Sticky for restaurant recommendations for OYO time

[sayhello]

Hi! Tozzie had a great idea to start a sticky for people who are looking for restaurant recommendations for pre-days or On-Your-Own time, but a) don't want to read through an entire Trip Report to find them or b) don't want to read the Trip Reports at all due to spoilers.

I know that when I've read reports, people have come across a lot of gems that other people would love to know about. Or perhaps you tried a place, and it just wasn't that good. Feel free to post here, and give your recommendations/reviews of restaurants.

I'm going to ask that you limit your posting to recommendations and reviews of restaurants, and not go off topic, otherwise it defeats the purpose of the thread.

Please start your post with:
City & Country
Restaurant name

Then try to include things like:
Type of food
Good points/bad points
Approximate price range
Distance from hotel
Other attractions nearby
etc.

Thanks everyone! I hope this sticky proves useful!

Sayhello

 

[familygoboston]

Quito, Ecuador

Crepes and Waffles

Location: Located diagonally across the street from the JW Marriott in Quito; so its a good choice if you don't want to take a cab or eat in the hotel, because you can easily walk, about a hundred yards across a major roadway. Our AG recommended a cab taking a cab if coming back late at night, if not with a sizable group. We dined with 6-8 people, left a couple of the bigger guys in back and had no troubles whatsoever. Didn't even see anyone troublesome, but take precautions as you would in any large city!

On the menu: sort of like an I hop menu, there are pages of crepes and waffles, both savory and sweet, all illustrated with photos, although you can request and English menu, and when you do will likely be assigned the waitress who speaks the most English. But its easiest to communicate by pointing to the photos! It's a casual place where lots of locals dine to celebrate birthdays etc.

The food was excellent, familiar and delicious. Examples we tried were; chicken waffles, crepes with chili and beef and burrito style crepes- hard to describe, but all very tasty! I have more details, a photo or two in my review in my signature. They offer all kinds of delicious dessert crepes and waffles and ice cream sundaes. It gets busy on weekend nights, but you can easily get a table by going early (before 7). There is some outdoor seating on a patio and indoor seating that looks a lot like your standard "mall food court" tables.

What you'll pay: this was very reasonable, about 6-10 USD per "dish". They did serve beer and wine, but we particularly enjoyed their special fruit juices and frescas.
Thanks SayHello for this stickie! Great idea!

 

[Kez250]

Name : le Relais de l'Entrecote

Location : there are 3 locations - the one we went to was just off the Champs Elysees - 15 rue Marbeuf VIII

Menu - there is a dessert/drinks menu only - dinner/lunch consists of house salad followed by steak with or without sauce and frites - the choice is rare, medium or well done.

They do not take reservations - the first night we went there we arrived around 8.15 and were seated in about 30 minutes - the line is along the side of the restaurant. Our second time there, we arrived at 6.35 and were the 3rd group through the door when they opened at 7pm

Price - the price for steak/frites is Euro 25.80 per person - a bottle of wine was Euro 17.75 - Profiteroles for dessert were Euro 6.80

Hope this helps someone

 

[Kez250]

Name - La Cuisine de Bar

Location - 8 rue du Cherche-Midi VI - not far from Jardin du Luxembourg

Menu - open face sandwiches, delicate and delicious, wine, coffee, hot chocolate etc

The bakery next door supplies the bread - their loaves are works of art

Price - about 11 Euro depending on which sandwich you get

 

[Tozzie]

Okay, I asked for this thread and I am finally posting in it.

Tuscany- The hotel restaurant is actually really good and the wine is only 5 euros a glass (when you see the prices at some of the other places you will understand why) The matre d is awesome and just tell him the kind of wine you like and he will get you a good one. I like Cabernet and he picked a really good one for me

Venice, Vino Vino, it is not too far from the Luna Hotel down a side street, one of the guides recommended it. It is small but good food and good wine.

IF you can tell I loved the wine in Italy

 

[Rapunzellover]

Name-- 54 Tour Effiel

Location: 2nd level of the Effiel tower

Menu-- it has a fixed dinner menus where you can choose from several apps, several entrees and several deserts. Bread also incuded. And wine and champagne incuded if you pay for that package. There's a no drink package where you get just water.

Reservations must be made ahead of time! They're easy to book online. Incuded in dinner price is a lift ticket to the second level of the tower (you can buy a third level ticket if you want)

Price: expensive as heck, about 100 euros per person for dinner. But lift ticket incluede and there's a lunch option that's cheaper (half price, iirc)

Warning: the food is good, imo, but it's not the food that makes this worth it (in fact, I'd say the food's not worth it). It's the experience of sitting in the tower, looking out at the seine and sipping champagne and eating french bread. That's definitely worth it, imo.

 

[SeaPic]

Name - SAQRA

Location - Av. La Paz 646, Miraflores Lima (was very close, block or two, from the Casa Andina - previous hotel). We walked to the LarcoMar right across from the JW. It's walkable but futher than from the Casa Andina.

Menu - Peruvian. Everyone enjoyed what they had. Even the kids (four of them ages 10-13). Their website offers an English menu if you want to check it out ahead of time.

Cost - Reasonable. About $60 USD for family of four including 2 adult drinks. Dollar was very stong at the time.

The hotel made the reservations for us. There are some very unique shops nearby if you are there early enough to peruse.

 

[SeaPic]

Cusco, Peru

Name - Nonna Trattoria

Location - 298 Calle San Agustin (right around the corner from the hotel)

Menu - Yeah, you guessed it Italian. Wood Fired Pizza, Pasta, Sandwiches, Salad

Cost - Resonable. Four personal pizzas, family size salad, three drinks and a beer for about $40 USD. (Our friend had the biggest Calzone I've ever seen).

