Jaime Beriestain, restaurant, Barcelona, Spain

Jaime Beriestain Restaurant sports an upscale, cool vibe, with many dishes you’ll recognize, yet they have an updated flair. Here’s a look at the exterior with seating on the sidewalk:

Jaime Beriestain Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain.

Jaime Beriestain Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain.

Here’s a look at the seating inside:

Inside seating at Jaime Beriestain Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain.

Inside seating at Jaime Beriestain Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain.

The green salad you see next was bursting with flavor and the crunch of fresh vegetables:

Green salad at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

Green salad at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

And here’s their take on patatas bravas:

Patatas bravas at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

Patatas bravas at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

There were two sauces for the patatas bravas. I though the red one needed more zing. Then there was the plate of jamón iberico, which was very good indeed:

Jamón iberico at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

Jamón iberico at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

Service was generally detached and inattentive. I would have appreciated better service. However, the food is very creative, including the sweets that are worth tasting and maybe taking some home:

Sweets at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

Sweets at Jaime Beriestain, Barcelona, Spain.

If you’re looking for a creative meal, this may be the place, if you don’t mind waiters who may be otherwise occupied.

Published in: on June 16, 2014 at 6:08 am  Leave a Comment  
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Duchess of Cambridge (pub)

The Duchess of Cambridge is the name of a great pub across the street from Windsor Castle. I thought this might be a tourist joint, but truth be told, they serve fine food and booze in a friendly atmosphere. Hence, I dropped in for a couple of meals while in town. Started with this bowl of soup:

Mixed ver

Mixed vegetable soup at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

Move on to this fine dish, which was so tasty, I wish I could have eaten two platters:

Slow roasted pork belly with whole grain mustard mash at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

Slow roasted pork belly with whole grain mustard mash at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

On the healthier side, you can also have the shredded duck salad that you see next:

Shredded duck salad at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

Shredded duck salad at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

That’s a Blue Moon beer in the glass to the left. It was on tap this particular evening. Finally, you might like your pot pie style dishes, such as this one, a chicken and Windsor ham variety that was beautifully prepared and presented as such:

Chicken and Windsor Ham Pie at the Duchess of Windsor Pub, Windsor, England.

Chicken and Windsor Ham Pie at the Duchess of Windsor Pub, Windsor, England.

You might also like smoked haddock that was a special one night, that you see here:

Smoked haddock with a Blue Moon beer on the side at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

Smoked haddock with a Blue Moon beer on the side at The Duchess of Cambridge, Windsor, England.

Service is very good. You’ll also find friendly people working the bar where you might want to linger for a chat and a great variety of beer and whiskey. Enjoy every meal, especially when you travel.

Published in: on June 9, 2014 at 5:25 am  Comments (1)  
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East Coast Line (return)

In a previous post, I showed a few photos from the East Coast Line train from London to Edinburgh. In the interest of symmetry, let’s take a look at the return journey. I took a taxi from my hotel to Waverly Station, where I found a bustling terminal full of snack shops and digital boards displaying train information:

Digital screen displaying train info at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Digital screen displaying train info at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Of  course, the train was waiting and ready to go. I boarded for my reserved seat with ease, stowing my luggage overhead, sitting down to a comfortable chair with a small table.

East Coast Line train, waiting at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

East Coast Line train, waiting at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The staff is friendly and cheerful as they pass through serving food and beverages, including this bacon sandwich for breakfast:

Bacon sandwich served in first class carriage, East Coast Line train.

Bacon sandwich served in first class carriage, East Coast Line train.

And since the journey was about four hours twenty minutes long, I also had the benefit of lunch, which was a chicken breast with salad as you see here:

Chicken lunch in first class aboard East Coast Line train.

Chicken lunch in first class aboard East Coast Line train.

It was a smooth ride, arriving on time at King’s Cross Station, London, that you see here:

A platform in King's Cross Station, London, England.

A platform in King’s Cross Station, London, England.

When traveling about Britain, from city to city anyway, I can recommend this service. It was a nice way to see the countryside without the hassles of airports.

Published in: on June 8, 2014 at 4:48 am  Leave a Comment  
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Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Edinburgh

Twenty years ago, I stopped in to this tavern for lunch and decided to head back for old time’s sake. Things have been updated, but the food is still good, the service friendly, and you can certainly enjoy the atmosphere. Here’s a look at the upstairs dining area:

 

Upstairs dining room at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Upstairs dining room at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

You’ll find the menu chock full of pub favorites. The pair that I sampled were delicious and very filling, just the thing to fortify you for a visit to the castle or a long walk up and down the hills of Edinburgh. Here’s a look at the cottage pie with vegetables, crunchy slaw, and little side salad:

Cottage pie with veggies, crunch slaw, and salad at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Cottage pie with veggies, crunch slaw, and salad at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Another pub staple is the sausage with mash. Here it is as served at Deacon Brodie’s:

Sausage and mash at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sausage and mash at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Naturally, there is a wide selection of beer on tap and in the bottle. Tried this one:

Hackney Gold, one of the many beers on tap and in the bottle at Deacon Brodie's Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hackney Gold, one of the many beers on tap and in the bottle at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The corner tavern is located close to Edinburgh Castle, surrounded by tourist shops. As mentioned above, you’ll enjoy a hearty meal here with good service. So give it a try if you’re in the area.

Published in: on June 5, 2014 at 4:33 am  Leave a Comment  
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