waters on offer, so we chose a Portuguese one we hadn't tried before. It was called Vimeira. We liked it.

 

The amouse-bouche and greetings from the kitchen were Parmesan cheese, saffron sauce, goats cheese meringue, parsley biscuit with oyster mayonnaise and cracker.

 

Our appetizers were tuna and beetroot Carpaccio on wasabi and beetroot mayonnaise and marinated fois gras on cantucci cream, moscatel desetubal jelly, salted cocoa crumbles and raspberry meringue.

 

The main courses were risotto with apple, fois gras and amaretti biscuits and cod fish cooked in garlic olive oil, sautéed beans with tomato confit and soy, bean foam and parsley snow.

 

The desserts were Lampone 1.1 (eleven textures of raspberry including fresh, dry, pearls, crystalized, cremoso, jelly, white puffed raspberry chocolate, meringue of raspberry, hazelnut raspberry sponge, rock raspberry sugar and raspberry sorbet) and choco passion with passion fruit ganache, cocoa sable, sponge of Cuore de Guanaja, sphere of chocolate semi freddo and passion fruit sorbet.

 

He had a glass of late harvest dessert wine from 2011 Outono de Santar Vindima Tardia Dao. 

 

Petite Fours were served with the bill, which included chocolate with caramel, blueberry jelly, marshmallows and lemon macaroon.

 

The meal counts among the best we ever had so far and reaffirms to us that Heinz Beck and his team of chefs around the world remain in the forefront of fine dining experiences. The dishes were complicated; the flavors were bursting and the combinations worked well together.

 

The risotto was a new creation, it was outstanding and different, so my fiancé was asked for feedback.

 

As promised our cocktails were with our dinner combined on the bill, which was 208.50 Euro,  ca. 245.90 USD.

 

In our opinion it was good value for money and should we visit the Algarve again we would return to this beautiful restaurant.

©2017

Conrad Algarve, Portugal

In 2015 my fiancé and I had agreed to requalify for the Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors gold status, so in January 2016 we pre-booked stays accordingly to achieve our goal.

One of those was the Conrad Algarve in Almancil and very close to Quinta do Lago. We stayed for 3 night/4 days in October 2016, after our 5 night/6 days stay at the equally gorgeous Hilton Vilamora As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa. See our review.

The estate/resort entrance was impressive with a gate, white walls, and a fairly long driveway. The grounds were harmonious with white washed buildings - containing apartments (some were for sale) on both sides - a water feature, flowers, palms and lemon trees in the middle and the hotel as the center piece at the end of the driveway.

The location is ideal, just across the road from Quinta Shopping, a beautifully designed outdoor shopping village which also incl. restaurants, supermarket and more. 

We were greeted warmly. Our suitcase was taken and we were accompanied to the reception by the bell captain.

Check in took a bit, because all the features of the hotel and amenities as gold members were explained. Welcome drinks were also served and included water and orange juice.

The lobby was impressive with high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, an atrium, a dome, which was intricately painted, raindrop chandelier, different seating areas and the Lago Lounge.

The views were over the infinity edged pool and the gardens.

We were accompanied to our King Grand Deluxe Room - the room type we had booked - on the highest floor (the 6th), which overlooked the entrance. 

Our luggage was soon afterwards delivered.

The room was large.

It was modern and Moorish inspired with lots of flower designs, wood and frames used. The floor was marbled.

The color scheme was brown, silver, metal and grey.

The room was dominated by the king sized bed with a chaise lounge in front of it.

There was also a club chair with ottoman and a coffee table beside the bed.

A table, seating for two, was frequently used by us to write or share a meal.

There was a credenza containing the minibar. Prices were high, for example 7 Euro, ca. 8.35 USD, for a 0.75 l bottle of Acqua Panna water, so we didn't use it, but once during our stay. Besides the content was more the usual things, like Coca Cola and so on.

A Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities were available too.

The air-conditioning was fast and efficient.

Internet was easy to access and fast/reliable at all times.

The flat screen LG TV offered 122 regional and international channels. There was a DVD player. DVDs could be borrowed from the concierge.

The lamps caught our attention. Some had a circle design, while others were mushroom shaped.

Storage space was limited and the room quickly felt cluttered with our personal items.

There was 24 hour room service available and we appreciated the welcome gift of local cakes. They were delicious.

Turn down was offered every night.

We enjoyed the balcony, which had two seating areas and was large. 

The bathroom was also large and creative.

It had double sinks, separate bath tub and shower. The bidet and toilet were in their own room. 