Everyone enjoyed what they had.

 

[kristilew]

In Venice - Osteria Enoteca San Marco - on Frezzia, in the little alleys behind Piazza San Marco.

Beyond yum! Dusty made us a reservation here, and it may have been the best meal I've ever eaten in all time. He is a serious foodie!

We did all the courses - a cheese plate, pasta (so fresh, so good, so peppery buttery delicious), mains (lamb, osso bucco) and a couple of bottles of wine. Not sure the breakdown, as we went with another couple and just split the bill down the middle. Definitely a high-end splurge meal, but so worth it!

 

[wdwtheplacetobe]

Rome...close to the Vatican

Marco B and Dusty sent us to Memmo's with another couple for lunch. The restaurant was a hole in the wall with great food. The Guides meet there on their OFF time, so you KNOW it was GOOD. Dusty IS a Foodie! 2 years later and this was one of our favorite places on the Italy Tour! You won't be disappointed.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Name-- 54 Tour Effiel

Location: 2nd level of the Effiel tower

Menu-- it has a fixed dinner menus where you can choose from several apps, several entrees and several deserts. Bread also incuded. And wine and champagne incuded if you pay for that package. There's a no drink package where you get just water.

Reservations must be made ahead of time! They're easy to book online. Incuded in dinner price is a lift ticket to the second level of the tower (you can buy a third level ticket if you want)

Price: expensive as heck, about 100 euros per person for dinner. But lift ticket incluede and there's a lunch option that's cheaper (half price, iirc)

Warning: the food is good, imo, but it's not the food that makes this worth it (in fact, I'd say the food's not worth it). It's the experience of sitting in the tower, looking out at the seine and sipping champagne and eating french bread. That's definitely worth it, imo.

Hi just seen this - it's 58 Tour Eiffel

http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.c...ch-in-paris-eiffel-tower-from-april-2015.html

http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.c...er-in-paris-eiffel-tower-from-april-2015.html

 

[RSM]

For anyone on the China ABD, if you want to try a great restaurant in Shanghai, go to Lost Heaven in the Bund district. I've been to China ~45 times over the past decade or so, and have eaten just about anything and everything you could imagine. The food here was the absolute best I've ever had in China. Primarily Hunan cuisine, but others also. Dishes were reasonably priced at $6/dish at the lower end to ~$15/dish at the upper end.

 

[Cinderella's Slipper 2015]

Hollywood, California

Wildfire BBQ
Typical BBQ fare like pulled pork etc.
Not a lot of seating but does have indoor/outdoor options
$30/pp
Walking distance from the Loew's Hollywood Hotel as it's located in the Hollywood & Highland Centre

Johnny Rockets
Diner food
Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for a reasonable price.
Highly recommend this place for breakfast instead of eating at Preston's in the Loew's Hotel.
If I did this trip again, I would skip the breakfasts at Preston's while on the ABD and eat breakfast here.
Good food for a very reasonable price. Breakfast for 2 was $20 total (2 orders of pancakes, 2 juices and coffee). That $20 would have covered 1 order of pancakes and 1/2 a glass of juice at Preston's
Located in the Hollywood & Highland Centre so easily accessible from the Loews Hollywood Hotel

 

[OKW Lover]

Not strictly a restaurant recommendation, but in Rome we enjoyed a Twilight Trastevere Tour from http://www.eatingitalyfoodtours.com/tours/

We did this one night before our Viva Italia tour started. Excellent guides and great stops where you sample everything from appetizers, pasta, wine, desert, and more. You also learn a lot about early Rome as on this tour we actually walked across a bridge that Julius Cesar walk on and went down into a wine cellar that dated to 100 BC.

 

[TXTransplant]

Vapiano in Munich - it's inthe big shopping complex...you walk right past the restaurant on the walking tour. It's an Italian cafe that has a unique method of ordering and paying. Prices are very reasonable and food is excellent. It was a welcome respite from schnitzel, spaetzle, and potatoes.

 

[SingingMom]

Vapiano in Munich - it's inthe big shopping complex...you walk right past the restaurant on the walking tour. It's an Italian cafe that has a unique method of ordering and paying. Prices are very reasonable and food is excellent. It was a welcome respite from schnitzel, spaetzle, and potatoes.

But in Munich, there are good Italian restaurants, too! Vapiano is a chain. I'd suggest being a little adventurous! ;-)

 

[TXTransplant]

But in Munich, there are good Italian restaurants, too! Vapiano is a chain. I'd suggest being a little adventurous! ;-)

I would have loved to venture out but we were on a tight schedule in Munich (and we didn't stay any extra days). This place was convenient to the hotel, quick, family-friendly and very good. And it didn't serve schnitzel!

 

[Rapunzellover]

I would have loved to venture out but we were on a tight schedule in Munich (and we didn't stay any extra days). This place was convenient to the hotel, quick, family-friendly and very good. And it didn't serve schnitzel!

You don't have to justify. Sounds good to me. Adventurous dining isn't always possible (due to money, time, location, language barriers, and convenience). So, we need other reccommendations.

 

[OKW Lover]

Hollywood, CA

25 Degrees - lobby bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Great burgers. Be sure to check out the hotel lobby while there - its reminiscent of the Tower of Terror. Or is that the other way around?

 

[SingingMom]

In Prague, don't miss the chance to eat on the roof top of Hotel U Prince, in front of the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. They also have outdoor cafes eating, but the roof top gives a beautiful view of Old Town and there is an open grill. We had grilled lobster tails with the best French fries I've ever had! Our guides recommended it and we were not disappointed!!