Alchemy Juice Bar @ BT2 Dublin, Ireland

Having been out and about the whole day one Saturday in May 2015 we decided to have dinner at Alchemy Juice Bar located at BT2 on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland.

It is located on the first floor of the exclusive and fashion forward department store and still feels fresh and new, it's open now for around 7 months. 

The people behind this concept are Domini and Peaches Kemp. 

They are also responsible for the It's a...outlets.

The interior is modern and understated. 

The cuisine is health conscious and follows the Paleo diet and the raw movement.

We have been at Alchemy a couple of times.

It is self-service and there are a range of salads, soups, desserts, juices and other interesting food items available.

We took our favorite juice "Beet it" with beetroot in the large size, the Paleo Power Salad with a nut cake, the Super Salad with greens, walnuts and blueberries and a Turmeric Cheesecake.

All was very tasty, healthy, wholesome and the Turmeric Cheesecake had an unusual, very bright yellow color, of course it was very enjoyable to eat here again.

Cost was 32 Euro, ca. 34.80 USD.

We will return if we are looking for a healthy meal.

©2015

Re-education

Frieda Noose sighed. Her one and a half year old daughter might looked like her, but she was own-minded. Since Casey had had chocolate cake for the first time ever at her father's birthday party, she demanded to eat cake and nothing else.

Frieda had called her mother, asking her for advice. Rachel had laughed and told her about Frieda's own picky eating phase. She recommended to be patient and to try to involve Casey.

Frieda followed her mother’s advice and created different types of dishes for Casey. Casey’s favorite “cakes” were pancakes filled with fruit compote and lathered with yogurt and slivered almonds or two slices of grilled tofu stuffed with kimchi or Asian carrot salad. Slowly Casey started to eat more balanced again. She also liked strudels in all variations. Sometimes it worked if the adults were having a different meal and told her Casey wouldn’t like it. She reacted very much like her father, who didn’t like it either when he was told he couldn’t do or wouldn’t like something.

Finally shortly before her second birthday Casey was having a balanced diet again.

©2015

Milano Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

On a weekend in May we were hungry after our visit to Temple Bar which incl. Peachy Dublin at the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios.

Having good experiences with Milano we thought we give the outlet in Temple Bar a try, especially now as it was recently fully renovated with a new look and feel.

The interior was much lighter now and more contemporary in design. The space was still an issue. I had problems squeezing myself in between two tables to reach the bench.

The restaurant was already full. There was a large birthday party and a rather loud German group. It turned remarkable quiet when the Germans left.

We were seated beside an American mother and her adult son. We didn’t know them, but she told us proudly about a special offer. While it's nice to have a special offer, we usually visit a restaurant because we like the food foremost.

The noise levels were very high and it was difficult having a conversation.

Our waitress arrived soon after we had taken our seats to take our orders.

We ordered a small bottle of Acqua Panna, two orange juice, one Leggera Pollo Ad Astra Pizza, one Leggera pasta chicken arrabiata, one broccolini and one Leggera Tortuffo Limoncello (Fior di Latte ice cream with a liquid Limoncello center), which we shared.

The staff was attentive and friendly throughout, even if they were extremely busy.

The quality of the meal was very good and as always reliable.

The ice cream was new for us. We liked the creamy texture and the tangy Limoncello filling.

The cost of the meal was 46.50 Euro or ca. 51.70 USD.

Should we be in Temple Bar and want pizza we will definitely return.

 

©2015

 

Indigo & Cloth Temple Bar (Men's Store and Coffee Shop) Dublin, Ireland

We heard about Indigo & Cloth the first time while staying at The Dean Hotel in Dublin. (See our review)

We had just visited the Temple Bar Gallery & Studios to see Peachy Dublin and another exhibition at the Gallery of Photography and wanted a hot drink to warm up.

Indigo & Cloth is a men's store, selling clothing, accessories, cosmetic and chocolate. They also have a coffee shop.

We decided to stop there for two hot chocolates.

The coffee shop is small with a table seating four.

It was self-service, but the person behind the counter was very friendly and agreed with his colleague that it was a good day for hot chocolate.

There were also cakes and pastries to choose from.

Coffee is provided by Clement & Pekoe.

We took a seat at the communal table and waited until he had made the hot beverages.

It was made with Aine Hot Chocolate Sticks. Having had similar ones at Clodagh’s Kitchen (See also review.) I was a bit worried the hot chocolate would be too sweet. Thank Goodness the cocoa content seemed to be higher here, so we liked it.

Cost for two hot chocolates was 6 Euro (ca. 6.70 USD).