Above the bath tub was a small TV.

The bathroom amenities were Aroma Therapy Associates.

The room was completely marbled, had a small carpet in front of the sinks and there were gold tiles as well, plus a modern white chandelier above the bathtub.

The water pressure was good and the temperature even. There was a light flickering in the shower stall. It didn't disturb us, so we mentioned it only at check out.

Most intriguing were the flower motive and chandelier in the bathroom.

There was intricate Moorish metalwork, depicting also flowers.

The design didn't impact the comfort of the room and we felt immediately well, which added to our memorable stay.

An English speaking newspaper was daily delivered to our room. Originally we were a bit concerned, because experience at other hotels normally meant that the newspaper arrived early in the morning. Distribution at the Conrad meant it was only delivered late morning or early afternoon.

Other books/magazines on the room were the history about the art of the Conrad Algarve in Portuguese and real estate.

The hotel has many facilities, restaurants and bars.

Restaurants include Gusto by Heinz Beck [who holds 3*** Michelin Stars for his La Pergola restaurant in Rome] for fine dining at the Conrad, Gusto itself holds a Five Diamond Award and was the "Revelation of 2013" when it opened (We enjoyed one dinner there. Review to follow.), Louro for all day dining, Dado and Dado Seafood Pool Restaurant and Bar and Sereno, which is at the infinity pool, is connected to Lago and the tables have an interesting feature. When you want service or pay you can use different buttons to indicate what you need. The waiter from Lago will arrive soon afterwards.

We went to Louro for breakfast, which was included as gold member benefit, every morning. The first morning the experience wasn't too great, because the restaurant was very busy and we were forgotten by the staff. After a reminder to the hostess our table was cleaned and the service was more attentive from then onwards.

The presentation was very beautiful and the buffet extensive.

A bakery basket including bread and pasteis de Belem and tea or coffee and orange juice were delivered to our table each morning.

The buffet included cured and smoked salmon, a choice of cold cuts, jams (They were a bit difficult to get into the small pot with a big spoon. It looked stylish, though.), fruits, fruit salads, more pastries and bread, cereals, cheese, ten different juices, smoothies and much more.

We stopped at the Lago Lounge twice. Once to have a break and to relax. We ordered one hot chocolate, one peach juice, one Mind Revitalizer (a non-alcoholic cocktail), two lemon and two pistaccio macaroons and two Pasteis de Nata. The bill was 26.50 Euro / ca. 31.60 USD.

The other time we went to enjoy a complimentary experience as HH gold members. The second choice we didn't take would have been to make our own cocktails. The Tea Ceremony included Dilmah Private Estate Teas. We chose one pot of green and one Jasmine green tea. The scones had to be preordered, which we did the day before. We had one Algarvian orange and one fig and lemon scone and two chocolate macaroons.

Marco was on both occassions very friendly, informative and helpful. We felt well taken care of.

The Lago Lounge had a small library and a few board games. There were also flat screen TVs mounted on some of the walls, showing sports channels.

In the reception was a classic Mercedes car. There was an Art Space and Dunas Boutique to the left. The Art Space had an exhibition about Alain Bertrand and the art work could be bought.

There was a spa and fitness center. Classes on offer were yoga, stretching, belly dancing, zumba and much more.

Beside the infinity edged pool was a free form outdoor pool and an indoor pool.

Other facilities included a Billiard Room, a Nannie's Room and table tennis. We tried it, which was fun, but more often than not we missed the ball...he he!

The Tempo Sports Lounge and Golf Shop offered golf related material. An autograph of Tyrrell Hatton, who won the Dunhill Open in St. Andrews at the Old Course 2016, was displayed. It was an interesting connection, since we had stayed at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews just a few weeks before the actual tournament and our stay at the Conrad Algarve.

Of course there were tennis and basketball courts too.

A free shuttle service was offered to the beach from 10.00 hours to 12.00 hours and 15.00 hours to 17.00 hours.

A beach concession had to be paid, which was 20 Euro / ca. 23.90 USD for a full day or 15 Euro / ca. 17.90 USD for a half day. It included two sun beds, a shade, water and towels.

The concierge can organize many tours. I have noted some of them. You can go clam picking at Ria Formosa Natural Park, which is nearby. Join a wine master class or explore the local markets with the executive chef; afterwards you will learn how to make Cataplana. There was a speed boat trip 

to a desert island and much more.

It's no wonder the hotel is award winning including "best resort in the world". Some of them were displayed in vitrines and on the reception desks.

The staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. Ordering a taxi was always done quickly. It was a private company and the system interesting too. The drive to the destination could be charged to the room, while the return journey had to be paid in cash or by credit card.

The Conrad was a good place to relax, have privacy, attentive service, fine dining on the premises, stroll in the garden or go upscale/luxury shopping. Visiting other hotels or have a meal at a Michelin stared restaurant was also possible incl. dinner at Sao Gabriel which we enjoyed during one of our evenings in the Algarve. For all those reasons we would return.

©2017

Sao Gabriel (Restaurant), Algarve, Portugal

When planning our holiday in the Algarve, Portugal in October 2016 my fiancé and I decided to try Sao Gabriel, a one Michelin stared restaurant.

Sao Gabriel is on a busy road just outside Quinta do Lago. The chef patron Leonel Pereira is from the Algarve and went to Brazil to hone his skills. The cuisine is modern Portuguese and acidic based.

The logo of Sao Gabriel are angel's wings.

We took a taxi from the Conrad Algarve, where we stayed for 3 nights/4 days. The flat rate was 12 Euro (ca. 14.30 USD). It took ca. 5 minutes.

Sao Gabriel and the Thai Garden Restaurant share the premises and belong to Leonel Pereira.

Foliage hid the traditional farm house from view and we nearly forgot immediately that there was the motorway just outside.

There was a terrace and a cow sculpture. We guessed it had been part of a charity event, like the "Cow Parade" in Bilbao and bought by Sao Gabriel.

We arrived a bit early. The maître d' didn't mind and welcomed us. We were offered to start with an aperitif at the bar or go straight to our table. We wanted to be brought to our table, this was no problem.

The finca was divided into different sections, which reminded us of the classic and smaller concept of the Steirereck in Vienna in terms of how diners are located throughout this beautiful restaurant. Our table was in the winter garden with a fire place, yellow walls and modern artwork. The winter garden could hold around 15 persons.

 

Every seat was taken and our fellow diners were two couples (Portuguese and Scandinavian) and a family with a teenage daughter. Later a large group of Scandinavian [?] business men joined us, livening up the more peaceful atmosphere.

We started with a large bottle of still Luso water and two non-alcoholic fruit cocktails.

Next arrived the amuse-bouche. It was made with cheese, citrus and radish and presented in an artistic glass bowl.

A bread selection with extra virgin olive oil from the region and salt from Portugal and abroad was brought to our table next.

Our appetizers were Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna; cured, smoked and dried, sweet and sour pickles, sprout and mild pine sauce and sautéed mackerel and smoked eel, calcified fennel, beetroot in different textures and green leaves.

The textures and bursting flavors of the dishes were amazing.

Our main courses were wild sea bass served with Topinambur (Jerusalem artichoke) cream, black ravioli of green olives and smoked Granny Smith apple sauce and fillet of hake on barley risotto, plankton seaweed tempura, potato soufflé and fennel sauce.

Both were excellent. The standout was for me personally the hake. It tasted and smelled like the sea - very unusual, but I loved it.

Our desserts were caramel, curd cheese mousse, litchi and roses, chocolate and red berries fragrances, moistened cake, mousse, ice cream and crispy meringue.

To finish our meal we ordered two hot chocolates.

Before the bill arrived we received jellies with different flavors including one which was prepared with 11 different types of mint. Memorable and beautiful at the same time.

The bill was 171 Euro (ca. 203.40 USD).

The staff was attentive, aware of our allergies and knowledgeable. One reminded me about a work colleague, who is very charming and outgoing.

We would return in a heartbeat. We liked the setting, the excellent experimental cuisine and the kind staff, plus the location which added to the beautiful evening we had here in October 2016.

©2017

Willie's Restaurant Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal

Having informed ourselves about Michelin stared dining in the Algarve, Portugal my fiancé and I booked a table for two at Willie’s Restaurant in Vilamoura in October 2016.

 

The restaurant was interesting and convenient located – just ca. 10 minutes’ walk from the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa, where we stayed for 5 nights. [Please see also review].

 

The restaurant is housed in a beautiful villa.  There is also a small garden with blooming and fragrant flowers. It’s romantic and we loved the setting.

 

Wilhelm “Willie” Wuerger is a German chef, who holds 1 Michelin star since 2007 for the restaurant.

 

The interior of the villa felt like a living room with gold colors, green accents and dark wood. There were photographs of a younger Willie Wuerger with famous patrons.

 

Overall the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant including the music and the cuisine felt like you were back in the 80s, which we very much enjoyed.

