An amazing restaurant in Salamanca where you will not imagine, A gas station on an industrial park!!!

wowwww, this is all I have to say!! Just kidding but what can I say after what we experienced in Salamanca. We had a meeting with our (mmCHANNEL´s) strategic partner Unkasoft in Salamanca where we have been before several times. Last time we did eat at the Hotel Montalvo, within the industrial park with the same name. We have a very good "menu del dia" deal so no complaints. However Hugo Lanchares did promise that next time we will have a very nice lunch and I know he is a person who does enjoy food and wine
So last week when Tony told us to folllow him and we parked outside a gas station (Repsol) within the industrial park (just 5 minutes from Unkasoft headquarters) I was a bit surprised. We did enter through the gas station (whom for those who don´t know are nothing very fancy to say the least) and come up through the stairs and then we open the door. Surprise surprise :-)

An amazing and well decorated room, modern, clean, well designed. With a room for kids to play and very spacious. Shelves with books (on cooking, salamanca region, restaurants of Spain,..). On the table every details was perfectly designed (cutlery, colours (combining browns, whites and blacks), very original chargers (stone ones) and make you feel in front of a delightful experience to come
the food was excellent. Carlos (the chef) prepared a menu for us, that being very well priced, had an aperitive, 2 entrees, main (choice of meat or fish) and 2 desserts. Everything was great. Plates where very well decorated and presented, original combination of flavours and forms (squid cut like corn pieces on a cookie base with ink and pesto, caneloni of ox tail ("rabo de toro"), salmon hamburger (I can´t wait to try to cook the recipe at home)
Carlos did come at the end of the lunch and chat with us which just added that little detail to finished up an amazing experience we had at his restaurant. The bill arrived and we could just think on when we will be coming back

Carlos Barco Restaurante
Poligono industrial Montalvo III C/ Segunda N. 9 (Encima de la gasolinera repsol)
Carbajosa de la Sagrada (Salamanca)37188
Phone number: + 34 923197884
SPAIN


Link to Carlos Barco restaurant web site

Link to a blogger from Salamanca with lots of details on Carlos and his restaurant

Spain cathedrals

I was with Andrea in Salamanca and looking at the amazing cathedral there she asked me is Salamanca one of the most impressive cathedrals in Spain? How would you rate it?

That make me thing for a while about how will I classify the amazing cathedrals in Spain (which I believe I have had the opportunity to see many of them if not all)
So obviously this is my ranking which I am sure many of you will have a different one or a very different one, however I hope it helps those looking for some guidance

Tier 1 - The most beautiful, well known or just the "standards"
Leon, Burgos, Seville and Santiago

Tier 2 - Well known, tons of admirers and for many tier 1 in many cases
Salamanca (old and new), Oviedo, Toledo, Zaragoza, Palma de Mallorca

Tier 3 - Interesting, different, lesser known but fascinating anyhow -
Segovia, Cuenca, Zamora, Avila, Barcelona, Palencia, Malaga, Cordoba

Tier 4 - Not in the capitals but as beautiful and special
Jaca, Santo Domingo de Silos, Astorga, Burgo de Osma, Siguenza

A couple of hotels in Istanbul

during the past 24 months I have always stayed in 2 hotels. One of them now owes my heart but both are really good

First one is Marmara Pera Hotel, near the always fun and busy Istiklal street with tons of nice places to spends time at (live music, food, drinks) as you may have read on my previous posts. The hotel on its own is really different, being circular all rooms have street view and the furniture does try to be a bit vintage. The breakfast room is large and the food complete and the prices are right. It is not noisy and the beds are nice (although it is almost impossible to get a queen bed). On top of this you have the great restaurant at the top, with some of the best views and drinks and a superb location and you have a very good buy (prices are around 120-150 Eur per night)
However I wanted to find a more unique place for my upcoming stays

So I try the Sofa Hotel in the Nicantasi area, the coolest area in Istanbul, packed with trendy bars and glamorous shops.