There was reading material provided including Root and Bone, Fantastic Man and Cereal, inspirational food, fashion and travel magazines.

After our hot chocolates we had a quick browse and found chocolate tablets we liked. The company’s name is Bean & Goose and is based in County Wexford. The tablets are made on marble slabs and in small batches.

There are only two versions available (milk or dark chocolate) with sea salt and cocoa nibs.

The results are amazing.

The texture is on the one hand very smooth and on the other rough due to the sea salt and cocoa nibs. I personally agree with the employee in the store, who recommended the dark chocolate. I think it works better together with the salt, but I would take all two again. He doesn’t have any preference.

One bar costs 5.50 Euro or ca. 6.15 USD.

We liked also clothing by Sandquvist, Sunspel and Saturdays NYC, plus Norge Projects.

We will be back for more.

©2015

Pizza Hut & Upper Crust @ The International Terminal Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Norway

While we waited for our flight from Oslo Gardermoen to Berlin Tegel with SAS we stopped at Pizza Hut and Upper Crust for a small meal and drink.

Pizza Hut and Upper Crust were located at the International Terminal and is based on self-service.
It was busy and some pizzas were already gone in the early afternoon.

Originally we wanted two slices of Deep Pan BBQ and one Jamaican pizza, but there was only one left of the BBQ, so we changed it to two slices of Jamaican and one BBQ.

Our cold beverages came from Upper Crust and included three bottles of water for the flight and a bottle of Tropicana orange juice.

We found a space easily at the busy Food Court's seating area which was clean and inviting.

The pizza was tasty.

We paid 144 NOK (ca. 17.20 Euro or ca. 19.50 USD) at Pizza Hut. 

Should we be at Gardermoen Airport again, we will re-visit Pizza Hut and Upper Crust again.

©2015

Sanguine Brasserie @ The Oslo Opera House, Norway

After having completed our guided tour of the Oslo Opera House (See also review.) We went to Sanguine Brasserie at the Opera House, where we had reserved a table.

The design of the restaurant was understated with stunning views over floating artwork "She lies" and the Oslo Fjord.

Materials used were steel and glass.

The color scheme was white, while the orange flowers on each table added a nice contrast in red vases.

The Maître d' greeted us warmly and brought us to our table directly at the largest glass curtain in Scandinavia.

The cuisine served is modern, experimental and Norwegian. It changes with the seasons.

Checking with our waitress we found out the house Champagne is Taittinger. We took two glasses. Beside Champagne we ordered two small bottles of Acqua Panna, two Cappuccinos and two three course meals.

There are also a la carte and up to five course meal options available.

Our starters were Arctic Char with yellow cherry tomatoes and avocado mousse.

The char was very tender and the plate colorful.

Our next courses were different. He had the beef brisket with beetroot and Jerusalem Artichoke, while I had the baked hake with dill butter, potato mash and cabbage.

The beef brisket was melt in the mouth and was a perfect match with the beetroot and artichoke.

The fish was moist. I liked the combination of the soft mash and crunchy cabbage.

Our dessert was strawberry soup with cardamom ice cream, goats milk pudding and jelly.

It hit the right spot between tangy, spicy and sweet.

Everything was delicious, high quality and the correct portion size.

Special mention goes to the coffee cups. They have a groove on top of the handle and the coffee floods in. We thought it might not work, but the grip was extremely comfortable and we didn't burn ourselves.

All the staff was attentive and friendly.

The bill came in at 1438 NOK (ca. 170.32 Euro or ca. 190 USD).

When we are back in Oslo we would love to make a stop at the Sanguine Brasserie again.


©2015

Oslo Opera House, Norway

Having heard/read so many good things about the Opera House in Oslo and being interested in architecture and classical music, a visit was a must. We investigated further and found out there were also behind the scene tours in English available. Before we had only heard about being able to walk up/on the roof of the building. We decided not only to explore the Opera from the outside, but also from the inside. We bought tickets online and also booked a table for two at the Opera's Sanguine Brasserie. Review to follow for this.

Tickets cost 100 NOK per person (ca. 11.85 Euro or 13.20 USD).

On our way to the Opera House we passed the Havnelageret, the head quarters of Dagligsbladet. It's a massive pink concrete building.
We could see the Opera House from the Havnelageret. It seemed to emerge from the sea and people walking on it looked like ants from afar.

The structure is made from Italian marble and white granite. The architect was Snøhetta. The Opera House opened in 2008.

The views over the Oslofjord and the city were marvellous.
 Walking up the roof might not be suitable if you have vertigo and I wouldn't try to climb it, when it's wet or icy. The marble could be slippery.