 

Our fellow diners were couples and small groups. There was also a single client, who was a regular.

 

The restaurant sees also a lot of celebrations incl. anniversaries and birthdays.

 

The Maître d’ welcomed us warmly and treated us like we were family members. He was entertaining and very knowledgeable, especially about wines.

 

We were seated at our table with white table cloth and offered the menu.

 

While we chose, the amuse-bouche was served. They were a pretzel mix, cream cheese on a wafer, which was salty and sweet, a fish canapé and pate with chutney and cracker. They reminded me of my childhood in Germany.

 

Our drinks to start with were a bottle of still Estrela water, one orange and one apple juice.

 

Unfortunately Willie’s doesn’t offer mocktails.

 

Our starters were chicken in sesame crust with pomegranate and crunchy salad leaves and Carpaccio of beef fillet with mixed salad leaves, aged Parmesan, quail’s egg and cherry tomato. Both dishes were delicious and the Carpaccio one of the best I’ve ever had.

 

The main courses were John Dory with grilled vegetables and potato mash with truffles and medium well tornedos of beef with Madeira sauce, roesti and grilled vegetables.

 

The tornedos were melt in the mouth and he still drools, when thinking about them. The roesti was the best ever.

 

The John Dory was luxurious.

 

With the desserts (Crepe with strawberries Romanoff and cinnamon ice cream and stewed peach, pistachio, green biscuit and Amaretto mousse) came my fiancé’s Quinta de Camarates D.O.P. dessert wine.

 

The desserts were divine. The dessert wine was a good match.

 

To round it up we had two cappuccinos.

 

We received petit fours with them. They included raspberry macaroons, Madeleines, chocolate truffles and a Mirabelle.

 

The bill was 167.10 Euro (ca. 200.50 USD).

 

When the maître d’ noticed my fiancé was interested in a white wine, he let him try it for free, which was generous and memorable.

 

Another great opportunity was to meet Chef Willie personally, organized by the maître d’. We were very grateful we had the chance and sometimes still reminisce about it. We were surprised we were allowed into the kitchen, because a couple before us had wanted to meet Chef Willie too, but they had been refused as the chef himself was very busy. More beautiful memories made at Willie’s.

 

We would return, because we have been treated exceptionally well, the whole evening felt somehow like a “blast from the past” and the excellent cuisine and service rounded up a beautiful evening in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal in October 2016 for us.

©2017

The Ninth London, England, United Kingdom

My fiancé and I have followed Jun Tanaka from afar since he was responsible for the Pearl Restaurant at the Renaissance Chancery Court. This is now the Rosewood London.

We had always wondered where he had gone to and were happy to find out he had a new restaurant, called The Ninth, and holding 1 Michelin star. It is his 9th restaurant hence the name.

The cuisine is inspired by Jun Tanaka's travels.

In July/August 2017 we spent a long weekend in London, so we booked a table for dinner at Jun Tanaka's newest venture.

It is located on Charlotte Street, within ca. 20 minute walking distance to the British Museum. There are other Michelin stared restaurants in the area, one even on the same street, and the Charlotte Street Hotel is just across the road.

Again the front is unassuming like The Portland (see review) and we walked past The Ninth once, when looking for it.

At the time the weather was nice, so patrons could choose to sit outside on the small terrace and enjoy the sun.

We were greeted warmly by the Maître d' and brought to our table. Our jackets were taken.

Tables were close together, so we could easily overhear the conversation of our neighbors. If you are looking for privacy or a more peaceful atmosphere this isn't the place to go to. It was probably the loudest of the four Michelin stared venues we had lunch or dinner during our three nights/four days in London in July/August 2017.

Our fellow diners were international and one group celebrated a birthday.

Soon afterwards we were asked if we would like to have an aperitif or a bottle of water. We asked for still water, which was The Ninth Eau de Vie.

We also had a The Ninth Cocktail. It was a refreshing summer drink and we liked rather much, it's made with Hendrick's Gin and served as a Martini.

Since it was our first time at The Ninth we were explained that all dishes on the menu were made for sharing and we should choose five to six each. They would arrive whenever they were ready. If we wanted we could have a break after a certain amount of dishes arrived.

The waitress and we had a discussion about Bilbao and oxtail, since one of the dishes we had ordered was oxtail croquettes. We had eaten this particular delicacy the first time at the Cafe Metropol at the Gran Hotel Domine in Bilbao last year. She had been to Bilbao and the Biskaya too, but more for the wine. The croquettes came highly recommended by her, though.

