Hotspot | The Park // New York

During my absence from my blog, I visisted New York in the summer with my mom and brother. For lunch and dinner we visited a number of restaurants and other little places where we had great food, but there's one place I can still remember after all these months; The Park.

We stumbled upon this restaurant completely by accident. We were walking around because we were planning on eating at another restaurant which was full at that moment. Since there were plenty of free tables at The Park we decided to just give it a go.

The front of the building didn't seem that special, but once we stepped inside, I fell in love with it; it had an indoor garden! With real trees, birds flying around and a lot of fairy lights. I had to sit there! It looked really magical! Also, the staff was very friendly and even the manager came to check if everything was allright. Both my brother and I had a steak with fries and my mom had a pizza (if I remember correctly). We all liked it a lot! I even liked it so much, I completely forgot to take pictures (Oopsie!)

I would definitely recommend this place to all of you. If you find yourself in the neighbourhood, definitely go and check it out.

Adress: 118 10th Ave, New York 10011
Website: http://www.theparknyc.com/

Hotspot | Café Sacher // Vienna

One of the things I wanted to do in Vienna was to eat the original Sacher-torte at Café Sacher. And so we did! First we went there on a sunday, but there was an actual waiting line outside of the café, and even though I really like cake, my need wasn't big enough to wait in the cold! So we decided to wait. 

The next day, after eating at Figlmüller (yes, the restaurant with the enormous schnitzel I couldn't finish), we decided to go for a little evening walk. Again, we passed café Sacher, but this time there was no waiting line, in fact, it wasn't busy at all! So we took our chance and stepped in (because there's always space for desert, right?) 

A table was offered to us and we got the menu, of course we didn't have to think about what we should take. We both ordered a piece of the original Sacher-torte and tea which was specially put together for Café Sacher. 

GUYS! Guys! It was DE-LI-CIOUS! Maybe the best Sacher-torte I ate during my stay in Vienna. I think I could eat a whole cake if I wanted to, but you know how it is.. we've got to think about our weight (I was trying to lose some)!

If you're ever in Vienna, definitely check out this place. It's not that expensive. This piece of Sacher-torte was €5,30 and the tea was €4,90. Not that bad right? Also, the cafe is opened every day from 8 am until 12 am. So you can eat there whenever you feel like it!

Adress: Philharmonikerstrasse 4, Vienna

Website: http://www.sacher.com/

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Hotspot | Figlmüller // Vienna

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Thanks to a friend, we learned that Figlmüller was the place to be for the best schnitzel! After a little while of searching the right alley, we found the restaurant at Wollzeile, however, this restaurant was completely booked! Luckily for us, there's another restaurant of Figlmuller just around the corner at Bäckerstrasse, and they still had room! Yay!

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The restaurant at the Bäckerstrasse is super cosy! We sat down at a table in something that looked like a former wine cellar. I loved it! The staff was also very friendly and fast! (I don't like to wait when I'm hungry hihi!)

I knew that the schnitzels in Vienna were quite big, but little did I know they'd be this gigantic! And that for just €13,90! In the Netherlands the regular schnitzels are a quarter of the Viennese schnitzel. Apart from the schnitzel, I also ordered their Viennese potato salad for €4,20. 

I'm going to be honest with you guys, I had a really tough time finishing this monster, in fact, I just couldn't. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious, but it was just too big for me! So I got a disapproving look of the goofy waiter when he took the rest of the schnitzel away from me (for some reason he was teasing us the whole time, I still don't get it! Haha.)

If you're looking for a place to eat the real deal, I definitely recommend this place! Just one piece of advise: reserve a seat in advance! This place is very popular, so without reservation you might not be able to get a seat. For reservations you can visit the website I linked below.

Guten appetit! ;) 

Adress: Wollzeile 5, Vienna // Bäckerstrasse 6, Vienna 

Website: http://www.figlmueller.at/en/

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Hotspot | Candy Freaks // Amsterdam

As some of you may know, I'm a complete candy addict! I love everything sweet and sour and I'll just eat and eat until I get nauseous. Not too sure if that's a good thing... 

So, a little while ago, I walked past this cute little shop called 'Candy Freaks'. I've walked past it several times before, but I never had the time to actually take a look. But, this time I did have the time so I decided to step in. 

My inner candy lover performed a little dance when I saw all those beatiful colors and candies. But what is so special about this shop? I could just go to the supermarket and buy some sweets there. Well, this candy shop does not only sell regular or 'classic' candy (as they call it), but they also sell organic and natural candy. If you're someone who has certain allergies or lives the vegan lifestyle but still want to enjoy candy and its sweetness, this is the place to be! 

They offer sugar-free, gelatin-free, gluten-free and dairy-free candies, but also vegetarian and vegan-friendly candy. 

I bought myself some 'classic' candy, but the shop assistent also let us taste some organic candy. We got to try gelatin-free gummy bears which didn't contain any artificial foodflavourings. They were all flavoured with actual fruit! It was delicious!

We also got to taste organic candy which looked like the 'peach candy' from Haribo, but this one also was gelatin free and was free of any artificial foodflavours and colorings. 