We had luck with the sunny weather and beside people watching, found a model, who enjoyed being photographed. It was a not very shy seagull.

As the architect intended we were curious what the structure looked like from the inside.

The entrance is small compared to the size and height of the building.

There is a stunning atrium and as we learned later during the tour over 3000 oak pieces were used to clad the walls and also that the huge glass panelling facing the fjord is the largest in Scandinavia.

The oak panelling is very important for the sound as is the oval chandellier in the auditorium. It cotains over 5000 hand made crystals.

The meeting point for all tours was at the ticket office.

Tours in Norwegian are daily available.

Tours in English are on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays at 13.00 hours.

We were picked up at the requested time by our guide and were a small group of around 10.

Our tour guide Berit, a former opera singer, told us about the background of the building and the artwork in and around it.

There is a wall designed by Olafur Eliasson. It depicts an ice berg and flowing water underneath and changes color.

"She lies" is a sculpture by Monica Bonvicini. It is designed like a sailing ship, floats on the fjord and looks different, depending on wind, tide and how the sun light falls on it. "She lies" is clearly visible from Sanguine Brasserie too.

We were then advised we would go behind the scenes and from now on photography wasn't allowed.

There are 1100 rooms.

The main auditorium seats 1364. There are two other performance spaces, which are much smaller, seating 200 and 400 respectively.

The employees come from 23 different countries.

We walked through the costume making department, where we could catch a glimpse of what the ballerinas are going to wear for the production of Manon, which is going to premier on 19th of September 2015.

Next were the production team, who are responsible for building the sets.

We ended up behind the main auditorium, where preparations were made for the premier of La Traviata and the stage sets for the previous performance were dismantled and put into storage.

Afterwards we caught glimpses of ballet dancers training and the employees garden. Originally it should have been a Japanese garden, but the climate didn't allow for the plants to grow, so it has been slightly altered.
It isn't accessible for the public.

Our last stop was the auditorium, where we arrived just in time for rehearsals of La Traviata, which premiered in April 2015.

We were on the highest balcony. A warning here: It's really steep
 and open, so if you have vertigo it could be problematic.

You might prefer to stand at the side.

The rehearsal was interesting to follow. The director gave constructive instructions how to make it look more pleasing for the audience. We could listen in and watch for about twenty minutes. It was the highlight, because it's very unusual to "let into" the rehearsal process.

Afterwards we were accomponied back to the foyer.

The tour was an eye opener. It shows how much work goes into a production and how labyrinthine the building is. It's very interesting and highly recommended for opera and architecture lovers.

We will at some stage take another tour for more insights of magnificent structure overlooking Oslofjord.

©2015

Getting my will

I was sitting proudly in my high chair. Everyone around me was eating cake and I wanted to take part too, because I was big now. I let Mommy know what I wanted. Instead she offered me a stupid banana. I had eaten a whole one at lunch beside a plate of pasta with tomato sauce.

I clamped my mouth shut and indicated with my index finger to the chocolate cake. “Mmm, bananas are yummy.” Mommy said and popped a little piece into her mouth. I didn’t want any of that and got more demanding. I clearly stated: “Gake!” When it didn’t help I was more urgently, indicating again the cake and saying: “Darda.” It meant tarta in Spanish. Even though I’m big now I have problems with some letters. Like C and T. “No, you are too young for it.” Mommy explained. I didn’t want to hear that and I was going to get what I wanted. For whatever reason Daddy wanted to play peek-a-boo with me. I couldn’t be bothered. My mind was on cake. Reggie offered me to check on Beulah and Kiki, the dogs. I wanted cake and if I wasn’t getting my will I was going to scream and cry! It worked. Finally Mommy gave me a small piece. It was delicious and in future I won’t eat anything else!

©2015

Dagligstuen @ The Hotel Continental Oslo, Norway

During our stay at the Hotel Continental in Oslo in April 2015 (Please see also review.) we visited the hotel's bar and lounge Dagligstuen.

It is clearly visible from the entrance and was busy, no matter when we passed by. We checked the menu and liked what we saw.

The bar is large, has a gentlemen's club atmosphere and design and is infamous for its Edvard Munch art pieces Arne Boman Hansen, the owner at the time, bought in the 1950's for 5.000 USD.

Since nearly all tables were gone, we took one closer to the window and behind a column. I was a bit worried we would be overlooked, but there wasn't any reason. Service was flawless at all times.

We were greeted friendly by Cecilie, who took care of us for the rest of the evening.

Cecilie left us enough time to make up our mind what we wanted to order.