This is one of the best places I have stayed in my life, and I can tell you I have been in many places. The place is special and unique. Great service, the guys at the reception really mean well, the room is just spectacular, great bed, silent, the space seems created to spend time there. The bathroom is just an experience on its own. Gigantic shower (you can stay there for an hour), bath products from L'Occitane, superb bath rope
Then a Chaise Lounge where you can read for a while after coming back from work. And the room is equipped with a DVD player, music stereo and more
They always leave a fruit basket at your arrival to the room that can serve as a snack for your stay, they leave little orange/chocolate treats every night, what else can you say

Apart from the cafe area (where there is a nice book shop and very good sofa where I do work for a long time and the ice coffee is great), there is one of the trendiest bars in Istambul called Longtable

Haven´t have the time or budget to try the Spa yet but I am sure it is a great place

Just a few small details to improve: Breakfast is nice (although at 22 Eur I usually just go down the street to the House Cafe) and the concierge is probably where they can improve (they don´t seem to be on top of their game but improving). Then WIFI should be available in all rooms and for free in a hotel catering to travellers like me (at the end I spend up to 4 hours in the cafe area where WIFI is free and good but I will prefer to do this at my room specially on the after dinner work time)

The room price at 140-150 Eur is a superb price for a place that can compete with any 5 star hotel around the world

I do believe the Sofa leaves up to their new mission "A personalized experience" and I always look forward to be back here

Istanbul II: drinks, tapas, an amazing dinner and more drinks in Pera

Pera is a great neigborhood near Taksim but it seems very local and it is one of the key nightlife spots for young (and no so young turks)
But before nightlife there are a lots of things you can make happen in the neighborhood
If you want to snack a bit and have some Raki (fresh grapes drink mixed with water and ice that Turkish drink all the time specially in the summer and that I love) go to Pera and get lost of the streets behind the Marmara Pera hotel in the Pera neighborhood where any of those places with tables outside serve great Turkish tapas and drinks. It is also a great place to go out at night and have drinks and listen to live music.
Here in this neighborhood is also Babylon, a multi-purpose performance space/club, is the trend-setting live music venue of Istanbul. Lots of jazz, blues and interesting performances. Check www.babylon-ist.com for the dayle live music performances

For a good dinner (but really really expensive for Istanbul prices) and even better drinks with probably the best view of the city go to the restaurant at the top of the Marmara Pera Hotel, Mikla. Very posh and the food is served well but in small plates and you probably won´t be full and your wallet empty. However I do think their cuisine is good and some of the fish plates just superb. But if you are not in the mood to spend that type of money (around 90 Eur for dinner) then just go there for a drink. The bar is great in the winter and if cold you can just watch the view from the inside. In the summer the views become superlative, you can go upstairs to the outdoors terrace (where the pool just complements the ambiance) and sip very well done Mojitos while watching one of the best views you will have in your life
http://miklarestaurant.com/

Some Istanbul places I: from an afternoon drink, an snack and dinner at Ortakoy

I have been lucky to spend many times in Istanbul. I first discovered the city in 1997 when I was there for 4 months working on a consulting engagement with Accenture (former Andersen Consulting). I was more of a tourist on the weekends but I really got to love the city
During the last 2,5 years we have had several clients in Istanbul and now we have a small office, so together with my turkish country manager I have got to discover both posh and local places
let me bring you some of them

For a little walk and a drink while enjoying one of the most beautiful and relaxing "water" view I always like my sunday walks at Ortakoy. Love to have a drink at one of the semi open terraces, you can always eat a potato with 1000 toppings in one of the little kiosk where the toppings are presented graciously in different figures. The view of the Golden Horn from here at sunset is just amazing. Just be aware that what it may seem as a little taxi ride may take up to an hour on a sunday afternoon. Why not walk from Besiktas to Ortakoy?

