Pizzeria Rustika (Slovenia)

We stayed 2 minutes away from Pizzeria Rustika and it came highly recommended by our local host- she said it was cheap and good! This pizzeria was a rarity in Europe. In Europe,  restaurants often told us that their kitchens were closed at 2 p.m. Here, they are opened between 12 a.m. to 11 p.m. and even offer home delivery!

After all that huge European portions we were eating, we decided to share a salad (it doesn't hurt to pretend to be healthy) and a main. We got a Rustika Salad (8.90 Euros). We were a little taken aback when we saw the large portion of the salad. It was a simple salad with lettuce, rocket, tomato, corn, ham, cheese and olives. It offered a much needed respite when we were getting too full with the pizza.

We shared a Morska Pizza (8.90 Euros) which consisted of tomato, garlic, mussels and squid. They were so generous with the mussels, it's as though mussels here were free. I had to constantly remind my husband not to finish all the mussels or the souvenir he would be bringing back from the holidays is cholesterol! This was definitely more than enough for two to share although we marvelled at how a girl at another table ate the entire pizza on her own. The pizza was decent for the price we paid.

To round off the meal, we got a Marlenka (3 Euros). The presentation is pretty bad but tasted pretty good. It is a honey cake, layered with chocolate sponge and there was a good kind of gooey in between. It might border on being a little too sweet for some though.

The waitress was very pleasant and friendly. Value for money, certainly worth a visit!

Pizzeria Rustika 
Riklejeva cesta 13
Bled, Slovenia
Tel No: +386 4 576 8900 

Read More

Haus Anastasia (Bad Ischl)

Haus Anastasia is one of those places that might not look like much initially but turned out to be one of our favourite places for the trip. 

1) Location 

Haus Anastasia is located around a leisurely 15 minutes walk to town. The hosts would gladly tell you which route to take to reach town. The roads can be a little narrow to drive so if you don't mind walking to town, walk. It is a convenient base to nearby places such as Hallstat and many lakes. 

2) Apartment 

No footwear permitted within the apartment but we are perfectly fine with this because it just means that the hosts really value cleanliness, and that's what we got! 

Aside from the host's own living space, there are three apartments housed within the same compound. Despite that, the apartment we were in was spacious and had everything we needed. For the tall ones, do take note not to bump into the ceiling when walking up the stairs. 

There was a living room which was equipped with a TV and a shelf outside the apartment full of DVDs. There were also guides on what you could do as well as a thoughtfully curated list of restaurants that the hosts recommended. We in fact bumped into the hosts at a restaurant which was recommended in the list.

The kitchen was fully equipped and you had everything you needed to prepare a meal.

The beds were a total luxury. It was the first time during our trip that everything about the bed was right- for once, we had proper beds and pillows which were neither too hard nor too soft. We woke up feeling well-rested. The only minor thing was that we were wondering why there were two separate mattresses instead of one, but it was not an issue at all.

3) Toilet 

The toilet was warm (something that was not a given in all the places that we have been to) and provided bathing products.

4) Hosts 

The hosts, Elaine and Russ, were hospitable and were ready to make recommendations if you required any.

An enjoyable stay - it offers the comfort of your own home!

Haus Anastasia 
Traxleckerweg 30
Bad Ischl
Austria 

Read More

Gellert Hill (Budapest)

I'm not sure when this habit started- but we have been walking up hills to get a panoramic view of the city. Often, the trek is a tiring one, but the rewards at the end of it often justify the trek upwards- pretty much like life, isn't it? 

One of my favourite places that I visited this year (July 2013) is the Gellert Hill. 

Gellert Hill is named after Saint Gerard who was allegedly was thrown down from this hill. 

While buses go up the hill, I would suggest walking up the hill if you can. The best time to go up is probably in the evening at around 5- 6 p.m., so that you can catch a few scenes- the afternoon sun, the sunset and how beautiful this city looks at night when it is lit up. 

Maybe bring some picnic food and water up- it's worth the wait to see the sun set and the city light up.

Although there may not be much on the top of the hill, if you have time to kill, it's always nice to enjoy the breeze up there and to watch the world go by! 

For those with kids, there is a playground on the hill. Other things worth looking out for are the citadel, the Liberty Monument and the cave church.

Read More

Trattoria Canzona (Zadar)

After dumping our bags at the hostel, we decided to get some good food in town at Trattoria Canzona. Everything about Zadar is so chill- people eating lunch at 3 p.m. and watching the world go by... 

... and cats basking in the afternoon sun!

I think the pictures can speak for how good the pizzas were. Look at the generous amount of ingredients they have! And by the way, these pizzas were huge. 

The Pizza Capriciosa (45 kunas). 

Frutti Di Mare (55 kunas) with lots of fresh small prawns and mussels- not near the Adriatic sea for nothing!

Trattoria Canzona
Stomorica 10,
2300 Zadar 

Read More

Lehka Hlava (Prague)

Lehka Hlava is ranked #5 on Tripadvisor with lots of rave reviews- now, can somebody please explain to me what the big deal about this place is?

Vegetarian food pretty much appeals to my friend and me (although we don't intend to turn vegetarian any time soon). That, combined with the ranking of this restaurant on Tripadvisor made us walk through several alleys to get to this hidden restaurant, away from the hustle and bustle of the touristy streets. 

Once in there, you will see the beautifully designed restaurant. Little marbles, blue and white, were arranged meticulously below the glass covering the surface of the table. The music didn't really appeal to me though. It might have been some music they use to clear your head (Lehka Hlava means Clear Head) but the music actually made me want to leave the place.