We had two orange juices, two glasses of Michel Turgy Champagne, two Vitello Tonnato, one "Our Snickers" and one Crème Brulee.

Cecilie asked if we were very hungry and even so we said we weren't that hungry, she promised she would bring us a fresh bread basket with the meal.

She was concerned if we would like the meat-fish combination when she heard it was the first time we were trying Vitello Tonnato.

The plate looked like a work of art and was healthy with lots of green leaves, very thin slices of veal and tuna-caper sauce. It was delicious. The bread was plentiful and lovely.

We were intrigued by "Our Snickers", so we had to try it. The "snickers" was slightly longer and wider than a real Snickers.  It was made with chocolate, peanuts and salted caramel ice cream. It was a highly interesting and creative dessert. We loved it.

The Crème Brule was perfect. The caramelized sugar crackled and the custard was smooth and creamy with a light vanilla flavor.

We talked about going to bed soon, because we had an early start the next morning. It was already around 11 PM, overhearing our conversation in passing by Cecilie brought our bill quickly.

It was 1.028 NOK (ca. 121.60 Euro or 136.50 USD) and very well worth it in such beautiful surroundings.

Cecilie found the right balance between being professional, warm and unobtrusive.

We liked the attentive service, atmosphere and quality of the food.

We can recommend a visit and will return, when in Oslo.

©2015

The Continental Hotel Oslo, Norway

There are a few reasons why we wanted to stay at the Hotel Continental in Oslo.

We are big fans of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) and have stayed in over a dozen by now. The Hotel Continental is a long term member and ever since we laid eyes on it in our first LHW catalogues we wanted to stay there. Until recently we were unlucky with flight prices or the hotel was not available or the season was wrong. We don't like snow, so coming in deep winter seemed a bit odd for us.

It is a grand hotel - a bit of the history is described below -, which we like too.

It is newly renovated and in our opinion tastefully done.

The location is unbeatable with direct access to Oslo Gardermoen Airport via the Flytoget Express Train. The Hotel Continental is just across the road from the National Theatre, a very short stroll from the sea or the Royal Palace and major shopping.

It is the only five star hotel and member of LHW in Norway.

It is family owned and managed.

The hotel is in the hands of the same family for over 100 years. It all started with Caroline Boman, who was originally from Sweden, and Christian Hansen, her future husband. They met at the Grand Hotel (today part of Rica Hotels), where they both worked. In 1909 they leased the hotel and three years later bought it.

The original building is still there. It contains the Theatercaféen and the Annenetagen today. Arne Boman Hansen, the son of Caroline and Christian, bought the two adjacent buildings, demolished them and completed a new hotel wing in 1932. It is Art Deco style and contained 76 new hotel rooms with their own bathrooms and the lobby bar Dagligstuen. The main entrance was moved from the Art Nouveau building to the new wing. Due to the financial crisis of 1929 meant the expansion nearly didn't happen, but the bankers trusted the reputation of Caroline Boman and lent the money.

Ellen Brochmann, the daughter of Arne, was responsible for a few restoration and renovation projects. It had been Arne's wish to open an American-style cafeteria on the site of the second plot of the block. His untimely death crossed that plan, but Ellen made Arne's dream come true. In 1960 the cafeteria was closed and demolished to make way for an 8 storey building with 88 new hotel rooms, restaurants and a banquet hall. The layout with three interconnecting buildings hasn't changed since then and takes in a whole block.  The current owner Elisabeth Caroline Brochmann, daughter of Ellen and Caspar, took over the hotel thirty years ago and is responsible for the newest renovation.

After a pleasant direct flight with SAS from Dublin to Oslo we took the Flytoget towards Drammen - it's important or you're ending up at the Central Station and you have to find your way to the National Theatret Station. Return tickets are available at counters or ticket machines and cost 170 Norwegian Kroner (NOK, ca. 20 Euro or 21.60 USD) each way. The journey takes approximately 27 minutes.

We had been in contact with the hotel before arrival and our e-mail was promptly and warmly answered. Our wish for a room on a higher floor was fulfilled.

From the train station we walked down the hill, the Royal Palace to our left. It didn't take longer than three minutes to reach the hotel.

When entering the lobby the reception was straight in front of us, the Theatercaféen to the left, the lifts and Dagligstuen to the right.

There is also the Eik Annen Etagen, Steamen, the sidewalk cafe, and Caroline, the breakfast restaurant.

Check in was very quick. The receptionist was friendly. Within two minutes we were on the way to our room. We had booked consciously a Deluxe Room, because we thought the Standard and Superior Rooms were too small and we wanted a seating area.

