• Added: 6th of February 2008
• Area: Berlin
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Berlin 10117
030 2010871

annika said
A little gem hidden away in Mitte
This is a place tourists never usually come to. It's a few blocks away from Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse hidden away in the quieter side streets of Mitte. It's a great place for a few glasses of excellent wine with friends or colleagues accompanied by some small special dishes from South-Western Germany (try the Speckpflaumen, they're delicious!). It's a somewhat bohemian place that you enter through a door hidden away under ivy and a lot of the people there are regulars and yet very open-minded and always curious to meet new people. In the summer there's a cute little garden terrace, too. If you want to get a glance at 'real Berlin', this is the place to spend a few hours at!

• Added: 6th of February 2008
• Area: Berlin
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Berlin 10119

annika said
Best place in town for FUSSBALL
There are simply no two opinions about this place (and I rarely agree with my sister ;-)): cheap beer, great location, fun atmosphere and lovely people to hang out with, just across from a park for the break... perfect.

• Added: 7th of March 2007
• Area: Barnsbury
• Category: Restaurants

London N1 1QP
020 7359 1578

annika said

I absolutely agree with Mez. This is the sort of place that once you entered it you forget that it's bustling London on the outside. It's where you wanna be with some friends with lots to talk about, some good wine and food and forget about time, commitments, work and all the other annoying realities of life in London.

• Added: 27th of November 2006
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 9JP
020 7379 3444

annika said
Post-Opera Drinks
Although there also is a well-known restaurant attached, this is a review purely about the basement bar of Cafe des Amis. It's a small but incredibly well stocked gem in the middle of bustling Covent Garden, to which I was introduced by a friend of mine who performed as a tenor in Puccini's 'La Boheme' at the Royal Opera House that is just around the corner. If you come here at around 10:30pm, you will inevitably bump into the stars and starlettes of that day's opera and other performers from theatreland, the stage directors and assistant costume designers, you name it. It's an intriguing crowd with a great somewhat bohemian (not too much so because it's quite pricey...) attitude, who are always up for a laugh and a quick song/imitation and for sharing some extraordinary stories about the crazy world of opera/theatre. Cafe des Amis offers an amazing selection of wines, ports, champagnes to satisfy all tastes and (almost all) wallets and is open late. Definitely a trendy place to go after the theatre/opera is over and muse over the meaning of art, music and life in general in the company of some sophisticated artists and performers.

• Added: 22nd of November 2006
• Area: Southwark
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 8LF
020 7928 3237

annika said
Crowded...
I guess the mixed reviews exactly reflect the divided opinions among the friends with whom I went to Meson Don Felipe. While I loved the 'cosiness', it was 'crowded like a platform at Clapham Junction during rush hour' for a friend of mine. Whereas I was quite happy to indulge in the sardines and the chorizo, it was all too greasy for another friend. And while I appreciated the elevated noise level as somewhat authentic and loved the flamenco guitar in the background, my friends found it close to unbearable and couldn't wait to take our conversation to the pub around the corner (The Ring - another great place). I guess, you can't please everyone but as regards tapas and in terms of value-for-money I'm afraid this is as good as it gets here in London.

• Added: 30th of October 2006
• Area: Soho
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London W1D 4RP
020 7437 4520

annika said
Home away from home
This place had been among my personal favourites ever since a London-based Italian friend took me there shortly after arriving in the big smoke. But ever since celebrating Italy winning the 'Mondiali 2006' over there, this cafe/bar has turned 'cult' for me. I will never forget the packed streets and the impression that, suddenly, just about everyone in Soho was 'Italian'... and the chants and jumping around to 'chi non salta un xxx e', e'...' Magical moments. Aside from that, yes, they do make decent panini, the coffee rocks and the waiters/barmen are as cheesy as any Brit would expect Italians to be based on their last holidays in Rimini...

• Added: 29th of October 2006
• Area: Soho
• Category: Nightlife

London W1F 0SP

annika said
Eclectic, Hot and Sweaty
I had already heard loads of stuff about this club in the heart of Soho but only made it there myself last Friday. It really is different from the white leather Soho bars and the pretentious crowd most of us would rather avoid on a Friday night - and it def is a great place to go if you feel like dancing away all night. On Friday nights they have a night of 'legendary deep funk' with super-danceable music from the 'last five decades of black American music'. The place itself is dark, the walls are covered in weird mirrors and dark-red suede/velvet and there are super-comfy sofas all around, which altogether gives the club a super-loungy atmosphere. From what friends told me, it always seems to be pretty packed. But on Friday there always seemed to be enough room to boogie away on the sunken dancefloor at the back, to watch some of the best breakdancers I certainly have seen on these shores and jazzophiles strut their stuff and generally have a great time. Noone is taking him/herself too seriously here, which is probably the secret 'je ne sais quoi' about this little Soho gem. The place closes at 3am and is conveniently located to grab a panino at Bar Italia on the way home...

• Added: 28th of September 2006
• Area: Farringdon
• Category: Food and Drink

London EC1R 4QE

annika said
Weekly Market
For those of you who live in central London and think it's quite a treck out to Notting Hill, Exmouth Market Street Market is a nice, much smaller but also much less touristy alternative. Surrounded by loads of restaurants and cafes, it's a great place to meet friends on weekends for a chat over coffee.

• Added: 28th of September 2006
• Area: Clerkenwell
• Category: Restaurants

London EC1R 4QA
020 7278 0800

annika said
Best Risotto con Zucca e Pancetta
Having sent you to my Pizza Heaven (see La Porchetta), it would be somehow unfair not to also share where, in my opinion, the best 'Risotto con Zucca e Pancetta' is served. To be honest, I'd never been too keen on the Stradas, Pizza Expresses and so on out there but this risotto made me change my mind. It's an amazing risotto with thyme-roasted butternut squash, smoked bacon finished with parmesan, spinach and roasted pinenuts. My friend had a pizza and was equally delighted (but I doubt it could ever be as good as the Porchetta ones...). What makes the Strada at Exmouth market much more appealing than any of the cold decor Pizza Expresses is the dark lighting, decent background music and simply the location. Exmouth Market is such a little gem and on a late summer evening it almost has continental flair.

• Added: 24th of September 2006
• Area: Bloomsbury
• Category: Restaurants

London WC1N 3BP
020 7242 2434

annika said
Pizza Heaven
Having grown up in Italy, I admit being a little picky when it comes to Italian food. La Porchetta will never get any Michelin stars but what they really do pretty well is the pizza. I still think it's one of the best to be found in London (but am always open to new suggestions!). Definitely try the one with pears and gorgonzola, it's simply to die for. The other great thing about the place is just how great the prices are. The house wine is decent and the staff (exclusively Italian) are extraordinarily friendly and cheerful (with groups of girls they sometimes are a little too cheerful and friendly...). The other downside (which for me, however, makes the place only more authentic) is the noise level - it's not a place for intimate conversations...
If the one close to Holborn is inconvenient for you, check out their outlets in Islington, Clerkenwell and Finsbury. Go to their website at http://www.laporchetta.co.uk/ to check out the menu. Buon appetito!