Food wise, I ordered a Mushroom Risotto (175 CZK). The risottos I have eaten so far are moist. This, on the other hand, was pretty dry. I loved the combination of mushrooms they had in there- chanterelles, portabello, shitake and oyster mushrooms. But after a while, the taste of everything started getting a little monotonous.

Best to make your reservations here because every table had a "reserved" sign placed on it.

Lehka Hlava
Borsov 2/280
Prague 1 - Old Town

Read More

Trezo Restauracja (Krakow)

Normally, we don't harbour high hopes of entering into any restaurant which is ranked within the first 10 of Tripadvisor's recommendations (this place is ranked #2). BUT this was a true exception. A neat place with affordable food.

They have set lunches and you have to check with the waiter what is available or simply look outside at the board which states the menu both in Polish in English.

For 15 Polish zloty, I got myself a soup, main course, salad and drink. First to come up was Chicken Soup With Noodles. Although there was a layer of visible oil floating on the surface of the soup, it did not taste oily at all. Instead, it just tasted like food to cure a cold or to keep one warm.

The main course I ordered was Grilled Neck with Pepper Sauce and Rice. I never figured out which part of the pork is actually the most tender. It's either the way they cook it or the part of the pork, but the meat was really easy to shred and wasn't the least bit dry. I liked the black pepper sauce as well which was not too overpowering.

The drink was a Kompot which the waiter simply explained as home made juice. It's supposedly a mixture of fruits in water but didn't taste anything like it. I gave up drinking this halfway because it tasted a little weird to me.

I also tried some Pierogi/Dumplings fried in butter with sour cream and thyme (14 zloty). These little pockets were pretty addictive.

The food was well worth the price and service excellent as well.

Trezo Restauracja
31-052 Cracow
Miodowa 33 Street

Read More

Hungarikum Bisztro (Budapest)

Hungarikum Bisztro offers a value for money set lunch. After walking at the nearby Danube, we decided to drop by for lunch. 

Homely setting. Local folks kept entering in the restaurant. We went there at 12 and they were serving only set lunches then. If you want to order their a la carte, be sure to check out what time they start serving dishes on the a la carte menu!

We chose the 3 courses (1390 HUF) option. This included choices between three kinds of soup, three kinds of main courses and two desserts. I had the Cream Soup of Mais- a little too dilute for my liking but still pretty alright.

The Creamy Stripes of Turkey with Rice was something I imagine a European mother would cook for her child when he or she comes home from school. A totally unpretentious dish. Haven't really figured out how the rice is seasoned but a google search tells me that it might be pilaf. The cream sauce was done just right and went well with the rice and turkey.

The best way to end a meal is always good dessert. The Chocolate Tartlet with Marmalade was made with slightly bitter chocolate, with a dollop of Marmalade on it.

The meal here does not seek to impress. It just tries to make you feel at home without breaking the bank. The service here is also compatible with the food they serve- down to earth and very friendly.

Hungarikum Bisztro
1051 Budapest, Steindl Imre u. 13.

Read More

Restoran Vinodol (Croatia)

This was hands down one of my favourite meals this trip. After a 7 hour walk at Lake Plitvice and a bus ride from Lake Plitvice to Zagreb, I told my friend, "I could eat a cow now." We then decided to go to Vinodol to reward ourselves after a day of walking. 

The terrace outside the restaurant was completely filled. There was a nice bustling atmosphere but we didn't care too much about it because we'd rather not put up with the smoke. Instead, we shifted into the restaurant where only two tables were occupied.

We ordered a Tomato Soup (20 kn) which brought much needed comfort to our hungry tummies. Their bread basket also offered a larger variety of bread that other European restaurants serve.

But this, really, was the star. I had the Grilled Trout with Almonds (62 kunas) together with Homemade Croquettes (28 kunas). The trout was really fresh, along with some salt sprinkled on it. I never knew what a magic combination almonds and fishes could have. That with the lemon juice squeezed on it made a very impressive dish.

The waiters were all very busy and a couple of them weren't friendly. Nevertheless, the one who served our table was alright.

A nice ambience with great food! It's in a central location, so no reason to miss out on this place.

Restoran Vinodol
Ulica Nikole Tesle 10
Zagreb 10000, Croatia 

Read More

Villa Lika (Croatia)

Everything about Lake Plitvice is beautiful. Even Villa Lika, the place we stayed at, was cosy and aesthetically pleasing.

1) Location: Reaching here by public transport
We took the bus from Zadar. Be sure to stop at the Mukinje bus stop, which is a stop or two before where everybody normally alights at the lakes. Otherwise, I assure you that you would like to kick yourself in your leg when lugging luggage down the roads without proper pavements.

2) Location: Getting to the Park from here 
To get from Villa Lika to Entrance 2 of Lake Plitvice, first turn right then turn left to reach the main road. You will be walking on the road, right next to vehicles, so be wary. It's about a 30 minute walk before you reach a bridge. Cross it, walk a little more (good directions are given within the park) then buy your entrance tickets to the national park.

3) Room
There is free and good wifi connection within the premises. The beds were comfortable and the toilets were lime green in colour with a good showerhead. There was also air-conditioning. It was also the first time in our trip that we actually managed to watch many international channels on the TV.

4) Where to get food supplies
There is a restaurant in the villa which serves dinner and breakfast. For a three course meal, it cost 15 Euros. We didn't opt for that so we went out to a nearby ski resort and got a much cheaper meal instead. Food quality might not be comparable but we were just looking for a cheaper option. There is also a small supermarket but you have to walk about 20 minutes up the hill to reach the market.

5) Overall
For the 70 Euros a night we paid, I think it was well worth it, even though it wasn't located within the park. The people who were operating the place were also friendly.

Villa Lika
Mukinje 63
Plitvice Lakes National Park 53231, Croatia

Read More