Except for candy, they also sell delicious Belgian waffles! So if you're in the neighborhood, come and check it out!

Adress: Nieuwe Hoogstraat 4A, Amsterdam
Website: http://www.candyfreaks.com/

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Hotspot | Pakhuis // Leiden

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Close to the Humanities Faculty of Leiden University you'll find restaurant Pakhuis. This restaurant has a industrial vintage look, but still feels super cosy and warm. And in the summer you can eat in the garden at the back of the restaurant.

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It offers a wide range of international dishes for prices that even students can afford! Hallelujah! I had a carpaccio as a starter, steak as the main course and a very delicious Tiramisu in the end... for just €25,-!!

I forgot to take any pictures (oops!), but believe me, it was yummy in my tummy!! 

If you don't want to spend a lot of money but still want to enjoy great food, this is definitely a place to check out!

Adress: Doelensteeg 8, Leiden

Website: http://www.pakhuisleiden.nl/

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Hotspot | Petterson // Leiden

Remember the gorgeous view on the boats on the Galgewater from my photo impression of Leiden? Well, you can have just that when you decide to take a bite at Petterson. A uniquely shaped, floating restaurant.

This restaurant is super light because every wall is made of glass. A great place to view the boats and the great variety of people walking by.

I went there to get some breakfast to get a good start of the day. I had a lot of studying ahead of me. It was delicious guys! And super healthy! 3 crackers with strawberry jam, salmon and cheese, an egg and some vegetables. Yummy! This breakfast includes a cup of coffee or tea, and I chose a nice fresh mint tea. This all costed me only €11,50. 

The service was also great! We were greeted as soon as we came through the door and we could give our orders very quickly. 

Go and check it out guys! They are opened everyday from 9 am until 9 pm.

Adress: Prinsessekade 5L, Leiden
Website: http://www.petterssonleiden.nl/

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Hotspot | 149 Bites & Drinks // Leiden

When you're in Leiden, you should definitely check out 149 Bites & Drinks! This restaurant has an industrial look, it's like you're eating in a former factory. But a cosy factory I can say! It was a new experience for me.

They have some great food you can enjoy during lunch or dinner and the staff is super friendly. You can find them at the Breestraat 149, hence the name '149 Bites & Drinks (I didn't check whether they actually have 149 dishes and beverages, you can count for yourself if you want..Haha!)

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You can enjoy food from all over the world, French, Thai, Japanese, Italian etc, so I can guarantee you that there is something for everyone. When I visited 149 Bites & Drinks I had Japanese gyoza and quail and as desert I had different types of cheeses. It was delicious! 

And they have some great cocktails! Trust me! 

Adress: Breestraat 149, Leiden

Check them out: http://149bitesanddrinks.nl/

Hotspot | Chocolate bar Quetzal // Antwerp

Whenever you're in Antwerp, or Belgium in general, you must eat chocolate! And so I did, at Quetzal!

Near the 'Cathedral of Our Lady' in Antwerp you can find Quetzal, a Chocolate Bar where you can order anything made of chocolate. Milkshakes, brownies, chocolate milk, cacao shots.. you name it, they have it! I can't really remember what I ordered at the time, but when looking at my quirky face you can tell it was good! And I can assure you, it was good, because.. well it had chocolate! And marshmallows I believe Haha!

You can find Quetzal not only in Antwerp, but also in Gent and in Leuven. It's opened every day of the week, so no rush, but go and check it out some day! 

Have you every visited Quetzal before in one of the three cities? If so, what did you order? I'd love to read about it in the comments!

And remember guys! "There's more to life than chocolate, but not right now!"

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Hotspot | Oudemanhuispoort Bookmarket // Amsterdam

Close to the Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam, on the Kloveniersburgwal, make sure you don't pass right by a small alley; the Oudemanhuispoort. It's a small jewel you must visit when you're in Amsterdam. 

In this alley, there's a daily bookmarket which has been there since 1879! Can you imagine? Wow! Tons of books and prints are waiting to be sold by a few elderly men. These books and prints are almost all used, so they cost a fraction of their original price and since these salesmen are quite friendly, they may even offer you an extra discount. I purchased a few books there for just €1,- apiece! If you can't read Dutch, no worries! You can find books in a variety of languages, English, French, German, even Japanese! A great chance to expand your literary horizon I'd say!

The bookmarket is opened everyday, except on sunday, from 9 a.m. untill 5 p.m.

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Hotspot | Dining at the Berliner Fernsehturm

If you have ever been to Berlin, you can't go around that tall thing which is towering over every building and you can see from every corner of the city. Yesss I'm talking about the Berliner Fernsehturm! 

It's a great place to get a beautiful view of the Berlin streets and buy a few souvenirs of Berlin's most famous tower. But, did you also know that you can eat all the way up in the tower? At a dizzying height of 207 metres above the ground, you can enjoy great food and drinks in a restaurant which turns about its own axis! And the best part for a 'Dutchie' like me is the fact that it's not that expensive either! 

When you make a reservation at restaurant 'Sphere', you get a premium ticket, which means that you're able to go up in the tower without having to wait in an enourmous line and you have free access to the panoramic floor.

Got curious? On the website you can check out the menu and make reservations.

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