 

One of our neighbors ordered it, too, but the rest of his family wasn't interested, even so he tried to convince them to try some.

Our choices were as follows:

Four oxtail croquettes,

Burrata, Datterini and fresh almonds,

flamed mackerel, dill, cucumber, capers,

sea bass Carpaccio, salsa Verde and pickled Kohlrabi,

Osso Buco tortellini,

rabbit lasagna,

chargrilled cauliflower, tomato and yogurt,

one slice of Comte cheese, 36 months aged with crackers,

Pain Perdu and the caramelized lemon tart.

All dishes looked appetizing and were outstanding in flavor.

The oxtail croquettes were moreish.

The Burrata was creamy and worked well with the crunch of the almonds and the juicy, sweet-tart Datterini tomatoes.

Both fish dishes were refreshing and beautiful.

The Osso Buco tortellini and rabbit lasagna were astoundingly light, considering that these are traditionally heavier dishes.

The cauliflower was crunchy, while the yogurt was soft. Flavor was added by the tomato. Jun Tanaka is famous for his vegetarian dishes, so you should try at least one.

The Comte was stronger in flavor, still not over powering, ideal for a taster.

The Pain Perdu was thick, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and large. It tasted heavenly with the vanilla ice cream.

Normally I'm not a big fan of lemon desserts. It's more his thing, so I was pleasantly surprised when the lemon tart found the right balance between being sweet and tangy. The slice was ideal for sharing too.

The bill was 110.81 GBP / ca. 125.20 Euro / ca. 142.80 USD including service charge.

We would return, because we like the sharing concept, the colorful and tasty dishes and the warm and personal staff. Value for money is very good too in our opinion.

©2017

Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa, Algarve, Portugal

In 2015 my fiancé and I had agreed to requalify for the Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors gold status, so in January 2016 we pre-booked stays accordingly to achieve our goal.

One of those was the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa.

We stayed for 5 nights in October 2016.

The property has won many awards including Portugal’s Leading Resort 2016 at the World Travel Awards.

We organized our transportation from Faro Airport with Yellow Fish, which came highly recommended by Tripadvisor members. It was good, reliable and affordable.

When we were dropped off at the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas we were impressed by the Moorish design and elegant entrance.

The bell captain greeted us warmly and took our luggage. We were accompanied to reception. Janine checked us in efficiently. Since the resort is large, she provided us with a map and explained all necessary features including the shuttle service to the center of Vilamoura incl. Marina and the beach as well as giving us the tip, that a Spar supermarket was ca. 20 minutes’ walk away.

The lobby was large and thanks to an atrium and floor to ceiling windows filled with day light.

There was a butterfly artwork installation. It reminded us about Polish Hilton properties (Gdansk and Warsaw), which have similar ones.

Within the lobby were the Rubi Bar to the right, a golf and gift shop, a small library at the Hilton Vacation Club Office and Moscada, the all-day dining buffet restaurant and the fine dining Cilantro to the left.

Meeting rooms were in the basement with access to the outdoor waterfall and swimming pool, where Aquarela, another restaurant was located.
Other facilities included the 7 Seven Spa, 24 hour fitness center, tennis courts, Paradise Island Kids’ Club and teenager arcade, a golf simulator and snooker room.

As Hilton Honors gold members we were upgraded from a King Deluxe Pool View Room to a King Deluxe Plus Pool View Room with two balconies.
The room felt more like a junior suite. 

There was a small hallway. 

The bathroom was to the left.

The room was open plan and contemporary like the hotel. A partial wall was dividing the seating area from the bed room.

There were two flat screen TVs, one mounted on the wall of the bed room and the other could be watched from the seating area with modern art above the sofa, a coffee table and two small side tables. Interesting enough there was only one remote control. It functioned with both.

We were happy with the choice of around 100 local and international channels.

Like the hotel itself, the room was contemporary and beautiful. We loved that we had two balconies. One was furnished with two loungers, the other one had two chairs and a small table. We enjoyed sitting or lying there and enjoying the sun.

The color scheme was white and grey. The furniture was made from blond wood.

The views were over the poolscape and the surrounding villas.

The bed was king sized. It was comfortable and allowed for restful sleep. Beside it was a chair with ottoman.

Artwork was contemporary and made of tiles.

A writing desk, credenza, wardrobe with safe and tea/coffee making facilities completed the amenities of the room.

24 hours in room dining was also available, which we used once after a tour we took to Sao Vicente, the most South Western Point of mainland Europe. We had booked it via our hotel.