To our surprise we received a Deluxe Room with balcony. It was unfurnished, but we enjoyed every day during our two night stay to go outside. The views were over the city and the Oslo fjord. 

The room was large and bright with wooden floors, high ceilings and a mix of classic and contemporary styles in mostly white, light brown and red colors.

The tapestry with plant prints was amazing and looked even better when the sun was lighting it. The color was silver and reminded me of our room at the Berkeley Hotel in London. Please see also review.

There was a sofa with coffee table. On it were the LHW catalogue, Collection and Feel Good of Norway magazines. The upholstery was very soft.

On the writing desk was a glassed in TV, general information about the hotel and the city, a hotel brochure and the twenty four hour in room dining menu including the mini bar price list. There was also an invitation to join LHW for a one year complimentary membership, which could be done by filling in the form provided with the title "Welcome at LHW".

TV channels were mostly local. There were a few international channels included, like Bloomberg, CNN and BBC World.

The room had a built in wardrobe, where the minibar and safe were located. It had good storage space and longer stays shouldn't be a problem.

The minibar contained soft drinks, the Hotel Continental's own beer and liquors. Voss water and lemonade were for example 60 NOK (ca. 7.15 Euro or 7.80 USD), snacks ranged between 40 NOK and 60 NOK (between ca. 4.80 and 7.15 Euro or 5.20 USD and 7.80 USD) and Bowmore 12 years old Whiskey was 130 NOK (ca. 15.50 Euro or 16.90 USD).

In room dining is 24 hours available. The selection was small, but sufficient.

Sandwiches start from 139 NOK (ca. 16.55 Euro or ca. 18 USD), salads from 175 NOK (ca. 20.80 Euro or ca. 22.70 USD), starters from 189 NOK (ca. 22.50 Euro or 24.50 USD), main courses from 195 NOK (ca. 23.20 Euro or ca. 25.25 USD) and desserts from 95 NOK (ca. 11.30 Euro or 12.30 USD).

The queen sized bed was like a cocoon, soft and warm. It was a bit too short for him, though, but didn't impact his sleep quality.

It had a beautiful throw and a bench in front of it, which made this particular space very elegant and inviting.

The artwork included a lithograph of the National Theatre and a sketch of a female.

The tiled bathroom was small with under floor heating, a bath tub/shower combination, sink and toilet. The amenities were by Molton Brown London, which we like.

Water pressure was good and the temperature constant.

Our bed was every evening turned down while we weren't there.

The only small critscism about the bathroom would be the placement of the sink. It is too near to the shelve above it and I always feared I would bang my head when bending down. Thank goodness I was always careful and it didn't happen, but I splashed water on my feet and pajamas each time.

We enjoyed spending time on our large room and could relax there, but also exploring the hotel. It was very detailed, tastefully decorated and artworks were everywhere.

Our rate included breakfast and free WIFI.

The internet access was fast and reliable.

We went every morning to the Caroline Restaurant, where cold items were served buffet style and hot items could be ordered a la carte.

We were brought to our table by the Maître d'.

A waitress took our orders for coffee/tea, juice, pancakes and omelets. Specialty coffees weren't a problem either, so we had our favorite brew Cappuccino.

All of the breakfast staff took great care of us, delivering cutlery as needed - without even asking - and clearing plates.

They were friendly, warm and good spirited.

At the buffet were some local specialties, like brown cheese and pickled herring beside cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, smoked salmon, fresh fruits, jams, bread, different flavored milk, including lactose free blueberry milk (We liked it very much.), smoothies and much more.

The selection was good and the quality of the hot and cold items very high.

On the Friday morning the restaurant was not that busy. There were more guests the following morning. The majority were from the region. The rest were French, German and British. During our first breakfast there were more single travelers. On Saturday there were more couples and families.

One night we also had dinner at Dagligstuen. We were impressed by the service, ambience and quality of the meal. A more detailed review is going to follow soon.

Before flying on to Berlin we needed to print our boarding passes. Reception was so kind to let us use the Business Office on the landing between the ground floor and the 1st floor. It is really just that. It's very small with a writing desk, a computer and printer. The office is only accessible by key. Normally the charges are 75 NOK (ca. 9 Euro or 9.90 USD) per 30 minutes, but the staff let us use it for free.

All wake up calls were reliable and on time.

Staff remembered our names and pronounced it perfectly. We were very happy about it.

We can't say enough positive things about the kind and attentive staff.

As always check out approached too fast and it was done as quickly as check in.

We were a bit sad to leave and have very fond memories. Our expectations were exceeded.

Should we be in Oslo again, we will definitely include the Hotel Continental in our itinerary.


©2015