Finally if the potatoes are not your thing or you are still hungry and you don´t want to move out of the area, there is a very good oriental and green cuisine restaurant in Ortakoy, Banyan (which they also have a branch at has also a branch in Nicantasi)
http://www.banyanrestaurant.com/tr
The restaurant is on a second floor near the Radisson and facing an amazing view (check the picture on the website for an idea)
To start with the view of the Ortakoy Mosque is superb. On the background the Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge (one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi) and thus connecting Europe and Asia, between Ortaköy (on the European side) and Beylerbeyi (on the Asian side)), which at night and since April 2007, a fully computerized LED lighting system of changing colours and patterns, developed by Philips, illuminates the bridge at night and makes it a superb show on its own
With such a view (which in the spring and summer is even better with their terrace), the food does really plays along well. A mix of Asian, thai, fushion well cook, presented and serve. The banyan plate is a good option if you dont want to think much for the starters and sample most of them a little bit and then all mains are good

Tea and pastries in Madrid

just a short post to tell you about a couple of places I love to spend time but better to have something to bite there when I am feeling more as "foreign" tea style or boulangerie

First one is Deli Panific. I think there are very few places in Madrid making real french boulangerie and Deli is for sure the best. Great pastries (croissants, pain aux chocolat, chausson aux pomme (and the even better the frambroise version), amazing bread (try the little brochette with 4 bread styles), other french delicacies (very good foie de canard) and an unforgetable tarte aux tatin with a very thin crust (both in individual version and family one :-) and also a fig style one

It is in Chueca almost with Alonso Martinez (Hortaleza 75, Tel. 91 702 4658)

Second place is Vailima, an english tea room / Salon de Te in Barrio Salamanca. A very extensive selection of teas, nice china in a small but cousy space and really good "bizcochos" of orange, raisins and other versions
Very nice for a little snack or relaxing conversation around 5 pm any day
they also sell all type of teas

Vailima, General Pardiñas, 54, Tel. 91 309 0955

Another great one from Toro - Prima 2006: the region keep delivering great wines -

I just got a note from one of our friends about a bottle we brought to him a couple of weeks ago when we meet him. On this own words "Stupendous! Exquisite! "

Prima 2006 is a classic Toro wine. Great value for money (around 8-10 Eur per bottle on the wine shops), an amazing flavour coming from its Tinta de Toro grape (90% plus 10% Garnacha). Smooth-textured, mouth-coating and you can feel the blackberries and I usually find in Toro wines a bit of spice on the flavour
Buy it now because I believe this wine will be even better in 2 years from now

Mexican restaurants in Madrid (in Spanish so far)

Taqueria Birra - Sencilla, si hace bueno una terraza en una plaza preciosa (Plaza de las comendadoras), tacos riquisimos (el picante de pollo y bacon es amazing, but hot as crazy also y buenas margaritas
La puso Antonio Castro hace 14 años desmontando en México una cantina de 1818 y trayéndose su tramoya auténtica, las cocineras y los meseros, el producto genuino y la sabrosa promiscuidad de una de las cocinas con más personalidad del mundo.

Xaman Ek
Avenida Alfonso XIII, 39, Madrid, 28002

Muy posh pero increible forma de combinar la cocina mejicana tradicional con cocina de fusion. Por ejemplo un carpaccio de pulpo con guacamole, el clasico polo al mole, todo todo esta muy muy rico. Es carillo pero para una cena especial es increible. Aparca el portero

La Panza es primero
Hay varios por la ciudad pero a mi gusta el que esta en el barrio de chueca. En la calle libertad 55
Pequeno, estrecho siempre lleno, todo lleno y decorado con luchadores mejicanos. Buenas margaritas (buenisimas) o el agua de limon si no quieres alcohol. Me encantan las cazuelitas, los tacos, el guacamole rico
Me gustan los centro (para dos o para uno si hay mucha hambre) de pollo por ejemplo el de flor de calabaza. En la esquina esta tambien esta dentro del mismo grupo el Barriga Llena. Mas tranquilo y con mas espacio pero igual con menos sabor