It included a bottle of still water, two hot chocolates, one Algarvian salad, one penne Bolognese, one ravioli and one white and milk chocolate cheese cake.

It was all delicious and of high quality.

The bill was 61.50 Euro (ca. 70.20 USD).

The bath room was divided into two rooms. 

The shower, bidet and toilet were in one and the other contained the bathtub and sink. Amenities were Peter Thomas Roth.

The water pressure was very good and there had been no problems with temperature fluctuations.

There were two hairdryers. The one in the bathroom overheated fast, so it was better to use the Corgi professional one, which reminded us about the Philips branded at the Inntel Hotels Art in Eindhoven (please see review).

We loved relaxing in our room or strolling along the pool and appreciated the gift we received as golds (two bottles of still Luso water, tomato chutney and locally produced fig and mint liquor).

As guidance I noted that main courses at Cilantro started from 26 Euro (ca. 29.70 USD).

Buffet dinner at Moscada was 27.50 Euro per person, ca. 31.40 USD per person.

As golds we also had free buffet breakfast. The quality and choice was good, but didn’t vary much, but we didn’t mind. It included among many other items French Toast, pancakes, fried and scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, grilled tomatoes, olives, sardines, cold cuts, cheese, muesli, cereals, bread and much more.

Other specialties like Eggs Benedict or smoked salmon with caviar could be ordered and were payable. The charge for the Eggs Benedict was 7 Euro/ca. 8 USD and for the salmon with caviar 10 Euro/ca. 11.45 USD.

For tea drinkers a selection of teas was placed on the table together with sugar. Hot water was brought to the table. This solution was much better than self-service and felt more upscale too.

We used the shuttle bus regular to Vilamoura. It left on the hour between 10.00 hours and 12.00 hours and 14.00 hours to 17.00 hours. In the evenings from 19.00 hours to 21.00 hours it was scheduled half hourly. 

During off season the timings are not as regular, since we received a notification about the time table change.

Free WIFI access as golds was also very good and stable throughout the resort.

Another plus was the close proximity to Willies Restaurant, which holds one Michelin star since 2007. We had once dinner there, a review will follow.

Check out arrived as always too soon and it was time to take a taxi to the Conrad Algarve, located in Quinta do Lago, ca. 20/25 min. driving distance from the Hilton where we stayed another three nights/four days.

Would we return? We would, if we wanted a romantic golf resort at a peaceful and quiet location within walking distance of Willies in upscale and beautiful Vilamoura.


©2017

The Orangerie Bar & Ballroom Lounge @ The Radisson Blu St. Helen's Dublin, Ireland

During a weekend in September 2017 my fiancé and I stopped on our way to Foxrock for a quick lunch at The Orangerie Bar and Ballroom Lounge at the Radisson Blu St. Helen's Hotel Dublin, Ireland.

The hotel is an estate dating back to 1750 and on Stillorgan Road in Blackrock, an upscale suburb of Dublin. It can be easily reached from the airport by taking the Aircoach or from the city centre by bus like the 46A.

Our first impression was that we had entered a completely different era.

To reach the hotel we had to stroll through the park and the rose garden with fountain, both beautiful.

To the left of the small entrance was the reception and past it were first the Ballroom Lounge, which has massive pillars and classic chandeliers and is completely marbled and then the Orangerie Bar.

The Orangerie was a tasteful winter garden attached to the original building.

If you are wondering where the guest rooms are located, they are in the new wing, which has been carefully added and doesn't obstruct from the Georgian architecture, while in the actual manor house is an Italian restaurant and the meeting rooms.

We were a bit worried we wouldn't find a table since we hadn't made a reservation. The bar and lounge were very busy. We were lucky and found an unoccupied table in the Ballroom Lounge.

A waitress arrived soon afterwards to hand us the menu. We decided on two hot chocolates and two feta cheese with watermelon and basil salads. It was refreshing and delicious. The cool sweetness of the melon went well with the creamy and salty cheese.

The staff was very friendly, had time for chats and seemed to know a lot of the guests, who ranged in age from toddlers to matured couples.

The hotel is child friendly, suitable for a romantic getaway and weddings, as bonus we enjoyed the gardens and saw indeed a wedding party incl. the beautiful bride and maids.

Our bill was 27 Euro / ca. 30.85 USD.

We were very impressed with the imposing architecture, friendly staff, good food and gorgeous gardens - there is one at the back too, leading to the sea - so at some stage we would love to stay at the Radisson Blu St. Helen's Hotel.

©2017