Tambien del mismo grupo y a 50 metros esta el sabor a mi, en Augusto Figueroa 55. Me encanta para desayunar tipo brunch una gran tortilla con todo dentro, zumo y cafe. Deliciosa manera de empezar el dia

Hay varios mas interesants como el Buen Recaudo tambien en chueca (corte tipo Xamn Ek pero mas barato) o La mordida en la calle Belen (cerca de Alonso MArtinez) con buenas cazuelitas aunque las margaritas defraudan en mi opinion (y es un poco caro para lo que te ponen). Aun si me gusta pasar de vez en cuando

Por ultimo una tequilaria en la callle recoletos, no me acuerdo del nombre pero tiene mas de 200 tequilas

A few tips on Barcelona - Food I

I usually spent a couple of weekends a year in Barcelona, apart from the WMC fair (one week in February) and some short business trips, so I have some favorites and fewer favorites in the city

For a good lunch I like to pass by the restaurant at the market of Barceloneta. The building was completely re-done and the restaurant faces the main square (and it is part of Husa restauracion group). It has an outdoor terrace and a large “comedor” with lots of lights. They always have a nice menu. Rice is very good, lots of shrimp, cigalas, muscles, etc.. You can even buy your fish at the market fishmonger and bring it to the restaurant for them to cook it. The menu goes with 4 starters to share and a main (fish, rice or meet), with dessert, coffee and wine and water for 25 Eur per person.

Near Barceloneta in fact you also have on the Joan de Borbon street lots of choices around fish & seafood oriented restaurants. Very simple on their décor they all have great and fresh fish and seafood.

For dinner I like many places. One of my most repeated choices is Semproniana in C/ Rosselló 148, 08036 Barcelona, Spain+34 934 531 820. First thing it will catch your attention is the Funky but very warm decor. It is mostly made from collages from cans, food stamps and similar material. Also take a look a the table décor like the napkin holder made out of a twisted fork, so far so on. Amazing and very creative cuisine, from very interesting entrees like the Brazo de Gitano (crepe of catalan sausage (Butifarra)), the cold and warm (foie with a cheese ice cream) just amazing and a very good combination of fish and meet. Leave some space for the desserts, as they are the right way to finish this delicious experience. The wine list is very good, more than 200 references and you can find good value for money or interesting and rare bottles (all mostly Spanish)

Another choice for dinner is to go to Born neighborhood. The choice of nice restaurants here is large and I can say that I have never had a bad experience with any of my choices. You can have a nice dinner for 60 Eur for 2 excluding wine. One of the restaurants I like is Arrel del Born in Fusina 5. Plates are large if you want to go with a group of friends and share or just enjoy yourself. For the main you can go for the rice (5 types of it), the portion are very large be careful here ☺ or the fish (tuna, sea bass) is really fresh. Desserts are mostly chocolate based and they really add a touch. The atmosphere even on a Saturday night is fairly casual so jeans and a nice shirt will do. And near by there are several clubs to have a drink if you still up to it (or you can always catch a taxi and go to Mirablau for a great drink with an amazing view of the city or come here for a coffee in the summer fairly late to see the sunset while shipping a coffee)

And my final choice is brunch at the Gran Hotel La Florida in the Tibidabo mountain. The views are best in the city, if warm enough (being Barcelona this could happen almost on any given month of the year) you can eat at the terrace and the food is really fantastic, service attentive and you will not go hungry. It is not cheap but your companion will be really impressive and you will be really pleased. Make a reservation, as it is usually quite busy on Sundays.

Finally a wine from South Africa that I did like!!!

Rupert & Rothschild Baroness Nadine
Chardonnay, 2005

A femine, elegant barrel-fermented Chardonnay Rupert & Rothschild Baroness Nadine

A vibrant fusion of flinty freshness, lime blossom and refined ruby grapefruit tones with a hint gooseberry. Delicate and elegantly structured with nuances or roasted almond and vanilla. Fantastic with seafood. Remind me of a complex albarinho wine

A bit expensive for being SA (and drinking it in SA) but excellent anyway